Second to None

By Benjamin Weilert

Benjamin is one of a select group of people who can naturally use powers known as fluxions. Of course, he doesn't know that yet. While he travels around the continent finding more people he can relate to, a research team led by Albert is trying to get fluxions into a form that everyone can use. As Benjamin progresses on his journey, picking up two traveling partners along the way (Tecumseh and Penny), the research team is scouring the world, looking for fluxion cores and other items to help them create the super-fluxions known as Fluents. After Benjamin and his friends travel through a strange realm known as the Imaginary World, they come across a disaster caused by the Army of Amedeo. Soon after, they find out that Amedeo is building an army that is one septillion soldiers strong, and it's up to the small team of Naturals to stop him. But can a mere handful of superpowered people stop an army of that number? Furthermore, why does Amedeo need such a large army in the first place? "Second to None" is a story of friendship, duty, and betrayal. You've never seen science quite like this.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Benjamin Weilert
• Release date: Jun 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301747337

Benjamin Weilert

Benjamin M. Weilert . . . What does the 'M' stand for?Mountain Climber, Movie Connoisseur, Master of Science, and (of course) Multi-novel WriterBenjamin M. Weilert was born in Colorado in 1985.While he went to school for Mechanical Engineering (eventually earning a Master’s Degree), he has found science to be interesting enough to write fiction about it. He likes to classify his novels as “science fantasy,” wherein the science is real and (semi) accurate, but portrayed in a fantasy setting to make it accessible to non-scientific readers. If you want stories that are surreptitiously educational, he’s your man.

Book preview

SECOND TO NONE

A story about friendship, duty, betrayal, and most of all: science

BENJAMIN M. WEILERT

Fiction by Benjamin M. Weilert:

The Ascent of the Writer

The Fluxion Trilogy

First Name Basis

Second to None

The Third Degree

also available . . .

The Fluxion Trilogy Omnibus (with Appendix)

Non-Fiction by Benjamin M. Weilert:

This is Not a Drill

Cinema Connections: a never-ending 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon

Fourteener Father: a memoir of life above 14,000 ft.

Connect with the author online!

www.benjamin-m-weilert.com

2nd Edition

Copyright © 2012, 2017 Benjamin M. Weilert

All rights reserved.

ISBN-13: 978-1301747337

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com (links located above) and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

PRAISE FOR SECOND TO NONE

Benjamin knows how to weave a tale. He has brought science to life and slips it in keeping others unaware of what he is really doing. Fantastic book and awesome series!

Cindy H.

Another installment of scientists in a fantasy setting. Seriously, the fun part of this series is to run across a name, try to figure out the real-world reference, then check with the appendix.

Seriously. YOU NEED THE APPENDIX.

Lena J.

What I like about the second book is that there are many more characters to follow along their various paths…It does go along with the main point of the trilogy, which is the banding together of these characters.

This is a series where a reader can find several characters to root for. There are different cultural backgrounds, different ways of living and different personality styles that are helpful for character development. This also brings a lot to the story, as some locations in the book are destroyed and it gives the situation a more authentic sense of loss and sadness. There are also some funny points in the book, mostly when the characters are bantering with one another.

This series reminds me a lot of the ancient Roman and Greek mythological stories, in which the various gods and goddesses tend to get into a little mischief here. The difference is that these characters are not impervious to their situations, and they do learn some hard lessons as they go along. As it was with the first book, the second uses actual science to put a more realistic spin on the science fiction, which makes it bloom more naturally as things go along.

Kristine P.

DEDICATION

To those who make the ordinary extraordinary

CONTENTS

Prologue: The Beginning

Chapter 1: Gathering Assembly

Chapter 2: Family Blood

Chapter 3: Forest Fluent

Chapter 4: Imaginary Number

Chapter 5: Extinguished Soul

Chapter 6: Recruiting Switch

Chapter 7: Training’s Reward

Chapter 8: War

Epilogue: Millennial Erasure

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Prologue: The Beginning

Where to begin? Where to begin? Isaac sipped his tea as he sat, contemplating where to start his story. For a man with white hair, Isaac certainly didn’t look old. His rugged features and well-worn clothes told only part of the story he was mulling over in his head.

Sitting across from Isaac was Irene, an ordinary-looking young woman who had tied her red hair neatly in a bun on the back of her head. She wore an ordinary, light blue sundress protected by a plain white apron smudged with flour and sugar. Next to her was her balding, bearded, and portly father, Pierre, who wore the sturdy and drab clothes of an experienced dock worker.

Setting down the teacup and saucer on the coffee table, Isaac continued, I suppose the best place to start would be the beginning.

You might as well, considering how little we know about you. Irene spoke with a tinge of frustration in her voice. After all, Isaac was the one who decided to sail across the channel alone, single-handedly crashing his boat into her father’s pier. Furthermore, after he left the scene of the accident, he picked a fight with the local mayor and disappeared for almost six months. When he arrived back on their doorstep, both Irene and Pierre were astonished to find the white-haired man back in their house.

Sighing and giving a slight chuckle, Isaac understood Irene’s annoyance. That’s true. The old me was a loner. I’ve changed since then, and I would like to give you a proper explanation. However, the beginning of my story goes back much further than when I arrived in New Town. It all began— a knock on the door interrupted Isaac’s introduction.

Pierre arose to answer the door, and Irene took this chance to interject before Isaac progressed too far into his story. "From what I already know about you, I have to ask: how much of an adventure did you really have? Day after day, I kept reading the papers, and some strange stuff was happening out in the world. I just want to know how much of it you caused."

Do you have anything in mind?

She leaned forward in her seat. What about that alleged plot to kill the heir of the 5th Kingdom?

Yes, I was there, but—

And the eruption of Sievuvus? Her speech was becoming more rapid.

I was nearby, but my story—

The destruction of the Eagle’s Nest? She was practically shouting in Isaac’s face.

Yes! But this story goes back further—

Pierre re-entered the room with a man carrying a long, wrapped package. He gave his daughter a confused look as she demurely sat back down and brushed an errant strand of red hair back behind her ear.

Oblivious to the situation, the guest took a few steps into the room and unwrapped the package, revealing two swords. One was a katana with a black hilt and a beautifully lacquered sheath depicting an apple tree. A notch in the sheath exposed a dark black orb which absorbed the light landing on it.

The other sword was a broadsword in a half-sheath running the length of the blade. The sheath held the sword’s tip but was open on the right side. This unique sheath was due to the sword’s excessive length, making it difficult to wield from a full scabbard. As was the case with the katana, the sheath accommodated the unique properties of the broadsword. It was a stark white piece, beautifully decorated and accented with seven colorful straps to hold the sword in place, each one a different color of the spectrum.

Isaac stood and walked across the room to receive the swords. He was eager to get his weapons back. He felt naked without the pieces of steel that saw him through some tough battles.

The guest who brought the swords handed them to Isaac. I just touched up the paint on the katana sheath for you since it only had a little damage on the lacquer. I’m not sure what could have caused the discoloration, but I have seen no damage like it before. Removing the katana known as Kuroni from its scabbard, Isaac examined the jet-black blade as the man continued, We resharpened the blade and gave the hilt a new binding as well. You used that sword a lot, so just try to be more careful in the future. As for your other sword, the unusual size of this blade was a bit of an issue, but I think what we came up with will work pretty well. The seven leather straps help keep it in the scabbard, but easily detach when you need the sword.

Isaac pulled out Hikari Shichidai, each colorful strap of the scabbard yielding to the weapon’s movement. Holding the tip of the sword up to the light, it suddenly filled the room with rainbows. The colors came from the triangular diamond core embedded in the blade’s tip, surrounded by a twisted and knotted design of a single snake biting its tail.

The guest shielded his eyes from the glint as he said, Strangely enough, we didn’t need to sharpen that one, as it was plenty sharp already. Sharper than anything I’d ever seen.

Putting both swords back in their respective scabbards, Isaac set them in the corner of the room behind a chair that held his trademark white coat and headband. The headband bore the seal of the Brotherhood of the Scarlet Lion—a red lion with its mouth open in mid-roar. Thanking the man and paying the fee for his swords, Isaac sat back down and picked up the teacup and saucer he had set down on the coffee table.

After showing their guest out, Pierre re-entered the room and sat down next to his daughter.

Taking another sip of tea, Isaac got back on track. "As I was saying, it would be best if I started my story at the beginning, by which I mean the very beginning. Sip. I’m sure you’re both aware of the legend of The Triumvirate, right? It was around that time when fluxions first appeared."

Fluxions? What are those? Irene once again leaned forward with anticipation.

Pointing at his forehead, Isaac brought their attention to the black disk embedded there, surrounded by a tattoo of two snake heads trying to eat the disk. "I know you’re already familiar with this design on my forehead. This is a fluxion. There are many fluxions, each with unique powers. And yet, their use was the most prevalent during the time of The Triumvirate. Around the same time, Amedeo was gathering his army, and research was being done to create the Fluents."

Standing up and walking over to the corner of the room, Isaac picked up his broadsword and once again pulled it out of its sheath. Laying it on the table in front of them, he continued, One of the Fluents created was the Fluent of Light. This uroboros design, coupled with the diamond core, created a power that could cut anything apart, even light itself. The history of this pattern spans back before the Millennial Erasure when fluxions and Fluents vanished into obscurity, and the stories of their power became known to us as mere myths and legends.

Staring into the brilliant diamond core of Hikari Shichidai, Isaac became nostalgic. But the truth, in this case, is almost stranger than fiction.

Chapter 1: Gathering Assembly

"Now, are you sure you want me to do this? I mean, even overlooking the fact I am highly skilled with a sword, you are crazy to allow me to attack you while being completely unarmed." A tall, lean man, clad in black leather gear and holding a rapier in his left hand, stood in a clearing made in the midst of a crowded laboratory. His black hair was parted down the middle of his head, and a neatly trimmed mustache adorned his upper lip.

Yes, Nikola. And I don’t want you to hold back. I won’t be able to test the exact capabilities of this power unless you have enough resolution to kill me. Standing opposite the first man was another, slightly more athletic man who sported a pair of rectangular glasses. He wore no protective gear other than a simple vest. The only thing out of the ordinary about him was a chain around his neck from which dangled an orb. The orb swam with electric tendrils, each of which looked like it was trying to escape its glass container. Pulling his long, dark brown hair back and tying it in a ponytail, the man took a ready stance for Nikola’s attacks.

The third man in the room was older than the other two—both in their early 30s. His brown hair was wild, but his dark, thick eyebrows were furrowed with concern. He sat in a worn chair at the edge of the cleared circle. Ben, I’d have to agree with Nikola here. While we know you can use the Skybolt orb, we’re still unsure of its limitations, let alone your limitations.

"Thomas, that’s precisely why we need to test it, and there’s no better way to accomplish a realistic test than a proper battle. Turning to his opponent, Benjamin goaded Nikola on, Unless you’re scared you might ruin your reputation if I survive your ‘highly skilled sword.’ Or are your boasts empty, Nik?"

Straightening up into a fighting stance, Nikola shook his head as he glared across the clearing. Don’t go making excuses when I end up killing you.

Benjamin stood at the ready and motioned with his hand for Nikola to start.

Within three steps, Nikola was upon Benjamin. His thrusts were quick, but lacked the intent to kill.

At first, Benjamin kept his feet in the same place, merely moving his torso to dodge the attacks, but soon the frenzy of battle had reached full swing, and he had to take a few steps back.

As his thrusts kept missing their mark, Nikola became frustrated and started aiming for vital points on Benjamin’s body.

Benjamin reacted to each swing of Nikola’s rapier as if they were in a deadly ballet. The sword came closer and closer to contacting Benjamin with each subsequent swing. The orb around his neck began to glow, and the electricity grew more excited. Benjamin’s dodges became more fluid, and a greater gap was created between the two fighters.

With a scoff, Benjamin taunted his opponent. I’ve just now started using the orb, and you couldn’t cut me down before then?

With more fuel on the fire of his ego, Nikola smirked. "Then maybe I should really get serious, now that you’ve actually decided to try." The speed of both combatants quickly increased, and soon their movements were mere blurs.

For a fraction of a moment, the electric orb flickered.

Nikola, fully immersed in the battle, saw his opportunity as he brought his rapier upward in a slash aimed to hit Benjamin squarely across his torso.

As the Skybolt orb regained its power, Benjamin took a half step backward. However, a whole step was what he truly needed to dodge the attack. The rapier missed his body but continued upward and sliced Benjamin’s face. While the entire action took less than a second, the result was soon clear: Benjamin had lost. A spurt of blood erupted from Benjamin’s face as he fell backward onto the ground.

Nikola stood over Benjamin, the tip of his sword pointed at his defeated opponent. What did I tell you? You can’t win against me unarmed.

Nikola, seriously! Thomas rose from his chair and rushed over to Benjamin’s side. From his pocket, Thomas pulled out a cloth, ready to help stop the bleeding on the face of his friend. You’ve won. Now please help me tend to his injury—you probably put his eye out.

Benjamin’s glasses lay on the floor; a clean cut through the right lens showed that even glass couldn’t withstand the quick, finishing blow. Benjamin laughed with the cloth firmly held against the right side of his head. I didn’t think it would work, but I guess I proved myself wrong.

Nikola and Thomas looked at each other with confusion. Speaking up, Thomas asked, "What do you mean? You intended to get injured?"

No, not quite. Pulling aside the cloth on his face revealed his wound was a mere surface scratch. It was deep enough to leave an eventual scar, but the bleeding had already stopped. Starting at the right side of his chin, his cheek was sliced open in a line aimed toward his eye; and yet, just before the wound would have hit his eye, the direction changed. The line of the injury now headed toward his right ear just long enough to avoid hitting the eye. The wound continued up to his temple and into the hairline. Taken as a whole, the wound Benjamin wore on the right side of his face resembled the zigzagging pattern of a bolt of lightning.

This development surprised Nikola. "I don’t understand. I was sure I had a clean hit. How did the line of your wound change direction?"

It’s simple, really. In fact, it’s the same reason I could dodge your attacks for so long. I was using the power in the Skybolt orb to enhance my own nervous system. My body moved and adapted to its surroundings much quicker with the electrical stimulus it received from the lightning core. When your sword contacted my face, the defensive nature of my nervous system caused me to turn my head so you would avoid hitting my eye. Even though your slash was swift, my reaction speed had increased, so I managed to save my eye from injury.

Still kneeling beside Benjamin, Thomas was intrigued. Astounding, just astounding. I’m amazed at how quickly you’ve been able to adapt to the powers of that orb. You’ve truly been a great help in furthering the advancement of society.

Turning around on his heels, Nikola scoffed, "Tsk! Your idea of advancing society is so uninteresting. It’s all about making our lives more comfortable. This power can do much more than that."

Standing up and heading over to Nikola, Thomas tried to talk some sense into the younger man. Now, Nikola, I may only be ten years older than you are, but I created this castle on the outskirts of Menlo as a bastion of new and practical ideas to help us get more out of life. I’m sorry if your notions are a little too extravagant, but I still depend on your insights and inputs.

You know, for someone who the commoners are calling a wizard, you certainly have no sense of magic. I would much rather take this power and use it to become a magician, astounding those lesser than myself with illusions of grandeur.

This is no power to be trifled with, Nikola! Thomas was getting riled up by his subordinate’s insolence. While it may have great potential to do good, the destructive power of the Skybolt orb is far too immense to treat its opportunity so glibly. I am thankful Benjamin has volunteered to help us understand its power and limitations, considering the many years and valuable people it has destroyed. I don’t know how he controls it, but I’d rather not take any risks on the off chance—

Hey guys, we have a visitor. Benjamin motioned over to the maze of equipment and the butler finding his way toward the clearing in the middle of the room.

Taking a deep breath, Thomas made his way to the perimeter of the clearing and pushed tables and benches aside to help clear the way.

Sulking at the lecture he had just received, Nikola headed to the nearest window.

Finally arriving on the other side of the equipment, the butler delivered a newspaper and a note to Thomas. Excusing the butler, he opened the letter, breaking the wax seal with his finger. Glancing at its contents, Thomas noted its author wrote in an assertive and feminine script.

Thomas,

I have heard rumors of the remarkable work you are doing with electricity and would like to discuss some potential projects with you at your convenience. I will be in Menlo in a few days, and I hope you can accommodate my meeting request.

Sincerely,

Mary

Closing the note and sliding it into his back pocket, Thomas looked up to see Benjamin immersed in the paper he had slipped out from under Thomas’ arm. We really should get that wound looked at, you know.

Nodding, Benjamin silently kept reading.

Thomas looked around the room for Nikola but found he had already left. Gently grabbing Benjamin by the elbow, he said, Let’s go.

On their way to the infirmary, Thomas and Benjamin headed through the library where most of the staff of Menlo Castle did their research. As the two men passed by, a few of the staffers looked up from the books they were reading, but most kept to their work.

Thomas cleared his throat and began an apology. I’m sorry you had to see me like that back there. I just get frustrated with Nikola from time to time. The young sometimes have no perspective. Even though I only have ten years on you, I’ve seen enough tragedy for a lifetime.

Benjamin still had his nose in the paper.

Pulling down the paper from Benjamin’s face, Thomas stopped walking and looked him straight in the eye. I saw what happened back there, Ben. The Skybolt orb gave out for a moment, and that’s why you were injured. You need to be more careful with this power; I’ve seen you take far too many risks with it.

Smiling at Thomas’ sincerity, Benjamin gave him a reassuring slap on the back. Don’t worry about me, Tom. I have things under control.

Loosening up, Thomas chuckled, OK, I guess I can give you the benefit of the doubt. Pointing a warning finger at Benjamin, he added, But just this one time, do you hear me?

Winking back, Benjamin winced as he replied, Sure thing.

At the infirmary, the nurse cleaned out the wound on Benjamin’s face as Thomas talked. Even though you don’t need any stitches, I still want to wait a few days before we start on the next few experiments.

A hesitant look came across Benjamin’s face as he interjected, Well

Well, what?

I don’t know if I’m going to stick around here anymore.

Is this about Nikola? He’s just stubborn; I know he’ll come around.

No, this is something else. Producing the paper, Benjamin folded it over to show the article he was reading.

The headline read: Mysterious mountain Mystic makes mirrors. Continuing with the text, it revealed that—as people explored the mountains to the east—rumors emerged of a woman who sat on the surface of lakes, causing them to have no waves. The result was often a lake that acted as a perfect mirror, reflecting the sky above and the image of a woman sitting cross-legged in the middle of the lake.

Thomas scoffed at the article. That’s just journalistic hype. They’ll publish anything just to get a few extra readers.

No, it’s true. I’m sure of it.

How are you sure?

Do you remember the article with the headline, ‘Lightning lance leaves lucky librarian living’?

I do, but what—

That was me.

What do you mean? The nurse finished her procedure and busied herself in another part of the infirmary.

"Well, before I arrived at Menlo Castle, I used to be a librarian. In fact, my former wife is still a librarian. We both worked at the Library of Delaxanair when it went through a terrible thunderstorm. We were both on the roof trying to repair the serious leaks that had developed because