War of Drekis:Chapter 12:Fallen Angels----- Robert squirmed in pain as the light pierced into him. His back hand struck the edge of something, a table perhaps but he still could not see. The pain brought all of his sensations back, and as that pain slowly disappeared he began to feel the cold sheets beneath his body and the stiff edges at his sides. He was on a bed, or at least he thought; his vision was still in the process of accepting the brightness of the world. ----- He had thought that he had been awake for some time now, existing in darkness, and now someone had brought him out of it with that sudden illumination, but his newly adjusted eyes told him otherwise. He had been asleep…completely unconscious, and the light had always been there; he had just never opened his eyes. ----- Robert at first found it necessary to grasp his situation, for his last memory was of Telissa aboard the RavenStorm, and of their ship burning in the Khazan atmosphere and plummeting. Dead, he thought. I should be dead. ----- But his location was rather discernible, despite the fact that he had never been on Khazan in his life. A hospital room, one that looked just like any other hospital he had ever seen, though certainly a rich establishment. His eyes circled from the expensive tile floor to the cherry wood doors with a golden plated trim. Robert looked down at himself and moved both of his hands, checking to see that he was still in one piece. Whatever had happened to him in the crash, it was obvious that it was not beyond repair; he felt absolutely fine. In fact, he felt better, as if he was six years younger. ----- The concept of time suddenly dawned on him: how long had he been unconscious? How much time had he lost? And more importantly, what had happened to Telissa? There was another bed in the room, but he could clearly see that not only was it empty but it had not been occupied in some time. Robert wasn’t the kind of person to assume the worst, so he held onto the thought that she had survived the crash with fewer injuries than he had received. After all, he could still remember her last words before the crash; that she wouldn’t let herself die there after having come so far. ----- He threw the sheets away from his body and quickly jumped to his feet. He was just as athletic as ever; no sign of having ever been injured at all. He had heard stories of the marvelous technology and magic on Khazan, but he had no idea that their medical technology was so advanced. The GDF could certainly benefit from whatever they knew here. ----- Although the room was a complete mystery to him he somehow located his old clothes in a small closet and quickly changed out of the patient uniform. He found a calendar as well, placed conveniently above the sink as he washed his face. The current month was displayed, but the days were unmarked, leaving him just as clueless as before. With a quick motion he rubbed underneath his chin and stared at his unshaven face in the mirror. He almost laughed at the sight of himself; he had never seen his beard grow out so much. Several days had definitely passed, maybe even a week. A little longer and he might have been able to pass for the homeless people on his homeworld. Shaving was the least of his concerns right now, so with little care he put a wet hand through his hair and made a few strokes with his fingers to make himself look a little more presentable. ----- He was just about to open the door and search for the nearest nurse when he noticed a small television mounted up against the wall, just below the ceiling. How he had missed such an obvious detail he did not know, but nevertheless it presented him with a new option of finding out what had happened since the crash. ----- Not willing to look for the remote, Robert impatiently reached up and turned the television on manually. It was an older model of television apparently, as the screen flickered and fizzled slightly before the picture came in clearly. The bright red letters KNN appeared on the screen with the subtitle ‘Important News Report’ flashing beneath it. It didn’t take a genius to decipher the acronym as the Khazan News Network, but the images that appeared on screen was that of bleak, desolate ruins and fields stained with blood. A horrific image, he thought, but one that was all too familiar. ----- Robert anxiously pressed the volume button repeatedly, though he knew what the subject of this news would be…he had seen it before on several occasions ever since he had become Telissa’s partner. ----- “The atrocities committed by the so called ‘Drekis Empire,’” the newscasters voice came on over the images, “have been some of the most terrible we have seen on Khazan in years. It rivals…perhaps, some of the greatest tragedies committed during the time of Quietus, which were some of the darkest times in recent history. What you are seeing now on the monitor is an image of the aftermath of combat in the city of Xaelis. Now, as you can see there is not a single building left standing and the ground has been scorched in the passing of the Drekis legions.’ ----- ‘Keep in mind also that these images are a few hours old…we were unable to get live feed at this time because of nearby Drekis activity and the military has stressed that our presence on the battlefield be severely limited.” ----- The image on the television changed to a different but all too similar image of yet another burned city, but the somber tone of the announcer immediately implied that a much sadder tale was to be associated with this graphic. “And here you can see, ladies and gentleman, the remains of the city of Rogue. Araelis officials were apparently expecting an offensive against their capital city, but in an unexpected act the Drekis forces apparently sent a small contingent that launched a sneak attack.’ ----- There was a long pause. ‘We have been told that no survivors have been reported. Soldiers, Mobile Police, men, women…and children, all gone. It is clear that this enemy only wishes to see Khazan destroyed, but so far the reason why has not been discerned. This enemy has been attacking suddenly, unexpectedly, and with no provocation that we can think of. I’m sorry to say this, but against such…such unprovoked hatred and violence there may be no peaceful solution to speak of.’ ----- ‘Casualties have been amounting every night, and as you see the image change on your television you can now see an overhead image taken by satellites of what has appeared in the Champion Mountains, or at least, what used to be the Champion Mountains. As you may recall, in a previous announcement there was a large explosion that decimated an area of the Champion Mountains, somewhere between three and four miles of land in diameter, the likes of which has been replaced by what is apparently a fortress. It has been suggested that this new construct is the creation of the Drekis Empire, and thus we can only assume that they were responsible for the initial explosion as well.’ ----- ‘And the last piece of news regarding the war that we will leave you with is an update on the situation in New Xaelis. According to recently released reports, New Xaelis has been confirmed as being occupied by the enemy, who has already succeeded in somehow transforming the industrialized area into something resembling the fortress that they have established in the Champion Mountains. We do have some good news, however, it would seem that the defense forces stationed at New Xaelis escaped, where they met with unexpected reinforcements from Axia and defeated the Drekis legions that had pursued them. At this time the enemy still occupies New Xaelis, but we are told that we do have Khazanian survivors that have been taken to Axia. To all the families of Khazan we pray that your friends and loved ones are among those survivors…” ----- Robert turned the television off, forgetting to check the time and date. Somehow that seemed unimportant now. He had seen more than enough to understand what was going on; the Drekis forces had grown in power just as Telissa had thought, and now he could see the evidence of their destructive actions. Would it come to this, he thought. Another War of Oblivion’s Fall? God I hope not. ----- Judging by the medical technology on this planet, it was only logical to assume that their military technology was at least as good as the GDF’s, if not more so, but from what he could see the Drekis minions would not be stopped, no matter how powerful their foes were. He remembered what Telissa had told him once: that Drekis was the key to everything. Unless Drekis is killed, his empire is undefeatable. ----- So now he knew of the dire situation that Khazan was in, but he didn’t know everything. If Telissa was still alive, then he knew that she would be out there fighting right alongside the Khazanian forces. He needed to find her, not only to confirm that she was alive but to find out what she knew of the situation. If Drekis’ empire had indeed become this powerful, then his only clear choice would be to contact the GDF and make a full report. ----- He took a deep breath and released it slowly, as if needing to summon up every ounce of courage just to exit the sanctity of the peaceful room. He reached for the knob but froze in place as it turned on its own. The door flung open, nearly striking him in the side as he fell back to avoid it. ----- A young woman entered, her attention focused only on a number of papers in a clipboard that she held out in front of her. As if in her own world she seemed to walk past him, not noticing his presence until she caught him in her peripheral vision as she passed. Without looking up she gave out a yelp and dropped her papers, then gave him a solid look and, upon realizing that a living person was what she had seen, gave out an even louder scream. ----- The noise was excruciating, and for a moment he felt as if his ears might bleed, though the young woman quickly took control of her reaction and allowed herself another look at the mystery that she had just encountered. This time she recognized him; no doubt this was his nurse, or one of them in any case. ----- “I’m sorry if I startled you,” Robert apologized. He was a little distraught by her initial reaction, though she looked quite uneasy even now after she had realized that it had been her patient that she was facing. The last thing he wanted was for her to scream again. “So, I take it this is a Khazanian hospital…my name is Robert Neil, and if you are responsible for the apparent care I’ve received here…then thank you.” ----- She was still breathing rather heavily, though at last she managed to nod and smile. She was dressed all in white, a rather glistening uniform compared to those of the doctors and assistants that he had seen before. A sewn emblem across her left breast showed the words ‘First Khazan City Hospital.’ She was even younger than he had originally thought, likely to be only a teenager, and thus probably an intern or community service employee. ----- “May I ask where I am, and what has happened to my friend?” Robert asked, he started to grow impatient as the girl just stared. ----- “Oh, my, I’m sorry,” the girl replied. “I just didn’t expect to walk in to find you standing up like this…I…well the computer monitoring your condition said that you had moved to green, so I decided to check up on you, but it never alerted me that you had regained consciousness.” ----- “How long have I been in here?” ----- The nurse shrugged innocently, “I’m not really sure, I haven’t been your caretaker the entire time, let me check the notes,” she kneeled down and collected the papers that she had dropped, then flipped through them to find the appropriate logs, “well, it seems that you’ve been here about eight days now. Today would be the ninth. Considering the wounds you suffered, I’d say you’re pretty lucky that the Khazan City Hospital was so close by.” ----- “So I’m in the actual Khazan City,” Robert said, pondering her words to himself, “Where is my friend, she might have been injured as well, or maybe she brought me here.” ----- “You were brought in by a young Miss Telissa Ravan and a young Mr. Timothy Shinestar. We have not been informed of any other related injuries, or if there have been any we don’t have them recorded at our hospital.” ----- “Telissa Ravan…that’s the one.” ----- “I’ve seen her come in to visit you from time to time sir, but I’m sorry, I don’t know where she is at this time. I believe she had some sort of urgent business, but she did come in frequently to see how you were doing.” ----- Robert nodded, finding comfort in Telissa’s apparent care and worry. She had been by his side through it all it seems, and now he had to make sure he could do the same for his partner in the coming days. ----- “Thank you,” he said and headed for the door. ----- “Wait,” the nurse said, raising an arm timidly. “I don’t think Nurse Helia gave a final diagnosis to determine if you’re ready to leave the hospital yet!” ----- “I feel fine,” he replied without turning around. “Tell everyone who helped me that they have my most sincere thanks, but I have some emergencies of my own to deal with now, so if you don’t mind I’ll be leaving now.” ----- “But sir, the bill for the hospital room and…” ----- “I’ll leave my Creditchip number with your front desk on the way out,” Robert responded. He had no time to waste now; he needed to find Telissa and the highest ranking Khazan officials on the planet. The best place to look, he believed, would be the Sentinels headquarters, where he could perhaps speak with the council members that he had heard of in the Khazan files from the Seeker research facility. He only hoped that he was not too late. Council of the Void ----- Devyn sat at his obsidian desk, one of only two things that occupied the entire chamber. The other was a large plasma monitor that hung down from the ceiling, though even that, when inactive, was nothing more than a part of the lonely darkness. ----- Here he sat alone, finding comfort in the shadows, as if he were experiencing the void itself. The room was so large and yet so empty, and the darkness so prevalent that no eye could tell where the chamber began or ended. To the naked eye it was simply space, open space. The only light came from a much smaller plasma monitor that was built into the desk, barely illuminating the center of the chamber with a pulsating hue of blue colors. ----- The screen flashed, bearing the symbol of Dollarcorp, one of the most prevailing corporations on the entire planet, though certainly not through honest means. Devyn knew the corporation well enough, for its leader belonged to the Fallen council just as he did, and Dollarcorps many inventions, though made for profit, were also some of the Fallen’s greatest tools. ----- The loading images quickly disappeared and Devyn stared at a database review of the Dollarcorp machines stationed on the Fallen Island. Rarely had their fortress ever been attacked in any large scale way; of course there had been some pitiful attempts by the heroes of Khazan to destroy their “cult,” but since the Tower stood upon a land floating in the air it was not the easiest target to assault. Nevertheless, one could never be too careful, and that was perhaps one of Dollarcorp’s mottos. Many of their deadliest war machines, legal or otherwise, had been patrolling the outskirts of the Tower for decades, programmed to attack any unidentified intruders with lethal force. From the database Devyn could see that they still had thousands of various machines operating around the island, as well as automated weapon platforms, mechanized traps, genetically engineered guard beasts, and other examples of the world’s most effective killing weapons. ----- And in the end, that was the only thing the mortal world ever conceived that was effective. Things that killed other things. Things that destroy. ----- But for all their hopeless optimism, the Khazan government and the SLJ did have impressive weapons of their own. They too were accustomed to the need for the tools of war, the likes of which had been their only means of holding back the Drekis legions. It was ironic, Devyn thought, that the effectiveness of their current weapon technology was likely due to the conflicts that the Fallen had instigated so long ago, when all of Khazan had to unite to create weapons powerful enough to fight against the children of the void. ----- It was a humorous thought, though a slightly disconcerting one as well. Khazan’s weapon tech could have only become much better in recent years, and yet it didn’t seem to be enough to hold back Drekis’ forces for very long. Of course, the Fallen had improved their offensive powers over the years as well, certainly enough to the point of possibly outclassing the Khazan military in terms of firepower. Though somehow it didn’t appear to be enough, these machines and the weapons...they could not stop Drekis from reaching the Tower. ----- So then, naturally the only response would be that the Fallen themselves would have to participate in the battle, no longer content to stay behind the obsidian walls and watch the weapons do the work. It might even require the presence of the council, though that was not a bad thing; in fact, Devyn looked forward to being outside of the tower again. Engaging in personal battle was something that he had not done in some time. ----- A new figure came into the room then with no warning or indication. There were no footsteps, no knock on the door, but the presence was unmistakable, for in a room so empty every object became obvious, down to the last detail. ----- Devyn smiled, his eyes still looking at the database. “You’re late.” ----- “I almost didn’t come at all,” the man responded. “You know I really didn’t have to, though I see you were expecting me. How peculiar…usually I’m the one who knows everything in advance.” ----- “Chronomancer,” Devyn said, finally taking his eyes off of the screen to look upon the visitor, “You have always had a rather odd relationship with the Fallen, haven’t you. I can’t say that you and I have always seen eye to eye on every issue, but you see, you are a part of the Fallen Council, just as I am, so you deserve the chance to be a part of this.” ----- The Chronomancer stepped into the blue glow of the plasma monitor, causing the darkness to peel back several layers. Much of him still remained in the dark, for he wore mostly black, well-tailored clothing that could have made him pass for one of the Khazan upper-classmen. That was something that was always true of this man: he looked professional, noble, well learned, of high esteem. He could walk in no casual event without being noticed, and atop his head sat an old fashioned top hat—black, of course, and barely visible in Devyn’s chamber. ----- “Your intentions are never so simple Soyokaze,” Chronomancer replied, “You wish to call the council together in its entirety…to discuss fighting the enemy that has appeared on Khazan. Yes, this much I have foreseen.” ----- “Then by coming here I can only assume that you are at least interested in our plans,” Devyn said coldly, “after all, you are the self-proclaimed savior of existence, as you put it so histrionically. And if that is true, than I should expect that you would play a hand in this little game, seeing as how it could affect Khazan’s future.” ----- “Do not think that you completely understand me Devyn,” he reached a hand down and lifted the rim of his hat up slightly, revealing more of his face. He stared intently at Devyn and said his words boldly, though Devyn’s expression did not change. “I came for my own reasons, of course, and I am well aware of where you are directing the Fallen Island at this moment. You think that the Drekis forces are going to attack here don’t you? Because we might pose a threat to them in the future, you think they will attack, and you want to be over Khazan City when it happens.” ----- “Zalrafel and I know that they will attack,” Devyn said with a smile, “We have seen all the evidence we need to prove that much, but why should we tire our ranks against such an enemy when we still have our enemies down below to think about? Come now Chronomancer, certainly you must see the benefits of collateral damage. A battle over Khazan City could lead to the decimation of the greatest symbol of hope to the Khazanian people.” ----- “Oh I see, and you know that they will attack you eh? Well that’s interesting, and I suppose you’ll make some sort of forced plea for help to the Khazan government. Let’s see, some sort of speech that raves on about working together to fight a common enemy, that sort of rubbish. And then once Khazan City is destroyed in the crossfire and Drekis is defeated, you think crushing our weakened friends at the SLJ headquarters will be that much easier. Ha, your plans are creative Soyokaze, you’re just lucky the heroes don’t have someone like me to see through them.” ----- “I don’t have time to bicker with you about this,” Devyn said calmly, “This plan has already been set into motion, and your opinion of it is sadly unnecessary. But your assistance, nonetheless, would be appreciated. After all, you do possess your time manipulation abilities, the likes of which allowed you see into my future plans…that could be very useful to us now.” ----- “As it has always been. You and I may not see eye to eye all the time, as you put it so bluntly, but I am of the Fallen, so you will have my support.” ----- “For your own reasons of course,” Devyn grinned, “Though I am curious, you seemed less confident in your prediction of the Drekis legion attacking us here. May I ask, why?” ----- The Chronomancer removed his hat and brushed the top of it off with a few quick strokes of his glove, “Ah, noticed that did you. Well, if you want the honest to goodness truth, the reason that I have come here…the reason that I will support your fight against the Drekis legions, is because I see no future for them.” ----- “No future?” Devyn said, caught off guard by the comment. Never had he heard of such a thing; even in destruction there was at least a definitive future. ----- “Yes, to put it quite simply, when I look into the Drekis Empire, I see nothing. I cannot see what lies in store for them, and I cannot rightly grasp the entirety of their past either. In the respect of the latter I have at least managed to garner a few images, although they are blurry ones and horribly incoherent, nothing that can tell me anything about them other than that their history is ancient. As for their future it is a blank slate, something I thought virtually impossible up until this point.’ ----- ‘It goes against my entire perception of this universe; Drekis somehow exists outside of the normal boundaries of time and fate. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has no fate, and that may be responsible for the blank slate I perceived. It was a rather uneasy feeling for me, you must understand…before the Drekis legions became active on Khazan, this planet had a future, one that I could see quite clearly, bleak as it may have been. However, now that they are here, that future has disappeared.” ----- “Khazan has no future now?” Devyn said, “How interesting, then for once you won’t know the outcome ahead of time, will you. I think that will make it all the more enjoyable.” ----- “For you perhaps, but it is a travesty to me. I must have them removed at once so that the natural balance of time is restored to this planet.” ----- “No time, and no fate you say,” Devyn whispered, closing his eyes. “Kaas called him the Avatar of Chaos. Chaos…perhaps it is true after all then.” His eyes opened, this time fixed on the larger monitor on the far side of the room. ----- “You’re contacting him?” The Chronomancer wondered. ----- “Yes,” Devyn responded as he pressed a single button. The larger screen suddenly lit up, filling the room with a new, burning hue of red. A flashing image read ‘stand by’ while a small loading bar indicated how long it would take for the connection to be made. The Dollarcorp logo appeared again, and then the all too familiar face of Marc Dollar filled the screen. The man was just as refined as Chronomancer, looking like the powerful business man that he was: dressed in suits and sitting back in a rather luxurious leather chair as if the world was in his pocket. ----- “Gentlemen, what a surprise,” Marc Dollar announced, although the tone in his voice implied that he had always expected a call from the tower, and he was all too eager to share some information. “Ah, and Chronomancer too, good…good. You’ll be happy to know that business has been better than ever. War may not be a good thing for a lot of people, but you can’t tell me it’s bad for business.” He chuckled to himself, relishing in the apparent success of his company. ----- “You’re doing well for yourself as expected,” Devyn began, “I take it you’ve been getting a lot of requests for your war machines.” ----- “War machines, weapons, you name it,” Dollar said with a laugh, “KOMBG has been pushed to the brink of their development capacities, and losses are so huge that even the Khazan military and the Mobile police and demanding backup from second and third party technology centers. Our competitors are practically dying out there while Dollarcorp is making money from just about every one. Ha, I think the SLJ may have been forced to invest in some of our products this time around.” ----- “Fascinating,” Devyn feigned, “But the time has come for you to invest your products in us.” ----- “I beg your pardon,” Dollar said. ----- “You’re the last member of the Fallen Council I needed to contact,” Devyn continued, “And I’m expecting a rather large scale attack on the Fallen Island. Your presence would be helpful when that happens; I would have you bring a large contingent of your most recent technological achievements as well.” ----- “An attack on the Tower…” he nearly choked as he laughed at the very notion, “Impossible, who would attack the Tower? The heroes and the government know better. Surely you don’t mean these new Drekis people? Not likely, they seem to be keeping our enemies rather busy right now; you should probably be thanking them.” ----- “I know that they are coming Dollar, and I believe that they have more than the means to get to the Island. The battle will probably require the members of the Fallen to participate, but seeing as how you don’t care for participating in such high level combat yourself I’m willing to accept a legion of your best killing machines in your stead.” ----- “That can be arranged easily,” Dollar said confidently, “I can produce thousands more within the next few days and have them over to the island in no time, but why do you need me there? Don’t get me wrong I’ve always enjoyed my considerable time at the tower, but you understand that business has been growing every day since this war began, and I would like to be here to oversee it.” ----- “It’s actually for your own comfort,” Devyn remarked, “You see as we speak the Island is heading towards Khazan City. I plan on there being some considerable collateral damage, so you understand that it may be in your best interest to be within the walls of the Fallen Tower when the battle begins.” ----- Marc was silent for a minute, taking in all that had been said. “Very well then, it sounds like a rather far-fetched plan, but if the Drekis Empire has for some reason declared the Fallen to be their enemy, then they must be my enemy as well. Dollarcorp will of course assist you in their defeat. It pains me to get rid of someone that has been, quite frankly, so profitable for me in the last few weeks, but somehow, someway I always find a way to stay on top of the business.” ----- “Good, we’ll be waiting for your arrival. You should plan on getting here before we actually reach Khazan City,” Devyn suggested. ----- “I am known for my aptness and punctuality, as is all of Dollarcorp,” Dollar reminded him, “But I really don’t understand your anxiety over the issue my friend. When they attack the Island not only will I have some of the most dangerous weapons and machines you’ve ever laid eyes on scattered around the perimeter, I’ll have the entire Dollarcorp fleet positioned in orbit to destroy anything that comes within a cubic mile of the place. Dollar out.” The screen fizzled and the light that had filled the room disappeared. Darkness once again ruled. ----- “You seem to have everything in order now,” Chronomancer said, “so if you don’t mind I’ll take to my own business for time being. Don’t worry I’ll be back before Drekis arrives.” ----- Devyn turned his own screen off as the Chronomancer left the room, so that all of the light vanished from the chamber. There was total darkness now, and in those endless shadows he stared, thinking about what the time manipulator had said. No time and no fate, he thought. So then what Kaas said is true. Perhaps this Drekis fellow will be more intriguing that I first thought. But Chaos, in the end, cannot coincide with the Void. There can only be the Void, nothing else. Anything else must be destroyed. ----- In the halls of the Fallen Tower, the Chronomancer walked silently. My purpose here in the Fallen Council, he thought to himself, was to insure that the path of the legions of the Void would be changed…altered in some way to avoid that hellish future where there is nothing. Everything was going according to plan; everything was going to lead to a new, clear future. But now this Drekis has come, and with him Khazan’s future has been distorted. I cannot allow them to destroy everything that I have worked so hard to accomplish! Conflicted Allies ----- “Vizeman! You pathetic recluse! What are you doing in here!?” Tundra yelled. There was silence for a moment, then a short grimace in the darkness and then silence once more. ----- Cone-shaped lights blinked rapidly and then illuminated in tandem with the sudden flurry of flashing computer beacons and piercing sounds. Tundra covered his eyes, having spent far too much time in the dimly lit hall of the Fallen Tower to be used to such a display. The chamber was, in every way imaginable, far different from the other rooms of the tower. Though the obsidian room was still a brooding, shadowed place, it was also alive with the endless sounds of computers processing and lights flickering ever so tediously. ----- Tundra could barely walk through the lab, stumbling upon twisted cables and pieces of defective machinery laying loosely about the floor. ----- “Vizeman!” Tundra shouted once more, angrily kicking the machinery aside. He had considered ripping apart the cables as well, but restrained himself in the middle of the act. A deep breath, then another, and he was calm again save for the ever present aggression he felt towards the Fallen professor at the moment. ----- The lights had allowed him to catch a glimpse of one figure, though it was clearly too large and muscular a man to be the dwarfish professor. The man came forward, not afraid to make his identity known. ----- Resho stood like a statue, his arms folded and his glasses so dark that they distorted any vision of his eyes. He appeared emotionless, a perfect pokers face and yet he did indeed convey one message; that message that he gave simply by standing there: that he was an unmovable object. ----- The straight line of his mouth turned down at the corners, and for a brief moment he flared his teeth with a scowl and a huff of disapproval. It was rarity to see Resho show even this much liveliness, at least in Tundra’s presence. ----- “Where is your creator Resho!” Tundra demanded. “I don’t have time to waste on his pets and freaks of nature!” ----- Resho said nothing, and not a hair across his body swayed an inch. ----- “So, you think my entry to be a little forceful?” Tundra asked with a haughty smile, “or perhaps unnecessary…inappropriate…dare say it might have been disrespectful.” ----- “I don’t care where you go and what you do Tundra,” Resho bellowed, the sound of his voice was deep with a coarse rasp; he sounded menacing and bold, yet at the same time calm and collected, “But when it comes to the professor’s things, you had better watch yourself.” ----- “If he doesn’t want his things to get broken, he can start by not keeping them near his damn door,” Tundra countered, “Or better still, he could answer me when I call him in the first place so I don’t have to come crashing down here personally!” ----- Resho flashed a scowl again, this time showing more teeth. His arms remained crossed but his muscles bulged, seemingly growing larger as if he were somehow flexing without movement. ----- “Quiet down Resho,” the professor’s tired old voice sounded. “Tundra may not be the most welcome guest in my facility, but he is of the Fallen, and we can’t have battle amongst ourselves now can we.” ----- Resho was suddenly at ease, standing still and staring at Tundra with a blank face. ----- Professor Vizeman came into view from around the corner of one of his oversized computer machines. The man was a like a rat feebly crawling out of his hiding place, searching for food. ----- “So, you’re here after all,” Tundra said, “I was beginning to think that you had finally killed over.” ----- “You wouldn’t be so lucky,” Vizeman laughed, “I may not have my youth, but don’t let these gray hairs fool you, I am no where near death, not while I have my serums.” ----- “Then has your hearing gone to hell old man?” Tundra asked, “I called for you over an hour ago! The Council had met earlier and demanded our attention. You are fortunate that Devyn saw fit to excuse you, but I will not be so lenient.” ----- Vizeman grinned, completely unafraid, “Idle threats are not your specialty my friend. You have no power here, and at least the council understands the importance of my research. You see I did indeed hear your timid little voice calling for me, but I saw fit to ignore it because I was monitoring something special going on outside.” ----- “You little worm!” Tundra shouted. He was beginning to reach his limit with the little man’s disrespect, but the council tended to look down upon combat between Fallen members. ----- Such conflicts could be common, however, and the council could do nothing about that, or perhaps they simply chose not to. The Fallen, in its entirety, was composed of what the common Khazan citizens thought of as the worst criminals on the planet; a wasteland of backstabbers, overlords, and men who’s ambition knew no bounds. It was a league composed of people who came together only to benefit themselves individually, so of course it was to be expected that they would fight amongst themselves; Tundra himself had quarreled several times with less fortunate Fallen members. ----- Vizeman was an experienced one though. For years he had dwelled in this laboratory of his, stationed almost always away from the outside world and any contact whatsoever. Only his creations walked his chamber, and he only came out to speak with the other Fallen when it served his purposes. ----- Every Fallen wanted to have that kind of freedom, but for some reason the Council bestowed that honor on only a few, Vizeman included. It sickened Tundra to see the man so comfortable in his laboratory, locked away from any responsibility concerning the tower. ----- “I have at least been briefed on the situation via my link with DollarCorp’s computers,” Vizeman said, stretching out the white hairs of his beard in an amused manner, “If you’ve come to lecture me about the upcoming battles, then I’m afraid you’ve wasted both of our time.” ----- “Oh really, and just what did you find out there that was so important?” Tundra demanded. ----- “Nothing much,” Vizeman shrugged, “But it was quite an entertaining show I must admit. The Drekis legions had cornered the last of the defense forces in the Frozen Wastes. It was quite the battle wasn’t it Resho.” ----- “A magnificent battle Professor, I will not so soon forget the brilliance portrayed by both sides in the combat,” Resho said quietly. ----- Vizeman smiled brightly, and then looked back at Tundra, “Resho here loves battles. If there’s anything he likes more than watching an excellent battle, I assure you it would be to participate in an excellent battle.” ----- “So I take it the Khazan military was crushed?” Tundra asked. ----- “No, no, unfortunately no,” Vizeman responded, “Oh but it looked that way. Nearly gave me a heart attack waiting for the very end, but before the final blow could be struck they received some unforeseen help from Axia.” ----- “Axia!?” ----- “Yes, the State-Kingdom in the center of the main continent,” Vizeman lectured, “They have mobilized quite a force. I was impressed that a State-Kingdom’s army separate from the government could be so impressive…” ----- “I need no lessons on Axia old man,” Tundra reminded him, “I just didn’t expect them to make their move so soon. It makes no difference to us in the end, Drekis will come here no matter how many battles they win or lose on the surface.” ----- “Perhaps,” Vizeman said, “But observing the battle taught me much about the Drekis creatures, as well as about the Khazan military. Information, you must understand, is power…glorious power.” ----- “Fine, you keep yourself shackled away if you want to, but when the time comes I expect you to crawl out of this little dive!” Tundra yelled, placing a cold finger against the professor’s forehead. ----- Tundra felt a powerful hand clench his shoulder tightly; fingers pressing deeply into his skin and grasping his bones. Resho was there behind him, his face still clear of any feelings, though his intent was clear. ----- “I will show you out,” Resho said with authority. ----- “Get your hands off me you brute,” Tundra said, shaking him off. He circled his arm to work off the pressure that his fingers had forced into his shoulder. “I know the way out!” ----- The icy Fallen headed straight for the door, but the colossal man followed him nonetheless. Resho was like a ghost to Tundra, an imposing figure that was hard to decipher, and he haunted that laboratory like a tenacious pest. Even as he walked out of the door, kicking aside the machinery that he had torn down on his way in, Resho was still there, not far behind him, his mighty footsteps causing the obsidian floors to wail. ----- A young man waited in the hall outside of Vizeman’s lab, his hair stark white. It was not the color of age, but of snow, like ice crystals shining atop his head; it made an otherwise human man seem otherworldly. He smiled viciously when Tundra emerged from the lab but stood his ground, his shoulders against the walls as he relaxed. ----- “So Tundra,” the man began as the icy Fallen reached him, “I take it Professor Vizeman sees things a little differently now?” He held his hand up and extended his index finger, allowing a flow of sparks to emerge from the tip of his nail. A flame formed from the sparks, the unearthly color of violet that matched his eyes. With a humorous gesture he held the flame in front of his face, as if admiring its beauty for its resemblance to his own features. ----- His other hand emerged, bearing a cigarette, and with a quick stroke his arms passed by one another and the cigarette was brightly lit. ----- Resho walked up to the man and looked down at him disapprovingly. It was clear that he did not favor his presence anymore than he did Tundra’s. ----- “Vizeman can stay in that lab all he wants,” Tundra said, “but he knows that the council won’t let him continue his research in there forever. Eventually he will have to make a contribution, and I will see to it that when Drekis comes that he is prepared to have his creations join our cause. Isn’t that right Resho” ----- “Your fears are unfounded,” Resho boomed. “My master knows that I love nothing more than a battle, and after staring at your ugly face for so long today I’m already ready for the blood fest!” ----- “Heh, so the dog has some life of his own after all,” Tundra said, glaring at Resho from over his shoulder. ----- The young man took in a cloud of smoke, nearly burning away half of his cigarette, then casually spat the cloud into Resho’s face. “It’s rather unfair if you ask me. Vizeman shouldn’t be allowed to do that. I thought you were going to teach him a lesson Tundra. I had high hopes for you this time…” ----- “I don’t need you to start with me too Kryler Daisheki! The council made it clear that he was excused this time! I will not risk the council’s wrath by starting another internal war among our kind.” ----- “Our kind?” Kryler said disbelievingly, “you must be joking. To think that a brute like this could share the same species with me,” he pressed the burning side of the cigarette into Resho’s black leather jacket with a contemptuous look. ----- “You need a lesson in manners Daisheki!” Resho said, unmoved by the young man’s actions thus far. ----- “You think you’re so tough Resho,” Kryler’s eyes widened and his pupils seemed to shake involuntarily. He threw out a wicked grin, a grin that destroyed any appearance of sanity within the young man, “I would be happy to test the limits of the old man’s creations, but I don’t want to waste time with the dogs! If Tundra won’t do anything about it, I certainly will!” ----- “Daisheki, you fool,” Tundra said as he walked away, “Pick a fight with a Sentinel some where, I told you the council…” ----- “To hell with the council!” Daisheki shouted; his eyes still focused on Resho. “What do they know anyways!? I’m tired of the privileges they give that damned doctor. The little weakling, he doesn’t have the strength of a normal man and yet they say he is an important part of the Fallen! Bullshit I say! When has he ever done anything for the Fallen!? At least Dollarcorp has supplied us with weaponry, with machines that do more than light up his stupid laboratory!” ----- “The professor doesn’t have to be stronger than you Daisheki,” Resho replied, “He has offered the Fallen myself, and I’m stronger than you will ever be.” ----- Daisheki bit down on himself, grinding his teeth together as blood poured down his chin. “Stronger than me you say…oh, now that’s a challenge that I would relish accepting…” ----- “Don’t throw your life away so easily!” A raspy voiced called. ----- A shadowy figure dropped from the ceiling and took its place next to Resho. The man was as tall as Resho, though seemed lanky and thin by comparison. His body was a sickly shade of brown and green, with thick, crested spines protruding from every inch of his body that stretched out in different directions. There was a vague pattern to the arrangement of the spines, most noticeably the two columns of spikes that adorned his chest and stomach, extending to the left and right respectively and curved towards the ceiling. His head was covered in what appeared to be tightly wrapped thorn-weeds that formed a helmet of sorts. An open space allowed his eyes to view the outside world, but unlike most of Vizeman’s creations his eyes did not light up with such fury or intensity; rather, it was impossible to tell if he even had a head behind those spiny constructs. -----“Sycher! And I suppose you were listening the entire time,” Daisheki said, his grin widening as if his appearance excited him more. ----- “Resho would crush you in an instant, so don’t think that a natural such as yourself can best any of the professor’s creations. You shall see, very soon when the battles commence, just how dangerous we are. And when that happens, you will no longer question the professor’s contribution to your clan.” ----- “Bah, you’re all alike,” Daisheki replied, “Self-righteous mutants, you’re nothing more that freaks, and if you want I’ll show you just how natural I really am!” A gust of force pulsed from his body and the floor shook. Even the obsidian began to tremble as he opened his mouth and let out a scream. ----- Tundra covered his ears and fell to his knees. The sound was excruciating; unbearable! And yet Resho and Sycher stood there, emotionless. Tundra picked himself off of the ground and hurried away from the scene. He knew what kind of man Kryler was: unstable, insane, and emotional. Every waking moment he was a time bomb waiting to go off; a shell of unchecked rage. There would be no stopping him now…he would fight against any odds, and in each case bring with him a determination and air of superiority, as if he deserved to conquer anything in his path. ----- Kryler thought of himself as king of men, but Tundra could see through his act. He could not stand up to Resho or Sycher for long, as powerful as he was. However, the ensuing chaos would likely cause enough collateral damage to alert every Fallen in the tower including the council, and he did not want to be around when that happened. ----- Daisheki’s hair began to wave violently and his eyes filled with a purple light. “Stand aside cretins! I’ll deal with you later; I have a bone to pick with your pathetic master.” ----- “The professor doesn’t want an audience with such a barbarian,” Sycher commented, “You should back down now, or Resho and I will put you in your place!” ----- Kryler smiled, “That’s all I needed to hear.” In an instant he drew his sword; the masamune gleamed with a ghostly aura that spun around the blade. The aura’s energy took on various shapes of screaming phantoms and severed heads with dying cries. “Now, I wonder if abominations such as you even get to go to Hell! Well, I’m ever so interested in finding out!!! ----- The Masamune was raised and brought down in one continuous motion, its wielder laughing wildly as he threw the blade forward. Resho and Sycher moved synchronously, raising their arms and attacking the oncoming blade without fear. ----- “Die, Die! Die!! Die!!!” Kryler yelled. His eyes grew wider still, but his pupils shrank as a dark, gloved hand grasped his blade. Kryler’s strength diminished as this one arm pushed the blade back. The phantoms surrounding the masamune gasped and immediately dispersed. ----- Sycher and Resho, too, appeared shocked; the two were perfectly still, frozen in a moment of aggression and unable to press forward. The two creations were the first to calm down, and as they relaxed their muscles were again free. ----- Kryler wanted to shout out against the man who had dared to grab his blade; in fact, he was prepared to wrestle free and slice the insolent wretch’s head off, but he was too surprised to act once he saw the man’s face. ----- “Adonis!” Kryler muttered. “I…was not aware that you were in this area.” ----- Adonis glared at Daisheki with his narrow eyes, saying everything he needed to say with a cold stare and nothing more. He was half the size of Resho and Sycher, but had all of their imposing nature. A man without fear…that is what they called Dreiden Adonis, and for as long as he had been with the Fallen that title had seemed to fit. He was a man of respect even among the conflicted members of the Fallen, for though he was not of the council he was representative of what the Fallen truly stood for: he was cunning, manipulative, cruel, uncaring, and his wrath was known well to any who had ever heard his name. Dreiden was a stranger without a past…the stranger they sometimes called him, yet another title that he had been given. He could somehow speak without speaking, nor did he rely on telepathy or body language; it was a peculiar thing that he could somehow say everything with a quiet pose. ----- In truth he demanded little of his fellow Fallen. He followed the will of the council without argument, carried out his assignment with a ruthless efficiency, and for the most part stalked the halls of the tower without making a sound. But when he demanded something, respect was something that he was automatically given, and when he actually spoke, there were only a handful of Fallen outside of the council who did not fear him. ----- “What have I told you about fighting with the other Fallen Daisheki?” Dreiden said calmly. ----- Kryler stepped back and eased his grip on the sword. “I…I know, I have not forgotten, but they were the ones who were adversarial to me! Certainly you know of the professor…” ----- Dreiden gave him another look and then threw down the Masamune that he had grabbed. Before Kryler could say another word his backhand caught his jaw and sent the young man to the floor. ----- “The Council forbids internal conflicts among the Fallen during such times. You should be preparing for a fight against Drekis over Khazan City, not waging your petty quarrels across the tower. If you don’t wish to follow the will of the council, then I suggest you take your leave of this clan.” ----- “I am sorry, I meant no disrespect,” Kryler mentioned to say as he coughed up blood. A red pool formed beneath his face and he looked away in disgust. He loved the sight of fresh blood, except for his own; he could not stand to see his own blood. ----- Professor Vizeman’s two creations bowed apologetically, “We are sorry for the disturbance.” ----- “Return to the lab and stay with your creator,” Dreiden said without looking at them. “He will not pick a fight with you anymore.” ----- The two men were quickly gone and the large metal door was shut with a thud that sounded down the empty hall. ----- “You need to control yourself,” Dreiden warned, “or else someone may have to do that for you.” His long dark hair had fallen over his eyes, but Daisheki could still feel him peering into his soul. ----- “I still don’t see why I should put up with them,” Daisheki said as he lifted himself off of the ground and wiped the blood from his chin. “You know that my powers are hard to control, and they feed off of my emotions! I can’t be expected to always be at ease.” ----- “Try harder,” Dreiden replied, “Your power can be controlled; you just don’t have the will to do it yet. You have the potential to be one of the most powerful weapons in the Fallen…we can’t afford to have you acting so childish. This will be a historic time, you see…in the aftermath of this battle we will be in a position to crush all of our enemies.” ----- “All of our…who’s there!” Daisheki reached for his sword and jumped to his feet. Dreiden grasped his arm as Kryler prepared to turn and thrust his blade into the mysterious newcomer, but it was too late…the swing was made, albeit somewhat impeded by Dreiden’s grasp. ----- “Kryler! You fool!” Dreiden said. ----- Kryler sheathed the masamune and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I…I’m just agitated right now, that’s all. I…I’m fine now.” ----- “You are fortunate Kryler,” Dreiden continued, “even if your blade had connected you would have done nothing.” ----- “What makes you think he missed?” the quiet voice of Alexander Shadowcast emerged from the darkness. His cape was wrapped tightly around his entire body, leaving only his face clearly visible as he walked towards them. His face had been sliced open vertically; black ooze poured from the wound while vapors escaped into the air and burned at the ceiling. The two halves of his head came together as the ooze formed into tentacles that grasped and pulled at his flesh. Before long the crevice had disappeared and not even a scar remained. “The one who is fortunate here is Kryler; had his sword not been of such mystical quality it would be ashes by now.” ----- “Shadowcast?” Kryler said, surprised that he was the man he had instinctively struck at. ----- “You rarely show such initiative Alexander,” Dreiden said coldly. ----- Shadowcast stared at him blankly. “Initiative?” ----- “You are normally content to wallow in the depths of the lower labyrinths,” Dreiden explained, “It is odd for you to grace us with your presence. What is it that you want?” ----- “I don’t need any sarcastic remarks from you,” Shadowcast said, narrowing his eyes. ----- Dreiden smiled; an equally rare occurrence. Kryler was surprised to see such a foreboding man exchange such a remark with anyone else. Dreiden was the most ruthless man he had ever known; the kind of killer who would murder newborn babes and their mothers without a second thought…the kind of man who didn’t give a damn about all the lives of the world. To see that kind of man smile was perhaps the most frightening thing imaginable, for the only things that could make such a man smile were the things that made normal Khazanians cringe in disgust. ----- But it seemed that Dreiden found Shadowcast’s opposition amusing. Few people dared to talk back to him, but Shadowcast was, for some reason or another, unafraid. Perhaps Dreiden recognized a certain fearlessness that they had in common, or perhaps Dreiden liked it when others stood up to him. Kryler contemplated these things on the surface, but did not wish to seek out the answers. Both ShadowCast and Dreiden were enigmas among the Fallen, and no one sought to unravel their mysteries. ----- “I’m sorry to offend you,” Dreiden said, “But you’re obviously not wandering. You came here looking for me, didn’t you?” ----- “Only to ask a question. I want to know where Seryko Rheomyr is.” ----- “Seryko? Why?” ----- “You know where he is…I know you meet with him after the Council meetings. Tell me where he is, now!” ----- “My, this sounds important. But whatever could such an apathetic figure such as you have to talk to Seryko about?” ----- “That is none of your concern. Tell me where he is and I shall leave you two alone to your little conversations.” ----- “Ha, you are a bold man Alexander,” Dreiden said, his smile faltering back to a cold expression, “Very well, if you must know, I shall tell you…” Betrayal ----- His hand gently moved to the window, placing three sharp claws upon the glass and screeching them across the surface, dragging with it mounds of grime and dirt. It was such an unkempt place in some areas, especially in the observation chambers where so few of the Fallen’s denizens seemed to ever tread. The Fallen were people who didn’t care for the world, and the less they saw of it the better. Seryko, however, was quite different, despite his allegiance to Drekis; he saw in the boundless skies of any world a certain beauty that he admired, perhaps even cherished. A child of the sky some called him, a man who would rather spend his hours soaring with the birds than on the ground, but in the end his admiration for the sky never went beyond just that: simple admiration. When Khazan was gone, he would miss seeing that endless horizon, but he would feel no regret. An entire section of the window was cleared of the obstructions, and at last he could see clearly…see not only the clouds but the surface below that appeared to be moving beneath him as the Fallen Island carried itself towards its destination. ----- It was obvious to Seryko that the speed of the Island had increased within the last hour—the council was certainly growing impatient, or desperate, or a little of both—but they would not make it to Khazan city before Drekis arrived, he was absolutely sure of that. ----- A new presence had entered the chamber, standing still far behind him. Seryko had sensed it enter some time ago, though it had not moved for several minutes and seemed content to leave him to his thoughts. It did not take him long to recognize the power that he felt; often he had wondered how long it would take the man to make up his mind. Fortunately, it seemed that he would not disappoint him. ----- “You have come at last,” Seryko said, still gazing out of the window, “I’ve been expecting you for some time, though I did not know what your final decision would be. I trust you have considered it carefully…the offer I made to you.” ----- The figure stepped closer, and now Seryko could see Alexander’s reflection in the glass. ----- “I have decided,” Alexander began. He paused for a moment and gazed behind him, a somewhat worried look on his face. ----- “What is it?” Seryko asked, “It isn’t like you to be afraid of anything.” ----- “I am not afraid, only concerned,” his eyes narrowed, showing a trace of anger directed at the door to the observation chamber, but he continued despite the apparent distraction, “I have made the decision to leave with you…to speak to this Drekis that you know. There is nothing here for me now…with the Fallen. Ever since Quietus was defeated, nothing here has felt right to me. If Drekis can prove himself to be even half of the greatness that Quietus was, then I will gladly join you.” ----- “An intelligent choice,” Seryko replied, “Though made for the wrong reasons. You will soon find that in serving Drekis you will be awakened to a new self consciousness, a new way of looking at yourself. Drekis will not expect you to treat him as a new Quietus; rather, he will teach you how to bring out that power within you, and transform you into something great. Don’t you see Alexander, here in the Fallen you have always been a part of something great, a mere piece revolving around the whole, but I promise you that among the legions of Chaos, a man such as yourself could be what everything else revolves around. And not only that, but you will be fighting for the winning side in this war; this conflict will soon see the destruction of this tower, and with it will go the entire clan of the void.” ----- “I understand,” Shadowcast said, “When do we leave?” ----- “Oh, not yet, not yet. It is much too soon. I still have one last task to perform before I return to him, but do not worry. We will not have to travel far to get to him, for he shall be coming here. After that last task is complete, we will flee this place.” ----- Alexander glanced over his shoulder again, a look of worry again that faded into a glare of rage at the open door behind him. ----- Seryko smiled and folded his hands behind his back. “You sense him as well. Indeed, he has been there for a while.” ----- “If he tells the council what I have just said, will it not ruin your plans?” ----- “There is no need for concern…we do not need to worry about that one,” Seryko said calmly, “he will say nothing.” Awaken ----- Tim awoke with a sharp gasp, as if he had been suffocating his entire life; reaching into the air for precious life. He tried to lunge to his feet but his body did not respond; a few twitches and a bolt of pain down his spine was all that passed over him. He was wide awake now, with no feeling of drowsiness or fatigue in his mind and yet his body lay almost motionless, as if deprived of energy. ----- At first he had assumed that he had been injured in the battle…yes the battle; that was the last thing he remembered: fighting for his life alongside Raea. Raea!! ----- Once more he tried to move his body, but he succeeded only in turning his neck to lay eyes upon the woman who sat at his bedside. She sat on an old-fashioned wooden chair, a calm expression on her face as she drank from her teacup. His eyes did not capture her image so well; in fact, she was almost like a blur in his memory, someone that he knew he recognized but couldn’t quite recall. There was a certain familiarity in her eastern clothing and long black hair, though he couldn’t quite identify the girl until she at long last placed her cup on the table and stared into his eyes. ----- “You…you are…” Tim began weakly, “are you…Veda…?” ----- The woman smiled. “Yes, I’m pleased that you remember me young swordsman.” His eyesight cleared as she spoke—now he saw her just as she was back in Zel’Mier. How he could have ever forgotten such a courageous figure he did not know. ----- “Where…am I” He tried to move again, but found that little more than his head was capable of motion. He gazed up at the ceiling and could tell that he was inside of no hospital, but what appeared to be a very expensive house. Tim still couldn’t grasp the sheer size of his surroundings, but the entire ceiling was covered in an otherworldly image; a painting covered every inch in wild but cleverly orchestrated colors and patterns. Something in the image made him pause and think, though oddly enough he was not aware of what he was thinking of, and in the end could not consciously recognize anything in the bizarre imagery that should illicit a response from him. It was unlike any painting he had ever seen; certainly anyone who could afford such a grand display for a bedroom was in high standing. ----- “You like the artwork?” Veda said, noticing how his eyes locked onto the subtle images conveyed through the painting. “I myself have found it quite relaxing. The entire house is actually quite artistic in nature, I would have never thought the majesty to have such tastes, but then again I have never been in Axia before—quite the appreciation for Khazan’s renaissance days I must say. It’s a pity you didn’t see it when we arrived, though I assume you’ll have plenty of time to rest after what you did.” ----- Tim’s eyes shifted toward her as she picked up another teacup and poured some of the steaming liquid. The gentle vapors that lifted from the cup were strangely inviting to him. “I’m in Axia? You said I’m in Axia right now…and her majesty?” ----- “You are in Axia Prime, capital city of Axia, and you are a guest of Queen Amanda Relissan in her private estate,” Veda explained, lifting the tea kettle up just as the liquid reached the rim of the cup. “It’s important that you get your liquids now. Water will be important as well, I’ll be sure to get some when I inform your friends that you are finally awake. You know I was quite surprised to see you up so suddenly. I didn’t think it would happen on my watch.” ----- Tim tried to move again, but it resulted in failure once more. ----- “You’re trying to hard,” Veda said, “Your body can’t take any tension right now…relax yourself, and concentrate on making the most gentle of movements.” ----- He took in a deep breath and grasped the sheets with his fingers. The grip was weak at first, but slowly it tightened until he was able to pull himself into a sitting position. His abdomen still throbbed at the motion, though at the very least he had succeeded in moving his body. “I feel so…dead. What happened to me? Why are we in Axia? Was it Tiara…?” ----- “You have a lot of questions young man,” Telissa said, taking another sip of her own tea as she handed him his own cup, “I suppose that is to be expected. I was not present at the battle, but I was told by others that you fainted, more or less, after releasing an amazing attack against an enemy. Shortly after an Axian force arrived and united with the Khazan remnants, which were facing certain defeat. The reinforcements helped to destroy the Drekis army there, and allowed all survivors to make it to Axia.” ----- Tim’s memory was jolted by her words; he saw himself standing there, amongst the rapidly melting snow while his energy swirled around his body. He remembered how the sword looked when it vibrated…pulsed like a living thing. And the voice, he remembered the voices that spoke to him; the words of warning. He was barely able to recall the actual attack—he knew little more than that a blazing light had filled the air and supposedly struck his opponent; actually, he knew he had struck his opponent because somehow he felt it happen. He took a drink of the tea and felt the warmth drift down his body, seemingly revitalizing him. ----- “You should still relax,” Veda said, “You may look better now, but after such a display you will require more rest.” ----- “Raea,” Tim whispered, trying to find strength in his voice once again, “what happened to Raea?” ----- “She is quite fine; she has sat by your bedside like this more than any of us. She was here for hours on end before I relieved her just a moment ago, I really should inform the others that you are awake,” she placed the cup on the table and got up with a slight groan, “well, it would seem that you aren’t the only one who is a little worn out.” ----- “Veda…” Tim began as she walked toward the door. ----- “Yes?” ----- “Thank you, and everyone else who took care of me. Although…I’m curious as to why you’re here. What happened…to Zel’Mier?” ----- The swordswoman let out a deep sigh. “Some things would better be left to Uberman to explain. Much has happened since you went unconscious; it’s Sunday by the way, two days since the battle in the Frozen Wastes.” ----- Tim’s eyes widened as he processed the information. Had he really been asleep for that long? What had he truly done to deserve such hibernation? ----- “I came here to train mainly,” Veda continued, “I believe I need to increase my skills if I am to fight through this war. Time will tell if I am worthy enough to do so in such a short period of time.” Veda Lexine closed the door behind her as she left. ----- Left alone, his thoughts began to wander; chaotic images of what he thought had happened, of what he didn’t think happened, and of what he didn’t want to accept. So many things…so much lost and how much gained? What had he achieved back there in the frozen wastes, and what had he sacrificed to gain it? It was in that moment that his thoughts came into focus; the words of the voice, that voice of the sword which echoed in his head. And it would not stop…over and over again it cried, then whispered, then cried again. He squeezed at his head but the voices only got louder, and then he felt compelled to glance across the room where he saw his father’s sword, glistening in the lamplight against the wall. And there, against that wall, it seemed to laugh at him. But there was something else…some other sounds that joined that haughty, condescending laughter. It was the sound of a child praying, the sound of a man crying, and the sound of two hearts beating. In Memory ----- The loss of a comrade in war was always a hard thing for Kitazawa; death was of course a solemn event for anyone, but as a military commander he had always been told about the fragility of his soldier’s lives. He was supposed to accept the responsibility of acknowledging their will to sacrifice their lives for what they believed in, and in the end accept their passing along with everything else that would be lost in the horrors of combat. ----- But he wasn’t that kind of person, as hard as he tried to be. His face was stone cold, and not a tear flowed down his solid cheeks, but deep inside he was crushed by Dezzman’s death. In all likelihood there would not be another soul in the Khazan military—even within his 478th division--that would ever know just how torn he became when he lost a wingman. ----- Despite their difference in rank, Dezzman was a much older and—in Takuma’s opinion at least—a much wiser man. He had done many things in his life before joining the military; Takuma had often marveled at how a man rapidly approaching his mid-life could enter into such a vigorous environment after having spent most of his time living as a farmer or a technician. No man deserved to die in war like that, but Dezzman least of all deserved to have his life end in such a quick, meaningless way. ----- Meaningless wasn’t a good way to look at it; the higher ups would often ridicule him for having such an interpretation, but that was how he saw it. He had done nothing but choose to fight for his life against an enemy that continued to attack without any conceivable reason or motive. Really, what was the point of it all? They had no choice but to fight; it was the only option their enemies gave them, but why should such a brilliant person die in such a meaningless conflict as this? ----- There was silence as the box containing Dezzman’s body was carried away. Only the wind conjured its music as leaves rustled across the auburn fields of Axia. ----- Paul Graham wiped his eyes as he watched the crew load the casket onto the air carrier. It was strange to see such a jovial man shed tears, but Kitazawa some times envied him; he was a strong, self-confident man and he was not afraid to cry. ----- “I am going to miss the old man,” Paul said, trying to force a laugh, “I still remember how he would yell at me sometimes; say I wasn’t trying hard enough and laughing about how he had more energy than all of the younger soldiers.” ----- “He was a good man,” Kitazawa exclaimed, “A great one in fact. It was the greatest pleasure to serve with him; as his commander, and as his friend. It’s a crime that he was stolen from those that love him.” ----- “What will we do about his family?” Graham asked. ----- Takuma shook his head, “They’ll be the ones to inform them…you know that. ‘Not our place to involve ourselves in things like that.” ----- “Yeah but…he was like family to us for a long time,” ----- “I know…I know,” Takuma replied. “I would like to do something to comfort them, but I can’t at the moment. God I don’t want to imagine how they must feel.” ----- “At least he saw a hero’s requiem,” Paul said, “I don’t think we could have asked for a better funeral given the circumstances.” ----- “They were kind enough to give small services for all the soldiers who died in that battle,” Sara Foster broke in. She held her head down as the airship took off into the sun set. “At least he’ll be taken back to his home.” ----- “The Khazan Fields,” Paul said silently, “He always talked about them, he said it was better than any city he had ever been to; how it was the place he wanted to be buried…” ----- There was a period of silence until the airship had disappeared into the horizon. ----- “I must apologize,” Foster said. “He should still be here…it’s my fault that this happened.” ----- “Sara!” Paul gave her a forceful look, knowing very well what she was going to say, but she turned her head away and looked into the distance; into the red and yellow trees that swayed gently through the air. ----- “I am the Second Aviator Guardian in our division,” she continued, “it was my responsibility to look after the three Point Gunners; I should have been the one to make sure that everyone had a clear way out before leaving.” ----- “Your machine was one of the most heavily damaged…” Paul countered. ----- Sara turned to defend her assertion, but Takuma was quick to interrupt her, “Dezzman was a soldier. He may have been a close friend as well, but he was a soldier to this force above all else…and I was his commanding officer. No one else must bare the responsibility but me.” ----- Paul looked back at the towering structures of Axia Prime, where the horizon was much darker and foreboding. The city lights were already flickering as the darkness grew. “I guess Cecelia and the others had a hard time taking the whole ordeal; they left before they carried the casket away. I think they’ve gone back to the military factory to work off their stress.” ----- “I should be heading back to the factory as well,” Kitazawa muttered, “The Gemini needs a lot of extra work. It might do me some good to work away my problems as well.” ----- “Captain, if I may speak freely?” Paul asked. ----- “Of course. We’re not on duty right now, I don’t mind.” ----- “If I may say so sir, I think the entire team would be much more comfortable going into battle knowing that their Captain got his rest. The last few days have been almost tireless for us; I honestly think that you need to sleep more than any of us.” ----- Kitazawa nodded, his eyes indicating that Graham was correct, but that he wasn’t going to follow his advice, “I know…that’s probably true, but I have no intention of resting while those demons are out there. We may have escaped certain death once, but they’ll come to Axia if they have to. No matter where we go, they’ll find us and they’ll hunt us down. I want to be ready for them next time; I don’t want us getting caught off guard and forced into some life or death situation.” ----- “But Captain…” ----- “I’ve made up my mind…don’t worry I’ll get some rest, but I assure you this momentary peace will be over with soon enough. Everyone has to be ready to launch at a moments notice.” ----- Paul loosely pulled at the golden main that crowned his head in frustration and sighed, “If that is your will Captain, but you take care of yourself…we’ll try to do the same.” ----- “I know. Thank you, everyone…” he turned away, looking as if he didn’t know how to properly end the conversation. Takuma, who had always been—at least in the eyes of his team—a model soldier who possessed an uncanny level of self-confidence in everything he did, now walked away a haunted individual. ----- Paul disliked the image; the sight of Takuma with his eyes looking down on the ground, not even seeing the next three feet as he strolled towards Axia Prime. The Captain had always been his proof that a man can stand up to everything hell has to offer and come out of it with a smile, but when something like this happened that ideal was shattered. The very thought of that brave man looking so dejected made the reality of their situation that much clearer, which was frightening since he was already a soldier. ----- “I don’t know why he insists on punishing himself sometimes,” Paul whispered, “It’s hard to see him like this don’t you think.” ----- Sara began to walk off towards the city as well, leaving the Sergeant behind. Crisp leaves cracked beneath her footsteps as she stormed through the valley with surprising emotion. ----- “Sara! Where are you…?” Paul shouted. ----- “He wouldn’t even accept my apology!” She yelled, suddenly turning her head toward him. She stopped only for a moment, as if to say something more, but unable to find the words she continued to walk away. Finally the words came to her as she was walking; not quite the same as what she had originally intended, though it seemed right for her to say it, “I can understand the way he feels. He’s the commander, so he thinks he should carry the responsibility…but he’s also a soldier, and he knows we have to go on. You know he’s right; they could attack at any moment, and we could all wind up like Dezzman! If we don’t want that to happen we have to be ready…” ----- “You’re not planning to talk with the Captain about this!?” Paul shouted, running after her, “Let it go, just leave him alone right now!” ----- “Leave me alone, I’m not going after the Captain!” Foster retaliated, “I’m going to go work on the DragonFlare. You do whatever you have to Sergeant Major…I know what I have to do now.” ----- “Like hell…” Paul spat out as she walked away. He had intended to whisper the comment to himself, but he said it with a flare of anger and the tone of his voice struck like thunder. Sara had either moved too far away by the time he had spoken or she simply didn’t care; in any case she never looked back. ----- “Both of you,” Paul continued, “You two have too many scars for your age, and I don’t know how to deal with any of them. Both of you…you hurt yourselves so much over these things. Sometimes…I think you’re both too good…too good of human beings to be real soldiers.” ----- He cast one last glance at the sunset before heading back to the city, still undecided about what to with what precious little time he had left before he would see combat once again. “But then again, I wonder how many of us can be real soldiers…” Repairs ----- The personal elevator platform came down with a hiss, carrying a worried Kurt Arlington who leaped off as he approached a safe distance. “Is everyone okay?” The question was a matter of manners, as he could plainly see that the tools had splashed about the ground and avoided any living soul by a good ten meters. ----- “Would you be more careful up there!” Cecelia shouted angrily, her hands placed firmly on her hips as she cast him an annoyed scowl. ----- “Don’t take your stress out on me,” Kurt replied, griping his left arm and showcasing a mild burn across the lining of his uniform, “It wasn’t my fault, the damages that the Stormbringer suffered were worse than I thought; I think the thirty-first main wire in the right arm is beyond repair, it just sparked on me.” ----- Ratilda looked at Arlington’s machine and shook her head knowingly at the sparking injuries. “Yeah, it looks like its gotten worse. We’ll have to get a new wire from one of the spare mechs in the factory.” ----- “Might as well replace the whole damn arm,” Cecelia added, “Mine will probably need a pretty big overhaul in fact.” ----- “It’s going to be so different…” Kurt said, looking up at his mech with a sad expression. ----- “Different? What?” Cecelia asked. ----- “Not having Dezzman’s machine lined up next to ours,” Kurt elaborated, he pointed to the space next to the Stormbringer where a mech from another unit stood, “I remember his used to always get parked next to mine. It doesn’t feel right, you know…him not being here.” ----- Cecelia scratched her head. “You’re young Kurt, I’m sure you’ve never dealt with this before in the military, but sadly, you’ll get used to it.” ----- “How can you say that, you’re not that much older than I am?!” ----- “A few years makes all the difference!” Cecelia asserted, “It’s not like I like it that way, it’s just the way it is. We lost someone a few years ago, before you joined the 478th. And I hear this same unit lost many before I joined it.” ----- “I don’t see how that makes it right…but I know I signed up for this knowing about the risk. I should know that I have to deal with things like this, but I can’t think about his death any other way.” ----- “All we need to worry about is how to go on,” Ratilda interrupted, wiping some sweat away from her forehead, “Dezzman’s death will be that much harder on the Captain and Miss Foster. There’s nothing wrong with us mourning his death, but we can’t let it effect the way we fight in the next battle.” ----- “Speak of the Devil,” Cecelia exclaimed. ----- Sara walked in, forcing a smile that seemed inauthentic and ephemeral. She nodded towards each of them, but then turned away and appeared to be looking for someone else. The factory was filled with dozens of workers, soldiers, and pilots who were all doing their part to get their weapons of war repaired and ready for the next battle, but wherever she looked she failed to find the person she was looking for. The entire facility was quite repetitive, featuring the same alcoves and interior stations that repeated every ten meters or so from one end of the factory to the other. Navigating the place in search of one specific person would be rather time consuming. ----- Cecelia, though, knew exactly who she was trying to find, “You missed the Captain. He walked by over ten minutes ago; didn’t even stop by here.” ----- “I see,” Sara said quietly. She didn’t seem surprised that Cecelia knew. ----- “Same old story,” Cecelia continued, “Let the Captain accept his responsibility if he has to. In the end, he won’t let it get to him, but you…” ----- “Thank you Lieutenant,” Sara said, holding up a hand to make her stop, “I’m going to go work on my mech now, continue the good work.” ----- Kurt nervously dropped some of his tools back onto the floor as he hurried to put them back in his bag; eventually dropping the whole case in favor of running after Sara as she slipped away. “Lieutenant Foster!” he said loudly, his voice echoing slightly in the massive grey chambers. “Lieutenant, I was wondering…since you and the Captain have had the least rest out of all of us, well, if you are still intent on fixing the DragonFlare then I’d like to do everything I can to help you.” ----- “I don’t need your assistance right now,” Sara replied as he walked up next to her. ----- “Well, it’s not a matter of need, it’s just that I’d like to help you get the repairs done faster, that’s all.” ----- “You have your own machine to look after,” Sara said, her voice quiet but cold. Her eyes conveyed no sense of life; they never even fell upon him once as they walked, always glancing at the unending, identical steel tiles on the floor. “Leave me please; I’d like to be alone when I’m working.” She quickened her pace and went ahead of him. Kurt’s instincts may have told him to follow her, even if it was just out of concern, but he was too shocked by her behavior to keep up. ----- She was so distant now; a completely different person. Or had he never truly known her? No, he had definitely known her true character; it was impossible not to know a person’s true persona when you had faced death side by side with them. She was once of the kindest human beings he had ever met; selfless in every way, but dedicated to every aspect of her life as well as to her friends. But now she had shunned his kindness, never even given so much as a thank you for the offer. ----- “I guess you were right,” Kurt said, looking at Ratilda, “It really is that much harder on those two.” ----- “He’ll get over it, the Captain I mean,” Cecelia stated, “but she’s something else altogether. I don’t think she ever got over Simon’s death.” ----- “She’s been like this for a while now,” Kurt said, “I mean, the way she talks, the way she acts…she’s become so negative. I swear she’s like a different person, growing more and more distant from us as time has gone on.” ----- “War changes people,” Cecelia explained, “For better or for worse I guess. Usually for the worst.” ----- “But I’ve known her ever since I joined the force, and she wasn’t like this. I miss the way it was before we were called back into duty. I miss the way she actually smiled back then. It doesn’t seem like she’s even done that much since she boarded that mech of hers.” ----- “War changes people,” Cecelia repeated, “There are some bad memories that you encounter on the battlefield. When you get back, you think that you’ve managed to escape them; to avoid the change. But once you go back out there, it all comes back to you. That’s the way it is with Sara: she thinks she can walk away from it all and be the same person she was when she first joined the 478th, but deep inside she knows she hasn’t gotten over any of it. Honestly, I can’t blame her for not being able to, but she still takes it too far.” ----- Kurt threw his hands into his pockets and approached the Stormbringer, intent on leaving this drama behind. It hurt him to think about such things; these things that he couldn’t completely understand, or that perhaps he didn’t want to understand. He avoided eye contact with Cecelia and Ratilda as he passed, but as he came by Cecelia placed a hand on his shoulder. Her grip was firm, even surprisingly forceful as her nails dug into his skin. There was no real pain, though the sting brought him to his senses; forced him to stop and acknowledge Cecelia’s words. ----- “Kurt…” she whispered into his ear, “Please, don’t break your heart over that woman.” An Audience with Her Majesty ----- Here in Axia was the first time that he had been inside the home of someone above the middle class; what astounded him the most was the fact that this palace was not the central castle of Axia Prime where the Queen and her royal guard typically worked, but merely her majesty’s private house. Even considering that fact it was of great size, possibly big enough to be considered its own fortress. ----- Tim had found the strength to walk on his own not long after Veda had left. Although he knew that she would return with Raea in a few moments he felt compelled to leave the room, if for no other reason that to escape the condescending voices of the sword that plagued him. Thankfully the elaborate set up of the house caught his attention and helped his mind to deviate from thoughts of those voices and the pain in his legs. ----- The Queen was obviously a fan of rare artwork and other collectibles; much like the room he had stayed in the entire house seemed to be decorated at every corner; inch by inch. Paintings that he had never seen before were laid out in some manner of organization, each bordered with golden frames that were sculpted in a way that allowed each frame to carry its own unique imagery or pattern. ----- As he walked down the halls each corner had an appropriately sized square table that featured a different statue. Like most of the artwork he knew nothing of these sculptures, though at one point he did see what appeared to be a statue of Tanin. ----- At one point he realized that he didn’t really know where he was going, though somehow his current direction seemed right to him. Curiosity over the decorations in the house seemed to lead him further and further down the halls until he had reached an arched door which seemed rather ordinary to him, at least in comparison to the rest of the establishment. Again his instincts guided him, or that is what he thought, for lack of a better term—for one reason or another he simply acted first without an initial thought. He opened the door and found himself standing on a balcony, but with a closer inspection it appeared to be more like a cross between a balcony and a catwalk. The edge to his right was connected to the wall, but to his left and over the railway he could see the entire city of Axia Prime out before him. All of a sudden he could no longer be certain of the Queen’s artistic obsessions, for the entire city looked like a painting; the impossible ideal of an artists imagination. The Queen’s house, as it turned out, was not so different from the grandeur of the capital city as a whole. ----- It was not quite the size or immensity of the city that astonished him, for if that were the criteria by which he measured a cities beauty then Khazan City’s unrivaled industrial economy would easily dwarf any other locale on the planet. What he did see was something that looked strangely like a marriage between the old world and the new world. He had heard tales before of those cities outside of the mainland which resembled the more humble, medieval styled constructions of the older ages. He had seen such things in Araelis and in some images of Zel’Mier, though the cities in those State-Kingdoms were completely archaic while Axia seemed to come alive with a unique mixture of the old designs and the new industry. ----- Tall buildings were arranged in intricate patterns, forming shapes or letters while no doubt coming together to form a single coherent image when viewed from above. Each building was individually designed to be different from the others; no two featured a remotely similar look. Some were in the shape of a star, extending towards the sky, while others were like a towering pyramid and another with a rooftop that came to a sharp edge; making it look like a large crystal extending from the ground. ----- Next to each building were the more mild but serene images; those of small houses and apartment complexes that resembled the older designs of long past—but despite the ancient look, none could doubt the beauty of the craftsmanship. ----- Even more astonishing was the sheer presence of the wild life; the engrossing forest which not only seemed to surround the capital city but also grow inside of it. Hundreds of acres of the city remained unchanged from its natural state, bearing trees that sometimes rivaled the buildings in stature. Dense Pockets of the forest land appeared throughout the city landscape, and even more present were the rivers which flowed like roads within the capital. ----- Tim scouted the land and could see no indication of a standard road, but the intersecting rivers bordered almost every construct. Boats of varying sizes carried jovial citizens from one place to the next, all of them likely going home after a hard days work as the rivers gleamed with orange and red sparkles. In the air there were still hovercraft zooming about, though they could hardly detract from the peaceful imagery of the rest of the city. ----- “Are you sure you should be walking around in your condition?” the voice of Veda broke into his thoughts. He took his eyes off of the city and saw her standing at the opposite door; an ecstatic Raea standing next to her with her eyes beaming. ----- Tim smiled, “I’m feeling much better, thank you. Raea…I” ----- “Timothy!” she quickly shouted, running towards him as if to plunge her entire body into his. ----- He caught her around the waste with his hands as she approached, “Hold on a minute there, I think I’m a little too weak for that at the moment.” ----- “Of course,” she replied quietly as she hugged him. “God you gave me such a scare. When you didn’t wake up after the first night I was so worried.” ----- “I’m fine now,” Tim assured her, rubbing his hand through her hair playfully, “We both made it through, just like we promised.” ----- Veda approached them and laughed as they held their embrace a while longer. “Come now Raea, you don’t want to crush the young swordsman,” as Raea stepped back she placed a hand on her shoulder, “your friend here stayed by your bedside more than any of us. You’re very fortunate to have someone like her at your side Tim.” ----- “I know I am,” Tim said with a laugh. ----- “So I see you’ve wasted no time in catching up on the scenery,” Veda exclaimed, “It is quite impressive isn’t it? Much larger than Karia I might add, yet somehow just as relaxing. If you feel up to it, I will escort you to the chambers where Uberman is waiting. I’ve informed him that you are awake and he would like to speak with you.” ----- “Very well,” Tim replied. ----- “You’ve got someone else who wants to speak with you after that,” Raea added as she took his arm in hers and guided him down the balcony. ----- Tim was confused as to whom Raea could be talking about; he had felt like asking on several occasions as they escorted him through the royal grounds but he ultimately decided that he would find out for himself once this mystery person approached him. He suddenly remembered why Tiara had come for him: to see the Queen Amanda Relissan and that was the Queen of Axia. Perhaps it was she that sought an audience with him, though why such an important person would seek him out by name was still puzzling to him. ----- When they reached the intended chamber Tim noticed an image on the front of the door, a crest of some kind which featured a draconic creature that was a wyrm; its slithering body wrapped around what appeared to be a battle lance with its twin blades facing the skies. At the top of the crest the blades from the lance pierced a cloud and lightning bolts stormed down around the wyrm. By magic, or by his own delusion, the image somehow came to life as he stared directly at it. The wyrm moved its serpent-like body back and forth while its head remained in place; its eyes fixed on him. The lightning seemed to come alive and flash around the beast while the bladed lance gleamed, though no sounds were heard. ----- Tim shook off the image as an illusion as the door was opened. Uberman was there along with Scout, Tiara, and Telissa. The latter three were sitting around a table that was darker and less decorated than the other furniture in the house. In fact, it appeared to be a piece of military equipment with a plasma screen built into the surface. A brightly lit image of the main Khazan Continent was showing upon the screen with numerous lines and scribbles of information labeled over key, flashing areas of the land. Uberman stood at the edge of the table, while across from him stood two people that he had never seen before. ----- “Tim,” Uberman said as they entered the room, “It’s good to see you again. You’ve proven yourself to be a strong individual after surviving that ordeal. The people of Khazan should be proud to have you among the Sentinel’s ranks.” ----- “Thank you sir,” Tim said politely, “Although, to be honest I don’t really remember much of what happened after…after I collapsed.” ----- “You exhausted yourself, and that’s understandable,” Uberman assured him, “That anyone could go through such a hellish situation at all…well, let’s just say that I’m surprised I could go through something like that sometimes.” ----- Telissa stood up and offered her hand to Tim as he approached the table, still leaning on Raea as some of the pain in his legs had returned. “It appears that I owe you my life Tim,” she said. ----- “I…you do?” Tim said, looking at her offered hand with a puzzled glance. ----- “You may not remember it,” Telissa explained, “but when I was pinned down by one of Drekis’ mid-class lackeys you emitted an amazing power that destroyed the enemy. I’d probably be dead right now if not for you.” ----- “Oh,” Tim responded, barely recollecting the incident. The blast and the intense light he could still remember, though the identity of the one he attacked was a faint blur in his mind and as to the aftermath of the blast he knew nothing at all, “Well I’m glad to be of any help in any case.” He returned the hand shake and then took a seat at the table, feeling relieved to once again be off of his feet. ----- “We’ve been reviewing some of the things that have occurred over the last few days,” Scout informed him, “As you probably know you’ve been out for the last two days, and quite a lot has happened across the continent.” ----- “It’s mostly explained on the digital image of the map here,” Uberman pointed to the screen and moved to explain each flashing line of text in the image, “Thenesiea, sadly, no longer has any military operations on our part. Most of the hero factions and the Khazan military have evacuated the area and it is now officially declared to be entirely occupied by the enemy.’ ----- ‘Following our escape from the Frozen Wastes, the military launched a joint operation with the Sentinels and the Maniacal Heroes; a full scale assault on the fortress that was built over what was once New Xaelis. The battle met with failure and the enemy still occupies most of Xaelon at the moment, though we did not face the same kind of losses as with our previous engagement.’ ----- ‘At Cretalia we have received disturbing reports of a new threat from the far north, the Empire of Saramach which has remained largely inactive for a generation has apparently decided to launch an attack. We don’t know yet if they are related to Drekis’ advance in any way, though somehow I’d say that our enemies the Drekis forces and the Saramach have become allies for some reason. What appear to be archaic galleons have appeared in the north sea, but for unknown reason they have remained at a distance from Cretalia.’ ----- ‘On the subject of other forces in this conflict, our old…friends the Fallen have made a move, apparently directing their floating isle towards Khazan City; their intention is not known to us at this time.’ ----- ‘On a lighter note, an attack by the Sentinels and the Khazan Military successfully defeated the Drekis occupation forces in Zel’Mier; a complete and well earned victory, though I’m afraid not much of Zel’Mier was salvaged in the outcome. We did manage to secure most of the Western valleys and towns before the Drekis armies could get to them. Araelis is currently facing many hardships, it’s currently the State-Kingdom with the most frequent battles, ending in a stalemate with half being victories and the other defeats.” ----- “A lot really has happened since I’ve been out,” Tim said, his mouth wide open as he looked closer at the digital image to read the text, “And all of this over two days?” ----- “Yes, this war has been moving quickly,” Scout added, “The Military is devoting more units to the battlefield than I’ve ever seen; perhaps the largest full scale war in terms of numbers that Khazan has seen. It’s no longer located to just a few State-Kingdoms, this thing has spread throughout the entire continent now.” ----- “And that’s the problem,” Uberman said, “Our forces are being spread out to stop the advance of the Drekis forces, but their minions seem to be capable of dividing their numbers mush more easily than we are.” ----- “There’s no end to how many they can produce,” Telissa informed them, “By now, merely two days after the battle at the frozen wastes, they’ve probably created enough creatures to make up for all of their losses in that battle. That’s how they’ll try to take this planet: they’ll overwhelm us.” ----- “The military is currently organizing a new plan,” Scout explained, “One that will include Axia’s self-governed military into its units to expand our numbers. That, at least, will help to alleviate the stress of our forces while they’re spread out across the continent. Our major focus is on taking the entire State-Kingdom of Xaelon back, along with a simultaneous assault to assist the defense forces in Araelis. Once both missions have been complete, the two assault forces will spread out and converge on Cretalia in a sort of Pincer movement, due to the fact that we believe that State-Kingdom will see battle within the next week or so.” ----- “However,” a strong voice interrupted, “Before any of this can happen with any chance of success, there is one thing that needs to be done.” The man stepped forward, looking down on Tim and smiling in a way that revealed more confidence than it did happiness. Tim recognized him as one of the figures who had been standing opposite Uberman when he had entered the room. ----- He was a tall man, almost a head taller than Tim, and his body was lean and muscular; the picture of a strong athlete. There were several marks on his face; some dark and scarred over while others were light remnants of cuts and bruises. The scars were few and far between, so otherwise the man possessed a very bold and clean face with a strong chin and very emotional eyes. His hair was a light green which he wore on his head like an article of clothing; arranged into a mess of streaks and spikes that somehow organized themselves into a recognizable style. The man’s clothing, however, was the most distinctive of all: he wore a gold collar around his neck that shined as if it were real metal, though it was obviously mere cloth at a second glance; a short-sleeved shirt that would otherwise be ordinary matched his hair in color and featured the same crest that Tim had seen on the door to this chamber, only on his uniform it seemed to be even brighter and more vibrant. His pants were long and completely white save for the spot over his knees which were covered by smaller versions of the crest. An open jacket worn over his shirt resembled the armor-vests worn by many of the Axian royal guards but appeared to be made of a different, highly reflective material. ----- “Our lady has selected several individuals whom she would like to take part in this important task,” the man continued, “And you, Timothy Shinestar of Khazan City, happen to be one of them.” ----- “Me?” Tim responded with disbelief. Was this man whom he had never seen before the one who wanted to talk with him? ----- A young woman approached from behind and stood next to the man; she was the other person who had been standing across the table, a strikingly beautiful girl with dark blue hair that fell bellow her waste and seemed to flow smoothly like a stream of water. With one look at her face he blushed as she appeared so young that he felt guilty over his initial attraction. Her eyes, though, betrayed the look of a teenager, conveying the knowledge and experience of someone who had seen a lot of years. Eventually his eyes found their way to her ears; strangely long and pointed. They were the ears of an elf, which explained how young she looked. Her costume was less elaborate that the man’s but made more striking because of her own elven looks; a white, sleeveless shirt was made from a thin material that looked almost like the materials used to make the expensive gowns of the nobles, and a brown cloth was tied loosely around her waste. A light blue skirt that was long like a robe fell around her legs and was parted at the sides by rather large slits. ----- “Tim, this is Eric Melazai and Maya Reichard, respectively,” Uberman introduced them, gesturing towards each of them with his hand as he said their names. ----- “I serve her majesty here in Axia,” Eric said, “I’m one of the commanders of the Axian army, as is Maya here. Maya, in fact, led the Pegasus Assault team that helped your forces back in the Frozen Wastes.” ----- The elf woman spoke with a soft, gentle voice that was almost like a whisper, “If you will come with me, we will explain everything. Or rather, our majesty will explain it to you.” ----- “Her majesty?” Tim said. ----- “Did Tiara not inform you?” Mara asked. “Miss Relissan wants to speak with you Mr. Shinestar.” ----- “Oh, that’s…that’s right,” Tim responded, “I’m sorry if I’ve kept her waiting. Should we go see her right now?” ----- “That’s the plan,” Eric said. “Maya and I will show you to Miss Relissan’s chambers. Tiara will accompany us as well. Maya, why don’t you give our friend here a little boost.” ----- “Of course,” Maya said as she approached Tim and kneeled to look at him face to face, “Just relax your body. I’m going to give you some energy using some of my magic. If should revitalize you for the most part.” ----- “Oh, I thank…” before he could finish Maya had already placed her hands over his chest and a flare of blue energy passed from her finger tips to his body. The initial passing felt as like he had been shot, but there was no pain or fear in response. Instead he felt an inviting warmth pass over him as all pain disappeared. His muscles vibrated with renewed vigor, and as the energy passed into his legs he felt the sudden urge to jump from his chair and stand. ----- “Amazing…” was all Tim could say at first as he looked down at his arms and clenched his first to confirm his strength. “I think I feel stronger than I was to begin with!” ----- Maya laughed, “Yes sometimes it can have that effect. Not by much mind you, it’s mostly in your head, a sort of high that occurs when the spell is used. Still, you should be recovered from your fatigue.” ----- “Very well,” Eric said, “Let us be on our way. Uberman, Scout, feel free to use this room to continue your plans. After the lady speaks with Tim here we will meet with you to discuss her majesty’s operation in full.” ----- Tim followed Tiara and the other two through a north door that led to a new hallway, decorated in much the same way as the others but with even more portraits and statues that lined the walls. ----- Raea stepped forward along with Tim, almost too amazed by the healing magic to believe that he could walk on his own. ----- “Oh, if you don’t mind, I would prefer that Tim go alone,” Eric said. ----- “Really, but I just thought I’d help take care of him,” Raea responded. ----- Tim touched her hand and gently took it off of his shoulder, “I’m fine now Raea, you don’t have to worry. Not only do I feel better in body, but my mind has cleared a lot now, and I think I have some questions for this Queen if she knows as much as I think she does.” ----- “It really is nothing personal,” Eric said, “But our Queen will be discussing things of a delicate matter. It’s better if he hears it alone.” ----- Raea reluctantly stepped back as Tim entered the door. “I guess I really shouldn’t be worried, after all we’re in a safe place now. When you get back Tim, would you like to visit the sights around Axia Prime?” ----- “Sure thing,” Tim said with a mock salute as the doors closed behind him. ----- In the hallways Tiara suddenly began to speak, “Well, it seems that my initial task is complete, albeit we didn’t arrive under the most relaxing conditions. Still, you will get your audience with the Queen.” ----- “Queen Relissan has wanted to speak with you for some time now,” Eric explained as they walked towards a large golden door, “We don’t know exactly how she knows you, but we assume she knows something of your family history, perhaps even things you don’t know.” ----- “Anything she knows,” Tim replied, “would be something I don’t know if it regarding my family.” ----- “Unfortunately I do not get to actually enter the chambers; apparently the queen was very strict in her assessment that she must converse with you in private. By the way, both the young man and the elf here and apprentices of the Powers that Be just as I am.” ----- “They are!?” Tim said, “I had no idea.” ----- “Of course you didn’t,” Eric retorted, “No one’s supposed to be able to know that we’re apprentices of the Powers. In fact, Maya and I were a little concerned that Tiara choose to tell you of her own identity, but given what has happened in the last few weeks we’ve decided that it wasn’t such a bad idea.” ----- “Given what’s happened,” Tim said, “What do you mean?” ----- Maya turned her head as they approached the door, “Our lady has never known our true identities as apprentices. Even though we have served under her for a decade she has never known too much about us. The Powers originally assigned us both to protect the Queen, and so that is what we have done without question, and we have always believed that it would be best if the Queen did not know our true identities. Recently though, with the appearance of the Drekis Empire on Khazan, our Queen has ever so subtly hinted that she knows much more about the Powers and our identities than we originally thought.” ----- “And that the Powers decided not to reveal this to us upon giving us the assignment makes it that much more interesting,” Eric added. “That and the fact that the name Drekis is rather disconcerting to us for a specific reason. We don’t know if the Queen knows anything about that, but if she doesn’t mention it to you then I might as well tell you later. For now we’ve reached our destination. We will wait for you outside the doors in the hall. Her majesty is waiting for you.” He extended his arm and held it out towards the door, indicating for Tim to go on inside. ----- “Very well,” Tim said with a gulp. He felt nervous for some reason, as if he didn’t know what to expect behind those doors. But with his body rejuvenated and his mind full of questions, he placed his hand firmly on the cold, golden surface and pushed the door open. The Galleons of Saramach ----- The enemy would have caught them by surprise had it not been for Yagami’s senses, but even with his warning they had had little time to prepare for an invasion from the sea. In the distance Lex could see hundreds of little black dots on the ocean, each of which was apparently a ship of some kind, ancient in appearance like the old massive sailing ships that kids read about in pirate legends. The galleons were made of some unknown, dark material, clearly not wood and more similar to stone in texture. How the ships stayed afloat was a mystery, for not only did the ships look ruined and unkempt, but their sails seemed to be torn apart and withered down. ----- “It’s been two days since I detected their advance,” Yagami noted, “Why would Saramach send such a large force to Cretalia and then sit and wait out at sea for two days without any movement at all.” ----- “It is puzzling,” Lara said as she looked down at the military crews that seemed to be impatient and nervous over their enemy’s apparent apathy. “When you think about it, if they had attacked days ago we wouldn’t have been able to counter a fleet of that size, but now we’ve managed to allocate some of the forces protecting the western and southern fronts to this city, so it doesn’t make sense.” ----- “It’s almost as if they found out that Yagami detected them,” Captain Khazan exclaimed, rubbing his chin as he thought over the situation, “but that doesn’t make sense. If they were worried about a failed invasion then they would just leave. Why stay out there for so long?” ----- ----- Michael Cortelloni threw his cigarette into the trash and shook his head in disgust, “I have a better question for you idiots, why haven’t we done shit to them? They’re sitting ducks out there; a bunch of old world ships that don’t even look like they should be sailing under their own power. If you think they’re a threat to your city just go wipe them out.” ----- “It would be easier if we had airships,” Yagami replied, “but they’ve all been called in to other areas of Khazan.” ----- “You still have the mechs,” Cortelloni exclaimed, “Use them! Why don’t you fly over there and sink them before they have a chance to make a move?” ----- “Because when an enemy gives you the chance to make the first strike there’s something terribly wrong about the whole situation,” Lex pointed out, “I don’t like it, the whole thing stinks. I keep feeling that they must be something more to this, like they want us to attack.” ----- “I agree with Lexington,” Captain Khazan said, “the only problem is that I don’t know what kind of trick or trap they have planned. If getting us to attack first is part of their strategy, then how exactly does that work towards their benefit?” ----- “I still say you should blow their asses away while you have the chance,” Cortelloni said as he lit up another cigarette. “You’ll all be sorry if you don’t.” ----- “Wait a minute!” Lara shouted. “One of them moved!” ----- “One of them? Which one?” Captain Khazan asked as he approached the sensor screens. ----- “One of them in the front of the formation, and now two more, now three more, I think the entire fleet is beginning to advance on us!” ----- “See…too late,” Cortelloni said as he breathed out a cloud of smoke. ----- “Sound the alarm and contact all military units,” Captain Khazan ordered to a nearby soldier, “Inform all joint heroes in the area that the Saramach fleet is about to attack!” Chapter 13: Revelation |