Volume I: Scions of Destiny - Chapter 2 Part III: A Twist of Fate

The makeshift response battalion was still sitting on the streets of Castanica as they heard the story of the General Scatter, who just paused for a few minutes. His story managed to bring the attention of nearly everyone, making them forget for barely few minutes or maybe hours that they were in a war. The enemy was attacking in successive waves, but for some reason now stopped, giving them enough time to rest, but no one could sleep at all; every time they closed their eyes, the fresh memories of their friends falling to the ground pierced by black-metallic quills, crushed or even being burnt to death harassed their minds, preventing them to sleep, forcing them to stay vigil waiting for the enemy.

The uncertainty was steeped in their faces involuntarily; they were living a nightmare and for further worse, the supplies were quickly running out and in three more days they wouldn’t have anything to eat.

It had already been three days since all started, the starry sky slowly began to disappear, and the weak beams of light began to peek over the horizon, reaching the multiform variety of stones that created a natural hideout; within this, was Castanica. A few minutes after dawn, the light finally peeked above the black stones, reaching everyone's faces, giving them the warmth of a new day, meaning they had survived another day. Scatter closed his eyes for a few seconds and received the new day with a kind of ironic gratitude.

—“If the enemy has so many troops to send wave attacks, why not finish us off with a massive attack? Wait…what if they can’t? We have been waiting for almost all the night for their attack but nothing happened…oh no…”— The General Scatter thought in his mind and then suddenly re-opened his eyes. —“…They are regrouping their forces so then they can give the final blow…”— He didn’t notice it but, everyone was watching his complicated expression on his face, since he noticed something even more important…their days or maybe just a few hours were already numbered.

There was nothing else more than just wait; he personally was ready to die years ago, during the war of the “Ten Shrouded Roses”, the unique thing left in his deep inside, was an instinctive shred of hope, waiting a twist of fate…a word known as “Miracle” for faithful, but they lost all that as Castanics, that day when they killed a god with their intelligence and audacity, hundreds of years ago…noticing that “those” gods were the same insignificances as themselves, mortals; which when they are injured, they bleed and suffer. This fed their ego, ending up blinding them for years, making them fall in a civil war known as the “War of the 10 Shrouded Roses”, where after months of war and genocide; they noticed a slightly part of their mistake.

Scatter after the end of the civil war, he was named as the Master Clan Leader; but he was still blinded by his own youth and dreams, unable to see the big picture in front of him as everyone else. A few years later, he led his Clans to another war, this time against the Humans, an inferior and “young” race who were trying to obstruct everything with their “Federation”.

Velika, the capital of the Federation; a city built by efforts and hands of Humans, Elins, Poporis, Barakas and Amans, forming a support alliance between them, where they were also invited.

The General Scatter adamantly refused to join shouting to the messenger that was a step backwards towards the improvement. Quickly his troops marched in direction to Velika alongside the help of the High Elves from the other continent.

The Humans were crushed every time their forces fought, but when they were about to win, the other races stood at their sides, pushing back his forces and for worse, in the middle of the war, thousands of unknown creatures started to attack his territories, forcing him to retreat and defend his people, but the new enemy was far too strong for fight them alone.

Seeing the suffering on the faces of his soldiers and people, swallowed his ego and asked a truce to the “Federation”; for his surprise, the humans alongside the other races which conformed the Federation not just accepted, they also offered their help to fight the unknown thread which they were also fiercely fighting. This opened his eyes, after seeing how in particular, the humans after all, rushed towards alongside his troops and fought the unknown enemy shoulder to shoulder, after known as “Argons”.

But even after all he felt an instinctive mistrust.

And now, these humans were apparently letting them abandoned as mere meat shields, all these thoughts were flowing on Scatter’s mind, but after few seconds he shook his head and refocused on his story as everyone was watching him attentively. A few could notice what Scatter thought, their lives were approaching to an end, these looked down with a sad smile on their faces and then looked again at their General with their eyes slightly shining, it was their hope on him, that they were there doing the correct thing and not just being used.

The General Scatter felt a great weight on his shoulders coming from the trust of his soldiers, but showed no weakness and started to speak again.

All cards were already on the table, now they just had to wait the results.

“Alright!”— The General Scatter cleared his throat. —“Let’s continue…”

“Everything has a shadow, no matter how much light there is…”

 

None can eradicate it, no matter how much anyone tries it.

The own Goddess Elinu proved it when she created the Elins, reflecting her youth, her desire for beauty and peace; by forming physical bodies around a tiny fragment of herself long ago when humans weren’t yet created; they were created in order to protect the land and nature from harm. These Elins then used part of their divine fragments to awaken furry beasts known as Poporis, despite their very different animal traits and forms, the spirits were alike at heart: full of life, curiosity, and tenacity.

Both formed a nation called “Pora Elinu Kingdom” governed by an Elin Queen, and together held their sacred duty to protect nature; they task themselves with preserving the natural world, whether that is forest, desert or sea.

The Elin are a race of all female beings but unable to reproduce biologically in a natural way but they have an almost immortal life. Elins have two pairs of ears: one animal and one human. The Elins can hear both human voices and the voice of nature. Their human ears are used for the former, the animal ears for the latter, also their animal traits are an indicator of skills and physical abilities which can be in different degrees; level of hearing, perception, vision or even some are able to perceive the vibrations of the flow of the surrounding magic, these would be examples of skills that some of them possess.

After the Goddess Elinu created the Elins, she sensed darkness in the world, afraid of that; she hid her creations of the rest of the world with a gigantic magic barrier, trying to keep the darkness away from her fragments of life which the Goddess herself gave to every Elin.

But it was no avail; after the Goddess Elinu entered in an eternal sleep by an unknown reason, the gigantic barrier held by Elinu disappeared and they were discovered by the rest of the races; the Elins and Poporis’ Queen, Rida; proved their wisdom and diplomatic prowess with the creation of an alliance with the Humans for defend the Sacred Nature, but their colossal duty led them to many clashes and wars against the others races and finally, what the Goddess Elinu feared and tried to prevent, happened.

The darkness finally reached her creations when the Argons almost destroyed the Elins’ homeland, Pora Elinu; in despair, the Elins embraced the darkness and awakened as Reapers, managing to save their home with a great cost and turned the ties of the war to their favor, but now, those Reapers where just a legend in everyone’s mind. What happened to them was buried in an enigmatic situation which just a few knew.

“This is our commander post, it is not much but we at least have one haha”— Zekka said with an energetic proud voice.

It wasn’t a great thing; it was a huge but simple cream-colored tent with a long wooden table without chairs around it. The commander post was at the northwest part of Velika, next to a Basic Magic training academy in a corner. Many inexperienced soldiers, volunteer and even students of the different schools were dispersed through in the half of the controlled Velika, while one containment line was maintained by the Shrouded Sentinels.

At the entrance of the tent there were two guards who belonged to the Shrouded Sentinels, who stood to attention when they saw Nethaniel and then gave a martial salute.

“Bring me the report of the main line, now!”— Nethaniel said while he was entering to the tent alongside Zekka, Korah, Bready, Lyns, Sinac and Mech.

“Yes sir!” — Both guards said as they went away running.

After entering, they saw a large map of Velika over the table with many markers, crosses and lines.

“Lieutenant Zekka, give me a report of the situation.”— Nethaniel said with a serious expression on her face.

“The enemy attack took us by surprise so we needed to retreat and regroup as fast as we could while we evacuated a portion of the citizens…but many also couldn’t escape in time, after we regrouped, and thanks of the help of the guards of Velika, volunteers and even academy students, we could gave a quick counter attack with our special forces, but we haven’t been able to push forward the half of the city, I lost fifty of my men trying to pass the plaza and even more inexperienced soldier died, around two hundred, we need reinforcements or something, or this is over.” — The lieutenant Zekka spoke without a slight hesitation while she was in a firm position in front of the table as she moved her arms through the map; she was a real professional soldier.

“Reinforcement aren’t an option, I don’t even know the situation on the Free Traders Hall so…”

All stood in silence for a few seconds when suddenly Bready spoke.

“I-I trust on Adiar! I know he will send reinforcements, we just must hold the line till they come…it is the best option; we cannot let all these deaths in vain! I refuse to retreat…”

“Eh…I like how this furball speaks, you know…”— Zekka spoke with her typical sexy voice as she looked to Bready.

“I support my friend”— Sinac said with his Russian accent as he touched Bready’s right shoulder.

“Sounds good, right Mech?” — Korah exclaimed.

“Well...we don’t have other choice haha”

“Ok…then is decided! We will stay here and defend the city till the reinforcements arrive, if they ever do haha! Well, we will go to the main line near the freedom plaza; you all have five minutes to get ready! Now go!”

“Yes, commander!” — Everyone shouted excepting Zekka.

“Neth, can we talk?”— The lieutenant asked as everyone else was leaving the tent.

“What happens?” —Nethaniel said as he was looking the map on the table.

“Do you remember that girl who called me Master?”— Zekka asked with a worried tone in her voice.

“Yeah, why?”—Nethaniel answered quickly as he looked at Zekka with a sharp gaze.

“Did you see her around before you found me?”

“No, I didn’t…why do you ask?”

“Ah… nothing…I will go get ready, I must go and help my guys at the main line too, tell me when your guys are ready so we go there together.”— Zekka said while she left with an odd aura around her as she was thinking in something else more important than the actual situation she had in front of her.

“Alright, Zekka” — Nethaniel stood watching at her—“I hope she is alright…”

Eight months ago, Velika Northern District residencies.

All the information that she gathered with her own hands led her there, the last crime organization had its base at one of the northern residencies, with this, the mission which her Master Clan leader entrusted to her would be done and Velika would be a better place for all its citizens, giving them new opportunities and hope for a better life.

The Shrouded Rose Sentinels marched altogether; all of them were wearing their black heavy armors with long black capes coming from its back, black helmets with two horns in front of it, which covered all their head with the exception of their faces. The Lieutenant Zekka was at the head of the formation, leading the last attack. She was wearing a black light armor which covered her vital spots of her body, leaving part of her back totally naked, but this gave her more flexibility on her movements, also had two sheaths with purple handgrip swords hanging from her waist belt; distinctively she wasn’t using a helmet, her short hair was white and had two pointy horns at her head.

Slowly they were every time more close to the base as the sound of their boots firmly stepping on the floor along with the clanking of their armor moving echoed down the street, like the symphony of the death.

Once they reached a wide street with a dead end, they saw their enemy. Those were thieves, bandits, mercenaries and even war veterans, wearing and carrying different types of armors and weapons.

The street was enclosed by high residential buildings, which had an abandoned look with dirty windows and some black rats eating garbage. Clearly as they could see, the only ones living here where them, the criminals, or that they believed until they saw that the apparently leader of all the gang of criminals, which appeared between the middle of his people with a little human boy who wore dirty rags, the leader who was a tall but fat human wearing a heavy red armor, had a knife on the neck of the boy and shouted with a hoarse voice, while the boy was crying.

Zekka could feel the fear of the man from his eyes but they kept walking in formation.

“One more step! And this little one will see the end of his life, right now!”— None of the Sentinels moved and the gang of criminals laughed silently.

All the sentinels stopped with Zekka. She and her people weren’t hesitating; they just saw their enemy tactic as an act of despair; they were inspecting the enemy attentively before attacking, the sentinels were just fifty while criminals were more than one hundred and it was really probably that a good bunch of them were hid in some of the surrounding buildings, for an ambush.

Also they were just doing a respect silence before their next movement, since their thinking was as cold as ice. One dead boy meant nothing to stop them, Zekka without hesitation in her movements alongside a serious expression on her face, unsheathed her sword, followed by her men.

“Tsk…DON’T YOU HEAR? FOOLS…THIS BOY IS GOING TO DIE!”— The man's hands were shivering like a cornered prey. —“Idiots! BRING THE OTHERS TOO!” — The man ordered with an agitated voice as he dripped sweat from his forehead; then a few men went inside a house behind them; and a few seconds later, more little boys and girls wearing dirty rags, appeared and as the first one, someone from behind, put a knife on their neck, threatening their lives.

Zekka’s honor said her to stop and preserve the life of those children, but her experience said another. Many of the children were crying but also had moribund expressions, meaning that they would die soon anyways if they were let here in the conditions they were living.

—“There is no other option” — Zekka thought while she glared with her gaze the dishonorable man in front of her, with a serious expression on her face. All her men somehow felt the decision which Zekka made and prepared themselves; many of them already fought together with her before, they knew her from close and they knew that their Lieutenant was doing all this for a greater good; it was a cold decision, sooner or later; someone had to make a decision. Good or bad.

A minuscule weak and almost without voice part of Zekka, deep inside her, shouted in despair wanting to save those kids no matter how; this minuscule part of her was waiting for a sudden twist of fate for those kids.

But…it never happened…because the fate was already written by her decisions.

Zekka lifted her left arm alongside her sword as she could hear — “Why?” — From some of the crying children, but she didn’t hesitate nor the slightest second as she gave the order.

“CHARGE!”— Her men rushed in silence alongside Zekka towards the criminals as the children got their throats cut and their corpses fell to the ground with a damp sound. All the Sentinels had a serious expression on their faces as they fought, these criminals were no worthy opponents, one by one they fell as their blood soaked the Sentinels’ the blades of their weapons; they were the artists of death.

Her heart throbbed restlessly, but there wasn’t any other option more than fight, Zekka knew that… but deep inside her, she felt compunction.

The leader of the criminals, seeing that their people were getting massacred by the Shrouded Sentinels, the Castanic Clan’s special forces, tried to escape but he was trapped in his own “base” on a dead end street, the only way out was through his people which were being massacred.

Quickly, Zekka seeing this rushed forward him and with all the speed, lifted her right foot back and then gave a powerful kick. Hitting him directly at his stomach feeling like a few of his ribs broke by the impetuous impact, totally ignoring his upper armor, which also broke in pieces after the impact, throwing him against a wall behind him and then fell to the dirty floor.

“Hahaha…Hahaha…”— the criminal leader laughed as he coughed blood and then sat with difficulty on the floor leaning on the wall.

Zekka gave a few steps forward, walking to where the fat man was, with both of her swords in her hands, while these were dripping blood.

The Man lifted his gaze and saw Zekka approaching with a wrapping shadowy aura around her.

“You…are a M-M-monster!” — As he tried to move his body, but it didn’t respond, paralyzed by the tenebrous Zekka’s aura.

Zekka kept walking until she was in front of him, while the fat man had a puddle beneath him of his own liquids by the overwhelming fear of death which was literally in front of him. Zekka gave him the last look with a bit of revulsion and then raised her hand alongside her sword and then pierced it on the chest of the criminal leader, giving end to his life in just a few seconds.

—“What more dishonorable way to kill someone” — Zekka thought in a sad mood as she waved her swords to clean the blood on them and then sheathed them. The dirty floor was now splattered with blood everywhere due the fierce battle which also had ended. Their mission finally came to an end.

The Lieutenant Zekka gave a deep sigh for free her body and mind of tension as she turned around to where her men were and then lifted her left fist.

“AAH!!!!!!!!!”— Zekka shouted lively while she was lifting her fist, announcing the defeat of the enemy and the final victory, immediately after, her man as she did, also lifted their fists and shouted lively with happy expression on their faces, their mission finally ended.

But Zekka didn’t feel happy at all for some reason; she felt an odd emptiness instead. Her eyes were glowing and then she started to cry involuntarily, noticing it, she quickly turned around.

“What? Why?...”— She muttered to herself as her men continued celebrating. A heavy feeling flooded her heart, forcing her to approach a hand on her chest. —“What is happening to me?”— Z asked to herself in her mind while she started to walk unnoticed by her men towards a house in front of her and then she entered without many problems, the door was so old that there was no need to force the door. After entering, she slowly closed the door while this creaked.

It was everything dark, but for some reason she felt better, she wanted to be alone with herself for a few minutes, while a few shadows moved unnoticed.

—“What is this feeling?”—Zekka though as she looked her hands at the darkness, she couldn’t see anything more than feel like her own hands were shaking. —“Why I do feel like this?”—

“Help!”— Suddenly Zekka felt a muffled and weak cry from somewhere inside the house.

Her hearth throbbed restlessly for some reason. Immediately after this, with her left hand she created a simple light magic and started to move to where the cry came from; Zekka was just at the entrance hall which was full of cobwebs and dust everywhere, reaching the living room, she managed to see a trail of blood on the dirty floor and ahead of it, there was a human girl of brown long hair and wearing some dirty rags lying on the floor.

Zekka approached to her running and then crouched next to her, and saw her dirty rags with a serious amount of blood on her back. Suddenly, the little girl woke up and moved her head with extreme difficult as she trembled.

“Wa-atch Ou…”— But the little girl couldn’t even said the complete message before fainting.

“Eh?” — Zekka thought for a few seconds when suddenly remembered. —“Fuck! I should have known that few of them would be hiding inside the houses!” — Zekka thought while she was quickly standing up and at the same time unsheathing one of her swords. But her iado wasn’t as fast as Nethaniel’s iado. Her unsheathing was halfway when she felt a stab behind her right shoulder. The pain was almost unbearable but she managed to keep the balance positioning one foot a bit further on but it was no avail. She felt her whole body more weak than normal while she could hear the steps on the creaking floor of her enemy.

“Hehehehe…You must be surprised, don’t you?”—A mocking voice and some conceited spoke to her from her back.

“Bastard…”— Zekka said with difficulty, while she was trying to stay up on her feet as her legs and body trembled.

“Hihihihahahahaha! It was so delicious to see you coming to save this trash, haihihhihi!”— The voice kept mocking of her at her back. Suddenly she couldn’t stay up on her feet anymore and fell next to the little girl.

“What can I do? What can I do?! Mhmmm…”—The voice spoke again as the steps came closer to Zekka.

She kept trying to move, proving her tenacity. But all what she accomplished, was just to tense her muscles for a second, then moved her arms trying to stand up but it was no avail, her body felt like a big rock.

“Hahaihihihi…It is useless…Hihi…You are totally paralyzed right now…mhmmm…”—Suddenly Zekka felt a cold feeling a little more below her back; it was a hand that was being displaced over her body with malice.

“Tsk…”— Zekka clenched her jaw with resignation as her vision began to blur. —“You are a m…”— Zekka stopped her own words while her heart sank in guilt. —“How can I call him a Monster? When I myself killed innocents with my actions… I… deserve this…”— Zekka thought as she gave up and closed her eyes accepting her guilty.

“Hahahahihihih lets play with your body before I kill you… hahahahihihhi” — His hand was every time more down her back, touching inadequate parts. Meanwhile the shadows moved unnoticed by both.

Suddenly, Zekka heard a damp sound of a blade being removed from a body as she felt a warm liquid on her back and then a dead corpse was thrown next to her; Zekka opened her eyes with difficulty and could hardly see how the chest of a thin man wearing a blue light armor next to her left was totally pierced.

“Lailyn! …our mission was strictly of observation!”— A female cold voice was heard by Zekka, alongside its footstep on the creaky wood floor.

“This warrior’s death would have been a waste”— Zekka heard another female soft voice, but this one was had no feelings on its tone.

A few footsteps got close to Zekka but she was still unable to move at all or even spoke now, also she was unable to see the appearances of both voices still.

“Even if you say it like that…it is wrong, you know Lhya is going to be upset by this…I don’t want to have problems with her, Lailyn!”

“She doesn’t need to know…now…”

“Ahhhh?! What?” — The cold voice got slightly irritated.—“No! No! I won’t heal her, I wo…”

“Dekarin…please…”

“Ahhhhh! Okay okay!” —The same voice sighed reluctantly and again, Zekka heard more footsteps coming closer to her. —“Eh?”

“You see, even when she got stabbed with a poisoned dagger, she is still conscious somehow…that proves my point.”—the non-feeling voice spoke again.

“Ha…all of them are so stubborn even when they are dying…if only all of you could put some of that energy on the nature…”— Zekka felt a little of weight on her back as she heard the voice closer. —“…Then maybe…all would have been different…”

Suddenly two feet wearing black low heels alongside its legs wearing black stockings appeared in front of Zekka’ sight and heard the voice with no feelings tone from above in front of her.—“You owe us one; to the Black Lotus Order, warrior… Do not waste it”

Then the dagger stabbed on her back was removed without delicacy, causing a sharp pain which made Zekka lost her conscience.

*** *** ***

—“Eh? Where I Am?” — Zekka thought to herself as her mind suddenly woke up and felt herself in an unknown place.

Zekka was wrapped in something soft and silky. Slowly she was feeling all her body as she moved it freely and then opened her eyes.

She was in a spacious white room, lying down on a light blue bed and next to it there was a commode with a vase with a black lotus on it. All this was surrounded by a green canvas curtain. Quickly she tried to stand up but immediately felt a sharp pain in her back near her shoulder, shuddering by the pain which forced her to lie back again. With her own hands, she touched her chest, noticing she had long bandages around her chest and right shoulder.

“Ah…what happened to me?”—Zekka let out a whimper as she closed her eyes and all the images came to her mind, remembering everything.

Suddenly, the curtain was hurriedly moved and millions of light beams attacked the face of Zekka…alongside a shout.

“Master!”— Zekka heard a childish female voice.

Zekka opened her eyes with difficulty by the sunlight as a little girl was looking at her with shiny eyes.

“Master!” —Someone shouted again.

—“Who is this noisy brat?”— Zekka thought as her eyes were getting suit to the light. After a few seconds, again Zekka tried to sit on the bed, this time slower. Even so, she made a hard expression on her face, trying to not show pain. After she was sat on the bed, she kept ignoring the little human girl at her side of a beautiful brown long hair.

Zekka looked at her surroundings, noticing the Lotus flower on a commode.

“You owe us one; to the Black Lotus Order, warrior…Do not waste it.”— Zekka remembered the voice on her mind upon seeing the flower.

“Notice me, Master!” — The little girl shouted for who knows how many times again.

“Hohohoho…look who has a fan! Even wounded you are full of attention, haha”— A serious voice was heard behind the little girl.

Zekka looked at the voice and exclaimed. —“Neth! I mean… Master Clan…”

“Haha don’t worry…why do you ignore this little one?” —Nethaniel asked as he looked at Zekka with a smile, he was wearing his usual armor as always.

Zekka slightly blushed as she looked down to her clothes, they weren’t good at all. She was just wearing a white shirt.

“Hahaha! This is unique, the toughest soldier blu… ahhhg!”— Nethaniel cried in false pain as the little girl hit him.

“Don’t laugh of my Master!”— The little girl shouted as she bulked her cheeks. This human girl had about just twelve years old and she was wearing a one piece white dress, but under it, she had many bandages surrounding her body.

“Hahahahaha…”— Zekka laughed.

“I think both of you are alright and with a lot of energy haha”— Nethaniel said with a smile.

“Do you know what is it the Black Lotus Order?”—Zekka asked straight with a serious tone as the smile on Nethaniel’s face disappeared and the little girl looked at both confused. Nethaniel looked directly into the eyes of Zekka with a serious expression on his face, as if the explanation was complicated. There was a tense moment of silence while the little girl moved her head side to side, looking at Nethaniel and Zekka who were looking at each other with hard expressions on their faces.

“I don’t know much Zekka, and it’s better to leave it how it is”

“Why? They sav…”— Zekka was going to complain but Nethaniel interrupted her with an enigmatic tone.

“Never forget, they're spirits made flesh and they know and see things what they shouldn’t, it is better to not be in their way; the last time when he did stand on their way, we hardly got out of it”— Nethaniel said as he closed his eyes for a few seconds.

“I don’t understand, why did they save me then?…”— The Lieutenant Zekka said as she also closed her eyes and clenched her fists alongside the white bed sheets.

“You don’t need to… and in what concerns me, you accomplished your mission and saved thousands of people plus a good fan of yours as I see haha…your soldiers are waiting for you; get well soon, Lieutenant Zekka”— Nethaniel said with a proud voice as he looked at Zekka with a smile again, Zekka didn’t answer and just smiled back.

“Ehh?? Oh… I get it now! You both are a couple! I see I see!” — The little human girl said excitedly doing a single clap.

Zekka’s eyes widened abruptly as she looked at the little girl, Nethaniel noticing it, he left without saying anything with a smile on his face.

“Hey, noisy little one, what’s your name?” —She said with a sinister smile.

“Master! Master noticed me!”— The little girl smiled happily as her greyish eyes shone and then added—“My name is Luna! Ehmmm… Ehmm… I am not good with swords but…I am willing to learn!”— She spoke with energy in a childish tone.

“I see…Luna…well... the best sword master had just left…”

“EH? Nononono… I want to learn from you!” — Luna said with both hands on her chest.

“What makes you think that I will?”— Zekka asked with a serious expression on her face, looking at Luna with an unfriendly face.

“Eh…Eh…”— Luna hesitated as she felt an odd pressure on all her body, and then her body started to shake, but even so she answered evidencing her strong will. — “Because…I want to save people like you!”

Again, like that time when Zekka heard the cry for help, her heart started to throb restlessly.

Luna’s eyes were shining, about to cry when Zekka answered after a short sigh.

“Well, you proved your worth after resisting my mean look for a few seconds…but only until I leave Velika, which can be…in any moment, who knows…Neth is so…”— But her explanation was interrupted by Luna who stopped listening after “proved your worth”.

“Ehhhh! Yeeeey! Really?! Okay! I will do my best Master, I will never fail you, I promise it!”— Luna was shouting in happiness as she was interrupted by Zekka. —“Yeey Yeey Yeey”— Luna kept celebrating, as she jumped on Zekka and hugged her.

“THEN YOUR FIRST LESSON IS, DON’T INTERRUMPT ME!” — Zekka shouted to Luna with a serious face, but Luna just laughed.

—“This is going to be a really hard and long way…”— Zekka said in her mind as she gave up and also started to laugh.

At the same time while the Pora Elinu forces were fighting the Enlighten Union forces, the Princess Caut and the cavalry were making their way towards the Free Traders Hall and the Nethaniel’s group alongside Zekka were going to reinforce the main containment line; there was other situation happening at the same time, intertwining between them and establishing an unknown future for them, forging lives at the same times other extinguished.

In the other side of Arborea, the Nightmare Realm, where the darkness and demons reigned; there was a weak particle which differed and excelled in the dark, often confused with a light but it wasn’t; it was just an attenuated darkness of a crimson color.

Inside a huge city surrounded by high and long black walls, all its buildings had gothic designs with crimson colored windows. All these were also surrounded by an apparently infinite desert of black sand which was crossed by a lake of turquoise crystalline water. This lake was near the gothic city and was known as “Lake of Tears”, or also known as the “Sacred Lake” where the Goddess Elinu cried when she saw the darkness of the world and then hid her creations.

In the city, in an open place surrounded by dark buildings of a gothic architecture, there was two Elins fiercely fighting under the crimson sky and the light of the static moon of a brilliant light blue, while at their surroundings there were dozens of corpses lying on the floor of rough black tiles; who apparently fell fighting one of that two Elin.

One of the Elin had long red hair, purple eyes and was wearing a long brown tunic covering all her body and simple purple shoes, with to red magic blades coming out of her writs, and the other Elin of pale skin tone was wearing a fully dark-black sanguine dress with two small black wings, alongside armored black gauntlets with pointy fingers, black stockings and black low heels. She wasn’t carrying any weapon; she was just evading every attack of the red haired Elin with a perfect timing, as if she could read the movements of her enemy long before this would make them.

“You have got faster, Sayune” — The Elin spoke without a shred of fatigue with a non-feeling tone on her voice, alike her light blue eyes while she was evading. On the other hand, she had a black short hair with two black cougar ears, and on her left arm she had a black band wrapping her arm which had white letters on the surface: “Black Lotus Order”.

“I have been training, Lailyn!”— Sayune spoke while she was breathing a little agitated as she moved her arms quickly towards Lailyn. Both were expelling strong power auras around them as they fought in an incredible dynamic fight. Lailyn used her own palms several times to divert Sayune’s blade attacks.

Suddenly, the aura of Sayune disappeared entirely while they were fighting, and a few seconds after that, Sayune managed to land a kick on the stomach of Lailyn. She upon receiving the hit leaped backwards swiftly to deaden the hit.

Sayune slightly smiled after winning a little time to breathe and recompose herself; both were separated by a few meters, facing each other. The shoulders of Sayune moved up and down in short but quick intervals, showing her weariness while a drop of sweat slid down her forehead.

Meanwhile Lailyn showed not the slightest sign of exhaustion.

Lailyn was staring at her as she stood with both of her stubs marginally touching making a 45 degree angle with her feet, with the right arm folded and the left arm slightly lifted as her left fist next to her face, was semi-clenched while she had the two first fingers of her left hand lifted, almost touching her pale red lips. It was a typical position of her Order, the Black Lotus, which was composed by stealthy assassins or more known as Ninjas among them. Her expression on her face or her voice tone never changed, ever; even after all her comrades’ fell she stood calmly and fought Sayune almost perfectly, with refined movements.

“Interesting ability, Sayune”— Lailyn said without any emotion.

“Seems like I found your weakness”

There was no response back more than silence. After a few seconds, from a brief dark purple-black smoke between the two lifted fingers of her left hand, Lailyn summoned a small shuriken and closed her eyes.

“You are already dead; you just don’t know it yet”— Lailyn said as she opened her eyes, broke her pose and threw three shurikens aiming for Sayune’s chest.

Sayune, who was still trying to recover as much as she could, leaped backwards evading narrowly avoiding the shurikens, which got struck on the black tiles, and then suddenly saw how Lailyn in front of disappeared and when Sayune just landed of her leap, she heard the soft whisper of Lailyn at her back while near her neck she had the blade of a scythe almost cutting her throat.

“Check mate, Timeless Wizard”

“I suppose that I lost”— Sayune said as she un-summoned her magic blades.

The decision was about to be made by her scythe when suddenly Lailyn heard a mandatory voice ahead of her.

“It’s enough Lailyn”

“Yes, my lady Lhya”— Lailyn answered immediately as her scythe near Sayune’s neck faded away in black-purple smoke alongside her; and then she appeared behind, next to Lhya with her ninja pose with her eyes closed. Suddenly, all the Elin corpses with different injuries started to blaze with a dark-purple color fire from their wounds and then stood up as nothing happened.

“Sorry, my Princess, we failed in our try to stop the Timeless Wizard”— one of them said with a soft severe voice.

“It is all good, it was a good training”

“We are moving out to our respective positions then, the natives are a little nervous by the presence of the Timeless Wizard, I will report back when we have the situation under control”— After saying this, this Elin alongside the others faded away in black-purple smoke leaving no trace of their presence. The static moon kept shining as the ambient became tenser.

“What do you want? Timeless Wizard; you are not more than a headache here, you know what do you provoke when you come”— Lhya spoke testily.

“I need you to help your Mother, Lhya; something bigger than you and me is coming soon, and if we…”

“I don’t care about your mad prophecies, Sayune”

“But…I have li…seen it! You must belie…”—Sayune was curtly interrupted by Lhya

“Let me tell you something, even if they are all true, I won’t help, the outer world just saw us as monsters even after all what we did for them in the Argon War, saving thousands and then those gave us the back, pointing us as monsters. If the world is going to burn, then so be it; I will find my own way to save my people”— Lhya spoke sternly as she stared angrily at Sayune.

“It is something bigger than you and me. Lhya! Please…”— Sayune kept insisting as she gave a step forward, immediately Lailyn opened her eyes, ready to attack; but Lhya made a slight gesture with her hand and she closed her eyes again.

“You are in the wrong place if you want help, now forgive me, there are more important matters going on now, good bye”— Lhya lifted her hand and murmured something.

Under Sayune, a red arcane pentagon appeared and started to fade her away slowly. Sayune didn’t say anything, as she looked at Lhya, with hope that she would understand before it was too late.

Velika, Freedom Plaza.

It was an open rectangular place surrounded by economic buildings, such as banks and several trading posts, used to be crowed of people, but now there were just two armies standing at each extreme of the plaza, while between them there was nothing else more broken crates, dead civilians corpses and other signs of destruction over the white-cream floor.

Zekka was kneeling on the floor, as she had a corpse pierced by a half of a spear on her arms with her eyes abruptly opened, sobbing as she fiercely bellowed. The twists of fate are never what we expect, ever.

Five minutes earlier.

The Shrouded Sentinels were watching as the Enlighten Union forces were bringing captured civilians, then they knelt down on the floor and then severely executed. One by one, the civilians were being killed, trying to provoke the Castanic soldiers, but these didn’t even flinch, since the atrocities which mostly of them saw in the Argon War, were far worse than this, but the inexperienced ones, like the volunteers of the academies, which were mostly students, were puking, others fainting and even some others tried to rush towards the enemy, but they were quickly stopped by the veterans Sentinels.

Nethaniel’s group alongside Zekka were already there, when the executions started to happen; Nethaniel and Zekka just stood watching with serious expression on their faces while they were leading the formations of just two thousands men army, but Bready, Mech, Sinac and Lyns were clenching their fists as they saw every execution without being able to do something. The atmosphere was far more than just tension, but they also knew that they wouldn’t stand a chance if they try to fight the Enlighten Union, which were around six thousands.

It was as if the Enlighten Union soldiers were laughing of them, laughing of their inability to do anything. Bready, Lyns, Mech and Sinac felt like if the life were slapping them on their faces telling them: “You cannot save everyone”.

It was hard to understand, and even harder to bear for them.

—“Why we would prepare us so much? If when the time comes, we can never save what we want” —Bready thought in his mind.

—“What do I achieve knowing so much? If I don’t know what to do now” — Lyns thought in his mind as he saw another civilian getting executed.

Those were a few thoughts which were going on the minds of our heroes, seeing themselves unable to do anything, when they suddenly heard a childish voice.

“Let me go!”— A little human girl of brown hair shouted without fear as she struggled with a EU soldier. —“My master is going to save and kick the asses of all of you!” — Again, she shouted, followed by laughs.

The soldier kept struggling with her, until he succeeded in subduing making the little girl knelt down on the floor.

“Luna!”— Zekka shouted and quickly, the little girl turned around, her clothes were all dirty and she had some bruises on her face, showing that she hadn’t been captured easily.

“Master!”—Luna cried as she stood up and at the same time hit the soldiers on his crotch, and then started running towards Zekka with her eyes crying, since she couldn’t hold any longer.

The little girl kept running towards Zekka, everyone was watching with eyes filled of hope, but then all this changed to surprise and then anger, even the most veterans clenched their jaws.

From behind, an enemy soldier took a spear and then threw it with all his forces. The spear traveled doing a semi-circle trajectory and pierced the back and then the chest of Luna.

“Ahhhhhhhh!”— Luna cried in pain as came out a mouthful of blood from her mouth, all her body started to fell, but was stopped by the spear. Luna kept trying to move, as she broke part of the spear, and then kept walking moribund.

“Master… I have…failed you…”— Luna said as her voice echoed through the plaza. The eyes of Zekka were involuntarily crying as her heart flooded by a sharp pain.

“Luna! Noooo!”— Zekka cried as she ran towards Luna and took her body and then knelt down. All the Sentinels, the Nethaniel’s group and volunteers were watching the emotional scene with a lump in the throat.

“Luna Luna Luna Luna”— Zekka repeated the name of her student many more times as she had her body in her arms. Her hands were quickly soaked with blood while Luna’s eyes were shining, filled with tears.

“M-Master…don’t be so noisy…”— Luna smiled as she lifted one of her hands with difficulty and then touched the hands of Zekka.

“Do…do not talk Luna, everything is going to be alright ok…you are going to…to get out of this…ok?”— Zekka spoke with a tearful voice as her tears fell on the body of Luna.

“Haha…”— Luna had a trickle of blood streaming down her cheek as the blood on her chest kept going out.—“Master…thanks you…”

“Shh…Don’t…”— Zekka couldn’t finish her words as she was interrupted by Luna, who had a strong will even when she...

“…for…saving me…”— Luna smiled for the last time and then Luna’s hand fell to the floor lifeless as the gleam in her eyes vanished.

“No nononononono no NOOO!”—The crying Zekka became louder as all her army looked down in silence, clenching their jaws and fists. —“Don’t leave don’t leave me, PLEASE DON’T”— Zekka sobbed as she hugged the dead body of Luna as she rocked.—“Ahhhhhh! Ahhhh! LUNAAA!” — Zekka shouted heartbreakingly.

Nethaniel was looking at Zekka with a sad expression on his face —“The most difficult part of being a Master is when you must let go your student, you will understand when you have one by yourself”— Nethaniel remembered the words of his father and somehow understood the pain of Zekka and then looked forward and shouted.

“Get ready!”— Immediately after Nethaniel’s order, the perfect unison sound of swords and other types of weapons unsheathing, echoed through the plaza. While Zekka let the corpse of Luna on the floor with delicacy, got up and then she was enwrapped by a massive and slightly visible red aura around her, while around her left eye, appeared a tattoo; which was gleaming of a red color. She moved her right arm backwards for a second, making the aura also surround her soldiers which also near their eyes, appeared the same tattoo gleaming, and then she unsheathed both of her swords, walking threateningly towards the Enlighten Union forces.

Meanwhile, Nethaniel shouted his next order.

“Chargeeee!”— Then the Shrouded Sentinels alongside Nethaniel’s group and the volunteers, rushed towards the enemy shouting for all the emotions that had held until then. Everyone knew that it was a mistake to rush the enemy forces in such disadvantage, but none cared, it was a bigger mistake stand idly doing nothing.

Author's Notes: Hello everyone! I am really excited by alot of things! Well, first, a really mega giga ultra big thanks you to all of you! Since we reached 100 views!! I know it is not much but it means alot for me so I tryed to do the best in this chapter , I put alot of emotion on this chapter, also I am excited because this chapter is totally "new" for me, but I feel really good about it and I enjoyed alot writting it!

On the other part, about the time which a new chapter is going to be released. Well, thigns are getting really long in terms of writting as you can compare with hte firsts chapters, also add to that, the heavy revieweing which I try to do before uploading, even after all that heavy typo/grammar/and more reviewing, I still miss some stuff, but thats part of the game right? haha. So I will be uploading every 2 weeks a new chapter, while I keep heavily revieweing the older chapters and fix anything that it must be fixed and also writte the new chapter. But dont worry! I can handle it, np <3