Excelsior
an excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Among all the planets in the Denarian Star System, the fourth one always seemed to glow in the night sky a little bit brighter than all the others. The belief that there was just more attention to this planet given by the gods created an understandable superiority complex for everyone who lived there. They all shared the same stories about their ancestors who escaped from unstable worlds and saw that one jewel of a planet gleaming from light years away. How they came together in harmony and worked together to create the foundations for what would become a paradise of a planet.
And of course, they all shared the same stories about the man with the power of a god who would do everything in his power to protect them from anyone who would attempt to destroy the beauty of what he referred to as Denab IV. This man claimed to have crafted this planet himself, when he was one of the thousands of gods that saw to the development of the universe. When they asked for his name, he said it was “Excelsior.”
Unfortunately, that was a long time ago. Excelsior hadn’t been seen for decades, and those who remember him were quickly outnumbered by those who were born after his disappearance. Despite the elders’ claims that he would return to once again protect us, as the months and years passed, they would fall on deaf ears. Until finally, the few elders that were left saw to it that Excelsior’s memory would never be forgotten and retreated below the surface of the planet. Here, they would develop the serums needed to sustain themselves as long as possible, so that when the prophecy of his return would come true, they would be ready to take action and give him everything necessary to save the planet and restore it to its natural beauty.
This is the story that was told to Semminex as he grew into a young man on Denab IV. His parents were believers in the legend of Excelsior simply because there had to be a solution to everything that had gone on since his disappearance. Both of them were too young to remember him when he was on the planet, but they definitely remember everything that happened afterwards. They remember when the beings known as the Krunations opened fire and bathed the surface with enough destructive energy to tear down what had taken decades to build in only a few days.
After the onslaught, their leader Nocterar declared that this planet that still had its exterior beauty would now be rebuilt in the image of their former planet Knutrat. The tallest structure on the planet would no longer be the pillar where Excelsior stood, but instead it would be a mighty castle made out of steel where Nocterar could oversee the change this planet would take.
The stories of Excelsior were all that Semminex could comfort himself with these days, especially since his parents were no longer with him. They were among the first Denarians to be kidnapped and put to work to build Nocterar’s castle, and in typical fashion, they made sure they were leading the charge in the first mass escape attempt. Unfortunately for them, this would only be the first escape attempts that ended in every rebel getting shot down as they made their futile run to freedom.
Semminex was one of the latest batch of Denarians that was locked away in one of the tightest security cells on the planet. The Krunation guards knew of Semminex’s family and they knew that it would only be a matter of time before he would follow in his footsteps, so they made sure to keep him out of the public eye in case his mere presence would offer a glimmer of hope for his people. The plan to this day had been a success, as the Denarians had put the finishing touches on Nocterar’s castle. Phase I of the planet’s perversion, at long last, was complete.
But his parents and their bedtime stories were not all that were going through Semminex’s mind. He had been carefully watching the guards and the limited visibility he had of the rest of the prison cell as prisoners had been removed for work duty, and then shoved back in at the end of the day. He said very little to the prisoners for fear that one of them may slip up and tell of any escape plans, but fortunately, he didn’t have to say anything to the men closest to him. They were just as firm believers in Excelsior’s legend as Semminex’s parents were, and they knew that it was only a matter of time before the first steps were taken to expel the Krunations from their home.
Any communication between Semminex and his most trusted fellow prisoners – Hallock and Radford – was done with eye contact. It had been so long since Semminex had actually spoken to someone that he was afraid that when he would open his mouth to say anything, nothing would come out. All he had to really keep himself going was his will to survive and his yearning to make his parents’ predictions come true. And it was a wonderful moment of fate that Hallock and Radford were to be assigned cells next to him. One would motion to the other and as time passed, their plan for escape was etched into each other’s minds. Hallock motioned to the doors that would open whenever someone was taken and silenty count to himself the seconds that the door would remain open before they would shut again. And Radford kept in mind that every time a Krunation would shove someone inside their cell, they would use their stun gun to immobilize the prisoner so that the five-second delay that it took for the doors to shut would not become an issue.
Semminex remembered how his eyes would get brighter and brighter as he watched Radford repeatedly drawing the ire of the guards so he would get tazed a little harder and a little longer than the other prisoners. And he was so proud of his comrade for not only taking this extra punishment for the good of the Denarian race since his biggest crime was shouting to everyone else that someday their savior would return to them, but Radford would also constantly keep himself from going to sleep after being immobilized as everyone else would. Instead, he would will his limbs to regain their feeling and track how long it would take for his body to grow a tolerance to the tazers.
All three men knew what was going to happen; Radford was the key to their escape since it wasn’t long before Radford would get right to his feet as soon as his cell door was shut. They had better make sure that they were all on the same wavelength since, naturally, they could only try this once. Attempts to escape were obviously met with punishment by death, and nobody had ever successfully made their way to freedom.
This day proved to be the “do or die” time for Hallock, Radford and Semminex, and everyone was ready. Hallock was scheduled to be sent to work duty as Radford was sent back to his cell. The guard failed to take notice that Radford was quieter than usual, and so he was only given a mild tazing before the guard opened the door and shoved him back inside. As the guard turned to walk to Hallock’s cell, Radford rolled himself under the door as it was closing. He crouched down to keep out of sight, but as soon as the guard opened Hallock’s cell door, Radford jumped up and executed a perfect blow to the back of the guard’s head. Hallock followed suit with a quick punch to the guard’s stomach and the two of them quickly incapacitated the unsuspecting guard, shoving him inside Hallock’s cell and relieving him of his set of electronic keys, his tazer and his rifle before the door slammed shut on him.
Only two guards stood between Hallock & Radford and Semminex’s cell, and since they had never had to deal with an escape attempt as calculated as this, they were no match for the two prisoners. In no time, Semminex was freed and he immediately took a weapon in hand, opening fire on every guard he saw. Meanwhile, Hallock and Radford took it upon themselves to open up each cell door, freeing every prisoner there. With each guard that ran in to take control of the situation, there were two prisoners waiting to taze or just shoot them.
The prisoners ran through the corridors of the maximum security jail with Semminex leading the way. Finally, they reached the main entrance and everyone watched on in awe as Semminex picked up his speed and ran straight towards the last barricade of guards. As he ran, so did the rest of them and the Krunation guards didn’t stand a chance as the prisoners punched, kicked, shot and tazed their way to freedom. And right in the center of the chaos was Semminex, beckoning the prisoners to follow him as far away from the jail as they could go. Having seen him and knowing of the stories that his parents would tell him about Excelsior, they knew that this was a man to be trusted and who would be their key to freedom. While Radford and Hallick were the muscle behind the plan, it was Semminex who would provide the key to their victory: hope for the future of the planet and their species.

* * *

Matthew could never get enough of this story, especially since it was his go-to idea whenever he ran dry. He spent so many nights working on the storylines, but he made sure to keep them as basic as possible. He was all about the character, showing off his best moments to his readers, and expanding outward to show more and more of the world that he was developing. But there was something about this particular story that made Matthew hesitant to reveal it to his readers. He got too much of a kick reading the various TalkBack messages that his readers left for him; so many of them included their own theories on where Excelsior came from and who was he to stop people from having their own fun and getting involved with the creative process? Of course, all their theories were wrong, but he just didn't have the heart or the desire to tell them.
Besides, what if they didn't like it? He had seen many creators make the mistake of giving too much information about their characters and pay the price for it. And there was also the possibility that he would come up with a better origin story sometime down the road. Matthew considered this option for a moment, but then immediately discarded it. There's no way he would come up with something better since everything that he had written about Excelsior was stream-of-consciousness with no editing afterwards. Even when he made the transition from story to comic panels, there was no re-writing; not even replacing a word or two with others and even if there was second guessing involved. Matthew's theory was that this was a part of the comic's success, part of its charm even.
Once he finished writing about Semminex leading the charge through the prison doors, Matthew decided to focus on the artwork. Nothing too complex, especially since he wasn't going to be putting this on his site. Just pencil today, no color required. He leaned forward at his desk and paid extra attention to Semminex's look. He made sure his long and stringy hair looked just right and his beard was at the right length so it wouldn't overtake his face. The eyes, Matthew seemed to take an hour on. Although if it had been an hour, another student would be impatiently waiting by his desk for him to get out since he would have had to be in his next class.
The clock still read 2:45pm as Mrs. Torbeck noticed Matthew's face once again three inches away from his desk…

* * *

“We knew you would come,” the Highest Elder announced to the freed men and women standing before him. The other elders stood to each side of him as they all gazed proudly at the men who all bowed down on one knee. “You have fought proudly for your lives and for your honor as Denarians. For though we are not of this land, we have worked all our lives to continue the vision of our master Excelsior, and keep Denab IV the paradise he created.”
Semminex’s long hair cascaded down his face, and he continued to look down as he spoke. Surprisingly, there was only a slight rasp heard in his voice. “My parents spoke of you when I was a child. They spoke of how they saw Excelsior with their own eyes, and how you have predicted his eventual return.”
The elder on the farthest right walked towards Semminex and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Your parents are forever honored by us. By being the first to attempt escape from the grasp of the Krunations, they have lit the way for others to follow. They would be proud to see you here before us, a free man."
Semminex kept his head facing the ground, too proud to not let everyone around him - especially the elders - see his tears as they rolled down his hairy cheeks. The elder gave his shoulder a squeeze, which prompted Semminex to slowly look up into his old, dark eyes. As soon as he saw them, Semminex slowly started to regain his composure. For all these years, the elders had kept themselves below the surface and as time passed, their eyes had become so sensitive to sunlight that they could no longer leave these caverns.
From this younger man's point of view, these elders had made such a sacrifice to ensure the memory of Excelsior never dies, and he did not want to appear weak. He wanted to be as strong as they are in will, and as strong as they once were physically.
After a long hesitation, Semminex stood up and faced the elders eye to eye. The rest of the former prisoners still stayed on one knee, and Hallick and Radford beamed with pride. This was the man that they had decided to follow, and he had delivered for them. The elder that stood before Semminex smiled at the young man and then returned to his beside the rest of the elders.
The Highest Elder spoke again. “Is there anyone here who would second the notion of this man being given the gift?”
Hallick and Radford both jumped to their feet. “We second the notion!”
The Highest Elder looked around his peers and they all nodded their approval. “What say the will of the people?” As an answer, the rest of the freed people stood up and let out a loud collective cheer. “Then it is decided.”
Semminex looked back at Hallick and Radford. “What is decided?”
Radford leaned forward and answered in a soft voice, “You'll be given the sword. The elders believe the prophecy is coming true.”
“The prophecy?” Radford kept quiet when he asked about the supposed prophecy. Instead, the Highest Elder beckoned Semminex to step closer. Radford nodded to him that it would be alright. Semminex looked back at his fellow freed prisoners, then did what he was told and stepped forward...

* * *

“Mr. Peters? Mr. Peters?!”
The second time Mrs. Torbeck spoke Matthew's name was the first time he had heard it. He looked up from his page, annoyed that she had called on him just as he was about to get to the good part. Sure, he had written and drawn this moment multiple times, but it still never failed to give him a chill up his spine. It was revisiting this origin story over and over again that made him feel more connected with his character. The more he did it, the more detailed it got until he could go past that and delve into any other story, any other adventure that Excelsior would find himself.
Unfortunately for both him and for Excelsior, Matthew still had to contend with Mrs. Torbeck's US History class, and she was never fond of her students not paying attention. Especially a student going out of his way to show that he was not paying attention, which Matthew had a tendency to do whenever he would put his face three inches from his desk.
Matthew sat back in his seat. “Yes, Ma'am?”
“Were you listening to what I was just saying?”
Matthew looked around the classroom, where he was the center of attention but not for the reasons he would have preferred. He took a deep breath and tried to collect himself, then reached under his sketch pad and looked at his open textbook. It was open to a chapter on the Civil War.
He decided to take a shot. “About the slavery in the south?”
Mrs. Torbeck wouldn't let him off the hook. She knew that Matthew wasn't paying attention, and it would have been so much easier to just lecture him about the importance of listening in her class, but he wouldn't learn his lesson that way. Besides, this was a bit more fun to her to watch him squirm a bit. “What about it?”
Matthew could have told her anything regarding slavery, but only in the mindset he was in now. His focus was on the planet Denab IV and the man that Semminex was about to become. It was on the future, or was it the past? He hadn't figured that part out yet. Either way, after trying to come up with a suitable answer, he decided that this wasn't a battle of wills worth fighting with Mrs. Torbeck. “I'm... not sure where you left off.”
Mrs. Torbeck nodded. “See me after class, Matthew. I'd like a word with you.”
Matthew's chin dropped down against his chest. Once again, he had let the work on his comic get in the way of his studies. Mrs. Torbeck went on with the day's lessons, but when she asked the rest of the class where she had left off, once again Matthew didn't hear it. No matter how many times she would go out of her way to embarrass him in the classroom, something wouldn't allow the lessons to fully sink in. It was always his comic that took precedence and nothing would get in the way of that.
The bell rang fifteen minutes later, and Matthew walked up to Mrs. Torbeck's desk as instructed.
“Mr. Peters, how many times this week have I had to interrupt the daily lesson so I could pull your mind back into the classroom?”
Matthew knew the answer was four, but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. “I'm...”
“Not sure? You don't seem to be sure about a lot of things lately, and you especially don't seem sure to want to pay attention.”
He felt he had to respond to that accusation. “I'm doing alright though, aren't I? The last test that was given, I got an 81 on it.”
She nodded in acknowledgment. “Yes, you have been doing well, Matthew. But this isn't about the tests; it's about being involved in the class and not being content to just get by with decent enough grades. You have to be more active in what is going on inside the classroom, and that requires you to listen to what is being said. If it seems like I'm being hard on you, it's only because I know the potential that you have and getting an 81 on a test doesn't show that you're working to your fullest.”
Matthew tried his best to keep from tuning Mrs. Torbeck out as she droned on and on about what it takes to be an elite student and how he can't just coast through his classes and move on to the next grade. Not a day went by when Matthew didn't wish that she was more like his English teacher. Not only did she create a much more fun atmosphere for learning, but she also encouraged him to move more into creative writing. When he would give her an update on Excelsior's adventures, she would motivate him to keep going with it. She would tell him that he had something there, and that he should...
“Matthew, am I losing you again?!” The raised voice was a hint to Matthew that Mrs. Torbeck's patience with him was wearing thinner and thinner.
“I’m still here,” Matthew answered as he snapped back to attention.
“I know you’re here, but you’re not HERE,” she responded. “Now I know you’re better than this, Matthew. You’re a very gifted young man, but you only seem to show those gifts when you really apply yourself. And I know some of the classes you take aren’t some of the most exciting in the world, especially for a boy your age, but just keep in mind that only by getting through these courses with the grades you have the potential to reach, that’s when you get to move on to do what you really love to do… whatever it may be.”
The words “whatever it may be” floated around in Matthew’s head as he acknowledged to Mrs. Torbeck that he had been losing concentration in her classroom and that he would try to do better in the future. But even though he knew she meant well, Matthew also knew that there was no way she would understand what has been occupying his time over the past several months. She couldn’t possibly realize that while he may have looked like an underachieving scatterbrain, when he would “really apply himself,” he was the lord and master of his own little universe. He held the fates of many different characters in his hands, and it was his creations that captured the imagination of thousands of readers. He contemplated how much power he imagined he had as he walked through the hallway to his next class, and it’s a shock that he didn’t bump into someone as his thoughts drifted between Earth and Denab IV…

* * *

The elders cleared a path for Semminex as he walked into the chamber at the end of a long hallway. One pure beam of light came down in the center of the small room, and inside the light was a beautiful gleaming sword in a metallic sheath that was bolted to the floor. The handle had a red jewel at the end of it, and the blade itself looked like it had been polished to pristine condition only a moment before the elders opened the chamber door.
Semminex looked at the elders in confusion, and the Highest Elder beckoned for him to step forward and go to the sword. The young man did as he was told and walked up to the sheathed weapon, moving his eyes up and down in wonder. All his life, he had known of this sword as not only the weapon of choice for Excelsior, but also the shell that holds his lifeforce.
As he walked around the metallic sheath that kept the sword locked in place, the jewel on the sword’s handle began to release a strange humming sound. Semminex crouched down to examine the jewel and the closer he got to it, the louder the humming would get. The Highest Elder’s eyes lit up with joy as he clasped his hands together. “So it is true.”
Semminex stood back up and looked at the Highest Elder. “What is true?”
“Excelsior has returned to us!”
“Me?” Semminex asked as he pointed to himself. “It can’t be me.”
One of the other elders spoke up. “It can, young man, and it is. The legend says that when the person worthy enough to carry the lifeforce of Excelsior approaches the sword, the great jewel that first held his energy when his ethereal form was taken from him will ensure that all are aware of it. That jewel is at the handle of his sword, and he is ready for you to receive his power.”
The Highest Elder spoke again. “Go on, Semminex. All you have to do is hold the sword, and he will take care of the rest.”
Semminex still couldn’t believe it. If what the elders said was true, then “the rest” meant that the power and the memories of Excelsior will join with him, and just as he was the symbol of hope for the prisoners in the cell, so will he now be the symbol of hope for every Denarian on the planet. “It’s really me?”
The elders all nodded, waiting in anticipation for Semminex to reach out and grab the sword. The young man’s heart began to pound in his chest as he slowly reached out his right hand and wrapped his fingers around the handle of the sword.

* * *

Now this was more like it, Matthew thought as he sat at his desk with his sketch book wide open. The timing couldn’t have been better for him to be in his study hall period while he was at this most crucial point in his story. For some reason, he felt compelled to pay as much attention as possible to the eyes of the elders during this time. Before they would be just black holes in their faces, a very simplistic way of showing what years below Denab IV’s surface would do to their eyes. But as his artistic skills developed more and more, he was able to show their pupils and just keep them black, while the whites of their eyes would be replaced by a dull gray.
Matthew couldn’t help but be proud at how much better he had gotten at designing these characters, especially the elders. He knew that they were just as important a piece of this vast puzzle as Excelsior himself was, and the more interesting he could make them look, the better his comic could be.
Just as he was getting the proper shade of gray for the last part of the Highest Elder’s eyes, Matthew was tapped on the shoulder by the student sitting behind him. The student reached across his desk and said, “Hey Matt” in a low voice to keep from disturbing anyone who was actually using their study hall time to study. Or at least do their homework from other classes. What a waste of time.
Matthew quickly closed his sketch book and looked back at his friend Thomas. “What?” he asked in the same low voice.
“Is that the next issue?”
“The next one’s already set to go online tonight. This is… something else I’m working on.”
Thomas tried to reach for the sketch book. “Lemme see.”
Matthew kept the book out of reach. “Not yet. It’s not ready yet.”
“Come on. I helped you set up the web page in the first place. Lemme see what you’re working on.”
“No, dude. I told you before. Nobody sees anything in the book. Not until it goes online.”
Matthew turned his head back towards the sketch pad and opened it up again. Thomas tried to look over his shoulder to get a peek at this top secret experiment, but as soon as Matthew could sense him, he leaned closer and closer to his desk until he was in his customary position with his nose just three inches away from the pad.
“You suck, Peters,” Thomas said as his parting shot before leaning back in his seat and going back to the sci-fi novel he was halfway through. Finally, Matthew was at peace to finish the elders’ eyes as they stayed affixed to Semminex, watching him clutching the sword that held the lifeforce of Excelsior…

* * *

As Semminex held onto the sword's handle, he watched the jewel at the end begin to glow and hum even louder than before. Nervous, he tried to pull his hand away, but he couldn't release his grip. His hand felt fused to the handle as energy started to pulsate from the sword into his hand and up his arm. His eyes widened with fear, he looked at the elders for help, but all they could do was stand still and nod to him.
“It's okay, Semminex,” the Highest Elder said. “Just let it happen.”
The energy continued to move slowly through Semminex's body and, although he was afraid of it, he couldn't feel any pain. In fact, there was a cooling sensation as it traveled up to his head and concentrated on his brain. As he held on to the sword, Semminex saw sudden flashes before his eyes, flashes of another lifetime, of another person wielding the sword of Excelsior and lashing out at his enemy. Whoever the enemy was, he couldn't see that since its face was hidden in the shadows, but as these moments passed, Semminex started to feel less like himself and more like another man. A stronger man. A warrior. A leader.
Suddenly, the locks on the metallic sheath opened and the sword was free. Semminex looked down at his hand and, as the energy continued to coarse through his body, slowly pulled the sword out of the sheath.
The elders beamed with pride as Semminex looked at the sword, and then up at the rest of the men in the room. For a long moment, his eyes glowed bright red and when he squeezed them shut, when they opened they were back to normal.
The Highest Elder walked up to the young man and put a hand on his shoulder. “Excelsior. It is good to have you back, old friend,” he said with a smile.
The man who now carried the lifeforce of Denab IV's guardian smiled back. “It is good to be back.”