In one of the many buildings within the capital of Columbia, a hotel of average rating various people were meeting.
"Did we get any information yet?"
"No we haven't ma'am, our contact said that things are moving slowly but they are trying."
"I see, we'll give them more time. They haven't failed us once and I doubt this will be their first. Tell them they have three more days to get things moving."
"Understood. Is there anything else?"
"Singer, how is our threat evaluation?"
"From the information we gathered our main threats are the guards and the Lungmen guards but they will be more worried about their representative than the technology."
"I see, you are dismissed."
"Yes, Ma'am."
The woman ordering moved away from her minion and towards the window, looking down on the bright city covered in a layer of snow. As a cloud moved out the way of the moons shined brightly allowing the mostly dark room to brighten up. Its light allowed her black hair and green eyes to shine dimly.
"I never figured a client would want something as crazy as this. If things go well then, this organization of ours will be known and business will be booming."
The woman walked away from the window and sat back at her desk. On her desk were files neatly organized with all the information needed for their eventual heist of cutting edge technology. Everything looked as if it belonged there, well not everything.
Among the plans, tools and such a wooden ring was on her desk. It's dark body almost blended in with her desk, looking at the ring brought back memories of her childhood. To a simpler time before she left.
She picked up the ring and looked at the engraving on its face with the initials of 'S.N'.
"I wonder how that idiot is doing. Hopefully they aren't doing anything crazy."
She places the ring down and returns to her work, overlooking the plans so that she can complete this plan as fast as possible.
"Alyssa, you said you wanted to speak to me?"
Rhine is a company with many branches of different fields: Engineering, scientific development, exploration of unknown lands, and medical technology. Alyssa stood in front of Ahrens Parvis.
"It's about the material I placed in your mailbox, did you receive it?" She asked keeping her hands behind her back to hand the constant shaking unnoticed.
The old man raised his head making clear contact with Alyssa, seeing her unsuccessfully attempt to hide her nerves. "Ah yes, the notebooks and cube gem. The aptly named 'BAS9' files. I reviewed as much as I could given the short amount of time I was given, I am head of the structural section so I do get quite busy at times."
Alyssa readjusted her glasses quickly, her hands betrayed her as she knocked them off her face. Alyssa could lie to herself that she wasn't nervous, but now that is only a pipe dream.
"Calm down, there is no rush. If you are late I will vouch for you so don't worry. Just take a deep breath." Ahrens said as he stood up and slowly walked over to her.
Alyssa was so used to feeling small after working on the intimidating nature of the Cube but, the safe expression and voice of Ahrens helped get rid of that.
"From what I read this BAS9 character has done human experiments using materials we have never heard before such as this 'Dragon Core'. Is there anything you would like to add?" He said as he placed his hand gently on Alyssa's shoulder.
"I only opened one box, inside was that teal gemstone, I didn't run any test on it nor have I opened the other boxes. I sent everything to your mailbox then went home so I'll have a fresh mind. Was that the wrong course of action Sir.?" Alyssa said.
Athena walked away from her and returned to his desk, he picked up the teal cube and observed it. The gemstone shines dimly as the light from the room reflects.
"You did nothing wrong Ms. Miller. Continuing to work with Rhodes Island, I will talk with others regarding this issue. You may now leave Ms. Miller." Dr. Ahrens said as he reached into his desks. "Oh, and you can take the Cube but I need to read the journals today."
"Of course, Dr. Ahrens. Hope you have a good day, but before I leave can I ask one thing?" Alyssa asked.
"Of course." Dr. Ahrens responded.
"Do the words 'Chaldea' or 'Clocktower' ring a bell?" Alyssa asked as she stood right in front of the door.
Dr. Ahren's places his hand on his chin
"I can't say I've heard of the name 'Chaldea' but as for the Clocktower, could you perhaps be talking about the institution in Victoria? That is the only thing that comes to mind." Dr. Ahren said.
"I see, the journals mentioned the two so I thought you may know about either one." Alyssa said.
"If that's the case then perhaps someone in Rhine Lab may know of this Chaldea. Is there anything else?" Ahren asked.
"No, that was all. Sorry to take up your time Dr. Ahren. Bye." Alyssa said as she left the room.
Alyssa walked away from the office. She put her hand in her pocket, she pulled out two small cards. One of a logo see's never seen before and the other just has information. However whatever other information she could glem from the card was impossible.
Chaldea Security Organization
Department: Engineering
Team: Team A
Name : Apollo Kotemine
Clocktower
Departments: Lore, Spiritual Evocation, Astromancy
Rank: Fes: Festival
Name: Apollo Kotemine
Whoever placed this card in the Cube clearly didn't want anyone to know who it belonged to. She even tried to uncover the name by trying to read the text engraved on the card, but it was almost as if every letter on the card wasn't there.
Whenever you make a card with text on it whatever method the person uses, there will be some sort of engraving on it by writing it by hand or using technology. Yet there was no such engraving when she studied it at home.
"Then the mystery behind the Clocktower may be solved but the hell is Chaldea? Even Dr. Ahren didn't know about it and he has connections everywhere." Alyssa arrived at her desk which had all the materials she needed for the conference today.
"I'll be meeting with Rhodes Island today, I'll run this through them to see if they know anything. They did mention that their organization travels the world and they have some races that live long lives." Alyssa said as she got ready and left for the conference.
Once alone with Dr. Ahrens he took out his phone and dialed a number. The ringing of the phone filled the room with its only competition being the heater, after a moment the person in question picked up.
"Yes, Ahren. Is there something you need? You normally call with a purpose in mind." A calm yet confident voice was heard over the phone.
"I wouldn't call otherwise, I would go to you directly but I'm a bit preoccupied with the thing I want to bring to your attention. Remember the Cube that was one of our explorers on the border of Sami?"
"I'm aware of it, has there been any progress?" Kristen Wright asked with mild amusement present in her voice.
"Indeed there is." He responded.
The Ark
The Rhodes Island team found themselves back at the conference office. Marth was leaning against one of the walls dazed as the days were starting to mix together.
Wake up,
Be confused at the conference,
Rhine Lab or hotel,
Study magecraft till midnight,
Questioning if she's good enough for Mr. Apollo
Then sleep.
The process was draining her, Melantha even threatened to knock out Marth if she even catches Marth driving herself crazy for too long.
"Bored too?"
Speaking of teammates, Cardigan strolled towards her with two cups of water in hand.
"Very much so. I barely understand what is happening both here and in Rhine Lab, and I feel as if I'm making no progress on anything in terms of studying." Marth slid down the wall.
"You are starting to sound like Melantha when she is sword training with Franka." Cardigan said as she handed her a glass. "Don't worry with how much time you put into it I can safely say Mr. Apollo will be proud of you." Cardigan said as she drank the water in hand.
"I hope that ha-"
The building suddenly rumbled as a loud sound accompanied it, this feeling was familiar to Marth. It's something anyone from Kazdel would recognize, an explosion.
Small chunks of debris falling from the ceiling along with a lot of glasses shattering when they hit the ground.
Marth looked around the room and made eye contact with everyone in the room to see if anyone also understood what that sound was. Marth remembered what Apollo told her before she left.
"I heard you are being deployed with Warfraim and Closure for a technology thing. Part of me wishes I could come, seeing humanity's brightest minds come together is something I love seeing even back home. However I'm a teacher with responsibilities but maybe I can fix that but I should get to the point."
Apollo sits her down in a chair. "I normally talk to you like a teacher or how I would talk to my younger brother but not this time, Warfraim and Closure are the most important people in this mission. So you use everything I taught you to protect them at nearly any cost." His gaze while maintaining some softness showed how serious he is.
"Cardigan, where's everyone, do you remember?' Marth asked.
"I do, follow me!" She shouted as she ran towards the door.
Cardigan started sprinting out the lobby, and ran towards the last place she saw Warfraim and Closure.
The women's bathroom.
Cardigan is someone who is confident in her speed, she was easily the fastest out of everyone on the squad. She burst out of the room and dashed down the hall, Cardigan knows she left Marth behind but she believes Marth can handle herself, she has to.
However to Cardigan's surprise on her very left was Marth keeping up with her. She felt relieved that she wouldn't be alone, as they travelled down the hall cursing that the building was so huge the wall to their left suddenly exploded.
"This is one of the key hallways, all I need to do is protect this. I swear the Madam truly is a mad one."
Out from the smoke and rubble came a man in white. Everything about him was white. The shoes, the pants, the suit, the mask and his hat, yet there wasn't a speck of dirt on him. The only things that weren't white were his black gloves and pupils.
He focused his gaze toward Marth and Cardigan. "Interesting how my first opponents are two girls." The man in white said.
Marth could see that Cardigan wanted to go in but she stopped her for a moment.
"Cardigan, let me touch your shield for a moment." Marth said as she touched the shield.
Marth focused on the shield as mana flowed from her body to the shield. In her mind she felt connected to the shield as she could almost see the mana flowing through it
"Marth what are you doing?" Cardigan as she kept her eyes on the man in white.
Marth didn't say anything as she finished the enforcement. All the doubt that clouded her mind clearly as all the training Mr. Apollo made her go through the fruit.
"Cardigan I just made your shield stronger so it can take more damage." Marth said proudly.
Cardigan looked at her shield briefly, not seeing any noticeable changes, but they couldn't wait for long. "If that's the case then I trust in that." Cardigan said as she stood in front of Marth. "Provide as much support as you can."
The sense of doubt flooded back in Marth at those words. She didn't have much faith in herself to even get the enforcement spell right and the only reason she was able to was because the man in white just stood there. Now she has to perform spells on the fly.
Fear started to crept into Marth's heart as a potential outcome played in her head. The possibility that Cardigan would be gravely injured or even killed because of her mistakes and the hate she would receive from everyone.
The weight of it grew as all the people that helped her would turn her back on her. Saria, Amiya, Skyfire and Mr. Apollo. She was scared that would be her fate, and she didn't even want to imagine what Melantha would do to her.
"Get Marth ready, we need to get past this guy so we can meet up with Closure, Warfraim and the others."
Marth snapped out of trance when she remembered her objective and what Apollo said to her. She took a deep breath and braced herself for her first and potentially final fight.
OK so winter break is coming soon and I hope everyone is doing good. I'm going to be honest, I will be the last chapter for the year. I will be back on the new year with a something ready, I just need to take a break since midterms is around the corner for me. That also why I haven't update because that comes first. That's all I wanted to say, so bye.