Command
'I am Martin Sigmar.'
'I'm Ryuhou.' I said, no longer feeling interested. I sat in an elaborate office with my father at my side, the Sigmar fellow sitting behind a hulking oak desk. Mostly, Father and Sigmar had been talking. Sigmar had the kind of voice that made you almost immediately zone out and think of something else. It was rather amusing when my father jabbed me and told me to introduce myself because Sigmar had asked several times already. I had thought that this meeting would be more interesting, but so far, Sigmar had just been speaking to my father about general politics and the economic situation on the Lost Ground.
While they talked, I fiddled with various things on Sigmar's desk, much to his distaste, I think. He would eye me occasionally as I played out various moves from the practicing I did with Zetsuei using these funny little statuettes. Sadly, that got boring rather quickly.
Ah, here we go.
There was a rhubix cube being used as a paperweight. That would do. I took it up and clicked it around for a while, not really having anything else better to do.
Forty, forty one, forty two..... solved. Excellent. I put it back into its place as a paperweight, ignoring the looks I was getting from my father and Sigmar. There was a wide range of things I did with Zetsuei on those nights..... Thinking ahead is one major part of tactics.
'Ryuhou,' Sigmar said to me. I barely heard him. I was already almost zoned out.
'Uhm?'
'I'd..... like to speak to your father alone.'
I shrugged and left, listening from the other side of the ajar door.
'He certainly seems intelligent. Bright, but defiant.'
'He has good reason. I was out of town when..... the incident occurred. He was at home with Keika when the Native Alter struck. He saw it all..... hasn't been the same since. He's more..... subdued, he's always off alone somewhere. He may seem defiant, but he's obliging. He just acts defiant when it doesn't matter. I also have this strong suspicion that he disappears at night. Escapes the house. I don't know what he does or why, but.....'
'You said he was an Alter User?' Sigmar said rather curtly. I held my breath. My father told him that? Why? How.... How dare he.....
'Yes, but he hasn't done anything with his Alter powers in some time. He seems to have them under control, now. Before, he..... I shouldn't be saying this. It's his business to tell you if he wants. Ryuhou?' My father called, his volume increasing at my name. I was relieved that he stopped when he did. He really was a good person, and he had strong moral values. He knew what was his business, and when it was his place to say or do something. He was wise, and I certainly did look up to him.
Heh, but..... haven't used my Alter powers in some time? Sure. You can tell him that.
'Ryuhou,' Sigmar began. It was still amusing how his voice could send one adrift just like that. 'Being the only one you know with such powers, I'm wondering if I could..... show you a few things.' He had stood and he came around the desk, putting a hand on my shoulder.
I looked to my father. He nodded, a slight smile on his face, and Sigmar led me out. My father waited in the office. He walked for a while before saying anything. We walked past mostly unfinished facilities, the rooms only being separated by sheets of construction plastic hanging in front of the doorways, stapled to the frame above.
'I've gotten permission to start up a little organization. How much have you heard of HOLD?'
This was what I was waiting for. Finally, things were turning more to my interest. 'They're the group of military police that try to keep things under control on the Lost Ground. Although, they are having trouble with the Native Alter aspect of things.'
'That's it exactly. Recently, there have been more and more Alter Users being found, most of them born on the wrong side of the wall. HOLD can't contain them, because diplomacy and guns are no match for the powers of the Native Alter Users. Well, when an Alter named Emergy Maxfell came looking to HOLD for protection from the ridicule of the people, an idea came to me. I thought that a division from HOLD could be created. It would be made up of only Alter Users who would work to keep Native Alters under control.'
'Yes, I read an article about it in the newspaper. That's why I asked my father to bring me here today.'
Sigmar nodded knowingly and continued. 'Five others have joined this division after he did, though it isn't an official division yet; George Tatsunami, Straight Cougar, Kei Kukanaji and two men who go only by Unkei and Urizane. This division in progress, HOLY, we've called it, is now made up of seven people. If we get to eight soon, HOLD will make HOLY official, and we will get all of the funding we need. Seven people. One more to go.'
'Who's the seventh?' I asked, peering into a so far undeveloped kitchen.
'There's the six that I've mentioned, and myself.'
'You're an Alter User?' I said a little snappier than I meant.
He nodded. 'The first.' He said. He wandered with me, showing me the facilities that were currently being built, right out of his paycheck from HOLD because they, so far, had no part in HOLY. Weight rooms, arenas, cafeterias, residences, holding areas for the criminal Alters..... I truly was impressed.
'And there's only seven people including yourself?'
'So far, yes. I'm hoping there will me many more, and I'm hoping that today we will break the eight mark.' Sigmar opened a closet that was along an almost finished equipment corridor and pulled out a uniform much like his own. It was in plastic, like it had just come from the drycleaners, and there was a small, clear plastic bag attached to the hanger with a patch in it. The patch read 'HOLY' in proud, gold letters. The uniform was well crafted, made of strong polyester fibers in blue, black and white and the jacket certainly caught my eye.
'Though the choice is entirely up to you.' He said, rather hastily stuffing the uniform back into the closet. 'We should return, your father is waiting.'
I said nothing as we made our way back to Sigmar's office. All I could really think about was what I'd look like in that uniform..... that, and finding where that mysterious Alter User came from. My mind had been set right from the very moment I read the article. If they were going to protect the city from Native Alters and the catastrophes that they caused, then so would I.
'Well, Ryuhou, what did you think of the commander's facilities?' My father asked.
Still I said nothing, simply thinking over the possibilities. There was no doubt in my mind about what I had to do, oh no, none at all, it was simply the potential of it all that held me in awe.
'Ryuhou?'
'Father.'
'Is something the matter?'
I smiled, thinking of how I would help bring Native Alters under control, keeping order with HOLY, keeping peace. 'Nothing at all.'
My father hedged, uncertain as to my change in attitude. 'So..... what do you think?'
'I think, Father, that I'm going to fight for HOLY's cause.'
'I am Martin Sigmar.'
'I'm Ryuhou.' I said, no longer feeling interested. I sat in an elaborate office with my father at my side, the Sigmar fellow sitting behind a hulking oak desk. Mostly, Father and Sigmar had been talking. Sigmar had the kind of voice that made you almost immediately zone out and think of something else. It was rather amusing when my father jabbed me and told me to introduce myself because Sigmar had asked several times already. I had thought that this meeting would be more interesting, but so far, Sigmar had just been speaking to my father about general politics and the economic situation on the Lost Ground.
While they talked, I fiddled with various things on Sigmar's desk, much to his distaste, I think. He would eye me occasionally as I played out various moves from the practicing I did with Zetsuei using these funny little statuettes. Sadly, that got boring rather quickly.
Ah, here we go.
There was a rhubix cube being used as a paperweight. That would do. I took it up and clicked it around for a while, not really having anything else better to do.
Forty, forty one, forty two..... solved. Excellent. I put it back into its place as a paperweight, ignoring the looks I was getting from my father and Sigmar. There was a wide range of things I did with Zetsuei on those nights..... Thinking ahead is one major part of tactics.
'Ryuhou,' Sigmar said to me. I barely heard him. I was already almost zoned out.
'Uhm?'
'I'd..... like to speak to your father alone.'
I shrugged and left, listening from the other side of the ajar door.
'He certainly seems intelligent. Bright, but defiant.'
'He has good reason. I was out of town when..... the incident occurred. He was at home with Keika when the Native Alter struck. He saw it all..... hasn't been the same since. He's more..... subdued, he's always off alone somewhere. He may seem defiant, but he's obliging. He just acts defiant when it doesn't matter. I also have this strong suspicion that he disappears at night. Escapes the house. I don't know what he does or why, but.....'
'You said he was an Alter User?' Sigmar said rather curtly. I held my breath. My father told him that? Why? How.... How dare he.....
'Yes, but he hasn't done anything with his Alter powers in some time. He seems to have them under control, now. Before, he..... I shouldn't be saying this. It's his business to tell you if he wants. Ryuhou?' My father called, his volume increasing at my name. I was relieved that he stopped when he did. He really was a good person, and he had strong moral values. He knew what was his business, and when it was his place to say or do something. He was wise, and I certainly did look up to him.
Heh, but..... haven't used my Alter powers in some time? Sure. You can tell him that.
'Ryuhou,' Sigmar began. It was still amusing how his voice could send one adrift just like that. 'Being the only one you know with such powers, I'm wondering if I could..... show you a few things.' He had stood and he came around the desk, putting a hand on my shoulder.
I looked to my father. He nodded, a slight smile on his face, and Sigmar led me out. My father waited in the office. He walked for a while before saying anything. We walked past mostly unfinished facilities, the rooms only being separated by sheets of construction plastic hanging in front of the doorways, stapled to the frame above.
'I've gotten permission to start up a little organization. How much have you heard of HOLD?'
This was what I was waiting for. Finally, things were turning more to my interest. 'They're the group of military police that try to keep things under control on the Lost Ground. Although, they are having trouble with the Native Alter aspect of things.'
'That's it exactly. Recently, there have been more and more Alter Users being found, most of them born on the wrong side of the wall. HOLD can't contain them, because diplomacy and guns are no match for the powers of the Native Alter Users. Well, when an Alter named Emergy Maxfell came looking to HOLD for protection from the ridicule of the people, an idea came to me. I thought that a division from HOLD could be created. It would be made up of only Alter Users who would work to keep Native Alters under control.'
'Yes, I read an article about it in the newspaper. That's why I asked my father to bring me here today.'
Sigmar nodded knowingly and continued. 'Five others have joined this division after he did, though it isn't an official division yet; George Tatsunami, Straight Cougar, Kei Kukanaji and two men who go only by Unkei and Urizane. This division in progress, HOLY, we've called it, is now made up of seven people. If we get to eight soon, HOLD will make HOLY official, and we will get all of the funding we need. Seven people. One more to go.'
'Who's the seventh?' I asked, peering into a so far undeveloped kitchen.
'There's the six that I've mentioned, and myself.'
'You're an Alter User?' I said a little snappier than I meant.
He nodded. 'The first.' He said. He wandered with me, showing me the facilities that were currently being built, right out of his paycheck from HOLD because they, so far, had no part in HOLY. Weight rooms, arenas, cafeterias, residences, holding areas for the criminal Alters..... I truly was impressed.
'And there's only seven people including yourself?'
'So far, yes. I'm hoping there will me many more, and I'm hoping that today we will break the eight mark.' Sigmar opened a closet that was along an almost finished equipment corridor and pulled out a uniform much like his own. It was in plastic, like it had just come from the drycleaners, and there was a small, clear plastic bag attached to the hanger with a patch in it. The patch read 'HOLY' in proud, gold letters. The uniform was well crafted, made of strong polyester fibers in blue, black and white and the jacket certainly caught my eye.
'Though the choice is entirely up to you.' He said, rather hastily stuffing the uniform back into the closet. 'We should return, your father is waiting.'
I said nothing as we made our way back to Sigmar's office. All I could really think about was what I'd look like in that uniform..... that, and finding where that mysterious Alter User came from. My mind had been set right from the very moment I read the article. If they were going to protect the city from Native Alters and the catastrophes that they caused, then so would I.
'Well, Ryuhou, what did you think of the commander's facilities?' My father asked.
Still I said nothing, simply thinking over the possibilities. There was no doubt in my mind about what I had to do, oh no, none at all, it was simply the potential of it all that held me in awe.
'Ryuhou?'
'Father.'
'Is something the matter?'
I smiled, thinking of how I would help bring Native Alters under control, keeping order with HOLY, keeping peace. 'Nothing at all.'
My father hedged, uncertain as to my change in attitude. 'So..... what do you think?'
'I think, Father, that I'm going to fight for HOLY's cause.'
