Song of Blu Read online

  Song of Blue

  J. A. Ebonlight

  Copyright © 2021 Jarvis Penn

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  ISBN-13: 9781234567890

  ISBN-10: 1477123456

  Cover design by: Art Painter

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309

  Printed in the United States of America

  Dedicate to my mom, aunt and cousin who's been the only people supporting my dream of becoming an author.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Phoenician Sagas

  Entry 1

  Entry 2

  Entry 3

  Entry 4

  Entry 5

  Entry 6

  Entry 7

  Entry 8

  Entry 9

  Entry 10

  Entry 11

  Entry 12

  Entry 13

  Entry 14

  Entry 15

  Entry 16

  Entry 17

  Entry 18

  Entry 19

  Entry 20

  Entry 21

  Thank you!

  Phoenician Sagas

  Entry 1

  Phoenician Date: January 16, 1025AR(Age of Rebirth)

  Military Time: 17:36

  Phoenician Classified World Name: Juli

  World Type: cradle

  We all thought of dragons as myths, something that was part of our fantasy.

  They could never exist in reality. We were struck with the truth that day. They fell from the skies on our great, beautiful earth. Covered in silver armor and veins that pulsed with blinding blue lights. Our largest cities incinerated into nothing.

  As humans, we fought back, we gave them hell, but it was no more than an ant attacking a man’s boot. The power gap was more considerable than oceans. It was heartbreaking because humans at that time had just discovered faster-than-light travel. Our dreams to cross the stars were crushed in an instant.

  We believed these imaginary beasts to be fantasy, but they weren’t fantasy; they were warnings from our ancestors. Passed down through our genes. Genetic memories popping up in our minds as imaginations. That’s how devastating these beasts were.

  One man, one single man, someone who was exposed to their radiation and lived (at least that’s one of the theories), gathered the remaining humans and fled on the last ship available. He sailed the ship on a ten-thousand-year-long journey across the galaxy to a place where the dragons―who we now call the Nemesis―could not find us.

  After our ancestors dropped from their long voyage, they found a new home just like Earth but much grander. It was the size of a hundred Earths. They named it Eve.

  The man would later call himself the high king, and he would rule over the remainder of the human race on the planet Eve. From that day on, the high king named his kingdom Phoenician, for just like the Phoenix, humanity will rise from the ashes stronger than ever.

  For a thousand years, they would expand across the galaxy and conquer over ten thousand worlds. Waiting for the dragon’s return. Because they will return. They will—mark my words.

  ―The End of Earth by Martin Token

  “Is this nerd reading a book?” someone said from below me.

  My jaw clenched, and I shut my book. Based in the junkyard, I sat upon a mountain of wrecked car parts. The junkyard resided on the outskirts of the city, where the symphony of battles could be heard. Hearing explosions, coilgun fire, and howls of the aliens’ battle cries became background noise that put me to sleep at night. Losing my sense of smell after being poisoned in my youth turned out to be a blessing right now. Many in my battlegroup complained about the smell of old fuel, grease, putrid water mixed with rusting metal, and rotting fabrics from the vehicles’ interior. Mountains of car parts lined almost as far as the eye could see, but that still didn’t hide the sight of the tall buildings that touched the sky. The metal jungle was what my gang used to call these cities. I never thought I would step foot in any of them—especially not in these circumstances.

  “We about to go out and fight these dirty aliens, and you reading a book?” another said.

  “What does it matter? We’re going to die anyway,” I said, sliding down the junk hill in my jury-rigged armor of chains and metal plates.

  They spat words at me that I did not care to entertain or record. My name is Blu, and this world is currently in a gruesome war. I live on the cradle world of Juli. Do not be fooled by the word “cradle,” though. This world is nothing but a breeding nest dominated by gangs―a planet-sized ghetto.

  Most people on Juli received the lowest education, and the worst influences possible pumped into them. On Juli, it’s normal for teenage girls to have three kids before they reach adulthood. However, because of this world's hostile gang culture, most people don’t survive until adulthood.

  “Form up! We push forward. Do not allow them to take the city,” our leader said. He was some military enlisted here to shape us up for war.

  The city was under siege by the Leones, a nasty race whose face resembled a cross between a dog and a lion. They walked on two but ran on all six of their limbs and had fangs and claws that could graze steel. In the great Phoenician kingdom, an alien invasion on one of their thousands of worlds was just another day.

  We were behind the walls of the city―if you can call them that. They were nothing more than vehicles piled up on top of one another. I did not want to be in the improvised army, but our planet was in Code Red. That means the standing army has been wiped out. Every person is given a gun and told to fend for themselves until the arrival of reinforcements.

  Artillery fire and bombs ravaged the once-proud capital city. It was the last bastion of humans left on the planet. Over a billion souls sat in this city, hoping not to die.

  “We can’t win,” someone yelled, as he shouted that he was shot in the foot. He fell to the ground crying. His friend hurried with the mending gel.

  I remembered when mending gel was only allowed for the higher-ups in my gang. Now I had stocks of them in my back pocket. It made me feel invincible. The stuff healed and closed any wound.

  “Faithless! The high king will heed our prayers. He will come to our needs. We just need to seize―” Before he could finish his sentence, a great shadow overcast him. All my fellow draftees and I gazed up. It was a ship, large enough to block out the sunlight over our heads.

  “See? We’re going to die,” I said, dropping my gun. The king does not care about us. All my life, I had to fend for myself. Where was the king then? Why didn’t he make this world better and save me from the hell of growing up in the gang? Why would this benevolent king help now?

  A series of explosions surged through the ship, and it burst into hundreds of pieces flying out across the city. Then I spotted a falling piece of debris coming near us, hurling toward my company and me. It smashed down on the vehicle-made wall and toppled it over.

  “A Vindicator,” someone said. The figure wore black and gold ceremonial armor and drapes that showed a Battlemaster holding up a banner with one hand. Vindicators were the will of the king—individuals who have earned the king’s favor and were seen as heroes. Never thought I’d see one up close and personal.

  The Vindicator turned to us, unveiling the face of a girl! She had blood-red hair and fair, unblemished skin as if she had
never been in a fight. Sea-blue eyes that promised many stories of battle.

  “The king heeds the call of his people,” the Vindicator said, pulling out a banner. Then the Vindicator tapped on a device on her wrist. All of the large projector screens on the commercial buildings lit up and showed the Vindicator’s face.

  “People, rejoice. I, Vindicator Raven, have come by order of the king. The king heeds your call.” Even with all the gunfire, I could hear the cheers of the people thundering through the city. “I have already destroyed their flagship. Now they remain broken and leaderless. No more hiding, no more second-guessing yourself. It’s time to strike, at all ends, while they are fractured. Finish them now. I will lead the charge. Follow if you’re brave, for I will bring the king’s wrath on our enemies this day,” she said.

  She turned to the enemy and leaped off the wall. At that moment, drop pods rained from the sky and landed all around the city. Battle-hardened warriors broke from the pods and joined her charge. They unleashed a storm of explosive rounds against the Leones.

  I don’t know what it was, but something in me urged me forward…surged me into the heart of the enemy behind Raven. My comrades and I erupted from our barricade, roaring while firing our weapons at every Leones that moved. Marines with great metal shields ran in front of us to block the returning firepower.

  Leones came in many sizes. Some Leones were human-size, and then some were ten feet tall. It mattered not to Vindicator Raven. The way she moved was almost as graceful as a dance. With a shield in one hand and the finest blade I’ve ever seen in the other, she unleashed a whirlwind of destruction on the alien bastards. Small firearms propped from under her shoulder guard and blasted on every Leones too far from her blade. I wanted to fight next to her, keep her safe, but she didn’t need me. She fought three, sometimes four at a time, cutting them down or bashing them away with her shield. I killed my fair share of aliens, but I found myself pulling away from the battle to watch her. Mesmerized by her valiant stand, I didn’t even notice the large Leone coming upon her. She rolled as his mace crashed into the ground, making a huge thumped sound. Many of the surrounding Leones paused in their assault, and strangely, as did many of our forces. I raced to help her, but my commander stopped me.

  “No, Son. She’s a vindicator. You’ll just get in her way.” He said. No matter how incredible her skills and gear was, she couldn’t beat that behemoth. At least that’s what I thought.

  Raven slung her shield at the beast's head, throwing him off balance. He swung his mace again, but Raven spun around it and slashed the creature at its leg. The alien fell to his knees as she climbed up the beast’s back and beheaded it with her sword. When the alien leader fell, Raven stepped over the dead Leone's body and screamed. Not a fearful scream, but one filled with rage. Her shriek was directed at the Leones’s army, and she used a loudspeaker on her armor to amplified her voice. Within moments, a large portion of the Leones army fled.

  It felt so invigorating, charging the enemy with my gun in the air behind this Vindicator. Usually, killing made me feel broken inside. But, fighting besides people for survival against an alien foe satisfied me. I imagined every one of my comrades felt the same as we utterly crushed the enemy that moments ago we thought would send us to the afterlife. If there was one...

  Within an hour of brutal fighting, the remaining enemy around the city was scattered, and we had won the day. Burning wreckage of the Leones war machines and destroyed war camps laid around us. The dead Leones were being dragged in mass pits to grow the next generation of plant life. All of us gathered around the Vindicator, who stood on a pile of Leone's bodies of her own making. The Vindicator removed her helmet once more.

  “Do not worry. A battlefleet is en-route to this planet to give reinforcements. I must take my leave, but the enemy forces here are crippled.” She said. Many people cheered and started hugging one another. Smiles returned to faces that almost forgotten the expression. My own heart was lighter from the news. Raven’s eyes gazed over me as she began to speak more.

  “You don’t know it yet, but I’ve been on your world for some months. I’ve destroyed outposts and their faculties with my private force. Their military power here is on its last legs. Good luck and remember that the king heeds the call,” she said. Then as quickly as she arrived, she prepared to take her leave. A dropship arrived to usher her back to wherever she came from―probably heaven. Doubtless, a place I would never be able to reach. Every now and then in life, we take action entirely foreign to our everyday behaviors. Those actions usually are the ones that change everything in our lives, and I was about to make my move. I pushed through a crowd with a haste and recklessness that drew Raven’s attention.

  “Wait,” I said, my voice cracking. She squinted her eyes at me. “How can I become a Vindicator?” Her eyebrows raised. The rest of the surrounding militia laughed but not her. Sweat formed across my forehead, and heat radiated all through my body. She waited for their laughing to cease, giving them pointed looks.

  “Anybody can be one. The first step is joining a marine Legion and getting off this world. The next step is up to fate and the king.” She paused and squinted at me. “I can tell by the look in your eyes that I’ll be seeing you again someday,” she said with a smile before taking her leave. That was the day I decided to be a Vindicator, a Hero of the kingdom. I wanted to give people the same hope she gave me.

  Entry 2

  Phoenician Date: January 16, 1025AR(Age of Rebirth)

  Military Time: 23:22

  Phoenician Classified World Name: Juli

  I made my way toward the recruitment station. The military had wisely chosen this time to run a recruitment drive; buoyed by the Vindicator's appearance on the battlefield, many would flock to join. The station sat around a refugee camp where many people had fled after the destruction of their homes.

  Many wounded and crying families were there. I couldn’t relate. No one ever loved me―not even my own mother. My hand clenched when I thought of how she sold me off. My gang never let me forget that fact. I wish I had a father who could have rescued me from hellish thug life. In truth, I was happy the aliens invaded my world because now I was free from all those bastards, but not from all the blood on my hands.

  The smell of hot food drew me from my self-loathing. It was given out near the table. Smart. Encourage people to sign up just for a plate of hot food. Lines of people wanted to join the army now that our world was in ruins. I waited in line for two hours before I reached a table. Of course, all the food was gone by the time I arrived. A dark skin man with a standard military outfit and dark hair sat on the other side of the table. He swiped across a D-pad without sparing me a glance. I clenched my jaw and stared around to guess my next move.

  “Um, I don’t know what to do,” I said.

  “Name,” he said, not looking up from his D-pad.

  “Blu,” I said. He chuckled.

  “Blue?” he echoed. I hated this part.

  “They call me Blu because I always look sad,” I said. And because my mama sold me for Blue Dust, but he didn’t need to know that. I wished I had a proper name, but I was never given one. I had expected him to make a dumb joke: Why do you look so Blue, Blu? He made no joke.

  “Oh, a nickname. What’s your real name?” I coiled and tightened my jaw.

  “I…don’t. I’ve only ever been Blu, but I spell it without an E to make it stand out.” He glanced up with his brown eyes. He sighed and went back to typing on a D-pad. I had always wanted one of those as a kid.

  “Alright, Blu. How old are you?” He asked. My jaw and fists clenched. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat and sweat on my brow. How many personal questions would he have to ask?

  “I don’t know,” I said. He stopped again. Then he glanced up at me once more.

  “Your parents never tell you your age?”

  “I don’t know my parents. I was raised by my gang since birth, and exact age doesn't matter.” I admitted. “I’m a man, th
ough.”

  “And how do you know you’re a man when you don’t know your age?”

  “In my gang, you’re considered a man after you had your first drink, first smoke, lay with a woman...” He chuckled. “And kill your first man.” His expression hardened.

  “I-I...” He shook his head. “What’s your highest educational diploma?”

  “None,” I mumbled. I scowled and then added: “but I read and write real good.”

  He growled. Sweat formed across my face and body. My knees grew weak as I tried to calm myself. Why did he need all this information? Wasn’t it enough that I wanted to fight? I’m a good fighter. I’ve killed lots. My gang didn’t teach me much else. I just wanted off this hellish planet. It was the birthplace of all my suffering. I was finally free from my gang, and I might be stuck here. I clenched against my pants leg.

  “Listen, sir, I was a great soldier in my gang. I’ll be an even better one in the army. Just put a weapon in my hand. I follow orders good. I never questioned my superior. I’ll be a good grunt, isn’t that what you want?” I said.

  He gave me a stoic stare that left me muted and my heart pounding. I couldn’t threaten him to give me what I want nor offer him goods in exchange. My chances of joining the army seemed as lost as me. He exhaled deeply and started typing on his D-pad.

  “Look, I’m just gonna fill your form out with nonsense. Based on your short bio, I can tell the army will be the best thing for you. You’re going to have to go through the military schooling and metamorphosis process. I’ll handle that. We have a working metamorphosis center nearby,” he said. I felt lighter and able to breathe.

  I couldn’t help but smile even though I was taught that smiling to another man showed weakness. My heart swelled at the thought of going to school and actually learning things. It was a fantasy I seldom had, and now it would be a reality.