CHAPTER 29
ANGE'S TWO KNIGHTS
Cal spent a lot of time over the next few days ducking out of sight whenever he saw Inspector Emma Bronson and her new bodyguard coming down the corridors. Harder to avoid was Vivian who every time she bumped into Cal had a bag of potato chips with her, which made Cal's hunger even worse since he still had a few days left of his punishment. Not only that, but last night Vivian had managed to sneak her way into his room while Cal slept and cuddled up beside him. Cal woke up with a nasty surprise as he learned the hard way that Vivian had interesting sleep habits. Somehow during the night, she had turned upside down and kicked him square in the chin when the wakeup call sounded. "I swear you kick harder in your sleep than in training." Cal groaned as he rubbed his throbbing jaw. Vivian just giggled.
Training didn't go much better that morning either as the hunger was really taking its toll on Cal. His body felt like jelly from the lack of food over the week, which made him fall behind 5th place in their running exercise. And all he was allowed for breakfast that morning was a small tasteless bowl of porridge. "This is torture even for Jill." Cal complained looking jealously at the toast and marmalade his squad mates were eating.
"Hey! Solitary food was worse." Miranda pouted. "You should consider yourself lucky."
"Wanna swap then." Cal tried to persuade Miranda, but his hand was slapped away by Hilda. "Ouch!"
"Uh ah." Hilda teased waving a finger. "You don't want to make the Commander mad."
"You're a cruel woman Hilda." Cal smirked. "Please could you make another pie. I'll promise I'll do whatever you want. And I do mean anything!" Hilda's response was a slap upside his head.
"Pervert!" she scowled. Later that day Cal continued his tireless search for Ange and Villkiss. But even with Scarlett's help they still had no luck. In those isolated hours when he wasn't in contact with Salia and the rest of the search party, Cal felt a sense of great shame of how he and Ange had gone at each other like cat and dog. As much as he hated to admit it, the little talk he had with Corporal Lawrence the other day seemed to have affected him as all he wanted was to find Ange safe and sound.
'That guy might be a dick but he was right about one thing.' Cal admitted, putting his ego aside. 'Norma or Human we have to honor our comrades. And I need to keep my promise to Gramps. I need to be there to help Ange.' He just prayed she was alive so he could make it up to her.
After hours of searching and fuel levels running low, Cal's stomach began to tighten from worry. It had been over seven days since Ange had gone missing. On top of that he couldn't afford to keep paying for fuel. The joint account Salia had opened with the reward money Ange had given them had helped cushion the expense but If things carried on like this he'd be in debt and then Ange and Villkiss could be lost for good.
"Unit Scarlett, I've scouted sectors 70 through 73 and still no sign of Ange and her unit." Cal broadcast. "Returning to base to refuel."
"Copy that unit Cal." Scarlett answered. "When you arrive get yourself something to eat and a few hours' sleep. You need to get some rest."
"I'll be fine." Cal yawned.
"That's an order." Scarlett said firmly. "Once I finish looking over the southeast sea boarder, I'll take over your search." With his orders given, Cal returned to Arzenal, and after purchasing a few burgers from the mall, made his way to his quarters and flopped onto his bed, placing the red gemmed bracelet that activated Siegfried on his nightstand. Once he had his fill, the sky was just starting to turn dark. After he had a few hours rest he'd resume his search for Ange again as he set his alarm clock a few hours before curfew.
"It doesn't make sense." Cal told himself drowsily. "We only flew 8 miles out from base when we lost Ange. I've flown out triple that distance so where could she be?" Wherever she was, he prayed she was okay….
Floating in a never-ending void of darkness, Cal felt heavy and stiff. A cold chill ran through his spine making his entire body tense up. He opened his eyes, and an icy mist clouded his vision. It was so cold he felt he could fall to pieces at any moment.
Then a faint voice echoed through the void. "Cal…I'm coming for you…"
"Show yourself!" Cal shouted getting ready for an attack. It was the same voice he heard in his head, the same one that was almost goading him to kill Ange.
"Why go out your way and help the princess?" The voice mocked. "She's not worth it…if you want to help the ones you love…then let the Princess die…" Then in the distance he saw it. A pencil thin tall figure standing a few yards away. It was impossible to see their face in the darkness but as he got close what he saw made him almost collapse in abject terror. It was like looking into the mirror as the face reflected his. The eyes glowing icy blue as they locked with his. "Won't you join me CAL!?" …
…Cal woke up with a start, breathing hard as if he just run a marathon. He clutched his chest and forced himself to breathe deep and slow to steady his frantic heart.
"What kind of nightmare was that?" He groaned. "I thought I got past these?" He checked his alarm clock, and saw it was 9:25pm. Still feeling tired, Cal lay on his side for a few more minutes rest but he didn't dare fall asleep again. He wanted nothing more than to stay away from that icy void he had just been in with whatever that thing was.
'It was just a nightmare.' Cal kept reminding himself repeatedly as he drifted back to sleep.
Today had turned out to be the most eventful day thus far. In fact, the entire week had been a roller-coaster. Not that Ange minded. It had been the most fun she had felt since she was taken away from her kingdom and family, though there were a fair share of 'incidents.'
That morning she had awoken in a practically bright mood and took it upon herself to make Tusk breakfast, who was overjoyed that a girl was cooking for him for a change. But everything went horribly wrong. With no idea what she was doing or any knowledge of cooking, Ange began throwing in whatever she could find into the pot of stew which turned a nasty purplish color that looked like a witch's cauldron. To make matters worse she turned the stove up full blast causing the pot to bubble and spit rapidly.
Tusk grabbed Ange and dove out of the way just in the nick of time as the pot exploded like a bomb sending purple glop everywhere. Once the dust settled, Ange picked herself up from the ground and looked down to see Tusk's face was once more right beneath her crotch. Even worse, the thong piece had come loose exposing everything. After serval minutes of chasing and trying to shoot him, Ange calmed down and went to wash up in one of the springs higher up the mountain. Though she bashfully sneaked a peek at Tusk who was washing up himself at an adjacent spring that was hidden behind rock and brush.
After cleaning the purple sludge in Tusk's cave and eating a nice fish stew for supper, Ange and Tusk took a stroll down the stream to see if any of Tusk's traps had snagged anymore fish, the clear night sky like a roof of diamonds overhead.
"I think the transmitter should be fixed by tomorrow." Tusk said as he closed the hatch on one of the empty traps.
"Ah, thanks…but…" Ange said gloomily sitting down on the ground. "Even if I contacted them, no one would come."
"Hey come on, I'm sure that's just…all in your head." Tusk reassured sitting beside her. "And if that is true, you could just stay here."
"Yeah, that might also be good." Ange smiled. "You'd still want me around even after I tried to shoot you?"
"Well, you are a little scary." Tusk admitted laughing nervously. "But you're strong and fierce, and I did kinda see you naked and did a bunch of stuff to you." Ange shot him a nasty look as her hand drifted back to her gun. "Not on purpose!" He added quickly. "We're both alone and I would like it if you did stay." Ange's expression softened and felt rather sorry for Tusk. She still had no idea why he was out here, but no one deserved to be on their own. Ange leaned back on the riverbank and gazed up at the sky just in time to see a falling star streak across the darkness.
"The stars are really bright tonight." Ange hummed. "I haven't looked at them in a long time. They're so beautiful." She leaned further back and felt her fingers brush in between Tusk's. Her first instinct was to pull away, but she didn't want to. And before she knew it, Tusk put his hand on top of hers and grasped it gently. With her heart drumming against her ribs Ange looked up into Tusk's dark purple eyes, his face the same shade of pink as hers.
"There not as beautiful as you Ange." He whispered sheepishly. As if an invisible string was pulling them towards each other, Ange felt herself slowly inch closer to Tusk, their faces burning hot when suddenly, Tusk eyes widened in alarm.
"Tusk?" she asked. Suddenly, Tusk lunged forward and pushed Ange down where he held her still. "Tusk what are you…?"
"Quiet! Don't move a muscle." Bright lights passed over them from above as Ange gazed up into the sky and saw to her shock, eight Mana transports flying over them in a perfect circle. And suspended between them was a gigantic chunk of ice which contained a familiar silhouette.
"Is that a DRAGON!?" Ange realised. She looked closer and recognized it as a Galleon type. The same one she and the others fought when Villkiss crashed. "What are they doing with it?" A sudden shriek made both of them jump to their feet as something leapt from the cover of the nearby jungle and took to the air. "Wait that's…" It was the same Schooner that had attacked her a week ago, judging by its crippled wing that she injured in battle. "What is it doing?" Charging the armada head on, the Schooner dove through the barrage of bullets that came its way and shrieked again. The firing halted for a second, and when it recommenced, the Mana transports began targeting each other. Their hulls erupting in balls of fire and shrapnel as the chunk of ice fell free and crashed into the jungle behind them. The flaming wrecks of the Mana craft fell alongside it and soon it was like the island was aflame.
"We need to get out of here now!" Tusk yelled, taking Ange's hand as they fled for cover. But they had barely taken three steps when the Schooner dropped in front of them. Dazed but not out of the fight, the Schooner roared as it saw them and Ange reflexively drew her pistol. She got off three shots at point blank range but the bullets did little more than sting it. "That's not going to work!" Tusk cried as Ange's gun hit an empty chamber.
"Well do you have a better idea?!" Ange snapped. Another shriek and Ange turned around to see the Schooner charging right at them. Tusk managed to pull Ange out of the way, but the Schooner's teeth grazed his shoulder. Ripping off a piece of his shirt, Tusk applied the makeshift tourniquet to his wound to try and staunch the bleeding as the two of them fled in the opposite direction.
"Wait, the Para-mail! I just have to connect the circuits!"
"Will that really work?!" Ange gasped as she ran alongside him, the sound of snapping branches and underbrush behind them getting closer by the second.
"Well it's not like I have any better ideas!"
The clear night sky and bright silver light of the moon made the sky easier to navigate for the two Para-mail that soared above the clouds. One a dark blue Glaive and the other a jet-black Arquebus. Glancing back at her wingman, Hina checked her Glaive's screen and saw they had half a day's ride left to get the supplies to their destinations. "Hey Donte, once we get the medicine to Harper's base, we could take a little detour when we head back to the sanctuary. We deserve a little break from all this travel."
"On a nice sunny beach first." Donte answered. "On a lone island with nothing but us two."
"Any excuse for you to get me alone." Hina said with an annoyed smile.
"Hey, you never know, we might have a little Donte or Hina Jr running us ragged before we know it." Donte joked.
"Knock it off!" Hina laughed.
"Hey I'm serious. You'd be a great mother. You always know how to get new arrivals to open up."
"I'll think about it." Hina mumbled, her eyes shifting down to the number imprinted on her hand like a tattoo.
#49.
Hina put her hand to her stomach as the vivid horrifying memories of being stuck in that inhuman breeding lab came back to her. "Let's wait until after Libertus. Then we'll talk."
"I just hope Captain Jacob has a plan." Donte said. "I'll talk with Harper and see what our next move is. This commander of Arzenal, Alektra, can't do this on her own and neither can we. It's going to take both our combined forces in order to stand a chance against both the Humans AND Embryo." Before Hina could agree, there was something new besides the sound of the rushing wind and the roar of their engines. A slight rumble, almost like a mild thunderstorm.
"Do you hear that?" Hina listened.
"I'm picking up an unknown signal 4 miles ahead." Donte confirmed. "Now 3 miles. But where is it?" The rumbling only grew louder until it was almost on top of them.
"Over there!" Hina yelled. Rising out of the clouds about half a mile away was a gigantic dark grey figure surrounded in green light. It looked very much like a Para-mail, but it wasn't a model they recognized. It was much larger and stockier than a Hauser with huge bat like wings that left a trail of green energy. Whatever it was, it didn't look friendly. "Donte?"
"That's not one of ours." Donte told her. "Get ready to run." The two converted into destroyer mode and readied to dive for the cover of a nearby cloud bank when with a blast of green afterburner, the unknown unit shot towards them like a bullet. A large rifle was pulled from its hardpoint and unleashed a barrage of energy blasts at them.
"Dive!" Donte shouted as he and Hina broke off in different directions. The two Para-mail returned fire but the enemy raised its arm and a large circular shield of green energy manifested to protect itself.
"What the…" Hina gasped.
"That's the light of Mana!" Dontae realised. "No, it can't be." They didn't have time to process the realisation as the enemy charged them again, it's robust leg planting itself into the torso of Hina's Glaive and sending her flying head over heels through the sky.
"HINA!" Donte panicked as he once again opened fire.
Sprinting deeper into the forest, Ange and Tusk could only pray that the trees and brush would slow the Schooner down. Finally, the trees began to thin out as the beach came into view along with Villkiss still laying on the sand.
"Hurry up and get it working! I'll hold it off!" Ange ordered to Tusk who hurriedly climbed into Villkiss' cockpit. Crashing out of the forest, the Schooner staggered to its feet and set its yellow eyes on Ange who stood her ground with her blade drawn. "Come at me you stubborn bastard!" Ange goaded as the Schooner screeched furiously in response. Like a giant snake, the Schooner reared back it's head and snapped forward. Ange leaped back to avoid its strike and swiped her blade across its nose, avoiding the clamping Sabre like teeth. The Schooner missed again and again and Ange seized her chance to plant her blade right into its snout only for it to rear back and yank it from her hand.
"Here use this!" Tusk called. Ange looked up to see the rifle she kept in Villkiss' cockpit flying towards her. With the Schooner occupied with trying to dislodge her knife from her snout, Ange took her opportunity to grab it out of the air.
"Hurry up!" Ange panted as Tusk connected Villkiss' circuits together frantically, ignoring the stinging pain in his bleeding shoulder. 'Come on, come on!' He prayed, working as fast as he could, his face sweating as Ange's gunshots and the Schooner's roars echoed across the beach.
Zooming overhead Donte spun his Arquebus around to try and get a clear shot at the enemy Para-mail. But no matter how much he fired the Mana shield the enemy machine had formed would not give way. And if he turned away to go after Hina, Donte knew the enemy wouldn't hesitate to take him down and then go after her. At that moment, Hina's blue arquebus came swooping out from the clouds with her sword drawn. Her blade flashed downward, but the enemy Para-mail simply spun out of the way. "Hina look out!" With the same motion it had used to dodge, a large double bladed axe had been pulled and brought up to counter. Hina managed to block the axe with her blade, but the sheer power of the much larger machine cut through her blade and sliced off her Glaive's right forearm. "
"ARGH!" Hina cried, the impact knocking her backwards inside her cockpit. Donte came hurling at the enemy but was knocked back imminently by the much larger machine as it swung its axe around to meet him. Donte jinked upwards to get out the way, but was unable to prevent his Arquebus's right leg from being taken off.
"We need to hit it from both sides and catch him off guard." Donte yelled as he and Hina regrouped.
"Who the hell is driving that thing?!" As if in response, the enemy Para-mail leaned forward. Its wings turned towards them as a hatched opened to expose three holes on either side. "Donte, fly! FLY!" Hina shouted in complete terror before six missiles erupted from the open ports and homed in on them both. Hina gripped her controls tightly and put on a burst of speed but it was too little too late. One managed to hit her left wing sending her spiraling downwards, spinning around and around and hitting her head hard on the side of her cockpit. As she drifted in and out of consciousness, falling and falling, the last thing she saw was Donte's black arquebus darting down to her before getting blasted to smithereens by three homing missiles.
'Donte no!' It was the last thing she thought before blacking out.
Swiping its powerful clawed wings at her, Ange jumped out of the way and landed four shots in the DRAGON's chest from her rifle. She had no spare magazines to reload so each shot had to count. Unfortunately, her rifle fared little better than her pistol and only served to make the Schooner even angrier. Over at Villkiss, cold sweat ran down Tusk's face as he worked as fast as he could to reconnect Villkiss' circuits. "Hang in there Ange I'm almost done!"
Ange meanwhile managed to advance behind the DRAGON, emptying half her magazine into its back. But she had gotten too close and the Schooner swiped its tail around to swat Ange aside like a puny fly. Ange hit the sand hard, feeling she had been hit by a truck. She tried to reach for her blade that was an arm's length away, but her body was stiff and wracked with pain. Unable to move as the Schooner towered over her, a triumphant look on it snarling face, it let out a deafening roar and lunged for her. Time seemed to slow as a flood of images flashed across her mind of Arzenal. Of Vivian, Ersha, Cal, and even Miranda.
'No not now.' She prayed. 'I can't die here. I still have to see them again!' In that milli second, Ange felt a pulse of energy in her middle finger as it travelled up her arm and through her entire body like a light being turned on. Her royal jade green ring pulsed with light while across the beach, so too did Villkisss eyes shine red.
"Whoa what the…" Tusk gasped as Villkiss' screen suddenly activated. As if moving of its own will, Villkiss raised its own rifle and fired, the Schooner shrieking in agony as the much larger weapon tore it apart.
As Cal tried to get back to sleep for a few minutes, he groaned seeing through his blurred vision a glint of red. Opening his eyes, he woke with a shock as his entire room was glowing crimson. "What the hell?" Cal gasped. The red gemmed bracelet on his nightstand was glowing like an alarm beacon. "What is going on?" Cal awed.
Still dressed in his plug suit, Cal could hear commotion in the distance out of his window and on a hunch, grabbed his bracelet and raced for the hanger. When he arrived, he could barely make out the outlines of the armorists running to a pulsing red light that was deeper inside the hanger. An excitement he hadn't felt in a while rushed over him but also a hint of anxiety. 'It has to be the Valkyrie system. What's happening to Siegfried now?'
Ange closed her eyes waiting for her death, but all she could hear was the sound of gunfire and a hot splash pouring over her. Ange opened her eyes to see she was covered in blood from the now mortally wounded Schooner. Ange didn't have enough time to think. With her knife laying right by her she pushed through the pain that coursed throughout her body as she snatched her blade up and charged. With a furious yell, Ange jumped on top of the Schooner as it fell right on its back and plunged her knife deep into its neck to land the killing blow.
"DANM YOU!" Ange screamed, stabbing her blade again and again into its neck. "Die! DIE! DIE! DIE! GO TO HELL!" Finally, something grabbed her hand and held it back.
"That's enough it's dead now." Tusk whispered carefully as Ange panted heavily. Once the madness finally passed, Ange looked down on the bloody Dragon and her exhausted gasps turned into cries of disgust and sorrow. Ange body began to shake as she dropped her blade and hugged herself tightly, Tusk looked at the broken young woman before him as she climbed off the dead DRAGON with wobbling legs. It was just like that night 10 years ago with the tall stern-faced woman in a black rider suit holding her bloodied stump of an arm with Vilkiss buried in flames behind her. Tusk wrapped his arms around Ange, not caring about the blood that was staining his clothes. "It's okay it's over now." Ange turned around and threw herself against him.
"Don't let me go." She sobbed into his green shirt. "Please don't let me go."
Once Cal got closer he saw to his amazement Siegfried's red stripes running across its blue armour was gleaming scarlet. "Cal get a look at this!" Mei squealed excitedly from Siegfried's cockpit. Climbing up, Cal's eyes widened in bewilderment at the sight of Siegfried's console shining a dazzling gold and yellow as he felt a rising energy pulse through Siegfried's very gears.
"It has to be the Valkyrie system." Cal said quietly to Mei so no one would hear. "But why is it acting like this out of the blue?"
"I have no idea." Mei gasped, her body shaking with excitement. "But I think it has to do with this unknown signal coming from the east." She pointed to the right corner of the nav screen where a blue dot was blinking.
"Mei get the arresting gear released. I'll forward the coordinates to the Warhammer's system. It has to be Villkiss."
"Got it!" Mei pumped up. "Everyone clear the runway!" Cal mounted up, plugging his chamber charger into place and felt Siegfried vibrating slightly as if it was eager as he was to be up in the air. Armorists scattered out of the way and Mei readied to unlock the arresting gear.
"Hold on a minute! What's going on here?" From out of a nearby corridor, Corporal Lawrence rushed with Inspector Bronson behind him.
"Who gave permission to launch!?" Emma questioned. "Shut it down, you can't launch with no singular being declared!"
"I can't stop to chat Inspector." Cal waved. "I just got a location of a unit's location. It might be Ange she needs my help."
"Cal wait!" Emma shouted. "It's almost curfew it can wait until morning."
"Sorry Inspector but no Norma gets left behind."
"Cal that's an order!"
"Mei do it now!" Cal bellowed. Across the hanger, Mei pulled down the hatch that released the arresting gears and Cal shot out from the hanger, the cool night air rushing through his hair.
"If you're not back by curfew you're in so much trouble young man!" Emma howled waving her fist after him. But to her surprise she could make out a slight smile curl from the corner of the Colonel's lip. As he flew on, the crimson glow on Siegfried's stripes only seemed to brighten the closer he was getting to the signal. There was no doubt in his mind that it had to be Villkiss. 'Don't worry Ange, I'm coming.'
The world seemed almost like a dream. Everything was surrounded in bright orange light and semi darkness. When Hina came too, all she could hear was the crackling of fire while the overwhelming heat made her want to pass out again. Fighting to maintain consciousness, she focused her vision and looked around. It seemed that she and her Glaive had crashed on what looked like a large beach. And right in front of her amongst the flames was a broken and twisted black arquebus. "Donte…" Hina croaked. Something creaked nearby and Hina looked up. To her shock, walking casually through the flames surrounded in a green light was a man who lazily waved his hand and tore the canopy of her cockpit off its hinges with the light of Mana.
"You…" Hina mumbled not believing what she was seeing. "You…no it can't!" She gaped in utter terror, feeling hot wetness run down her legs as she stared into those malevolent orange flamed eyes, the same ones she recognized from almost 19 years ago.
"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" Dutch Villson smirked. "I thought you died in the fire with the filth that gave birth to that monstrosity, Subject Alpha. But I never forget a face…#49?"
625-936.
Cal concentrated on the unknown signal's coordinates and made sure to keep at an altitude high enough to scan the many islands below but still low enough to spot a Para-mail.
"Can you hear me unit Cal?" He heard Mei contact him through his visor.
"I read you Mei, I'm nearing the location of the signal." Cal replied. "I'll contact you if I find Villkiss."
"Brilliant, the Commander seems to be in a good mood that you're doing this though I can't say the same for the Inspector." Once the call had ended Cal saw in the distance smoke rising over the horizon in the very direction he was going. 'It has to be Ange. I guess she's smarter than she lets on, creating a signal fire that big.' He mused.
"Ange do you copy over?" No answer. Finally, a large island topped by a jungle covered mountain came into view, the smoke coming from a fire that looked like it was on the verge of spreading to half the island. Looping nearer, Cal squinted his eyes and saw what looked like a large white figure laying on the sand. "Villkiss!"
Parking Siegfried on the beach, Cal leaped from the cockpit and ran to Villkiss. "Ange!" Cal called checking inside the cockpit, but she wasn't there. "Ange where are you?!" As Cal walked around to the other side of Villkiss his stomach lurched by what he saw. A pool of blood soaked a huge patch of sand, a standard issue Arzenal combat knife laying on one edge. And lying at the tide line was a Schooner corpse. Panic coursed through Cal's body making him almost vomit. "ANGE!" Cal shouted at the top of his lungs when the snapping of twigs caused Cal to jerk his head at the forest. "Ange is that you?" Cal approached cautiously his hand reaching for his gun when from out of the trees stumbled a male human. He looked around the same age with shaggy brown hair and wore a green shirt, grey pants, and black boots and Cal's sudden panic and worry turned to alarm and hostility.
"Who are you!" Cal demanded. The boy didn't answer but looked just as shocked as Cal was. His eyes darted from Cal to the red gemmed bracelet and then to Siegfried. "I…I…you, you're the…"
"Don't move!" Cal growled, his eyes scanning the confused boy. His clothes were stained in blood and his shoulder had been grazed by what looked like something sharp. Then it came to him in a whirlwind of rage and desperation. Ange's lost blade, the pool of blood, and the stains on the boy all came together as a boiling aggression flooded his entire being. Ange must have shot down the Schooner and was then attacked by the stranger when she emerged from Villkiss.
"What the hell have you done to her?!" Cal roared, charging forward to strike the boy. On reflex, the boy ducked back and brought up his arm to divert the blow away. Cal pulled out his gun but it was kicked away by his opponent. Cal however countered by grabbing the boy's leg and tossing him out on to the sand. Before he could get up, Cal was already on top of him, the two grappling as they rolled across the beach
"Stop it we don't need to fight!" The boy tried to yell but Cal wasn't going to listen to a human who hurt Ange.
"I'm gonna fucking kill you." Cal growled as he made a grab for the boy's neck. In doing so, he gave the boy an opening to get his leg under Cal's chest and flip him over his head. Cal scrambled to get back to his feet, but the boy grabbed him in a choke hold. Cal had to admit, for such a lanky frame he was surprisingly strong.
"Just calm down and listen to me!" The boy urged as he tightened his grip. "I'm not your enemy!" His lungs burning from lack of air, Cal forced himself to his feet and managed to push back the boy and by sheer luck, managed to slam him against a tree. The boy oofed from the impact but didn't let go so Cal reared back and slammed him again and again.
"What the hell is going on here?!" A sharp voice yelled to their right. Both turned their heads and Cal's eyes bulged at the sight of Ange. She was dressed in a men's white shirt, her hair was wet and damp, but she was completely unharmed. She looked just as she always did, bossy and irritable like a spoilt princess. "It's you!" Ange gasped in surprise. The two boys let go of each other as Cal ran up to Ange and hugged her. "Get off me you pervert!" She demanded before slapping Cal across the face.
"Ow what did you do that for?" Cal winced.
"What took you all this time? Do you know how long I've waited for you to come and get me off this dump?" Ange scolded. 'Why was I worried about her again' Cal wondered. Ange then unexpectedly hugged Cal back, her head buried in his chest. "Where were you Cal?" She sobbed angrily. 'Wait did you just call me by my name?' Cal realized. In his confusion, he looked to Ange then to the boy who looked just as confused as he did.
"Are you ready to listen now?" The boy winced as he rubbed his bruised back and shoulder.
"Okay," Cal frowned though still not letting his guard down. "Who are you?"
"My name is Tusk."
"Why the hell were you two fighting like a couple of school children?!" Ange demanded
"Hey that's not fair he hit me first." Tusk moaned.
"I thought this guy had hurt you Ange." Cal answered his face going red. "I thought he had gutted you alive."
"Why would you think that?" Ange said in a disturbed voice.
"The blood!" Cal said incredulously as if this was the most obvious answer. Ange and Tusk both realised what the situation kind of looked like.
"I guess we owe him an explanation." Tusk said to Ange who nodded in agreement.
Once the sun had risen and the Norma was taken care of, Dutch smiled with satisfaction. He was still a little rusty but even after over ten years his use of the Ragnarök wasn't too bad. 'It's good to be back on the frontlines again.' He thought. Pulling up his Mana screen, Dutch contacted his most useful ally.
"Hello there Dutch." Jadis smirked. "What gives you the pleasure of contacting me at this hour?"
"I managed to track down another rebellious Norma and ancient ape. It seems they've been shipping supplies to other terrorist hideouts. I need you to send a prisoner transport."
"What have you found this time?" She asked.
"Just a Norma that needs to be taught some manners. I need you to force out of her where the other hideouts are since you haven't gotten anywhere with Janos. And while you're at it I have another task."
"Go on." Jadis smirked.
"This Norma I've caught. She was part of the experimentation that created Subject Alpha." This sudden revelation made Jadis almost spit out her coffee.
"Are you serious!?"
"Get her to tell you everything she knows and why all the Norma there kept having miscarriages." Dutch ordered. "I don't want my Master or his pet snake to find out about this."
"What are you going to do?" Jadis questioned nervously.
"Once I locate the next base it's about time a paid my brother's former boss a visit and see what the real reason behind the program was. But keep it to yourself. I don't want Master Embryo getting the wrong idea." As Dutch cut the call, he wanted nothing more than to find out the truth of why subject Alpha was created. It didn't make sense why all those Norma in the lab kept having miscarriages when he saw with his own two eyes that Norma could produce girls that were gifted with the light of Mana. 'I swear Donnie I'll get retribution for what happened to you. I'll get the answers I need and when I do, I'll destroy Subject Alpha with my bare hands.'
If Dutch had looked up however, he would have seen the faintest shape of a thin figure atop a cliff staring down at the wreckage on the beach, his predator like eyes hidden behind jet black sunglasses staring mockingly down at his rival.
"Poor fool. Keep digging your own grave Dutch Villson." Blackadder smirked.
Hours had passed before Ange and Tusk explained the events that had transpired over the past week. How Tusk had saved Ange from drowning when Villkiss washed up near the island, how they both spent hours everyday trying to fix Villkiss and the events that happened last night. Cal was especially intrigued about the eight Mana aircrafts carrying the Galleon First Squad had frozen in their last deployment.
"So, the reason you're dressed in that shirt is because you were covered in the Schooner's blood and went to wash yourself up in the lake." Cal concluded.
"That's why I approached you." Tusk interjected. "I heard you shouting, and I left Ange on her own. I would have taken you to her if you hadn't attacked me." Cal rubbed the back of his head smiling awkwardly.
"Yeah sorry about that. I thought you killed Ange." He joked trying to lighten the mood.
"Idiot." Ange groaned, but inside she was somewhat happy by how Cal was that concerned for her wellbeing. By the time they had finished, the sun had already begun to rise behind the mountain where the smoke was still rising. "We can't stay here for too long." Cal advised. "No doubt the humans will send people to investigate this mess."
"That's a good idea." Ange said as she stood up and headed into the forest.
"Where are you going? Tusk asked.
"I'm going to go change into my plug suit, it should be dry now." She then turned to give them both a murderous look. "If I catch either of you peaking, I'll cut it off." Cal and Tusk's faces turned blue in fear as Ange vanished.
"Wow this is so cool." Tusk said nervously. "I can't believe you're the actual Male Norma. You fight good. Who taught you?"
"Uh thanks." Cal gulped feeling rather embarrassed. "My Gramps trained me but I got this ripped with help from my friend Scarlett." Cal flexed his arm muscles. "What about you? You fight as good as Salia. She's the only one who can counter me like that."
"My Dad taught me, but I learned a few things over the years from my Godfather." Tusk told him feeling rather flattered.
"I'm more amazed you were stuck with Ange for an entire week?" Cal joked. "How on earth are you still alive. I can't last 10 minutes with her before getting a splitting headache."
"She's not all bad." Tusk admitted laughing a little. "She can be a little rough when she's angry, but Ange's been the best company I've had in forever." Tusk's eyes wondered from Cal then to the red gemmed bracelet that he wore then to Siegfried, a timely smile appeared on Tusk's face but there was a certain sadness in his eyes.
"Bet you haven't seen a Para-mail like that before?" Cal said proudly.
"Never." Tusk said softly. Cal found is quite strange that a human was living all on his own on an island. Was he like Gramps who rejected his own kind and helped Norma?
"I never thought I'd meet another human who liked Norma." Cal said. "Is it just you on your own or do you have anyone else here?"
"Nah I prefer to be on my own." Tusk said quietly. "I don't have time for…other stuff." Cal noticed Tusk's troubled expression and thought to break the tension.
"Hey, I'm sorry for well…trying to kill you." Cal apologised.
"It's fine. Your Ange's knight and you thought she was in trouble. I would have done the same." Tusk said without thinking.
"Knight?" Cal looked suspiciously at Tusk. "I never said I was her knight." Tusk looked away looking quite sheepish. "Who are you really? You seem to know a lot about Para-mail and Villkiss. I can tell you know what Siegfried is too. Tell me who you are exactly."
Tusk let out a heavy sigh. "Is it okay if I show you something?" He led Cal across the edge of the island to a clifftop where there were many makeshift graves. Rifles were planted into the ground while helmets rested atop their stocks and at their base lay dried out flower bouquets.
"They were my people. My allies and comrades." Tusk revealed, a hint of shame in his voice.
"I'm sorry." Cal said sadly, it began to dawn on him that Tusk had lost people too, just like he had lost Gramps. It had to be rough living on an island with no one for company, making him realise just how lucky he was to have Gramps throughout his life.
"They died fighting for their freedom and the Norma during Libertus. My parents were amongst the casualties." Tusk revealed as Cal's heart started to beat faster.
"How do you know about Libertus?"
"Because I'm one of the last survivors of Libertus." Tusk revealed. "I'm one of the Ancient Folk." Once the realisation set in, Tusk began to explain everything to Cal as they walked back to the beach.
"So, your Father was the original pilot of Siegfried? The first knight of Villkiss?" Cal asked in awe.
"I knew that Alektra must have told you about everything that happened 10 years ago since you were piloting Siegfried." Tusk said. "That's how I knew I could trust you to know who I am." The situation felt almost surreal like a weird dream. "How did you do it?" Tusk asked. "Awaken Siegfried from its slumber? I didn't think I'd see my father's machine ever again."
"You tell me. I don't know how I did it but…the only thing I can remember when Siegfried's power was awakened was that I didn't want to die. Not just because I wanted to live, but because I didn't want to leave behind the people I care about."
"Ange is lucky to have you as her knight then." Tusk said a hint of guilt in his voice. "Alektra was right to choose you."
"Not really." Cal sighed. "I haven't been the best knight I need to be for Villkiss. Or Ange for that matter. I was tempted to leave Ange for dead." Cal then told Tusk about Ange's first week at Arzenal and how her first sortie had cost the lives of two of his comrades.
"That's rough." Tusk frowned dismally. "Living with that kind of guilt. Ange always seemed kinda down and now I know why."
"I realise that now." Cal said. "I thought she didn't care, but now I know that deep down she's trying to turn it around. I promised Alektra that I would help to free the Norma from this hell but now I realise I need to do more than that."
"What do you mean?"
"I have to protect not just my friends and comrades but Villkiss and Ange too. We all have a role to play if we want to be free. Truly free." Tusk felt as if a spark inside of him was ignited by Cal's words. 'How does he do it?' he wondered. He's lost so many people like me but, he continues to fight and push on. It's no surprise Alektra chose him and she was right to do so. Unlike me who ran away.'
After a few minutes of talking, they made it back to Villkiss and Siegfried and the dead Schooner who was finally being washed out with the tide. "I guess it was trying to save it's friend." Tusk said. "It wanted to go back to its own world, I guess."
'Even those DRAGONs have a place to go home to.' Cal thought depressingly, remembering his home he had lost for good. 'The only place I have now is Arzenal, but this guy he has nothing.' "It doesn't make sense." Cal said aloud. "Why were the humans carrying a DRAGON across the sky? And where were they taking it?"
'Wait he doesn't know about the DRAGONS true forms.' Tusk thought. "What else hasn't she told him? About the truth of this world and the puppet master behind it. What is Alektra playing at?'
"I'm glad to see you two haven't found the urge to clobber each other again." Ange said as she finally came out of the forest dressed in her Azure blue plug suit, eyeing the two boys suspiciously.
"I think I'd rather take Tusk back with me than you princess." Cal fired back. Tusk snickered but Ange ignored them as they turned back at the rising smoke.
"Looks like we don't have much time." Tusk noted. "What will you do?" Ange's face dropped slightly, conflicted to go with Tusk or return to Arzenal. The sound of a static radio flowed by Vivian's familiar chirp from Villkiss' com snapped Ange from her train of thought.
"Hey Ange…are you dead? Big Bro…did you find her?"
"Vivian!" Ange ran over to Villkiss. "This is Ange! Do you read me?"
"Ange?!" Vivian cheered. "Are you a ghost?! You'd tell me if you were dead right?"
"Yes, Vivian I'm fine, and Cal's here too. I need an emergency pickup for Villkiss." Ange requested.
"Ange! I can't believe it she's alive!" Vivian bubbly voice squealed. "We're on our way!" Ange, Cal, and Tusk looked at each other knowing this was where they'd part ways.
"I guess me and Ange are off for home." Cal said. "What will you do now?"
"I'll survive. I have my ways." Tusk reassured. "It was nice meeting you Cal. And promise you'll look out for her."
"Trust me she can look out for herself." Cal rolled his eyes. "But I vow that I'll do right by her. As both her and Villkiss' knight."
"I'm glad to hear it." Tusk said amiably as the two boys clasped hands. "Take care Cal. Maybe next time we'll fight side by side."
"Hopefully we will." Cal agreed as he gave Tusk a thumbs up and went back to Siegfried to get it started.
"Mei lock onto my location," he heard Ange instruct. "Villkiss is waiting here to be picked up."
Once Ange knew rescue was on their way she went to Tusk for a private conversation. "I'm sorry I can't go with you." she apologised. "As much as I would like to, I have somewhere to be. I also have some unfinished business back there." She bitterly thought of Hilda, hoping to get some payback, but she also had another Norma in mind she needed to make amends with. Miranda.
"It's okay I understand." Tusk smiled kindly at her. Ange leaned in closer to Tusk. For a second, he wondered and hoped she was about to kiss him until she yanked him aggressively by his shirt collar, pulling him close to meet her murderous gaze. "But listen up." She warned. "You didn't tell that guy about what happened between us did you?"
"Wait what?" Tusk said in confusion.
"You didn't see, do, or suck anything. Got it! I'll find out if you're lying if he says anything!" Ange threatened as she pointed a finger in his face.
"I swear I promise." Tusk gulped. Ange eased up and smiled warmly.
"Thank you." Ange said with a full heart. "If not for you, I'd be dead."
"Your welcome Ange. It was…a lot of fun." Without warning, Ange leaned on her tip toes and pecked Tusk on the cheek. His face went even redder as the two looked at each other, caught in the moment until the sound of rumbling snapped them back to reality. "Guess that's my cue. "I'll see you around Ange." He waved as he ran into the forest and out of view and Ange's heart swelled to twice its size.
"He's so strange." She smiled. Once they got close enough the Warhammer hovered just above the waves as the door burst open.
"Time for a pop quiz. What's the name of the girl who crashed and live?" It was Vivian looking cheerful as usual and behind her was Ersha who looked very relieved to see her. "The answer is Ange!" Ange gave an annoyed smiled to see the bubbly young Norma once again.
"Alright." Cal said in relief as Siegfried rose into the air. "Let's get back home."
Watching from the edge of the island, Tusk watched as the aircraft and Siegfried take off and fly away over the skyline. It was time to go. The Humans would be crawling all around here soon. Tusk lifted down the camouflage sheet to cover his cave as he gathered up his things in a duffle bag. Now wearing a bullet proof vest, Tusk went to visit the graves of his comrades one last time before he left. Walking deeper into the forest Tusk found his secret shed. Turning on the light, he gazed at the weapons mounted along the wall and stacks of ammo and supply crates piled around something covered with a dusty tarp. Pulling a data pad from his duffel bag he began to type a message.
'Uncle Jacob I finally found her. The pilot of Villkiss. Her name is Ange and Villkiss has chosen her. And Siegfried had chosen its rider to. I had the pleasure of meeting the Male Norma you and Father told me about. And he made me realise that I can't run away anymore.'
Tusk felt the tears welling up in his eyes. It had been so long but now he was ready to face the fight once again.
'I can't bring myself to die alone in the forest. So I now want to help you and our allies. I'll be in touch soon. Your godson Tusk. Over and out.'
Once the message was sent Tusk felt a weight lifted of his shoulders and a sense of freedom he hadn't felt in over ten years. Lifting the tarp, he grinned seeing his father's old skyhook still in tip top condition. And on the console was a picture of his father Istvan and mother Vanessa, her arms around Tusk when he was 6 years old.
"Mother, Father, I finally found her." Tusk spoke hoping that in some way they were listening. "Ange is amazing. And so is her knight. When she showed up together with Villkiss, I couldn't believe that Villkiss had chosen her. She's a brute and doesn't listen to reason at all, but when I saw her covered in blood and still fighting for her life she was so blindingly beautiful." Mounting up on his Skyhook Tusk adjusted his flight googles on his face.
"I'll live on too. I'll stand on my own two feet and help Uncle Jacob and the rest of our people and allies." Tusk vowed as the skyhook vibrated and took off out of the entrance of the cave hovering and skidding across the surface of the sea, the island that had been his home for ten years vanishing into the distance behind him. "I am Tusk, son of the Knight of Villkiss. I may not deserve Siegfried, but I vow to fight on just like Cal is. I promise I'll fight on and be the knight Ange deserves."
With Cal's help, Ange managed to shift Villkiss back into pilot mode so they could fit it inside the Warhammer. Feeling a great relief now that rescue had arrived, Ange jumped on board, her captain Salia and Chief Amorist Mei in the pilot seats. Then she saw who was in one of the passenger seats and Ange's stomach felt like it was filled with lead. It was Scarlett who to Ange's surprise looked pleased to see her.
Once they were all ready to go Salia and Mei finally flew off, with Cal in Siegfried flying alongside them. "Well done." Salia praised Cal. "The Commander is going to be very pleased about this. But I thought you would have gotten back sooner."
"It took me a while to find her after I found Villkiss first." Cal explained hoping the lie sounded convincing. "But she refused to get on Siegfried."
"Because you're a pervert and I don't trust you." Ange said indignantly.
"Well that definitely explains why you look like you just got out of tussle." Scarlett chuckled. "Nice to see you haven't lost your fighting spirit Ange." There was a weird atmosphere to this scenario. Ange was sitting right next to the person who was in a relationship with her former Captain. The same woman she had gotten killed.
"I erm…I…" Ange tried to find words, but they failed her as her lip trembled. "I'm sorry for Zola and Coco." It wasn't only Scarlett she was apologising to but everyone inside the Warhammer and to Cal outside. "I was a selfish bitch and I screwed up. I know I can never really make it right but I want to at least try." Ange almost broke down then and there until she felt a pat on her shoulder and looked up to see Scarlett smiling down on her.
"I'll hold you to that." The older girl said. "We all carry burdens and losses but the best thing we can do is move on and keep fighting for those who are still alive." Her eyes looked out the window right at Cal and smiled.
"I know and I promise I'll do everything I can to honor them and to atone for my actions." Ange swore.
"Here you go Ange." Ersha offered a cup of soup, hoping it would raise Ange's spirits.
"Thanks, Ersha." Ange smiled graciously. "Scarlett you're still doing those workout sessions at 4 every day right? You don't mind if I join you and Cal every now and again?" Ange requested. Everyone did a doubletake, Ange's entire demeanor was so different she was practically a different person.
"Sure." Scarlett accepted. "But don't think I'm going easy on you because you've been absent these past few days."
"No problem I could use the exercise, Oh and Vivian do you still have that funny keychain?"
"You really want it?" Vivian asked.
"Villkiss' cockpit is looking quite dull. I need something that will brighten it up." Ange winked at the younger Norma whose face beamed joyously.
"Is it okay if it smells like curry?"
"Er no." Ange replied simply. As they all kept flying across the sea chatting and laughing Arzenal finally came into view.
"You better prepare yourself when you get back inside." Mei advised Cal over the radio. "The Inspector is not happy you didn't return before curfew. No doubt she'll have her bodyguard punish you."
"Bah, I can handle that fat bastard." Cal said.
"Cal!" Salia scolded as Vivian laughed. "You want to be more careful around Corporal Lawrence."
"No worries. Corporal Lawrence hasn't met Ange yet. He's going to have his hands full dealing with the Princess."
"Wait a minute." Ange said uncertainly. "Who's Corporal Lawrence?"
"Spoilers." Cal teased but jokes aside, he was focused on informing Commander Jill, Jasmine, and Maggie about his encounter with Tusk. Ange seemed she was in on keeping Tusk a secret as she had not mentioned him to the others. Then a thought occurred to him. 'Could this mean that there are more Ancient folk that are still alive? I just hope this is good news to Alektra."
As Captain Jacob read through the message from his godson Tusk, he felt a grin break out on his face. "I can't believe it." Jacob gasped. "This is great!" This sudden news was the best he had received in the past months. And Hosea was equally pleased.
"Who would have thought the new pilot of Villkiss would be saved by her Knight." The old man said. "No doubt if Tusk keeps a friendly relationship with the girl, then we'll have a powerful ally."
"Plus we now know Gaz's kid is definitely the one piloting Siegfried which means the kid knows about Libertus and our people." Jacob noted. "But something still isn't sitting right with me Hosea."
"I assume you're thinking about Gaz?"
"His skyhook is offline, and I haven't detected any contact signals on his little island or anywhere else he could be hiding. I'm just hoping the worst hasn't happened."
"Gaz is a smart man. He's most likely keeping a low profile. Why else would he send his kid to Arzenal without reason." Hosea reassured but this did little to lessen Captain Jacob's worry.
"If Tusk is back in the fight and the pilots of Villkiss and Siegfried are chosen then now is the time we get back in contact with Arzenal." Jacob decided.
"So why do you still sound so worried?" Hosea wondered.
"It's not the Princess or Gaz's kid that I'm worried about." Jacob informed. "It's Alektra. No doubt she'll be pissed that we've been hiding away all these year while the Norma were still trapped in that hell of an island."
"You made the right call." Hosea told him. "Our numbers were too few and we were scattered like rats while the Humans began to pick us off. We needed time to build our army back up and show the humans who joined our cause the truth. If Alektra won't listen then we can always rely on their former Commander Jasmine. She always had a level head and knew when to compromise. I have no doubt she'll be happy to see you. The two of you were really good friends back then." Jacob smirked remembering how young and dumb he was back then. He always had a thing for Jasmine, but she had only eyes for Gaz, and he respected that.
"That might work. I'll send a raven once we have everything prepared. I'll contact Harper and have him and Lucas see when they'll get the base in gear. It'll make a great vantage point when…" Captain Jacob was unable to finish as Dolton came bursting into the office like a mad man.
"Captain Jacob, Lieutenant Hosea you gotta see this." He gasped.
"Dolton calm yourself what is it." Hosea asked calmly.
"I was checking the signal scouter to keep an eye on supplies being shifted from base to hideout and it's Hina and Donte." Dolton pulled up a Mana screen to show the map of the sea. "I tracked their last known destination and they completely disappeared from the map."
"What?!" Jacob yelled. "Do you know why?"
"I don't. I couldn't trace any battle cam footage. But I did manage to download an audio transfer from their communications." Donte said as he played the last known audio of Donte and Hina. The sounds that followed were of yelling and screaming that sent shivers down Jacob and Hosea's spines.
"They must have been attacked." Hosea concluded his face white as a ghost.
"I'll contact Harper and the rest of our allies. They need to be informed of this." Jacob sighed as he ran his hands through his long hair. "We all need to be careful. Looks like the NMB and the military are stepping up their efforts to find us. No doubt this is Embryo's work." The very mention of the name made Hosea scowl in disgust.
"That bastard will never give up until he's exterminated us all." Hosea growled.
"One day we'll show him." Jacob vowed through gritted teeth. "We'll make that bastard AND his lapdogs pay for what they did. When they least expect it, we'll strike back with a vengeance."
ARTHORS NOTES
Hope you guys are liking these recent chapters, here's another character profile of the leader of the new Ancient Folk, Norma and Mana Human rebellion.
Jacob
Height: 6' 0", 183cm
Age: Early 40's
Eyes: Onyx Black
Hair: Chestnut brown (Greying)
Weight: 85kgs
Build: Muscular
Voice Actor: Richard Epcar (Batou, Ghost in The Shell, 1995)
Profile: Like his Comrades, Jacob has survived all his life from this cruel world, once a quite boy who was a target for bullying, he quickly proved himself and moved up the ranks to the point his biggest bully Istvan became his best friend. Once he and his people allied with Arzenal they fought for their freedom from the puppet master behind this world. Embryo. Overtime he grew an affection for the Commander of Arzenal, Jasmine but never had the courage to tell her how he felt due to her relationship with Gaz. However, one day the first Libertus was massacred but due to Gaz's distress warning managed to save many Ancient humans and Norma but they lost their best comrades in the first wave. Badly burnt his former Captain Zolton ordered Jacob to return Siegfried to Arzenal and he succeeded but at the cost of his Captain dying in action to hold of the enemy while his people escaped. Now bared with the burden and built Jacob along with Hosea quietly rebuild their army while creeping through the shadows like rats from the Humans. Taking his former Captain's twin children under his wing Jacob vows to protect his people and to bring an end the worlds rules to finally win everyone their freedom.
