The Benefits of a Good Breakfast
Here at what one may consider the shores of Eternity itself, the sky was a solid blue from horizon to horizon. The white sand glistened as Sol crept upward once again, and the gulls started diving into the blue sea in search of the day's first meal. The wind was blowing gently toward the land with a hint of salt in the air. A few planks were scattered, and an unusual cannon was somehow washed onto the beach. One human was lying on this beach asleep, motionless and facing the sky. There was what appeared to be a drag mark from the sea itself to his location.
As the tide started to rise, the water eventually reached the man's boots. Then an abnormally large wave came and washed right over him.
Coughing, the man yelled, "No! What are you doing, you can't take th... Huh?"
He stood very suddenly, and shook off the wet sand that covered his back.
"Why does this keep happening?" he asked himself, "Gero? Where did you go?"
Gero, standing nearby, seemed quite amused by Ethan's confusion. He walked up and replied, "Right here."
Ethan was visibly startled. He turned toward Gero and remarked, "Just tell me what's happening. What is this blasted rock, who is chasing me, and how exactly did I end up in the drink again? Oh, and where are we? What are those?"
"Slow down Ethan," Gero nodded, "Everything's fine. However, the only answers I know are that we're on Forlon's shoreline, and these are some clams that I fished up for breakfast. They're good, here, have one."
"No thanks."
"More for me then!" Gero replied, cracking open a clam.
Ethan pulled the rock out of his pocket and stared at it for a while, then looked up to the sky. "Hey Gero, this rock changed colors," he finally remarked.
"Changed colors?" Gero said while eating, "It still looks blue to me."
"I know, but it's a different kind of blue. It looks like it changes colors to whatever is the sky's shade."
Gero dropped the clams and stood up suddenly. Surprised, Gero inquired, "Are you sure... Is it just reflecting the light, or did it actually change colors?"
"I don't know, why..."
"Oh, nothing, it's just curiosity I guess. Nothing to be... worried about," Gero said. Then something else caught his eye, also reflecting the sky's light. "Ethan! What is that on your shoulder!"
Ethan turned his head, straining his neck to see a very small metallic object stuck to his sleeve. He plucked it off and gave it to Gero.
Gero studied it for a moment and came to a conclusion, "Ethan, I know who's been chasing you. This is a transmitter used by Corrorian operatives. You surely have a Corrorian stalking you... No, no he's not after you. You have a Corrorian after that stone."
"Well then let's throw it into the ocean! I'm tired of this, it's not worth holding onto this worthless rock, even if it looks unusual, and even if it's worth a lot of Cinii."
Ethan grabbed the stone and readied himself to throw it into the deep, when Gero grabbed his arm. He retorted, "No, we can't let them have it. I don't know what it is and frankly I don't care. If the Corrorians want it, I will do what I can to keep it from them. They're dangerous and can't be trusted, and they're dealing with mysterious stuff that no one understands. That rock is probably a piece of their formula, for whatever they are trying to accomplish."
"No, really. I think I can see that they're dangerous, and I would rather them go after someone else."
Gero released Ethan and hurled the transmitter into the ocean. Then he looked toward Ethan with a sarcastic smile, "There, now they won't be chasing you. Put that rock back in your pocket."
Just then, a flash of light out at sea caught the attention of both Gero and Ethan. Another all-too-familiar fireball was screaming toward the beach.
"Ethan, run!"
Without hesitation, Ethan started moving to the east to get as far away from the beach as possible. Gero looked out to sea and finally got a view of his attacker, in a class-2 hovercruiser. Gero ran to the cannon that was on the beach, which happened to be the same technologically enhanced bow cannon that he used during the first attack. The fireball crashed onto the beach, sending sand into the air and leaving behind a large crater. Gero gathered the projectiles scattered all around the cannon, and loaded it in an attempt to return fire. Two more fireballs could be seen, visibly aimed further up in an attempt to strike Ethan. Why should a Corrorian worry about a privateer who sailed a wooden ship?
"I hope these neutronium bombs still have their kick. I also hope this cannon still works so they don't create a lake where I'm standing."
The two fireballs struck the land behind Gero, leaving two craters in an otherwise grassy field. Both missed their mark. After loading the cannon, Gero aimed the tilted gun which was half-buried in sand. He released the trigger and sent a mortar toward the cruiser, now visible unlike the night before. The mortar barely missed its mark.
"At least I'm still here."
The lone Corrorian on the deck of the cruiser seemed startled, and went below for protection. A ball of lead will merely dent a Corrorian ship, but it would still hurt if it hits someone.
"Heh, it seems that he doesn't know what that was. Crazy me with a sailor's hat is flinging lead at the Corrorians! What could an Entarcan possibly think of doing against their invincible ship?"
Gero launched another mortar into the air, and mocked the Corrorians by whistling as the projectile fell. The mortar struck, and a blinding light flashed from the Corrorian ship. Ethan turned around, startled, and Gero grinned as he watched two halves of the cruiser sink into the same abyss that claimed Horizon's Rose.
After a moment, Gero turned and ran toward Ethan. When he reached Ethan he said, "Wow, you run fast. Hey, Forlon isn't too friendly either. They probably know we're here, so we'd better head out. I'm sorry, but we're crossing the desert, as much as I know you hated it the first time."
Ignoring everything Gero said and still watching the sinking Corrorian ship, Ethan inquired, "What did you do?"
"Kid, surprise or technology can help win a war but they're not everything. However, when you have surprise and technology... 'Technology' being smuggled starship-class explosives... And a good breakfast, you can conquer anything."
"Well you're leaving your breakfast behind."
"Oh, those clams?" Gero asked while pulling out a flask of rum, "You call those breakfast?" |
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