Kings and Queens Chapter 6: Scheme from the Shadows
A/N: Still awake? Surprised you are...

-Hamel, Hall of Magic-

"What do you mean, the illness is incurable?" A man snapped at Hamel's head researcher, who was sipping from a white ceramic mug without care as he listened in.

"You heard me the first time around, I hope." Lex sighed, dropping another marshmallow into the chocolate-flavored beverage. "The sickness is confining her to the wheelchair unless it's somehow cured. I truly do regret to deliver the news, but that's the situation. We've never had a pathogen of this degree, and it's unlike any I've seen in the past. The only course of action now is to give up and let your daughter live without using her legs, or..." the scientist paused, taking another sip.

"Find a cure," the scientist finished, drumming the end of his pen against a clipboard. "Though at the moment, we hardly have the time and resources for anything that isn't helping the war effort. Queen's orders, along with the fact that the inevitable battle is the first thing on everyone's agendas, including my own. I may be head researcher, but that doesn't mean I do whatever I want."

Silence filled the room for a minute before the man standing in front of the sitting leader spoke. "Lex, how much do you want for funding?" The figure with azure hair said in a hushed tone. "Name the price."

"Oh?" A slight smirk crept onto the normally stoic mask of the developer. "Are you bribing me, or are you deciding to personally provide the funding for a project that will create a cure?"

"Take it how you will." The respondent hissed, gripping their black robe closer to their body. "I did not intend for such a negative connotation, but I believe my point has been delivered. What will it be?"

Sighing, the researcher stood after setting his cup down. "Bring seven hundred million. That will be the cost of beginning the research along with continuing it for a few months. Of course, if the breakthrough comes early, I'll return the unused gold, I'm not fond of wasting money."

More silence. "Steep price, but I will see to it."

"And one more request, judge... If Fluvial ever attempts to sentence me for something, deem me innocent if you value your daughter's life. We don't know anything about this interesting contagion, it could prove deadly later on."

"You're basically holding her hostage now, aren't you?"

"Like how you said before... Take it how you will."

Lex chuckled to himself as the other left. Just because he had failed in retrieving the unbeatable Codex did not mean that he would fail. After all, the tactician of legend went without it for a duration of time, and had he not brought victory regardless? Adjusting the tie around his neck, he rang a bell which beckoned a certain individual to come. Within minutes, the door to the office opened.

"Excellent job." Lex greeted, in mock warmness. "Sol, you've carried out the plan without hesitation, and nobody suspects a thing. Poor Gallerian suspects absolutely nothing." The researcher tsked, tapping his pen against the clipboard. "Too bad that he doesn't know that I can make that illness disappear on command, and that gold is going nowhere but to war."

"You're evil." Sol commented dryly. "Ordering me to sicken someone's young daughter so you can take advantage of the fact that they are the current chief of Hamel's judicial system, along with their immense wealth... You're truly horrible."

Scoffing, Lex simply turned in his chair. "Horrible? I hope you're familiar with Hamel's history. The tactician whose name is Venatio... Have the people forgotten his strategy that led to Velder's crushing defeat?"

"Lex, he was under orders from the Codex of Alto Mare..."

"Silence. But the net result here is that the ends justify the means. I see no need to spare even the innocent if we must take advantage of their weakness." The researcher quipped. "Like Venatio himself so lovingly said in the past... 'Being a tactician is different from the rest. If I do not move, a thousand die. If I do move, a different thousand die. Either way, I end up drenched in the blood of the sinless. But someone has to take up the sword that nobody else will.'"

"Philosophical, but it doesn't provide much in my eyes." The commander sighed, one hand brushing against the ornate hilt of his sheathed blade. "And please, try not to call me so often. The others get suspicious of why I run off all of a sudden, and I'm running out of excuses to give."

"You're dismissed."

As soon as Sol was gone, Lex allowed himself to relax in his seat. "It doesn't matter what the means are this time. Ends achieved through despicable means are still ends. War does not discriminate, Sol. It only determines who ends up in the history books and who is just another name for time to forget."

'Death doesn't discriminate

Between the sinners and the saints

It takes, and it takes, and it takes

History obliterates

And every picture it paints

It paints me in all my mistakes'

-City of Velder-

"This is ridiculous." Renard sighed, a piece of parchment in his right hand as his other hand rested on his forehead. "What have we got now? Hamel's got some ridiculous secret weapon going on, their forces have been ready to attack and counterattack, and their commanders are anything but unprepared. We're at the definition of a stalemate... Bidding the other to attack because you're unwilling to open the game as white..."

"It is," Elliot agreed, his arms crossed as he stood by the king. "Hamel is most definitely prepared for real, unlike the starting battle many years ago. It is possible that they are tendering a trap as well. The possibilities are endless with them. It may be wholly possible that they are simply waiting for their project to finish... We do not even know what it is."

"Our own project is nearing completion though," the ruler of Velder remarked. "Cloaks that will make our most elite squadrons invisible to the enemy until it's too late. A barrier fueled by the El that will enclose the entire city, using a layered structure that is designed as impact resistant..."

Bowing, the advisor took a step back. "Would you like me to inform the departments of research? Also, some of the patrolling military forces have managed to capture one of the warriors labeled as the 'Epics'. We believe that the one we've captured is the Lord of Pain, with powerful attacks capable of annihilating small areas entirely along with nigh-indestructible armor."

"Interesting. Tell them to look into it, but don't waste any funding or manpower on it."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Stamping a wax seal with the insignia of Velder, the king handed a rolled-up scroll to Elliot, who made his way out of the throne room with it in hand.

-Island of Altera-

"So, you are saying that recent intelligence reports hint to a possible spy?"

"Yes, Maya." A young boy, who couldn't have been out of his teens, took a formal bow in front of a dignified leader, who was examining some data on a holographic screen. "I see. What other information is there on this supposed espionage? A hint or two to the spy's identity would be greatly helpful, Quan."

Flipping through a few folders, the soldier presented another screen, which flared to life as he offered it in his mechanized arm. "We've received reports that they are humanoid in appearance, but are extremely difficult to track down. They appear to lack a heat signature, which renders several homing devices and detectors useless. Along with that, they can somehow avoid suspicion by vanishing easily and reappearing at another place, which hints at a magician."

"I see..." She placed one hand against her head in contemplation. "A human in Altera is quite rare... Particularly one which manages to evade detection for this long. How long have they been around? And any hint on allegiance?"

"At least for a week. I believe they may be with either Hamel or Velder."

The commander fell silent, staring at the glowing words on the panel. "I will look into this further. You may return to your post, and present any new information at once. Is there anything else you would like to add?"

"We found this," Quan nodded before reaching into the box he was carrying, drawing out a bound, paper book. Such objects were usually not found in Altera, where technology dominated the landscape and the need for parchment and quill was eliminated completely. "It was laying out on the field, so one of the scouts had it brought to me."

The cover was pure, solid white, rimmed with gleaming golden linings. Traces of azure were mixed with the gold, forming a sharp but elegant pattern on the borders. Jewels were embedded along the spine, linked with a silver chain and a cerulean ribbon. The most prominent part was that the grand insignia of Hamel was emblazoned on the cover, as if in defiance of the land it was on.

"A book from the Kingdom of Water?" Maya's interest was perked as she took it from the subordinate's hands. Flipping it open without hesitation, mechanical eyes scanned over what appeared to be empty sheets of pure white. "This is empty.."

"It is?" Quan appeared confused. "Why would a human own an empty book? I thought they were for recording information."

"I did too, but this one seems to prove otherwise," the silver-haired Nasod remarked. "I'll toss it into the vault along with whatever else we've found that could potentially prove useful. It'll also be scanned later to reveal any submerged secrets. Dismissed."

With that, the boy stood and left while the general tucked the book under her arm, heading to the vault where ancient, unused items were stored along with artifacts that held potential. Placing her hand against the sensor-lock, reinforced gates slid open for her entry. Tossing the book onto a nearby desk, she took her leave. Heavy doors slammed behind her, shutting the safe.

Nothing appeared to happen before the emblem on the tome's cover shone. In a burst of light and a swirl of fabric, a maiden that appeared fit to belong in a ballroom stepped forth where the heavy piece of blank literature once lay. "That went much smoother than I thought." Blinking prismatic eyes that adjusted to the darkness rather quickly, she skipped through the huge main area of the vaults before heading to a smaller passageway nearby. Slipping noiselessly through the corridor, the narrow tunnel eventually appeared to lead to another door.

She stopped before fully entering. An odd marking flashed in her opal-like left eye before she leaped with alarming speed off the ground, landing carefully before swinging upwards in a semi-wall run. The feminine figure was darting with grace that would appear to be impossible for any normal person. Landing effortlessly before the door at the end of the hallway, the same sign blinked as thin fingers tapped out a security code.

Barriers that blocked the entryway to some unknown area all unlocked themselves, moving aside for the silent figure to enter. The room that it led to was much smaller than the first large room, which held anything from boxes filled with blueprints and designs to prototype vehicles. Inside this chamber was only a small control panel and what appeared to be the towering silhouette of a large frame of some kind. The shape was distinctly bipedal, encased in heavy plating that most would mistake for armor.

Bits of gold appeared to reflect with scintillating light despite the lack of lighting in the room. The metallic components that covered nearly every visible portion of the odd device was well-polished despite the apparent age, as the room itself seemed to be undisturbed for quite a while.

"It was easy enough to hack into the records and find this thing. Anyways, if it works as expected..." A slight grin crept onto the person face. Heading to the lone control center, buttons were pressed on a keypad before a small slot opened, dropping a key that resembled a portable drive. The top part was intertwined gold and black, with four crimson spikes protruding at the end. Picking up the small token, another button was pressed before the shadow stepped away from the panel.

Overhead lamps blinked to life as what was now revealed to be a huge mechanized android was powered, a structure built near the top of the design sliding open to reveal the pilot's seat. It had enough room for two people, and the second seat was elevated in a position higher than the first. Climbing up on a ladder that was dropped downward, the female slid into the frontal seat before the hatch closed itself. Various keyboards and switches completely covered the frontal operating center, along with two levers for the pilot. Its five screens all flared to life.

At the front was a large central screen, which displayed battle operations. At each side were two smaller screens, each meant for different purposes. One served as communication, the second as ammunition and energy supply, the following one for damage overview and the last for the shield status. Over the various monitors was a decent open view of the outside area, heavily guarded by several layers of reinforced glass or some other weapon-proof material.

There was a slot besides the main button on the controls. Easily recognizing what it was for, the key-like object was inserted in and turned. The main monitor blazed with light, signaling that it was prepared for launch.

"Time to go."

Pulling back one of the levers and giving the button situated at the top a gleeful press, the machine practically tore its way out of the hall it had been in, triggering several security alerts along the way. Installed firearms begun to fire, but the projectiles were fully nullified by what appeared to be amethyst-colored shields, shaped like overlaying hexagons.

The barriers surrounded the entirety of the frame on all sides, protecting it against everything the automated defenses used. Within the machine, the pilot was chuckling before a large, ballistic crossbow-like weapon was drawn, a huge bolt of energy being lodged at the middle. As if an invisible string was drawn back, the beam was fired directly upwards, blowing a clean hole to the upper floor.

Float units attached at the unit's four extended spikes activated automatically as the frame pulled upwards, flying through the newly-created chasm and alarming all of the Nasods that were patrolling the upper levels. Before a single weapon could even be fired, the left arm of the mysterious new foe raised upwards, revealing a mounted cannon concealed behind a retractable plate. A burst of purple plasma was released, exploding outward into an electrifying sphere once it struck the ground.

The crossbow from before was pointed at the upper ceiling, intending to break through to the surface. For a few seconds, nothing happened. And then wisps of violet energy gathered at the firing point, forming into a powerful arrow. It was released, causing an explosion of shrapnel and falling chunks of steel where it struck with overwhelming strength.

Gliding outward with a sense of deadly grace, the armored figure burst above the sky garrison. Alarmed guards attempted to fire, but mechanisms that resembled grappling hooks were shot outward, knocking away any possible threats. A clean escape would be ideal, but sadly that was not the case.

"Stop right there." The commanding officer from before stood a short distance away, her grayish strands billowing in the wind as she stood with a confident stance, an energized whip in her hand primed to strike. "Who are you?"

"Who I am is hardly important," the pilot scoffed, careful to hide the charging crossbow from sight as they spoke through a projected microphone. "They call me Regina, the Crystalline Queen."

Maya stopped, scanning her databases for the two stated names. Impossible. Regina was supposed to be a consort of a long-dead tactician, who had vanished after the great war between Velder and Hamel. It wasn't necessarily a common name either, since it belonged to a language that close to none spoke in the present day.

And that machine they were piloting... It was a long-abandoned prototype weapon, thought to be unusable due to the sheer amount of calculations that were required for it to be utilized in maximum efficiency. She wouldn't admit it, but she did have some degree of respect for the one who was concealed within the cockpit. Nobody had tried their hand at that thing for several years now.

Either way, whoever this was, she was either insane or had a peculiar death wish. Perhaps both. No matter which it was, that aptly named 'Umbra Knight' had to be stopped before it laid waste to the Altera Core or whatever it was aiming for. "Surrender now and I'll consider sparing your life."

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that line?" A devious chuckle escaped from the one who piloted the unique weapon. In a quick instant, the lowered arm was raised once more, unleashing the huge bolt that had caused the two previous explosions. Maya herself hardly had time to escape the brunt of the damage, but still sustained several scratches on the left side of her body.

"See you, Nasod Commander. I have something far more important to command." Regina pulled another lever, which enabled a high-power air booster. "As a figurehead among your people, you should know very well the burden that comes with leadership. 'If you don't move, a thousand die. If you do move, a different thousand die. Either way, you end up drenched in the blood of the sinless. But someone has to take up a blade that nobody else will.' And for that, I do admire all commanders."

It was rather ironic that the one who had just broken through several layers of security and had also shot down a major authority figure was saying this. While the strange respect between the two was somehow mutual, it was unlikely that it would be returned any time in the future.

"Let us meet again. On a battlefield."

With that, the mechanical body soared out into the open sky, leaving the island of the Nasods behind it. Maya decided it would be pointless to chase it at this point. Although it had done serious damage inside, it did not seem to want to return. And besides, there was not much lost from letting it go, as it wasn't exactly an operational piece of weaponry.

But nothing stopped her from wondering who was inside. One of the sentences the pilot had spoken was a quote from the famous tactician of Hamel. About the responsibility of commandeering the lives of others. And with their ominous words of that they would meet again... A nonexistent chill crept around Maya as she watched the now-empty atmosphere above.

"Who are you really, 'Regina?'"