Heart of the Cosmos
[Volume 2. Draconis Liberation Arc]
Planet: Unknown
Stellar System: Unknown
Number of Stars: Unknown
Galaxy: Unknown
Star Type: Unknown
Number of Planets: Unknown
Kaito's head pounded as consciousness slowly returned to him. His body felt stiff and heavy. As he was coming to, he heard a noise—a high-pitched voice speaking words quickly he couldn't understand.
His eyes fully open to see a young alien boy standing over him. The boy had orange scales accentuating his neck, arms, hands, and some of his face. He also had short horns that curve back from his forehead. He wore tattered and dirty clothing that seemed one or two sizes too big for him.
"Wha—where… where am I? Where's my crew? Who are you?" Katio asked.
The boy tilted his head curiously, speaking again in his alien tongue. Kaito groaned in frustration, realizing he couldn't understand a word the kid was saying.
"Oh great, I woke up to my crew missing and I'm tied up in some random room with some weird kid that sounds like Donnie Thornberry. This is great. I bet the grand stars this day can't get any worse."
As if the universe heard his sarcastic thoughts, the sound of a group of voices began to slowly rise from behind the little boy. Kaito looked up as a group of armed men stormed toward him. They were the same race as the boy, each having various colored scales. They carried a variety of weapons—spears, blades, and bows. They're technology didn't seem to be advanced. One of them pointed at Kaito, then made a slicing motion across his you know what area.
"Eh…?" Kaito squeaked out.
He pulled out an absurdly huge jagged tooth blade and began to walk towards Kaito.
"Wait! Wait, wait, wait! Let's talk about this! I can't understand you but surely this is a misunderstanding! I haven't done anything!" Kaito pleaded, beginning to thrash around.
The man didn't care at all. The blade inched closer, and Kaito's thrashing became more desperate and exaggerated.
"WAITWAITWAITWAITWAITWAITWAITWAITWAITWAITWAITWAIT! Think of the children I don't have yet! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!!"
Suddenly, a voice cut through the commotion. A middle aged looking alien man of the same race stood at the entrance of the small building. He looked like the others, but his scales were a deep red, almost burgundy. His horns protruded from his forehead and curved up. He carried a short sword on his side. What made him stand out from the rest were his huge wings that were nearly as tall as him on his back.
"What is going on here?!" He asked.
Everyone froze. The man holding the blade was hovering mere inches from Kaito's little man. Kaito, tears streaming down his face, looked up to the man.
"Please! Tell them not to cut anything off! I'm too young to die this way! WHERE AM I?! WHERE'S MY CREW?! WHY DO YOU WANT MY DICK!?" He cried out to him.
The man blinked, still trying to process the sight in front of him. He raised a hand, signaling the men to lower their weapons. They did and stepped back. The little boy ran to the man's side, speaking quickly and pointing at Kaito. He muttered something under his breath before addressing the group in his native tongue. The group grumbled but eventually dispersed. He turned back to Kaito.
"My name is Enaros. And the boy is my son, Nix." He gestured to the young boy who gave Kaito a shy wave.
"Nix brought you all here after he saw your ship falling out of the sky near the mountainside."
Kaito's eyes widened as the memory of the crash flooded back. The surprise attack, the ship spiraling out of control, the alarms, the impact.
His heart sank.
"M-My name is Kaito. My crew—Elara, Finn, Talon, Elysia everyone—are they alive? Where are they?" He asked, eyes wide as could be.
"Your friends. Some here. Others possibly taken by… them."
"Them? Who is, them?"
Enaros took a deep breath.
"About a rotation of our sun ago, they came. A fleet of those so-called ships descended upon our village. They called themselves the The Starborne Troupe, they said they came in peace to forge alliances… but peace was a lie. They started taking people—my people—back to their ships. Entire families were torn apart, sent away to the sky, far beyond the clouds, never to return. They took over our villages, claimed our homes… Those who resisted were... killed."
His voice cracked.
"I am the head of this village, one of the few that remains untouched…for now. But even this is no sanctuary for us anymore. A few nights ago, they… they took my daughter."
Kaito felt the pain coming from the man's voice, over the numerous losses he and his people have endured.
"I'm sorry... for all of it. But not all star travelers are like that. I swear—" He tried to reason, but Enaros wasn't having any of it.
"That's what they said before! And now? Look at my people! Look at my family! My daughter is gone! My village is a shadow of what it was and my people live in fear of the next raid. Forgive me if I do not trust your kind…"
"Look, I understand you and honestly, I can't blame you for feeling that way, but you have to believe me. My crew, you can trust us—we can help you. Please, just let me find my friends, and we'll prove it."
"Help? No... You and your crew will be my leverage to bring my daughter back."
"What?! Leverage? You can't be serious! You're going to trade us to the same monsters who did this to you?!"
Enaros turned away.
"If it means saving her, I would do anything."
The room fell into a tense silence. Before Kaito could argue his case further, the door burst open and a villager stumbled in.
"They've arrived! The starborne troupe is here!" He yelled out with terror filled eyes.
Enaros straightened up.
"Nix, stay here. Do not leave this room. Watch him." He said before glancing over to Kaito.
"I'm sorry… but this is what I must do."
He stepped outside. Kaito turned to Nix as soon as the door shut.
"Hey kid, you've gotta untie me! If they find my crew, they'll kill them and then your people! Your dad is walking into a trap!" He pleaded.
Nix hesitated, taking small steps away. Before he could respond, they both heard a commotion outside and moved towards the window.
Outside, there was a group of heavily armed star travelers of a variety of alien races. At the center stood a tall alien man with his hands on his hips. He was a hefty fellow, wearing skin tight leggings and a shirt four times smaller than his actual size. His pastel red skin almost matched his short dark red hair that spiked like flames. His tattered cape fluttered dramatically behind him. He surveyed the gathered villagers with a wide grin, showing off his gapped teeth.
"PEOPLE OF THIS... QUAINT LITTLE VILLAGE!" He said as he struck a weird pose, flexing as though he were addressing an audience of thousands.
"It's your lucky day! Jorak the Beast has arrived! And I'm here to collect what's mine!"
Enaros stepped forward, interrupting his weird spill.
"Where is my daughter, Jorak? I don't see her here. That was the deal." He said.
Jorak's grin widened as he walked over to him.
"Deal? Oh, Enaros, you poor fool. Deals are for equals. And you, my friend, are most certainly NOT my equal." He said, giving him a dramatic thumbs down with his large meaty hands.
At that moment, the same villager that was going to cut Kaito's little man off charged in from behind for a surprise attack.
But that was a mistake.
With a speed that was mind boggling for his size, Jorak appeared right in front of him before he could even get close. He grabbed the man by the throat, lifting him off the ground with ease.
"Let him go, you monster!" Enaros yelled out.
Jorak smirked.
"Monster? Oh no. I am a BEAST!"
With a roar, he drove his arm through the villager's chest, impaling the poor man completely. Everyone watched in shock as he tossed the man's lifeless body aside with his free hand to the side, as if it weighed nothing.
Kaito watched the horrific scene through the window, straining his body to be free from the chains.
"Nix, please! Your dad is next. I have to stop him!" He pleaded.
"But..my dad said to…"
"Listen, I know you're scared. But if I don't do something… your dad…your people won't make it. I can help them."
Nix glanced between his father and Kaito. Outside, the Beast barked another order.
"Search the village. Find the star travelers. Tear this place apart if you have to!"
Enaros tried to block Jorak's path but was kneed in the gut. He clutched his stomach before falling to his knees, coughing up blood as he tried to gasp for air. Jorak loomed over him with a creepy smile plastered on his face.
"You really think you can stand up to me geezer? Your primetime days are well past you."
"I will protect my people… no matter how powerful you may be… that is the way of the draconians."
Jorak laughed as he cocked back for a punch.
"Let's see how well you protect them when you're dead you old fool."
Before the punch could throw it, Kaito's lightning-infused foot smashed into his mouth, sending the massive Beast hurtling through multiple stone village homes.
Kaito landed lightly in front of Enaros, his body crackling with electricity. He glanced over his shoulder to him.
"Stay down old man. I've got this." He said calmly.
From a distance, Nix's eyes widened in awe.
"So fast… Wh-Who is this guy…?"
Elsewhere, Elara slowly gained consciousness. With zero hesitation, she quickly assessed her surroundings. The room around her was unfamiliar, but the subtle sound of engines told her she was aboard a ship… but it wasn't the Starlight. Her arms, legs, and body were bound tightly by strings with the glow of blue essence. She tried to break free, but it was useless.
"Essence-infused strings. And not only that… it's restricting my essence output entirely."
She scanned the room again. Her sword was nowhere in sight and neither was the crew.
The hissing sound of a door snapped her attention to the entrance in front of her. As the doors fully opened, two individuals walked in. The first was wearing a sleek black mask and cloak that hid every feature.
The second was an alien woman. She had light blue skin, blue hair, and glowing purple and blue eyes. Her posture and movements were theatrical, moving as if she were performing in a theater play.
As soon as her gaze landed on Elara, she clapped her hands dramatically and let out an exaggerated gasp.
"Well, well, well! If it isn't Elara the destroyer! The S-ranked captain of the infamous Starlight crew! I mean… this is just INCREDIBLE! They told me I'd be getting a prize, but to have you—you!—in my grasp? Oh, what an honor, what a privilege!"
"Who are you?" Elara asked dryly.
The woman froze mid-gesture, her expression shifting into mock offense.
"You don't know me? Oh, Elara, my heart! It's shattered! Broken into pieces!" She clutched her chest dramatically, turning her head to the side as if she was overwhelmed with emotion.
"Get to the point already." Elara said, somehow even drier this time.
The woman's expression brightened instantly, her grin returning as she clapped her hands together.
"Of course, of course! Where are my manners?"
She struck a pose, one hand on her hip and the other in the air.
"I am captain Sera Vex of the starborne troupe! Ruler of Draconis Prime, Mistress of the Strings, and the greatest star traveler to ever grace the cosmos!"
"I've never heard of you."
Sera gasped again, this time MUCH MORE exaggerated.
"Oh, my three little blue hearts! How could my idol—the very woman I've admired since I was but a little Vesperian girl—not know who I am?"
"Your... idol?" Elara asked, slightly caught off guard and confused.
Sera leaned closer, her grin widening to reveal her sharp teeth.
"Oh, yes! Everyone who attended any type of star traveler academy at least heard of your name or some of the stories. You were legendary! A young elf with power unlike anything the known universe has seen at any academy. One of the youngest star travelers ever to become a captain. Elara the Destroyer, cutting down enemies like starlight through the void of space! Oh how I love that title so much!"
Her tone took a complete 180 and went dark.
"Of course… I didn't realize back then how much fun it would be to actually tie you up and make you squirm…"
She playfully danced her fingers around, tightening the strings holding Elara down. She winced in pain, but maintained her composure the best she could.
"Is that why you brought me here? To indulge some weird childish fantasy?"
"Oh, darling, this is no fantasy." Sera began to say, twirling a strand of her strings around her finger.
"This is a universal box office! And you, Elara my dear, along with your crewmates are the centerpiece of a show that's about to get very, very interesting."