by Nicol Terra
“But Jay doesn‘t care.” Erudite added.
“Pretty sure it is because of Fungal Boy.” Tina sighed with Rose let out a shiver.
“Not now!”Rose squealed.
“Go!” Jay yelled the force field faded in an instant. Erudite formed a black sphere around the six, with a sliver of air and light forming in the sphere's front. The black walls teleported them across the forest and to the riverside in a few seconds. She turned to Tina as she nodded at her. Erudite flew over the cliff and dropped the raging river. The river snaked from right to left as cliffs a few dozen feet high with sharp rocks and spires greeting them. Erudite formed a black warp bubble around her group and extended her hand forward Erudite pushed them, and then in a second, she slammed her bubble on the side of the rocky right side. Erudite coughed and shot a glare at Tina.
“What? You didn‘t tell me.” Tina added.
“If I could punch you in the face I would,” Erudite said, warping across the river. The gushing tides pushed against the sphere as space bent backward shooting them forward. The sliver of light-shielded them from the gushing river waters, although Erudite had a hard time teleporting across the river, mostly due to the water being enchanted. She felt a distinct feeling as the warm water shot her around. She cursed.
“Fucking hell, this is hard.” Erudite cursed.
“What is it?” Evelyn said as the sphere was ready to slam against the cliff side, only for them to readjust slightly to the right. Erudite warped forward, avoiding the cliff side. Luckily, she had Tina stopping time to help steer the bubble. The enchanted water was enchanted with a life enforcing energy, draining her power ever so slightly.
Nonetheless, in a minute, they cross the other side, greeted by cafeteria on the far side of the school. Erudite cursed.
“First, they create a forest, have fungal spores and an enchanted river that kept draining my energy.” She said. Eve tilted her head.
“What do you mean?” Eve asked.
“Well, the two tests were created by Commanders, it was likely they can warp it slightly to lower our odds and force us to unify,” Tina added. “So Warping Creation. Bending Fungal, and Spring?” She thought. They really wanted to push Erudite to the limit it seems.
Erudite nodded. “Luckily, you can stop time, and I can teleport us,” Erudite said, walking inside the testing room. Erudite and her friends entered the room. The room was large and wide, with a small mini sun to illuminate the entire room. The building was the cafeteria, but everything was moved or changed with Magic or Crystals. The ten commanders laid in the back, all sitting either in chairs with extra tests or other stuff such as Holospheres or Books. The cooking and sales desk was gone, taken out to make the room more barren, with extra desks with two sheets of paper with a bubble answer sheet near each seat, totaling to just under 100 tests.
“Oh, wow,” Jay said, smirking. “We all betted a time you would be first.”
“Oh?” Erudite asked.
“Yeah, I said 5.” A female commander said in the back. The one next to her grumbled.
“I said 15.”
Jay rolled his eyes. “I said two minutes. They got here in a minute and a half, pay up.”
Everyone cursed, tossing Jay a silver. Robin giggled.
“Oh wow, thanks Erudite. We beat expectations.” Robin said.
Erudite blushed. “Shut up and take a seat.” Robin merely nodded.
“Yes Maam.” He said sarcastically.
Erudite flew over to an empty seat, with the other five takin seats across from her.
“So uh, good luck everyone?” Robin said.
Erudite nodded, sliding her eyes to her test. The written test was fifty questions, most of which were easy to her.
“What is 2+2 kind of shit is this? No one can be this stupid.” Erudite thought to herself, her eyes sliding up. Then, she slammed her face on her test. “Oh right, Rose and Robin failed twice. Eve and Evelyn failed once.”
Erudite and Tina finished first, each in a minute. Rose finished in ten. At ten minutes, Bunny and his team were next to come in. His gaze slid as he looked at herself, Tina and Rose. Erudite shot him an intimidating glare. Everyone else on her squad finished in fifty, with most of the other teams coming in tired and exhausted from the test.
Jay dimples puffed, taking Robin’s test. Jay slid the tests inside a Holocube, spitting the tests back out with the grade printed on them. His grin became a wide smile, his white teething shining as he shot a laugh.
“Wow, I am impressed.” He gave Erudite a confident grin as he shooed her group them to him. The Six surrounded Jay as he snapped his finger as they warped inside. The inside his office was far more open than Erudite remembered.
“So first to finish and all of you scored on average a Gold, with some scoring a Platinum.” Jay said.
“So wait,” Rose said, smiling with her wings fluttered in the air.
“Not only did you pass, but you all also scored on average two grade classes above the norm. You will be a Special Ops Unit where you get to name your squad and get your own soldiers.
“Dibs on the name Firecracker.” Rose joked, only for Erudite to shoot her a venomous glare.
“No.” She said. Jay merely sighed
“You are the best squad in the past thirty years of this base. You are destined for greatness.” Jay said. Everyone around her smiled, even Tina who did not like to earn rewards. Jay continued.
“A Timetinker and a Spatialweaver.” He said, shaking his head. “And four squadmates who scored a Gold or higher, two grades above a passing grade of Bronze.”
Then, the other nine commanders teleported in various ways, some by themselves and others grouped together. Five men and women, all with black hair. They all surrounded the six in a square as they held their blades up, runes shining from their blades. Jay pointed.
“Line up in this order. Eve, Evelyn, Robin, Rose, Tina and Erudite.” Jay said.
They did so. Erudite was last. Eve floated forward, as the Ten Commanders lined up, each presenting a single, golden or platinum colored stripe. She gulped, it was a high honor to wear this stripe.
“Eve, here is your gold stripe.” Eve nodded, bowing her head. The commanders lined up, passing Jay a single golden stripe. Jay slipped it on her uniform as the two saluted.
“Evelyn, here is yours.” He said. She blushed, bowed and saluted.
Robin followed with Rose floating next. Two commanders handed Jay a stripe. Erudite rose a brow. Did Rose get a Platinum? Now she felt like an asshole.
“Rose, you failed twice, and you knew the third time, you would be out. Yet, Tina brought you to where you are now. You and Tina stayed up for days to study, and I am felt the most honored with you right now. Perhaps you will become as strong as those two. One day.” Jay said, slipping the two stripes on Rose, a Gold, and a Platinum stripe. Rose swung back to behind Erudite, who leaned backward a tad.
“You and Tina were doing extra lessons?” Erudite asked.
“Yeah and I bet now you feel like an asshole,” Tina whispered. Erudite sighed.
“Guilty as charged.” Erudite forowned.
Tina floated next. “Tina, you are a Golden Egg. I am glad I recruited you.” Jay said. The two did not smile at each other, and Erudite couldn't help tighten her grip around her arms.
Tina didn't smile, but instead accepted her gift, bowing and setting aside. Erudite was last to fly up as Jay got the two stripes. He slipped on the two stripes on her shoulder next to the two golden stars on the other shoulder.
“Erudite, Lieutenant of Squad 214. In the history of 45 years, we have not seen someone of your level. Your Spatial Control and the Ability to control Gravity separates. You are a one in a hundred million, and I am most glad to hand you this rank.”
Erudite smiled, bowing her head as the ten commanders, and her squadmates clapped.
“Bow,” Jay said, raising his blade. Erudite did just that, bowed. All the Other Commanders raised their element coated blades and
slinked them to the ground, knighting her with all the highest honor she ever received. She was proud, not a new feeling for her but something she did appreciate.
“Erudite. Nine Commanders and I promote you with the rank of Lieutenant, and you hereby are to command this squad this day forward.” Jay said.
Tina, Eve, Evelyn, Robin and Rose clapped their hands as Erudite rose. Tina flew up to her first to hug her.
“Congrats!” Everyone said, pushing and pulling Erudite as she let out a small groan.
“Tina, stop pushing me, you are hurting my shoulder!” She said. Erudite smiled. This was it, her award for her hard effort. “Thanks, without you I wouldn't have reached for it.”
“Nice going.” Eve hugged her, then it was Evelyn, and then Robin and Rose.
“Wow, this would have been a nice picture.” One of the commanders said
“Erudite, what would you like to call your squad?” Jay broke through. Erudite swung around, blinking a few times.
Erudite slid her gaze to Tina.
“We decided to name it, Lightsworn,” Tina said finally.
“It was unanimous,” Eve added, rolling her eyes. “Well, minus Rose who was asleep.”
“Hey, you try to study for six hours every day, train and still get a decent night’s sleep.”
Jay nodded, “Very Well. Lightsworn, your commanding officer will be me.”
“For now.” A female faerie said, rolling her eyes. Erudite ears perked, only for Jay to close his mouth for a moment. Erudite eyes stiffened. The female faerie grimaced at him and looked at Jay. Erudite felt the environment shift around them for a brief moment. He turned back around to stare the six. Jay’s expression was pained, almost as if he was holding something in.
“You're hiding something.” Erudite thought to herself. She winced, Jay's smile hid something. "What do you mean for now?" Erudite thought. “What military politics shaped this to happen?”
Jay smiled. “And your first mission is special. Recapture Gate 7 from Maldition and Chisean Forces. You leave tomorrow.” Jay saluted Erudite as she saluted back on instinct. “I'll send you the coordinates by tonight and report to the meetup point by five, we will conquer back that gate and with your skill as a leader and fighter Erudite, I know we can.”
Night fell. The millions of red, blue or white stars twinkled paths for the gate broken apart with bodies littering the streets. The millions of stars formed a celestial, white, blue or golden red road of stars that stretched for as far as she could see. The sounds of gunfire rushing past Tina’s ears was so familiar, she couldn’t help shrink back in the train. She rubbed her gun up and down, almost in madness. She stopped as she heard a loud explosion, and everyone in the car jolted. Rose flew up, Robin and Eve inched further in the back, and Evelyn let out a small whimper. Only Erudite, in her stoicism, was calm. Tina continued to rub her gun.
The weapon had a gold handle and silver barrel. The trigger was coated perfectly black and freely absorbed Tina’s magical energy. Some weapons used Aura as an energy source or Crystals, but ones based on magic were somewhat rare, mainly since most Elves and Faeries chose to use Swords instead; they were often the weapon of choice with the coating with magical energy due to the nature of the gun. A magic gun instead had to leech of Tina power and store it in the barrel for future use. That future is now.
The train car stopped suddenly as the doors swung open. Tina was the last to leave the bus, following Rose and Erudite behind them. Erudite and everyone followed her to a piece of rubble, the barrels of their guns lighting up rapidly or their blades coated with their element of choice. Erudite coated her blade with Darkness, Rose and Eve with Flames. Robin chose a faint, but a powerful gust of wind covering his and Evelyn having the same wind magic coating her blade. Tina didn’t have a sword, she chose the gun, mostly because a gun shooting beams of lights was often the preferred choice of Light Mages.
“All right, follow me and take the point,” Erudite said, fading away in darkness as she teleported half a mile away. In the cover of night, Tina followed Erudite. She gracefully ran down the walls of the gate, tens of guards shouting and screaming in the night to no avail. Chiseans and Malditions fell to the ground in an instant as she rushed through one side to the other. In less than a few seconds, the gate was quiet. Tina shrugged.
‘Well, that was easy.’ Tina said. Rose nodded with only Evelyn scoffing at the notion.
“This is just the start.” She said. Sure enough, tens of Chiseans rushed up to try to blast the gate down. Tina stared at everyone and nodded; they nodded back. In an instant, time froze around her. The stars of the light shone red, blue and white lights crossing across the frozen soon to be battlefield. Light Mages were often feared in history, and rightly so for their ability to freeze time. Tina in a few seconds rushed from one side of the battlefield to the center. Time restarted again at her choice. Ten Chisean Soldiers turned to her, just for her gun to release a blast of light that surrounded her, blasting them away with an explosion of light. Tina greeted the battlefield in an instant and took out a squad by herself, with her friends rushing behind her. Rose and Evelyn rushed to fight more soldiers while Eve and Robin rushed up the gate to secure it. Tina looked to see a few dozen soldiers greeting her. Three soldiers charged a blast from their gun, only for Tina to take the explosion and rewind the wound in an instant.
“One against fifty?” She said, a smirking washing across her face. She liked those odds. She released a sphere of light around her to stop time again. She charged up two blasts of her gun to greet her enemies once more, only for the frozen battlefield to start up again. The blasts fired, one making their way, and the other blocked by a Chisean, creating an earthen wall to block the explosion of light. She snatched her head to the right, dodging a blade of fire from touching her throat. She scoffed
“That's right, get the Timetinker!” They shouted. Before she could react, she was being pinned down by five chisean soldiers, all male. She froze time one more and created an explosion of flames around her, vaporizing the five in an instant. She cursed; someone was breaking her Time Spells. She looked to see a Chisean shoot a hand of earth try to grab herself. She smashed the hand away and jumped back, flying a few feet into the air. The Chisean Smiled, holding up a greenish yellow crystal in the air. He wore a white vest. A single star lined up on his chest and a blade on his right hand. Crystals beat Magical effects. If I stopped time, he would just shatter it again with his crystal. She then felt it; time froze once again.
“Let's dance.” He said. She nodded, both in eagerness and pride. She scoffed.
“You got five minutes to run away or else.” She said.
The man shook his head. “Or else?”
She rushed forward, her gun charging a blast of light at the man. The explosion engulfed the two. Tina felt her body whine in pain. The man cackled, light trying to peel away at him, only to be repulsed by a barrier. She scoffed. Crystals build up shields and evolve to various magical effects without her thought. She jumped back and slammed her fist into the air. Time started again as the sound of gunfire greeted her once more. She smacked her cheeks from side to side and spat a droplet of blood to the ground. A few hundred feet away, in the chaos of war, Tina grew desperate. They needed to take the gate now, or else Zynthian Armies or Kulso Armies will come to reinforce. She shot a quick sparkle of light into the sky with her gun and then shot another of darkness into the air itself. The man’s eyes widened, but Tina merely smiled as she slinked her gun to her right hip side. In a few seconds, light and darkness merged and shot outward to blast the man with magic. The man grunted, his feet being pushed violently back. Tina's eyes rose, and the fight was over around her. Rose and Eve appeared behind the Lieutenant and knocked him out with a blast of flames from the two. Tina couldn’t help pant massively.
“I had him,” Tina grumbled, regaining her composure in a few seconds.
“Obviously.” Rose winked.
The three flew up the wall, the other side of t
he fence, dozens of soldiers from both sides matched blade to blade or gunshot for gunshot. The Elves and Faerie soldiers were pushed further and further back to the wall, the Maldition and Chisean soldiers pushing harder and harder, slicing anyone ruthlessly who was unable to retreat in time.
“How awful.” Tina thought to herself. These soldiers were not proud, but afraid. Afraid of dying on the battlefield. Tina shook her head, only for Erudite to fly in the center in the madness and raise her hand in the air. In a few seconds, a black ball rising from her hand, pulling the dozens of soldiers of Chiseans and Malditions towards the well of gravity. With a snap of her fingers, Erudite sliced through them, space cutting and splitting outward, cracking like a broken web of glass.
Tina gulped. Erudite waved her hand, the ball dispersing as dozens of bodies fell to the ground. Erudite flew around, flying back towards the wall. Tina and Rose floated to the dusty ground below as she looked in awe.
“Who is she?”
“I don't know, I heard she is one of those Rookies.”
“She is so powerful!”
“Killed two squads by herself, her Gravity and Spatial Control is brilliant!”
Tina looked around, the remnants of two squads merely clapped their hands together, Erudite blushed, trying her best to look away. Rose scoffed
“She loves it I bet.” Rose whispered.
“Even if she did, not like that is a bad thing,” Tina said.
Erudite meekly flew over. “How did I do?”
Tina smiled and then giggled. “Brilliant, Lieutenant Erudite.”
In a few hours, Tina already won her first battle. She looked over to the Elven and Faerie Squads, injured and exhausted shrink in the back, making it behind the wall for shelter. In front of the three, darkness appeared as space folded in on itself as an Elf appeared. She wore gold plated armor and had a black blade. She slinked her sword behind her as space folded back to normal, and the darkness disappeared...