(During Issue 3: Before WITCH goes to Meridian for the first time)
"Have we lost them?" Eric leans his arms to his knees in a blind alley by the end of the street. It was after a kilometer of running they reach the end of the street with diverging roads on both of its sides. They found another blind alley and hide between the spaces of the two houses
"After what I did with those explosions?" Ray says and also pants. "Do you think they could have followed us?"
Eric peeks out from the alley, and sees more soldiers from the distant charge to them. "Guess we're not effective as we expected." Ray then peeks too. "But if we could just hide from here, then we could safe."
"I think we need to find to find a safer place." Eric replies.
"Are you one of the young rebellions?" The woman-Galhot asks them. "Whose leaders do you belong to? Caleb's or Jolras'?
Ray and Eric look at each other. "To be frank we're actually new here." Eric explains.
"And after a few minutes, made trouble! Good thing, the soldiers clear the crowd." Ray says as he prepares his bow and arrow. He goes out in the open and shoots the soldiers 'Grenade Arrow!' the electrifying arrow speeds across ten meters to the ground and explodes on front of them.
She then recognizes Ray's bow as it comes out of the light; not a weapon but a symbol of the great resistance against Phobos. "Isn't that General Oswyn's bow?" She pulls Eric's brown sleeve to tell him. "So you're from legionates of the Vanguard?"
"We are." Eric replies "But the old Vanguard died here in Meridian. Like I said, we're new here."
"I could show you the way to the Rebellion Army." The galhot woman says. "Come with me."
"Ray!" Eric calls out to Ray, who still stops the charging enemy. "Let's move out!" Eric commands.
After a few twists and turns throughout Meridian streets, it becomes narrower and darker as they descend down from the ground. From narrow pathways to stairs, the only light sources are torches attached to the walls. After another ten minutes, they reach to another darker alley that leads to a dead end. "Is Meridian known to have countless of alleys?" Ray asks rhetorically.
"And it is because of these dark alleys that the Rebellion Army ceases to exist." The galhot explains. She waves her hand at the bricked ground of the dead end and blasts an energy beam out of her hands. The bricks moves and paves way for the beam to come through. The ground opens and displays steps that lead to the underground. She steps down the first steps. "Come with me."
Eric goes in first and Ray follows, After Ray steps down and receives headroom, the opening closes and seals behind him as the bricks return to its natural place. Above are the stomps and clops of fit and the men who shout above search for the escapees. "Where did they go?" "This alley is clear move out!"
Having to realize that they are off from harm's way, they sigh in relief. The galhot woman prepares her torch to light the way down the way around the spiral and winding staircase. They reach to the floor of underground sewer tunnels beside the floor is a gray stream of water going upstream.
"Ma'am—uhh" Ray breaks of the silence.
"It's Arminta" she replies.
"Yes, Ma'am Arminta" Ray continues. "Sorry to be eavesdropping earlier but I heard from the crowd on the fate of your husband and your children. What happened to them-?"
Eric crosses his brow and hits his elbow to Ray's arm. "You sure are insensitive!" he whispers.
"I heard you and it's alright." She replies. "My husband never died in battle, so do my children. They were captured and arrested without warrant by Phobos' men. I never knew what became of them"
"The Phobos' Pillage'?" Eric asks.
"It's a taboo to say that outside." She replies. "It was originally a law passed for Meridianites who could at least share or give its powerful magic to Meridian. But behind it, the known 'Phobos Pillage', was actually an aim to capture these unique individuals by force to take the magic for Phobos himself. Without your help, I might as well become a victim to him too."
"I saw how the soldiers took and ransack your belongings." Ray says. "So where would you live now?"
"Don't worry about me boys, I have trusted friends where I could stay with." She says. "But again, I would like to thank you for saving me while back." She smiles in gratitude and reply to her back with a grin.
After another few minutes of walking, the tunnel becomes increasingly brighter and lighter as more torches are used. Then, mutters echoes and the clash of metal can be heard throughout the tunnel. Individuals then start to appear as they prepare and lay down their weapons on the wall; swords, clubs, bows and arrows. They pass through them and see the next set of people who work on the creation of the weapons such as blacksmiths and bowyers.
"This is the path to the secret underground headquarters of the Rebellion Army." She says as they walk along the sewers. "This place is called the Sanctuary. This was once an abandoned city which we thought may not be used again, but it was revived when Phobos rose to power."
They reach to end of the tunnel and the stream to see large broken yet usable dwellings in a circle. On top of it are flags and banners of white and dark blue; the color accents of the Imperial Legion. Above, is natural light covered with broken glass and earth form its wall with green plants and moss that covers it. The crowd of men scrambles and work to more weapons, others train their swords and clubs on sandbags on the right side section together with those who train with their bow and arrows.
They walk across the center of the circle to the tallest structure of them all. "This is where I take my leave now. The rest is up to you beyond this door." Arminta says to them and takes Eric's hand. "You may not live your life on this cruel world covered by the veil, but your sure recruitment, commitment and support to this army would be a great help to Metaworld."
Eric and Ray nods with a grin and confidence written over their facial gesture. "We thank you too Arminta." Ray replies.
As Arminta leaves back to the tunnel, Eric knocks on the door. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
Stomps of feet begins to vibrate on the wooden floor boards as it grows louder and nearer by the door. As it opens, an escanor with the good-looks, brown hair, green eyes and white-tanned skin with two pairs green-striped birth marked tattoos under his jaw, wears a brown jacket, a blue scarf on his neck and black trousers, greets the door. "Yes, may I help you?"
"Good day," Eric greets back as he uncovers his hood and so as Ray's. "We are the new recruits of the army, may we ask if how we could join up?"
"Ahhh…I see…" the escanor replies and nods at us. "Can you please wait outside; we're having a discussion board meeting inside, is a few minutes alright?"
"Oh sure, sorry for the disturbance." Eric replies as the door closes on front of him. They then sit on the nearby benches by the door covered by the shadows and wait to be called again.
"Do you think they could recruit children such as us?" Ray asks. "You a fourteen and while I a thirteen-year old are such a young age to consider."
"That man behind the door looks like a fifteen-year old to me." Eric replies. "Even the Guardians are of the same age as us. I think we can manage."
"But they transform to older woman." Ray replies. "And their powers are more powerful than us. When I think about it, it seems unfair."
They hear the creaky door opens. "You may come in." the escanor invites as they enter the small conference room with a few chairs and with a battle map on the large table and a few individuals inside; probably high-rank commanders, exit outside the room. "My name is Second Lieutenant Caleb."
"My name is Atlas of—" Eric is suddenly cut off when another escanor sees them suddenly, white hair man with a small ponytail behind, blue striped birth-marked tattoo around his neck, large with muscled physique, wears a white uniform underneath his short coat with dark blue and white outline and black trousers and black boots.
"Aren't you boys one of students from Arkhanta? or from Earth?" the escanor asks in a gruff voice. "You're that Lyndon and Bartholomew, right?"
Having to recognize his face and that familiar gruff voice when they were students at the academe, they salute to him. "Sir Marcus! It's a pleasure to meet you sir!"
"Sir Marcus?" Caleb asks.
"Haven't I told you Lieutenant? Commander Lamarcus is my alias" He turns to the new recruits. "And I want you address me to that name from now on." He continues "Shouldn't you boys be back at the academe?"
"We graduated too early to replace the extinct Earth legion." Eric replies.
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." Lamarcus replies. "Condolences to your uncle, Bartholomew, he was a great warrior and friend of mine."
Ray nods back to him in his reply. "Thank you sir"
"Well, I should be going now." Lamarcus says as he takes his bicorn-like hat from the table. "After we begin the final phases and by the time we meet again, Metaworld and Meridian will be free from Phobos."
Caleb salutes to him and shakes his hand. "We won't let you down, Commander Lamarcus!"
Commander Lamarcus then exits the door behind him and closes the door behind him. "Please sit down." Caleb invites them to the seats as he takes out a file and reads. Eric and Ray follow as they sit across each other. "As you introduced earlier, you are Atlas, the new captain of the Earth legion?"
"I am." Eric replies.
"And Bartholomew, the uncle of— General Oswyn?"
"That's right." Ray replies.
"Were you responsible for saving the blue-galhot, Arminta earlier?" Caleb says as he takes out another sheet of paper.
Eric and Ray cross their brow and look at each other in confusion. "Y-yes?" Eric stutters.
"Well good news for you," He says sarcastically as he tosses the papers to the table at them. "You're now wanted." They take the flyers and as the usual wanted sign papers, the large and bold text 'WANTED' is above, below is they themselves drawn as a picture yet their faces are well hidden behind the hoods on and descriptions below.
Ray amusingly whistles. "Never knew I would look this good than you Atlas." He says sarcastically on the sign. "Do news here spread that quickly?"
"All the time" Caleb replies. "Especially in regards to the rebellion, yet most people here in Meridian don't call up to those wanted signs anymore. They are already fed up with Phobos' plans."
"May I just want to clarify," Eric asks "on what and how Phobos' has been doing to Meridian and his intention with it? And was the rebellion a reaction to the conflict?"
"It seems like you want to recruit here without knowing what you are recruiting for." Caleb crosses his arms in disappointment.
"Back on Earth, we heard claims that Phobos is a trying leader or a selfish ruler. We wanted to know about it so we decided to see Meridian ourselves. Yet the situation got so fast that after we witnessed and saved Arminta, we escaped and she showed us the way how to get here in your sanctuary. In other words, Lieutenant," Eric replies sternly at Caleb's eyes.
"We wanted to know the truth."
