Kindles of War

by Nicol Terra

  "Close to Siphor and hard to attack, so practically an island fortress." She added.

  He nodded. "Indeed, you are correct."

  "Wish I wasn't." She shivered.

  He sighed. "Well, you are. The military has struggled to keep his men from attacking small villages. Until recently, we have tens of villages on these islands. Now, we only have five cities. Two of which are on here. You are in one of them, Ramas."

  She nodded to herself, at least she had the name of the city. "Well, what does this got to do with me then?"

  "One of his men, Xin is supposedly after a girl with yellow hair and a Mookaite crystal." He said.

  She gave a small gentle smirk, her back on the wooden door of her hostel as she took a long drag, coughing for a few seconds. She felt her body feel a little sick, recovered yet still wounded. She grumbled to herself at her weakness.

  "I have no clue who this woman is." She said dryly.

  The man gave a small giggle. "Oh no, of course, you don't. It only matches you perfectly."

  She rolled her eyes pleasantly. He then let out a small smile. "It is late tonight, but I will have Illevetar meet up with you tomorrow. She is currently in a town hall meeting."

  "I guess being a royal pays." She said. “Is there an evacuation present?”

  He shook his head. “No, the city is surrounded. We have had escorted missions to escort some groups five miles from the city working around the clock, but we can only get up to ten at the time.

  “Make sense, too big of a group, and you might draw attention.” Rachel added. The lack of soldiers here must mean that Xin is not wasting his time picking off people with raiding parties.

  “The city has about ninety thousand people left, and hopefully we can bring that number to zero safely.” He said.

  “Well, I guess I am in for a game of castle defense.” She said, cursing to herself. Truthfully, she loved fighting. It was a sort of sport for her. It didn't even need to be fair, as Rachel as fought dirty before, however, this battle made her shake. She slid her hands behind her back, holding them in place to minimize the shaking.

  “Wounds need time to heal, even mental ones.” He said, patting her shoulder. She took a step back, as the night echoed around her. She nodded.

  “Right.. truthfully, I am going to some time to accept this.” She said.

  "I will talk to you tomorrow regarding more about this. For now, I would stay in the city. Especially since Xin was spotted nearby yesterday. He is probably scouting right now to try and kill human stragglers.” He said.

  She nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I got it. I am in danger of dying if I leave this nice, walled city."

  He smiled. "You catch on fast, but your dripping sarcasm is not a pleasant thing to hear in this crisis."

  She said nothing. He was right. She bowed.

  "I will take my leave, Yas. I will speak with you tomorrow.. regarding all of this." She said.

  The two separated. Rachel walked into her hostel as she jumped back into her bed.

  She smiled, at least Illevetar was safe. She thought about what Yas said. She felt troubled, only for Illevetar. Her thoughts wandered back to Daniel, his charisma, and his natural leadership. She turned to the side of her bed.

  "What would you have done if you were in my shoes?" Rachel said, contemplating about what she can do to help; or survive.

  Yukari laid on her bed, relaxed, flipping a coin over and over again as she pondered. She waited patiently, her Holosphere floating freely above her as she read news story after news story.

  Breaking: Agall under siege, as four Legions lead by their Legion Commanders storm the North and East Gate, and are met with massive resistance. Causalities estimated to be in the hundreds.

  Breaking: Nicholas signs Export Tariff on goods to Zynthia and Kulso.

  A possible 'eye-catching route' may instead be formed across the Northern Pole.

  The more she read, the more she grew more and more jaded. As she pressed the button on top, the hologram fading into nothingness. Her Holosphere just kept feeding her story after story that made her more impatient.

  The Battle of the Five Gates, or so the battle was named has started. Half the Legion Commanders are taking the city of Agall from the North and East Gate, the other half are on their way to take the South Gate and West Gate. Yukari waited patiently, one more day until she greeted the dry land again. One more day until she can fight for her country. One more day, until she can hurt people that were ‘beneath’ her. She felt a faint glimmer of rage turned into a raging fire. She closed her eyes and opened her chakras.

  Every time she meditated, she saw a shadow of herself, a temple that is shaped by her chakras. Her Avatar was formless inside herself. A faint reminder of her power.

  The Chakra Temple inside her was in her case, a diamond of mossy green color and shades of Blue, Orange, Red, White, and Green. The Temple had a single room with a roof that stretched as far as Yukari ‘saw’ for a mile. Despite being inside her Chakras, it felt so real. Then, a phantom of wind formed in front of her. Yukari grabbed her blade inside her head. Her Avatar, a part of her psyche.

  She pointed her blade up, as the Avatar flew up around her. Yukari swung her sword slowly around as her Avatar flowed around the room, as a channel of wind formed around her. She felt the Wheel of Green intensify. Despite being inside herself, alone in her mind, she felt the work the Wheels of Chakra working inside her body.

  “Ayatolla, Come.” She demanded. The wraith followed, swing around in front of Yukari in a microsecond. Floating, without a body, Yukari saw his formless body and her reflection: someone who will defend her country at all costs.

  Her holosphere lit up a new message, the green bubble popping in front of her eyes. Yukari blinked back into reality, as she felt that her rage faded away. Her Chakras were out of balance, and she felt all of them slow down to the same speed inside her as she pressed on Clear Hologram.

  “Are you ready? I am settling this right here and now.” The message was from Yuki. Yukari smiled,

  “Yes, I am.” Yukari eagerly slipped on her armor and walked in the dark night. All of the soldiers were asleep or quietly in their rooms. Yukari enforced a strict curfew, something she was about to personally break. In the far back laid a piece of black metal. The Floatboard were for short distance trips, usually an economic and quick way to get from point A to point B. Yukari snatched a piece of metal and opened the door in the back. As the gust of wind knocked across her face, she jumped down and snapped her feet to the Floatboard. As she saw a string of small islands hidden by the ocean like specks of red sand on a golden beach. Her Holosphere guided her Board by itself, sort of like a self-moving and detecting system. The Holonet uses light to transmit information. The fastest thing in the universe and the Holonet can also guide ships, a sort of metaphorical beacon. Yukari laughed and shook her head, leaning on and continued to float her way downward. The night was quiet, the moons were all full, shining various slivers of blue ocean light, to green light and even fragments of red light. The oceans were dazzled with sparkles of different shades of red, green and blue colors.

  Her location: Omus

  Omus was a large island, hundreds of thousands of kilometers in size. The far north was covered with the thick jungle that zig-zagging and stopped only by a broad, white mountain range. The mountain range shot upward up thousands of meters, relatively large considering the average mountain didn’t get as tall. These large ranges were tipped with the cries of dragons and demons. Yukari closed her eyes, her power detecting the life forms that lived on this massive piece of land thousands of miles away from home. She felt nothing. She felt nothing stronger than her in nature itself. The dragons and winged demons hid in far north. Elemental Golems hid and formed new pieces of water, fire, earth, and air as they scattered in fear of her.

  Omus was technically under control of Kulso. However, she didn't care about the rules of another country, even her allies.

  Omus was also bent and warp
free, an unusual feature for Alatorem. Usually, Bent and Warp effects were especially common to uninhabited islands, due to the 8 other dominant species on the planet warping or bending reality for their own unknown or selfish desires. Even if it was, both Yuki and Yukari could do the same and even more. Her promotional exam was to slaughter one thousand dragons from the volcano range, too which she did mercilessly and without a single scratch. No one dared challenge her except for those on the higher ranks in the military.

  Yukari smiled, she liked it that way. Order was natural, and she was one of the strongest beings in Zynthia, and everyone feared her, even her Fellow soldiers. Except for one. She opened her eyes slightly, as she felt a faint presence on the island itself, it was Yuki. Yukari clenched her teeth together if she were to put a hard number on it, the two were very close in power. Her smiled faded into a burning rage, then a dark frown.

  She jumped downward, shooting through the piece of land, a few hundred feet away from Yuki. She kicked up her metallic disks and kicked it aside. Yuki shot her an arrogant smirk, cocking her head to the side as she pulled her blade with both hands and coated it with Blue Aura. She scoffed. The two indeed were opposites, in almost every regard.

  “Well? I would rather skip the formalities.” Yuki said. Yukari nodded, grabbing her sword as well with both hands and coating it with Red Aura instead. Yuki lunged forward, only for Yukari to parry her blade in an instant and slashed at her. Yuki jumped backward, hoping to create distance between the two, only for Yukari to kick her right foot, causing her to trip.. Yukari smirked, jumping up and driving the blade into the ground. An explosion surrounded the two, engulfing hundreds of miles with a fireball that shot up into the sky. The blast was enough to shake the islands as well. Yukari felt the earth tremble at her power. Even the tectonic plates were unable to hold her power. After the dust cleared, Yuki was on the floor, flashing Orange just in time to resist the damage.

  In a second, Yukari was laughing. Then, at the last moment, she flashed Yellow and ducked, seeing a future of her being sliced by Yuki. As Yuki missed, a giant tower of Ice and Snow shot up a kilometer high and wide in an instant. Yukari was just getting started. She held her blade harder as she looked at Yuki. Her arrogant smirk was no gone. She had a stern and severe face. Her body was covered with Blue Aura, dominant and suffocating as the air around her chilled. Yukari saw her breath in the bone splitting cold. In a few seconds, the trees in front of her died, turning into pieces of frozen wood as the plants and grass shriveled up and died in the cold. Yuki was manipulating the seasons now? She shook her head.

  "No, it cant be." She thought. She then saw a flake of snow brush on her eye. Snowflakes and darkened cloud cover reached far across the continent. Each flake drained her of her energy as she felt herself inch closer to death. Using Nen, she resisted the effects as best she could and flashed Green. However, she was unable to adapt to the Bent Effect.

  She coated her blade with flames as she surrounded her nearby area with a red glyph. Yukari lunged forward with her blade. Yuki eyes slid a little and parried her blade aside. Yukari smirked, rushing forward to slash her with flames. Yuki tried to release water onto her blade, only for her power to be undone. Yukari smacked her with her sword, cutting her stomach and sending her flying through the island. In a microsecond, Yuki was coughing blood and sent thousands of miles away.

  Yukari blitzed forward, rushing past the dead trees and tundra into the flat landscape. The land was covered with green grass and white flowers, the mountains now long away as well as the new Tundra.

  Crossing the island as fast as she could, the snowfall became a violent blizzard. A few thousand kilometers across, the wind snapping snow stopped Yukari as she rolled across the snow. She felt death quicken around her as Yuki disappeared from her sight, fading into the blizzard. Yukari winced as she summoned geist of wind, only for him to shriek and then disappear.

  "Nice try," Yuki said, pointing her blade in front of Yukari. "My Unicus Igneium allows me to control Winter. The longer someone is inside my spell, the more likely their fate is to die. I can write fate to inflict instant death. I am surprised you are still alive." Yuki said.

  Yukari smashed her blade upward, knocking Yuki up and slicing her across the chest. Yuki let out a small cough of blood as she jumped backward. Yukari reached forward and knocked her forward, punching her and knocking her across the island.

  Yukari pondered for a moment, that was lucky. In front of her was a large pile of rocks, Yuki’s landing spot. In a second, the rocks were atomized forming a crater. Yuki slowly edged herself out of the cavity and let out a small smile.

  “I figured you out,” Yuki said, slowly walking towards her. Yukari felt a vein pop in her head.

  “Oh don’t you fucking dare.” She said. Yukari felt her power rise into her blade in the shape of flames. Her raw power, no fancy abilities or unfair moves. She smashed her sword to Yuki, only for her to catch it with her bare hand. Yukari pushed her violently back, as she saw a shine from Yuki’s neck. She started to use her crystal too. This was her only chance. Instinctively, she reached for Orange Aura.

  In a second, however, she found a hand grabbing her own. She looked up, a frown wiping across her face. It was Ryunsun.

  “Ryunsun, what are you-” Yuki said, but Ryunsun merely walked up to her and slapped her across the face. Yukari snickered, only to feel a stinging pain in her gut at Ryunsun punched her as well.

  “Two Legion Commanders, not even on separate sides. Fighting and warping nature just for a petty squabble? In allied territory none the less!” He shook his head. “Grow up, both of you. I don’t want to have to tell someone.” His eyes slid over to Yukari, who merely drifted her own to the floor. Ryunsun flashed Red Aura through the cloud and dispersing the cloud in an instant. The flakes slowly crawled to a stop. "Consider this your warning, I will take this to higher command if I see you two fight again," Ryunsun said. Yuki slowly got up and spat some blood. “Someone you might hold dear.” Ryunsun said, whispering into Yukari’s ear. She darted her look away.

  Silence, Yukari looked up a few seconds later, only for Yuki to spit on the floor and turn her back away. Yukari felt a stinging pain not just across her body, but her heart and soul. She slid her blade on her belt, her eyes vacant as she turned to Ryunsun. His eyes were no longer that of disappointment, but now sadness.

  “I am s-” He started. Yukari merely put a finger in the air and shook her head.

  “If you are at least going to interrupt my fight, I demand some dinner.”She said.

  The Airship smelt like fresh flowers and steam. Inside Ryunsun Airship, unlike her own was filled with smiling soldiers, some of which were openly drinking and smoking near her. They laughed, smiled and joked with one another. She felt a gut-wrenching feeling in her stomach. My god, get to work you lazy bums.

  “Hey, Ryunsun!’ A soldier said. “I heard you beat Roko in a drinking contest.”

  Ryunsun merely laughed and shook his head. “Don’t remember much of it, I was drunk.”

  Everyone laughed, except Yukari, who merely hung her head as they both walked to the cafeteria. Even the inside of the Cafeteria was lively, something Yukari detested. She rolled her eyes, sitting at a nearby table as a waiter jotted down the two’s orders and went away with a smile on her face.

  "You know, you didn't have to do that," Yukari whispered.

  Ryunsun said nothing as he tapped his fingers on the table and sighed.

  "Have you ever read Crystal Caroline's, Silver Glass?" Ryunsun asked.

  Yuki said nothing, motionless. She shook her head in response. The waiter came back with two cups of coffee as Ryunsun took a sip from the blackened drink. Yukari raised her cup up and took a sip along with him.

  "Silver Glass is about a boy with a Light-Dark Crystal, where he learns to use this ability to manipulate the mind and dreams of his bullies so he can continue to go to school peacefully. Eventually, he came corrupted by his own ability and started to use it for his
own gain, which resulted in him being trapped in a silver mirror." Ryunsun started. Yukari winced at the story as she had an idea what the story was about.

  "He slowly died from lack of starvation, and then a thousand years later, the mirror was found where he was just a skeleton. It was a reminder that there are fates worse than a quick death." He said.

  Yukari scoffed. "So what, you are saying that I am corrupted by my own power?"

  Ryunsun said nothing as she took a big glug from his drink.

  "Yukari, how long have we known each other for?" Ryunsun asked.

  Yukari rose up, the question catching her off guard as she scratched the back of her head. "Five years, I met you when I was just a cadet."

  "And we trained together, worked hard together and now look where we are. Along with Yuki, we were considered the most talented class in the century." He said.

  "Yeah, but I was the most talented," Yukari said unabashedly. Ryunsun smiled at this.

  "Of course you were when your sister disappeared near Siphor." He added.

  Yukari boiled and then took a deep breathe. "Fine. I get it. I will try to keep my emotions under control." Yukari added.

  Ryunsun smiled and then leaned his head on his right fist.

  "That's what I wanted to hear, now how about breakfast?" Ryunsun asked.

  Yukari sighed as she softened a smile. "Pancakes like the usual?"

  "Pancakes like the usual." Ryunsun smiled.

  The five moons faded below the horizon as the two suns rose to greet Tina’s dorm. The sound of the door slamming open as Jay rose everyone from their beds with shouts made her wake up suddenly. She sighed, her eyes red and exhausted, black circles remained under her eyes. She slipped off her bed, her wings fluttering and keeping her up in the air as she grumbled.

  She saw Erudite sketching notes on a clipboard, Eve and Evelyn sloshing water to try to wake themselves up and Rose still asleep. Tina slipped on her blue dress, slipping it on and walking outside with the rest of her squadron. She gave a long yawn as she was greeted by open sunshine- Too bright for her today.