Eternity's War (Books 1-3) (Eternity's War Boxsets)

by Ruben Stelliswolfe

  “I know,” she said. “It could lead to the end of the Tianzu at long last.”

  Twenty-nine

  Daye walked east through the streets of Kitadera, politely smiling and nodding to anyone he passed by. The further he walked, the more narrow and quiet the streets became. He strode past the occasional shop or restaurant, but most buildings in these parts were small homes to the countless families that lived here.

  He eventually stopped at the base of a small hill and gazed up at the magnificent house before him. It was immaculate, made almost entirely of wood. It looked to be more of a shrine than a standard home, and comprised of traditional Shizuno architecture.

  A man stood on the balcony and watched as Daye made his way up the small mound, climbing the stone steps.

  Daye saw the man and smiled at his old friend. “How are you, Hiroaki?” he asked in Xiayu.

  The man leapt over the balcony ledge, landing softly on the ground. He held his arms wide and offered Daye a respectful hug. “I am well,” he responded. “It's wonderful to see you again.” He turned and led Daye up the remaining stairs.

  Hiroaki opened the sliding door into the main living area. Daye looked down, his smile growing when he saw a steaming pot of green tea with two cups. It came as no surprise that, one again, his arrival was anticipated.

  “It's been quite some time,” Hiroaki remarked as he sat on the tatami floor in front of the table.

  “It has,” Daye agreed, taking his place opposite Hiroaki. “I come here with news, and to seek your advice.”

  This intrigued Hiroaki. He was a Shizuno man with short hair, who appeared to be aged in his forties. “Advice? My friend, you are as old and wise as I. I don't think I'd be able to tell you anything you don't already know,” he laughed.

  Daye didn't return the laugh. “The situation is dire, I'm afraid. You'll understand soon enough.”

  Hiroaki's smile faded. He wondered what could possibly be troubling his friend. He grabbed the clay pot and poured the tea into the two cups. “Tell me,” he said, his voice concerned.

  Daye sat thoughtfully, uncertain where to even begin. “When we last spoke, I told you I was relocating to Athenia with Kai and Hana, as per Kheree's request.”

  Hiroaki nodded, recalling the conversation very clearly. “Yes, of course. You said that Kheree wanted you to monitor the threat from two rival factions. I take it that the threat is a credible one?”

  Daye nodded. “It is. Both groups pose a very real threat, and I don't know what action to take.” He turned his head and looked out the window at the lush greenery around him. “I tried my absolute best to keep the peace, but there were five casualties.”

  “Five?”

  Daye nodded again. “The groups are now both here in Shizudera. I could sense them when I arrived in Nishihama. They want to vanquish the Tianzu.”

  Hiroaki listened intently, his face grave. “Not a wise strategy. Do you believe these groups are strong enough to face the Tianzu?”

  “No, far from it. There are certainly a handful of warriors who have the strength and ability to oppose the Tianzu, but the majority do not, and I fear they'll perish trying.”

  “I see,” Hiroaki said, drinking his tea. “So is it safe to say that war has been declared?”

  Daye sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. All three factions seem to be at war with one another, and I'm uncertain how it will end.”

  “What are the philosophies of the two groups you mentioned?”

  “From what I can understand, the group I provisionally joined, Black Dawn, believes in a world based on control. The one who orders them, Nikolai, believes in strict rule, and subsequently a society that lives in fear, which therefore creates a supposed sense of peace.”

  Hiroaki shook his head. “That is not peace. We shouldn't be made to live in fear. What of the other group?”

  “They seem to believe in free will, which I agree with. However, both groups justify killing if it means achieving their goal. This other faction, White Shadow, attempted to assassinate the new Athenian president out of revenge for his past actions.”

  Hiroaki watched Daye, very much fascinated by the conversation. “I can see why it is that you came to me for advice,” he said with a smile. “I assume you don't know how to proceed from here?”

  “You assume correctly, old friend. Like all wars, there can be no true victor.”

  “Is there any reasoning with them? Can war be prevented?”

  Daye gently sipped his tea. “No, unfortunately not. I've spoken with most of them and tried to teach them about peace. There are two young Athenians who are only new recruits, and seem to be the most innocent. But I fear it won't be long before they too are indoctrinated.”

  Hiroaki shook his head with sadness. “This is not unlike what happened between the Tianzu and the Xingzu two decades ago. How exactly did this war come about?”

  A pained look spread across Daye's face. “That's the most unfortunate news of all. I believe it was Raien who ordered the execution of one of White Shadow, and they've wanted to exact revenge on the Tianzu ever since. They tried to attack me on several occasions.”

  Hiroaki's eyes widened. “Why would Raien give the order?”

  Daye shrugged. “I can only surmise that he saw them as a threat. But now they're trapped in an endless vendetta. All three groups are guilty of attacking one another, and none of them will show forgiveness. And it only gets worse: back in Athenia, the battle was a public one, and the military became involved. I fear the same might happen here.”

  Hiroaki cringed. He rose from the floor and walked to the window, basking in the beauty of his surroundings. It often gave him comfort in troubling times to look at the natural wonders of the world around him.

  “It gets worse still,” Daye said.

  Hiroaki spun around and stared at his friend, surprised to hear how the situation could possibly escalate even further.

  Daye's gaze fell to the floor. “Kheree had no knowledge of the attack. It was unsanctioned. Huangdian is furious, and she wants Raien executed.”

  Hiroaki clenched his jaw and turned his attention back to the beauty outside. “Well, I'm not surprised to hear that. I've had my suspicions that one day the Tianzu would rupture. The fighters are far too independent of one another. They lack the unity our original clan once had. Nevertheless, it increases the level of danger we all face.”

  He watched as a bird landed on a nearby tree and cocked its head, studying the world around it. It remained still for a moment before taking flight once again, flapping its wings gracefully. It was a beautiful sight for Hiroaki, a man who spent much of his time basking in the nature that surrounded his home.

  He turned again and faced Daye. “My friend, this is a dire situation indeed. There is no clear solution. As much as it pains me to admit it, there may be casualties in all possible eventualities. They are loyal to their respective groups, and therefore will not rest until their enemies have been vanquished.”

  Daye nodded slowly. Much like all wars before this one, the fighters had their own reasons for killing their rival sect, which would be perpetually fuelled by an arbitrary sense of allegiance. In the case of war between shengxian, the end result would be a war that would either last for all eternity, or until all of one's enemies had been destroyed.

  Thirty

  Skye, Charlie, and Delta stood on the balcony, continuing to watch the scene below. In the past hour they had seen no less than a dozen different police cars drive past.

  “It might be a coincidence,” Skye said, although doubtful.

  Charlie dismissed his optimism. “I've never seen so many police in this area; not in the last three months anyway.”

  “It's a safe country,” Delta added. “Two public attacks in two days has probably prompted them to increase security in the city.”

  Skye groaned. “We don't need this right now. The police are only the beginning of our problems. If the military become involved, we're finished.”

&n
bsp; “So we heard,” Charlie said. “Sounds as though you and Juliet only just managed to escape Shangwu unscathed.”

  “That's an understatement,” he scoffed.

  A scraping sound caught their attention. They turned around and watched Sierra in the living area. She had found a waterstone in the kitchen, and was using it to sharpen her discarded kunai.

  Charlie laughed smugly. “I thought you didn't want the kunai.”

  “I need something. I can't let Tahlia escape again.”

  Skye grinned. He could see Sierra was getting frustrated that her enemy kept vanishing on her. Sierra had acted so calmly with her vendetta, but even she was susceptible to feeling irritated, and her patience was clearly wearing thin. It was comforting for Skye to know he wasn't the only one who felt ruled by aggression at times. He still held on to the guilt of attacking Nikolai in Shangwu days earlier—his blind rage almost resulted in Juliet's death.

  He continued watching her as she scraped the kunai back and forth on the stone, eagerly attempting to sharpen its blunt edges. Since recruiting her, he often wondered what she would do once Tahlia was killed. Would she stay with White Shadow? Or would she leave the group and return to her former life? When he asked her earlier in the week, she seemed to have no idea.

  “It's a good weapon,” Delta said as she sat on the ground opposite Sierra. “You can use it up close like a dagger, or you can use it as a throwing knife.”

  Sierra stopped sharpening and held it up, studying its sleek and streamlined design. She liked the idea of using it as a ranged weapon.

  “Another one,” Charlie said, his attention back outside.

  Skye turned around and joined his gaze on the street below. Another police car slowly drove by, its lights flashing as it patrolled the streets.

  “This is getting ridiculous.”

  “We're lucky though,” Skye said. “At least this country doesn't have the same surveillance system as Athenia, otherwise we'd have no way of escaping.”

  Being only a small city-state, the Athenian government had spent a great deal of money establishing its state-of-the-art series of automated cameras. Ironically, despite having the most advanced security, Athenia was also the most dangerous country by far.

  “We can't attack the Tianzu during the day,” Skye finally said. “It's far too risky. If we're seen again, the military will be called in, and Nishihama will be locked down.”

  Charlie nodded. “It might be for the best. We'll have to make our move at night. If we can find them, that is.”

  “It was impossible to track them when they were on the move,” Delta said. “If they're staying in Nishihama, locating them won't be as hard. I just don't know where to begin; it's a big city.”

  “It's not locating them that concerns me,” Skye said, a hint of worry in his voice. “What are we going to do when we find them? The four of us barely even landed a scratch on them earlier.”

  The threat they faced was very real. Unlike Sabina and Aurelius, who were somewhat inept and clumsy, the Tianzu were an elite clan, and were much older and more experienced than White Shadow.

  The group remained silent, with the exception of Sierra's kunai sharpening, as they tried to contemplate their next move. Eliminating the Tianzu was a highly perilous task and had to be done swiftly, yet cautiously. Great care was needed when it came to choosing their strategy. The Tianzu were a large sect, and killing even just two of them was a difficult task.

  Skye wondered what they would do if they were successful in Nishihama. Would finding the others be just as difficult? Or are the boy and masked man among the weakest in the faction?

  He let out a defeated sigh. “We can't do it alone. If we want to stop them, and if we want to live, we'll need help.”

  Charlie slowly turned his head and shot him an odd glance. “I hope you're not going to suggest what I think you are.”

  “What choice do we have? We share a common enemy.”

  “What are you talking about?” Sierra asked.

  Delta's head fell. “He wants to involve Nikolai.”

  “I don't like it either,” Skye said as he walked back inside. “I want Nikolai dead. But he can be a powerful ally too.”

  Charlie let out a sarcastic laugh. “This is the man that wanted Delta and myself dead, Skye. It's easy for you to suggest it when you know he'd never harm you.”

  “Don't think for a second that I actually want to work with him.” He shuddered at the thought of how excited Nikolai would be. “But unless you have a better idea, I don't see any other way for us to stop the Tianzu.”

  Charlie and Delta exchanged a hesitant glance, neither of them wanting to even consider the proposal. Nikolai was just as much the enemy as the Tianzu were, and they knew they couldn't consider themselves safe in the man's presence.

  But Skye might actually be right, as much as it pained them to admit it. They had been hauled up in their apartment all afternoon with no strategy while the Tianzu were out there, no doubt plotting an attack of their own.

  “And what makes you think we can trust him?” Delta asked.

  “He can't be trusted,” Skye admitted honestly. “If we ask for his help, none of us know what will happen. But I think the four of us do know that we're at risk of death if we take on the Tianzu alone.”

  Charlie buried his head in his hands as he tried to think of an alternative. Moments passed, but there was no other clear solution.

  “I feel the same way,” Skye added, holding his hands up. “Believe me, this is the last thing I want to do. But there are only four of us, and at least nine of them out there that we know of.”

  Charlie and Delta exchanged glances again, reading the other's face. Both of them were reluctant to agree with Skye's proposal, but neither of them wanted to suffer the same fate as their White Shadow comrades.

  “I don't know about this,” Charlie said.

  “Neither do I,” Skye admitted. “But the fact of the matter is that we're trapped in an impossible situation right now, and we're outclassed, and we're in the enemy's territory. Involving Nikolai is definitely a risk, but the biggest risk we can take right now is to sit here and wait for the entire clan to surround us.”

  His speech had worked. Delta's body tensed. “Fine,” she muttered.

  Charlie pinched his nose and closed his eyes, knowing deep down there was no other way. He amazed himself to think that he was actually considering allowing Skye's idea to proceed.

  Skye stared at the streets, not pleased with the situation either. Part of him had secretly hoped the others would talk him out of it. “This should be interesting.”

  Sierra held her kunai up and admired its sharpness. She threw it at the wall—this time it embedded itself neatly in the wood.

  Thirty-one

  Archibald sat in the middle of the long table, surrounded by his ministers of the cabinet. Behind him stood Night, whose awkward body could barely keep itself straight. From the moment they first entered the room, Li Xu didn't take her eyes off the disfigured man.

  “Thank you for that, minister,” Archie said as he smiled politely to the minister of commerce. “I'd appreciate it if you could please liaise with my counsel and arrange a time for us to discuss it with Reddingham.” He looked about the table. “What's next on the agenda?”

  “Your Excellency,” the minister of environmental protection said as he stood up, “I would like to discuss President Zhao's proposal to run entirely on renewable energy by 2040.”

  Archie nodded. “Yes, I recall reading the proposal. Well, I share my predecessor's views on renewable energy, and I'd be keen to have the same goal.”

  “Thank you, sir,” the minister said. “As you already know, Athenia was initially intended to be established as a completely green nation when it was built, but the first government didn't have the funding or technology to fully implement it at the time. Our target's not an unachievable one; Athenia already mostly operates on green energy, but there's still some work to be done, especiall
y in Nanping Qu. Some of the district is still reliant on an old power station on the southern tip of the island.” The minister tapped his tablet screen, and a graph was projected onto the wall at the end of the room. “Here's what President Zhao and I discussed last month. Together with the ministers of agriculture and resources, we've devised several different strategies, but didn't have the opportunity to implement one before the change in government.

  “Our main issue,” he continued, “was which energy source we'd use to replace the power station, and which one would have the greatest long-term impacts. At this stage, we're considering a proposal to install a solar field south of Nanping.” He walked to the front of the room and pointed to the graph on the wall. “If you'll look at—”

  “Pardon me a moment, minister,” Archie said, trying to interrupt the man in as polite a manner as possible. He looked down at his vibrating wrist comm. “I'll need to take this call.”

  He rose from the table and left the room swiftly, with Night following close behind. The other ministers watched on. Veronika Gunawan and Li Xu looked at one another, both suspicious as to who was calling him. Most important calls were usually made to one of his counsel.

  Archie closed the door behind him and stood out in the hallway. “What is it?”

  “Don't take that tone with me, Denning,” Nikolai said. “How's my country going?”

  “It's fine. I can't talk right now,” he said abruptly.

  “Interrupting something again, am I? You will make time to speak with me, Archibald.”

  Archie clenched his jaw in an attempt to suppress his frustration. “I'm in a cabinet meeting. I really can't speak right now.”

  “Have you imposed my curfew yet?” he asked, ignoring him.

  “No, I have not,” he whispered. “I told you yesterday that it can't be done so quickly.”

  “I don't want to hear your excuses, Denning! You are Athenia's autocrat. I would recommend growing a spine so that you can run my country in the manner I'm ordering you to.”