Miri's stomach drops as she surveys the blaster rifles surrounding her and her comrades, and a droplet of sweat falls from her temple. "Oh damn, this isn't good."
Shin's gaze shifts to a shadowy corner of the room. "Hey, Iko, come over here. These are brats that were snooping around for your invention."
"Thank you for telling me that," Iko materializes from the shadows, his blaster rumbling in its holster. "Who should be the first one to kill Shin? There's a ton of options to pick from?"
Shin extends his arm and points at Rojo. "Try that ugly-looking mite over there."
"Hey, you know I can hear you, right..." says Rojo. Iko takes the bag from his face and, upon seeing Rojo, he bursts into laughter. "Ok, I know I'm not the cutest thing ever. At least have some respect before you go on and kill me."
"You're Jo's kid, aren't you?"
"Wait, how do you know that?"
"Are you kidding me? You look like a carbon copy of him. And your father and I built the device you're looking for!"
"Are you serious!?"
"Yeah, you know what? We'll give you a better version of the cloaking device. How does that sound?"
"That's great, thanks!" Everyone exhales, the tension in the air dissipating with their sighs.
"Hey, Shin, tell those guys to take those bags off those kids' faces," says Iko.
"Ok," Shin gestures for his guards to remove the bags obstructing everyone's vision.
"What planet are you guys trying to bypass?"
Navar's eyes sparkle with determination, and his lips curve into a confident smile. "We're goin' to planet Molorx to defeat the Goblins."
"The Goblins? I heard they're pretty tough. Are you sure you guys can handle them on your own? "
"Of course we can."
"I wouldn't take them too lightly, kiddo. I heard Overlord's strength is comparable to an Ozanian Captain."
"Who cares? If they attack our home, we'll attack their home back. They want to pick a fight with us. We'll fight them back."
A pause lingers in the air, and then Iko's lips curl up, a smile of joy beaming towards Navar. "Kids like you are few and far between."
Iko meanders to a different part of the cabin and returns with the Cloaking Device, its buttons glowing as he proffers it to Rojo. "Here you go, and here are the schematics for its installation," Iko hands Rojo a booklet, each page filled with precise instructions.
"Thanks."
"No problem. How has Jo been doing? It's been ten years since he visited these parts."
"Oh, he died four years ago."
"No, he didn't..." Iko gives Rojo a knowing smirk, the corners of his mouth curling in satisfaction.
"Ok, whatever you say..." Rojo walks away from Iko, his shoes dragging through the dirt. "Fuckin' Weirdo."
After the entries leave, Shin lets out an audible scoff in disbelief. "That blonde-haired kid is a fool. Does he think he has a shot at defeating the Goblins with just nine people?!"
"He's a special kind of fool, Shin. Fools like that are a dime a dozen," says Iko.
Navar brushes his hand across his forehead, leaving a damp streak where the sweat was. "Phew, I thought we were screwed for a moment!"
YOU ARE READING
Ozania Odyssey
Science Fiction"We share a single dream - to become legendary Warriors for the Empire of Ozania!" In the distant future, a powerful dynasty called Ozania reigns supreme in the universe, earning its place among the greatest of all time. This dynasty is home to thr...
