Gareth bandaged his cheek to cover the diagonal scratch he had ignored since the beginning of the fight. His mind replayed the earlier events, causing him to shudder from the suddenness of it all. They were woefully unprepared for such an occurrence, despite the heavy presence of the supposed Egerian detail.

They practically wet themselves at the sight of the Fractured, and instead of working together, exacerbated the situation with their poor discipline of the arcane arts. If they were truly the best the capital city had to offer, then it would soon fall with time. A pang of guilt twisted his stomach, and he put a hand on his forehead as he thought of Roland’s warnings. Though he had not seen with absolute certainty, he was sure they came from the cave.

He had no choice but to believe it, after such a terrifying encounter from which they were lucky to have survived. He glanced over at the sleeping Lucan, covered in wrappings and bandages from head to toe. Though much older, he aggressively pushed back the beasts and led the charge, ensuring their chance at escape despite the grave risk to himself. Turning away, he exited, closing the door behind him to allow his senior to rest undisturbed.

Sitting at a quaint wooden table on the opposite side of the room was Rami, who locked eyes with the sullen warrior upon looking up, and began to approach him. Gareth held out a hand to have him stay seated, as he walked to the table and took a seat on the rickety chair across from him.

“How’s he doing?”

“Decent, he's resting up for now. We’re lucky he was out there, or we might not have come back.”

The two sat in silence, reflecting on the events that came to pass. Flashes of the ambush made him tense, and his leg shook repeatedly as if he was raring to go. With his mind swimming, he decided to break the quiet to distract himself.

“By the way, if you don’t mind me asking. Ellie or that’s what she said to call her, what’s her deal?”

His sudden question prompted a raised brow from Gareth.

“Her deal? Meaning?”

“I’m just a bit curious. I saw you hand her your sword and she was pretty reluctant to take it. You seem pretty familiar with her. Is she gonna be okay? With her being… y’know, lightless and all.”

Gareth scrutinized his expression, searching for motive and sincerity. Determining that he had no ill intent in his eyes, he relaxed and decided to tell him.

“She will. She might not be a wielder, but she’s smart, adaptable, and above all, persistent.”

“I guess I gotta believe you," he said with a grin. "After all, she was on my team for a bit. Although, when she saw the Fractured, she seemed so scared."

He put one of his arms on the chair while leaning back. It creaked under him but nonetheless supported his weight.

“I mean, we both know first-hand how intimidating they are, but she looked like she was legitimately terrified, which doesn’t really match up with her attitude. Especially after taking down a big guy like Cannibal Tiger. Did something happen to her?”

A memory of a younger Auriel quickly flashed in his mind. A forlorn expression was evident upon her face, and her eyes were lifeless and dull as if all light had been taken from her. His lids lowered slightly as he prepared his response.

“Hmm… Sorry, but it’s not really my story to tell, y’know?”

“Fair enough I guess,” he replied, leaning forward.

“What I can say though, is that with whatever she’s been and is still going through, she won’t let it stop her from doing what she needs to do.”

~X~

The lengthy battle continued in the dead of night. III shot several light arrows that pierced the Alpha deeply, then cut through its transforming appendages with her laser bowstring when they got too close, while Aram threw a barrage of his swords from a distance, and Roland moved in close to deal heavy damage with his vibrant sword, oscillating with wind as he slashed away. The Fractured deflected Aram’s swords, but in the moment of its broken focus, Roland impaled it with a powerful upward thrust, the tip of the blade protruding through its upper back. He tugged to remove it but was forced to back away when he noticed the creature’s claws reaching for him. Standing next to the other two, he watched it struggle to remove the sword. Breathing heavily, he turned to his comrades in arms.

“Faring well, you two?”

“Surviving so far,” grunted Aram.

“I’m decent, but I need a break.”

The body of the mighty Alpha shook rapidly, then began to split at the head, causing III to shudder. Each arm grabbed a side of its head, then violently ripped itself in two down to its waist, releasing the sword from its wound. They watched in disgust as the wretched innards fell out momentarily, and instead of plugging them back in, the sides turned away and pulled aggressively, completing the bisection. At first leaking blood and guts, each side seemed to recall them back into itself and formed into two whole Alphas. Beholding the sight, III cringed.

“… And now we need a miracle.”

“Are you going to pray for divine intervention?” scoffed Roland in amusement.

“Honestly, I might if it meant getting this over with, but there’s no way something like that is gonna fall right out of the sky.”

Baring their fangs, the Alphas rushed towards the warriors when two powerful beams of light rained down from the heavens, burning and forcing them backward. When she recognized the two figures stepping out of the lights, III gave a sigh of relief and smiled a little. A bewildered Aram raised his swords.

“Anyone care to explain what's actually going on here?”

“You can relax, they’re with me.”

Walking with her head held high, Number II approached III.

“Number III. I do believe I told you to keep them out of the settlement, yes?”

“II, I swear to you, it’s not my fault this time," she said as she took a seat. “Now if you don’t mind, I think I’ll sit out the rest of this one.”

“Hmph. I suppose you’ve earned your rest. I suggest the same for your… associates.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” conferred Roland as he also sat. “The floor is yours.”

VI had her attention on the Alphas, using a device on her helmet to scan them from head to toe. She took out a small floating keyboard from under her cloak, typing information that appeared on a screen projected in front of her.

“Interesting. This appears to be a *P-type Fractured. Be careful not to damage the crystal when it’s vanquished.” She returned her small keyboard to its compartment as she spoke to II. “It should prove useful for my research.”

The fearsome two screeched and shrieked at the new arrivals as if they were wild animals disputing territory. They shot several spikes at them, but a white ice shield appears in thin air, deflecting the spikes. VI had her arm outstretched, and her hand glowed with the same blue ring of energy around the shield.

“Patience, creatures. You will be dealt with in time.”

“Careful boss. They’re pretty durable and can multiply apparently," relayed III, giving a thumbs up. “Good luck though.”

“Understood.”

II stretched out her left arm, and within her hand, sparks of light gathered at the center before summoning a short sword with a transparent blade, light shining from within. VI released a small white orb that emitted a strong light. It flew up into the sky and stopped above them, then began to shine brightly, lighting the area as if it was daytime. She then released a small tetrahedron that hovered in the vicinity between II and the Alphas.

“It’s been a while since we came across this type, so I’ll be capturing the combat data. For academic purposes, of course.”

“If you must.”

II swiped the air with her sword, sending a shockwave that partially knocked the creatures of balance. Assuming her stance, she prepared for the first strike.

"Come," she taunted the creatures, while behind her visor, her eyes had an apparent golden glow on them.

With deafening roars, the Alphas went down on all fours and ran straight for her. She held her ground, unmoving, and when they were within range, sent them flying in the air in the blink of an eye. Though they struck the ground with tremendous force, they recovered quickly and moved cautiously towards her, opting to shoot a handful of spikes instead. The spikes sailed through the air with incredible speed, but the proud warrior deflected every single one, with nary a hair out of place.

Her resistance angered the foul creatures, as they shot out dozens more and ran towards her from opposite angles, turning their claws into blades for a pincer attack. The blade of II’s sword shined brighter, and she slashed rapidly, cutting through each and every one of the spikes, which burst into small red mist clouds. Having reached her, the two Fractured attempted to slice her from behind and in front, but she caught both of their attacks, one blocked with her sword held in a reverse grip, and the other with her free hand. Aram’s face lit up in amazement, something that entertained Roland.

“Glad she’s on our side.”

“Yeah, she means business.”

II sliced through the blade of the Alpha in front of her and severed its arm. As it screeched in pain, she turned, still holding the blade of the other, but before she could cut through it, it jumped to the other and recombined with it, to recreate its original entity. The Alpha regenerated its severed limb, growling lowly as it stared her down.

“Oh? Looks like you want to get this over with.”

The beast was furious. It sprouted tentacles tipped with spikes and whipped them at the nimble warrior, but yet again she evaded every single strike. In apparent desperation, it stretched wide its gaping maw, revealing razor-sharp teeth and a serpentine blue tongue. Stretching until breaking its jaws, it began gathering energy for a final attack.

Seeing this, she sprinted to her foe, dodging the tentacles and disappearing. Aram and Roland looked around to locate her when III and VI pointed upwards. They saw her high in the air, raising her blade above her as she prepared a mighty blow. Controlling her momentum, she spun downwards so quickly that she bisected the creature in clean cuts. The halves reconnected, but she wouldn’t give it the opportunity to further recover.

"Behold, your end."

Her blade became lit with powerful and intense flames with which she carved up her foe, cutting through its chest and ribs until she exposed the jewel, center mass. She forcefully removed it from the Alpha and walked away. In its death throes, it tried grabbing her, but she turned and swung her blade, destroying the beast once and for all.

~X~

In a small, square room lit by a soft light lay Auriel, sleeping soundly. The Commander sat by the door across from her, reading a book bound in leather. It appeared ancient as if it was a historic tome, and on the cover was a large 'X', beneath which was the title of the author, 'Azriel, Great Augur of Visai'. Behind his golden mask, the Commander's amber eyes lingered on the last line of a peculiar passage. He repeated it in his mind.

"Unless saved by Heaven’s Might, They will face Eternal Night"

He sat back in his chair as he contemplated the line. An ominously ambiguous and somehow straightforward line, the significance of which he did not understand, yet he knew it held significance. As far as history was concerned, it seemed almost paradoxical.

"'Saved' by Heaven's Might? Is this someone's idea of a joke?" He thought.

As Auriel began to stir, he decided to close his book, when he couldn't help but notice dark markings that repeatedly appeared and disappeared on her hands.

"So that's your story huh. How curious."

As she awakened, her hazy vision made it difficult to make ascertain her surroundings. She saw a blurry figure to her side and sat up quickly, though she ended up wincing. She held her lower abdomen but noticed her wounds covered in bandages. The commander put up his hand to stop her from moving around too much.

“Take it easy. your wounds aren’t life-threatening, but you’re still recovering.”

Realizing she was in a gown, her face became flushed. She wrapped the sheets around her and grabbed a spoon from the nearby food tray, pointing it at him furiously.

“Whoa! Easy now!” he said, setting down the book and holding up both hands.

“W- where are my clothes?! And my things?!”

He pointed to the side of the bed, showing her the neat pile. “I assure you; my medical staff is quite professional”

She peered over cautiously to verify her things, looking back at the Commander to ensure he hadn't made a move. Grabbing her sword first, she unsheathed and pointed it at the commander. Right then a middle-aged woman in a medical uniform walked in with a cart filled with food. On the top of her right breast pocket was what seemed to be a name tag with the initials 'CB'. She had curly brown hair that sat mostly to one side, and her dark brown eyes beamed with energy. Though she had a few lines on her face, her rich brown skin was unblemished. Hungry and caught off guard, Auriel slowly lowered the sword.

“Ah, young people sure have energy to spare.” A sour look on her face appeared when she looked at the commander. “Again? Stop eating people’s food," she scolded, hitting him with a rag from her shoulder. "No wonder she was ready to cut you up!”

He couldn't help but laugh nervously.

“Sorry, I got hungry waiting for her to wake up.”

“Here, I brought more.” With a smile, she handed a plate to the starving young warrior.

She was reluctant at first until her stomach rumbled. Putting away her sword and accepting it, she sat on the edge of the bed as she prepared to eat. It was a meal of fried fish accompanied with two balls of fried dough and a section of the plate glazed with a peculiar sauce. She dove in, surprised by the tangy taste of the sauce on the fish, and had a smile on her face as she continued, eating quietly. The commander cleared his throat to break the silence.

“I suppose we should be good now.”

“Uhm. Thank you…”

“You’re very welcome," replied the lady as she exited.

“Feeling better?”

“I think so.”

She set down her utensils, then paused as she looked around her surroundings.

“So uh… who are you, and what is this place?”

"Ah, that’s right, we haven’t been properly acquainted.” He gestured with arms wide open. "We are at Oceanus, the forward operating base of my organization named Astral. You can call me Galen. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He offered his gloved hand for a shake, which she accepted.

“Auriel, from Genesis.” At the utterance of the village's name, her eyes widened as she remembered her situation. “The village! I have to go back, they’re still fighting!”

She attempted to rise, but Galen put his hand back up to stop her.

“No need to worry. Besides III who I’m sure you’ve already met, there are two others there now. Your home is in good hands.”

Relaxed by the news, she sat back in the bed. “I see.”

A sudden chill caused her to have goosebumps, and she shivered, holding herself for warmth. “It’s pretty cold in here!” She looked over at her tattered clothing with uncertainty, when he offered her assistance.

"Ah, I can help with that.”

~X~

Changing into one of the military uniforms provided, Auriel soon returned to the room.

“I trust it’s a proper fit?”

"The outer uniform yes, the underclothing is a bit form-fitting. So maybe if you were an exhibitionist or something.”

“There's a purpose to the design," he asserted. "Don’t get the wrong idea.”

"If you say so." -Stretching her arms, Auriel tested out the range of motion. “It’ll do for now I guess.”

“Indeed. Now, this might be sudden, but there are things we need to discuss, to better clarify your arrival here, and potential future. If you’re ready, we can begin.”

She momentarily turned away, processing everything she had so recently experienced. She glanced once more over the room, then back to Galen. “First of all, thanks for patching me up.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Second. I’ve got a million questions, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to save the chat for after I’ve returned to Genesis. I might not be in the best shape to fight, but I need to be there to see that everyone is okay.”

Seeing the determination in her eyes, he acquiesced. “Very well then. Follow me this way.”

They returned to the courtyard, lined with soldiers. From his jacket, Galen removed a metallic star, tossing it out as it transformed into an aerial vehicle, then jumping in the pilot seat.

“Whoa! We’re gonna fly back in that? Is it safe?”

Laughing he responded, “I take it the ride here wasn’t the best. Don’t worry, it’s safe.”

Auriel entered the back seat and followed Galen’s prompts to get strapped in. Activated, their flying vehicle was covered in a translucent white aura, and they lifted off. Her eyes widened with wonder, seeing the vastness of space around them through the windows. Galen conducted a quick fly-by, showing her the exterior appearance of the facility. She was in awe of the sheer size of it, a massive construct floating there in space. Her eyes fill with the wondrous luminosity of the heavens: stellar bodies of brilliant colors, icy, cloud-like structures stretching into the beyond, and distant twinkling stars.

“How did you build such a thing among the stars?” she asked him incredulously, excited at the magnificent view.

"Patience, effort, and most importantly, support.”

A wide smile came across her face but was soon interrupted when she noticed their destination: a small planetoid with a thin layer of dark energy encircling it.

“Where is this?”

“Don’t recognize it? That’s home. That's *Avernus.”

“It is?! How is this possible? What’s that dark band around it?”

"That one requires a more in-depth explanation. We’ll talk about it in good time. For now, let’s focus on getting you back.”

The engine roared loudly, and they continued on the final stretch of their return journey.

~End of Chapter~

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~Notes~

*P-type Fractured: Official term for the Alpha.

*Avernus: A peninsular realm that is home to a mixture of peoples, primarily the Homo Aquaticus Tribe. Genesis lies on the southernmost tip.