CHAPTER 2: Rise
Tom looked in hope A beam of golden light radiated from above and the golden man fell to the ground
"Who dares summon the great Oron from my grandiose realm." Tom knelt in front of Oron and said.
"Oh mighty Oron born of eternal light, I am Tom law of earth and I need your help. Your brother forced his power onto me and is slowly killing me. I request nay I beg your help, your highness." There is a pause then Oron says calmly.
" You... You are the boy the prophecy spoke of are you not."
"Perhaps that is the case, oh mighty lord Oron." Tom said.
"Uh uh no call me Oron child, and please follow me to my realm." Tom stood and approached the God slowly cautiously
Oron offered his hand and Tom sceptical took it they spun round Toms feet drawn from the ground they were blasted through reality and as sudden as they were taken their feet returned to the floor it had a normal sky with a reflective floor covered in a thin puddle of water causing the sky too perfectly reflect the mountains and surroundings. When Tom looked to Oron he saw the God standing by a small cottage with a bubbling pot that smelled very much like potato and leek soup standing. Tom slowly walked forward still sceptical the God stood patient and then *crack* Two armchairs appeared and Oron invited Tom to sit and explain what led the eleven year old to call a God. He recounted his week to Oron and the kind empathetic man took great pity on him when Tom was finished Oron finally stood and at last he spoke.
"It seems you have gotten yourself into quite the pickle little one. mine and my elemental powers are the only thing to balance the energy of dark, power, chaos or lightning, technology and war. here take this the power of me and the power of the elementals." Oron raised his arms and blessed Tom with his power this time Tom graciously accepted.
"Wow!" Tom said
"This feels amazing!"
Oron then said.
"You now have a choice: you could help me fight my brother or go back to your normal life." Tom thought for a moment and softly said
"I will help you fight your brother."
"Then let's collect the others !" Oron exclaimed
"Others?" Tom asked, perplexed.
"Yes, the eleven others." Oron stated.
"Well how do we find them?" Tom asked.
"You will have to use your technological know-how to build a device to locate their unique signature and you will also need to construct armour to conceal your identity and protect from any attacks such as gunshots, stab wounds lacerations, blunt trauma et cetera et cetera." Oron explained.
"So let me get this straight, you want me to build high tech suits and a device to track these eleven others? And furthermore where!" Yelled Tom
"Yes and I'll show you to my lab."
Oron replied calmly.
"What are we even going to build it out of?" Tom asked.
"Superanite, an alloy made of most Elements in existence, it's very easy to get a hold off from space markets. I will collect some for you." Oron calmly said.
"I think I'm going to use nanotechnology to build these armours for tight storage in some sort of watch to be easily deployed!" Tom said ecstatic.
"Brilliant that can save resources by building the nanobots and bonding them to the alloy and with my power it can become enhanced meaning you only need a thin layer of nanites I will collect the superanite you get started on the armour nanobots which I have prototypes and designs and then you can start programming them." Oron said
"I was thinking I could also add an AI to help run the system." Tom said his excitement was starting to die down.
"Excellent idea. I also have a prototype ai that you can finish and upgrade." Oron said.
"It used to run an old ship but it's incomplete and needs maintenance." Oron added
"What's it called?" Tom asked.
"IDUNN. Or intelligent, diplomatic, unified, neural, net." Oron replied.
"Could use some work." Tom said.
"Yes but now begins your training. Time works differently here if you train here then you can get to a point where you're able to fight an enemy far quicker, at least by everyone else's experience." Oron said.
"How d'you mean?" Tom asked.
"In here time moves faster. A month or two here could be a few days in the real world."
"If you choose to do this you may have to spend weeks at a time away from your family."
"I'm already committed aren't I?" Tom asked.
"Yup." Oron chuckled. Oron led tom to the training room,
It was a massive open area in the same gold and marble style of everywhere else except there were mats hanging from the walls and many weapons on the several racks from guns to kabanas.
"Woah. This looks amazing." Tom said
"Training garments are in that cupboard over there." Oron pointed at a large walk-in wardrobe, definitely not a cupboard. Tom went in and changed into the matte black undersuit before walking over to the weapon rack, he chose twin training katanas that had a little slot to link together.
"I'm ready." Tom said walking over to oron."
"Then let's go." Oron said materialising a sword.
Day 43
Oron's plane.
Tom awoke in his bed that Oron set him up with it turns out an two hours in the mortal world is close to a month here.
So in his experience he'll spend a month or two at a time in Orons world, then go home like nothing had happened, only having been missing for a few hours.
"You were amazingly wrong when it came to how time works here Oron." Tom joked.
"I don't really leave all that often." Oron replied with a chuckle, For the past forty three ish days Tom and Oron had been doing this laughing together having breakfast and training. They had also been working on the suits and IDUNN whom they finished for the most part and even rebranded as Eden for fun.
"Oh I've had a thought, if the Edens central processor is damaged or destroyed we lose all its data and the entire system." Oron began.
"So?" Tom asked.
"We give it a soul."
"How?"
"A soul is made from three things. A mind, Life force and my power."
"I'll boot it up." Tom opened up a holo console and engaged Edens systems.
"Eden?" Tom questioned.
"Sir." Eden answered in a synthesised voice.
"We're giving you a soul, if you want it."
"I would be honoured." Eden replied. Oron and Tom walked to Eden's central terminal and opened up his data core.
"As an AI it is a mind so this should work." Oron said. He waved his hands and a spark of his power appeared.
"Now the spark of life. Tom, would you care to give some of your life force?" Oron asked. Oron showed him what to do. Tom bought his hand to his temple and muttered the spell
Afairéste Ti Zoí. a slither of silver left his skull a small modicum of his own life. Tom brought the shimmering substance to the golden glow in Oron's hand and they mixed. The two slowly shoved the mindless soul into Eden's core and it disappeared, fusing with his code and the technology he's bound in.
"Wow." Eden said, their voice no longer sounding synthesised.
"How do you feel Eden?" Tom asked.
"Alive."
"You are alive." Oron said.
"Yeah you're something entirely new." Tom said excitedly.
"Tell us if something feels off or strange. We need to be able to study how you exactly work." Oron said.
Day 197
Orons plane
Tom had been staying there for about six ish months or about 12 hours back home of course every month that passed in Orons world he would go home to find two hours had gone so it was fairly easy to keep secret.
After each month ended Oron would also go to the mortal world allowing him to keep an eye on Tom. After school every mortal day Tom goes home and goes to Orons world for one mortal hour. He was on mortal day thirteen of this. If that makes sense. It's confusing, I know.
Surprisingly having a month of his experience between each day has helped him reduce stress and catch up on homework and due to his powers his memory is near perfect.
Upon waking up for Oron's plane day one ninety seven Tom did his usual task before going down to train.
"You're doing well but your stance is off." Oron said to Tom after whacking in the face with the side of his training spear.
"I know!" Tom Yelled, adjusting his footing and holding his katanas in his usual way. Left arm outstretched and his right holding the second blade by his head. He charged again, blocking all Oron's attacks and getting a good knock in at the side of his master's empty noggin with the flat of his blade.
"Better!" Oron said. Swinging up his spear catching Tom by surprise. Tom joined his blades at the ends and charged at Oron. The god parried and knocked the training weapon out of his hands.
"You are too aggressive, you must be patient, block , dodge and parry, wait for your opponent to slip up or get distracted and then strike." Oron explained. The god threw his spear at Tom. He acted instinctively, grabbing the spear and launching it back striking Oron in the gut.
"Good." Oron said.
"That's enough for today. You need a weapon that isn't those training katannas. I'll take you to the great forge tomorrow to get one made." Oron said. Tom walked back to his room thinking over what he did wrong and right mentally altering his original choices to come up with a better plan of attack. Upon arriving at his room he sat and meditated centering his mind after hours he rose and went to bed.
Day 198
Orons plane.
"Rise and shine sleepy head." Oron said, shaking Tom awake.
"Morning." Tom said, rising from the dead.
"Out." Tom said blankly. Oron obliged and Tom got changed and went for breakfast.
"So how do we get to this great forge?" Tom asked.
"First we must go to space. Then we fly there." Oron said sarcastically.
"How fun." Tom muttered. Oron took Tom to a small ship in the mortal world. It was about the size of a lorry, had a tapering front and had gold stripes and long wings.
"Where is this forge?" Tom asked.
"Ten minute jump away." Oron replied. Tom climbed aboard the ship and Oron whisked the two of them to the forge and landed in its dark and gritty hanger.
"Who goes there?" Yelled an angry looking man holding a large axe.
"I am Oron and this is Tom." Oron replied. The man's expression softened. Like he'd expected them to show up.
"This way." He said. The two followed him cautiously.
"We need a weapon fit for a soldier." Tom said.
"Urgh!" The man grunted.
"Forge keeper use your words." said a small dwarf looking thing.
"Names Rander." Said the dwarf.
"What do you want then?" The keeper asked.
"Katannas." Tom said.
"A spear." Oron said. Tom shot daggers at him
"I can do you one better." Said the keeper of the forge. He showed them to a small looking room where a beautiful silver spear with a golden blade and leather wrapped handle was suspended in the centre.
"Woah." Tom said.
"It's a special piece. My best work in Eons." Said the keeper.
"Just snap yer fingers an it'll come to yer." The keeper said to Tom. He obliged and the spear jumped off its rack and shot into Tom's hand.
"Ten years ago a man in a mask had me make it. He placed an enchantment on it so only little knight here can use it." The keeper said.
"What's it made of?" Tom asked though he was concerned about this masked man.
"Flaming god steel. An alloy made from hell steel and god steel. Unbreakable."
"Grab the grip with both hands and twist in opposite directions." Said the keeper. Tom obliged, the spear transformed into two katannas joined at the hilts. Tom disconnected the blades and swung them around.
"It's good." He said.
"Put it on yer back." the grumpy man said. Tom did so the blades disappeared.
"Now make like yer grabbing em." Said the keeper. The blades rematerialized.
"You have complete control over em, they listen only ter you." The man said.
"It got a name?" Tom asked.
"The staff of fuck around and find out or its true name, lightspeed." The forge keeper said. The two thanked the man and left returning back to Orons plane to train Tom was doing far better with his actual weapon especially because when Oron disarmed him he only had to snap for it to return. And that's how their days rolled by training, laughing, learning and meditating until the time came.
Throughout the year the two had been working on a device to locate the signal of the others; they would fundamentally be different and over the last few weeks Tom had found and tagged them. The first person he had found was Jacob Tom was shocked but had to move on after finding the next he shockingly saw his cousin. The pattern continued; all the others were people he had known for most of his life he only had one left to get.
September 31 08:00 am
As the birds began to sing a boy walked out of his house to enjoy the fresh air when something in a black knight armour with red highlights scattered around it. The helmet had a silver visor and a golden crown at the. The knight grabbed him and pulled him into a white plane of existence Oron's plane around him was ten others including his twin brother the armoured being spoke
"I'm sorry to have bought you all here in such an odd manner and on such short notice but I require your help."
"Why would we do that if you just kidnapped us?" Said one of the people in the room "Because if you don't, the universe as we know it will be taken over my friends." The knight said
"We're not your friends, we don't even know you." Said a girl next
To the lad.
"Oh, yes you do,I forgot about the mask." the knight said as his mask retracted of his face revealing himself.
"Tom!" They all shouted at once surprised apart from Jacob, Whom Tom had talked into coming there rather than kidnapping him.
Tom recounted the story of Oron the wise and his Year to them; they all sat there slack jawed.
"So will you help."Tom finally said
"Yes we all will." said Tom's cousin William and twin brother of another boy there called Isaac and the final person Tom kidnapped- i mean unwillfully borrowed.
"Good." Tom said abruptly.
"If you would follow me to the device that will give you all the power of me and the elementals as well as the power of the dark and his elementals." Oron said the device buzzed to life the eleven outputs and signal input all glowing as the machine deactivated they all stepped out now they were almost as powerful as Tom
"I have built you all armour and taken the liberty to put in all the colours." Tom said
Against the wall stood eleven glowing cases each holding their own suit similar to toms except the colours. Purple, white, magenta, lime green, cyan, blue, grey, light blue, green and yellow highlights.
They put on their suits and deactivated the nanites, returning them to the watches Tom had made for them.
"Tom, how come yours has a crown?" Jacob asked. As he eyed up the light blue armour
"Because that's how I designed it." Tom said back sarcastically
"Hardly fair." His other friend Lucy said immediately grabbing the purple armour.
"Yeah." Ellie, Lucy's best friend, agreed as she swiped the grey.
"I have a ship called the Talesmand. It has two hundred personnel that can be aboard the ship. You guys can use that on your first mission, which is on a planet called Selestia. We'll leave tomorrow and meet at the park in your suits preferably." Said Oron loudly so everyone could hear him.