PRL Serials

“You have achieved so much,” Kazi Lograt said to Ali after he successfully defeated the corrupted Bludonians. They stood on the plateau of the Dojo and Kazi Lograt had white clothing folded neatly in his arms. He held them like an offering behind Ali, who stood facing the mountains in the distance as a breeze blew the tails of his headband sideways. The shirt and pants he wore were ragged and dirty, he hadn’t changed since returning from Bludon and he’d stood on the plateau since he returned. 

“The Masters sent this,” Lograt continued, “the white gi of a Master of the Universe. You deserve it if any being of the universe ever has.”

Ali turned slowly, his face hard and unmoving. 

“Any honor is beneath your sacrifice,” Lograt said, reading the anger on Ali’s face, “you have been through so much and this is just a token…”

“Where is the Guard?” Ali asked, interrupting the Kazi. “Where was the Guard on Bludon? Why was I the only one there?”

“You were all that was required,” Lograt said.

“Kevin died on Bludon,” Ali said, his voice almost a whisper. 

“Such a tragedy,” Lograt said. “There is word from the Masters, they would like for you to rendezvous with them…”

“I can’t leave yet,” Ali said. “I know it seems like we achieved victory on Bludon, and I am sure that there won’t be any more threats from the Bludonians, but I know that they are not the worst threat we face. The Pito corrupted the Bludonians.”

“After your victory on Bludon, the Masters sent scouters to assist with civilians. There were survivors, but there was no sign of any aggressive force.”

“I beat that name out of the Bludonian, Flexx the Superguardian, before he self-destructed,” Ali said. “He said that the Guardians of Bludon bowed to the Pito who came from beyond the stars to help them take their place as the true Masters of the Universe.”

“The true Masters are still investigating Bludon,” Lograt assured him. “Take these. I can summon the Guard for you, you should be with them.”

“No,” Ali said. “I need to think. Some things about the battle on Bludon still don’t make sense to me. Kevin didn’t have to die, he shouldn’t have.”

“There is no need to dwell on tragedy,” Lograt said carefully, not wanting to anger Ali. “It is a good idea for you to relax after such an ordeal, and when you are with the Guard, you can review their footage of the battle on Bludon. Other perspectives could be helpful.”

“That makes sense,” Ali said, and he scratched the back of his hand. 

“If it’s relaxation you need, might I recommend the Cavern of Tranquility,” Lograt said as he handed the all white gi to Ali, who stripped the tattered clothes from his body and then put it on.

“That place?” Ali said with surprise. “Restilli said the Cavern is alive and magical and plays tricks on your mind.”

“That’s not true,” Lograt laughed. “Restilli wandered into the Cavern while she was drunk, of course she experienced strange things. The Cavern isn’t alive exactly, but it can sense the mental turmoil of those who enter and it can help to settle a troubled mind. A sober mind. I would not recommend it if it wasn’t helpful.”

Ali tied the shirt of his gi and nodded at Lograt, who led him to the Cavern of Tranquility that was a short hike from the Dojo and the plateau where it stood. The Cavern was difficult to find without prior knowledge of its location; the entrance was camouflaged by the rocky surroundings. When they arrived at the entrance, Ali was surprised to see the black slit in the red rock, but followed Lograt inside.

“In all your time on Eel, no one has ever brought you here?” Lograt asked as they passed through the darkness.

“You would be the only one who would have,” Ali said as they emerged into the large interior of the Cavern. The majority of the inside was a large recess, like a bowl carved into the floor of the Cavern with steps, like bleachers, all the way to the center where a small fire flickered in the middle, giving a soft glow to the cavern.

“I recommend descending to the bottom and sitting before the flame,” Lograt said to Ali as he stood on the lip of the top step of the large recess. “I will leave you. The tranquility works best when you occupy the Cavern alone.”

Ali heared Lograt’s footsteps as he left the Cavern, and he descended to the bottom. He felt different by the time he was in the bottom of the recess and he sat cross legged in front of the small flame. He felt the tension of his body leaving him as he sat watching the flame, and eventually he closed his eyes. He opened them again when he heard a female voice.

“Hello?” the voice said like a question, and Ali stood. The woman before him was beautiful and she wore the same gi that the classic Kazi wore in illustrated history books. No Kazi had worn the orange and navy blue in generations.

Ali was flustered. He was sure that there was no other human on Eel, but there she was. Ali was confused, and then she mentioned Kazi Qual, a classic Kazi who hadn’t lived on Eel in centuries.

After some posturing, Ali realized that the woman was no threat. She was the Alia.

“How did you get here?” he asked her.

“Probably some weird science, or magic,” the Alia said. “This is the Cavern of Tranquility, I think that we are meeting to put each other at ease. So, what’s bothering you?”

“Other than this whole thing?” Ali asks jokingly. “My friend Kevin just died on Bludon, and even though I single handedly stopped a hostile planet of turtles from taking over the universe, all I could do was watch him die and avenge him later. Even with all this power, I can’t keep the people I care about safe. And even though the threat on Bludon is neutralized, there’s something worse coming right after it. What’s the point of it all? Why did I even leave Earth when nothing I do to keep people safe even works?”

Ali slumped to the ground and he crossed his legs, then rested his head in his hands, balancing his elbows on his legs. He looked like a disappointed little kid.

The Alia knelt before him.

“I’m blind,” she said casually. “You probably wouldn’t guess because of how I navigate the world, but I can’t see like other people do. I can’t see because I traded my vision for an understanding of the universe that allowed me to ease the suffering of innocent beings in the universe. Did I stop all bad things from ever happening again? No, not at all. But would I do it again just to allow one generation of a family on a planet I don’t even know exists to know a time without war? Hell yeah I would. Because I want to live in a universe where somebody somewhere gets to be happy, for any period of time, even if it’s not me and my loved ones, because that means happiness exists. And I can’t live in a world, in a universe where it doesn’t. Imagine how bleak that would be? Is that a good enough reason to sacrifice a normal life, whatever that is, just to fight a never ending battle against evil where people you care about sacrifice themselves to a greater good they can’t experience? I think it is. But that’s just me. What was Kevin’s last name?”

“Blackmon,” Ali said. He was crying silently and trying to hide his tears from the Alia.

“I bet he was a good man,” she said. “A good friend, too. Somewhere, Kevin Blackmon is happy. And somewhere he is proud to have known you and called you a friend. But don’t let him die in vain. Keep him in your heart when you fight, and when you rest. Don’t forget to show him the good things he died for.”

“Thank you,” Ali said.

“Thank you,” the Alia said. “Are you afraid of what you will face after your recent victory?”

Ali nodded. “The Pito made the Bludonian evil. I don’t know what they are, but they must be vile. I could use strong allies if you’re available.”

“I don’t think we call the same universe home,” the Alia said. “But I believe in you. You seem very capable. I’m sure you have others who will fight by your side.”

Ali nodded and stood. Suddenly, he was done being sad, and he left the Cavern of Tranquility ready to face his new enemy.