Alkaya-Book-one

Alkaya: The Legend
of Empyro
Konrad McKane

Copyright © 2011 by Konrad McKane.
Library of Congress Control Number: PENDING
ISBN: Hardcover 978-1-4628-7630-3
Softcover 978-1-4628-7629-7
Ebook 978-1-4628-7631-0
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by
any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
copyright owner.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product
of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual
persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book was printed in the United States of America.
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CONTENTS
Prologue................................................................................................10
Chapter I Jaypar and Bantam........................................................11
Chapter II Juniper Pembrook .........................................................21
Chapter III Ferrick Vatten................................................................37
Chapter IV Kolobar Avlossa.............................................................51
Chapter V Sabria Masue.................................................................60
Chapter VI Harkane the Harbinger .................................................68
Chapter VII Ferrick Unfettered.........................................................72
Chapter VIII Kolobar’s Vision Quest..................................................77
Chapter IX Neoen ...........................................................................80
Chapter X The Earth Empyro ........................................................88
Chapter XI Empyro Training...........................................................96
Chapter XII Back to the Light Temple ............................................100

7
PROLOGUE
LONG BEFORE EARTH and man were brought into existence by
the prime creator, there was a perfect superrace of hyperintelligent
beings. They were called the Alkayans. They were materialized into
humanoid forms that consisted of tall slender bodies with no mouths or
gender and six digit fingers with two opposable thumbs on each hand.
They communicated telepathically and absorbed their energy through
the electrons of atoms that surrounded them. They had no need to eat.
Their technology was far superior to anything you can imagine. Everything
was controlled through brain waves and telekinesis. They had no need for
sleep because their minds never got tired. They never aged, and they lived
forever. They were innovators and masters of every art form. They were a
peaceful race with a collective conscience that all were equal with no need
for government or monetary system. The positive energy that flowed from
them was pure love.
The Alkayans were nomads created as intergalactic cartographers to map
the heavens and galaxies as they spiraled outward and new stars were born.
They traversed the universe in a glorious armada of vessels of their own
design. Their purpose was to teach the lower races yet to come their vast
knowledge and instill in them an unadulterated love for their creator. They
were the wayshowers of the truth and the light.
Once their cartography was completed, they constructed their own planet.
They called their quintessential home Alkaya. They gathered every race
and animal of the universe you could imagine to live in perfect harmony.
The Alkayans were pleased with the perfect society they had created. It
functioned effortlessly for many millennia.
One day, a transdimensional portal opened up, and a comet came through
and struck the surface of Alkaya. The Alkayans named the star Lucifer,

8 KONRAD MCKANE
which means “light bearer,” but it was inaccurately named for the only
thing Lucifer brought was shadow and darkness. He brought a new element
of shadow that the Alkayans had never seen before; it negated their light.
Lucifer decided to make his own race of beings to disrupt the world the
Alkayans had assembled. He called them the “repticons.” They were the
evil incarnation of pure jealously and hatred Lucifer had developed in
his heart. Lucifer became the great dragon; his creation resembled his
moniker. The repticons have big round serpentine eyes, jagged teeth, dark
red scaly skin, and black claws. The negative energy that flowed from
them was pure hate.
The repticons plagued the planet Alkaya with disorder and chaos. With
weapons of mass destruction, they infiltrated and corrupted the Alkayan
society. Being a peaceful and pacifist planet, the innocuous Alkayans had
no knowledge of war or how to combat the threat of the repticons. They
could only watch helplessly as all of Alkaya was quickly overthrown. No
one could halt them in their evil conquest.
The last great city of Alkaya, the metropolis known as Pertopous, was
under siege by the repticon forces. The city’s last defense was a massive
force field that was slowly losing power as the repticons drained life from
the planet. In this time of crisis, when certain death seemed inevitable,
there was a glimmer of hope. Having no battle experience or weapons to
arm themselves, a team of the most enlightened Alkayans began designing
biomechanical armor to enhance their physical strength and capabilities.
Harvesting the energy of the four elements, fire, water, air, and earth,
they infused that power with impervious alloys. From the alloys, they
fashioned four suits empowered by each corresponding elements. They
called these bioweapons “empyro.” The hosts are empowered by the fire
inside of their hearts.
The Alkayans selected four beings of sound body and mind to operate the
empyros. It didn’t matter what size or shape you were because the armor
formed a symbiotic relationship with the host, adjusting to conform to
their body. The force of the empyros drove back the hordes of repticons
and wiped them off the face of Alkaya. The empyros were unable to fully
vanquish the great dragon, Lucifer, so they sealed him deep within a volcano
below the crust of the planet. Some repticons, including the repticon

9ALKAYA: THE LEGEND OF EMPYRO
assault leader named Harkane, evaded the empyros’ grasp, burrowing deep
beneath the surface. The empyros tracked down the remaining renegade
repticons and sealed them away in their secret underground layer. Harkane
swore vengeance on all of Alkaya and vowed he would return in full force
to finish the holocaust he led.
With the threat of the repticons absolved, peace returned to Alkaya once
again. The high elders hid away the empyros within elemental temples at
the four corners of the world, in case their power was ever needed again.
Because of the bloodshed, violence, and death, sin and immorality had
entered the world. Their utopia became flawed. It was as if the repticons
were still influencing the population somehow. Feeling they had failed
their society, the original Alkayans departed the home they created and
returned to the stars. They promised the citizens they would return when
they found a cure for their planet. They left them a code to live by called
the Vade Mecum and instructed them to have faith they would return to
cleanse Alkaya of the evil.
Thousands of years passed, and the people slowly forgot about the great war
and the four bioweapons. The people slipped into depravity. The land was
divided; races only stuck with each other and battled for dominance. They
had corrupt governments, and wars broke out between tribes and nations
fighting out of greed for territory. They trusted their own judgment when
they weren’t capable of directing themselves. This selfish corrupt system
went about their lives unaware of the sinister beings that lurked below. The
seal had weakened. Harkane was coming!

11
CHAPTER I
Jaypar and Bantam
IT IS COMMON knowledge that there is more than one universe. In
fact, a multiverse exists, where worlds live seamlessly side by side. Once
of these worlds we know of is called Alkaya. All of the mythical creatures
of fairy tales, fantasies, and legends exist in the Alkayan universe. This is
a world of technology and magic mixed. Since this is a parallel world of
Earth, the geography and the names of places are the same. You yourself
have an alternate being in the world of Alkaya. When we dream, we are
able to connect with our Alkayan selves and see the world through their
eyes. That’s why we may have strange abilities in our dreams like being able
to fly or breathe under water.
The main race of Alkaya is the elves. There are many sub-races of elves
including avariel or winged elves, lunar elves, wood elves, mountain elves,
ice elves, aquatic elves, high elves, drow elves, and sun elves. The elves of
Alkaya used to be immortal until the original Alkayans departed from the
planet after the great war. The Alkayans took with them the technology
that granted immortality to all humanoid beings. Elves still enjoy a long
life span; some are capable of living almost a millennium. They reach
physical maturity at about age twenty-five and emotional maturity around
one hundred. Most elves are taller than normal humans with slender, fit
physiques. They have no body hair and facial hair. Male elves prefer to keep
their hair long; having long hair is a sign of wisdom and beauty. Only super
masculine warrior elves have short hair.
The other main races of Alkaya are the dwarves, gnomes, fairies, goblins,
trolls, ogres, mutants, androids, the greys, and manimals. Manimals are the
largest population of Alkaya. Most of the animals evolved into humanoid
form much like they say humans evolved from apes. Then there’re the
hybrids like mermaids, centaurs, satyrs, and hybrid animals like griffons
and hippogryphs. There’re also islands ruled by dinosaurs.

In present-day Alkaya, the world is in turmoil. The failing monetary system
has caused an escalation of greed and scarcity. The corrupt governments do
little to offer the people relief. The repticons have their hidden agents in all
aspects of society. Politicians are puppets, and the repticons are the puppet
masters. The people of Alkaya are clueless about the repticons’ evil agenda.
They created currency to force the people into economic slavery. You have
to be a wage slave to survive. The free enterprise system only creates useless
competition. People end up chipping off each other to survive instead of
uniting and working together.
There is a unified quantum field that connects all life forces. This field
responds deeply to the power of emotions. Something within us has an
effect on the world around us. People give it many different names like
God, the matrix, the source, the creator, and such. The majority of the
population is unaware of its existence. We all have the inner desire for
worship and to connect to our oneness. The repticons capitalize on this
knowledge, concealing it from the public. Even though their numbers are
relatively small, they use their collective conscience and influence all of
Alkaya with their negative vibration of fear and hate. They are vampires
that feed upon the population’s psychic energy. Their weapons they use
to enslave the masses are the government, religion, the monetary system,
natural disasters, segregation, the threat of terrorists and war.
The legion of light and love is the true religion of Alkaya. The brothers and
sisters of LOLAL follow the correct interpretation of the Vade Mecum,
which is equivalent to the Earth’s Bible. There are many sects and false
religions in Alkaya just like we have on Earth. There has been much
violence and bloodshed because of people forcing their beliefs on other
beings. The repticons use religion as a device to brainwash people into
subservience, with the promise of heaven being the reward for when you
die and the agony of hell the punishment when you refuse to obey the law
and the government. They capitalize on the citizens’ desire to connect to
the oneness and the intrinsic love they feel for each other. They teach that
everyone is a separate entity, and you should look out for number one,
creating a selfish meism society.
Kinetica is the secret assassins’ guild that eradicates the repticon threat.
Repticons are shape shifting demons that have infiltrated every form of
government and political influence of the Alkayan society. The original

empyro hosts created Kinetica to silently clean up any repticons that
surfaced after the empyros had been retired to their elemental temples.
Kinetica has been battling the repticons for many millenniums. It has been
an invisible war. The public is unaware of the agency’s existence just like
they’re unaware of the repticons. Since the repticons have their claws in the
government and the media, they cover up any assassinations by Kinetica.
Repticons have a hive mind so they know immediately when one of their
kind has fallen.
Kinetica is devoted to the research and development of kinesis abilities.
The main forms of kinesis are telekinesis (objects), geokinesis (earth),
hydrokinesis (water), pyrokinesis (fire), aerokinesis (air), photokinesis
(light), umbrakinesis (shadow), and astrakinesis (spiritual energy).
BantamBumarilwasrecruitedbyKineticabecausehewasthebestmarksman
with an array of ranged weapons in his whole region. He was also recruited
because he was following in his father, Bosco’s footsteps. Bosco trained
Bantam to be a deadly shot. He is known as Bantam The Phantom because
he can kill a mark from so far so fast his target is dead before they realize it.
Bantam is half avariel elf and half wood elf. He was named Bantam, which
means small fighter, because he is smaller than normal male elves at about
5'9" with a sinewy physique. He has long dirty blond hair and blue eyes.
Bantam is a beast master and one with nature and all of its creatures; he can
speak multiple languages of different animals. It was an ability he was born
with and used it wisely to further his advancement in Kinetica.
Bantam has a pet pander shifter named Behoba. Every good hunter has a
good pet. Behoba can turn from a beast form to a water form to a flight
form. They’re called panders because when properly trained they can
become any animal the master desires. The pander’s original shape is like a
ferret crossed with a chameleon, with a long neck and longer legs and ears.
They have a prehensile tail and long tongue. They’re so flexible you can
practically tie their body in a knot.
Jaypar Prakkari is Bantam’s elder half brother. They share the same mother.
He is half avariel elf and half lunar elf with dark hair and green eyes, light
skin, and freckles. He’s an average male elf at 6'3" and weighs 170 pounds.
He is also an agent of Kinetica and is Bantam’s partner. Jaypar was trained
by Kinetica to shadow jump, which is a form of umbrakinesis. He can

appear behind an enemy and jump out of their own shadow to deal a
devastating ambush attack. He does burst damage, then slips away into
the shadows. Jaypar is a master of stealth. He was gifted with a device of
ancient Alkayan origin by Kinetica that can bend the light around himself
to make him appear invisible. This ability is a form of photokinesis. Jaypar
is deadly with a blade and hand-to-hand melee combat. He prefers to use
daggers and short swords. He wears lightweight leather armor so he can
deliver fast aerial attacks.
The soul birds are a division of Kinetica that are the eyes in the sky. They
are responsible for surveillance, reconnaissance, and extraction. Jaypar and
Bantam’s avariel elf mother named Keva was a part of the soul birds. They
have an elder brother named Balahibo that is a soul bird as well. Unlike
Jaypar and Bantam, Balahibo was born with wings. Balahibo tormented
Jaypar and Bantam for being wingless ones as they were growing up.
Jaypar’s father, Jayden Prakkari, the lunar elf, was in Kinetica as a rogue
assassin and helped train Jaypar as a boy. Bantam’s father, Bosco, the wood
elf, was a sniper and a hunter; he trained Bantam as well. Jayden and Bosco
were partners and Kinetica’s top rogue and hunter team. Bosco and Keva
were married and very much in love. Jayden was always a loyal friend. Bosco
told Keva that if anything were to ever happen to him he wanted Jayden to
take his place. When Balahibo was very young, his father Bosco was captured
by repticons and was presumed to be dead. Jayden and Keva, after they got
over their grief of Bosco’s death, finally got together and had Jaypar.
Not long after Jaypar’s birth, intelligence was received that Bosco was still
alive and was being held deep within a repticon base beneath Mt. Shasta.
Going against direct orders from Kinetica, Jayden went on a suicide mission
to rescue Bosco. Jayden was overwhelmed with guilt and felt responsible
for Bosco’s capture. Jayden used his superior stealth abilities and was able
to rescue Bosco. They barely escaped with their lives. Their relationship
was slightly flawed after that because Keva had to make a tough decision
between the two of them. Jayden was an elf of honor, and he stepped down
and let Bosco reunite with Keva. About three years after Bosco was rescued,
Keva gave birth to Bantam.
Jaypar and Bantam were trained by Kinetica from birth and quickly became
the best rogue and hunter team the agency had ever seen. They surpassed

their fathers’ skill. Their mother Keva, as an avariel elf, has hollow bones for
flight. Being born half avariel without wings, Jaypar and Bantam’s bones are
semihollow,grantingthemtheextraagilitytobefasterandjumphigher.Their
motherwasalwayslookeddownuponbyherpeopleformatingwithawingless
one. Jaypar and Bantam never fit in with any elf tribe for being half breeds.
The only place they were truly accepted was Kinetica. That was their home.
When Jaypar was only eleven, his father was captured by repticons. It was
supposed to be a routine mission, an easy assassination of a political figure,
but something went horribly wrong.There was a mole in Kinetica. Kinetica
agents all have special eye surgery that lets them see past the illusion of
the repticons so they always see their true form. The repticons devised a
new form of toxic venom in their bite that would turn the victim into a
brainwashed slave of the dark alliance. They were virtually undetectable
by normal means. The only difference was that they gave off a dark red,
sometimes black aura, and few people were gifted with the ability to see
auras. Kinetica discovered this after it was too late. Jayden was ambushed,
and Bosco could do nothing to stop it. The repticons took him away,
and Kinetica has no knowledge of his whereabouts. They believe Jayden
was probably turned and interrogated for information. Bosco was able to
recover Jayden’s swords and gave them to Jaypar and told him one day he
will use the blades to avenge his father’s death.
As Jaypar grew older and wiser, he began to resent his stepfather, Bosco.
Jaypar felt like Bosco played favorites and gave Balahibo and Bantam all the
attention and affection because they were his own flesh and blood. Jaypar
believed that Bosco was jealous of Jayden and Keva’s love, so he purposefully
let his father get captured by the repticons. Jaypar also believed that his
father was still alive, and the repticons were holding him prisoner. Bosco
tried to assure Jaypar that his father was most likely dead because Jayden
was a good agent. He would never reveal Kinetica’s secrets to the repticons,
so he must have definitely taken his own life with a cyanide capsule. Jaypar
didn’t believe him and kept the faith that his father was alive. His ultimate
mission one day was to stealth into the repticon dungeon and rescue his
father. Kinetica would never approve this mission because they knew it
was suicide, and they ruled Jayden dead a long time ago. Jaypar was angry
with Bosco because his father had risked his life to save Bosco’s before, and
Bosco didn’t return the favor.

20 KONRAD MCKANE
Kinetica conceived of this project called Virelay in order for Jaypar and
Bantam to gain access to every A-lister event. They made them electro
pop stars. They paired them up with an international superstar named
Dazzle who is a high elf keyboardist. She plays keytar, Jaypar plays
drums, and Bantam plays guitar. Virelay became an overnight sensation
and rocketed Jaypar and Bantam into superstardom. This made them
virtually untouchable by the repticons because if they killed them, there
would be a public outcry and an investigation into their murders by the
real government. If they lived in anonymity, no one would know if they
died and no one would miss them. They were able to travel the world and
thin out the ranks of repticons wherever they went. Their music delivered
a positive message to all the people, young and old, of the Alkaya and
uplifted their spirits and makes them dance. Dancing is good for the soul
and has healing properties.

21
CHAPTER II
Juniper Pembrook
DEEP BENEATH THE streets of north London in Kinetica’s secret
headquarters, Jaypar and Bantam are debriefed for their next
mission by Commander Kannon. “Listen up, you two. Fabric Live is the
city’s leading night club, where Lord Armstrong frequents. He is using his
influence in the House to pass a law that requires all middle-class citizens
to be implanted with a tracking chip. They won’t be able to buy food or get
medication without it. This chip also has dubious applications. It delivers a
low electrical pulse that keeps the subject docile. The people will be content
with their economic slavery and will not question authority. Gentlemen,
you must successfully assassinate Lord Armstrong. For the sake of Alkaya
you cannot allow this law to pass. I know you boys love the scene and enjoy
dancing, but try and keep a low profile. With your rockstar status, you will
have no trouble gaining access to the VIP lounge where Lord Armstrong
will be. Get in and get out. I don’t want any funny business. Make sure no
one sees you do it,” Commander Kannon said with his usual gruff tone.
“Aw, come on, Commander. Can’t we have a little funny business?” Bantam
asked.
“Just get the job done,” he said sternly.
“No problem, Commander,” Jaypar said.
“Me and Jaypar have got an airtight plan,” Bantam said.
“Well, then let’s get dressed to kill and get there already,” said Jaypar with
a grin.
“Oh, I love a good pun,” Bantam said with a smile.

Our duo rolled up to the night club, Fabric Live, in a stretch Rolls
Royce. The line at the door went around the block. Jaypar and Bantam
stepped out, and immediately they were surrounded by paparazzi. Lights
were flashing, and girls started screaming when they realized who they
were. Jaypar was wearing black purple and gold with a collared shirt
unbuttoned almost to his navel with gold chains and a paisley vest and
gold boots. Bantam was wearing black, gold, and an olive green collared
shirt unbuttoned to his navel and a militant style jacket. They stepped
to the front of the line. There was a giant menacing Minotaur holding a
velvet rope. “Mr. Jaypar and Mr. Bantam, how are you tonight?” he said
in a deep voice.
“We’re doing very well, Moe.Thanks for asking. How is it in there tonight?”
Jaypar asked.
“It’s going off. We’re at full capacity, and there is a high ratio of fine women
in there.”
“Very good, Moe. You do your job well,” Bantam said.
“Thank you, sir.”
Jaypar and Bantam walked past the long line of hopefuls and entered the
club. Moe closed the velvet rope behind them, then yelled at the line in his
booming voice, “If you’re not on the list, you’re not getting in!”
Jaypar and Bantam walked down a dark hallway and into a big open room.
The bass was booming from electro beats. Lights were flashing. Smoke
filled the air. Hundreds of bodies were dancing to the beat. Jaypar and
Bantam surveyed the scene.
“See any reps, Jay?” Bantam asked.
Being a half lunar elf, Jaypar’s eyes were adapted to seeing in the dark.
“Yeah, there’s a few. There’s a lot of turnies here too, so play it cool.”
Turnies is the name Jaypar and Bantam call people that have been bitten
by a repticon and are brainwashed to do the dark alliance’s bidding. They
are the repticon’s secret weapon. Kinetica can’t detect them like they can see
through the repticon’s illusion with the special eye surgery. Jaypar is able

24 KONRAD MCKANE
to detect turnies because they give off a dark reddish aura and he has the
ability to see auras.
“Good to know. I’m gonna get some exercise out on the floor for a bit,”
Bantam said.
“Hold on a sec, Bantam.” Jaypar’s jaw dropped. “You see that girl at the bar
with the dark hair? She’s like nothing I have ever seen before. She has an
indigo aura. Do you know how rare that is?”
“Oh my goodness, brother, she’s exquisite. Why are you still standing here?
Go work your magic. I’ll meet you two on the floor, and we’ll pull shapes,”
Bantam said with a fervor.
The girl at the bar was a lunar elf with jet black wavy hair and a cheeky
fringe. She was built like a supermodel with a tall thin frame, big violet
eyes, and full lips. She was wearing a black and gold romper with black
knee-high stiletto leather boots. She sat alone down at the bar and ordered
herself a drink. Jaypar sat down next to her and asked, “Do you need some
company?”
“No, thank you. I’m meeting friends of mine,” she said to him coldly.
“That’s all right,” Jaypar said. “Tonight, one of those friends can be me. Do
you know who I am?”
“Yes, I do. You’re Jaypar from Virelay. Don’t think I’ll faint in your presence.
I’m not a groupie. I know your reputation. You think you’re God’s gift to
women. You’re promiscuous, and you use girls like tissue paper.”
“Oh dear, I’m afraid you’ve been reading too many tabloids, love. I’m
hardly the womanizer the media portrays me to be. That’s just a part of
the persona. Sure I may have been with a lot of women, but they were just
practice for the woman of my dreams. I don’t need the love of thousands
of girls. I would rather love one girl thousands of ways. I haven’t been able
to find her yet.”
“I’m sure you say that to all the girls. You probably have that speech
rehearsed.”

“You’re right. I have had to say that more than once, but that’s only to let
them down gently. You don’t know how long I’ve searched for a girl like
you. Do you know how special you are?”
“Oh please, I’m sure you say that to all the girls too. What makes me so
special?” she said as she rolled her eyes.
“You have an indigo aura just like I do. I’ve never seen anyone that radiates
as beautifully as yours does. You have a spiritually aware soul, a solid inner
knowing, and a very strong intuition. You’re a very sensitive individual.
You can probably sense the energies around you very well.”
“You’re very perceptive. I had no idea you could see auras. Only the elders
of my order can see auras.”
“What order is that?”
“I belong to an order of druids called Arcturus. We maintain ecological
homeostasis for Alkaya. We have several organic greenhouse high-rises here
in the city.”
“That sounds fascinating. I love organic food. We’re being poisoned by all
the pesticides they pump into our products. So you can really shape shift
into other animals?”
“Yes, I can turn into a white wolf, a white tiger, a dolphin, and a
swallow-tailed kite.”
“That’s amazing. You’ll have to show me sometime.”
“Maybe, if you’re lucky,” she said and took a long sip from her drink.
“I don’t need luck. I have skill—skills to pay my bills,” Jaypar said and
winked at her. She rolled her eyes at him. He was enjoying their banter.
Never had he been so enamored with a female before. He had to play it cool
though. His personal code didn’t allow him to pay generic compliments or
be overtly interested in a female. He had to be aloof. “You seem to know
so much about me from all those tabloid magazines, it’s not fair. I hardly
know anything about you.”

26 KONRAD MCKANE
“What would you like to know?” She crossed her legs toward him and
pivoted her body directly in front of him, then bit her lower lip, and
squinted her eyes. Jaypar’s second language is body language. He took this
as a sign that he had broken down her defenses, and she was starting to
respond to him. He had his feet firmly planted on the floor and was sitting
straight up on his stool. He made slow emphatic gestures and had strong
direct eye contact.
“I only want to know two things,” Jaypar said slowly in a pleasing baritone.
“First of all, what is your name?”
“My name is Juniper,” she said and extended her hand toward him. He
took it and immediately felt a charge flow through his body.
“Whoa, did you feel that?” Jaypar asked.
“I did. What was that?”
“I don’t know, but I liked it.” He took her hand and acted as if he was going
to kiss it; then at the last moment, he kissed the back of his own hand. She
rolled her eyes at him again. “Juniper is a lovely name. It’s fitting that you’re
named after an evergreen shrub since you work with flora.”
“I know I get that a lot. What was your other question?”
“Can you shuffle your stubs?” Jaypar asked with a smile.
“Do you mean, can I dance? Yes, I can, but I prefer dancing by myself.
There’re a lot of creeps out there who like to grope and grind on me.”
“Well, then you’ve never danced with a gentleman like me before.” He
took her by the hand and said, “Show me the way you move.” He led her
out onto the floor, and they made their way through the swaying bodies,
and he found Bantam in the center surrounded by a bevy of hot groupies.
Bantam was moving masterfully dancing with each girl. He even had two
girls grinding on each of his thighs.
The lights were shimmering; the sound was pounding. Jaypar and
Juniper dipped their knees in perfect synchronization to the downbeat.

They even shimmied their shoulders at the same time. He spun her
around, then kicked his leg out to explore the space. They moved in
perfect rhythm together. Jaypar knew that the way you dance has a
direct correlation to your skills in the bedroom, and he was thoroughly
impressed with Juniper’s moves. She felt his passion. She felt his carnal
desire when they touched and when they danced like the floors were on
fire. They stared deep into each other’s eyes. It was as if it was only the
two of them in the crowded room. They were in a frozen moment; all
time seemed to stop.
Then the spell was broken when Jaypar was tapped on the shoulder. He
turned around to find Bantam with a serious look on his face. Bantam’s
eyes glanced toward the mark—Lord Armstrong. He was heading toward
the VIP lounge. Jaypar and Bantam nodded at each other. Then Jaypar
turned to Juniper and said, “I’ve got to see a friend in the VIP lounge, love.
How about you find your friends, and we’ll meet up later?”
“If you don’t want to dance with me, just say so. You don’t have to make
up an excuse.”
“No excuses, darling. I love dancing with you. You pull shapes like a pro. I
just have some business to attend to.”
“All right then. I’ll find my friends. Hurry back to me, boy.”
“Are you telling me what to do?”
“Yes. Yes, I am,” she said with a smirk.
“Hmmph, you’re bossy. I kind of like that. I like a girl that can dish it out
as well as take it.” Jaypar and Bantam made their way through the crowd
and headed toward the door to the VIP room. A big burly bear man was
blocking the entrance.
“Sorry, gentlemen, this room is reserved for . . . Oh, excuse me, Mr. Jaypar
and Mr. Bantam. Go right in. We will have table service for you shortly.”
“Thank you, Bruno. You’re looking sharp tonight,” Bantam said. Jaypar
and Bantam walked into the room and all sorts of debauchery was going

28 KONRAD MCKANE
on. Girls were dancing on the tables, with their bodies gyrating on each
other. Alcohol was flowing freely all over the place. Lord Armstrong was
seated in the back of the room on a long plush couch. He had two girls on
either side of him, and they were all drinking cranberry and grey goose.
Lord Armstrong was a boar man, but Jaypar and Bantam could see through
the illusion and saw a dark red repticon sitting before them. The real Lord
Armstrong had probably been dead for quite some time.
“Lord Armstrong, I didn’t know you liked to get down like this,” Jaypar
said as he and Bantam approached.
“Hey, I know you two. You’re those rockstars from that band, Virelay.
Where’s that girl singer of yours, Dazzle? She’s a fine piece of ass,” Lord
Armstrong said with a devious grin, then snorted as he laughed.
“She’s at home,” Bantam said. “She’s not much of the partying type. She’s
a bit of a bore.”
“Aw, that’s a pity,” Armstrong said. “Here, come sit down and have a drink
with me. I would love for you to regale me with tales of life on the road and
all your sexual exploits.” Jaypar and Bantam sat down and the girls poured
them drinks.
“Tell him about the time in Sweden, Bantam, with the drow elf triplets,”
Jaypar said.
“Oh man, now that was a good time,” Bantam said. They all drank and
laughed and told anecdotes for about an hour. Lord Armstrong was getting
thoroughly sloshed.
Jaypar thought to himself, “This Lord Armstrong is an all right dude. It’s
a pity he’s a bloodthirsty repticon bent on enslaving all of Alkaya, and we
have to end his life tonight.” Jaypar made three drinks, then opened the
ring on his pinky, slipped a white powder into Lord Armstrong’s drink, and
handed it to him. He gave Bantam a sly wink and handed him his drink.
They all raised their glasses, and Jaypar made a toast. “To new friends and
good times.”
“Cheers,” they all said and took long pulls from their glasses.

The powder Jaypar poured in Lord Armstrong’s drink was a deadly
Australian poison that was odorless, tasteless, and highly soluble. Within
minutes, it brings the victim to cardiac arrest. Lord Armstrong slumped
down in his seat, and Jaypar laid his head back against the couch.
“Well, it seems like Lord Armstrong has gotten properly pissed,” Jaypar
said. “You girls look after him while he sleeps it off for a bit,” Jaypar glanced
at Bantam. That was their cue to leave. They exited the VIP lounge casually
and went back into the main room.
“Mission accomplished, brother. Now let’s get back to the flat before they
realize Lord Armstrong is no longer among the living,” Bantam said.
“No, we can’t leave yet. I have to find her,” Jaypar said. His eyes were
scanning the room, looking for an indigo aura.
“You mean that bird from the bar? She was all right but nothing to get your
knickers in a twist over,” Bantam said.
“You don’t understand, brother. She’s the one. She’s an indigo like me. She
could be my twin flame.”
“There you go again with that twin flame nonsense. You fall in love every
night.”
“This one is different. I felt a spark unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.”
“Well, we better find her and make tracks before Lord Armstrong’s cadaver
dissolves.”
Just as soon as Bantam finished his sentence screams could be heard coming
from the VIP lounge. Lord Armstrong’s corpse had melted into a steaming
black pool. There was only his suit lying on the couch where Jaypar had
left him. The girls in the room were hysterical; seeing someone melt before
your eyes can be quite unnerving. Several repticons walked swiftly and
calmly passed Jaypar and Bantam. Jaypar gave Bantam a wink that meant
“play it cool.” The repticons entered the VIP room and barricaded the door
behind them. They rounded up the girls, and the lead repticon proceeded

30 KONRAD MCKANE
to bite them. He was equipped with a mind-erasing venom. Repticons are
always quick to cover their tracks, like a broom to their footsteps.
When a repticon takes the form of a being, they consume their soul. They
gain their knowledge, their memories, and all of their mannerisms. If
the repticon is killed, the form can never be taken again. Killing Lord
Armstrong was a devastating blow to the repticon agenda. The media will
say that he died from an accidental overdose and heart failure. The public
will be none the wiser and the chip implant law will be nullified. Another
good deed will go unnoticed.
Jaypar spotted Juniper sitting at a table in the corner with her friends.
Bantam and Jaypar casually made their way through the crowd and seated
themselves.
“My apologies for keeping you waiting. I hope you didn’t miss me too
terribly,” Jaypar said to Juniper.
“There you are. I didn’t think you were ever coming back.”
“I’m an elf of my word. Of course I came back. Why don’t you introduce
us to your lovely lady friends?”
“These are my friends—Callisto, Maleah, and Maeve. They’re part of my
order of Arcturus. Ladies, this is Jaypar and his brother, Bantam.”
“Oh, we know who they are,” Callisto said with a smile. “We’re big fans.
They played one of your songs earlier.”
“Always a pleasure to meet a fan of our work,” Bantam said with a grin.
Callisto was a sun elf with auburn hair. Maleah and Maeve were drow elf
twins with white hair and dark skin. Bantam leaned over to Jaypar and
whispered, “Twins.”
“How would you ladies like to come back to our flat for a little after party?”
Jaypar said.
“Yeah, this place is dead anyway,” Bantam said as he gave a sly wink to
Jaypar.

“I suppose that would be all right,” Juniper said. “But we’re not staying the
night.”
“Splendid. Then it’s agreed,” Jaypar said. Then he spoke into his wrist
communicator, “Wesley, meet us at the front. Our party is ready to be
picked up.” Wesley is Jaypar and Bantam’s robot butler, driver, and personal
assistant. The rest of Alkaya doesn’t know that android technology exists,
so he’s designed to look like an older high elf.
The group got up from the table and exited the club. Jaypar and Juniper
were holding hands. Bantam had the other girls on his arms. Paparazzi
camera lights were flashing. Wesley was waiting for them up front and
opened the door to the limo for them.
“Thank you, Wesley,” Bantam said. “You’re a true gentleman.”
“Thank you, master Bumaril. Did you enjoy yourselves tonight?”
“Yes, Wesley. We had a killer time,” Bantam said with a smirk.
Wesley drove the group to Jaypar and Bantam’s fancy penthouse flat in the
west end. They rode the elevator to the top floor. When they got to the
door, Jaypar scanned his retina and his thumb print, then whispered, “Let
me in, baby,” to open it.
A pleasing female voice answered, “Identity confirmed. Welcome home,
master Prakkari.”
“Welcome to our humble abode,” Jaypar said and held the door as everyone
walked in. “Let’s give them the grand tour, Bantam.”
“Vicki, queue the music and the lights,” Bantam said.
“Yes, master Bumaril,” Vicki said. Soft ambient music began playing
throughout the apartment. The lights softly turned on like a dimmer
switch.
“Whose voice is that?” Juniper asked with a puzzled look on her face.

32 KONRAD MCKANE
“That is our Virtual Intuitive Cognitive Kinetic Interface, or Vicki for short.
She’s so delightful, Soon everyone will have them in their homes. This is
the foyer. Wesley will take your coats for you.” Wesley took the ladies’ coats
and placed them in the closet. They walked down the corridor and into the
living room. “This is our living room slash entertainment room. We like to
call it the lion’s den. Notice the modern minimalist furniture. We also have
a wall video screen.” The entire wall was a huge television screen. “This is a
place of good energy. We follow the Eastern philosophy of feng shui.”
“Here is our dining room and my favorite room, the kitchen. Jaypar and
I love to cook, so we spend most of our time here. Notice the stainless
steel appliances. We order our groceries online, and they’re delivered to our
door, so our cupboards and refrigerator are always stocked. This is our bar.
Who would like a flirtini? Raise your hand.” Everyone raised their hands
unanimously. “Wesley, can you make us six flirtinis, shaken not stirred?”
“Right away, master Bumaril.”
“Let’s go out onto the balcony.” Sliding glass doors opened up to a beautiful
view of the city. “Notice the breathtaking vantage point. Jaypar and I like
to sit out here under the stars and contemplate the meaning of life and if
Alkaya is the only planet with intelligent life in the universe.”
“I like to believe we’re not alone,” Juniper said and gave Jaypar a sweet
glance.
“Yes, we believe one day the creator of Alkayans will return to the planet
and restore it to the paradise it once was,” Jaypar said.
“Are you followers of the LOLAL?”
“Our mother raised us with the teachings of the Vade Mecum, but we’re
not religious. We’re more spiritual if anything. We can’t live our lives by
tired dogma.”
“Religion only provides intangible emotional solace for those who require
it,” Bantam chimed in. “And besides, fornication is so much fun. Speaking
of that, here is our Jacuzzi. Maybe we can take a dip later on.” Callisto,

Malia, and Maeve looked at each other with a little excitement in their
eyes.
“Master Bumaril, your flirtinis are ready,” Wesley announced.
“Thank you, Wesley. You’re a saint. Shall we take our libations and continue
with the tour, ladies?” Bantam led them up a spiral staircase that was a loft
space off the side of the den. “This is our study slash office and library.”
There were many leather-bound books and exotic antiques. “We collected
most of these treasures on our travels around the world. Now let’s show you
where the magic happens. And no I don’t mean my bedroom.”
He led them down the staircase and into the music room. “This is our
studio slash rehearsal space. The room is completely sound proof, so we
don’t disturb the neighbors. You can scream as loud as you want, and no one
will hear you.” The room was filled with guitars, synthesizers, an electric
drum set and an acrylic drum set. “If you girls play your cards right, maybe
we’ll give you a private performance. Now I’ll show you my bedroom.”
Bantam led them down the hall and into his room. “The color scheme is
flesh tones with teal and green accent colors. And I have nontoxic scented
candles. Now let me show you my special little boy. Behoba, papa is home.”
There was a series of little tubes in the corner, leading up to a nest toward the
ceiling. “Wake up. We have company.” The furry little pander’s ears perked
up, and he came crawling down the tubes. He climbed up Bantam onto his
shoulder and proceeded to rub the side of his head on Bantam’s cheek.
“Wow, he’s so cute,” the girls said in unison.
“Behoba can do a trick for you. Whatever your favorite animal is he can
shift into it.”
“While they entertain your friends, I’ll show you my room,” Jaypar
whispered to Juniper. They snuck off down the hall and into Jaypar’s room.
The decor was minimalist with dark brown furniture and a bed frame that
was close to the ground. There were purple accent colors and a fresco of a
white tiger griffon or tigriff. “They’re beautiful creatures, aren’t they? I have
one at my mother’s house. Her name is Amihan. There’s nothing quite like
flying through cumulonimbus clouds on the back of a tigriff.”

34 KONRAD MCKANE
“I really enjoy being in my flight form,” Juniper said. “Nothing quite
equates to the freedom of flying through the air, feeling the wind beneath
your wings, riding the thermals higher and higher.”
“I’ve always wanted to be able to fly of my own accord. My mother is an
avariel elf, and my father was a lunar elf. I unfortunately was born without
wings. I have an elder half brother named Balahibo that was born with
wings. He always teased me growing up for being wingless.”
“That must have been hard.”
“It was all right. Riding tigriffs was the closest I could get to flying on my
own.”
Jaypar and Juniper sat down on the bed. They looked deep into each other’s
eyes. “Do you believe in love at first sight?” Jaypar asked.
“I believe in lust in first sight. It’s mostly physical attraction. But I must
admit I was strangely drawn to you when we first met. I have to guard my
heart though.”
“I was drawn to you as well. Your indigo aura sucked me in. I’ve been
around the world, and never have I seen one that glows like yours. Have
you been in love before?”
“Once, when I was young, but it was more of a puppy love kind of thing.
It faded in time. I believe true love lasts forever.”
“I believe in true love as well. I don’t think it can be defined. Have you
heard of twin flames?”
“No. What is that? Is it kind of like soul mates?”
“It goes beyond soul mates. Legend states that when the creator Alkayans
made us materialize into physical form, our souls split into male and female.
Every soul’s DNA is encoded with the desire to reunite and seek out that
energy through a physical soul mate. You are the perfect reflection of each
other. It’s beyond bodies and personalities. It’s about hearts. The creators
are calling united twin flames to use their shared hearts as an example for

the love they have for our world. They have been reincarnating over and
over again since the great war and death entered our planet. Usually, one
twin soul stays in spirit to guard and guide the other through each lifetime.
Only in their final lifetime on Alkaya do they both incarnate at the same
time and actually meet in real life to be together. They are reuniting now
because this is the time of the end. The advent of the golden age is upon
us. Love will conquer hate and set us free.”
“That sounds beautiful. How do you know if you’ve met your twin flame?”
“They say we all have the power to manifest our soul’s desire. Our thoughts
create our reality. I believe we have both paid off our karmic debt and
made each other manifest. Twin flames are described as a soul that has
divided into two identical equal and balancing parts, evolving separately to
incarnate over and over, until achieving pure unconditional love. It is the
divine masculine and the divine feminine. The way to tell if you are twin
flames is with the power of the kiss. Pure energy will flow through your
body and nourish your soul. You will feel a wave of euphoria enveloping
your entire being.”
“I really hope this isn’t a ploy for me to kiss you.”
“Well, if it doesn’t work then feel free to slap me. But you’ll never know
unless you try.”
Jaypar took Junipers hand, then slowly drew her body into his. He could
feel the blood coursing through her veins as the rhythm of her heartbeat
increased. She inhaled and held her breath. Their lips drew closer together
and slightly grazed, sending a tingling sensation between their bodies.
Jaypar was teasing her. They closed their eyes, and with mouths slightly
open, they pressed their lips together. Instantaneously, a charge flowed
through their bodies, sending shivers down their spines.
“Oh my god!” Juniper exclaimed in disbelief as she pulled away quickly.
“I have never felt anything like that before.”
“I don’t understand it. That’s the best sensation I have ever felt in my life.
And your lips are so soft.”

36 KONRAD MCKANE
“I was going to say the same thing to you. Maybe we should try again just
to be sure.”
Without hesitation Juniper moved in closely and Jaypar followed suit.Their
lips met fast and hard with the energy and intensity of a bolt of lightening
striking the earth. This kiss was deeper and more passionate than the first
and lasted quite a bit longer. They stopped to catch their breath and looked
bewildered at each other.
“I never thought I could feel this way with anyone. It goes beyond physical.
It’s a spiritual experience,” Juniper whispered softly.
“I know, people live their whole lives and never get to experience what
we’re feeling. I have waited lifetimes for you.”
“What happens next?”
“We’ll let the story unfold.”
Jaypar and Juniper rolled around the bed for hours just laughing, giggling,
and cuddling. They felt energized and rejuvenated by being in each other’s
presence. Juniper stayed the night with Jaypar, and they made a love so
powerful it nearly shook the stars from the heavens. The two became one
flesh. They were shining examples of what true love should be. They were
inseparable and lived in pure ecstasy for three years. Until one day tragedy
befell the perfect couple.

37
CHAPTER III
Ferrick Vatten
OFF THE COAST of California deep beneath the ocean there are
underwater cities. They were designed to accommodate millions of
people and relieve the pressures of land-based populations. Most of the
water-dwelling manimals, as well as merfolk, aquatic elves, and water
nymphs, live there. One of the main races of the underwater are the
Porpecians, half man half dolphin or whale. They have blowholes on the
top of their head and a retractable dorsal fin on their back. Their fingers are
webbed, and their feet are like short bodysurfing fins; when they put their
legs together, it forms a powerful flipper. This is the story of one Porpecian
named Ferrick Vatten.
Ferrick was jolted from his deep slumber by the piercing sound of the
alarm clock on one of his nightstand. He reached over and hit the snooze
button, then closed his eyes again and tried to recall the dream he was
having. It was something about a fire, but he couldn’t see it clearly. Just
before he drifted off, the alarm sounded again. It was 6:10 a.m., time for
him to start his day. He grabbed a remote off his nightstand and pushed
a button that made the dome ceiling to his room open up, revealing the
underwater world around him. The sun was just barely rising, and the light
cast rippling shadows across the floor.
Ferrick looked through the glass out into the murky depths. A giant form
glided slowly by out of the darkness. It was a couple of blue whales feasting
on a cloud of krill. It was September, and the whales enjoyed being off the
coast of southern California with the bounty of food. Ferrick could hear
their deep bellowing singing resonating through the plexiglass. He spoke
cetacean, so he could understand what they were saying. The blue whales
were awfully chatty and excited about their breakfast.

“Yes, I know it’s good,” Ferrick said as his stomach rumbled. “Now it’s time
for my breakfast.”
He walked down a tube and into the main sphere that was lit dimly by blue
track lighting. There was a large living area filled with big plush couches
and a dining area with a long table with seating enough for twenty. Ferrick
lived with a pod of about sixty Porpecians. They were a tight community
that lived in a cluster of underwater spherical apartments. They shared
living spaces and amenities. He made his way into the kitchen, his personal
favorite room. There were stainless steel appliances and an island in the
center for preparing large meals. Ferrick opened the refrigerator and pulled
out his favorite fish, wild Alaskan salmon. He mixed it in a bowl with some
whole grain rice and soy sauce, then stuck two squares of seaweed in the
toaster. After a couple of minutes, the aroma of toasted seaweed wafted
through the air, one of Ferrick’s favorite smells. The seaweed toast popped
up, and he placed it on a plate. He took his morning meal and seated
himself at the large empty table.
As Ferrick was eating, he heard footsteps down the corridor. “Good
morning, sonster,” a booming voice said. It was his father Cobalt, a huge
muscular Porpecian with a big barrel of a stomach. He was the owner of an
underwelding company but let his children run it now. He also managed
several underwater apartment complexes.
“Good morning, big poppa. Did you sleep well?”
“I slept like a lumberjack, sawing logs all night long. I’m surprised your
mother hasn’t gone deaf yet.”
“That’s why she wears ear plugs every night.”
“They really saved our marriage. What does the union have you working
on today?”
“We’re building the new fish farming facility off Palos Verdes.”
“That’s great, Son. You make me and your mother proud. You would make
your mother more proud if you found yourself a nice cow and had some
calves already.”

“Poppa, I just got out of the navy seals. I’m in no rush to settle down.
Besides, Mom has five other calves that have given her grand calves already.
It won’t kill her to wait a little longer for me to do it.”
“What about that nice cow from 212? She’s built just like I like ’em, like a
brick house.”
“You mean Bertha? She’s as lazy as a walrus. You know I like cows that are
sporty, in shape, and take care of themselves. She sits around watching
soaps and eating bonbons all day. I really don’t like any of the cows within
our pod. There’s a whole ocean out there to explore. I’m not going to settle
for something in my own back pond out of convenience.”
“Well, suit yourself. You know I want you to sew your wild oats, and you
know I live vicariously through you. You and all your brothers and sisters
have followed in my wake with the family business. You even served in the
navy like me and your grandfather. You’re a talented welder, Ferrick, but
I’ve always known you were destined for greatness. You’ve got to swim your
own path and go where the currents take you.”
“Thanks, Poppa. That means a lot to me. Well, I better be getting to work
now. Good talk.”
“All right, sonster. Have a good day. Oh, one more thing. I heard there
might be a leak in the natural gas line. We’ve had several complaints about
the water not getting hot. Jim from 112 says he smelled rotten eggs the
other day while he was on the south side. I told him it was probably his
own brand he was smelling.”
Ferrick chuckled. “Okay, I’ll check it out when I get home.”
“Thank you. Can you let Selyo out when you leave?”
“Sure thing. I’ll see you later, Poppa.”
Ferrick grabbed his lunch box and his gill helmet and headed into the
garage. Selyo is the family pet sea lion. He was sleeping in his seal bed; his
ears perked up when Ferrick walked in.

“Good morning, boy. Ready to go outside?” Selyo got up and shook his
head yes excitedly. Ferrick pressed a button and a circular hatch opened
up in the floor, and Selyo slid through it. Ferrick could see Selyo through
the window, swimming about in graceful circles. Ferrick got into his
submersible vehicle and started the engine.Then he pressed the garage door
opener hanging from his sun flap, and the floor beneath his sub opened up.
Ferrick’s vehicle sank into the water, and he drove off to his job sight as the
door closed behind him.
Ferrick’s submersible vehicle is powered completely by water, by splitting
the water molecule into hydrogen/oxygen by the process of electrolysis.
The beings that dwell in the water rely on wave and tidal power to provide
them with limitless, renewable energy. The government still continues
to use archaic methods of fuel such as oil and coal despite the people of
the waters protest. Offshore drilling has caused a lot of pollution to their
environment. What general population is unaware of is that oil is blood
of the great dragon that has seeped deep below the crust of Alkaya. The
poisonous fumes produced by its products is designed to slowly destroy the
planet and its people.
Ferrick got to his job site and began building the fish farming facility. His
helmet acts like a fish’s gill and filters air through his blowhole on the top
of his head. On deeper jobs, he uses a breathing liquid that fills his lungs
with fluid, allowing the pressure in his body to match the pressure of the
surrounding water.
Aquaculture allows for large supplies of fish to be farmed according to
demand. It helps keep the natural ecosystem in balance while meeting
consumer demand. Farm-raised fish are more nutritious than their wild
brethren. Farmed fish are fed nutrient rich foods and pellets and a variety
of proteins that make them healthier than wild fish that may have been
exposed to dangerous chemicals or pesticides.
After a full day’s work, Ferrick came home to his pod’s apartment complex.
He pulled into his garage and unloaded his welding gear. He remembered
what his father had said about the natural gas line, so he dove down to
inspect it. Sure enough on the south side of the building, the gas line
was slowly leaking, and he could see small bubbles rising to the surface.

Ferrick got his torch and helmet and went to work. It was just a routine
and easy job until something tragic happened.
All of a sudden, there was a surge of power that electrocuted Ferrick,
rendering him unconscious. The torch fell from his hand and began to
build up a cloud of hydrogen and oxygen. The flame from the torch
ignited the cloud and caused an explosion that threw Ferrick’s limp body
back twenty yards. The blast ruptured the natural gas line, triggering a
chain reaction that caused the whole complex to combust from within.
The flames quickly ignited anything flammable within every room.
When Ferrick finally groggily regained consciousness, he was horrified at
the sight he saw. He could see everyone frantically pounding at the windows
with sharp objects, futilely trying to break through the thick acrylic.
“Why is this happening? Why haven’t the sprinklers gone off? Why is
everybody still trapped inside?” Those were the questions that raced
through his mind. He quickly swam back to the garage opening and was
surprised to find the door shut with his welding torch line pinched inside.
Ferrick tried to remain calm and used his wrist communicator to send a
distress signal to the coast guard.
Ferrick wracked his brain for a point of entry. As every second slipped by,
his entire pod was closer to a fiery demise. He had a flash of an idea hit
him like a bolt of lightening. He quickly swam over to the seal door and
began pounding away at it till his knuckles began to bleed. The door gave
just enough so he could slip his fingers inside. Using his boosted strength
from the adrenaline flowing through his veins, he pried the door apart. He
tried desperately to fit through the opening, but his shoulders were just
too broad to make it. The room was quickly filling up with smoke, and
he could hear the screams of his people. He let out a high-pitched whistle
repeatedly, until a few minutes later, Selyo came hobbling in. His flippers
had been burned.
“Selyo, go find Dad!” Ferrick shouted intensely. Selyo limped off down the
hallway, and a few moments later, Cobalt came running into the room.
“Dad, what happened!?” Ferrick asked in bewilderment.

“I don’t really know, Son. All of a sudden, I felt really sleepy. Then the
gas line exploded and everything caught fire. I didn’t smell a gas leak. The
sprinkler system failed to operate, and all of the exit doors are sealed as if
there was internal flooding. Also the code won’t work to open them, and I
can’t override it,” Cobalt said as he wheezed and gasped for air. “We tried
to put the fire out with the extinguishers, but they’re all dry now.”
“I don’t understand! Quick. Get everyone in here. We’ll try and fit the
small ones through Selyo’s door.”
Cobalt rushed off back down the hallway and assembled everyone together.
The rest of the pod came into the garage; some of them were carrying the
wounded and unconscious.
“All right. Everyone remain calm, and we can get everyone out of here alive.
Cows and calves first, and then they can assist the wounded to the surface.
The coast guard is on their way. They should be here soon. Hopefully, they
can widen Selyo’s door enough to fit the rest of the bulls through,” Ferrick
said in a commanding voice.
Cobalt began handing Ferrick the young calves through the opening. “Take
a deep breath and swim hard for the surface young ones and wait for your
mothers,” Ferrick said as he helped them through. After all the cows fit
through, he passed the injured and elderly to them, and they helped carry
them to the surface. “All right. Now, Mom, when the coast guard gets here,
send them here with welders and an emergency medical technician team.”
There were only ten bulls left including Cobalt that were too large to fit
through the opening. The room was thick with black smoke and was filling
with deadly carbon monoxide gas. The rest of the males were coughing
and gasping for breath through their blowholes. Thinking quickly, Ferrick
removed his helmet and said, “Here, everyone, take turns using my helmet,
and stick your head into the water to grab a fresh breath.” A few bulls
inhaled deeply using Ferrick’s helmet and held their breath. Porpecians are
able to hold their breath for almost fifteen minutes.
All of a sudden, there was another explosion from deep within the
complex, sending a fireball into the garage. “Everyone get down!” Ferrick
yelled. He could only duck into the water as he watched in horror as the

flames knocked everyone out. His sub caught on fire and soon exploded
as well. When Ferrick surfaced from the opening again, he saw everyone
lying passed out on the ground. His father was within arm’s reach, and
he grabbed his hand and pulled him closer. “Dad, wake up!” Cobalt did
not respond. Ferrick shook his father’s arm vigorously, and Cobalt slowly
opened his eyes.
“I love you, Son. This is not your fault. Tell your mother I love her too,”
Cobalt said with his last breath as his eyelids slowly closed. Ferrick felt his
father’s hand go limp.
“Dad, hang in there. Help is almost here.” Ferrick held his father’s hand
for a few more minutes. The smoke was so thick and black, there was no
visibility. His eyes burned, and he was out of breath. He reluctantly released
his grip on his father and slipped back through the hole. Just then he saw
a couple of aquatic elf EMTs, some firefighters, and a team of welders
swimming toward him from the surface. The firefighters and EMTs easily
slipped through the opening and brought a hose with them to extinguish
the flames in the garage. The EMTs began administering aid to the fallen
Porpecian bulls, but it was too late. The life force had left their bodies.
They tried using their defibrillator to jump-start his heart but to no avail.
Ferrick witnessed the EMT shake his head at the other EMT and then
look at this watch. Ferrick swam down in the depths and out of pain and
frustration unleashed a bellowing roar that carried for miles underwater.
After the welders had cut open the seal door wider, they carried the cadavers
to the surface and placed them on the deck of the coast guard vessel. Ferrick
was on board now with the rest of his surviving pod. When they placed his
father’s body on the deck, he held his mother as she sobbed hysterically.
He felt an overwhelming pain and burden of guilt crushing down on his
shoulders like a ton of bricks. Big salty tears streamed down his face. He
was raised to be strong and stoic; this was one of the only times he had been
overwhelmed with emotion and moved to tears.
Ferrick gave a report to the authorities explaining what had happened. He
told them how he had experienced an electrical surge and was knocked
out while welding the gas line and that his torch accidentally triggered an
explosion that ruptured the whole building. Then he told them how the
sprinkler system had failed to operate and that the exits had been sealed and

50 KONRAD MCKANE
they were unable to override them. After an investigation of the complex
was done, they ruled it as a mechanical malfunction. Ferrick was charged
with involuntary manslaughter, which is a class C felony, and was given
the maximum sentence for the state of California which is fifteen years.
Ferrick was sent to a maximum security facility. His entire family and pod
disowned him, blaming him for the deaths and the destruction of their
home, save for his mother. She was the only one that visited him and sent
him care packages with his favorite treats, seaweed and salmon. He was
there for three years until something magical happened.

51
CHAPTER IV
Kolobar Avlossa
ONTHE ISLAND of New Zealand there lives a tribe of lion manimals
called the Makuri. They are a primitive tribe, shunning modern
technology in favor of the old ways of magic and mysticism. Within the
Makuri, dwells an order of shaman devoted to the study of fire magic.
They believe in the power of chakras, the spiritual energy centers in the
body. They also study the tarot, palmistry, and the use of symbolism and
alchemy. They study the stars and are masters of the zodiac and astrology.
They are messengers between the physical and spirit world. They can
alleviate traumas, ailments, and illness by mending the soul, restoring the
body’s balance and wholeness. The shamans can also visit other worlds and
dimensions through deep meditation and astral projection. They are seers
and prophets and are interpreters of dreams.
Kolobar Avlossa was one of the Makuri tribe’s most gifted shaman. He
had encounters with creatures from the spirit realm when he was just a
young cub. They were always there, guiding him and protecting him from
evil. His father had mysteriously died when he was very young, and he
always felt his presence with him. The elder shaman recruited him from an
early age and trained him in their ways. Most shamans are skilled in only
one area, but Kolobar was a prodigy and became a jack of all trades and
master of none. One of his favorite studies he excelled at was pyromancy.
He loved the sheer power of fire and the discipline it required to control
it. He liked the multiple forms of divination you could get from burning
different substances. He loved the sensation of channeling the power of
your chakras through his hands to make a spark ignite. The fire warmed his
soul. He could mold the flames to his will like a sculptor.
The main thing that Kolobar struggled with was his ability to predict and
prophesy the future. By knowing what was going to happen, he was left
with the choice to let the events unfold or to change it. By tribal shaman

law, they were never allowed to reveal specific events where the person
would be able to change the outcome. They were to be observers of time
and respect the natural flow; it was forbidden for them to interfere. He
didn’t know what was the point of being able to see danger or even death
in someone’s life and not help them prevent it. The elder shaman warned
him that if they interfered with the balance of their natural world would
collapse.
“But what good is having a gift if you don’t share it with anyone?” was
the question Kolobar always asked. They explained from the teachings of
the Vade Mecum that the universe has a plan for everyone. We are all
subconscious projections of each other . . . You created me and I created
you. We are one. We are characters in each other’s stories. It’s a choose your
own adventure novel. Only we can’t turn back the page once we’ve made
our decision; we can only move forward. We are the protagonists or the
antagonists. We are the heroes or the villains. We can take the winding
narrow path to life or the broad and spacious road leading to destruction.
We were given the gift of freewill and the power to choose. We can choose
right or wrong, good or evil, yang or yin.
When giving a reading to a fellow tribesman, they made them aware of this
duality and presented two options not telling them which one was right or
wrong but letting them decide for themselves. We create our own destiny
and become our own self-fulfilled prophecy. There were prophecies in the
Vade Mecum about events that would happen, but it was never revealed
when they would actually occur. It was foretold in the beginning of our
people, when we rose and stood on two legs and were gifted with the power
of fire and the wisdom to use it, that one of us would rise like the phoenix
sun in our darkest hour and use our flame to burn the shadow from the
darkest corners of our world.
What Kolobar discovered through deep mediation was that he was not
actually seeing the future of their world but the future of possible alternate
universes and outcomes.Time was an illusion and held no sway. Everything
is relative to the person’s experience. The flow of time is like a spiral or a
helix, not linear. The past, present, and future are all bound together. There
is an encircling and returning progress forward and also a counter motion
backward. There is a return to the past and the past is not a condition
that has passed by, but one that returns and starts again at a point whose

significance evolves consistently according to circumstances that change.
Basic patterns of the past constantly revert, although having a precise
counterpart of any moment of time is never possible.
Kolobar is of average male Makuri height, standing about six feet tall. His
skin is covered in a layer of short hair that’s a light sienna color. He has
a wavy dark brown mane with braids, beads, and feathers woven in. He
wears the traditional fire shaman red-hooded cloak, denoting his skill in
pyromancy. He carries with him a magical orb that divides and splits into
two orbs and becomes a staff. He stores it in his sacral chakra located in
the lower back. He chants the sound VAM to open it. It amplifies his fire
powers and gives him greater control over the flames.
One day while Kolobar was fire gazing for divination, he had a disturbing
vision. He stared intensely into the flames and the glowing embers and
asked a simple question. “What is the future of my mother?” Images of her
future were slowly revealed to him. What he saw shook him to the core,
and he quickly clapped his hands together and snuffed the fire out.
He raced to the elder shaman’s hut and told them cautiously of his vision.
The high elder shaman spoke calmly in a firm voice, “Yes, Kolobar Avlossa,
we have foreseen the untimely death of your mother, Valea, and you are
forbidden to interfere. If you prevent her death, you will disrupt the
space-time continuum.” He said sternly with a foreboding look in his eye.
“There has to be another way!” Kolobar shouted in protest.
“You know the consequences of your actions if you make her aware of her
fate. If you try to save your matriarch, you will skew this timeline, and we
will be forced to right the wrong in order to heal the wound in time.”
“Yes, elder,” Kolobar said grimly and nodded his head in agreement.
Several days later, after much meditation and intense deliberation,
Kolobar decided that he could not stand idly by and let his mother die.
She was the only family he had left and the most important person in the
world to him. He had to save her no matter what the cost of his actions.
Valea was a powerful Reiki healer and was instrumental to the well-being
of their tribe.

56 KONRAD MCKANE
Kolobar’s mother was also the only female he had ever loved. He wasn’t
celibate by any means though. Sexuality was also a part of his spirituality
and wasn’t something that was suppressed by his people. He had yet to take
a mate for he had not found a suitable female to his liking. No one lived up
to his standards; his mother had set the bar too high.
Down by a stream, close to Kolobar’s village, his mother was gathering
vessels of water. It was late in the afternoon, and the sun hung heavily in
the sky. There was a slight breeze, and dandelion seeds floated through the
air. Kolobar strolled solemnly up to his mother.
“What’s wrong, my cubby? I feel a change in your energy,” Valea asked
with a concerned look upon her face.
“You know I hate when you call me cubby, Mother, I’m a grown
manimal.”
“You’ll always be my little cubby as long as I’m alive.”
Kolobar inhaled deeply, let out a long sigh, and with a heavy heart said, “I
have something to tell you, Mother. I have seen a vision of your death—”
Valea cut him off before he had a chance to finish his sentence.
“Silence, my son! You know you are forbidden to tell me details of my
death.”
“I know, Mother, but if there’s a chance I can save you, I have to try.”
“You know if I could have saved your father, I would have, but it was not
in my hands. When the mysterious illness took him from us, I devoted my
life to the healing arts. His soul lives on in you. He is always with you on
the spirit plane, guiding and protecting you. If I die, I will always be with
you as well. If my time is up, I must accept my fate. You know there is a
divine plan for everyone, and you must not interfere.”
“We could leave and start over.”
“You can’t run from destiny, cubby. It will catch up with you wherever you
go. I’m not about to abandon my village and my people. They need me

here, and it breaks my heart for me to hear think abandoning the Makuri
that raised you and trained you to use your abilities.”
“Well, I’m not going to let this happen. I will use all of my power to stop
it. I believe we create our own destiny and choose our own path. It’s not set
in stone and laid out before us. We have free will. I foresaw you being shot
with poison darts and being too paralyzed to heal yourself.”
Valea gasped with a look of horror in her eye. “I really wish you would have
held your tongue. Who does this to me?”
“I don’t know. It was too smoky to tell.”
“We are very disappointed in you, Kolobar,” a booming voice rang out.
The elder shaman stepped out from behind the trees accompanied by the
Makuri warriors. “You defied our orders. Therefore, you must accept the
consequences for your decision.” The elder motioned to the warriors, and
ordered, “Take her away and bind his hands.”
Kolobar summoned his staff and spun it in a circle formidably and stood in
between the warriors and his mother. “You’ll have to get through me first,”
he snarled as he bared his fangs.
“Kolobar, no!” his mother shouted. “I will go with you if you show leniency
toward my son.”
“No, Mother, we don’t have to be afraid of them. We can escape.”
“You’re wrong, cubby. Death will find me one way or another. There is no
denying it. Let us go with them quietly and do what must be done.”
Reluctantly, Kolobar retracted his staff and stored it in his sacral chakra.
He let the warriors bind his hands behind his back, and they led him and
his mother back to the village. There was a pyre at the center of the village
with a stake protruding from the middle of it. The rest of the Mokria tribe
had gathered in the center.
The elder Shaman spoke, “Kolobar Avlossa, for your direct disregard for
Makuri customs by divulging the details of your mother Valea Avlossa’s

58 KONRAD MCKANE
demise, you are hereby disfellowshipped and exiled from our tribe. If you
are found within our lands, you will be killed on sight. Valea Avlossa is
sentenced to death by burning at the stake. This will serve as an example to
all of our people that our laws are not to be trifled with.”
“There has to be a more humane way!” Kolobar interjected.
“Silence!” The elder shaman shouted. “The holy fire will purify this female
as she ascends to the spirit plane and will prevent the further fracture in the
spiral of time.”
The warriors led Valea up the pyre and tied her hands to the stake. The elder
shaman focused his energy and raised his hands, and the pyre ignited and the
flames grew higher. Kolobar was horrified as he heard his mother’s screams
as the fire began lapping at her feet; her tail was thrashing about wildly. The
smell of burnt hair was beginning to fill the air. The villagers looked on the
sight in astonishment, shielding the eyes of the younger ones.
Kolobar could not stand to see his mother suffer anymore. He burned
through his bindings and activated his staff. He knocked down the warriors
that were holding his arms, then leapt forward toward the pyre and slammed
his staff down, snuffing out the fire.
“Kill them!” the elder commanded. The surrounding warriors lifted their
blowguns and shot a volley of poisonous darts. Kolobar quickly created a
fire shield and surrounded himself and his mother. The darts were burned
in the blast. Kolobar ran up the pyre to his mother’s aid and untied her
from the stake. He cradled her delicately in his arms.
“Quick, let’s get you out of here. The shield won’t hold for long!” Kolobar
said frantically, his eyes darting back and forth, looking for an exit route
through the menacing warriors surrounding them.
“It is futile, cubby. We’ll never make it. We’re surrounded.” The light in her
eyes was growing dim.
“Don’t say that we can make it. I can save you.”
“It’s too late. My life force is leaving me.”

“What do you mean?”
“I can’t feel my body. I’m paralyzed.”
Kolobar reached around and felt his mother’s back. He felt three darts
protruding from her spine. He was devastated.
“I’m so sorry, Mother. I never meant for this to happen.” Kolobar broke
down and was overwhelmed with emotion. His normally stoic demeanor
was flooded with grief. Salty tears streamed down his face, and the drops
sizzled on the smoldering embers of the pyre.
“I love you, Son. I know you were destined for greatness. Fear not for I will
always be with you, and I will see you soon. You must travel to the land of
thunder. You need to know the truth about your father’s death. He died
saving you from the . . . ,” Valea trailed off and could no longer speak. She
exhaled her last breath, and her mouth hung open like a fish as her eyes
rolled back into her head. Death is never a pretty sight. Kolobar felt his
mother’s life force leave her body. Energy never dies; it’s only converted
into another form. He closed her eyes and laid her body on the pyre.
The warriors were growing closer and started to breach the fire wall.
Kolobar roared in a rage, and the wall blasted them all back. He created
a smoke screen and vanished, slipping silently between the warriors in
the confusion. He made his way to a distant outcropping overlooking
the village. The sun had set and the stars were poking holes through the
blacklit canopy. He saw the smoke rising from the pyre; they were burning
his mother’s cadaver.
What was his mother trying to tell him with her dying breath? What
really happened to his father, and what was the cause of his mysterious
untimely demise? Hopefully, the answers to these questions lay in the
land of thunder. Exiled from his people, he was forced to journey into the
unknown. Kolobar’s call to adventure had begun.

60
CHAPTER V
Sabria Masue
JAYPAR’S INNER MONOLOGUE: What do you do when the love of
your life is stripped away from you, and you’re forced to watch as she is
bitten by a repticon with mind-control venom that has no antidote? What
do you do when she is converted to the dark alliance, and she is sent to kill
you? Do you kill her to save your own life? Or do you let her kill you so
she will live? Would she want you to kill her to put her out of her anguish
and suffering? Can you live without her? Is life worth living with out her?
Are there other fish in the sea? Is there such thing as a soul mate or a twin
flame? Can she be saved? These are the questions I’m plagued with every
damn day. I don’t need anyone to complete me. I’m a complete entity on
my own. I don’t depend on anyone for anything and that’s the way I like it.
I’m completely unattached, uninhibited, and uninvolved. There’s no time
for love in my line of work. I get the call . . . they die and fall. Kinetica
rewards me handsomely for taking out the repticon trash. I’ve been given
a gift. I’m a shadow jumper. I can instantly appear behind my mark, and
with one silent slip of my blade, they fall to the floor and breathe no more.
Black repticon blood boils from the wound and the cadaver disappears
before my eyes before a fly has a chance to lay an egg. The only thanks I
get for my dirty deed is a handsome direct deposit into my offshore bank
account. And Kinetica provides me with the latest gadgets and gizmos.
Technology truly is our divinity as a society. There is no God . . . I am
God as far as I’m concerned. I decide who lives and who dies . . . and I
can create life if I so choose it . . . Well, I probably have already . . . Elf
maidens do lie about being on birth control. There may be some Jaypar Jr’s
out there . . . What can I say? I have to get my lovin’ on the run these days.
I’ve been letting myself get sidetracked from my main objective. I can’t do
this one alone. I need a crack team of element specialists . . . But I can’t go
advertising. I’m looking for team members so I will wait patiently in the
shadows till they come to me.

62 KONRAD MCKANE
Nighttime. London Rooftops. Bantam and Ramal are chasing Jaypar. All
three of them are doing parkour through the cityscape. There are soul birds
overhead, Kinetica’s flying division. They’re shining spotlights on Jaypar.
Jaypar keeps dodging the fire from overhead Bantam and Ramal back
Jaypar into a corner. Bantam hits Jaypar with a tranquilizer dart. Jaypar
falls to his knees. “It’s going to take a lot more than that to take me down,
brother. If anyone was to deal me the death blow, I’d want it to be you.”
“I’m sorry, brother,” Bantam said.
“Don’t be sorry. I told you I don’t want to live without her. Do what must
be done.”
Bantam held his rifle to Jaypar’s forehead. “Forgive me,” he said softly and
squeezed of one silent round. The soul birds lifted up Jaypar’s corpse and
flew them out of there.
The other agents commended Bantam saying, “Good job Bantam you took
down Jaypar the Jackal.”
“There was nothing good about that job,” Bantam replied.
“You passed the ultimate test of loyalty. For that you are going into the
most top secret division ever, the golden syndicate. You will be graduating
from Safix,” Commander Kannon said.
“What is the golden syndicate?” Bantam asked.
“You’ll be debriefed when we’re back at HQ.” Bantam’s stomach turned as
he looked at the body bag before him on the flying vessel’s floor. To think
that shooting his own brother was getting him a promotion baffled him.
Back at base, deep beneath the streets of north London, Bantam saw his
brother’s corpse being carried away. “What are they going to do with the
body?” he asked.
“You know what they do with all fallen agents. Incinerate it.”
“What will Virelay do without him?”

64 KONRAD MCKANE
“The fans will hold a candlelight vigil for him,” Commander Kannon said.
Deep underground, Bantam entered a long hallway and went through some
retina scanning doors. Bantam entered a room, and there he met a high elf
Paladin clothed in gold and white plated armor. She had a mighty mace
and a shield on her back. She had blonde hair up in a tightly braided pony
tail. “Who’s this dike?” was the first thought that went through Bantam’s
mind.
“Hello, Bantam,” she said. “My name is Sabria Masue. Have you heard of
the legend of empyro?”
“I’m familiar with it. It’s another one of those metaphorical myths subject
to interpretation found in the Vade Mecum. Are you here to preach to me
about the legion of light and love, saving my soul because I already get
enough of that from my mother.”
“No, I’m not here to convert you,” Sabria said calmly. “I’m here on behalf
of Neoen. He sent me here to recruit you for the golden syndicate.”
“And what exactly is that?” She revealed to him a small golden device.
“This is a golden global empyro position system or GEPS.” She showed
him a glowing green light pointing directly at him. “This shows me the
location of the predestined hosts of the empyros. Neoen has told me you
are the host of the earth empyro.”
“I thought that Neoen died thousands of years ago,” Bantam said.
“That’s what he wants everyone to believe. He merely went into seclusion
so he could train a master of holy light every one hundred years. I was the
last pupil he trained. I am also a holy paladin of the legion of light and
love.”
“Well, I knew by your attire that you were some sort of Vade Mecum
thumper.”
“I’m not here to convert you. I need your expertise guiding the team through
the earth temple and also recruiting the other members,” Sabria said.
“Who are the other members?” Bantam asked.

“That’s a surprise,” Sabria said.
All of a sudden, hands covered his eyes and a familiar voice said, “Guess
who?”
“No way!” Bantam exclaimed.
“Remember when Kinetica said they wanted me to be brought in dead or
alive I immediately thought it was because of my entanglement with Lajea
and the repticons. Then they debriefed me and said it was for the golden
syndicate mission, and I couldn’t tell a soul. To prove myself and a test of
my resolve, I had to let you kill me. Sabria healed me with her holy powers.
I still don’t know why I was chosen as the air element because I have been
incapable of flight and suggested our elder brother, Balahibo, because he
has wings. Sabria said that Neoen told her the GEPS never lies. Your test
was to kill me, and my test was to let you kill me. Did you really think I’d
ever let you catch my little brother?”
“I tagged you with that tranq’ fair and square,” Bantam said.
“Both of you must still be in your first century. Neoen didn’t tell me
anything about having to be a babysitter,” Sabria exclaimed.
“Do you know who we are?” Jaypar asked haughtily.
Sabria said, “Yes, you’re secret agents of Kinetica.”
“That’s not all,” Bantam replied. “We’re a part of the trifecta known
as Virelay, the hottest band in all of Alkaya today. Kinetica thought of
this concept as a way for us to be known internationally and having the
celebrity status to gain access into anywhere, and our music and lyrics
deliver a positive, uplifting message to the young ones. I play drums,
Bantam plays guitar, and Dazzle plays keytar. We thought of the concept
as the yin to the yang of the hardcore, doom metal band Dressed for
Genocide. The repticons got a group of hateful Luciferians together
to create the most brutal band alive. They have millions of followers.
Their lyrics talk about how if we’re all going to die, you might as well
take people out with you. They also induce auditory hallucinations in
some people.”

66 KONRAD MCKANE
“I’ve never heard of musical warfare before,” Sabria said surprised.
“Have you been under a rock the last hundred years?” Bantam asked.
“Something like that,” Sabria said.
“Music is the weapon of the future,” Bantam said.
“I was far away in the mountains of the Himalayas studying the holy arts
with Neoen the last hundred years. I had no connection to the outside
world,” Sabria said.
“Wow, well, a lot has happened since one hundred years ago. There was a
big technological boom. The repticons finally started letting some of their
secrets out to the common people. Life expectancy got longer for the races
that don’t live as long as us elves.”
“We had no need for technology,” Sabria said. “Neoen is so evolved and
powerful that he can will anything into existence.”
“That’s incredible,” Bantam said. “I couldn’t imagine what that kind of
power could do in the wrong hands.”
“That’s why one day he will ascend and the great dragon will be released
upon all of Alkaya. He will arise from his tomb in Crater Lake and leave
nothing but a trail of death in his wake. Last year was my final year of
training and it took me this long to locate all of you. There is an intense
algorithm that Neoen developed based on your birthdate, your personality,
your horoscope, your natal chart, and your enneagram. The ancient
Alkayans gave us hints with their pyramids and their star calendars. Every
one hundred years Neoen trains a disciple of light to lead the chosen team
of hosts to locate the empyros. He assembled the first team over 2,200 years
ago and they have all failed to find them. We will be the twenty-second
team to attempt this quest. Neoen Himself has even told me he’s seen two
different visions of the future one is blank where there is nothing. The
other is a bright future, the utopia restored with no repticon threat, the
advent of the golden age.”
“Who are the other two empyro hosts?” Bantam asked.

“One is an underwater welder by the name of Ferrick Vatten.”
“I’ve heard of him. He was a rugby and water polo star in Manimal country
before he was put in the grey bar hotel because the building he was working
on blew up and he got charged with unintentional manslaughter for several
people,” Bantam said.
“I recruited you two first because, Jaypar, you have the experience with
stealth and lock picking,” Sabria said.
“That I do miss,” Jaypar said with a smirk. “I was gifted by Kinetica with a
device that bends the light around him to make him appear invisible. They
say it is of ancient Alkayan origin. And it’s always a pleasure to have my
brother’s sniper eye when things go wrong.”
“Aw . . . I love you to, brother,” Bantam said with a smile on his face.
“Yes, I know of this light bending technology. It’s part of the photokinesis
abilities I have been trained to use. Bantam’s ability to track and hunt is
going to come in handy when we’re looking for our fourth empyro friend,
a Makuri fire shaman by the name of Kolobar Avlossa. Apparently, he is
on a spirit journey in the wastelands of Australia. He was disfellowshipped
by his tribe in New Zealand for dabbling in the dark arts and using
shadow magic.”

68
CHAPTER VI
Harkane the Harbinger
THE LEADER OF the dark alliance doesn’t live in a deep underground
layer or a black castle. He resides in the whitehouse. Harkane chose the
form of the president of the united states of Alkaya. In the realm of Alkaya,
Harkane has always chosen the form of the president and is responsible for
all the natural disasters and terrorist attacks. He then blames organizations
like Kinetica for the destruction. Kinetica has been working to assassinate
Harkane for a very long time, but his defenses are too strong. All of their
attempts have been thwarted and a lot of good Kinetica agents have been
tortured to death.
Harkane has a majority of Alkayans brainwashed into putting their faith in
government and also false religion. The legion of light and love is the only
true religion that follows the code of the Vade Mecum to the T. You must
accept Neoen as your savior but the majority don’t believe he died for their
sins and that he was resurrected. The Vade Mecum has been interpreted to
mean many different things, but LOLAL is the only religion to interpret it
correctly through divine guidance.
Within the walls of the whitehouse, Harkane plots his next move. “How
far are they?” Harkane asks.
“They have freed Ferrick and located Kolobar, now they are in transit to
retrieve him from the land of thunder,” his lead henchman said.
“Good good, hopefully they’ll lead us right to the earth empyro. Send the
team out to find them,” Harkane said.
Harkane has his own band of agents called Dressed for Genocide. They
make doom metal music. They’re also the deadliest repticons in Harkane’s
army. They are the vampires of Alkaya. They spread the message of

70 KONRAD MCKANE
hopelessness and despair. They have a gothic following for how dark
their music is. They have subliminal messages that bring their listeners
into a state of apathy, not caring about the world or anything for that
matter. It brings the listener to a state of nihilism. Each member of the
band has a unique venom to their bite. Lemlasta, the drummer, possesses
a crippling venom. Skingra, the bass player, possesses flesh dissolving
venom. Radera, the lead guitarist, possesses a memory-erasing venom.
Smerta, the second guitarist, has a bite that induces pain throughout the
whole body. Morda, the keyboard player, has the power to stop the victim
from being healed. Arnvatta, the lead singer, has the ability to turn his
victims to the dark alliance with his bite; they eventually become repticons
themselves. The only way to reverse any of these bites is if the one who bit
you chooses to release you from it or by killing the head repticon Harkane.
Jaypar’s love, Juniper, was bitten by Arnvatta so Jaypar has been trying
to find a way to kill Harkane ever since. Harkane’s defenses leave him
completely untouchable. All of Jaypar’s attempts of assassination have been
thwarted. Harkane is simply too powerful. That’s why he decided to team
up with the golden syndicate and help find the empyros.
Harkane summons Dressed for Genocide and gives them this speech, “You
are my top repticon team. I am putting my faith in you to stop the golden
syndicate and bring me the empyros. Follow them carefully. Don’t let them
discover your presence till you have the opportune time to strike. Repticons
are unable to harness the power of the empyros but if we should capture
one we will be able to mimic its technology and create our own suits of
power. Do not disappoint me or you shall suffer a fate worse than death.”
“Yes, master Harkane, we shall not disappoint. We will deliver the empyros
to you,” said Arnvatta in a raspy voice.

72
CHAPTER VII
Ferrick Unfettered
SABRIA MASUE RECRUITED Jaypar much to his chagrin. He wants
to rescue his love, Juniper, who was turned by a repticon’s venom.
Each repticon possesses a different type of venom. Some paralyze you and
some can brainwash you to do their bidding. You turn to the dark alliance.
Jaypar’s love Juniper was turned, the repticon horde overtook her. Now she
is an agent of evil. Jaypar has been questing for a cure but to no avail. He
has not found an antidote for the repticon venom. Sabria informs him that
the only way to free her is to kill the head repticon which is Harkane, the
president of the USA. So Jaypar reluctantly joins Bantam and Sabria on
their quest to locate the other two hosts and eventually the empyros. They
will combine forces and kill Harkane.
The soul birds dropped Jaypar and Bantam off on the isle of Alcatraz where
Ferrick was being held. Bantam posted up in a tree with his sniper rifle
and started tranquilizing the guards in all the towers. Jaypar turned his
cloaking device on and quickly and nimbly scaled the wall and slipped
inside the prison. He stealthily made his way through the labyrinth of halls
and corridors undetected by the guards till he reached Ferrick’s cell. Ferrick
was jolted from his slumber by a hand covering his mouth. He opened his
eyes but saw no one.
“Don’t make a sound. I’m hear to set you free,” Jaypar said, his voice
muffled by his mask. Ferrick nodded his head in agreement.
“Who are you? Why can’t I see you?” Jaypar turned his cloaking device off,
and he became visible. Ferrick saw a slim-built pointy-eared figure appear
before him completely dressed in black save for his glowing green eyes with
two swords strapped to his back.

74 KONRAD MCKANE
“My name is Jaypar Prakkari. I’m an agent of Kinetica. That’s all I can tell
you for now. We’re running out of time. The guards will make their next
round in two minutes. Follow me to your freedom.” Without hesitation
Ferrick followed Jaypar out of the cell and through the maze of hallways. By
now the surveillance camera picked them up, and an alarm was sounded.
They turned down a corridor and ran into two guards. “Hold tight and
follow behind me.” Jaypar cloaked, and all Ferrick could see was both of
tips of the rifles of the guards carried were simultaneously sliced off; then
they were quickly slammed against the walls and knocked unconscious.
They rounded another corner, and there were six more guards. They fired
at Ferrick, and he shut his eyes thinking he’d surely be shot, but to his
surprise, all the bullets were deflected by Jaypar’s blades. Then again all of
their rifles were sliced apart. Ferrick barreled through the brigade and burst
through the doors out into the courtyard.
“Over here!” Jaypar shouted. All of the guards in the tower had been
neutralized by Bantam so they were clear. Jaypar spoke into his wrist
communicator, “We’re ready for pick up.” Moments later, three soul birds
swooped down and carried Jaypar and Ferrick to safety. They reached a
submersible jet parked off the north shore of the island. Ferrick stepped on
board, and Bantam reached out and shook his hand.
“You made it, my big blue buddy. Pleasured to have you aboard,” Bantam
said with a smile.
“I’m very grateful for you people rescuing me, but what is all this about?
What do you want from me?” Ferrick asked anxiously.
“I’ll debrief you on our way to Australia. Strap in and relax,” Sabria said.
The jet shot straight up and headed southwest. The force of the takeoff
pushed them back in their seats.
“How do I know if I can trust you people?” Ferrick asked.
“We could have left you to rot in your cell,” Jaypar chimed in.
“You have been selected by Ferrick Vatten for your unique abilities and
your training to become the host of the water empyro. Are you familiar
with the legend?” Sabria asked.

“No I am not. I’ve never heard of it.”
“Well, let me give you a quick education.” Sabria proceeded to tell Ferrick
about the origin of Alkaya and the threat of the shadow dragon, Lucifer, and
his sinister repticon minions. And about the creation of the empyro suits to
save the planet. She also told him about Harkane and the repticon agenda.
“Wow, this is a lot of information to swallow. Everything I believed about
the world is a lie,” Ferrick said in disbelief. “What happens if I refuse to
help you?”
“Then Alkaya will be swallowed in shadow, and our world as you know it
will cease to exist.”
“This is a heavy burden to bear. I don’t know if I can handle this
responsibility.”
“The global empyro positioning system is infallible. You have been chosen
because it knows your heart condition. It does not activate till you are
ready.”
“I don’t feel like I’m ready.”
“Well, you better get ready real quick, mate, because this war is happening
for real, and we’ve got a lot of work to do. You better pull your own weight
and come through in the clutch,” Jaypar said.
“I know all about war. I was a navy seal till I was twenty-eight. I’ve seen
a lot of horrific stuff. I really became disillusioned with our government
and war in general now that I know who is really behind it all and their
agenda,” Ferrick, said solemnly.
“This is your chance to really make a difference in this world and makes
your family proud,” Sabria said.
“My family and pod disowned me after the accident. They all thought I
was responsible. No one came to visit me while I was in prison. I’ve never
felt so terribly alone and abandoned in my life. My family is everything to
me, and I’ll do anything to redeem myself and get them back.”

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