Chapter One: Erk the FOmar
I looked at her. Her face was fair, and she was being so nice for once. Did this happen before? Seems familiar… Me here in my bed in my tent, just after that battle in the rain… The tactician didn't even bother to mark this battle down in his records. But I shall remember it… but didn't this already happen. No, it's happening now. We are on Valor. We just defeated the Black Fang's owl and are on our way to the Dragon's Gate to fight Nergal, and Lord Elbert is alive. We had a battle earlier today, and it was such a minor battle we need not remember it. But I will. I'm sick. The rain has brought a cold to me. And here is Serra. Being abnormally kind. No, during our battle against the Bolting Owl, she said thus,
"I'm the only one here who understands your dark, secretive personality! You're likely to starve to death or get hurt and die if I don't look after you! I just stay by your side to make sure that doesn't happen!"
That was the first time she said something that I could actually appreciate of her… And then there is now. She is at my bedside, wetting a cloth to cool my fever, or cold or whatever I have. I'm cold but my head burns. Why does it matter. She's here with me and I'm with her and we're both together…what am I saying?
"You shouldn't work so hard! It was only about three soldiers! Did you have to launch such a big thunder bolt?" she said to me.
"They were dangerous," I replied.
"Now what kind of answer is that?" she chastised. "You didn't need to attack so hard! You not only felled the three of them but you left a big hole!"
"That arrow of theirs nearly hit you."
"Well at least your protecting me. But you went faaaaar to overboard!"
"…I guess I did."
I can't talk to her very well. I can't get my emotions across in words. I looked at her with apology, this is the only way I can truly say sorry. How Lord Pent hates it when I make this look.
"Don't look at me like that," she said with a smile. "You know Erk, you may be mean sometimes but your eyes make me feel like I'm about to fall into a pool of water and drown. A good drown though."
I smiled.
"But if that ever happened you'd have to clean my cloths got it?"
For once I laughed at her selfish words, even if she did mean them in a joking manner. The look she gave me when I laughed was scary. I had never seen her like that. No anger and none of her usual 'I'm such a good person' look. It was surprise, happiness, fright, and caring?
"That's the first time I've seen you laugh. You actually laughed! When I go to bed I have to remember to ask St. Elimine in a prayer if the underworld has frozen over! You actually laughed! Do it again!"
"…I can't," I said.
"Erk you actually laughed! That was the first time I saw you in the slightest bit happy! Who'd thought you'd laugh."
She stopped talking. She looked at me without any emotion that I could tell of. It was the same look Lady Louise always looked at me and Lord Pent with. I can't tell what emotion it is but… I like that look. I didn't know someone other then Lady Louise could make that look.
"I hope I can see you laugh again before this is over," she said solemnly. "Let me get you something to eat, okay Erk?"
"No thanks," I said. "I'm not hungry." I was starving in truth. "Do not concern yourself with me."
"Okay!" she said joyfully.
She skipped out of my tent. I was ashamed of myself. This was probably going to be the only time she would be nice to me… She came back in my tent and said "Just kidding!" and smiled at me.
"Erk you haven't eaten anything all day! I'm going to get Lowen to make you some soup. Now don't die while I'm gone okay?"
"Yes…Serra," I said sleepily.
She stared at me for a second before she left. Yet that second was forever. It was as long as the moment when Lord Pent looked at me after I burned down a tree by accident when casting a spell. That was a nice day. Lord Pent and me were on a hike to explore nature, I was to see the nature like in the picture book he gave me. The radiant green of the rolling grass and the softness of the wind through the tree's. Now Serra was looking at me in a way that froze time just like Lord Pent did. But this look was…nice. It was as if we were telling all of our…emotions to each other, all of our feelings, all of our thoughts…without speaking. Then she left. I laid my head against my pillow. It was unusually hard. It felt like I was laying against metal. Yet it was still soft. Then I thought. I had this moment with Serra before. Is it happening again? Or am I…?
There was a loud scream. I looked around me dumbfound. It was Serra! It had to have been! Then I felt something hit my stomach…but nothing was there! Everything went black then it focused again as I found myself opening my eyes.
"A dream," I said to myself, waking up. Someone stepped on my stomach. People were running around me. They were wearing strange garments. I looked around me some more. Above me was a giant box with two balls in it. One was blue with white streaks, the other was consuming the larger ball slowly. The people around me were screaming.
"That's where Pioneer 1 is!" screamed one.
"Oh my God! Mother! Father! My Parents were on Pioneer 1!" screamed another.
"What happened on Ragol!" screamed another.
"Pioneer 2 is going to be destroyed!" screamed another.
"Calm down everyone!" yelled another.
I looked over to him. He had strange garments on as well.
"Don't panic! Let's handle this rationally. After it is clear lets gather some hunters to explore the surface. Until then remain calm. And don't let the people find out. We are researchers. It's our job to remain calm. Who are you?"
The man looked at me.
"I don't remember you! And your cloths… Answer me, who are you and what is your occupation? If you are a hunter then also tell me if you are a Hunter, a Ranger, or a Force, and what your section id is."
"Well umm," I began to say. "My name is Erk. I am an Etrurian mage. Can you tell where I am?"
"Get up off the floor."
I got up from the hard metal floor. I looked around me. I was in an astounding room. It was made of metal, and there were boxes with colorful flashes in them. There were also glass tubes which displayed text. Where was I?
"Erk is a strange name," the man said. "And you are a mage? What are you smoking boy?"
I looked at him. What did he mean by that?
"Mages is something from ancient times. Now tell me what your true occupation is and how you got in here."
"Well, I sometimes serve as an escort to frail mistresses. I am here because of a spell."
"You are not very educated are you?" asked the man.
"How durst you say that?" I replied.
"Durst?" he asked.
"…Dare! It means dare! You call me uneducated when you don't know durst… I learned that ere before age 6."
"Air? 'I learned that air?' What do you mean air?"
"Maybe he means E-R-E," said one of the strange clothed people. "It's old language. He may be one of the sons of one of those eccentric archeologist types."
"Yes," I said. "I mean no! I said E-R-E! Ere! Don't know about the other stuff though…"
"Who are you!?" asked the first man again.
"My name is Erk! I'm here on an educational experience!"
"A field trip to the Lab?" shouted the man. "That is the worst excuse for breaking into a locked down area like the Lab I've ever heard!"
"The…Lab?" I asked. "Look here! I was sent here through a portal created by my master Lord Pent. I was in Arcadia of the Nabata desert. My master made the portal when he learned a new spell to open doorways to a different time and world! That is how I got here."
"He is delusional…" said the man again.
"I'm not sure…" said the second person, a woman. "We have been getting unusual Photon readings lately. I say we interrogate him further and see if this 'other world' spell is true."
"I can prove it's real right now," I said. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I began the chant to the spell. It's best this way, I needed to contact Lord Pent as soon as I got to the new world anyway. I finished the chant and a portal was before me, but I could see Lord Pent in it, the back of his head anyway. "Lord Pent!" I called. Pent turned around.
"Erk! Your in my mirror! I see the spell is working, where are you?"
"I wish I knew Master," I replied. "But the locals of this world won't tell me anything!"
"Are the security cameras getting this?" shouted the rude man.
"I've got to go Lord Pent. I will talk to you tomorrow night. In the meantime I will find out where I am and what's going on."
"Very well," replied Lord Pent. "Good luck!"
I smiled and said "Thank you Master." I closed the portal and turned to the unusually dressed people.
"Now will you tell me where I am?"
"I will," said the woman. "You are onboard Pioneer 2. Since you called yourself a 'mage' you must not come from a technologically advance world. I will explain our world to you briefly."
What she told me was amazing. She began with a basic history of their world. They first managed to control 'electricity' as they called it, and formed light bulbs and other things. They eventually created 'space ships' and 'androids' among other things. This world was based on 'Photon particles' and other things. It was confusing at first but I learned quick of what she said. Truly astounding. I was onboard a giant ship that uses the empty space outside 'planets' to move…! As what they told me, this 'Pioneer 2' was mammoth!
"Now with that covered," continued the woman. "I will tell you about what happened. See that screen? Did you see the explosion on that planet?"
"Yes," I replied. "If planets are as large as you say it must have been a huge explosion!"
"Indeed," agreed the woman. "And that is why we are edgy. Now let me tell you about the Pioneer project. As I told you our home planet, Coral, is an advance society to yours. But we weren't advance enough to stop what is happening to Coral. It's environment is deteriorating rapidly, and it is destroying itself. We needed to move. We sent Pioneer 1 to find a suitable planet to inhabit. Pioneer 1 found that planet on the screen, Ragol. It landed and built a Central Dome to inhabit the people onboard Pioneer 1. For seven years it's been making a new life. When we received word that Ragol was suitable, Pioneer 2, that us, was launched. We were just now making preparations to land on Ragol… but now that explosion occurred. We have no idea if the Central Dome and the surrounding area is gone or not, but it most likely is in my opinion… I should be going now!"
"Why?" I asked.
"This is a serious event! I will bring word of you to my employer, Principle Tyrell. Since you are a 'mage' you should make a good Force, the researchers here will explain that to you."
"Before you go may I ask what your name is?" I asked as polite as I could.
"My name is Irene," and she left.
"Okay," said the rude man. "Listen here prehistoric boy, the special forces I guess you could call them of Coral and the Pioneer project are called hunters as a whole. There are three classes, Hunters, Rangers, and Forces. Don't confuse the Hunter class with the hunter which includes all the classes. Each class has four sub-classes depending on what you are. Now the name of your unit is determined by class and sub-class. The first two letters of your main class are usually written capitalized like this."
A plate made out of light appeared and he began to write on it…which I found strange.
"See here? HU stands for Hunters, RA stands for Rangers, and FO stands for Forces. Now the second part of your unit name is taken from the sub-class. Sub-class is determined by your race and your sex. So a male humans are mar's. Thus a male human Hunter is a HUmar. Now humans are either mar or marl. Mar's are males and marls are females, get used to it. Now there are two other races besides humans, androids and Newman's. A male chasse android is a cast, and a female chasse android is a caseal. Now a male Newman is a newm and a female Newman is a newearl. Now there are some loop holes in the units. For example you won't find a female human Hunter. Now let me tell you each unit. Now Hunters are proficient with bladed weapons, Hunters can also use a wide variety of other weapons. Although lacking in accuracy which is necessary for handguns, they gain high attack power. The units are HUmar, HUnewearl, HUcast, and HUcaseal."
"Okay then. But no cavalry? No archers?" I asked.
"Don't go medieval on me boy I'm on a roll! Now Rangers are good with guns, they have excellent accuracy that allow them to hit from a distance, but lack attack power."
"I guess those could count as archers..." I said.
"The units for Rangers are RAmar, Ramarl, Racast, and Racaseal. Now for the Forces. Now since you are a 'mage' you would make a good Force, they are kinda magic. What magic to us is using Photons to create what we call Techniques. So from now on when you cast a spell its called a Technique. Forces are good at using Techniques, though anyone can use them...except Androids, they can't use Techniques but they can use mines which we can't use. I don't know much about mines except they are annoying as hell."
I grimaced at his language but quickly recovered.
"So anyway yeah, anyone that is organic can cast a Technique. To cast one you need enough mental strength though. So Forces are proficient with Techniques, and they are excellent as support for healing and curing stuff. Their powerful abilities make up for their low stamina. You can knock one silly easily so watch your back boy. The units for Forces are FOmar, which you will be since your a male human 'mage' guy, FOmarl, FOnewm, and FOnewearl."
"Milady Irene said that Androids are made of metal. What are Newman's like?" "They are pointy eared Elf looking people. I don't know much about them. But they don't really age... One could look like an eighteen year old human and plop dead the next day from age! I should now tell you about section id's. Since your name is Erk you will be a...VIRIDIA. Section id's just go on your uniform and let people know where on Pioneer two you usually will be. Basically it's where you live. I suspect that's also where you go when you go to the Visual Lobbies. I've never been to them so I wouldn't know. You'll have to find out for yourself. Now take this."
The rude man handed me the pad. It had information about coordinates.
"Go to that address. They will get you your uniform, your Hunter's License... Now boy!"
"Oh!" I said blushing. "And how do I do that?"
"Argg! Let me get you an escort," said the rude man.
A soldier grabbed me by the arm and took me to some glowing room with a...thing in it. It was glowing and had rings of light coming from the floor of it. We stepped into it and he said "Registration." Then all of a sudden everything changed and we were in another place. Another man walked up to me.
"Oh we're going to have fun re-modeling your wardrobe!" said the man, obviously a tailor.
Before I knew it they had made me remove my previous wardrobe and into a classy looking uniform. Though it looked like a sleeping gown for a king really. It was red with black ruffles down the front of the legs. They also game me a red hat looking thing which I didn't exactly like. They also presented me with several items, a cane they said I would need as a hunter, and a 'MAG'... which apparently was some kind of animal. I felt kind of strong next to it.
"What's this for?" I asked.
"MAGs are just for fun in my opinion," said the tailor. "They are not useful at all."
I didn't really believe him. They must have some purpose. They can't really be a gift you get when you join a club of sorts.
"Now next, since you are a Force you get this," said the tailor, giving me a 'disk.' "This here is your basic Fire Technique for the starting Force. Foie it's called. Now that you are set for being a Force, uniform, spell, equipment, you need to register."
They gave me some forms. I signed out the information, especially taking time with the 'password' for Visual Lobby access. After that was done, the tailor and a official looking man gave me some more forms.
"This is you," said the official looking man. "This number is you. Never loose this. These are your information as a person onboard Pioneer 2. The Lab told me you were a stowaway but that you had permission to be registered as a onboard for Pioneer 2 as well as a hunter. You should feel honored. Now in those forms will also tell you how to get to the VIRIDIA section so you can get your room. It will also tell you how to operate the teleporter."
I looked at the forms. Basically it was a list of destinations and the instructions 'say aloud to proceed.'
"Now here is where you leave. You are now registered."
I thanked the tailor and the official looking man and proceeded to the 'teleporter.' I was warped to the VIRIDIA residential area and proceeded to another teleporter, where I stated my id number and was taken to another teleporter room. A door was in front of me and I proceeded in with much difficulty. I had to enter my 'password' and have an 'eye scan' and 'hand print scan' and 'DNA sequence scan' where a machine on the side of the door I was operating stabbed me with a needle. I then made my way into my room. It was surprisingly cozy. There was a cooking section, a bedroom, a central lobby for just relaxing, and a machine for listing recent events they called a Photon Television or PTV... The water closet was called a 'restroom' here. It wasn't a chamber pot or anything. It was a very clean and very illuminated room with sleek tiles. I explored the compartments and quickly learned how to work everything. Although I had trouble with the 'toothpaste' and the 'dental floss.' After working with that I was surprised how good my mouth felt after the cleaning.
After getting settled in a knock came to my door. I was currently reading a book about Photons and was becoming more comfortable with this advanced world every page I turned. When the door opened a man handed me a box telling me it was my spare cloths and the man left through the teleporter. I opened the box after closing the door. All my cloths and hats were the same save ones that were probably for sleeping in, but they'd all fit me. I took them to my bedroom and went to a wardrobe closet to hang them up. When I opened the door a huge metal projectile came through, scaring me half to death. There were hooks of all kinds which I hung up my cloths on the ones that were the right size for my cloths. I closed the closet door, and the sound of the large metal bar going back to wince it came occurred twice. I opened it again and the bar was there again without coming at me, but this time only the hooks that my cloths were on were there, along with other hooks that were the right size. I closed the door again. Now I was starting to feel nauseated. I once again opened the door and changed into the sleeping garments that came with the package, and went to bed.
While I lied in my bed I thought about my new job as a hunter. I was a mar. A Force. A Force...it sounded powerful! I am Erk the Force! I quickly shut out the idea. It was childish, and my role as a Force should be taken seriously. I am a FOmar. Erk the FOmar. And tomorrow I begin my work.