"So that's what happened, a man who is likely the culprit of our men getting attacked went to the orphanage. He took everyone from there including your family and the kids along with a Rhodes Island member. Is that correct, Alice?"
Axel repeated the situation to Alice and Rhodes Island as he heard.
"That is correct Lord Axel, and I wish for me to set up a strike team to get my family back." Alice said as she kneeled and bowed her head to Axel.
Axel started down at his most trusted ally, someone he trusted more than some of his own family members.
Another person joined Alice in kneeling, bowing her head just as far down as Alice. It was Marth, face paler than paper with the hints of red around her eyes as tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Lord Axel, please I beg you. Not only has that man taken everyone Alice cares for, he also took someone I consider my only family."
Axel could do nothing but think of his response. He grabs the piece of paper that the Hiker threw at them in the orphanage. It was a map with a single large dot, likely the location of where the Hiker wants them to go.
Axel caught his breath when he turned the map around, it was only a few sentences and it looked unnatural. Like it was typed on a computer instead of being written by hand.
"Ah, yes, the objects fallen from the sky. Carrying secrets one does not understand, with a surface blacker than the abyss of chaos. Truly wonderful for humanity to see. Will there be salvation and a golden age?, or the coming of the end with revelations? You have three days"
Axel's grip tightened as the culprit was deep enough to have this information. Something that was kept hidden from the public due to its mysterious nature. There was a leak somewhere but he couldn't think about that for now since not even the culprit seems to know what's inside these mysterious objects.
Axel turns to his desk grabbing a piece of paper, quickly writing something before stamping it with his navy blue stamp then handing it to Alice.
"Bring this to the outpost and form your strike team, appoint a leader." Axel said
Alice and Marth looked At Axel, one with relief and the other with confusion. Alice could only tighten her fist. "Understood, my lord."
"I think you should all be off, I will inform you all with news when I receive it." Axel said.
Marth rushed to her feet. "But what about us? Why aren't we able to help, they have someone I care about too."
Axel looks at the girl. "Simple, I don't trust you lot. I find it odd how the moment I welcome foreigners into my land that not only do my men get inflicted with some 'curse', but also how you were the only one who could cure it. Nor can I forget the fact that a member of your organization, who I was unaware of also got kidnapped in my territory. It's all too suspicious. " Axel said.
With anger riling up inside her, Marth takes a step forward towards Axel causing Alice to use her sheath sword to hold her back. Seeing a chance, Lappland starts to draw her sword but is stopped by Matterhorn.
"Are you saying that this is all planned?" Sharp asked.
"All I'm saying is that this is all too convenient for you all." Axel said.
Marth, frustrated in mind and blinded by hate and distrust, leaves the room knowing that if she stays there that she will only make things worse.
"I will inform you all once your friend is safe, afterwards I wish you all to leave my land." Axel said as he returned to his desk.
Seeing that there is no room to wiggle, everyone makes their way out of the room leaving only Alice in disbelief and an annoyed Axel.
"I don't mean any disrespect but Lord Axel why aren't I on the rescue team, you know I can lead well." Alice asked, her voice weaker filled with more emotion than normal, something she didn't catch.
Axel could only sigh again. "Alice, I've known you for years. Long before you worked for me and I learned something about you. No matter how much of a poker face you put on or how many times people think you are fully in control of yourself. You're only human and I can tell you aren't thinking fully clear. With that in mind it wouldn't be surprising if you make a rash choice."
Hearing this only caused more conflicting emotions. It felt like all these feelings were clashing in her like waves opposing another trying to overpower the other. Axel is right, her emotions are in flux.
"I'm sorry but just this once can you trust me. You can hate me for the rest of your life but believe me." Axel said as he got closer to Alice.
He wrapped his arms around Alice, hugging her close and strong. Alice instinctually returned the hug as she felt those waves of emotions slowly calm, being controllable.
"Feel better?" Axel asked.
Alice only nodded reassuring Axel, affirming that he made the right choice. He ends the hug and rests his hand on Alice's head being gentle with her blue cat ears.
"Now, go make the rescue time that even the Kjeragandr would wish to have." Axel said with confidence in his voice.
Alice breathes in deeply. "Understood Lord Axel."
"Please just call me Axel." He said.
Alice makes her way out the room seeing the Rhodes Island crew outside.
"I'm sorry, I hope you can understand Lord Axel's line of thinking." Alice said.
Alice soon landed on Marth whose hands were in her face, even a blind person could see how this weighed on her. Nothing Alice could say would help Marth's mental state, the only thing she could do was produce results.
She walks down the hall leaving Rhodes Island behind heading to the outpost. The walk was long, hearing children and their parents yelling. Each one unaware of the kidnapping as Axel wants to keep all this under wraps. The soft glow of the moon gave her whiplash. Less than an hour ago she saw the kidnapping of someone she cared for, more than her own life.
Alice wasted no time once she arrived at the outpost, already having people in mind she made a call over the announcement system. Within minutes fifteen people of various people quickly filed in taking a seat at the chairs Alice pulled up.
"What's with the sudden call ma'am?" An above average height forte man asked.
"Due to a sudden turn of events the formation of a rescue team was needed, and needed quickly." Alice said as stood at the front of the room with her hands behind her back.
"Who are we rescuing ma'am?" This time it was a woman sporting the usual bear traits that many people in Kjerag have.
"I will repeat that due to the sudden nature and secrecy of this mission this brief will be quick. Our target is all the children at the orphanage, an operative from a pharmaceutical company, lastly Selena and Zackary Frostworth."
The tone atmosphere of the room dropped at those words, the children of the orphanage often wrote letters to the soldiers which makes work worth it even at the worst of times. Secondly it is the name of the last two, with the kidnapping of their superior's parents.
Alice explained the situation while showing the map left by the Hiker. Alice told everyone how they aren't going due to orders. She told everyone to start training and getting used to one another as they were leaving tomorrow night as they only had three days before the likely death of the hostages.
With the briefing over Alice dismissed everyone telling everyone to break into three teams of five and go from there in terms of planning. The soldiers soon filed out the room leaving Alice on her own.
She made her way to one of the chairs and allowed herself to relax. Her part of the job was done. All she could do now was wait for judgment day, as she listened to the ticking of the clock on the wall.
Sitting at his desk sat the young and ambitious Enciodes Silverash, looking out the window as small specks of snow passed his vision. The sound white glow of his digital clock continued to inform of an important time.
'Vrrr!', 'Vrrr!'
Enciodes looked at his personal business phone. On its fluorescent screen were a string of numbers with the text 'caller id' under it. He answered the call as he returned his view to the outside world.
"Hello, who might this be?" Enciodes said in his usual voice.
"Who else, I did the hard part. Now all you have to do is follow your part." Apollo said
Enciodes reaches in his desk and pulled a piece of paper. On it was a map with a dot pointed to a location, on its back was a diagram. It was the same map the Axel saw mere hours ago.
"I would like to ask a question or rather I wish to add something to our agreement." The man who was Apollo asked.
"You have one of them don't you, one of the objects that fell from the sky?" Apollo asked, while his normally cheery tone is still there, there is a more serious undertone.
"That I do. Each one of us major families and the Vine Bear Court found a number of them. If everything goes as planned then I will allow you and you alone to see what we have under our jurisdiction.
"Perfect, with that approved. Get your men ready as you might receive a call tonight from the group in Foundland tonight to warn you of what happened, or tomorrow night after their first rescue attempt fail" Confidence was oozing out of Apollo's voice as he spoke, like it was a god given prophecy.
"Then I wish you the best of luck." Enciodes said.
"Luck is all I ever had." Apollo said as he ended the call.
Enciodes looked at his contacts to see someone he can always trust, at the same level as Matterhorn. He pressed on the Courier contact as he heard its ringing in his ear, within seconds the phone call was picked up.
"Yes Lord Silverash. Anything you need?" Courier's voice was heard nice and clear over the phone.
"I would like for you to gather a small rescue team, nothing too large. A team that is quick yet strong." He said,
"Understood, I will have a team ready by tomorrow morning." Courier responded quickly and without missing a beat.
"Fast as always, I will be waiting. Goodnight Courier." He said.
"Goodnight sir."
Another call ended.
A sigh escaped Enciodes's mouth, reflecting on what was happening and the person who approached him with this plan.
"All this just to help Rhodes Island and that girl." He could only feel a small smirk form on his face. "I wish I met you first instead of Rhodes Island. He would have been advantageous to have, I could only imagine the work Gnosis and him could accomplish."
In a hut in the mountains, in a room alone with only a single wax fuel lamp on its last legs. Its dying light caused the darkness to creep closer and closer to Apollo, like an endless abyss.
On the desk in front of him was a map of Foundland and the surrounding area, there was a mark of where he and the hostages were, static and unmoving. The other two marks were in Foundland, moving about like a tracker.
As the lamp went out causing whatever sense of light to be devoured by the abyss. In the dark that seemed endless.
A small smile creeped on his face, not a smile he wore when he was with Marth or anyone else in this world. It was a smile that belonged to a being that deserves to be locked up or put down.
The only thing one could see was not the cheery face of Apollo, not the Hiker get up needed for this plot, nor the iconic sucker he always feasted on. The thing that could be seen were the bright red eyes, eyes that stuck out like a demon in the dark just waiting to devour whatever sad being that walked in on him. The eyes that earned him a nickname sometime ago.
Demon of the White Sands.