The Legend and Risk are both short stories of the serial Evolution Scars. Both have been remastered.
"I don't know about this." Macker lifted his hand to the next rock to hang onto. His friend Alvo had dragged them through the forests and up the winding roads into the mountains. Alvo was a curious friend and he often made Macker follow along. Macker usually regretted the decision, his mommy and daddy always scolded him and made him have time outs because of Alvo's stunts. He looked at his white and orange ringed tail, wondering if maybe this once he wouldn't be smarter turning back? They were going up high and he didn't want to injure his tail again.
"Macker, come on!" Alvo yelled on. "We're almost there."
"But Alvo," Macker protested, "why are we doing this? Momma made me stay in time-out for a whole half hour when we made a prank call. If she finds out we've travelled out to the mountains, she'll probably double that. My momma said to never climb the mountains and we are. We should stay on the path. Plus, my clothes and my tail are getting really dirty."
"Mackerella," Alvo teased.
"My name's not Mackerella, it's Mackerovich!" Macker climbed faster, his pride on the line. When he reached the top with Alvo, they both stared.
Green, translucent, a neon wonder of beauty. A crystal of such immense proportion that it jutted at the top like a pyramid but then sank below the ground like an iceberg.
"Wow, it's an inhibitor." Alvo drew closer to it and pressed his hand upon the sparkling structure.
Macker circled the area, not knowing what to make of it. The inhibitor was a mineral, a substance that grew in massive forms upon the mountains. They had an effect on his species. They kept them sane. Legend said that before the inhibitors appeared, the originals were psychotic and couldn't hold a proper thought for more than a few seconds. It was the reason very few of his race even left their planet. "It's gigantic. What is it, five feet?"
"Maybe even six," Alvo reckoned as he sized himself up. "I'm two feet and its three times the size of me." He laughed and his eye twinkled as he stared at the massive beauty. "How deep do you think it goes down? Do you think its most of the mountain itself or is this just at the top? Wow, imagine if it was that big, Macker!"
"No one will ever know." Macker smiled, feeling the urge to touch it becoming stronger. "Sure is amazing."
"Worth the punishment," Alvo grinned. "I even brought a camera." He set the camera on a rock nearby, set the timer and ran over by Macker. Macker and him smiled a wide toothy grin.
"Did it take?" Alvo asked aloud not seeing a flash. It was a bright day and it was impossible to tell. He picked up the camera and tried to set it up again, but it fumbled from his hands. "Oops!" The camera fell backwards and a crack was heard. Macker shut his mouth. "No!" Alvo reached behind the rock. "I can fix it, maybe?"
Macker went over as he saw Alvo bend down to pick up the camera. "Is it savable?"
"No, it's gone." Alvo tossed the camera on the ground but held a small sliver of red in his hands. "It cracked this." He pointed behind the rock. "The inhibitor shows beneath the rock, it is huge. It's different colors too. Red, and a little pink." Looking back at the small red piece in his hand, his mouth turned up. "We've got a souvenir." He looked behind the rock again. "Colorful inhibitor. No one ever sees that. I bet we could sell some to every kid in town."
Macker didn't care as he stared out into the horizon. "Alvo, let's go home. It's getting late." He heard Alvo chip off more with the camera. "Alvo, come on. Leave it alone."
"It's pretty and sparkly." Alvo lifted up several tiny red and pink shards into his hand to show Macker. "They make me feel…" He grinned. "Awesome. It's like an energy boost."
"Energy boost?" Macker didn't believe him. "Alvo, we are standing next to a humungous piece of inhibitor. Why are those little pieces giving you an energy boost?"
"I don't know." Alvo set them on the rock and bent down to collect more. "Maybe it's kind of like tomatoes. The big one's are okay, but it's the little ones that really pack a punch."
"What are tomatoes?" Macker asked.
"They're this import dad brought home from work. They're from Vehoria, but they are so good and easy to grow, lots of planets are getting them. Ooh, this is better than a sugar high."
"Alvo, it's getting late. We still need to walk all the way home," Macker reminded him. "Put down the little pieces and let's go."
"No." Alvo grunted. "Just a little more."
"Alvo!" Macker grabbed Alvo's hands and heard a growl come from his end. "Alvo, did you growl at me?"
Alvo hissed and whipped his tail around. "I said no." He looked back at the tiny shards in his hand. Macker could see some of them were actually making his hand bleed, but Alvo had not cared.
Macker took two steps back. "Alvo, I don't like the way you're acting. I'm going home without you."
"No, wait." Alvo grunted as he looked back at the shards. "Sorry. I don't know what came over me." He handed the shards over to Macker. "Here, you hold them. You're better at controlling yourself."
"I don't want to sell them. Can't we leave them?" Macker asked as he felt the weird sensation being emitted.
"It's fine. They are just a different color, what's the big deal?" Alvo asked. "They're only small pieces but we can sell them and get a new game. How much do you think we could sell them for?" He smiled at Macker. "You can even pick it out."
Macker pocketed the shards. "Okay, but this is all we're getting."
"Promise." Alvo raised his hand. "Don't let your parents see them though, stick them under your bed."
"I know. If they see these, they'll know where we went." Macker looked back down. "Who climbs down first?"
____
Alvo rubbed his hands together as he stood beside Macker's window. It had been a week since they went to the mountain. Alvo had got in trouble over the camera and Macker's parents had been suspicious their son was doing the same thing. They decided to wait a week before they started to sell their pieces from the inhibitor. "Macker?"
"Go away."
"Huh?" Alvo crawled through the window. His tail wriggled as he saw Macker doing homework. "Where's the inhibitor?"
"I'm busy." Macker's attitude was sharp.
"Doing homework, but that can wait." Alvo said. "Come on, once we sell enough we can get a new game."
"They are merely pieces of the inhibitor," Macker said, not even letting his eyes leave his homework. "They have little value."
"Well yeah, but they're neat." Alvo explained. "They are colored and they're small enough they can't really do any harm. Right?"
"Leave me." Macker finally lifted his eyes to Alvo. "Go."
"Well fine then," Alvo humphed. "I'll sell them. Where are they, under your bed?"
"Don't touch them, their mine!" Macker grabbed Alvo's hands before he could reach under the bed. "I'm not sharing with other stupid people." He pointed to his homework. "I've got it all done, three days ago. The Den teacher was proud and he gave me the schedule for the month." He picked up a paper nearby and let it fall to the floor. "I just finished it."
Alvo looked at the paper. "There were over thirty assignments and you finished in a week?"
"It was easy. Everything's easy." Macker pointed to the papers on his desk. "I'm doing dad's work for his job and even that's not hard. He's proud of me, and they are talking about upping my allowance." He crossed his arms. "I'm not letting you take that away."
Alvo looked unsteady at Macker. His friend was changing, he didn't seem the same anymore. The old Macker would never stand up like that to him. The way he spoke too, creepy.
"Alvo, they said they were proud. Proud of me." Macker pointed to himself. "I'll let you have a small piece."
"I don't want any piece." Alvo looked at Macker. "I think maybe you were right. This was a bad idea."
"No, it was brilliant," Macker said. "The more I acquire the more proficient I become."
"Acquire and proficient? What do those mean?" Alvo didn't feel right, something was happening to Macker. "That's not you. We need to get rid of the colorful inhibitor, we're too young to have it."
"I'm not," Macker yelled at him. "Don't you tell anyone I have any either." He held up his hand in a fist. "You'll regret it."
Alvo's mouth dropped. Macker wasn't just standing up to him; he was ready to fight him. "This isn't you, Macker. You need to stop this."
"That inhibitor is the best thing that's ever happened to me." Macker didn't lower his hand. "I could beat you if I wanted too." He fisted and unfisted his hand, eagerness in his eyes. He took a deep breath and put his hand down. "Don't tell anyone. It's our secret. I'll give you a piece, like I said. My life is better than it's ever been."
Alvo debated in his head. His kind never really fought, except over girls and they didn't give a lick about girls yet. They were only 100 years old. Macker was different though, and maybe he could actually want to fight? Plus, his parents were proud of him and Macker never had that. Neither had Alvo. "Okay, Macker," Alvo agreed. "I don't want any pieces but I won't tell anyone."
Macker gave Alvo a slight grin. "Thanks, Friend."
--------------
Several Years Later
"Honey!" Alvo dusted the sleeve of his good vest. His wife and kids were invited to see Macker's first baby. Alvo had found his wife, Gracol, with ease and having children was easy, but it had taken centuries for Macker to find his wife, Cheyella. "You bringing the camera?"
Gracol bitterly grabbed the camera. "I don't see why we have to go."
"Macker's our friend," Alvo insisted.
"Your friend," Gracol insisted. "He is different, Alvo. I don't like being around him. There's nothing great about him."
"He's a little cold, yes, but he's always been good to me." Alvo sighed. "Deep down, he's a good guy. He's never let me down once."
Alvo, his wife and their three mischievous kids headed to Macker's house. They had always preferred to stay near each other, especially since Macker began to have difficulty making new friends. Alvo knocked on Macker's door. "Macker?"
Macker answered the door quickly. There was no smile on his face but that didn't mean anything was wrong. Alvo realized some time ago, he just never smiled anymore. "What."
"Baby?" Macker grinned enough for the both of them.
"Yeah. I invited you." Macker opened the door wider. "In the corner."
Alvo, Gracol (and their mischievous three) headed over to a small crib. Inside was a beautiful newborn baby. Two hands, two arms, two ears, two legs. Everything was perfect about it.
Except one thing.
"Dad?" Alvo's oldest son pulled on his arm. "It's got silver hair. Who has silver hair?"
"I've seen silver before." Alvo chuckled. "It's rare, makes it even more special."
"It does." Macker came over and stared at the baby. No happiness, and no emotions whatsoever. "Nothing wrong with it. I have a silver tail too."
"Not like that." Alvo's second to the oldest pointed as he moved the blanket off its tail. "It's not ringed, it's just a weird looking silver."
"Watch your language," Gracol scolded her son.
Alvo stared at the baby's tail though. Silver was unusual, but solid silver was unheard of. Orange, red, and blue were the most common. "No white at all? Have you checked him out?"
"He's fine." Macker simply said. "Isn't he Cheyella?"
"Fine." Cheyella said in a monotonous tone. "Healthy."
"Cheyella?" Alvo looked at Macker's wife. She had become more sheltered when she had gone out with Macker but he'd never heard her so removed. "You have a beautiful baby. You must be so happy."
Cheyella shrugged her shoulders. "Sure."
Alvo turned his attention to Macker. "How about you?"
Macker didn't even attempt a smile. "What?"
"What? Macker, your newborn son. By the planet of Pagnia, at least smile once," Alvo yelled.
"Hm." Macker looked over at Cheyella. "Dinner?"
Cheyella looked at him back with no love in her eyes. "We'll go out."
Macker nodded. "Fine."
"Let's go," Gracol whispered to Alvo. "He's gotten worse over the years. I'm sorry, Alvo, but you knew this is what he would do. This is always what he does."
"It's not what she always did." Alvo looked over at Macker. "At one time Cheyella would've been overjoyed at having a baby." He pointed with accusation. "Macker, you gave her your shards."
"Not all," Macker said, "I would never give her all. They're mine."
"You changed her!" Alvo yelled. "Look at her!"
Macker growled. "Yeah? You wanna fight about it?"
"No," Alvo said as he grabbed Gracol's hand. "We're leaving now." He looked at his kids. "All of you, come on. Mackerovich is no longer a friend."
"Hm," Macker shrugged. "I needed a mate."
Alvo looked at him one more time. Macker had always kept a trace, a small glimpse of feeling in what he did. Alvo just indicated their friendship was over and he didn't even blink. He didn't even care? "You're not you anymore. You haven't been you in a long time." He looked over at the crib. "I don't know what that is, but it's because of you. What you've done to Cheyella, it's because of you." He bit his tongue and gestured his family out.
____
"I don't like it."
"Grandfather." Margonia laughed as she patted Alvo on the back. "He's a great guy."
"He's got a silver tail. All silver," Alvo disagreed. "My granddaughter isn't marrying someone like that."
"Don't be prejudice," Margonia frowned. "He has a wonderful sense of humor and he treats me great. You'll see, you'll love him." Her frown turned into a smile. "You had better. We're going to have kids, you know."
"Don't say that," Alvo frowned.
"Well, it could be worse," Margonia humphed, "He could have had a pink tail."
"Don't even tease!" Alvo yelled. "This is a serious matter. When I was younger-"
"Oh when you were younger, blah blah blah." Margonia groaned. "I don't see why you have to have such a problem with the new kind of people. Silver hair and sleek silver tails. They're smart and powerful." she fanned herself. "They are hot, I don't know a girl alive who wouldn't want what I have."
"Gaw. Freakin' kids," Alvo grumped. "So fine, when do I meet our new relation?" he grumbled.
"His family is all meeting mom and dad tonight." Margonia smiled softly. "It would mean the world to me if you could come Grampy Alvo. It won't even be that big. My darling Soli will be there, along with his mother Rapira. His father passed away, but his grandparents Cheyella and Mackerovich will be there. They're about your age so you might have fun together."
"What?" Alvo felt his heart practically stop. "Macker?"
"You know Mackerovich?" Margonia asked.
"Yeah, long time ago." Alvo crept over to a chest nearby. In it, he had kept all the things he treasured most in his life. He opened the chest and saw his Chronicle. Easy access to something used so often, yet inheritantly becoming more important as he grew older. He opened his Chronicle and brought out a picture. An old picture, of an old friend.
The last picture he ever took with Macker before his friend had started to change. He was leaning up against the inhibitor, smiling away while Macker looked unsure at the camera. Back then, he had always been unsure whether they were doing the right thing. "I'll be there."
____
It was as if they didn't even know each other. Alvo didn't say a word as Macker met with his son, his daughter-in-law, and his granddaughter. Welcoming them to the family. It should have been a giant get together, 200 people dancing wildly and laughing, but Cheyella and Mackerovich didn't want that and neither did their children.
"Mackerovich." Alvo finally spoke as he walked up to his long ago friend. "Your family now, I see."
Mackerovich shrugged. "Suppose." He rubbed the side of his face. "No idea what my grandson saw in your granddaughter."
Alvo looked behind Mackerovich. Shortly after the silver tailed boy was born, his tail had changed to silver as well. He would not have been surprised to see a silver tail, but it was not there. A long sour looking pink tail dragged upon the floor. "Times are changing."
"Everything should," Mackerovich spoke. "My grandson won't live so long. He has a disease, like my son did. We won't be relation forever. Don't get used to it."
Was that jealousy in his voice? Maybe, regret? No, Alvo realized as he looked into Mackerovich's silver eyes. "I wish you never changed, Macker."
"Impolite." Macker frowned. "Alvonovich, do not use my name in such a way." He growled. "I've fought for less."
"I imagine. You should have been a Guardian from what I hear." Alvo looked away. "Then again, maybe not. You'd have to care about the female. And you can't care for anyone anymore." He looked hard at Macker. "I should be thankful you didn't share any inhibitor shards with your son or his family. Your greed wouldn't let you. Your heart is cold and your face shows no warmth." He pulled out the picture of them when they were younger and thrust it into his face. "See this? This was Mackerovich. No, this was Macker. This was my friend. I don't who you are-No-I don't know what you are," he corrected himself, "but you're not him. You're something else. You're pure evil."
For the first time, in over 600 years, Mackerovich smiled. "Thanks."
Alvo felt a chill run down him as he stepped away. He would be related to that?
____
"Ancient, we need to leave." Bieric insisted. "It's not safe. The evolved are attacking everywhere."
Alvo watched as the young woman pulled him away, trying to make him leave his home. He knew it would happen, the peace on Pagnia had been corrupted. It took centuries but their world had changed even more than he could believe. The new kind, the evolved, were merciless and emotionless killers.
There was no stopping them. It only took one member in a family before the whole disease spread further down the line. Children started with simple silver tails, then silver tails and silver hair until a few generations down they turned into full pink eyed and bald tailed creatures. His family had been infected once Margonia married Soli. She had been right, he was a decent boy. Kind. Caring. Yet, he still carried the evolved in his blood.
No one in the cities, towns, or even the kingdom itself knew how it started or where the anomaly came from. Why were such a peaceful race that abhorred fighting, turning into ruthless killing machines in only a few centuries?
Alvo knew. He knew in his heart that it was the inhibitor. Moving away from green. It converted the heart and soul throughout the generations.
Too much inhibitor power. He had mentioned the theory before, but no one believed him. Inhibitors were pure good, they kept everyone sane and intelligent, no matter what the color. No harsh tone could be used against it. Even now with the evolved attacking and making their stand, little would listen to the ravings of him. He was an Ancient, he was well-respected, but no one took his words to heart.
Had it been Macker that spread all of it? No, impossible. But over the years, with more people finding the extra power, the intelligence it held, it was only a matter of time before greed took over
Their race was doomed. Oh, they'd pull through this war. They might even pull through another. But there were so many evolved that it could never be the way it had been. One day, centuries, perhaps even a millennia from that day…
There would remain nothing but the evolved.
"Alvonovich."
Alvo turned around and saw Makerovich. No, not Makerovich, but his great-great grandson. As a side effect, besides becoming aggressive and cruel, their lives shriveled to that of a hundred years if they were lucky.
"My great great great great grandfather knew you," he said to Alvo. "In honor, I will keep you alive. You will be fed the barest of meals and you will work for the rest of your pathetic life, but I will keep you alive."
"Honor? What honor do you possess?" Alvo grabbed his cane and stood up. "I am Ancient Alvonovich and I'll be damned it it's Mackerovich's relation that seizes me."
"You should feel honored. I am going to be the new king of a new kingdom. The Evolved Kingdom," the man said. "Not every day a common man has audience with a king. Besides, we are being merciful. Do not make us look bad. This war was the result of not letting us split. Now that we have split, we'll all be fine. No need to die." He held out his hand. "Come. We will share technology. Our kind has many advancements and plans for the future."
"Your future," Alvo said as he spat at his feet, "I've seen what you do, and I know what you are. You can't trick me. I'd rather die than be slave to your 'helping'. I know your 'helping' will disappear. As did Macker. He died." His voice became soft. "The day I let him have those inhibitor shards to hold. It could have been me, but I thought he had more control." He closed his eyes. "I am partly responsible for this atrocity. I am one of those naïve men that thought nature was controllable. I deserve death."
"We only kill those who oppose us," the new king stated. "Don't oppose us, and we'll get along fine."
"We won't oppose you." Alvo sat back down slowly. "You know us. We can't fight about anything. The only ones who even know how to fight are just Guardians. Just girl guards. Hm." He couldn't help a small chuckle. "Our only fighters were dedicated to nothing but protecting females. My, we are very dead." He tapped his cane twice. "Tis a shame. No one understands the reason."
The man growled. "As I stated-"
"Oh, not now. No, no, you're not many yet. Once you band together, get your technologically advanced brains together, get the power together-" Alvo stopped in mid sentence and looked back at the evolved man. "You will." He groaned and stood up. "I don't want to live to see that day. And-" He held his cane close in hand. "I'm sure before Macker passed on, he would have been proud of this." He squeezed his cane tightly. "This is for you, Mackers."
____
"It's so sad about Grampy Alvo." Jenya said. "I visited his house once before he got hurt."
"Jenya," her mother scolded. "We do not speak of the forgotten." She looked over at her husband. "I don't see why we have to attend. He has never said a good thing about our side of the family. Accusations all over the place. He was an awful person and I don't blame the new king. He tried to smack him with a cane, he was delusional. Do we really have to go?"
"Yes," Soli said to his wife. "Mother would have wanted it, as would have father. He is family, it is as traditional as naming me after father. You don't break tradition." He looked over at Jenya. "Besides, I don't think it's us he didn't like. I always felt he more, well, pitied us. Like we couldn't change what we were."
"I have a silver tail, so what?" Jenya's mother humphed. "You put too much in for that old man. Besides, they are letting us move into the new kingdom. I think it will be great, we're too different than the ones before us. I love our name too. Shows our strength and adaptation. Evolved."
"Well, old or not, he showed courage too. He smacked the king before he died," Soli reminded her. "For one of the originals, that's pretty amazing." He put on his hat and tipped it to Jenya. "Jenya, come on. We pay our last respects today and then we speak no more of the hurt."
"How come?" Jenya asked as she took her father's hand. "He is only sleeping forever. Sometimes I think it would be nice, but then I wouldn't be able to eat or play. No, only on lazy days would I want to sleep forever. Why is Grampy Alvo wanting to sleep forever?"
"Because Jenya," Soli replied, "I don't think he wanted to live in whatever the future may bring us." He smiled at his daughter. "You always have to keep your hopes high for the future though. I hope this kingdom separation helps everything out. I hope you get to grow up big and strong too over there." He waved his daughter's hand back and forth as they walked. "I don't know how it'll turn out but the future's always exciting. Bad, good, you never know."
"Like a present." Jenya smiled. "Like a big, shiny present. You don't know if it's something you really want or just socks." She looked up at her dad. "I hope the future doesn't hold socks."
Soli laughed. Whatever the future would hold, the world was changing. Evolving. The simple pacifist living was changing into fighters. The whimsicality was becoming serious.
Would it be good? Would it be bad? Even though he was moving to the Evolved Kingdom, a part of him felt for those left behind. What would be their future? Would the originals will to fight ever strengthen or would it be the end for them? The evolved would fight; even he felt the call within himself, but an original couldn't even hit back without feeling intense sorrow and regret.
The only chance the poor race would have, would be from their Guardians. Their tiny army that were raised to take care of the females whose pheromones were too high. Those pheromones could change the pacifism into aggression, so guardians were trained against their pacifist feelings to fight against others when needed.
Guardians were the only kind who ever fought in all of history until the evolved came along.
But the chances of a small army winning against them in the future? Soli tried to hide his chuckle. Oh well, it was time to look forward to the new future, whatever laid in store.