908 T.D.o.N.B: S52J, part I - The planet
The voice resonated in the air as if they spoke the words, but mainly just got projected straight to my mind.
Without I word, I got up, because I was sitting down, then started walking towards the city slightly below. I wasn’t rushing it, so it took me a few minutes. Hope followed me, walking by my side. As I arrived in the city center, I created a single firebird, made it fly quite high, then explode. This much noise was enough for everybody to get out of the holes they crawled into.
– It’s time – I announced.
“It’s time”, Hope repeated in the minds of everybody.
They needed a little bit more time to put all the elements of their armor on or bring the weapons, but eventually, they all gathered around me, and the silhouette of a man, was right next to me.
– Good luck everybody – Will said.
A second later we were floating in space with visuals of a barren planet ahead of us, with the local star even further shining with yellow, blinding light. Thankfully most of it was obscured by the massive piece of rock.
Since the lack of oxygen was our first issue, I started by surrounding us with a telekinetic bubble, adding some air with magic, and then keeping it all grounded with some ‘Gravity manipulation’.
– That was very useful – Nil said when we had everything e needed to just stand like idiots in space.
I stepped on my tracking device, and the 3D red arrow materialized above the round part, pointing straight at the previously mentioned, barren world. It was spinning on its axis, slightly tilted like it is with Earth, so there was a night and day cycle there.
There was no atmosphere, as I was unable to spot clusters of gas obscuring the view beneath. No water also. All I saw was a solid piece of stone with mountains, canyons, lowlands, and highlands.
Roughly half of the planet had small domes placed in a pattern that to me resembled a star shape, gradually getting bigger and bigger, as they got closer to the center. The biggest one was right there, in the middle, growing like a blister.
– No time to waste. This has to be our target – Druoag pointed with his finger exactly at that dome.
He was not wrong. The red arrow was pointing me exactly there, so I made us fly at it, doing my best to rise the speed as high as possible. I also reinforced the bubble, unsure if it would need to sustain any damage later while crossing the barrier around the city and its outskirts.
– Are we sure we won’t crash into that? – Hatta asked pointing ahead at our target.
– I already reinforced the protections, so even if we do, this bubble will definitely sustain it – I told him, focusing more to accelerate us even further. After all the distance was enormous.
– We stay together as long as possible – Druoag said. – If we get attacked, focus on creating a path for Peter. Just as we practiced. And you, Peter. Get as fast as possible to the three, then eat the fruit. Don’t you even dare getting distracted by us.
I didn’t respond to him, since that was something I was not sure I could promise. After all, I did care about all of them.
Minutes passed, and we reached a speed that I’d never traveled at before. At least not consciously. The distance was getting shorter and shorter every moment, and the planet grew in front of our eyes.
That wasn’t the only thing growing, as the tension among my friends progressed too. They all were getting nervous. Some even started to prepare in anticipation of an impact if the dome around the city would indeed prove to be a physical obstacle.
Half an hour later, we slammed into, going past with no issue. It was a shock because we suddenly found ourselves in a much brighter world than the mostly dark space outside. There was a sky above us, with nice puffy clouds, and beneath a beautiful land of nice green trees, rivers, lakes, and all of the natural miracles you could think of.
In the very center of it, right below us, was the city. Small compared to the area surrounding it, but still a bit bigger than Arc.
It looked futuristic with tall skyscrapers, all around, reaching very high. Actually, all of the architecture was very tall with terraces in the clouds, and flying vehicles traveling in between them. A lot of green space was also incorporated. You had a nice perfectly trimmed lawns, with parks and groves. Even all the way up on those terraces.
As we got closer, we quickly found out that it was devastatingly empty. You saw the machines, but nobody was inside them. They seemed to move according to a previously planned schedule.
Since our speed was way too fast, I had to quickly turn the brakes on, which made most of my friends hit the back wall of the bubble. Only I and Martin didn’t seem to be inflicted by the kinetic change.
I was using the ‘Stand your ground’ skill, but I’m unsure of what type of ability did he rely on.
With less speed it was easier to maneuver between the tall buildings, as I further decreased our speed, directing us toward the city center, where the arrow was pointing at. It became visible to us shortly.
An empty plaza covered by large grey plates with the device in the middle. It was already in the state of a tree, as it was supposed to be.
When we entered that area, I broke the bubble, letting my friends out, while I flew myself straight to my destination accelerating, to get there before we could even possibly notice.
As it often is in such situations, my hopes were futile, because we were already noticed. The moment we passed through the dome. The moment we found ourselves under the influence of the tree I wished to rob it of its fruit.
That was something the guardians protecting it simply couldn’t allow.