Book II: Of Friends and Foes
Chapter XVI
"Silas," a girl's voice called out, but I didn't hear it.
"Silas...," she called again, to no avail.
"SILAS!"
I jumped up to see the girl who'd been appearing in my dreams, Sarah. She hadn't spoken to me since I left for New Torna.
"Bout time I got your attention. You should really work on paying more attention to your surrounding!" she scolded.
"Hey Sarah," I greeted drowsily. "Long time no see."
She giggled. "So how long can you hold your breath?"
"What?"
"Because you must have a hell of a set of lungs considering how long your head's been up your ass. You gonna pull it out any time soon or...?"
"What're you talking about?! I just now learned how to fight with a blade and I'm on my way to show Acacia that we're not liars!"
"Forgive me, but human relations isn't my strong suit. All I know is that you're a matter of months away from this world getting ripped to shreds and you're waisting a lot of time," she said sternly.
"I'm sorry, do you want to share what you know or are you just going to leave me to question it myself? Because otherwise I don't want any sass from you," I quipped.
"Fine, whatever. Good luck in Tantal!" she said before everything around me turned bright white.
"I still recommend you spend time with the enemy!" KOS-MOS argued.
"Why would I do that?! They're the enemy!" Acacia yelled back.
"The enemy that was brought into our ship by your request. There is no better time to get close and gather intelligence!"
"Well if you're so Architect-damned smart, then why don't you do it, huh?!" Acacia snapped.
"Because I am a monotonous robot designated to be a weapon!" KOS-MOS said in a somewhat sad voice.
It was hard to tell what KOS-MOS was ever feeling. She was so monotone, and as far as Acacia knew, she didn't feel anything at all. KOS-MOS was just supposed to be a weapon... so why did she have so much free will and a personality even?!
"KOS-MOS, I-I'm sorry. I didn't know realize you were self-conscious of that," Acacia began to apologize.
"There is no need. I am designated for battle only. Any emotion produced by my AI are completely irrelevant and should be ignored."
Acacia wanted to tell her that her emotions were more important than that, but then she remembered that they weren't. KOS-MOS was a weapon, nothing more, nothing less.
"Right, then I'll go... talk to Silas then," Acacia nodded before leaving immediately, leaving KOS-MOS behind.
"Come on and eat guys, I made food!" Mythra called.
The ship we were in wasn't that big, it had five small rooms, a couple hallways, and a kitchen, living room, and dining room, however Mythra had apparently already acquainted herself with the pantry and had taken no time in throwing together some pancakes with the ingredients lying around. She had even made some for Acacia and KOS-MOS, who joined us at the long table.
Acacia sat on my right, Mythra sat on my left. KOS-MOS stationed herself in between Poppi and Acacia, and Rafi sat across from Poppi. Mythra had already set the entire table.
Acacia looked bewildered, and frankly, I did too. "You do know we are still your enemy right?" Acacia asked Mythra.
"Of course, I used your food to make a meal. We can't kill each other on an empty stomach and figured we'd all benefit in the end," Mythra smiled.
Rafi dug in first, stuffing an entire pancake in his face. "Rafi think food is amazing!!" he complimented with a stuffed face.
Poppi giggled. "Rafi chew your food first! Your fur is going to get all sticky!"
Rafi looked nervous before swallowing and Poppi began eating too. "Poppi hasn't had a meal in five hundred years!"
"Now you know how I feel," Mythra laughed as she sat down and began eating with us, who had all begun eating, even KOS-MOS.
"Poppi, if you're an artificial blade, then why do you need food?" Acacia asked.
"The same reason all blades eat food! It turn into fuel for main functions!" she responded cheerfully.
"Tora thought of everything when she was built. Although some of the design was based from his father and grandfather," Mythra pointed out.
"Amazing, you remember her?" I questioned.
"Bits and pieces, this green flower Nia gave me before we left for Argentum definitely had something to do with it, not sure why though," Mythra pondered.
"Poppi was invented by brilliant nopon engineer and poet Tora?!" Rafi exclaimed. "That so amazing!"
Poppi blushed a bit. "So masterpon became famous after all? That so amazing!"
Acacia leaned over to me and whispered, "Tora was accredited for inventing the engines our vesses use on the roadways, but nothing in our history said he was ever accredited for creating artificial blades."
"Well it seems the history you've been taught has a couple of holes then, huh?"
Acacia seemed annoyed, but also calmed herself. KOS-MOS gave her a look as to say "start a conversation with him already" and Acacia sighed before saying something.
"So if we get to Tantal and fail to find the manuscript and this "Malos'" core crystal, you do realize I will have to kill you, right?" she said bluntly.
KOS-MOS rolled her eyes and sighed while Acacia shrugged. She was terrible at small talk.
"I'm not worried about it. It'll all be there, just as we said," I responded.
"Do you have a map of the continent?" Mythra interrupted.
Acacia was taken by surprise, but then regained her composure. "Sure, it's on the data drives in the ship."
"Can I see it?"
"I don't see why not," Acacia responded before pulling a map up on a tv monitor in the living room area.
We were currently entering the province of Tantal. Mythra traced her finger around the map, looking at it puzzled.
I immediately realized that she only remembered the time when man lived on titan-back, and that she may jus the trying to understand how this continent worked.
"This is everything we've explored since coming to Elysium," I said, gesturing toward the map. The map showed a massive section of land, but maybe not even half of the land available on this continent. From north to south, the land started at a mountain range called the Jin Mountains, and then the land sloped down and jutted out into the ocean in one wide "u" shape, similar to a peninsula, but not exactly. Around the edges of this "u", four provinces shared equal land from the center out to the edge, where the capital was always located. The capitals were presumed to be built on the backs of the titans that drove themselves into this continent.
On the northeastern shores laid Gormott, a green, pleasant field, called the Gormotti Plain, that stretched hundreds of miles from the sea to New Torna. The capital of Gormott was Torigoth. On the southeastern shore was the once-powerful empire of Mor Ardain, which was now a peaceful province, just as the rest of the provinces were. The capital was Alba Cavanich and, while the nation was once home to barren desert wastelands, a river soon flowed through the titan and it now produced one of the most beautiful wetlands and jungles Alrest has ever known. The jungle was known as Ladair Jungle and the wetlands were called Niall Falls, despite not having but one waterfall.
South of the "u" in the middle of the ocean lay the Argentum Gambling District and Leftheria even farther south of that. Neither of these held much land and were basically separate from the Nation of Alrest. It's not that they weren't apart of the Nation, they were just too far apart and wound up segregated. The southern lands had one giant beach that sat in the view of the legendary landmark The World Tree, a massive tree that shot into the sky. It's where history says the Architect once lived and where Rex and Malos fought their final battle against each other. The northern part of the southern area was covered in a ridiculously dense forest called Skeeter Woods, and it was known for giant, Great Dane-sized mosquito beasts known as skeeters.
Moving southeast, the province of Tantal boasted a large cool plain called Turter Tundra. The closer you got to the continent, the colder it got, however, the capital of Tantal, Theoscaldia, was ironically much warmer. Directly east lay the province of Uraya rested. Despite it having a beautiful land of water and cherry trees near its capital, Fonsa Myma, the outskirts from there to New Torna were covered in a large desert called Scorpox Desert. It also had another large city called Garfont, which was home to the Blade Assistance Program, or the BAP.
These guys were basically the group opposing the BCC. The BCC thought it best to control blades and keep powerful ones out of the hands of people, while the BAP thought that blades should be free to go to whoever they could resonate with. The BCC feared the weapon, the BAP thought of blades as more than that.
"No you're missing one," Mythra corrected.
"Excuse me? Do you dare doubt the BCC's mapping capabilities and the knowledge stored in our history for the past centuries?" Acacia scoffed.
"Says the one who's going with us because she doubts the knowledge stored in her history for the past centuries," Mythra quipped.
Acacia fell silent.
"What are you talking about Mythra?" I interrupted before things heated up any more.
"I mean there was definitely one other nation. I can't remember the name, but I do remember not being very fond of it. In fact, I remember Rex and I fighting it pretty fiercely."
Acacia sighed before Poppi interrupted.
"Friend Mythra referring to Indol. Indol served as sort of religious cult that boasted to know will of Architect. Praetor Amalthus misused his power and made the world live in fear for five hundred years," she said.
Acacia looked down in concentration before looking back at the map. She then shook her head. "Enough dwelling on it, we're nearing Genbu Port, then it'll just be a short walk to Theoscaldia."
"Does Poppi really remember all that happened five hundred years ago?" Rafi asked in disbelief.
Poppi shook her head triumphantly. "Of course! Masterpon was very particular about Poppi's functions. Always made sure Poppi has plenty of TLC!" she giggled.
"Wowie!" Rafi exclaimed. "Rafi hope he can be half as cool as Tora was!"
"Comprehension error. Trying to be someone else seems to only lead to physical, emotional, and mental depression and despair. My algorithms suggest that trying to refine the best traits that one possesses in themself would be the optimal goal to strive for," KOS-MOS interrupted.
"What? That sound stupid," Rafi answered bluntly. "Why Rafi continue to be stupid old Rafi when Rafi could be famous like Tora!"
KOS-MOS sighed and looked away.
"Did KOS-MOS just sympathize with Rafi?" Acacia thought to herself as the Binoceros came to a complete stop and the doors opened up into a large open area, filled with snow.
"Let's move people, it's cold but Theoscaldia is only a mile away," Acacia ordered as everyone walked out.
Immediately my muscles tensed as I was hit with the bitter cold tundra that lay before us.
"Cold cold!" Rafi complained.
Acacia didn't react, as she refused to show weakness. Poppi, KOS-MOS, and Mythra also didn't react to the snow at all.
"Does the weather not effect blades?" I asked.
Mythra laughed. "KOS-MOS and I are light blades, so the energy being emitted by those waves keeps us plenty warm."
"And Poppi runs on ether furnace that produces heat! And Poppi also doesn't have skin!" Poppi chirped.
"Alright well I'm cold, so let's get a move on," I laughed.
We took a few steps forward before we heard a male and a female scream before plummeting into the snow in front of us. I immediately recognized the two.
Kasandra popped out of the snow like a dais with an insanely sweet smile and waved before she looked over and saw Gabriel with the entire upper half of his body under the snow. She put her hands over her mouth dramatically before grabbing his leg and pulling him out of the snow like a carrot, and they both fell on top of each other before jumping up.
"Sorry villains, but you will go not a step further!" Gabriel jumped up.
"And you are?" Acacia asked impatiently.
"I am the Great Gabriel and this blade is the magnificent—"
Mythra cut him off. "Gabriel and Kasandra, Acacia and KOS-MOS. Acacia and KOS-MOS, Gabriel and Kasandra, ya done?"
Gabriel sighed. "Soak up all the fun why dontcha?"
"We're here to put an end to you right now!" Kasandra yelled.
I pulled Mythra's sword. "Alright, let's make this quick. It's cold outside."
Gabriel grinned as a dark aura formed between him and Kasandra. It threw us all to the ground. "Don't get cocky, kid. This time... I'm not holding back."
https/youtu.be/pmkkM4fDLJw
Acacia, Poppi, and Rafi stepped back.
"All yours kid," Acacia said.
I nodded as Mythra threw up her arms, causing an affinity line to join us.
Kasandra giggled as she threw up her club, landing it in Gabriel's hands.
"Remember Silas, dodge, don't parry," Mythra instructed.
"Why not parry?" Acacia asked.
"Aren't you a soldier?" Mythra asked skeptically. "The weight's too much for the sword."
"The sword maybe... Here, try this. Attach it to your forearm," Acacia said, throwing me a weird metal piece.
I attached it to my right arm, and when I pushed my arm out in front of me, a shield formed up of tiny hexagons, like a blade's shield, materialized right in front of me.
"Well that'll do," Mythra laughed. "What're you waiting for? Kick his butt!"
I nodded as I gripped her sword in just my left hand and launched myself towards him.
He did the same and swung his club, I dug my feet into the ground and held my arm up as his club pounded against it. It pushed me back, but otherwise didn't hurt me. I repositioned my grip on Mythra's sword, swinging it with both hands, and he parried it with the club's long handle before shaking me off.
He tossed his weapon to Kasandra.
"Sentimental Burst!" she yelled out.
I knew that was an art, but I had no idea what it was until I saw dark ether condensing around me. Mythra jumped on top of me and shielded me from the blast before taking her sword and set her aim towards Gabriel.
"Ray of Punishment!" Mythra yelled as light arrows plummeted into him.
"Impregnable Shield!" Gabriel yelled as he drove his club into the ground, creating an incredibly strong ether shield. A few of the arrows hit him directly and the rest bounced off and hit me.
Gabriel and I both pulled out out pistols and fired off a full clip-worth of earth-type bullets. Apparently we'd both had the same strategy.
Mythra and Kasandra also pulled out their shields, but the bullets hit so hard that it threw them both to the ground.
"ENOUGH!" Acacia shouted as KOS-MOS charged up her weapon. "Neither of you are fighting with the intent to kill and if you continue being a bunch of babies I will give you a real reason to fight! Are we clear?!"
Gabriel and I both got up and laughed at each other before shaking hands.
"Not bad you klutz," I said.
"Yeah, haven't had a good thrashing like that since I fought my dad back when he was still teaching me arts!"
Kasandra helped Mythra up. "You two still make a cute couple!" she giggled.
"Oh we're not together, we were just teasing," Mythra laughed back.
"Aww that's so sad! I want it to happen!"
Acacia looked increasingly annoyed. "Can we go now?"
"Yeah, I'll explain on the way," Gabriel laughed.
Word Count: 2,978
Character Count: 17,148