Episode 4 (PAST)

Past (15 Years After The War)

“The core values of the Martian spirit is to avenge the soul of their fallen heroes, so they could feel at peace in their eternal life. That explains why a Martian is instinctively driven by a pure desire for vengeance. A Martian can put the life of a billion Army on the line, just to avenge the spirit of one unjustly slain soul…”

Rikas recited the old notes he had previously written in his book of planned vengeance. His index finger, which appeared to be undeniably larger than a fifteen year old’s, traced through the text as he wiped off some glistening particles of snowflakes, dribbling unto his scripts. The snowflakes particles were distracting his attention from what he was reading, when all of a sudden, he sensed an alien presence.

A dark shadow untimely crossed through his back, stirring up his defense mechanisms and forcing him to quickly unsheathe his double edged sword, to counter the attack. His pupil turned white; a defensive reaction he experienced whenever he sensed danger. It turned a few shades more lighter than his blonde rough hair.

Holding on to his sword, his feet balanced inside the thick glacial deposits, as he positioned his legs against the two fragmented rocks on the cliff.

“I command you to reveal yourself to me, you ugly sly creature” He hasn’t seen the enemy, but concluded it was ugly. His eyes peered through the

frosty thick forest, alert and ready for the emergence of the creature while he loosened his ears to listen to the faint rustling sounds of the leaves.

“Bless you, my boy. I see your senses are becoming quicker in picking odds. Although i detest that habit of you, revealing your most tactical defensive stance.” Master Hemon’s voice came in as his figure appeared out of the frosty thick forest. His fur coat made of polar bear skin was almost covered in snowflakes along with his gray Martian hair which could barely be seen. His forehead was engraved with scars of valour and a huge Martian seal, locked at the center of his greyish eyebrows. The Martian seal is like a shiny pearl which only the keepers of the lair are born with.

Rikas looked up Master Hemon’s face without displaying any sort of shocking reaction “It's instinctual. Something beyond my control” he sheathe his sword into the surface of the thick frost. 

“Nothing is purely instinctual to a Martian, my boy. Except for vengeance, and sometimes...” He hesitates…

“The procreation needs?” Rikas pressed more, hardly able to restrain his urge to grin

“You are too young to learn about the procreation needs, boy. We shall seal this last talk for the next three years to come” Master Hemon conveyed… “Back to the lessons. I taught you to always save your most tactical defensive stance for the last strike”

“Why do I have to be perfect in the art of war? I am just a half breed” Rikas grumbled like an old man.

“Last time too, you said the same thing. If you are just a half breed, and not the chosen avenger, we shall confirm it now” Hemon pulled out a plain-looking dagger from his coat. “Take this”

“What is this?”

The half

breed boy collected the small dagger and hastily unsheathed it..

A powerful lightning filled with shocking electricity radiates from the dagger “Yiiikkess” He released the shocking bronze and staggered back in motion but Master Hemon quickly captured his arm before he could stumble towards the edge of the cliff.

“Careful my boy”

“Master Hemon!” he yelled loudly “ A little ohh, the dagger could shock your veins to death, would have been highly appreciated”

Hemon suppressed his laughter. He looked like he was desperately trying to hold it in.

He was a purely savage master who

never let go of the slightest opportunity he has to strip the last dignified courage out of the teenage boy’s soul.

“Jeeeez, who would have known that the great keeper of the lair of spirits is such an evil creature” Rikas murmured

“That brings us to the next lesson” Hemon started. “When I was younger like you, my father used to teach me the art of war, only when the sun protruded its eyeballs. You know in Mars, we do not have snowballs and cold, like this planet has. So I learned everything the hard way because my father…”

“Mother said you were born at the shithouse beside the lair of spirits”

“Oh!…The shithouse. You know the Martian sheilas are quite fond of going to the shithouse to deposit their offerings to the spirits of…”

“Master Hemon!”

“Be polite my boy. Stop cutting me off. I am trying to teach you more about the values of a Martian but I suppose you do not wish to know how I got this seal?” he pointed to his forehead.

Before he could pick up again, a sharp arrow grazed through the skin of his nose as blue blood immediately began to drop into the thick snow. Rikas flung his body and shoved Master Hemon out of the way just in time before the second arrow passed through the space in between his legs. Soon, they were all down into the snow, breathing heavily, but silently.

The forest rustled with sounds of crunching leaves and branches. Rikas also caught the sound of marching footsteps…

“An army” he whispered to Master Hemon

He crawled to the other side of the cliff and unsheathed his sword out of the frost. His pupil turned white as he waited for the enemy to step into the war front. From his back, Master Hemon swung him around together with his sword as they began to whirl into the heavy wind. Their feets turned invisible before their bodies vanished into a thin, white smoke.

Master Hemon gradually materialized into his shape as he fell off with gravity, right before Rikas appeared from the smoke. The Martian teenage boy twirled on air before his weight dropped him down and he splashed into the almost icy water

“It's cold!” His teeth chattered.

He looked to the other side only to see Hemon attempting to save himself first by swimming towards the river bank.

“Hemon!” He shouted.

“I taught you how to swim, remember?”

“Jeez. If only you know how horrible my blood is frozen. Come get me please! You shouldn’t have brought us here in the first place” He managed to speak through his chattering teeth and trembling lips.

Hemon had already gone far as he gracefully paraded on the ice and shake off his soaked polar bear fur coat

“Help! Hemon i’m freezing!” Rikas screamed out but that didn’t do much more than having him catch the sight of a wiggling Martian’s butt. Hemon wiggled with his butt like he has a tail attached to his ends.

“I will make sure you die and rot in the shit hole you wicked old keeper” He miserably yelled a curse before he helplessly swam to the river bank.