Camp Stalwart, Kuvek Province, forty eight miles inland from the Wadral coastline
June 2499, Twenty-seven years ago
Kelkaid Nagratek sat behind the desk in former General Haenkos's office. Across from him stood Tagyr Trenya. Both of them glared daggers at each other as Kelkaid placed his phone on the desk and pressed a button. He sat back in his chair as a voice began playing over the phone's speaker.
"Another fresh batch of controversy is brewing following the news that General Haenkos and Senator Holdsten, both arrested only a few short weeks ago on charges of corruption, conspiracy, and treason, have both been confirmed dead. Official reports say both men resisted authorities during questioning, eventually leading to a struggle during which General Haenkos got hold of a firearm and took his own life. Senator Holdsten later committed suicide in his cell. This report comes after a battery of inquiries by the National Party led Senatorial Oversight Committee currently investigating the FIC's actions at Camp Stalwart last month. We now go live to-" Kelkaid stopped the recording.
"We're supposed to have people in the media to suppress this kind of leak." Kelkaid said. "Explain to me how this happened."
"We don't have people in the FIC anymore, so we can't control what it submits to the Senate. And once something's been introduced on the floor, it's on public records. This was going to get out there regardless."
"Yes, but the reason we pay RCNN as much as we do is to spin stories like this in our favor. But now the public wants answers. And the FIC will be all too happy to provide them."
"This is a flash in the pan, Kelkaid. In a few weeks, people will forget this ever happened. All we have to do is let the bureaucracy work its magic."
"I'm done waiting around. Your Vanguard have proven ineffective against the Traitor's efforts. We lost New Taebid. We Lost the Successor. And now we're in danger of losing our hold on the government too. You need to find him and end him. Attack the FIC directly if you have to."
"So now you need me? After years of distrusting me, kicking me off the council, and replacing me as the head of the academy, you've finally decided to start trusting me again?"
"I don't like your tone, Tagyr."
"Your father trusted me to get things done. Gaimus-"
"Not another word!" Kelkaid shouted, standing up and leaning over the desk. "Don't ever say his name again! Not after what you did!"
"I can't be everywhere at once. And neither can my Vanguard. Your father insisted on going without protection. He knew the risks. That was his mistake."
"No. His mistake was putting his faith in a snake like you." Kelkaid spat. He sat back down. "A mistake I won't repeat. I'm not going to trust you. But for the moment I need you to do as I say."
"You are the Justicar. I am duty bound to follow by oath your orders."
"We need to contain the situation. Run damage control."
"What would you have me do?"
"The FIC officer who led the attack was named Faldr. And when this all started, a police officer named Faldr Milzaek died in the explosion that took Graham's life."
"Milzaek. That's a name I haven't heard in years. You don't think it could be Virnakt's boy, do you?"
"I'm certain it is. And while I'm excited at the prospect of meeting the son of our founding Vanguard, I'm concerned about what he's capable of."
"Jeleset and I know better than anyone. I'll put her team in charge of hunting him down."
"Her remaining teammates are another issue I was going to bring up, actually. They've proven time and again they cannot work effectively together. And the Lazbethed boy seemed to express feeling for your daughter in the past. I don't want him jeopardizing any future missions."
"For once we're in agreement. I was planning on having him reassigned anyway. Most likely to the Academy, where I can keep a closer eye on him."
"Very good. Now, getting back to the matter at hand, I need your men to find Patrick's son Zachary. We need someone to front in coming election for Patrick's now vacant Senate seat, and Zachary has expressed an interest in politics to his father several times."
"I've had two men monitoring his firm for some time, but I haven't heard from them in days. I sent another team to check on them, but they haven't responded either. I fear the FIC may have already beat us to the punch."
"Damn." Kelkaid muttered. "Well, it matters not. I'll have one of our analysts draw up a list of potential candidates when I get back to headquarters."
"And what about our position here? Can we guarantee whoever succeeds General Haenkos will be willing to fall in line?"
"It will take time for the appointment to get approval. More than enough time for us to make sure whoever gets it is loyal to the cause."
"Why don't we just cut our losses? The FIC knows we have a presence here. They'll be back even if we manage to regain long term control. And if they return, who's going to stop them from breaching our network again?"
"Your Vanguard will." Kelkaid stood up. "That is, after all, why we had the base emptied. We know the FIC will be back. The temptation is too strong. This is our only chance to catch them off guard. With any luck, we can end this conflict here, once and for all. And after we dispose of the FIC, we can search for the Successor at our leisure."
"More importantly, even if I fail, you'll have one less thorn in your side."
"I did make it clear I still don't trust you." Kelkaid began walking to the door. "Now, I really must be going. We both have places we need to be." He left the room. Tagyr sat down in the office for a while and stewed in thought. Eventually his phone went off, interrupting him.
"What is it?" He asked, answering the call.
"Sir, there's something wrong. Someone's-" The voice on the other was cut short by a scream and the sound of a blade slicing through someone's neck. Instantly Tagyr leapt up and tore out of the room. He ran as fast as he could for the data storage room he had left his Vanguard in. When he arrived, a single Bone towered over seven corpses, blood running down his arms, while another sat tinkering with the servers nearby. As soon as the first one saw Tagyr enter, he smiled.
"So, they've still got more bodies to throw at me." The man mused.
"You must be the Traitor the Grand Lord keeps talking about."
"Ah, so Deyavara does remember me." Jigafta smirked. "I was beginning to think he'd forgotten about me."
"I thought you and your entourage weren't killers."
"Faldr doesn't have the stomach for it, and I humored him before, but now it's time to get serious. And I'm starting by sweeping as many pawns off the board as I can." Jigafta took a step forward. Tagyr drew his sidearm and discharged several rounds in his assailant's direction. Jigafta dodged all but one, which grazed his shoulder.
"You're slower than he said you'd be."
"That's a very bold claim." Jigafta smirked. Suddenly he lunged forward and threw a punch at Tagyr with blinding speed. Tagyr dodged within a hair's breadth. As he moved, he drew a knife from his belt and stabbed it into Jigafta's arm. He instantly ducked behind Jigafta and swept him off of his feet. Tagyr tried to seize the moment and punch Jigafta in the face, but he rolled away and Tagyr's fist struck the concrete floor. As he reeled back in pain, clutching his hand, Jigafta stood backup.
"You remind me of someone." He said, crossing his arms to ponder. "Have we fought before?"
"If we'd ever crossed blades before, you wouldn't have lived to tell about it." Tagyr said, stretching his fingers to make sure they still worked.
"Oh!" Jigafta exclaimed. "I think I remember now. I was attacked by a man who fought much like yourself some time ago in the Yadrek Mountains."
"You must be thinking of my former master, Virnakt Milzaek. I think you're quite acquainted with his son, Faldr."
"So Faldr was right…" Jigafta thought for a moment. "And that means… Well, that certainly is interesting."
"I'm not putting up with this." Tagyr said. He raised his sidearm and shot two bullets in the direction of the second Bone. They impacted and shredded a set of cables he had plugged into one of the servers. "Did you think I hadn't noticed?"
"Well that's a shame." Jigafta pouted. He turned to his partner. "Are we still good to go, Victor?"
"It's a temporary setback." Victor responded, not looking up from his work. He swapped a few objects around the server's ports. "I'll have the download complete in just a few minutes."
"Alright." Jigafta turned back to Tagyr and cracked his knuckled. "Shall we continue, then?"
"I'd love to." Tagyr winced, his hand still hurting. "But I really should be going." He grabbed a grenade from a nearby corpse. Pulling the pin with his teeth, he rolled it past Jigafta, directly at Victor. Instinctively, Jigafta kicked the grenade out of the way and grabbed Victor to shield him from the blast. As the grenade exploded, Tagyr used the opportunity to run for the nearest exit. He sprinted through the hallways of the base until he stumbled his way into an occupied room. The scene before him made him stop in his tracks.
Jeleset stood in the middle of the room with her sword drawn. She had it pointed at Faldr, who had his firearm pointed right back at her. They glared at each other. X'lish stood back from the confrontation, unsure of what to do, and Viprus sat in the corner of the room, clutching his blood-soaked side. As soon as Faldr saw Tagyr enter the room, he drew a second sidearm from his belt and pointed it at him.
"Tagyr Trenya." He said, his words sending chills down Tagyr's spine. "After all these years, I've finally found you both. It looks like today is my lucky day."
Milzaek Estate, Ueth Province, near the Southeastern border with the Great Wastes
August 2488, Thirty-eight years ago
The house sat still in the hot, heavy air. Only the sound of crickets cut through the thick foggy haze that had settled over the summer night like a blanket. Nothing else dared move, not even Faldr Milzaek, an unusually energetic twelve year old who normally spent his nights running around the grounds until either his dad or his sister finally managed to catch him. But tonight felt different. It felt off, somehow. So Faldr decided his best course of action was to remain inside and not stir the oppressive heat from the rut it had finally settled into. At least, that was his plan until he heard voices drifting down the hall. The paper walls of the Rhumenese-style architecture didn't lend themselves to keeping conversations private.
Quietly, Faldr crept out of bed and tiptoed toward the voices, taking extra care to avoid the creaky floorboards as much as possible. Eventually, he reached his father's study, where the voices emanated from. As he approached, he peaked around the doorframe and began picking up the conversation.
"It's a beautiful painting." A Bone Faldr didn't recognize stood in his father Virnakt's study, admiring the landscape painting above the fireplace with a glass of wine in his hand.
"Harrison Bone from the Boneville Explorer's Society gave it to me some time ago." Virnakt replied, leaning back in the chair behind his desk. He too held a glass of wine. Behind him stood his current apprentice and Faldr's adopted sister, a girl only a few years older than Faldr that Virnakt has rescued from a life on the streets.
"Ah yes, Harrison. I've had the pleasure of meeting him several times since Gaimus recruited me. Never have I encountered a more honest or resolute academic. How is he doing these days?"
"Shouldn't you know?" Virnakt asked. "He does technically work for your organization."
"He spends most of his time in the field these days. He mostly deals with us through his son Henry. Have you met Henry?"
"Harrison's mentioned him from time to time, but I've never spoken to him in person. I don't see Harrison or his family much these days."
"He practically buried himself in his work ever since the two of you blew up the Yadrek mountain range."
"There was an earthquake, Tagyr. Harrison and I were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"I know, I know, but it sounds so much less exciting when you say it like that." Tagyr chuckled. He took a sip from his glass.
"Why are you here?" Virnakt asked, leaning forward and setting his drink down.
"A man can't visit with his old friends from time to time?" Tagyr responded, appearing shocked at the question.
"If you were, you would've brought something much stronger than this." He motioned to the bottle of wine at the edge of his desk. "This isn't a drink. It's a peace offering. Whatever it is you want from me, you thought this might soften me up first."
"Perceptive as ever." Tagyr sighed. "Well, I suppose you do have much more experience." Tagyr turned around and looked Virnakt in the eye. "You took me in when everyone else turned me away. Taught me to be strong, to stand on my own two feet, and to fight for what I believe in. And I'm grateful for everything you did for me, even if we disagree about how I put my talents to use."
"I gave you help because you were lost and afraid. That doesn't mean I have to put my differences with Gaimus aside because we used to be close."
"Gaimus and I are building a better world, Virnakt. You used to understand that. I'm asking you, as a friend, to try to understand again."
"You want me to knowingly assist criminal organization? You must be out of your mind."
"When I first met you you'd kill for money without a second thought. You used to kill for Gaimus without a second thought too. I know we've had our differences. I know you don't approve of how we do business. But the work we're doing could save the world. The Vanguard could-"
"My answer is still a firm no. I only offer guidance these days, nothing more. You can't ask me to train you an army."
"I am offering you a purpose. A chance to shape the world, to forge blades that will cut away the rot that festers at its heart."
"I gave up trying to change the world a long time ago. All I ever really did was bring chaos. And that's all you'll ever do either. Sow discord. Grow hatred. That isn't a world I want any part in making." Virnakt stood up and turned to his apprentice. "Come, Jeleset. We're done here." He began to leave. "Tagyr can show himself out." Jeleset didn't follow him. Instead, she drew a knife from her robe and pressed it against his back.
"I'm afraid that you can't leave until you hear Master Trenya out." She smirked.
"What is the meaning of this?" Virnakt asked, his hand slowly moving toward his belt, where he kept a dagger concealed for emergencies.
"You know, I came here more as a formality than anything." Tagyr said, swirling his wine glass as he talked. "I can train my Vanguard just fine without you. I just hated seeing you wasting away in your old age. I thought giving you the opportunity to get back into the game would revitalize you somehow. Make you feel alive again. But, if you're unwilling to see reason, then I suppose we won't be able to come to an agreement."
"I don't care about your banal motives." Virnakt spat. "I want to know why my apprentice is threatening to kill me."
"Oh, that. It completely slipped my mind." Tagyr smiled. "I found her not long after you finished training me and turned your back on Gaimus's work. And she seemed just your type, if you don't mind me saying. Poor, lost, vulnerable. Just like him. I knew you'd take her in as soon as you laid eyes on her. I figured she'd be a good way to keep an eye on you."
"After all the years I've spent idling away, you still considered me a threat to your little club?" Virnakt began to strain a laugh. "That'd be funny if it wasn't so pathetic and paranoid."
"I wasn't spying on you, Virnakt. Though Gaimus did ask me to make sure you didn't do anything… untoward. No, I wanted to know why you changed after your job with Harrison. Why you kicked me out." He took the last sip of his glass and set it down on a nearby table. "And more than a decade later I still don't have a good answer." He drew a gun. Faldr gasped. Suddenly everyone in the room looked in his direction.
"And who might that be?" Tagyr asked with a devilish grin. He pointed the gun at Virnakt. "Come out little one." He called toward the door. "I'm not going to hurt you. But if you don't show yourself, I might have to hurt him." Slowly Faldr opened the door and stepped into the room.
"Faldr?" Virnakt asked. "Why aren't you in bed?"
"I couldn't sleep with all the talking." Faldr muttered.
"Sorry about that, buddy." Virnakt said, panic rising in his voice. "I'll try to be keep it down from now on."
"I'm still here, you know." Tagyr said, waving his gun around. "You see, this is what I've been wondering about. You were, in many ways, like a father to me. You practically raised me. You taught me everything. And yet, once this kid shows up you boot me out the door. Neither of us were really yours, so what makes him so different from me?"
"Do you really want to know?" Virnakt asked.
"Why else would I even be here?"
"When I took you in, you asked me to make you a killer. You were young, and you had a fire in you that I thought I could use, so I obliged. And once I'd dragged you across that line, I put you to work. I made you kill, over and over, because it was all either of us knew how to do. Even after I found Faldr that never changed. I never changed. Killing was all I was good for. So I put us on Gaimus's payroll. I thought it'd be easy money. That was the biggest mistake of my life. He made us do things I never want to do again. I couldn't take it. But you seemed to relish it. That's when I realized I hadn't given you help. I'd given you a curse. I'd branded you. I failed you."
"So, what, you didn't like having a constant reminder of your "failure" around? Is that all I was to you?"
"You were like a son to me. But you were also like a mirror. You reflected everything I grew to hate about myself. So I sent you away hoping you'd discover your own path in life. I had hoped you'd step out of my shadow. Instead, you went right back to Gaimus."
"I found a purpose there. That's more than you can say, shutting yourself up in this dusty old mansion."
"I put that life behind me, Tagyr. You've got your answers, now leave me be."
"I'm afraid I can't do that." Tagyr swung his gun around and pointed it at Faldr.
"Don't you dare threaten my son!" Virnakt shouted. Jeleset pressed her dagger harder against his back.
"Normally I wouldn't dream of it, but I can't have you following us, so-"
"Get your gun out of his face!" Virnakt drew his knife and leapt over the table, lunging at Tagyr. Before Tagyr could pull the gun around, Virnakt knocked him to the ground, burying his knife in Tagyr's arm. Virnakt raised the knife to stab him again, but it slipped from his grasp when Jeleset stabbed him in the side of his neck. He turned around, eyes blazing. She slit his throat. Faldr collapsed to the ground, unable to form sounds.
"Did he get you?" Jeleset asked, helping Tagyr off of the ground.
"It's only a stab wound. I'll manage." Tagyr said, wincing through the pain in his arm. "Anyway, that isn't important. We need to report back to Gaimus. Set fire to the house and meet me outside."
"Yes sir." Jeleset nodded as Tagyr began to leave. She grabbed a fire poker from the fireplace and dragged most of the flaming wood out onto the floor. Within seconds, the floor caught fire. It didn't take long for the rest of the house to follow suit. Satisfied with her work, Jeleset too left the room, leaving Faldr alone. Slowly, he crawled over to Virnakt and cradled his father's head.
"Come one dad." He whispered, tears streaming down his face. "Wake up. We need to leave now." As if awaiting a response, Faldr sat by his father as the house burnt down around him. Eventually, long after Faldr had run out of tears to cry, the ceiling gave way. As it collapsed on top of him, Faldr let out a wailing scream, shaking his entire body violently. The burning ruins of the manor silenced him as they hit the ground.
Camp Stalwart, Kuvek Province, forty eight miles inland from the Wadral coastline
June 2499, Twenty-seven years ago
Seven Bones crouched outside the entrance to Camp Stalwart's main building. Satranik Haenkos sat by the door, working on the lock with a pick, while the rest of the team stood guard around her.
"How much longer is this going to take?" Nibet asked in a hushed tone.
"They changed the locks, so it'll take me longer than I thought." Satranik responded. "But…" She worked the pick a bit and a heard a small click from the lock. "We're in." All seven stood up and crept through the door into the entrance of the base.
"Something feels off." Satranik said as they spread out across the room.
"What do you mean?" Victor asked.
"It's too quiet."
"It's one in the morning." Faldr said. "Of course it's quiet. Everyone's asleep."
"No, Satranik's right." Jigafta said, holding up a fist. Everyone in the room stopped moving. "We're not alone." He turned to the door on the far side of the room. "You can come out now. We know you're there." The door opened and in stepped Jeleset, Selthash, and Izagail. Jeleset flipped on the room's lights as she entered.
"Impressive. Truly your skills continue to astound me." She drew her sword. "Unfortunately, your folly ends here. We've got half a dozen more Vanguard further inside, and more on their way." She turned to address her former teammates. "If the three of you join us now and help us destroy our enemies, the High Awakened Justicar will forgive your past transgressions."
"It isn't that simple." X'lish protested. "Kelkaid's been keeping us in the dark. We need to know the truth."
"Truth?" Izagail asked.
"The Order gets all of its money from massive criminal organizations." Viprus responded. "Drug running. Trafficking. Racketeering. They're squeezing the life out of this country for a few extra bucks."
"Lies." Selthash said. "Concocted by the human-loving trash you're so taken with."
"Believe me, Selthash, I wish they were." Nibet responded. "I wish we were wrong for leaving. But I after what we've seen, what Viprus showed us, I can't be sure of what's real or not. I need answers."
"Enough!" Jeleset shouted. "If you aren't going to repent, then you're no different from your new comrades. You will all be executed as heretics." She rushed forward toward X'lish and drew her sword back for a strike. Right before it struck X'lish, Viprus drew his sword and blocked the attack.
"Now Jeleset," He chided, "Let's not lose our heads." Selthash and Izagail both drew their swords. X'lish and Nibet did the same.
"This is getting nowhere fast." Jigafta said, stretching his arms. "Victor and I are going on head. Catch up when these three aren't an issue." He and Victor sprinted off further into the base. Selthash moved to intercept them.
"Oh no you don-" He began to shout. Victor elbowed him in the stomach as he approached, cutting him off. Selthash staggered in place for a moment, giving Victor and Jigafta time to escape.
"I'm going after them!" Jeleset announced, turning from the group and running off to follow Jigafta and Victor. "You two alert the Master!" Izagail and Selthash sprinted out of the room through another door.
"Satranik! Nibet!" Faldr shouted as he and Viprus started after Jeleset. "Go after them!" Nodding, Satranik and Nibet chased after the two Vanguard. After a moment of consideration, X'lish took off after Faldr and Viprus.
It didn't take long for Nibet and Satranik to catch up with Selthash and Izagail. The two cornered their prey in a long hallway. Nibet ran them down and slashed at their heels with her sword. Both of them dodged, but in the process they skidded to a halt.
"So." Satranik caught up to Nibet and locked eyes with Selthash. "You're Selthash Haenkos, aren't you?" She asked.
"How do you know my name?" He responded, his grip tightening. "I don't think we've ever met before."
"So it really is you." Satranik muttered. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "I never thought I'd ever see you again."
"Satranik, snap out of it." Nibet barked. "You need to find your dad's office. I'll hold these two until you get back."
"Right." Satranik shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. "The mission comes first. I'll make this quick." She ducked into a nearby room, leaving Nibet alone with her former teammates. Selthash tried to run after Satranik, but Nibet moved in front of his path.
"What did you mean her dad's office?" Selthash asked. "Does her father work here too?"
"Let's just say the two of you are going to have a lot to talk about when she gets back." Nibet smirked.
"I doubt she'll be coming back. We have Vanguard all over this base. Not to mention Tagyr and Kelkaid are currently meeting in the offices as we speak. There's no way she'll be able to survive that kind of manpower."
"I'm not worried." Nibet replied. "I've seen what these military types can do in a pinch."
"They don't look very impressive to me. Perhaps being a heretic lowers your standards."
"Were you always such an ass?" Nibet asked. "Well, it's not like it matters much now." Nibet rushed forward and thrust her sword in Selthash's face. He moved to the side and slashed at her stomach. She stepped back and brought her sword up and to the side to cleave his jaw in two. Izagail blocked the strike, and Selthash swept her feet out from underneath her. She rolled along the floor, barely moving out of the way in time as Selthash's sword descended on her face. She sprung up and swung her sword in front of her just in time to block Izagail as he struck out at her arm.
Selthash pulled his sword form the ground as Izagail and Nibet continued to clash and reentered the fray. He swung at Nibet's neck, but she ducked under the strike and went for Selthash's groin. He jumped up, barely avoiding being castrated, and Izagail brought his sword down on Nibet's, pinning it to the ground. As Selthash descended, he kicked Nibet's sword hand, breaking her grip. She stumbled to her feet and raised her hands to defend herself, but Selthash didn't give her a break. He rushed forward and began swinging wildly at Nibet's head. Izagail, meanwhile, managed to get behind her and sweep her legs again. As she fell to the ground, Selthash wound up his sword to chop her head off.
"This is the end, Traitor!" He shouted. He looked her in the eyes, unable to suppress his massive grin. As he was about to let his sword fly, Izagail threw his sword at Selthash's face. It hit him hilt first, in between his eyes, knocking him out. Nibet sat on the ground, stunned, as Izagail retrieved his sword and sheathed it.
"Why?" She asked, still sitting, as Izagail draped Selthash's unconscious form across his shoulders.
"I won't let our team tear itself to pieces today." Izagail said. "I don't have it in me to watch the people I care about kill each other."
"Bullshit." Nibet said, standing up. "You hated Selthash."
"But I loved you." Izagail responded. He smiled sheepishly. The two of them stood in silence for a moment.
"X'lish told me." Nibet finally spoke.
"She never could keep her mouth shut." Izagail chuckled. The silence returned.
"Come with me." Nibet said abruptly. "You can't honestly expect me to believe you don't have questions too. You know something else is going on here. Help us figure this out."
"I can't do that. I have my orders. But if you come back with us, I can try to convince Kelkaid to spare your life."
"I'm not going back. Jeleset and Selthash made it clear I'm no longer wanted anyway."
"Then I guess this is goodbye." Izagail wiped away tears forming in the corner of his eyes. "The next time we meet, it'll be as enemies."
"I won't kill you Izagail."
"I appreciate the sentiment. But you shouldn't waste any more time on me. Go help X'lish, while you still have the time." He turned and began walking away. Nibet stood and watched him leave. A short time after he disappeared from view, Satranik burst out of another room, panting.
"I found my father's personal records." She said, clutching a leather bound book in her hands. "What happened on your end? Is Selthash still around?"
"They left." Nibet said, picking up her sword. "They won't be bothering us anymore tonight. Now let's go find the others."
On the other side of the base, Jigafta and Viprus chased Jeleset as she pursued Jigafta. After ducking and weaving through several rooms, corridors, and flights of stairs, Faldr drew a pistol from his belt and shot Jeleset in the shoulder of her sword arm. She stumbled, clutching her wound as her pursuers caught up with her. Capitalizing on her exposed position, Viprus leapt into the air and brought his sword down upon her head. She managed to fight through the pain and raise her arm just in time to block the strike.
While Viprus descended on her from above, Faldr rushed her from the front, gun drawn and eyes burning. As Viprus landed in front of her, she moved his sword to the side and grabbed him by the neck with her free hand. Before he could break free, she slammed him into Faldr, knocking them both to the ground. She turned back around to continue after Jigafta, but before she could start running a sword flew past her neck, just barely missing her brain stem. As Jeleset saw the sword go past, X'lish ran up from behind her and crashed into her back.
As they both lost their balance, X'lish reached out and grabbed her sword from where it has imbedded itself in a nearby wall. Bringing her weapon around, X'lish tried to decapitate Jeleset as she fell on top of her. Jeleset blocked the incoming blow inches from her neck. Twisting her body around, Jeleset managed to buck her legs up and wrap them around X'lish's neck from behind as the pair struggled on the ground. Pulling X'lish's head to the floor with a thud, Jeleset scrambled to untangle herself from her disoriented opponent. After standing up, she knocked X'lish's sword aside and prepared to take the dazed woman's life. As she lifted her blade, however, it shattered. Faldr had managed to stand himself up and shoot the sword as Jeleset reared it back.
Before he could fire another shot, however, she threw the handle of her sword at him. The shattered stub of the blade sliced his hand open. As he recoiled and dropped his gun, Jeleset rushed forward and punched him in the stomach. He doubled over, and Jeleset grabbed the sides of his head. She prepared to slam his face against her knee, but Viprus regained his senses and slashed at her arms from where he lay on the ground underneath her. She jumped out of the way in time to avoid his attack, but let go of Faldr, allowing him to recover his gun. Viprus, meanwhile, stood up and began driving her back with a continuous flurry of sword strikes. Behind her, X'lish got to her feet and picked up her sword, prepared to run Jeleset through. Right as Viprus had seemingly pinned her between two adversaries, Jeleset jumped up and over him, arcing just out of range of both of their swords, and rolled behind him over to where her sword hilt had landed.
Picking it up, she rushed toward Viprus again. He prepared to defend himself. Faldr took aim at Jeleset's head. Jeleset and Viprus met. He jumped back, lashing out at her as he retreated. She blocked his blade with what was left of her own, and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward her. Before he could adjust to the situation, she slipped the handle of her blade through his defenses and stabbed him in the ribs. He dropped his sword and fell to the ground, blood flowing freely from his side. Jeleset kicked him in the stomach, shoving him into a corner, and picked up his sword. She leveled it at Faldr, who was still aiming a gun at her. The tip of the blade hovered inches from his nose.
"Jeleset." Faldr said. "I should have known Tagyr whored you out to the Order after you left."
"Finally recognized me, have you?" She asked. "It took you long enough. Though I'm not one to judge. When we crossed paths last time, I almost didn't recognize you without tears streaming down your face."
"Cute. I see you haven't lost your twisted sense of humor."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" X'lish asked Jeleset, interrupting their conversation. "He was our friend. How could you do that?"
"The adults are talking." Jeleset shot back. "Don't interrupt."
"Everything's fine, X'lish." Faldr said, not breaking eye contact with Jeleset. "I can handle this one. Go check on Viprus." Begrudgingly, X'lish did as she was told.
"You know, I always knew this day would have to come eventually." Jeleset mused. "Some part of me knew you'd survived the fire, no matter what Tagyr said. You always were tougher than Virnakt gave you credit for. I knew you'd find us. I knew you'd try to take your revenge. I just never imagined you'd rope the rest of my team into your little quest."
"Typical Jeleset." Faldr spat back. "You always did think highly of yourself. You used to constantly demand father's attention. Everything had to be about you. I guess some things never change, do they? Well, princess, as it happens I'm not here for you. I didn't even know you were still hovering around Tagyr until today. But, since you're already here, I don't think I'll be able to pass up such a golden opportunity."
"Tell me, boy. Have you ever actually killed someone before?"
"Oh, I'm not going to kill you. Not yet, anyway. I have some questions I want answered first."
"Faldr, when this is over we need to have a serious conversation." X'lish said as she stood up, having haphazardly dressed Viprus's wounds.
"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?" Jeleset asked.
"Focus, Jeleset." Faldr said. "Don't get distracted now. We're just getting started. I have questions. And before you die, you're going to answer them."
"Do you honestly think you have what it takes to best me? You could barely lift a sword when we were kids."
"I don't need to beat you head on, I'm the one holding the gun." Faldr waived his firearm around slightly. "Now I'm going to ask you some questions and you're going to give me some answers. For every answer I don't like, I'm putting a bullet in you. Do you understand me?"
"Faldr, this is ludicrous." X'lish said before Jeleset could respond. "I don't know what this is about, but I do know that we have a mission. A mission you gave us. We're here to find out the truth."
"Don't you think that's what I'm doing?" He snapped at her. "I'm getting my own answers."
"Damn it, listen to m-"
"Shut up!" He shouted. "If you want to go join up with Jigafta, you're more than welcome to." He turned his attention back to Jeleset. "Now. First question. What was father's relationship with the Order?"
"Really?" Jeleset replied. "You've come all this way to ask me about dear old dad?" She began laughing. "That's priceless. This isn't an interrogation, it's a farce. If you're really prepared to pull that trigger, then it had better be to kill me. Anything less won't be able to save you."
"If you're not going to answer, then I'm going to have to start getting messy." Faldr sighed. Just then, the door on the far side of the room burst open and Tagyr Trenya stumbled inside, drawing everyone's attention. As he looked around the room, Faldr drew a second sidearm from his belt and pointed it at Tagyr' face.
"Tagyr Trenya." He said, locking eyes with the man. "After all these years, I've finally found you both. It looks like today is my lucky day."
"Faldr Milzaek." Tagyr gulped, blood dripping from a wound on his hand. "You're much more tenacious than I gave you credit for. It's such a shame about what happened with Virnakt."
"Dad?" X'lish asked, taking a step back. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing. Running off on your own. Betraying the Order to these wretches. I thought I raised you better than that."
"You didn't raise me at all." She said, pointing her sword at him. "Is it true the Order fronts criminal organizations?"
"It appears you've already made up your mind about that. I can't say anything to dissuade you at this point. But I can say that I am disappointed. Now Faldr, I-"
"Don't you turn away from me!" X'lish shouted. "Not now! You don't have that luxury anymore!"
"X'lish, back off!" Faldr shouted, his voice almost a growl. "Tagyr and I have unfinished business!"
"Oh, don't give me that! You aren't the only one with skeletons in your closet!"
"I'm flattered the two of you consider my time so important." Tagyr gripped the hilt of a knife on his belt. "But I'm afraid I have to be going. I seem to have run out of time." He whirled around and threw the knife into the hallway. He jumped back as Jigafta ran through the doorway, the knife held by the tip in between his teeth. Victor followed closely behind him.
"Jeleset." Tagyr said as he landed next to her. "We need to leave now."
"Oh no you don't." Faldr said, his guns still trained on the pair of them. "I've still got questions."
"Learn to live with disappointment." Tagyr smirked. "I know I'm going to have to." Jeleset rushed forward and slashed Faldr's hands open with her sword. He dropped his guns and recoiled in pain. She raised her sword again to cleave his head open, but X'lish blocked the strike. Jigafta spit out the knife and began walking toward Tagyr.
"I'm just about out of patience for this crap." He said, almost barring his teeth. He cracked his knuckles as he walked. "I'm ending you here." As he prepared to lunge forward, Nibet and Satranik burst into the room.
"There you guys are." Nibet said, almost sounding relieved. "We've been looking everywhere for…" Her sentence trailed off as she noticed the situation in the room. "Hey dad. Fancy meeting you here."
"I don't have time for this." Tagyr muttered. He gritted his teeth and prepared to meet Jigafta head on as Jeleset still struggled with X'lish behind him. Suddenly, a nearby wall exploded, knocking everyone to their feet. A helicopter hovered just outside the breach. Kelkaid and Izagail stood on its deck, the former holding a spent RPG, while Selthash sat slumped over in one of the seats, still unconscious.
"Tagyr!" Kelkaid said as he tossed the RPG aside, his voice straining to be heard over the sound of spinning rotors. "Let's go!" Without a moment's hesitation, Tagyr scrambled to his feet and ran toward the helicopter.
"No!" Faldr shouted, pushing himself up to go after Tagyr. As he got to his knees, however, Jeleset kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over in pain as Jeleset too ran for the helicopter. Tagyr jumped through the hole with ease, landing beside Kelkaid in the helicopter. Jeleset, however, stumbled as she attempted to make the jump. A Bone's hand clung to her leg. It belonged to Viprus.
He had pulled himself off of the ground and crawled over to Jeleset while everyone was distracted. He grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her to the ground. He raised his sword to take her life. A gunshot rang out. His head snapped back, blood gushing from between his eyes. Bits of blood and bone splattered all over the room. Kelkaid lowered a smoking pistol, content with his handiwork. Without Viprus holding her down, Jeleset wasted no time getting back on her feet and into the helicopter. As she made the jump, Nibet grabbed a gun from Satranik's belt.
"You bastard!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face as she unloaded round after round in Kelkaid's direction. Every shot deflected harmlessly off of the plating of the helicopter as it turned from the group. She continued to pull the trigger as the helicopter pulled away from view, long after she ran out of bullets. After the helicopter dipped over the horizon, she collapsed over Viprus's corpse and began crying. X'lish walked over and sat beside her.
"Sir, we need to get out of here." Victor whispered to Faldr. "Sooner or later, someone will come to investigate that explosion."
"Their friend just died, Victor." He replied in an equally hushed tone. "Let's give them a moment to say goodbye. It's the least we can do after dragging them into this."
"But sir-" Victor began to protest. Faldr cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"If you're that anxious to leave, you and Satranik can go fetch us a ride."
"Yes sir." Victor muttered. He headed for the door and motioned for Satranik to follow him. The pair left the room quickly. After they left, Jigafta approached Faldr from behind and put a hand on his shoulder.
"How are you holding up?" Jigafta asked. Faldr sighed.
"All things considered… I have no idea." He replied. "I lost control when I caught up with Jeleset. I wanted answers. I threatened to torture her. But I was kidding myself. I spouted all that crap because, even though I knew she probably couldn't have told me anything, I still didn't have it in me to kill her. And, at this point, I honestly can't tell if that's a good thing anymore."
"Your father taught you that life was sacred. I can respect that. I can respect wanting to honor his memory even in the face of that burning desire for revenge." Jigafta walked in front of Faldr and grabbed him by the shoulders, staring him in the eye. "But this war isn't about you. This war is about the fate of our entire people. So you need to dig deep and find the strength to cross that line. Or the Order will tear you apart. Do you understand me?"
"Perfectly." Faldr responded, meeting Jigafta's gaze. From outside, someone began honking a car horn.
"Move your asses, people!" Victor shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice barely reaching the room from the street outside. "We don't have all night!"
"Victor's right." Jigafta said, turning away from Faldr and heading for the door. He scooped down and grabbed Viprus's body as he walked past, slinging it over his shoulder. Nibet grabbed onto Jigafta's leg before he could leave.
"What do you think you're doing?" She asked. She looked up at Jigafta, her eyes red with tears.
"We can bury Viprus when we get back to base." Jigafta responded. "We've wasted enough time here as it is." He tore his leg from her grasp and left the room. Reluctantly, X'lish and Nibet got up and followed him. Faldr caught up with them as they began walking.
"I know this probably isn't a good time," He began, not making eye contact with either of them. "But once we get back to base you're free to go. I'm not going to stop you from leaving. The two of you have already been through enough."
"Are you kidding?" Nibet asked. She whirled around and got up in his face. "I already didn't trust Kelkaid, but this? I can't let this go. So as long as we're fighting the Order, I'll do whatever you say. Just promise me, when the time comes, Kelkaid is ours."
"And you feel the same way?" Faldr asked, turning to X'lish. She nodded solemnly. "Well I can't exactly say that I'm glad, given the circumstances that drove you to this, but I can say that we are going to make him pay. I swear it. We're going to make them all pay."
"That's good enough for me." Nibet said. She backed down and began walking after Jigafta again. Faldr and X'lish stood alone in a hallway.
"Listen, about your father…" Faldr began.
"You don't need to make excuses. Least of all to me." She replied. "I never liked him, even back in training. From birth, he taught us nothing but violence. He offered us up to the Order as living weapons without so much as a second thought. And now that all of this has happened." She motioned around herself. "Well, let's just say I understand some of that pain you're carrying around, even if I don't know exactly what's caused it. So, if you're so bent on killing him, I'm not going to stop you. If you want, I'll even lend you my sword."
"I don't actually know how to use a sword." Faldr smiled sheepishly.
"Well I suppose I'll have to teach you then."
"I'd like that. There's not much I can do to return the favor, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be here."
"Thanks. That means a lot." X'lish smiled back at him. "Now, we shouldn't keep the others waiting." The two of them resumed walking in silence. As they left the base, despite everything that had happened, Faldr couldn't stop himself from smiling. For some reason he couldn't quite place, he felt at peace in a way he hadn't in a very long time.