by David Walker
“I've found a flower almost as beautiful as you are,” Shade said, handing her the flower. She rewarded him with an intimate kiss.
* * *
The scheduled deployment date of Operation Janus had finally arrived. Ordered Chaoz had gathered in the guild hall for a meeting led by Trance, who stood behind the podium. There was a sense of excitement and nervousness in the air.
“Let's recap. Our intel shows that Obfuscation has identified a group of Eagle agents in Ghemeza's province of Orion. Despite pulling the bulk of their military out of Orion, the Unified Republics still has a covert military presence there. Operation Janus is targeting their secret facility. We have the coordinates of the astral plane realm that is directly above the facility,” Trance pointed to the facility on the holographic display and continued.
“Our goal is to stop Obfuscation's forces in the astral plane realm before they get a chance to drop into the first level. If they're able to drop and fuse the realms, we'll need to drop down with them and exercise extreme caution. Our physical lives will be vulnerable if this happens. Any questions?” The guild stood silent. “Alright, let's get geared up and move out,” Trance ordered.
Shade did not like the idea of being subordinate to Trance. He did not want to become field leader himself, rather, he felt that a field leader should be willing to participate in group combat training. He would not mind being subordinate to Aftershock. If it were not for his affections for her, he might have already left the guild. Trance irked him that much. After Shade's foray in the Brawler's District, many guilds were actively vying for his recruitment.
Ordered Chaoz entered a rift to the astral plane above Orion. The guild flew to the peak of the highest mountain near the middle of the desert realm. They scouted the areas in each cardinal direction, looking for any sign of Obfuscation. Eventually, Aftershock saw a dozen of spell blades advancing from the eastern end of the realm. The guild flew hurriedly to intercept them.
The spell blades donned beige tunics and black wraps around their faces, concealing everything but their eyes. They each wore sashes across their chests: one wore a white sash, two wore black sashes, four wore red sashes, and the rest wore brown sashes. The spell blade in the white sash was armed with a staff. The spell blades in black sashes were armed with long scythes. The spell blades in red sashes were armed with weapons that looked like a fusion between a sword and a rifle. The remaining spell blades were armed with curved swords.
The spell blades marched in disciplined harmony. The brown sashes advanced in front, the red sashes were behind them, while the white and black sashes were in the back of their formation. The white sash was in-between the black sashes, almost as if he were being protected. Shade was nervous about this group of spell blades. They seemed well organized, unlike the spell blades that they had faced before. While Ordered Chaoz possessed power and raw talent, Shade knew that his guild lacked the discipline of these spell blades.
Ordered Chaoz halted the spell blades' march. The white sash stood stationary and began chanting. The black sashes flanked him and swung their scythes in the air. Lingering traces of light followed their scythe swings. The light traces assembled into intricate, star patterned seals around them. The red sashes crouched in front of them and shot fiery elemental rounds at Ordered Chaoz from their gunblades. Meanwhile, the brown sashes ran to meet Ordered Chaoz head on.
Aftershock, Crescent, and Stormspiral followed Trance's advance and clashed with the brown sashes. The white sash's privileged position made him Shade's highest priority target. Shade fired a few well-aimed shots from his pistol at the white sash, but his bullets ricocheted off of the black sashes' seals. The area around the white sash began to dip.
“Aftershock! The one in the white is pulling down the astral plane!” Shade shouted.
Immediately, Aftershock struck the ground with her Jagged Chopper, creating rocky pillars that pierced through the ground underneath the white sash, knocking him into the air. Shade advanced to the front line and deflected the red sashes' gunblade shots with his Maelstrom's Edge. Trance fought two brown sashes at once. He managed to block their attacks; however, their slashes left lingering trails of light that assembled into a seal that encased him, paralyzing his movement. Once he was paralyzed, they stopped attacking him. Crescent and Stormspiral, having just defeated their opponents, moved to intercept them.
“No! I'll get these two. You guys break their formation with the Lava Microburst!” Shade commanded. Ordered Chaoz heeded Shade's commands as if he were their leader. Trance probably would have cursed if he were able to move.
Aftershock and Crescent stood next to each other and rapidly spun their weapons around in a vertically-aligned, circular motion. Crescent's Flame Arc whirred into a ring of fire, while rocky shards spun around Aftershock's Jagged Chopper. They pivoted their spinning weapons into each other, fusing the elements into whirling lava. Meanwhile, Stormspiral pole-vaulted high into the air and caught the vibration of a downwind, crashing spear-first into the ground behind the lava. A microburst erupted from his landing, violently scattering the lava into the red sashes. The red sashes convulsed in agony, as the lava sizzled against the seals, unable to get beyond their defensive magic.
Shade parried the attacks of the brown sashes, as he zigzagged across the battlefield, avoiding the snare of their paralyzing seals. He got near Trance and back-flipped over him to avoid one of the spell blade's sword thrusts. The thrust hit Trance in the midsection, breaking the grip of the seal that paralyzed him. Enraged, Trance jammed his Excalibur into the attacker's chest and large shards of ice refracted outward from the blow, depleting all of his spirit vitality.
A lightning bolt followed the arc of Shade's overhead slash, nailing the other brown sash in the head, taking him out. His Maelstrom's Edge hardly ever fired off one its random lightning bolts in combat. However, when it did, it was satisfying. Aftershock, Crescent, and Stormspiral ran toward the black sashes, seeking to get past their defensive seals.
“Aftershock, Slingshot Formation!” Shade ordered. He flailed his roped dagger in a sideways arc around her waist and spun her overhead. She whizzed along in the air, building cyclonic momentum. He whipped her into the right flank of the black sashes. She dislodged from the roped dagger and spun into the defensive seals like a whirling dervish, shattering them to pieces with her powerful ax.
Crescent hurled her Flame Arc at one of the black sashes like a fireball, setting him ablaze on contact. Stormspiral launched his Cyclonic Piercer at the other black sash, drilling him into the ground. Aftershock hacked the recovering white sash down, taking the last of his spirit vitality. Meanwhile, Shade and Trance finished off the remaining spell blades.
Ordered Chaoz had successfully aborted Operation Janus, saving the lives of the Unified Republic's covert agents in Orion. Shade realized that his strategies led the guild to victory. The thought was intoxicating. He had never actively sought leadership but was always willing to take up a leadership role, if he deemed it necessary. He glanced at Trance who shot daggers at him with his eyes. Shade did not care. If he wanted to lead the fight, he should have taken it more seriously.
The guild briefly celebrated their victory. They went through the equipment of the fallen spell blades, looking for intel that would lead them to Obfuscation's base of operations. They found multiple explosive devices but were unable to retrieve any intelligence. Shade examined one of the gunblades with fascination. He considered taking it with him but ultimately decided that his current arsenal was sufficient. After confirming that no reinforcements were going to arrive, Ordered Chaoz entered a rift back to their guild hall.
* * *
Victor sat at his desk filling out paperwork for the guild association. Most guild masters worked on their guild's administration as opposed to actively participating in their guild's missions. Victor was no exception. Ordered Chaoz approached his desk, ready to give a report on their recent assignment.
“Operation Janus was successfully aborted, sir,” Tra
nce said.
“Excellent. Were there any complications?” Victor asked.
“A number of Obfuscation members used advanced techniques, including defensive barriers and paralysis. Fortunately, we were able to prevent them from fusing with the physical world,” Trance reported.
“Thanks to Shade we were able to stop them,” Stormspiral cheerfully interjected.
“It's true. Shade called out a number of group formations that led to our victory,” Crescent objectively noted.
“He gave orders out of turn,” Trance retorted. “Shade isn't the field leader!”
“Someone had to give orders. Our field leader was too busy getting paralyzed,” Aftershock blurted unapologetically. Trace scowled at her. She looked at him and shrugged. Victor seemed slightly amused by the drama that was unfolding in front of him.
“Oh? Should we re-assign the role of field leader?” Victor asked. Trace's eyes bulged.
“No. There is no need for that. But...I say our field leader needs to join the rest of us during our group training sessions,” Shade insisted.
“That seems reasonable. Trance, are you willing to join the team during their training exercises?” Victor asked.
“...Yes,” Trance answered, gritting his teeth.
“Alright then, that settles it. Congratulations on your victory. I'm glad to see that no one was injured. Why don't all of you go celebrate at the pub on my tab? You've certainly earned it,” Victor offered.
Ordered Chaoz made their way into a large pub located in the middle of the Guild District. The guild enjoyed multiple glasses of the pub's finest wine. After a few glasses, Shade was light-headed. His buzz made him feel as if his spirit body could float about freely in the air. They each enjoyed themselves, with the exception of Trance, whose attitude grew worse as the night wore on.
“How'd you think of all those combos, man?” Stormspiral asked Shade, speech slurred.
“I don't know...I can just...see them...” Shade answered, weary-eyed and head adrift. He suddenly perked up, as if reaching an epiphany and looked at Trance. “Trance...we can make so many element combos with your water!”
“Well now, the mighty Shade needs me for something?” Trance replied caustically.
“Oh, come on man. We're a team. What is your problem with me, anyway?” Shade demanded.
“I don't like some noob rolling up into our guild and trying to run the place,” he answered.
“I'm not trying to run anything,” Shade replied. Trance got up out of his seat and approached Shade with a puffed-up chest.
“You're damn right you're not going to run anything. I'll put you down before that happens,” Trance growled. Shade rose up and met Trance face to face.
“I doubt your ice tricks will be able to save you next time, princess,” Shade mocked. They both tensed up, prepared to brawl. Aftershock got in between and separated them.
“Settle down, children,” Aftershock ordered. “Let's get out of here,” she told Shade, grabbing his arm and walking out of the pub with him.
“I don't know why you let him get to you,” Aftershock said with a grin.
“He's always messing with me and I haven't done anything to him,” Shade protested.
“He's obviously jealous of you.”
“For what? It's not like he hasn't beaten me before.”
“You're so cute. You don't see how special you are, do you?” Aftershock said, tilting her head to the side and looking into his eyes. “Where did you find that tulip? It's the most beautiful flower I've ever seen. It still hasn't died after all this time.”
“It's from a secret wonderland. Do you want to take a trip with me?” he answered with a sly grin.
“Why, of course,” she giggled. Shade held unto her waist and caught the vibration of a wind that carried them out of Callisto. They landed in an isolated area. After confirming that no one was around, Shade created a rift to the crystal castle realm. They appeared next to the opalescent dome. Aftershock looked around with a puzzled look on her face.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“I'm honestly not sure. I found this place when I was meditating. I think it's somehow linked to my heart.”
“Wow! That castle is amazing. I've never seen one float in mid-air like that. Have you been in there?”
“No. I've tried to get inside but there's...some kind of guardian that I can't get past.”
“He must be fierce. Want me to help you take him out?”
“No thanks. I have to defeat him on my own.”
“I understand,” she said, shifting her attention to the shimmery dome.
Shade took Aftershock's hand and led her inside the dome. Her eyes lit up with wonder as she surveyed the garden. She drew close to a flowerbed and inhaled deeply, savoring its titillating aroma. Shade could sense a tingle running along the back of her neck as if he were experiencing the sensation himself. He felt her probe his soul when their eyes locked with each other in an affectionate gaze.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, prompting him to wrap his arms around her waist. They kissed each other with wild abandonment. The boundaries of their spirit bodies blurred, as their wispy skins intermingled with one another. Her kiss carried a warmth that felt like heated oil, inflaming his senses. The sensual pleasure of their embrace was not unlike physical intimacy, yet purer and more intense. The garden's pulse grew faster. Their spirit bodies quivered in ecstasy when they reached the climax of their kiss. They slowly pulled their lips apart and smiled at each other. Moments later, they embraced again, entering into another round of euphoria.
* * *
Zoltav poured out water from one of the Orion capitol building's restroom faucets into his cupped hands. He splashed the water across his olive-toned face and shook off its excess. His hands rubbed down along his bushy eyebrows, hawkish nose, and trimmed beard. He looked at the mirror and saw unsearchable, ebony eyes looking back at him.
Zoltav braced himself for the bombardment of camera-light flashes and mindless questions that he would have to endure in the press conference ahead. He closed his eyes and took a couple of slow, deep breaths. Centered, he opened his eyes and put on the practiced smile that his constituents had grown to love. He walked outside to the steps in front of the capitol building, where a podium stacked with microphones awaited him.
“It's been three years since the faithful people of Orion decided to elect me as its youngest governor in Ghemeza's history. Many of you took a chance with me and it has paid off. Our infrastructure has been rebuilt, millions of jobs have been added to the private sector, and the Orion branch of the Ghemezian Armed Forces is more powerful than ever. We have become strong enough that we no longer need to rely on foreign military assistance. This is why I have signed executive order 1021: all foreign military personnel must vacate the sovereign borders of Orion,” Zoltav said with authority. He pointed to a reporter to allow for a few questions.
“Governor Cainan, your recent executive order has raised many eyebrows. Drastic changes to state policy are usually enacted by the Ghemezian Royal Council. Have they approved this order?” A reporter asked.
“I have the full support of the Prime Minister and the United Kings of Ghemeza,” Zoltav answered, pointing to another reporter.
“Governor Cainan, is our military capable of handling the sophisticated threats that modern terrorists pose without foreign assistance?”
“Absolutely. Our armed forces have already averted a number of terrorist plots on Orion soil. No longer will we tremble in the face of terrorism!” Zoltav declared with conviction. A number of people in the crowd behind the reporters cheered. Zoltav pointed to another reporter.
“Governor Cainan, many have criticized your executive order, claiming that it undermines our alliance with the Unified Republics, who have helped us quell terrorist threats since the Allied Embassy bombings. Are the Unified Republics still our allies?”
“Yes. The Unified Republics have been invaluable allies who have he
lped arm and train many of our soldiers. They will continue to be our allies. However, the time has come when Orion needs to stand strong. We need to defend our own land. This was one of the promises that I ran on during my campaign. I am making good on it now,” he concluded.
The cheers in the crowd turned into roars, as Zoltav waved to his supporters and made his way back to the Orion capitol building. He walked through a large, arched hallway on his way to his office. His shiny, black leather boots clopped on the building's polished, marble floors. Commemorative paintings were hung on the sandstone walls to his left and right. Zoltav's administrative assistant intercepted him before he got to his office.
“Excellent responses during the press conference, Governor Cainan. It was a tad brief, but you closed on a strong note and the crowd was on your side. Now, if we can discuss the matter of...”
“We can resume operations first thing in the morning. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have personal matters to attend to,” Zoltav said, interrupting his administrative assistant.
“Of course, Governor Cainan.”
Zoltav entered his office, locked the door, and closed the blinds. The back of his head sank deeply into his plush, burgundy leather chair. After resting for a few moments, Zoltav entered a rift into the fifth level of the spirit world. Unlike the levels below it, the fifth level of the spirit was detached from physical reality. It was where one could observe the past, present, and possible futures. Zoltav's perspective was hazy as he gazed at his twelve-year-old self.
The Cainan family had lived in a small home in Eastern Orion. What they lacked in material possessions, they made up for in honor. Zoltav's father Aamir, and his mother Sanad, were both devout followers of the Prophet of Heaven. Zoltav had his doubts about his parents' faith, yet respected it, in light of the genuine hospitality that his parents showed others.
“Abba, look what I made for you!” Zoltav cheerfully exclaimed, handing Aamir a beaded prayer bracelet.