Chapter 7

Hopix was exhausted. She’d healed Alan for almost an hour, though she felt she’d barely given him the energy to recover. She laid her head down, and she hadn’t felt this tired in over a thousand years. Alan had to fight this; he was far stronger than she thought. She fought sleep for hours, accepting food once from a small friendly child who hugged Hopix, startling her. It was at that moment that Hopix felt the wonderful love and power that Alan had poured into her to heal her.

Leaning close, the little girl whispered, “I am so glad that you both have come to help us. I was afraid when I first saw Mazey Alan, then he did something I’ve never seen a Mazey do.” Hopix looked up, suddenly more interested. “He started to cry when he saw all the hurts I had. I told him it didn’t hurt that bad anymore, not to cry, but he did even more. That’s when I knew that he was a good Mazey. Then his hands started to glow as my skin did, and then the pain was gone!” Hopix could only nod in amazement when the little girl left.

The elder again was amazed; another part was fulfilled, but he’d seen things like this before. He still had to be sure. Walking over to Hopix, he nodded to her, “Please sleep, young one. You’ll be safe; no one will harm you here.” Hopix looked into the elder’s eyes, then closed hers. Though at first, she had a hard time actually falling asleep.

Alan’s head and arm were throbbing more than he thought they should be, and what a funny dream. He’d seen Hopix. Damn, he thought, I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again the way things are going. Straining, he tried to open his eyes. Crap, he was obviously hurt worse than he had at first thought. Finally, he managed to get one eye open. What the??? He was back in the sanctuary. The last thing he remembered, he’d tried to flash into the place but only made it to the damn door. Then the biggest shock came when, after a few minutes, he managed to turn his head and caught sight of Hopix! Concentrating, he could feel all his wounds. They were not far from killing him. Crap! With what he could muster, he first eliminated the infection, then almost all of the swelling. Not as far as he wanted to get, but now at least it wouldn’t kill him while he slept. Issuing a squeak-like groan to Hopix, he tried to sit up but only caused his head to spin more. Damn! Finally, unable to keep his eyes open, he sank back into the welcome embrace of unconsciousness.

Hopix had felt him awaken and then start the healing process. Good, all the infection was gone. Then she felt him remove almost all the swelling. Damn it! He was still so weak! As he fell asleep, Hopix could feel most of the tension his body had been fighting ease and then fade. Good, at least now he could sleep better. That in itself would help with his healing. Sighing, she got up and started to add her energy to Alan. Now at least she could remove some of the wounds. For another hour, she slowly removed the burns on his arm and shoulder. Though she only was able to heal half of it, he wouldn’t have to expend as much energy when he woke up again.

The elder sat near both of his guests. Sighing, he hoped that all the signs he was getting were true. It had been so long since his people had been free or even felt free. Going over all the parts of the legend, it was true they were only the second to make it this far, a better sign in itself. Still, he didn’t want to mention anything. It wouldn’t do to get his people’s hopes up again just to have them crushed by another charlatan. Neither Alan nor Hopix slept well. Alan kept replaying the battle with the last two, the ass-kicking he got when they appeared. I’ll never be caught off guard again. When I see her again, I guarantee next time we meet, that bitch is dead! Hopix’s dreams were no better. Seeing Alan getting hurt had cut her deeply. She was supposed to watch over him. Fuck, lot of good that had done! Now there was a good chance he could die, and she was so weak she couldn’t do a damn thing!

Many of the people were also watching the woman who appeared to be one of them and the Mazey who had healed so many that had no hope of ever being whole again. Several hours later, Alan jerked awake. Though most of the pain was gone, the stiffness was still there. Well, at least my strength has returned, he thought. Sitting up, there was a gasp from many there in the sanctuary. Then it was Alan’s turn to gasp; lying on a small pallet next to him was Hopix! Holy shit! He really hadn’t imagined it! Groaning, Alan sat up. Crap, I can hardly move, he thought. Concentrating a moment, Alan’s hands began to glow, though not as intensely as before. Finally, after several minutes, the stiffness started to fade, as did the weak feeling. Ah, good, now he was starting to feel like himself. Standing, though a little shaky, he walked to Hopix, a broad smile on his face.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” he whispered. “I thought when I left, it was the last time we’d ever be together. How did you get here?” he said more to himself than to anyone else.

“I visited the Trembly as you did; they also gave me a cube like yours,” Hopix said, snapping her eyes open, a huge smile on her face. God, she was glad to see him awake and feeling better! “Alan, you have to be more careful. Just like you told the council, you are the one thing that they all will unite together to fight. I was so..., “ Hopix started.

“Yes, I know, Hopix. I’ve already changed my plan of attack. They might unite to fight me, but I can feel that they won’t stay that way long. Besides, with two of them out of the picture, I’m sure they are about to start fighting over those two areas,” Alan told her. “Right now, I have to figure out a way to defeat them. Like you said, I start taking them out. Yes, they are going to combine forces, then we’ll really be in trouble.”

Hopix herself had been thinking about the problem. “Alan, you do realize that the more of the people you release from them, the weaker they get.”

“Yes, but on this world, there are far more people than there were on your planet. Plus, the fact that there are eight more of them gunning for me.” Alan stopped. The look of confusion on Hopix’s face almost had him laughing.

“Gunning for you?” she said.

“Oh, sorry. It is an expression on Earth. It means they are out to get me, to destroy or get rid of me,” Alan explained.

Hopix just shook her head. She was slowly starting to get some of the terms down; it seemed that the humans come up with more every 30 or 40 of their years. It seemed to be almost madness trying to keep up with the different terms! Though he hadn’t meant to, Alan still had to chuckle a little at the look on her face. When she looked at him startled, he again tried to hide it, but she just stared at him with her hands on her hips, a stern look on her face.

“Ok, ok, I’m sorry, but you look so damn cute when you do that,” Alan admitted, still smiling. Though she herself was holding back a sly smile, she did love to see him smile. Sighing, she thought it was hard to stay mad at Alan for long. “I have to get back out there as soon as possible, but I seem to be at the end of my energy.”

“You were injured far worse than you thought. I tried to heal you, but your power has risen. You are to a point now that my healing of you takes far longer than you usually have the time for,” Hopix said, a little upset as she looked lovingly at Alan.

Alan and Hopix spent the rest of the day doing what they could for all those there. Many had never been by themselves and were finding it difficult to cope without the voices in their heads. Hours later, Alan was finally starting to feel more like himself.

The elder stepped up to talk to Alan, drawing him to a private area to talk to both of them. “Great Mazey Alan, we have heard that you defeated 2 of the evil Mazeys. Though this is good for right now, we must act quickly. Though there are fewer of them, they still control a great many of the people here. Please, Mazey Alan, free them.”

Rising from the sanctuary, Alan reached out, feeling for the bird woman until he found her. This one, he thought, I will take care of first. She was the first to block me; never again! Slowly, Alan and Hopix made their way across the land, healing it as they went. Finally, they stood outside a huge dark crystalline-appearing building.

“So, I see that you have more to you than I thought. Come and get me!” she screamed.

“I’ve got a better idea,” Alan said. Reaching out, Alan aimed and blew a section of the building loose. “Bring your ass out here before I level this piece of shit!” Alan yelled as he took out another section of the building.

Alan could feel her long before she appeared. Behind him, a female voice stated, “The name is Thara. Unfortunately for you, it is the last you will hear!” A high wind rose, threatening to blow everything away. Alan yawned and waved his hand behind him.

Smiling, he heard the choking start. “I have to thank you, bitch! I am now more than ready to take you all down; thanks to you, I won’t be surprised again.” Extending his arm, Alan caught the black cloud creature, ripping it apart amid horrible inhuman screaming.

The look of surprise and fear apparent on her face, Thara tried to flash out but found she was held much too tightly to escape. “You bastard! What gives you the right to interfere? This is our planet, you son of a bitch!” Thara was screaming.

Alan reached in and began to strip all her powers away, each producing a deafening scream from her. Alan had almost finished when he felt another presence. Throwing up another shield, the dark twisted human was firing electric bolts at him.