Zorza

Xander’s Demise

Chapter 1

Hundreds watched in amusement as the two attempted to climb the slimy rock. Beet made it up first, only to lose his footing. He tumbled off the slick surface, taking Zorza with him. The two swam to the other side of the slime covered mountain. All hope of doing this relied on their ability to get up this rock. Zorza tried this time, bringing his little purple foot up to his chest. His toe grabbed hold of the rock, propelling his body upwards towards the top of the moss covered mountain.

As he pulled himself to the flat surface, he watched as Beet once again started to slip. I’ve got you, shouted Zorza. As he reached down to grab his long arm, he got something soft and wet instead. Beet started giggling and squirming as his eye-stalk was being man-handled.

HEY…That tickles!

This caught Zorza off guard and set him off as well. The uncontrollable laughter made it very difficult to hoist Xander up to the top. He started to slip out of his hands before Beet was able to get a good foot hold.

The crowd cheered at the sight of the two on top of Deeple Rock, overlooking the tri-colored ocean. They waited very patiently for the Elephant Turtles to appear. They were going to be the first to ever ride on their shells. The waters parted in several waves as the ivory tusks penetrated the surface. The two ton shells started making an appearance and were now in the correct position for this endeavor. Are you ready?

Of course, my friend! Beet looked Zorza straight in the eyes before closing them and taking a deep breath. GO!

Beet was the first one off of the solid ledge, his body tumbling towards uncertainty. Zorza followed shortly after, tears filling his eyes as the shells became larger and the air pressure pushed him off course.

The two collided against the humongous shells, sending the turtles deep under the ocean’s surface. Something had gone terribly wrong, thought Beet, as his feet gave out and his body sank into the murky depths of certain doom. Zorza scrambled on the edge of the mammoth’s shell, trying to keep his balance. His fall landed him between a rock and a shell, leaving his options short. His little legs kicked over and over again, the weight of a single Elephant Turtle would crush him and he knew his time was limited.

The waves doubled in size as the beasts picked up speed. A stampede was imminent, but there was nothing they could do. Beet leaped from one shell to another, regaining his balance by luck alone. Zorza scrambled to the inside of the shell moments before the turtle crashed into a rock, causing an avalanche to tumble down on their heads.

Something caught his hand and pulled him up on the shell of the demon turtle. Beet’s smiling face greeted him as he perched high above the water. They are going the wrong way, Zorza could hear the concern in his voice. What he said next frightened him. They are moving away from the shorelines.

The stampede continued for an hour before an idea caused Beet’s eyes to widen in their stalks. He slid down the neck of the beast, landing directly on his ugly turtle head. With all of his might, Beet heaved back on the large ivory tusks, steering it towards the shoreline.

The turquoise sand lay directly in the sun like a beacon of warmth and happiness. Zorza was the first one off the shell, followed by an exhausted Beet Brandle. The Elephant Turtles disappeared in the distance, making their first encounter nothing more than a memory fading into the mist.

Water shot out of Zorza’s mouth as he lay upon the beach dripping wet and worn out. Never again.

Chapter 2

The fire crackled and smoke crept up into the atmosphere. The last of the logs were being burned upon the meditation fire. Eight wisemen gathered to discuss the visions that burdened them.

Drievas slumped her head into her hands and wept. She wept for her people, she wept for herself, but mostly she wept for her beloved Beet Brandle.

As she gathered her thoughts, she tried to shake the terrible nightmare. Her long dress, now crumpled by a horrible night’s sleep, was stained with dirt from hours of meditation. The blazing hot cinders cast an ominous orange glow upon the fire. Drievas swallowed hard, making courage rise from deep within herself.

I have already alerted the Superiors on Crantoria. They plan on deploying the space ninjas immediately.

Darien slowly turned his eyes towards Drievas, sympathy swelling in his soul.

What exactly are we talking about here, Drievas? Deep in thought, Darien stood, stroking his long beard. He pulled another chunk off of the Blackshroom and crammed it in his long pipe. A large puff of smoke escaped his lungs as he spoke of terrible news. Are you saying a war will wage on Crantoria? I have seen the fall of Crantoria, more bloodshed will follow! Darien paced back and forth in front of the warm fire. The Crantorian Space Ninjas are the only hope we have to stop them. If they fail, we fail.

Who... exactly is ‘we’? Drievas wiped her long arm across her face, soaking up the last evidence of a meltdown.

We are everyone and everything. Darien spoke in a loud commanding voice, making Drievas even more uneasy with this conversation. If the ninjas fail, the Nephlons will continue to move from planet to planet, making total extinction for our entire galaxy a reality.

Seven wisemen wept, but Drievas had hope. A brighter future is built on the backs of friendship. Cargatia has the best technology in the entire galaxy. Not only that, I know of a great scout that could give us the information needed to stop them before it is too late.

The eight wisemen sat around the dwindling meditation flame, planning a trip that could save them all. Their future hung by a thread; all hope rested on finding the one creature who could save them: Zorza.

Chapter 3

Ramrod the Brave, that is what they called him. His name came from not a single victory in battle. Yet this Nephlon General always managed to survive to fight another day. Ramrod’s bravery made him a great leader; his track record, however, made him a target. His superior just promoted a new General, one who had never lost a single battle. His first mission was to rid the galaxy of Ramrod’s failure.

Brutus just received a package. Inside was a kit to build the ultimate weapon, a weapon powerful enough to blow up Crantoria. He knew that Crantoria had not hibernated yet; he knew facing Space Ninjas in battle would be certain death. Brutus also knew that Ramrod the Brave would not survive this time.

The planet was dark and desolate when the Nephlon Warship entered the atmosphere. The chrome became red-hot as Ramrod increased his speed to break the barrier. Ready your weapons, soldiers! Ramrod clicked his service pistol against his side, feeling the cold steel brush his skin. As they entered the planet’s surface, he could see nothing stirring among the black soil that awaited him. But something did stir; something so powerful that he never stood a chance.

The trees swayed in the wind, the cool dark night lay still as ten thousand Crantorian Space Ninjas perched on the branches of the landscape. Concealed in the shadows and armed with razor sharp weapons… they watched. They watched and they waited.

The