Rise of the Young: Warriors are not made; they are forged (The Ascended Book 2)

by Bygott, Hugo C.

  One of the officers gave a signal, and two men held Eclipse. Another officer began to open the bag.

  “Now!” said Kry.

  Whisper and Kry focused their minds. The officer searched the bag but could find nothing suspicious. All that was inside were clothes, and Kuro and Shiro were nowhere to be seen.

  For the last few weeks, Rush had been training them and taught them a few things before they left for Japan. Knowing that Eclipse would somehow need to hide her weapons, Rush had provided mental training, showing them how to conceal objects with their minds. The process, which Kry had questioned several times, was not the act of concealing the weapons, but it was to create a false reality in the minds they would target. As the customs officer struggled to find anything, a senior officer had joined the commotion and ordered them to put everything back. They then released Eclipse.

  She picked up her bag with feigned anger. “Let’s go.”

  As they walked toward the gate, they were relieved to make it without being discovered. Eclipse’s weapons were a burden sometimes, but Kry knew that those weapons could also protect them when the time came.

  “Good job, Whisper,” said Kry, catching Whisper smiling to himself.

  They walked through the gate and found themselves in the large arrival hall. Hundreds of people were waiting with different signs, but no one seemed to stand out, and there were no signs which had their names. Rush had told them that they would know who they were supposed to meet, but there was no indication of who Yujin would be.

  “I don’t think Rush planned this very well,” said Eclipse.

  Kry led them through and out of the arrival gate.

  “I can’t believe he didn’t even give us a contact number, or at least give some kind of description of who we should be meeting,” said Eclipse.

  “I think you spoke too soon,” said Kry, pointing toward the seating area. “I believe he’s Yujin.”

  Eclipse and Whisper looked to where Kry was pointing.

  “There is no doubt,” said Eclipse.

  “He looks scary…” said Whisper.

  As they walked toward the seating area, the man they assumed was Yujin stood up from his seat. His legs were like two giant oak trees, and his size was much like Dominus, but there was a warm aura around him. A white leather belt was wrapped around his waist, and he wore a red leather waistcoat over a white shirt. He was a muscular man, and his hands were of an irregular size. The key defining feature that caught their attention was not his height, though, it was his face. Long silver hair flowed down to his shoulder, and two red-lined scars marked his cheeks.

  “Yokoso! Welcome, I am Yujin,” said the large man who cast a shadow over the three of them. He held his hand out with a big smile.

  Eclipse was the first to act and shook his hand. She could feel his strength from the handshake alone. “Thank you for meeting us.”

  “It’s my pleasure,” said Yujin, shaking her hand with enthusiasm.

  “Nice to meet you, Yujin. We were worried we wouldn’t be able to recognize you, but I guess you’re an easy man to find,” said Kry, offering his hand.

  Yujin gripped his hand and pulled him in causing Eclipse to drop her bag ready to fight.

  “Rush has told me so much about you! It’s great to meet at last!” said Yujin, embracing him into his stone-like chest.

  Kry struggled to breathe as his life was being squeezed out of him. Finally, Yujin released him, allowing him to recapture his breath.

  “I’m sorry! Did I hurt you? Sometimes I don’t know my own strength. Forgive me.” Yujin lowered his head and bowed.

  Kry was coughing but shook his head. “I’m fine. I’m just glad we found you.”

  Yujin was pleased that he did not hurt him and smiled with warmth. He then turned to Whisper. “You’re the one who cannot speak?”

  Whisper was terrified as he looked up at the giant.

  “Do not be in fear. I am friend, not foe,” said Yujin.

  The words entered into Whisper’s mind and somehow relaxed him. Whisper felt an instant trust toward Yujin, something he could not explain.

  “I’m a User, just as you three are and is Rush. Rush and I have a shared history,” said Yujin.

  Kry wondered what that history was.

  Yujin turned around and directed them toward the exit. “Rush has instructed me to take you to the university, but it’s a long journey from Tokyo, so I’ve arranged for us to stay one night here and depart early tomorrow morning.”

  “As much as we would like to spend an extra day here, time is not on our side. The Shadow Government may be moving against us, and we can’t just sit idly by,” said Eclipse.

  Yujin placed his huge hand in front of her. “I understand time shows no mercy, but I’ve been fighting against the Shadow Government before you were born, and one extra day isn’t going to change the outcome of this war.”

  Despite Yujin towering over her, Eclipse stood her ground.

  “It’s fine. We should rest. The next few days I believe are going to be tough, so we should at least enjoy what time we have left,” said Kry.

  It was evident that Eclipse was not pleased, but she said nothing further in protest. Kry appreciated the fact that Eclipse had taken it upon herself to be his personal guardian. She trusted his judgment, and he knew she would protect him with her life.

  “It’s settled then,” said Yujin. “Follow me. I have a car prepared.”

  They left the airport arrival hall and followed Yujin to the central parking area. At the far end, a red limousine was parked in the corner. Whisper could not contain his excitement as he tried to look inside.

  “This is yours?” asked Kry in disbelief.

  Yujin stroked the top of the limousine as if it were a pet. “A big car for a big man. My beauty. I call her Nexus.”

  “Nexus?” said Eclipse. “You named your car?”

  “Everything should have a name. People, places, cars, even weapons,” said Yujin, glancing to the large bag strapped to her back. He opened the doors for them. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

  As they entered the limousine, they were surprised by the interior. There were leather sofas, a large TV, and in the center was a bucket of champagne. This was the first time for any of them to ride in a limousine.

  “I hope you like it.” Yujin’s voice came through the speaker as they sat down.

  “Yes…thank you…” said Kry. He placed his bag down and leaned back on the sofa.

  The engine of the limousine started. “Help yourself to the champagne,” said Yujin.

  Kry looked at Eclipse who shook her head. It seemed none of them were big drinkers, and Whisper was nowhere near the age to drink.

  The limousine set off. Eclipse moved to the window and stared out. Kry sensed that it meant a lot to her to return to Japan, the place where she spent a part of her life growing up. It was also where her mother was killed. He could imagine the feelings she was going through having lost his parents, too. In fact, all three of them were the same. Whisper’s father was taken and his life uncertain. He hoped that he could train to become stronger at the university to protect his friends and make sure no one had to lose their loved ones again.

  “Japan is a beautiful country,” said Eclipse, gazing out the window.

  He had only just arrived, yet there was something unique about this country.

  “When I was young, I moved from country to country, making friends then leaving. I never knew why, until my mother died, but it was too late then,” said Eclipse.

  It was rare for Eclipse to open up. She had always been so guarded.

  “Out of all the countries I lived in, I never felt at home until I came here to Japan,” said Eclipse. “I can’t explain it, but some of my fondest memories took place here, with my mother and with the Master, Kaneda Kei.”

  Kry had heard of the Master when they had trained with Rush. Eclipse had mentioned him in passing, and it was clear that he meant a lot to her.

&n
bsp; “Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and change the past,” said Eclipse.

  Whisper penetrated their minds. “The past is the past. Remember what Rush said. We move forward, not backward.”

  Eclipse and Kry both turned to Whisper with surprise.

  “Whisper, you really are the wisest of us all,” said Kry.

  Eclipse nodded knowing he was right. They had to move forward.

  Time passed, and before they knew it, they had arrived at their destination. The limousine doors opened, and Yujin greeted them with his massive arms. “I hope you had a pleasant ride.”

  “Pleasant enough,” said Eclipse. She was the first to get out.

  “Where are we?” asked Kry.

  Yujin pointed to the hotel in front of them. “Tonight, you three will stay here. Tomorrow, we’ll leave early for the university.”

  Whisper seemed in good spirits as he jumped out of the car.

  “I like this little one!” laughed Yujin. “Come, let us check in.”

  Yujin led the way and soon had everything in order with their room keys and baggage. “Wash up and relax. Meet me in the lobby in one hour. Don’t be late!” Yujin waved to them and left.

  Kry shivered as he heard those last words. Memories of Bellum flooded his mind and how he had joined the company. It had been the worst mistake of his life.

  The three of them were on the same floor, but Eclipse had her own room next to Kry and Whisper who were sharing.

  “I guess I’ll see you in an hour. I have no idea what Yujin is planning, but let’s be prepared.” Eclipse walked into her room and locked the door.

  “Whisper, let’s rest while we still can,” said Kry.

  Whisper smiled and ran inside.

  “You have a lot of energy!” said Kry, dropping his bags.

  “I’m just so excited about the International University of Users! We can finally train to be stronger and save my dad!” said Whisper.

  To be stronger. Those were the keywords. Kry recalled his failures of not protecting his friends. Whisper could see he was affected and clasped his hand like a younger brother.

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. None of what happened was your fault,” said Whisper.

  Kry was not so sure that was true.

  “We’ll become stronger and save everyone! My dad, Michael and, Sarah!” said Whisper. His positive energy was contagious.

  Kry smiled. “Be ready in an hour. I think I’ll take a quick nap.” He lay down and closed his eyes, wondering how all this had happened, and soon drifted into sleep.

  Rhea looked at him. “After all this is finished, I want to say something to you.”

  His heart skipped a beat. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

  The image disappeared, and the sound of thunder rippled through the sky.

  “Rhea! No!” he shouted.

  Dominus dropped her into the raging river below.

  “NO!” shouted Kry.

  He opened his eyes. His palms were sweating, and his heart was beating rapidly.

  Whisper was by his side looking concerned. “What happened?”

  Kry placed his head into his hands and sighed. He could not escape from these nightmares. Every time he tried to sleep he would be haunted. He looked at the clock on the wall. “I’m fine.”

  Whisper’s dark green eyes sensed otherwise.

  “It’s almost an hour. We should go down. Yujin will be waiting,” said Kry.

  They knocked on Eclipse’s door, but there was no answer. She must have already gone down. Kry and Whisper entered the lobby and saw Yujin beaming with delight. Eclipse was next to him, her eyes like a hawk, watching everyone around.

  “Come, come,” said Yujin. “Tonight, we drink!”

  “I don’t think Whisper can drink,” said Eclipse.

  Yujin raised his arms. “We eat, too! I know a small Japanese restaurant two stations from here. I always go there when I come to Tokyo. Come! Tomorrow your journey begins, but tonight we relax!” Yujin ignored their reluctance and guided them out into the Tokyo night.

  Whisper was delighted about the prospect of enjoying the night and danced in the street.

  “Good, good! You see! The little one knows how to relax!” said Yujin.

  Eclipse was alert. Kuro, her trusty blade, was wrapped in silk in a scabbard strapped to her back. No matter where she went, she would never be parted from her weapons.

  “You need to relax, too, Eclipse!” said Yujin who was now dancing with Whisper in the street.

  Eclipse kept a stern face. As far as she could see, tonight she would have to be the responsible one.

  They turned the corner and found themselves in the busiest street they had ever seen.

  Yujin pointed ahead. “This is Shinjuku! Come, we must take the train. This way.”

  Up above was a large tower block with huge screens attached to the building. ‘Yunika Vision’ was labeled above the screens. Kry gazed at them and felt himself being hypnotized by the energy coming from the TVs. Suddenly, the TVs went black, and for a second, a message appeared on the screen.

  ‘The recycling of humanity is coming.’

  The message was gone as fast as it had appeared. “Hey, what happened there?” asked Kry with a confused look.

  Yujin turned back to him. “What do you mean?

  “Just now, there was a message on the screen up there,” said Kry.

  Eclipse looked at him with more concern than before.

  “Message? I didn’t see any message,” said Yujin.

  Whisper looked as confused as the others.

  “Maybe you imagined it,” said Eclipse.

  “No, I definitely saw something,” Kry insisted.

  Yujin grabbed his shoulder. “Friend, sometimes our mind plays tricks on us. Come, the station is around the corner.”

  Kry was sure he saw the message. Was the Shadow Government watching him? Had they been discovered already? No matter how hard he wanted to, he just could not relax.

  The station was ten times busier than the streets, and it was almost impossible to get through without bumping into somebody. Tokyo was hot and humid this time of year, especially in the underground.

  As they waited for the train, Eclipse whispered into his ear. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine, really. Maybe it was my mind playing tricks. Let’s forget it,” said Kry.

  A woman screamed from the other end of the platform.

  “What’s that?” Eclipse reached for her blade.

  They turned to see the train coming, but several men were shouting and one by one they jumped in front of the train.

  Eclipse pulled Whisper away and pulled him into her chest.

  Yujin was no longer smiling. “Come. We must leave. We take another route.”

  Kry was speechless. Yujin led them to another platform and shook his head in disappointment.

  “I’m sorry you had to see that,” said Yujin.

  “What happened?” Kry still could not believe it.

  Yujin lowered his eyes. “In Japan, suicide is quite common, especially the method you just saw,” he said. “But this was different.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Eclipse.

  “In the last few months, these suicides have been growing in number. It almost feels as if they’re being orchestrated,” said Yujin.

  “Orchestrated how?” said Kry. “What did those men say before they jumped?”

  Yujin clasped his hands. “They said that the end is coming.”

  Whisper widened his eyes. The relaxing night they had hoped for was turning out to be the opposite.

  “The end is coming,” repeated Kry.

  “It has to be the Shadow Government,” said Eclipse.

  “A war is coming,” said Yujin. “Rush sent you three to us to train, but for now let’s move on. No more talk of this. I promised we would eat and drink, and so we shall!”

  The image of the men jumping in front of the train would add to Kry’s nightmares. He could no
t believe he was thinking this, but Yujin’s offer of drink did not sound that bad after all.

  ****

  They arrived at a small Japanese restaurant. Unlike the other places, there were not that many people, and there was a sense of warmth within.

  “Come!” Yujin led them inside and ordered several dishes.

  Whisper was excited and eagerly awaited his food.

  “Eclipse, relax,” said Yujin.

  Eclipse’s eyes were darting left and right, scouting all the exit points and watching anyone who seemed out of place. “I’ll relax in my own way.”

  “As you wish,” said Yujin. He signaled to a waitress and whispered into her ear. The waitress nodded and went into the kitchen.

  “What did you say to her?” asked Kry.

  Yujin smiled and placated with his hands. “You shall see.”

  Soon, another waitress arrived and placed a couple of bowls on the table. Yujin mixed the ingredients together and layered them on the grill in front of them. “This is okonomiyaki.”

  Eclipse locked onto the food, and there was a sense of nostalgia coming from her eyes. For Kry and Whisper, this was their first time to try such delicacies.

  “It looks like a pancake,” said Whisper. He leaned in and delighted at the smell.

  Yujin chuckled. “It’s much tastier!”

  The waitress brought another dish over. This time, it was a plate filled with small balls.

  “Takoyaki!” beamed Yujin. “Try, try!” he said, pushing the plate in front of them.

  Whisper needed little encouragement and devoured one before anyone had a chance to reach out. Kry was just as hungry and followed suit. The texture of the ball was unfamiliar to him. It was savory and also squishy at the center.

  “What’s inside?” asked Kry, munching down on the takoyaki.

  “I hope you like it!” said Yujin. “It’s sliced up octopus.”

  Kry almost choked. Eclipse could not contain her laughter as Kry fumbled to get a napkin. Whisper did not seem to care and picked up two more.

  “This little one knows good food!” said Yujin.

  Kry swallowed the rest of his takoyaki down but refrained from the rest. “Interesting taste.”