Excelsior (3 page)

Matthew knew the answer was four, but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. “I'm...”

“Not sure? You don't seem to be sure about a lot of things lately, and you especially don't seem to want to pay attention.”

He felt he had to respond to that accusation. “I'm doing all right though, right? The last test that was given, I got an 81 on it.”

She nodded. “Yes, you have been doing fairly well, Matthew. But this isn't about the tests; it's about being involved in the class, and that requires you to listen to what is being said. If it seems like I'm being hard on you, it's only because I know the potential that you have and getting an 81 on a test doesn't show that you're working to your fullest.”

Matthew tried to keep from tuning Mrs. Burton out as she droned on and on about what it took to be a top student and how he couldn’t just coast through each class without applying himself.

Why couldn’t she be like his English teacher, Mrs. Webb? Not only did Mrs. Webb create a much more fun atmosphere for learning, but she also encouraged him to move into creative writing. When he would give her an update on Excelsior's adventures, she would motivate him to keep going with it. She would tell him that he had something there, and that he should...

“Matthew, am I losing you again?!” The raised voice was a hint that Mrs. Burton's patience with him was wearing thinner and thinner.

“I’m still here,” Matthew answered as he snapped back to attention.

“I know you’re here, but you’re not HERE,” she responded. “Now I know you’re better than this, Matthew. You’re a very gifted young man, but you only show those gifts when you really apply yourself. And I know some of the classes you take aren’t some of the most exciting in the world, especially for a boy your age.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, which Matthew could identify as her taking pity on him. “But just keep in mind that only by getting through these courses with the grades you can reach, that’s when you get to move on to do what you really love to do… whatever it may be.”

The words “whatever it may be” floated around in Matthew’s head as he forced out the words, “I’m… I’m sorry. I know I’ve been losing concentration, but I’ll try to do better in the future.” He knew she meant well, but Matthew also knew she wouldn’t understand what had occupied his time over the past several months. He may look like an underachieving scatterbrain, but he was the lord and master of his own universe. The fate of an entire planet rested in his hands. His creations captured the imagination of hundreds, hopefully thousands of readers.

“I look forward to seeing that,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Matthew nodded and exited the classroom into the crowded hallway, one step closer to freedom.

*  *  *

“We knew you would come!”

The Denarians followed a voice through the caverns to which Semminex and Radifen had guided them. The further they walked, the darker it became. The clear sky had been a wonderful sight, and it was almost painful for the freed prisoners to hide from the fresh air and daylight.

They walked through the caverns until they came to a large area illuminated only by lit torches along the walls. From the shadows stepped the source of the bellowing voice, a voice that should have belonged to a much younger man. With a soft white beard that reached the bottom of his neck and eyes which had not seen the light for so long that his hugely dilated pupils made them look black, Acerus was known to the Denarians as simply the High Elder. Semminex recalled what his parents had told him about Acerus when he was a child. As the oldest of the last Chosen Ones, he was more respected and beloved than anyone else on the planet. As he stepped out of the shadows in his once white robe, the low torch light reflected off the golden lettering visible on both sleeves. Semminex recognized the lettering in Denarian hieroglyphics that read: “Ever Upward.”

As Acerus made his presence known, all of the Denarians quickly fell to one knee. He stepped closer to the men, women and children, with five others wearing matching robes walking behind him. Two men and three women, with the same bottomless dark eyes but showing varying degrees of age, were known by all as the Elders.

Acerus continued his praises. “You have fought proudly for your lives and for your honor as Denarians. And you have honored our savior Excelsior. In his absence, it is up to all of us to continue his vision and keep Denab IV the paradise he created.”
As Acerus cast his gaze over the freed Denarians with pride, another of the Elders, Quinterus, stepped forward. With his hair a matching silver and length similar to Radifen, his dark eyes allowed for a hint of light as he smiled. “Radifen!”
Radifen looked up and smiled back. “Father. It has been too long.”

“It is wonderful to see you again. We could sense you approaching and knew you had found us when the sword started to hum.”

Grannik glanced over to Radifen. “The sword?” he whispered.

Radifen nodded. “It must know of who led us to freedom.”

Semminex’s long hair fell down his face as he kept his head lowered. After listening to the conversation between Quinterus and his son, he looked up at the Elders and slowly stood. He could hear the gasps of the Denarians behind him. When Semminex spoke, his words held power that matched the Elders.

“My parents spoke of you when I was a child. They spoke of how they saw Excelsior with their own eyes, and how you have predicted his eventual return.”

Acerus beamed with pride. “Your parents were correct in what they have taught you. As you are all aware, Excelsior watched over this planet for many ages, before he arrived here to protect us and lead us to worldwide prosperity. As the last generation of families privileged to be contacted by Excelsior as he watched over us all...” He spread his arms out toward the Elders before continuing. “...we have collectively waited for this moment, when we would come face to face with the one worthy to bring him back to us.”

The Elder on the farthest right walked toward Semminex and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Semminex felt taken aback by the strength in Klierra's touch.

“Your parents are forever honored by us,” she said with a warm tone that forced tears into Semminex’s eyes. “By being the first to attempt escape from the grasp of the Krunations, Gorsirus and Cherella have lit the way for others to follow. They would be proud to see you here before us, a free man.”

Semminex looked to the ground again, too proud to let everyone around him, especially the Elders, see his tears. The Elder gave his shoulder another squeeze, which prompted Semminex to look into her dark eyes. There was something youthful about Klierra. She had short red hair that was only starting to lose its fire, a thin and athletic frame and a smile that granted Semminex a reassuring dose of confidence. As he looked into her eyes, Semminex started to regain his composure. The Elders had sacrificed so much to ensure the memory of Excelsior would never die, that he did not want to appear weak. He wanted to be as strong as they were in will, as strong as they once were physically.

Klierra pulled her hand away and stepped back as Acerus stepped forward to look into Semminex's eyes. The High Elder’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the young man's pale-blue eyes. He stood nose to nose with Semminex, the only sound coming from the flickering flames of the torches.

After a long hesitation, Acerus's eyes slowly began to widen. Semminex was the only Denarian close to enough to hear the Elder's low whisper. “I knew you were in there somewhere.”

Semminex looked down at his own chest in confusion; he had no idea what Acerus meant

The High Elder turned around and nodded to the other Elders. The other five smiled in calm rejoice, and Acerus turned back toward the men and women. “It is decided!” he declared before turning around and walking toward the darkness.

Semminex looked back at Grannik and Radifen, who exchanged knowing glances. “What is decided?” Semminex asked.

Radifen leaned forward and answered in a soft voice, “You'll be given the sword. The Elders believe the prophecy is coming true.”

“The prophecy?” Semminex nervously asked. “You mean, THE sword?”

Acerus beckoned Semminex to step closer. Radifen nodded to him encouragingly.

Semminex glanced back at his fellow freed prisoners, then stepped forward.
The Elders cleared a path for the young man as he walked into the chamber at the end of a long hallway.

One pure beam of light came down the center of the small room, and inside the light was a beautiful gleaming sword in a metallic sheath bolted to the floor. The handle had a pale blue jewel embedded in its centerpiece, and the blade itself looked polished to perfection only a moment before the Elders opened the chamber door.

Semminex looked at the Elders in confusion, and Acerus beckoned for him to step forward and go to the sword. The young man walked to the sheathed weapon, moving his eyes up and down in wonder. All his life, he had known of this sword as not only the weapon of choice for Excelsior, but also the shell that held his life force.

As Semminex walked around the metallic sheath, the jewel began to release a strange humming sound. Semminex crouched down to examine the jewel and the closer he got to it, the louder the humming became.

The High Elder’s eyes lit up with joy as he clasped his hands together. “So this is the one the sword sensed. It is true.”

Semminex stood back up and looked at the Elders. “What is true?”
Another Elder spoke. “Excelsior has returned to us!” Despite the robe he wore, Semminex noticed Triterus had a wider body than Acerus and wore no facial hair to hide his double chin.

The young Denarian pointed to himself. “Me? It can’t be me.”

Ducera, a female Elder who looked as old as Acerus, spoke up. Her long white hair matched the color of her robe. “It can, young man, and it is. The legend says that when the person worthy to carry Excelsior’s life force approaches the sword, the great jewel that first held his energy when his physical form was taken from him will ensure that all are aware of it. That jewel is at the centerpiece of his sword, and he is ready for you to receive his power.”

Acerus spoke again. “Go on, Semminex. All you have to do is hold the sword, and he will take care of the rest.”

Semminex still couldn’t believe it. “This is all true?”

The Elders nodded, waiting in anticipation for Semminex to reach out and grab the sword. The young man’s heart began to pound in his chest as he slowly extended his right hand and wrapped his fingers around the handle of the sword.

*  *  *

Matthew breathed a sigh of relief as he walked through the school’s exit doors, making an immediate left toward the faculty parking lot. The next section was the student parking lot and the
MTA
bus beckoned from beyond that. His eyes stayed on the bus, anxious to get from the bus to the R train to Northern Blvd.

The young man had survived the wrath of Mrs. Burton and now he could go home to complete this crucial point in his story, a close-up of Acerus the Highest Elder. Matthew felt compelled to pay as much attention as possible to the eyes of the Elders during this time. Before they would be just black holes in their faces, a very simplistic way of showing what years below Denab IV’s surface would do to their eyes. But as his artistic skills developed more and more, he kept the pupils black, while the whites of their eyes would be replaced by a dull gray.

As Matthew walked past the faculty parking lot, he felt a tap on his shoulder. “Hey Matt.”

Matthew turned around. “Hey, Thomas. What’s up?” With his thick tortoise-shell glasses, cropped curly hair and fat stomach hanging above his scrawny bird legs, Thomas was a walking “Kick Me” sign and his jeans showed the dirt stains from the jocks’ shoes.

“Is that the next issue?” Thomas asked as he pointed to Matthew’s sketch pad.

“The next one’s already set to go online tonight. This is… something else I’m working on.”

Thomas reached for the sketchbook. “Lemme see.”
Matthew kept the book away as they continued walking past the student parking lot. “Not yet. It’s not ready.”

“Come on. I helped you set up the web page in the first place. Lemme see what you’re working on.”

“You weren't much of a help getting me to link up to the main search pages. I had to do that myself.”

“Lemme see!” Thomas gritted his teeth as he begged to get a look. His voice grew louder, attracting the attention of five members of the wrestling team hanging out by their cars.

Matthew glanced at the jocks who started pointing in their direction and lowered his voice in the hope that Thomas would take the hint. “No, dude. I told you before. Nobody sees anything in the book. Not until it goes online.”

Matthew pressed the sketch pad tighter to his chest. A cold sweat ran down the back of his neck as he recognized two wrestlers, Nick and Kelly getting closer.  The oblivious Thomas yelled once again, “Come on!”

“What’s going on, girls?” Nick called out, stopping Matthew and Thomas in their tracks. “Can’t decide between who’s on top and who’s on bottom?”

Kelly released a hearty laugh as he gave a hard slap to Thomas’ stomach. Thomas yelped out in pain and would have dropped to one knee if Nick hadn’t grabbed him under his arm and kept him on his feet. “Suck it up,” the wrestling captain instructed as he kept Thomas upright. “You know, our papers are due tomorrow and I’m still waiting for that e-mail from you.”