BETWEEN THE SHADOWS
An epic and ambitious English project by Ethereal Fury. And a great thanks to Ifalna for the title
(Please note that all this is background information and, whilst helpful, is not essential to understanding the story. Feel free to skip it if you want, though I have spent quite a while writing this, so I would appreciate you reading it)
Synopsis:
Zephyr is the stoic young prodigy of the elite Zion Akademy of Espionage and the Battle Arts, a youth with a tragic past and a secret mission to assassinate the President of his country. Aurora is the beautiful and spirited girlfriend of his fellow gunbladesman and nemesis Reed, a worthy ZEG candidate and consummate ladies' man. A serendipitous twist of fate brings them together and their instantaneous teenage attraction evolves into a deeper and intricately sensual game of emotional cat-and-mouse that threatens to imperil Zephyr's deadly mission. As the days to the assassination wind down and their involuntary relationship grows forbiddingly close, can Aurora change Zephyr's mind?
The Characters:
Zephyr Leonstrife—The young seventeen-year-old protagonist of this story. Surrounded by an
alluringly mysterious aura and a shield of indifference, little more than what he explicitly reveals is known about him, though through his ever-sarcastic inner voice we catch glimpses of his true psyche. Taciturn, aloof, and seemingly unfeeling, Zephyr is the unprecedented 'wonderboy' of the Zion Akademy, a military school dedicated to training recruits for the elite and secretive organization ZEG, and an indisputable specialist with the mystical gunblade. A turbulent past he'd rather forget and his one weak spot—his sister Storm—lead Zephyr to undertake a perilous assassination mission through which he unwittingly meets the striking Aurora—Reed's sweetheart— whose stunning radiance and candid frankness turn his world upside down and threaten to discredit everything he's ever believed in. Little does he know that his mission will prove to be far more than he bargained for.
Reed Lockheart—At seventeen, Reed is every Akademy girl's dream and boy's nightmare. Ruggedly good looking, charming, and incessantly flirtatious he is popular even amongst the female Akademy Instructors, facet he uses to obtain good grades without studying. He is a naturally talented fighter with a deadly sniper's aim and skill with the gunblade surpassed only by his rival Zephyr, his sole competitor for Akademy supremacy. With a penchant for trouble and a philosophy to break every possible Akademy rule, many see Reed's entrance to the obedience-demanding ZEG as an impossibility. Honoring his reputation as the institution's resident ladies' man, Akademy life for Reed consists of clandestine parties, daring late-night escapades, verbal spars with Instructor Brendyn Blade, and an interminable procession of women through his bed, despite his four-month relationship with the coveted Aurora. When he is commended the critical task of preventing an assassination, he is thrust into the raging personal feud Zephyr, too, finds himself entangled in. With the knowledge that their country is under threat, will Zephyr and Reed—rivals since the beginning of time— unite to save it?
Aurora ? – Reed's beautiful, spunky, and somewhat rebellious girlfriend of four months. As the only daughter of a widowed rich and powerful man, the strict controls placed upon her life have driven her to seek solace from the monotony of rich life in the raucous halls of the Akademy and the charming flattery of Reed's company, despite his recurrent infidelities. Her presence at the Presidential reelection reception fatefully crosses her path with Zephyr's, whose apparent callousness and reticence—along with his chiseled good looks— act as the forceful magnets of her inextricable attraction. Albeit both are mutually sure that they are wrong for each other, circumstances continuously fling them together so that their attempts at combating their unequivocal magnetism serve only to bring them threateningly close. After astounding revelations about both youths shake their individual worlds, can Aurora be the one to change Zephyr's mind about his deadly mission?
Brendyn Blade—Young, beautiful, brilliant, and successful; at only nineteen, the distant and icy Brendyn has become an important member of ZEG's top-secret Intelligence Team, as well as a valued Akademy Instructor and Head of Technology. Worshipped by many a male student and fellow faculty who pledge their eternal love and vie with each other for an unattainable date, the frosty young Instructor can boast of an extensive and obsessive fan club and a surging popularity within the Akademy. With her eye set on the lonesome Zephyr, however, every request for a date has been politely rejected in an unconscious wait for him to graduate into ZEG and take notice of her attraction. Serious and focused on her work, it is seldom she leaves the confines of her research laboratory for social purposes. Assigned a mission with her least favorite student Reed, the only one with the audacity to incur her feared wrath with his constant insolence and disrespect, she learns as they race against the clock that behind his cockiness and irreverence lies an astute young man she can actually grow to like. Will friction between the two turn to sparks, even if Reed is her student?
The Places:
In the distant planet of Terra, seven countries exist:
Democratic Republic of Zanark: Known more commonly as simply 'Zanark', this expansive country sits amidst the serene oceans of eastern Terra. Its capital Zion, the 'city by the sea' with its infamous alleyways, plays host to the yearly meetings of the Council of the Seven Nations, a high-profile gathering of the political figures of Terra's seven countries to discuss trade and military endeavors as well as each nation's individual standing. As the most technologically advanced-- feat achieved through the migration of talented scientists to the nation in the wake of the Zanark-Aerith war-- and politically stable of the seven nations, the President of Zanark also presides the Council and can exert an invaluable influence over its decisions. Resentful of the nigh-absolute power of the Zanarkist President, virtually the most powerful man alive, many disgruntled political leaders, mainly from the nearby land of Aerith, conspire together to topple Zanark and rearrange Terran hierarchy. As a result, the Zanarkist President's life is often at risk, but despite repeated assassination attempts, President Decan Jecht continues to preside over the Council and work towards the de-militarization of the tumultuous country of Aerith. Zion also serves as the headquarters of the elite espionage-mercenary force ZEG, which-- with its base at the Zion Akademy for Espionage and the Battle Arts-- dispatches agents worldwide to ensure national stability.
Official Language: Zanarkish, the flowing, melodic tongue spoken by the kings of old who settled and governed the land until its shift to democracy prior to the Zanark-Aerith War twenty two years ago. Several sub-dialects may be spoken in the more remote areas of the country, but media broadcasting and education are only in Zanarkish.
Currency: Zanarkads, the strongest currency in Terra.
United Dukedoms of Aerith: A feuding nation steeped in a bloody civil war, located in the turbulent northwestern seas of Terra. Originally, Aerith was a collection of ten individual dukedoms with a classical feudal system, each of which was ruled by its founding Duke, who established laws and economic structure as he pleased. The 'Dukes' were once top officials in the Zanarkist Royal Army, exiled to the barren 'western continent' after a brutal and costly disastrous military campaign against the mountainous nation of Duragon that had threatened established Zanarkist boundaries. Each Dukedom vied and competed with the others for resources and prestige, so they all harbored powerful militias for defense from each other and foreign threat. The Dukedoms lived in relative seclusion, structuring themselves as they pleased for many centuries until the dashing young descendant of the Duke of Galia (one of the most powerful) concocted the bold plan of unification to contend the might of Zanark. He waged a successful military campaign that placed all ten dukedoms under his control, naming the newly-formed country 'Aerith'-- or 'united' in the archaic dialect of Thith, the smallest of the dukedoms. With the military might of the ten dukedoms combined, Aerith launched and ambitious offensive against the powerful Zanark in what came to be known as the Zanark-Aerith War. The surprise defeat plunged the young nation into civil war, as war reparations proved too much for the budding economy, and the strict Council controls prevented growth. Some hungry and restless rebels, longing for the glory Aerith had seen in times of old, incited violent uprisings as citizens tried to reclaim their dukedoms. Others blamed Zanark and the Council for their woes, and coveting the power of the Zanarkist President vowed to replace him with one of their own. Still others supported unification and fought bloody, drawn out battles with the dissenters. ZEG had to invest many agents and countless billions to reestablish a semblance of stability in the war-ravaged nation.
Official Language: Originally, each Dukedom spoke a modified version of the Zanarkish of its founder. Over time, however, the Dukedoms shed their fluid Zanarkish tone and adopted the harsh guttural sounds of the few natives in each area. Each Dukedom developed a distinctly unique dialect, and years of seclusion resulted in such divergence that residents of neighboring Dukedoms could not understand each other. Kein of Galia, the brave unifier of Aerith, combined the ten dialects (with a predominance of his native Galian) to create a colorful hybrid known as 'modern Aerian', language spoken today. Some of the Dukedoms-- now provinces with restricted governmental control-- still retain their initial idioms, which are spoken by the elder members of the communities.
Currency: Aerian Sickles, weakest Terran currency.
City-State of Komark: Strategically located in the ocean separating Zanark and Aerith, this diminutive city-state-- albeit the smallest nation of the Council-- is the grand economic power of Terra. Favorable underwater currents and legendary shipbuilding techniques have turned Komark into a wealthy and bustling port state through which virtually every viable sea route passes. Originally an imperial colony of Zanark, Komark played a crucial role in the Zanarkist war victory over Aerith; its proximity to both countries made it a valuable military assembly area from which to dispatch Zanarkist troops into the Aerian heart. Having been granted its independence after the war, Komark now exists as an autonomous city-state with its own laws and leaders, and even its own subdivision of the Zion ZEG Akademy.
Official Language: Komarkese, a modified version of the dialect spoken in the western lake region of Zanark. Retaining the typical Zanarkish melodious tones but spoken with lightning rapidity, Komarkese can be picked up with relative ease, especially by Zanark's residents. In fact, a Zanarkist and a Komarkian can engage in conversation-- each speaking his individual tongue-- and still understand each other.
Currency: Komarkian Kryhnns, commonly referred to as KKs. The Kryhnn (Zanarkish for 'colony' and Komarkese for 'currency') is second in power only to the Zanarkad, statistic that gives the tiny country illustrious status in the Council.
City-State of Arkadya: This remote icy island off Zanark's towering northeastern mountains, also once an Zanarkist colony, housed Aerian and Duraguese captives seized during the various Terran wars. The lengthy harsh winters and billowing blizzards that buffet its rocky shore make for a barren landscape inhabited solely by the hardy descendants of the war prisoners of old. With fishing and hunting of rare snow animals as its main trade, Arkadya exerts the least influence-- apart from the war-ravaged Aerith-- in the Council and often must seek help from its conqueror Zanark. Reclusive and insular, Arkans care little for the matters and idiosyncrasies of the rest of Terra and participate in Council meetings only when obliged. Content with living their own lives and lasting through the perpetual winters, Arkans are simple-minded folks uncorrupted by the greed for power that consumes the governments of the other nations, though they still maintain close relations with Zanark, which many still consider the 'fatherland'.
Official Language: Arkish, a picturesque hybrid of an archaic Zanarkist idiom as well as Durag and the Aerian of old. Combining the flowing rhythms of Zanarkish with the harsh sounds of Aerian and the intricate grammar of Durag, Arkish is a rare but harmonious dialect difficult to learn and understand. Few outside the isolated nation speak it, and with the dwindling Arkan population, it may forever disappear in the near future.
Currency: Arkan Arahans; a relatively weak (second to the Sickle) but stable currency with a fixed exchange rate to the Zanarkad. Employed mainly in everyday transactions in Arkadya or in the few rare international export conferences the country attends, this currency is known little throughout Terra.
Empire of Duragon: Sheltered by the towering cliffs of the Southeastern Continent rests the dormant power of a nation scorned. One of the first founding countries alongside Zanark, Duragon once was a nation of much prestige governed by a mighty emperor-- but his desire for unbridled power and domination led him to colonize much of the unknown Terran landscape and challenge Zanarkist claims. A long bloody war with the reigning power of Zanark resulting in a bitter defeat brought the proud empire crashing to its knees. Stripped of most colonial claims excepting a few remote islands off its eastern seaboard, the old empire plunged into a drawn-out civil war with secessionists in the fertile Western Lands who succeeded in their quest for independence and established their own queendom. Torn and tattered, ravaged by the war with Zanark and at home, and humiliated by the terms of the peace treaty with its once-fellow world power, many Duraguese turned to the illicit but profitable technology and arms trade, making Duragon an opulent nation of tainted money. Now specializing in the production and sale of semiautomatic weapons and top-secret scientific information, the ' Glorious Empire of the Eastern Sea' (the country's name in its native Durag tongue) is under close scrutiny from the Council, and extensive regulations are enforced to curb the nation's growing military might. Resentful of the authoritarian power bestowed unto the Council's President-- the President of Zanark-- vindictive residents longing for their power of old are often found backing Aerian underground resistance factions who seek the demise of Zanarkist power.
Official Language: Durag, a graceful language combining intricate grammar and flowing sounds.
Currency: Duraguese Ducats, a currency whose worth fluctuates with the demand for weaponry in the illicit arms trade that generates it. On good days, it can rival the value of the Zanarkad and Kryhnn; on bad days, it can be almost as weak as the Sickle. This fluctuation poses economic hardships for the residents, who can be millionaires one day and unable to afford bare necessities the next. The Council is working to oust the arms trade as the main income-generating industry and restore some stability to the currency by pegging it to the Zanarkad.
People's Republic of Gaetan: A fairly reclusive nation bathed by the tropical waters of Terra's Eastern Sea, the Republic of Gaetan was once under the colonial rule of the Empire of Duragon and gained its independence after the Duraguese might was shattered in the First War with Zanark. Now it has made its place in the Council as a strictly republican nation boasting envious freedoms and strictly-enforced popular elections for both the Presidency and the Gaetan Congress. Boasting expansive mineral reserves of the priced mythril ore-- used extensively in both military equipment and technological contraptions-- the people of Gaetan have become skillful and prolific miners and refiners, becoming the primary producers of military advancements. With highly protectionist economic measures-- designed to shield the mythril mining industry upon which the nation has been subsisting for generations-- in place and intent on keeping the barriers, it is not often that the Gaetan representatives to the Council join the economic symposiums, attending only when required and reluctant to agree to trade commissions imposed by the Council. The Gaetan government maintains friendly but scarce relations with the dominant superpower Zanark and its closest neighbors: the farming Queendom of Adrya, the port- City-State of Komark, and even the toppling United Dukedoms of Aerith. Relations with its old conqueror are amiable, though discrepancies often ensue over Duragon's choice of illicit involvement in the arms trade and its vindictive desire to oust the Zanarkist Council President.
Official Language: Gaeic, a colorful mix of ancient Durag-- a remnant from colonial times-- with Komarkese & modern Aerian influences. As with its reclusive people, Gaeic is not commonly spoken or understood (because of the convergence of such different languages) outside of the Republic, and little is being done to remedy this. Council representatives are fluent in both Zanarkish and Durag, but normal residents are only taught and exposed to Gaeic.
Currency: Gaetan Gils-- because of the protectionist measures imposed on the nation, the Gils are very valuable in daily transactions within the Republic, but the lack of involvement in international trade renders them fourth-- behind the Royal Silver and ahead of the Arahan-- in international standings.
Queendom of Adrya: Founded during the early years of the current millenium by disgruntled farmers in the fertile Western Lands of Terra's Southeastern Continent, the Queendom has had a brief but peaceful post-secessionist-war history. A strictly matriarchal society, Adrya is one of the two Terran nations ruled by a woman (Aerith being the only other nation, with a female Prime Minister), and despite the general skepticism at the elected queen's ability to lead her people, the country has made a place for itself in the Council as the agricultural powerhouse of Terra. In worldwide Council matters, Adrya is quick to support its mighty ally Zanark and secure its interests, and is a vehement advocate of the demilitarization of the troubled Aerith and Duragon, its vindictive neighbor. It is believed that if the Council Presidency were relinquished by Zanark, it would pass unto the Queen of Adrya and mark the first supreme rule by a woman in Terran history, though several of the 'older' countries, envious of the Queendom's favorable relations with Zanark and position in the Council, believe a nation so young is not experienced enough to lead the Council of the Seven Nations. This often results in scattered attacks alongside the nation's dubious borders with Duragon, disrupting the export of their agricultural products and claiming valuable acres of cultivable farmland.
Official Language: Adryan, an intricate hybrid of a modified Durag spoken by uneducated farmers in the Western Lands of old and interlaced Zanarkish expressions and words. Education is given in a mixture of Adryan and modern Zanarkish, reflecting the close ties between both nations, and those near the Adrya-Durag border still commonly speak the broken Durag from which Adryan originated.
Currency: Adryan Royal Silvers, commonly known to Terrans as simply 'Silvers'. With the agricultural industry upon which the Queendom is built losing in prominence and power to the trading routes of Komark and the technological genius of Zanark, the Royal Silver is third in value (not counting the fluctuations of the Ducat) behind the Zanarkad and the Kryhnn.
Author's Notes:
First off, welcome to the first 'edited' version of this story (truthfully, only a few of the chapters are fully edited, but I'm working on that). It's taking a far more serious and complete approach; hope those of you that have read the crude original version enjoy the changes. And to those of you that are new readers, thank you so very much for clicking on that link. I know not very many of you (myself included, all be admitted) would read originals, yet if you are reading this, here you are. This began last September as an assigned short story for my junior year literature class and developed itself into a full-fledged novel-length multichaptered story. I do hope to complete it soon, but with the ongoing evils of a second year of an International Baccalaureate Diploma, this will be lower on my priorities list. This will likely be the first and only author's note in this story (except perhaps in the newly-written chapters) so any info you might need is probably here. Please read and review whenever you reach the end of a chapter or the end of a reading stretch, and don't hesitate to inform me of what I'm doing right or wrong. Once again, thank you so very much.
Apologies in advance if parts may appear overly wordy or whatnot; detailed study of the works of the Spanish Romantics of the nineteenth century will do that to you. Now they're wordy… I think it rubbed excessively off on me. *Damns Bécquer, Rivas, Espronceda and a bunch of other romantics to the depths of hell*. But it's got the ever-sarcastic inner voice of Zephyr to provide comic relief. Hope that makes it better.
Now, as to why the main character is named Zephyr: it's actually after a line in Alexander Pope's 'Sound and Sense' poem; a zephyr is mild gentle breeze. Being the Squall fan I am (also a wind-related name), I was thinking one day what I would name his kids and Zephyr came up and stuck. So here he is, ladies & gents, aloof, antisocial, and sarcastic as ever. And very cute too ^_^. Okay, I think I'm out of things to say. Peace out and enjoy.
Disclaimer: Though this is an original, it is inspired by a potpourri of the Final Fantasy games, so I give Squaresoft credit for all that. It's mostly names and places (chiefly from FFX); any reference hereon belongs to them, but the characters are all mine, mine, MINE! Actually, I just want Zephy; you guys keep the rest (*holds an auction for Reed*) Who wants to buy Reed? I'll take a buck, really!