Harmonizer's Evolution (Balancer's Soul cycle) (59 page)

“So what!”
Darrel stated.

Everyon
e close by turned to stare at their
son.
Connor swallowed the last of his
food and asked “What do you mean by that, Darrel?”

His angelic
features
became calm and serene.
Then his small eyes turned to his confused mother.
“Mommy, there are many people like G’ama, Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother. They cannot defend themselves like you and Daddy can.
I’d really hate to see them being harmed, let alone eaten. If I was bigger, I’d help out in any way I could. Like what you told me, sometimes you need to play with the cards that you were dealt.

“
If what I think is right, then sacrificing a place like this to save
a great many
lives is worth it.
Daddy once said to me ‘that to gain something, something else must be sacrificed.’
Don’t you agree
, Mommy
?”
B
efore Sarah could say anything he stated
“Besides, Daddy said that in time
,
the trees and land will repair itself. So don’t worry about this place not looking right for a little while.”

Their
group
grew
silent because it was Sarah who was the key to this conversation.
His
mate then realized this fact and turned her gaze on another source. “Pearl, what are your thoughts on your brother’s assessment?”

Their
daughter’s beautiful features looked to everyone and then she thought
“You have no idea how
I
really
hate saying this, but I agree with Darrel.”
Kara snickered and that made Darrel smile widely.

Sarah met
her husband’s
calm stare and said “It looks like I’m worrying for no apparent reason.
Sometimes we need a child to explain how things cannot be avoided.” She then looked down at
their
children. “Thanks
,
you two. Mommy really needed to hear those words.”

“Anytime.”
Pearl stated and that made everyone laugh for a few seconds.

Not long after,
they
returned working with everyone else. Sarah
became
the only one to remain behind and keep an eye on the children while
others
worked.

Then at three in the afternoon Connor
sensed several approaching creatures.
He
looked into the bright sky and saw multiple objects that were very large.
He
then gained everyone’s attention by shouting “Everyone! Make Room!”

The hundred or so immortals that had arrived
today
, heeded
his
words and moved away from the center of the rocky clearing. Sarah and the rest of
his
fami
ly had moved over to stand by his
side and look to where
he
was.

A minute later
,
everyone
saw ten large objects that were cube shaped and also
six
smaller objects flying close by them. As they approached
the base camp Connor
began recognizing more details.
He
sensed five
sources of energy being used and
he
used his
ability to see the individual’s aura. One of the fliers had a larger dark brown aura,
one had a gray while the next held a violet,
two of them had a
monstrous
white color and the fourth flier
flew differently because it had large wings and
a pure black aura. It
seemed
darker and even larger than Mark’s.
If Sorono had the purest white then this person had the purest black. This aura was a black even the strongest light couldn’t penetrate.
Upon a closer look of the two of the gray and violet auras
,
he
saw four smaller auras.
He
didn’t know what that meant.

At least not at the moment.

Connor
announced to those close
by
“It is Sorono and his company.”

Everyone moved away as the ten enormous cubes were dropped in the center of the field. Everything w
ent
silent as each cube landed heavily. Each and every cube
stood
over two stories tall and weighed more than
he
wanted to imagine.

Then the fliers
began
ma
king
their landings.

Two female Keepers landed and Connor
remembered them from the meeting.
He
nearly
killed them if Veronica hadn’t interrupted
him
. The two Immortal Guard K
eepers landed on all fours and he
realized they were carrying
people on their back
s. Four people exited off each Keepers back.
He
recognized Marik and Cassie right away as they landed on the ground. Then
a pair of
mated Changers exit
ed
the same Keeper. It was the gorilla and the cheetah.
Those six Guards
tried to capture
him
once, but they didn’t even stand a chance.
Now I wonder what happened to those other two?

On the back of the second Keeper were
another
two more Immortal Guard Balancers along with the
Balancer
’
s
Head Elders, Amphrite and Poseidon. The Head Elders both wore their black sleeveless
E
lder
robes with a golden pentagram
embroidered
on the chest.

The next to land was one of the only good Originals
Connor has
had the pleasure of meeting
, Damian. He too wore his Elder’s robe with the gold hourglass
sewn
upon his breast
.

Together Sorono and Veronica landed. Veronica still wore her white robe with a gold trim. Sorono
now
attired his Elder’s robe, since he is the
true
Head of the immortals.

Then
came
the last flier
. This
i
s one of the most stunning sights
Connor’s
ever witnessed. Down came
,
what he
imagined
,
a
true
dragon to really look like.

The creature had a long sinuous neck and tail with thick
, armored
scales. It had two straight spikes coming out of its skull
,
like the horns of a
great
gazelle
,
and
sharp
spines growing along its spine,
starting
from skull and
traveling
all the way to the end of the tail. Then there were
its
two enormous black wings that looked to
b
e made of hardened leather. Its arms and legs had curved talons that looked more deadly than the average Keepers claws. The scales were black and glossy. Then
t
he
re was the
torso, covered in a large black robe flapping wildly. The massive head looked almost like a
predatory dinosaur’s
and the teeth on the upper jaw were faintly showing passed its leathery lips. Then
came
the eyes, they were pure silver and both had a
prominent catlike
slit.

Connor
was stunned, as were just about everyone else.

Mark walked up to his
side and spoke in awe. “I haven’t seen that form in close to nine hundred years.”

Then the dragon landed on all fours, beside Sorono.

Connor
spoke just above a whisper as
his
eyes were focused on the enormous dragon. “Mark, do you know
who
that is?”

His awed voice was still in use. “I sure do. That is Head Elder Raphael. My maker. He is the
very
one who brought me into this life.”

Kara stood between Sarah
and Mark
,
while holding Pearl. She turned to look at her mate and spoke just above a whisper, just like her brother. “Honey, are you serious. You’ve never told me that your maker can turn into that…”

Sarah’s
gaze
returned and
were stuck on the dragon looking Head Elder of the Changers.
She
continued
gawking at him just like Connor, Darrel, Pearl,
Jack
and just about everyone else who had arrived were doing. This was a sight that very few had ever had the pleasure o
f seeing. Darrel struggled in Sarah’s
arms so that he could see the Changer in a form that shouldn’t be possible.

Then Mark said in a lighter tone “Raphael is the only one of our kind who can even achieve that form. Plus Sweetheart, he’s a Bone Changer like you.”

Kara laughed and then stopped a few seconds later. “Wait. You’re serious?”

Mark nodded.

Then things became even more silent as Head Elder Raphael’s eyes began to glow.
A
ll listened
on
in fascination as his bones began cracking in the air and watched as his long neck and tail began collapsing towards the mass of his body. As his head came closer to his body
, his oval and dinosaur looking face began pulling back
,
becoming rounder
and more flesh-like
. His dagger-like teeth started
changing into humanoid. Then they
watched as his black scales began turning into a lightly tanned skin. Then as his spiked horns disappeared, his jet black hair began growing out of the scalp. Then he leaned back to stand on his back legs. He changed his talons into fingers and also absorbed his enormous wings into his body.

Raphael has shrunk down to a quarter of his previous size. It
seemed
inconceivable
by
how he could alter himself to such an extent.

Then the silence ended when
all
heard Sorono speak.
“I am glad to see that so many have arrived
here
so quickly. Please hold your questions for an hour at most. I will explain everything shortly.”
Sarah’s
gaze was finally removed from Raphael to Sorono because his quick movement drew attention. The large hazel eyes of Sorono studied the buildings and everyone who were working together. And then he spotted
their
group and thought
“Connor, I see that you could indeed handle things until we arrived. Please come over here and tell us if there have been any further developments.”
Sorono then corrected what he said.
“The entire family may come as well.”

Connor met Sarah’s
eyes and he seemed to radiate
supreme
authority right about now.
H
e was becoming all business, now that he could think clearly
and not gawk at the youngest of the Head Elder
s
.
H
is
predatory hazel eyes were almost soul shattering, but they were judging
her
to see if
she
could handle what
i
s to come.

When she
squared
her
shoulders, he smiled proudly.

He then began walking with
a
calm
er
authority. She
quickly moved to walk on his left. Darrel moved into a comfortable spot
in her
arms
so that he could see all the
new faces that had come. Jack
and Mark quickly began walking to Con
nor’s right and Kara moved to Sarah’s
left while Pearl was as excited as her brother.

They
made
their
way closer to the ancient immortals and the enormous cases that they had brought
in
with them. As
they
moved closer
she
reiterated to
her
children to treat these people with the upmost respect.