“Apart from that, you can get a weapon of your choice through these two cylindrical rods. These buttons on the wrist dispel powerful lasers. You will discover more features in due course. Just remember that as soon as you enter the Great Red Spot, press this red button on the hand panel or else the powerful winds will send you flying away.”
After everyone wore their spacesuits, Pyros opened the door to Jupiter. “Best of luck.”
“Won’t you be accompanying us?” the Scavenger asked.
Pyros shook his head. “It’s of no use. Let me do my research on the next step of our journey. Just bring me the First Page.”
The Scavenger, Archer, Daniel and James nodded at Pyros and entered the door to Jupiter.
They emerged on the planet Jupiter.
The surroundings were barren and strewn with rocks and looked calm and serene. James was aware that as soon as they reached the Great Red Spot, they would be ravaged by storms.
They started moving forward. It was an ordeal trying to adjust to the spacesuits, and all of them frequently fell. But after a while, the pace they were moving at increased.
After a few minutes, they halted a few metres before a mass of red dust – the Great Red Spot.
The Scavenger gestured at the children to remember Pyros’s advice. Everyone pressed the red button on the suit’s panel. A yellowish dome formed around them.
They entered the Great Red Spot.
Walking was difficult as the winds buffeted them back. Despite the push given by the spacesuits, putting one foot forward after the other was a struggle.
After a few hundred steps, they saw a massive structure rising into the sky.
Daniel gasped. “Is that the tower?”
James rolled his eyes. “No, Daniel, it’s a hugely tall building in the Great Red Spot in Jupiter that a legendary riddle mentioned, about a millennia ago, to get the First Page of Destiny, which is coincidentally an object of great power.”
James paused and stared at Daniel. “Of course it’s the tower!”
Daniel glared back at James.
“Look, there are traps!” The Scavenger pointed ahead. “See the sand there. It’s protruding. Over
there – there’s a mound.”
“Oh, come on. Why would someone do the hard work of putting traps in this darned storm? You have become paranoid,” James said to the Scavenger.
The Scavenger frowned. “What are you talking about? Wouldn’t the aliens prepare traps for their safety? And what hard work? The aliens have been living here for ages. They must have gotten adjusted to the storm.”
James scratched his head. “You might be right.”
The Scavenger moved cautiously across the sand mounds. As the Scavenger dodged, ducked and weaved around the mounds, the others followed in the Scavenger’s footsteps.
In a few minutes, they reached the tower’s door. With a push, the door swung open, and everyone went inside.
Their faces were filled with relief as they found that the atmosphere was comfortable inside the tower. There was a sound, and then the sand parted to reveal a walkway towards the door. It was pitch dark.
Welcome.
It was not one voice. It was a multitude of voices, all joining together to form a single word.
“Who was that?” The Scavenger’s eyes scanned the darkness around him. “Show yourself!”
The lights clicked on. They were in a massive hall, whose walls and ceilings were lined with all kinds of weapons.
Strange greenish creatures holding spears surrounded them.
“What are you?” Daniel whispered as he looked around. The green beings looked deadly in their armour, but their small height diminished their mean-looking faces. “Aliens?”
“I hate that word!” someone shouted in the crowd. Everyone else started to shout and roar.
“SILENCE!”
A dominant green creature walked up to the Scavenger. “I am Commander Greene. We are the Greenies,” he said. “Not Jupiterians. Not celestial beings. Not Gods. Not Demons. Not Aliens. Just Greenies. Am I clear? Tell me, why are you here?”
The Scavenger bowed in respect. “We have come here to get the First Page of Destiny.”
Commander Greene said, “We are the protectors of the First Page of Destiny. You need the First Page? It’s plain and simple. Fight us. Defeat us, and the page is yours.” Commander Greene raised his spear. All the other Greenies raised their spears.
James interrupted. “We haven’t come here to fight. We have seen enough fighting for eternity. We acknowledge your greatness. We are friendly people.”
Commander Greene seemed surprised. “How do I know that?”
“Simply put, we both share the legacy of the great Lord Arcane,” James said in a calm voice, trying to recall all that he had read in the cave of Pyros.
“Arcane? What has Arcane to do with you?” Greene was shocked to hear the name of Arcane.
The Scavenger jumped into the conversation. “I am the loyal servant of Lord Arcane. My name is Scavenger. These are the prophesied children who have the Elemental Powers.” To make the Greenies believe the Scavenger, the children summoned their powers. Water and fire shrouded James and Archer, and roots burst from the ground and surrounded Daniel.
Commander Greene raised his hand. “I see. We have a great respect for Lord Arcane. And don’t ask us why. It’s a long story. But I cannot hand over the First Page of Destiny to you. I need to be sure that you are genuine people.”
“Tell us, how do we prove ourselves?” James asked.
Commander Greene thought for a while and said, “Wait, there is only one place from where anyone can come here on Jupiter. Since you are here, I am sure you have come through that place only. Any information about us Greenies is available in that place only. If you are the good souls, I would like to hear about us from you. I am sure
