Kindles of War

by Nicol Terra

  She pressed the Drink window, selecting an Iced Latte. She waited patiently as an attendant flew out of the cabin a few seconds later, handing her drink. Erudite smiled.

  “Thank you.” She said.

  The attendant nodded, walking back into the cabin. She slid her eyes from side to side, inspecting all the Lieutenants in the train. In front of her were dozens of them, all talking with themselves. The tension was present, but the environment was energetic. Erudite decided to look at more news on her Holosphere while listening to the environment around her.

  "Did you hear, that the thousands of Lieutenants in the inner city are left with no food and water, being forced to eat each other?"

  "Eww what, I don't believe that!"

  "It is true, they haven't had a good bite to eat in weeks!"

  "Well if that is the case, why can't they just fish in the nearby ocean for food?"

  Erudite smirked at this and nodded in silent agreement. "God these conspiracy theories were becoming more and more tiresome." She thought. The truth was both lighter and darker than that. There was plenty of food in the taken parts of Agall, and both Kulso and Zynthia have proceeded to continue business as usual. Trade still happened, businesses still ran, and even the policing of the city was arguably less under Aruma then it was under Maya. The dark part was that the casualty rate was through the roof. Thousands confirmed dead soldiers, with a ratio of 4 to 1. Faeries were dropping, Elves were running, and both Chiseans and Malditions were cheering.

  Five minutes later, the train slowed to a halt. Erudite walked out of the train and went outside to a more barren part of the city. This district had few buildings, each not much taller than a typical house. There was rubble everywhere, and broken pieces of wooden planks greeted her. She couldn't help looking away.

  Hours later, the barren field was filled with dozens of Lieutenants come to put off the trains. She turned her head and hid a snarl; Bunny was here.

  Bunny shot her a menacing smile, walking up to her. Erudite rolled her eyes in response, “Oh god man take the hint." She thought.

  “Lieutenant Erudite, Honored to see you promoted so quickly.”

  Erudite bit her tongue, forcing a smile. “I appreciate the compliment.”

  “You look lovely today,” Bunny said. Erudite clenched her fist for a moment, only for her to loosen.

  “Thanks.” She snarled, looking around to find someone to talk too. To her surprise, an unknown Male Faerie flew up to her. Instead of the typical uniform, his shirt sleeves were ripped off, revealing a muscular, slender build. She felt her jaw drop. No Faerie ever build muscle like that Erudite’s face flushed as the man smiled.

  “Hi, Erudite.” The Faerie said.

  “You know me?” Erudite tilted her head.

  “You saved my brother at the Battle of the Seventh Gate! He told me how fantastical you are.” He said, extending his hand out. “Lieutenant Alex.”

  “Nah, my friend Tina did more. “Erudite admitted, scratching her head and letting out a small giggle. “Lieutenant Erudite honored to meet you, Alex.”

  “Alex? Auramance Alex?” She asked.

  He nodded. “That is me.”

  “So wait, you use Aura?” She asked.

  He shrugged. “Yeah, I am in the minority.” He laughed, Erudite frowned, Magic counters Aura, he must not fit as well as she did in Maplesworn Society.

  “Lexi!” A female voice said. A large, buxom faerie flew up to Alex, hugging him from behind. He shot up, his face turning ghostly white. Erudite smiled, turning to see Bunny leaving. “Oh, thank god.”

  “You promised to meet me at the station?” She said.

  “I did?” Alex said.

  “You did!” She pouted “You promised last night!”

  “I was drunk last night! How was I supposed to remember?” Alex said dismissively.

  “God, you are so mean!” She said, letting go of him as he let out a long sigh.

  “Erudite, this is Droplet. She is also a Lieutenant.” Alex said.

  “Speaking of that, what are we doing here?” Droplet inquired.

  “We are doing a meeting with a Chief Commander Tanyl to do a count.” Erudite choked

  “Oh, great.” Droplet shivered.

  “Alex, are you in a full battalion? Or are you Special Ops?” Erudite asked.

  “Everyone here is Special Ops,” Alex added. Erudite took a step back, looking around to see the thirty Lieutenants, waiting and chatting with each other. All of them were Special Ops?

  Tanyl appeared, shooing them forward. The thirty soldiers walked quietly, each of them had their Holosphere out, counting the damaged property, dead bodies or erased parts of the city.

  Erudite looked at their burnt or unrecognizable corpses. Some were also warped, as their bones and bodies were contorted in various shapes. Erudite held back her tears, counting for a moment.

  “You okay?” Alex whispered. Erudite nodded reluctantly.

  The start of the day, just outside of Chisean and Maldition controlled territory. Erudite looked at her screen. She counts nine hundred and seventy-two. After two hundred, she didn't see their faces, and saw just their remains and tallied.

  “So the average is around one thousand, nine hundred and seventy-one.” She said.

  Erudite shot up. “What?”

  “What did you get?” Alex asked exhaustively.

  “Only nine hundred.” Erudite sighed, her tone was exhausted.

  “I didn‘t count.” Droplet admitted. Erudite shot her gaze around her, amazed.

  “Why?” She asked.

  Droplet eyes were somber, and her gaze was hollow. “Because one death is a tragedy, one thousand is a statistic.”

  Erudite paused, she had no response. Tanyl raised her hands in the air.

  “Tell me. Why is so many dead?”

  Everyone whispered to each other, their faces exhausted or warped with fear. Moments later, no one answered.

  “Erudite? You have an answer?” Tanyl asked.

  Erudite gaze sharpened. “Huh, what? Oh, Commander Kuki?”

  She nodded. “Yes. She is the reason districts 100 to 200 are gone. She wiped away so much of the city.”

  One grumbled. “Why do we need to know?”

  Tanyl said nothing. Her face was lifeless. Moments passed as she let a disarming sigh, almost as if this reply was practiced.

  “Because she is still active. We can't send people back if she can kill so effectively. Special Ops in exactly one week from now, with the help of Commander Jay, will clear this city. We will start with Skyline, and we will end at the South Gate. One Hundred Lieutenants by themselves with Jay’s help.

  She snapped her fingers. Erudite felt a drop of rain hit her face. Did she freeze time except for us? She shivered.

  “I know someone like her,” Erudite said.

  “Someone that can freeze time?” Alex asked. Erudite nodded, as the Lieutenants walked

  “Her name is Tina.” Erudite said.

  “Tina? You told me about her.” Alex turned to Droplet.

  “I heard she got called the Time Tinkerer in the news.” Droplet said, pocketing her Holosphere. Erudite sighed.

  “Yes.” Erudite said.

  “Is she as strong as you?” Droplet asked.

  “Stronger.” Erudite choked, her pride faded for a moment as she admitted that. “She hates leading, would rather smoke weed, drink, or read.”

  Alex gave out a loud, bellowing laugh. The three floated above the sunlit road. “I like her.”

  “Yeah! Can we meet her?” Droplet said. Erudite laughed.

  “One day, maybe. You got plans tomorrow?”

  “Not really.”

  “I got patrolling for twelve hours,” Droplet added. Alex scoffed.

  “Only because you got caught sleeping yesterday, so Jay made you work tomorrow for double the time.” Alex cooed.

  “Oh yeah, you will love Tina.” Erudite added, rolling her eyes.

  “Speaking of, I heard you
broke the record for fastest test completion with your squad.” Droplet asked.

  Erudite nodded, turning to Alex. “Yeah, because of Tina. If I didn't have her, I would have spent twice the time I completed it in.”

  “I understand. Before we got separated into our Squads, Droplet and I finished in three minutes.” Alex said.

  “Lucky you.” Erudite added.

  “Yeah, and our written test was in ten.” Droplet added.

  “Sounds like us. Rose and Tina finished in ten minutes. It was easy. Surprised half our camp failed.”

  “Magic is hard, and I took two tries to finish,” Alex said. “Ya know, Aura Users. Droplet uses Crystals.”

  “You have a crystal?” Erudite tilted her head.

  “Yeah.” Droplet giggled, pulling out a blue gem necklace. She rolled her eyes. “I never had the talent for Magic.”

  “Sounds like someone I know.” Erudite added, thinking about Rose for a moment. The three walked inside the train, sitting across from each other in the train. The train was filled with only Lieutenants as they bolted back into the city.

  “So, do you think this war will end soon?” Droplet asked. Erudite thought for a second, as no one in the train, answered this question, as many of their faces were away.

  Erudite sighed. “I am not sure, maybe it never will end and two thousand years of peace will be broken in an age of fire.”

  Tina grumbled from side to side, snoring loudly. A loud banging on her door, jolting up into the sky and knocking her head on the ceiling awoke her. A few days passed since they pushed back the invading army and she was given a house by the state, free. She was still not used to the low roof but an ample living space, combined with a Holocube, designed to regulate the temperature, general climate, energy output and browse the Holonet. Even a new ‘Fusionbubble’ in the back, generating electricity for her entire house was a new technology for her she hasn’t seen since she graduated from university. She cursed, falling to the ground as she stomped over to the door and swung it open.

  “What?” She shouted, only for a yawn to break it apart. Rose was the door, her eyes frowning as her wings drooped to the floor. She pushed her two thumbs together, letting out a small whine

  “Teeeny! You promised you would go to the mall with me!” Rose said. Tina tilted her head.

  “I did?” She said, then she leaned on a wall to balance herself. “Also, Teeny? Please give me a new nickname.” She yawned once more, exhausted and her head slightly throbbing in pain from her wake up.

  Rose groaned. “Nevermind that! Just hurry, let's go!”

  “Where?”

  “Outside!”

  “Where?” Tina said again, her head throbbing.

  “How about to a Mega Mart?

  The northern district of Agall was the wealthy side of the city where thousands of skyscrapers lined every corner of the distant horizon. This part of Agall was where the business and trade side of the city was prevalent where a few dozen sectors of finance and the transport companies control most of the wealth coming in and out of the city. Tina and Rose took a small Airsail from their roof and floated deeper inside this city. She overlooks the city as she headed North, to the Mega Market, a large pyramid-like structure the size of a small town. It housed over half a million employees, all working for hundreds of companies inside the building. All of these significant sectors advertise and sell products. These products were often monthly fare, taxes, food, water, weaponry, and home Holocube System. Then, the newest Holospheres of many varieties, usually capable of a trillion computations in a nanosecond, at the hand of an individual. Finally, at the base level lived markets of small businesses and thousands of niche companies selling individual services or lines of product.

  The Airsail landed on the pyramid as the Elf on board tips his hat, with Tina and Rose nodding as their Holosphere floated upward. Tina tipped the man for five silver in the app with Rose tipping. The man nodded and flew away from the top, leaving the two to the small, flat roof above.

  “That man was nice.” Rose said.

  “I feel like our salaries are too big sometimes.” Tina giggled. Rose nodded.

  “Agreed. Never knew how much a two thousand silver starting pay with bonuses including upwards of five gold can do our lifestyle.”

  Rose gave a hearty laugh as she walked north. “You tip your Floatski more too?”

  “Sadly.” Tina smiled.

  “Sadly?” Rose giggled.

  Tina shrugged. “I never once held a silver long enough. It is sort of compulsive.”

  Rose giggled “Same.”

  The inside of the store had dozens of blue, red or yellow Fusion Bubbles, powering tens of Holocubes with a Warp Bubble transporting thousands of shoppers instantly downward through the Pyramid. Tina and Rose walked inside a blue one, with Rose sliding her finger down a few inches as they were transported immediately to the sixth floor. The middle level nearest to the top was filled with thousands of high-end shops, bars, and business selling Holotech. There was even a theater devoted to games and movies. A Single Holocube powered the Games and Movies part of the theater with dozens of slots for cartridges. Users would sync up their Holosphere. There were dozens of small headbands where the user covered their eyes, ‘immersing’ themselves. These days. War Games and Simulations, free by the government are popular with most gamers, same with War Films. Tina looked away from the arcade, as next to that building was a Military Recruiting station, with the free and latest game ‘Siege,’ released a full week after they invaded Agall. Dozens of people picked up the game and went to the arcade; many more went back to the Military Booth to sign up.

  Rose sighed, looking away. “It's okay, let's just go get drinks.”

  “How about a Battle Dome later… I need to relieve stress.”; Tina said.

  Rose scoffed. “You would kick my ass, and you know it.”

  Tina blinked a few times, looking at Rose who shot her a sly smile as she floated freely in the air, fluttering her wings. She then laughed.

  “Yeah, the only one who can match me fairly is Erudite,” Tina said, rolling her eyes. “Lieutenants like us are the leaders of squads, and our squad has two, technically.”

  Rose cooed and snickered quietly. “That is why myself and everyone else feels safe with you guys.”

  Tina scoffed. “You are just saying that because without me, we wouldn't be able to drink because Erudite would slap them out of your hands.”

  Rose nodded. “For once, guilty as charged.” They said, walking into a nearby bar, showing the two men at the front a badge in the shape of two wings, the sign they are soldiers.

  Tina flew over to the quiet bar, with a machine that dispensed beer, wine and vodka and stacks of plastic cups of various sizes and trash cans that floated over to each table. Tina shivered, her body turning cold for a moment.

  “The future man, not even a bartender greets us.”

  “Hey, girl. We can afford this. Might as well enjoy this luxury.”

  Tina couldn't help nod. The store was spotless, the room even had Free Holonet access, with stalls in the back for those who Wanna clear themselves of alcohol poisoning. It was a room with a small hourglass, the new technology that allowed for rewinding time with a single crystal. Tina raised a brow, even her thesis only a year old was used to design tech like this. “I wonder how different society would be without crystals or Fusionbubbles.”

  The two got a small shot cup and poured a shot of orange-flavored vodka in it and took a sip. Tina felt her body grow euphoric as she took a seat next to Rose, who finished her shot.

  “Been about two months since we met,” Rose said. Tina nodded.

  “Seems that way.” Tina added.

  “You helped me past my test.” Erudite smiled.

  Tina smiled. “It was literally nothing. No biggie.”

  She sighed “You are a genius, and you are naturally talented at defending yourself.”

  “Well, when you can stop time, everything becomes ea
sy.” Tina dismissed the claim. She hated the word ‘genius’. She just strove for knowledge, nothing more or less.

  Rose grumbled. “You, Erudite and Bunny are the only three who have advanced abilities.”

  Tina felt her eyes twitch and her brain grow achy. She hated thinking about Bunny. Despite his demure name, she always felt there was something off about him. He was also placed in the Black Blade, a covert special ops group, like ‘Viper.’ Or ‘Shell Brigade.’ There were thousands of unique squads, most of which have no name other than their ID number. Erudite named our team “Lightsworn,” a nice change of pace.

  ‘Oh yeah! We have a mission next week.” Rose said.

  “Regarding?” Tina asked.

  “We are gonna take back the South Gate and the Skyline.” She said.

  Tina poured a shot down her throat, only for her to cough. She felt her body lose balance as she shot Rose a glare.

  “Wait, what?” Tina said.

  “I'm serious.” Rose blinked.

  “How? Also, when was this meeting? Was I asleep?” Tina asked.

  “No, but you were not there. It was a late night meeting, only myself and Erudite know.”

  “Well, how are we gonna do it?” Tina inquired.

  Rose pulled up her Holosphere from her dress pocket, almost dropping it as she showed a holographic map. Tina saw the southern part of the city where a large building near the port was highlighted. It was entirely black, but it was the tallest building, appearing about a few kilometers tall

  “That right there, it's called the Skyline. It is a building headquarters of Red Sky, the Alcohol company.” Rose said, giggling to herself. “Oh right, we are drinking Red Sky, anyway, it is a multi-trillion dollar company, who had to evacuate. They have lost four trillion dollars in stock valuation, and their family is fighting amongst themselves, with a Chief Commander of Maplesworn even chipping in an effort. We have a simple goal. We take the tower back. They pay us fairly.”

  Tina raised a brow. “For taking a building back? Who as a general would accept such a proposition?”

  “The Chief Commander in charge of Red Sky Main Family, also known as Cloud Cottonfield.”

  “Who?” Tina asked.