The Power Array Saga - Season Three - Part XV

Part XV – The Naked Truth

 

 Momotaru Hakizimana awoke in a huff. He looked around franticly with a menacing scowl on his face. He was inside a master suite. The bed that he laid upon was large enough for three people. Throwing the silk covers from his body he rose to his bare feet. His soles seeming to sink into the plush navy blue carpet. For the first time he noticed that he was wearing a scarlet silk robe. He ripped it away and tossed it to the floor.

                A knock at the door drew his attention. Whoever it was did not wait for him to answer. The door opened, several women, their eyes wide in shock, stood staring at Momotaru who was stark naked as the day that he was born.

                “Who are you and what do you want?” asked Momotaru. “If my father sent you then you can go back from where you came and tell him that I don’t want or need anything from him.”

                “I apologize, my liege,” said one of the females. “But we were given strict orders to attend to your every need. We cannot go back… there’s no place for us to go back to.”

                The group of young woman looked at the floor in unison yet their eyes did not see the carpet under their feet. Instead, Momotaru could tell that they were each remembering some tragic event which had landed them in their current situation.

                “Well then, the least you can do is tell me where my clothes are that I came here wearing,” asked Momotaru.

                “They were filthy my liege,” said the same female. “We were instructed to wash them. They’re in the closet.” She pointed to two large double doors that were painted white and had gold trimming and golden door knobs.

                Opening the double doors, Momotaru stared with mouth agape. Never before had he seen so many clothes. The walk-in closet was larger than most apartments.

                “Who would ever need so many outfits?” asked Momotaru stunned.

                “You will, my liege,” said the lead woman. “Lord Hakizimana has stated that you are to attend a congressional dinner within the next two hours… he also said that we must tell you that your attendance is mandatory.”

                Momotaru turned around to glare at the woman. His features quickly softened as the woman abashedly looked away, once again staring at the floor. He walked over to her and gently lifted her face up with a calloused hand under her chin. As their eyes briefly met, the woman looked away and blushed.

                “It’s okay to look at me,” said Momotaru. “I’m not going to bite.”

                The woman looked into his dark eyes and wore a small smile.

                “What is your name?”

                “I’m called Kya… my liege.”

                “And what did you and your friends do to end up working for my father?”

                “We are forbidden to speak of it my liege,” replied Kya.

                “It’s okay,” said Momotaru as he dressed. “Tell my father that I forced you to answer… now please tell me… what happened to all of you?”

                Kya turned around to look at her companions. They nodded in unison.

                “We were caught stealing from my lord’s vineyard,” said Kya not meeting his eyes.

                Momotaru shook his head and let out a small laugh. “Okay,” he said. “Well it’s good to know what the official lie is just in case someone asks me… but now I want to hear the real reason that my father has forced you into servitude.”

                Their eyes connected and the look that Kya received forced her to swallow her suddenly bone-dry throat. She nodded. When she met his eyes again, Momotaru could see a steely resolve that spoke volumes.

                “The other three women with me are not my friends,” said Kya. “They’re my sisters. I’m the oldest. Monel is after me, and the youngest two, Chyntel and Cynia are twins. From the time that we could walk our father trained us to be assassins. My father was the head of the assassin’s guild in High Garden Clearing. We helped to protect the commoners who were under constant attack from the demonic Ura. They inhabit the forest next to the city. But when our father received a contract to assassinate your father, we were… betrayed by another in our order. Our father was killed and we were found guilty of conspiracy. So instead of sending us to the work camps for the rest of our lives, we had to swear an oath to serve your father with our lives. Only death can release us from this oath.”

                “Well guess what…” said Momotaru with a devilish grin. “You no longer serve my father… you serve me now. I could use a team of assassins as my bodyguards for what I plan to do next… gather my weapons… I have a surprise in store for my father.”

 ~ Andre Alan

The Power Array Saga - Season Two - Part XIV

Part XIV – Like Father, Like Son?

 

Setting out across a dark moonless sky, Momotaru and Arif Zahur sat in a stretch hover international voyage shuttle. Being half sun elf, Momotaru’s mother was able to convince everyone that he deserved the opportunity to watch the sun set over Aver one last time. So from the back seat of the human royal diplomat’s hover shuttle, Momotaru watched the setting sun through the window. Once the sun had sunk below the cities horizon, the shuttle took off on its voyage across the North Mizuki Ocean. He headed towards the human controlled lands of the Eioda Nation States and Momotaru’s father.

                “You know, I would just like to say that it is an honor to finally meet you Momotaru Hakizimana,” said the human royal diplomat. He leaned forward in the plush leather seats of the hover shuttles rear cabin.

                Momotaru looked at the royal diplomat and then turned to glare at his traveling companion, Zahur. He shook his head and leaned back in the leather chair with a huff. He closed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest.

                “I can assure you that your father, Mr. Hakizimana is looking forward to seeing you after all this time,” said the royal diplomat.

                “What do you mean, after all this time?” asked Zahur. “Why has he not come to visit his son?”

                “After… his private affairs had been made public to the Elven ruling elite,” said the diplomat. “Mr. Hakizimana was banished from the United Elven Kingdom and thus prohibited from seeing his offspring.”

                “Hmph, so I guess those stuffy elves were pretty mad,” said Zahur with a laugh. She cut off her laugh abruptly in an uncomfortable cough as she witnessed Momotaru cut his dark eyes in her direction through tiny slants in his lids. Zahur swallowed the lump in her throat.

                The royal diplomat cleared his throat and spoke into the uncomfortable silence that had spread through the stretch hover shuttle. “So, I take it that you are one of Momotaru’s friends?”

                Zahur’s eyes opened wide in shock. She looked from the royal diplomat to Momotaru and remained silent.

                “She’s the reason why I’m in this mess,” said Momotaru who sat up and leaned forward. “She’s the reason I’m getting sent away.”

                “I’m sorry Momo,” said Zahur. She tried to reach out to her friend.

                Momotaru looked at the hand threateningly until it stopped moving towards him. “I don’t even know who you are anymore,” said Momotaru.

                “I’m the same person that I’ve always been,” Zahur responded.

                “Oh yeah, is that person a boy or a girl?” Momotaru fired back.

                No one else bothered to speak up during the long trip across the ocean until they touched down an hour later on the human shores of Eidoa in the capital city of Consonance. After the shuttle touched down, the trio of passengers exited the stretch hover shuttle. Waiting on the tarmac, were a group of dignitaries standing around wearing thick, silk robes.

                A mocha skin complexioned man with a bald head, a slight gut and a thick, bright orange-red beard stepped forward from the group of dignitaries. He wore a broad smile on his face. He approached the weary travelers. “My son, Momotaru,” said the senior Hakizimana. He extended his arms outwards to embrace his son in a hug.

                Before letting his father get within reach, Momotaru rolled his eyes and walked away.

                “Where do you think that you’re going, son?” asked Hakizimana. When no answer was forthcoming, he gave a nod to one of the dignitaries standing on the tarmac. The dignitary reached inside of his deep sleeve and pressed a button on his wristwatch.

Hovercrafts quickly closed in. The sleek, stealth vehicles were hidden behind buildings. Troops hopped out of the low flying hover shuttles with guns drawn. The troops wore green camouflage body suits with motorcycle-like helmets with dark visors pulled down to obscure their facial features.

Momotaru was forced to stop as the soldiers formed a semi-circle in front of him. He turned to eye his father menacingly.

The elder Hakizimana wore a smug smile. He walked over to his son with arms extended and firmly gripped Momotaru’s broad shoulders. “I’m sorry my son but you are too valuable of an asset to just wander around Eioda up to your own devices. You have valuable information about the elves. I need your help son.”

“Oh really,” said Momotaru. “And this is how you ask for my help… with guns pointed at me.”

“Well, in my defense, I have kept tabs on you over the years,” said Hakizimana. “And from what I’ve gathered, you have a slight anger problem… plus I remember how I was at your age an--”

“Don’t you dare try to stand there and compare yourself to me,” shouted Momotaru as he interrupted his father. “You have no idea what I’ve had to go through.”

Clearing his throat, Hakizimana smoothed his silk robes as he spoke up. “Your outburst has only decided to prove my point. I need you to come with me whether you like it or not, we have a great many plans for you my son and it is time for you to take your place as leader of the world… with my station in life, I have been waiting for the day that you could become emperor of my homeland… our homeland, the Eioda Nation States; because only then can you claim your place as heir to the throne of the United Elven Kingdom as well.”

Before Momotaru could take more than a few steps towards his father, he was jabbed in the back with a stun gun. His body went rigid as massive amounts of volts of electricity coursed through his body and took him into unconsciousness.

The Power Array Saga - Season Two - Part XIII

Part XIII – Momma’s Boy

“I told you that we should have aborted this one as a fetus,” said the sun elf king, Telemachus Avery the third; the king of the sun elves was tall and thin with fierce purple eyes.  

                “Father please!” shouted Princess Clairal. “He’s still my son no matter what you may think of his father.” She stepped forward, walking leisurely towards her only child and next in line to inherit the sun elf throne.

                Momotaru averted his eyes, head hanging down as Princess Clairal stood in front of him. His mother reached out a gentle hand, cupping his chin within her delicate caramel fingers. She raised his head, chin facing skyward. She looked up into his eyes with a smile on her face.

                “Don’t ever be ashamed of who you are my son,” said Princess Clairal. “Your grandfather has been on Threa for a very long time and has become stuck in his old way of thinking but the world is changing and with royal blood coursing through your veins, you’ll be the herald of what’s to come. This may be the last time that I ever lay my eyes on you again while you still breathe. Although you will live much longer than normal humans, you will still not live as long as me.”

                “W-what are you saying?” asked Momotaru with a furrowed brow. His dark eyes connected with the dark green orbs of his mother.

                “Enough of this nonsense,” interrupted King Avery. “What my daughter is saying is that this half bred bastard will no longer be allowed to step foot in my city or anywhere near the United Elven Kingdom.”

                “H-how is that possible?” asked Momotaru. “I am an elf!”

                “Not any longer half breed,” said the sun elf king. “The ruling council has decided to expel you from our beautiful lands for the rest of your natural existence. For the remaining hundred or so years of your worthless life, you will spend that time away from true elves.”

                “M-mother,” said Momotaru with eyes wide and a glistening of water welling upwards. “This can’t be.”

                “I’m sorry my son,” said Princess Clairal. She reached out to gingerly rub her sons strong, broad shoulders.

                “I d-don’t understand,” said Momotaru. “How could you do something like this grandfather?”

                “Don’t you dare call me that,” said King Avery. “I have no grandchildren.” The sun elf king folded his arms across his chest and turned his back. He strode up the steps of the palatial mansion. “Come, my queen… daughter, your goodbyes are finished.”

                In a sudden defiant gesture, the sun elf queen, Visala Avery strode down the steps to stand in front of her grandson. “There was nothing to be done about it my boy,” said Queen Avery. “Me and your mother did everything in our power to lessen the severity of your punishment. My husband’s advisors would see you beheaded but thanks to your mother, you and your companions are only exiled.” The queen reached a hand out to gently brush Momotaru’s cheek. “Take care of yourself, my boy and may the sun god watch over you on your journey through life and remember that we sun elves receive our power from the sun so anytime it shines down on you, know that your ancestors are watching over you and protecting you.” With regret filled eyes she turned and marched up the steps to stand beside her husband.

                “Clairal!” shouted the sun elf king. “Come along.”

                The sun elf princess turned her head sharply to glare at her father. She turned back to regard her son and the anger in her eyes melted away as tears formed in the corner of her eyes. She embraced her son in a tight hug.

                What they did not see was the discreet nod that the sun elf king gave the police officers standing not too far off. Major Rufap and Sergeant Hoplow forcefully and callously separated the mother and son pair as if he were being ripped from her womb for a second time.

                “This isn’t the outcome that I would have liked but it will do,” said Sergeant Hoplow wearing a menacing grin.

                Once Momotaru was restrained with magical handcuffs securing his hands behind his back, the two officers proceeded to secure Arif Zahur and Iris Longwing.

                As Sergeant Hoplow secured the hands of Zahur with her purple, disheveled hair hanging over her face and her head hanging low in defeat, Major Rufap approached the Butterfly Samurai with a wry grin.

                “Come on, Iris, you too,” said Major Rufap.

                “This was never a part of the deal that we made,” said Iris.

                “Well, just to be clear,” said Major Rufap. “You were never included in the deal that banished the princesses’ son. You’re wanted for the murder of the private investigator where we caught you red handed ransacking his home; there was no way that you were going to get out of this charge even if you did help us to track down Momotaru.”

                “What!” shouted Iris in shock.

                The two officers laughed aloud. When Major Rufap approached casually, she was caught off guard when the Butterfly Samurai dropped a smoke bomb that obscured her location in a dense cloud of smoke. Major Rufap ran forward, hands swinging through the cloud of thick smoke with her las-gun out. When the smoke cleared, Iris Longwing had vanished.