by Riker Kane
“Saber Spin. Upper Thrust. Saber Throw.” He held a finger up for each of the moves. “Three options for dealing with enemies. As new recruits, Green Mana will be hard to come by. Perhaps in time, you’ll be able to have all of them. But the option of which ability you choose is yours. And if none of those suits you, there is still but another option. You can simply rely on the abilities of your squadmates.”
Hamilton gave us all a knowing smirk as he held his hands out. “Now… You’re free to practice whatever abilities you might purchase in the Drill Room. Or you can return to the Junctions to do your part for the Legion. I’m here for you, Cavaliers, whatever your decision is. Remember, just because you can purchase an ability from the tablet doesn’t mean you won’t have to practice it. Never disregard your training.”
“I think… I should do a little training before I head back out there,” Douglas said. “I’m having some trouble putting into practice the basics.”
“I’ll spar with you,” Brian said.
Captain Hamilton took a step back and watched as the two cadets clashed their blades together. I watched for a moment before stepping out of the Drill Room and into the hall. My anxiousness to get back into a Junction was getting the better of me.
I’d only taken a few steps when I heard a voice behind me.
“Hey, Liam.”
Paige walked up to me, her eyes aimed at the ground. She twiddled her fingers nervously as she chewed on the corner of her thin pink lips.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
“I’m okay… It’s just… It’s tough. All of this is so strange, isn’t it?”
“That’s an understatement,” I said with a chuckle. “We’ve only had a few days but we’re already getting into it.”
“I was… I was in college before applying to the Legion.”
“Most of us were. It’s a little overwhelming going from a mouse and keyboard to a saber and armor. I’m guessing you weren’t studying how to use weapons.”
“I was an art student. It seems I turned in a paintbrush for a sword.”
“Hmm… You know, there are some nice spots in the Central Square to relax and paint. It’d be a nice way to unwind.”
“That sounds nice… Maybe one day. But we’re here to be soldiers.”
She kept her head down, her eyes focused on the black granite beneath her feet. I put a hand on her shoulder and noticed her trembling slightly.
“It’s a tough adjustment for all of us,” I said. “Facing beasts in another dimension after the lives we’ve had. We’re all in this together though.”
“Then it’s not just me then,” she sighed.
“Trust me. We’re all trying to get used to it.”
She looked up and smiled softly. Paige had a pair of brown eyes that were full of innocence. We were around the same age but it felt like I was so much older than her.
“There’s no need to rush into Junctions,” I said. “We’re all trying to do our part.”
Her throat bobbed up and down with a swallow. “Thanks, Liam.”
“Maybe when we’ve all built up enough Green Mana, we can buy some new abilities and spar with each other.”
“I’d like that… Are you heading back to the Junction Room?”
“That’s the plan.”
The anxiety in her eyes was gone. She nodded before turning around and heading back into the Drill Room. I spun around to head back toward the Junction Room but instead found Janice standing in front of me. The brunette had her tablet pressed against her chest as usual as she greeted me with a smile.
“Private Aldridge. Adviser Campbell would like to have a word with you in his office.”
I didn’t think too hard about what it could be about and walked with her down the hall.
~ ~ ~
Campbell leaned back in his seat, his thumb and forefinger massaging his chin as he stared at his computer monitor. I couldn’t tell whether he was disgruntled or his face just looked like that. When your skin was as scarred and leathery as his, I guess it always seemed like you were in a bad mood.
“I learned you requested a lesson with Captain Hamilton,” he said. “Any reason for that?”
I shrugged. “My squad and I just closed a Junction involving a giant bat. It gave me some trouble. Never had to deal with something that flew. Never thought I’d be more comfortable around wolves and lions…”
“How did your squad do?”
“We got it done. Nothing a little teamwork can’t solve. But I wanted to be better prepared for it the next time it happened.”
Campbell slowly shifted his eyes toward me. He smirked like he was twisting his lips not to do it.
“Class Captains are always at your disposal,” he said. “After basic lessons, most recruits jump into the Junctions and figure things out for themselves.”
“Nobody likes a tutorial…”
“There’s nothing wrong with that. It frees the Captains up to go through Junctions themselves. They have to do their part as well.”
“I’m sure Captain Hamilton kicks a lot of ass in those Junctions.”
“Hamilton is the most capable Cavalier on campus.”
“Even more than you?”
Campbell leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, his body shaking as he laughed. “You’re already here, private. No need to shine my ass… The man in the photo on the wall is long gone. I’m just an Adviser now.”
I looked over at the picture of him in his younger days. “Is there a reason you wanted to see me?”
“Just checking in on you. All of the new recruits are important for this District’s success. Chancellor Layton wants me to make sure you in particular are developing properly.”
“Because I’m an Adept.”
He nodded. I hadn’t thought too much about what it meant despite how much Campbell reiterated it to me.
“I think I’ll be all right,” I said with a shrug. “I’ll have enough Green Mana for an ability to deal with the flying enemy.”
“Have you considered your other option?”
“Other option?”
“Flying enemies are weak to Harbingers and Gunrunners.”
I was so focused on being a Cavalier I hadn’t considered the possibility of changing classes. But it didn’t take me more than a second to shake my head. “I can’t. Not right now.”
“Why not?”
“Because there are Junctions. If I switch classes, my squad will have to wait even longer for me. I’ll fall behind in the Apex—”
“The Apex?” His brow furrowed in confusion, making the wrinkles on his face even more pronounced.
“The Apex,” I repeated. “I think if I kill enough Shadows and close enough Junctions, I can win it. I’ll get more Mana and more Cores. I’ll level up faster and challenge higher Junctions.”
Campbell fell back in his seat. He shifted his stare away from me. The resignation he had confused me.
“I don’t get it,” I said. “Isn’t that what I’m supposed to be doing? You said I’m an Adept, so it’s important.”
He didn’t respond immediately. He just slicked a hand back over his bald, tanned head and sighed. “New recruits. That’s how it is with all of you these days. I suppose I can’t blame you, with how they promote everything. Just want to level up as fast as you can. Dangle enough carrots in front of someone and all they want to do is run fast.”
He got up from his seat and walked toward me. He put a hand on my shoulder like he was making sure I was looking right back at him.
“You have to level. You have to collect Cores. You have to beat Shadows and close Junctions. Your objective isn’t to win the Apex Challenge. It’s to do your part. That’s more important than anything. Got it?”
Campbell’s office fell silent. His stare was so focused I had to swallow to clear my suddenly dry throat. I considered what he said for a moment then nodded.
“Yeah… I get it.”
He pulled his hand away from me and moved back into
his seat. His intensity was gone as he turned his attention to his computer monitor.
“Get back out there, private.”
I headed back into the hall and my communicator vibrated on my arm. The display indicated it was Quentin. I pressed the button to receive him.
“I just got out of my lesson,” Quentin said. “Bell is a real maniac…”
“You learn anything new?”
“I got a new trick up my sleeve. But honestly… I’m kinda tired. You mind if we take a day off?”
“Nah… I wouldn’t force you to do anything you didn’t wanna do. I’m sure Nina will be okay.”
“Thanks. Don’t worry, squad leader. I’ll be ready bright and early tomorrow.”
19: Loot Bonus
It was early the next morning when we found ourselves heading through a new gate.
“Let’s see what you got, Soul.” Quentin crossed his arms, his eyes wide in anticipation. Nina was as calm as she always was next to him.
I looked down at the display on my wrist.
Liam Aldridge
Available Abilities
Upper Thrust (Cavalier)
Level 1
200 Green Mana until next level
“All right… I got this…”
The grassy plains of the Junction were peaceful. With the sky clear and the sun out, it was the perfect opportunity to test my new ability.
I steadied myself with my blade by my side. I took a few paces forward and bent down before propelling myself up. A surge of energy rushed from my legs and spread through the rest of my body.
“Whoa!”
The grass became so distant beneath me like I had rockets on my feet. I was more than twenty feet in the air when I stuck my saber up above me. My body remained up for a few seconds before I fell back down to the grass. To my surprise, I landed back on the ground and barely felt it.
“Hmm…” I bent my knees slightly. “I was expecting my knees to be sore from being that high up.”
“That’s the power of Mana,” Nina said. “It can make your body do incredible things. When you level it up, your thrust will become even more powerful. But you still need to practice the effectiveness of your technique.”
“Captain Hamilton mentioned that. I’d better get some usefulness out of it, considering how much Green Mana I spent on it… How about you, Q?”
Quentin rubbed his hands together with the enthusiasm of a child opening a present for Christmas. “I got something. Check this out.” He held out the gray shield attached to his arm and slammed it into the grass.
I waited. And waited. And waited. But he remained standing there on one knee. I looked to Nina to make sure I hadn’t missed anything but she raised an eyebrow at Quentin to show the same confusion.
“Are you sure you got this?” I asked.
“Hold on, hold on, hold on.” He put his hand up. “Just need to focus…”
A light-blue aura began to resonate around the shield. The energy swirled around him like sparkling smoke, covering his entire body. Quentin reared his head back and cackled at the sight of it.
“Mana Shield,” he said. “I’m already too tough to take down. Now nothing is getting through. Rose here can jump off me all day if she wants.”
“Not bad,” I said.
“It’s better than that. I’m invincible! Give it a shot.”
“…What?”
He tapped the front of his shield. “Lemme have it. I’ll show you.”
“If you insist.” I raised my saber up but Nina moved in front of me.
“We shouldn’t be wasting our endurance until we need it. We can’t waste time if we want to get through as many Junctions as we can.”
“Good point.” Quentin deactivated his shield and stood up straight. He and I both turned to Nina. “How about you?”
The Strider shook her head and began looking around. “Fire Slash,” she said. “Soul, call it out when you need it. I won’t use it until then. For now, we should look for the Obelisk.”
I’d gotten used to Nina’s demeanor while we were in Junctions. It was enough to keep me focused on the task at hand.
Quentin looked around the grassy plains. There were hills in one direction and a valley in another. The grass stretched all the way to the horizon but there was nothing else of note.
“I don’t see it,” I said. “Just a bunch of fresh grass and a cool breeze. This is the first time we’ve never seen the Obelisk.”
“Maybe there is no Obelisk,” Quentin said.
“The Junction wouldn’t be open if that was the case,” Nina said. “The dimension would collapse on itself without the Mana from the Obelisk powering it.”
“Then where are we supposed to go?”
They both looked to me to make the decision.
“I don’t feel like climbing up a hill. Don’t feel like walking into the valley.” I pointed toward the plains in front of us where the rocky mountains stood in the distance. “Let’s just walk and see what we find.”
I led the way through the grass with Quentin lumbering right next to me. Nina took our flank as she always did.
The fields were as peaceful as they always were. White rabbits skittered around in the shrubbery while harmless deer rested underneath the shade of some boulders. The wind whistled softly as it brushed against my cheeks. I couldn’t help but sigh a deep breath as the clean air filled my lungs.
“It’s so nice out here,” Quentin said. “I feel bad for all those innocent animals out there. I wonder what happens to ‘em after we close the dimension.”
“They’re not real,” Nina said from behind us. “They’re just manifestations of Mana created by those from the other dimension.”
“And who are ‘those’ exactly?”
“The ones who threatened us. Beings from another dimension who are trying to take us out. The First Event isn’t a secret.”
“I’ve seen the pictures. Strange people in armor and animals more vicious than usual. I know they’re trying to take us out but do you ever wonder what they’re really up to?”
“Does it matter?”
“Maybe a little. I mean, a million Junctions have been shut down by now and the Legion is still finding more. I wonder if there’s a way to stop them for good.”
“Or maybe we can find out who’s responsible and make peace with them,” I said.
Quentin grinned as he slapped me on the arm. “Hey. Look at you. Trying to find some peace. ‘What am I fighting for?’ Heh. Maybe the Great Defenders will be the ones who break bread with these assholes trying to kill us.”
“Sounds nice. But we gotta take it one Junction at a time.”
“Spoken like a true squad leader.”
Our peaceful walk was interrupted when thunder cracked in the sky. We stopped in our tracks and raised our weapons up. The white energy crackled around us and flashed white. A lion leaped of the sky from every direction, surrounding us completely.
“Four lions,” Quentin said. “How do you wanna handle this?”
“Four lions… They don’t seem any bigger or more dangerous than the ones we’ve beaten before. I say one apiece. The last one and all of its Mana goes to the one who can get to it first.”
“Sounds like fun.” Nina twirled her katanas around and gave me a wink before racing forward to one of the lions.
“Hey! No cheating!” I rushed in the opposite direction to another lion. The beast roared and showed off its sharp teeth. Even just a few days ago, I would’ve pissed myself being close enough to look down a giant lion’s throat. But now all I saw was a target for the tip of my blade.
The lion galloped toward me and pounced. I turned my saber sideways and parried its claws away. My added strength helped in keeping me steady. I dug my feet into the grass and brought my saber back up quickly. My hands tight around my hilt, I slashed down at the lion and sank my saber into its front limbs. Slowing it down gave me a chance to slash at its side. The sharp edge sliced through it, cutting its flesh and fur al
l the same. My swing stopped midway through its body against its spine and sprayed blood in every direction. The lion let out a deafening roar as it flailed its claws in one last attempt to take me down. I pushed my saber down through its middle until it burst into colorful orbs of Mana.
I didn’t take the time to celebrate and turned around. Nina was already dashing away from a pile of Mana. Quentin had his shield lowered as he did the same.
“No, you don’t!” My feet pushed me forward as I raced toward the last lion with them. The beast stood its ground and roared at all of us. Nina’s Strider speed proved too much to overcome as she got to the lion well before us. Her katanas found both of its eyes, piercing through its skull and turning it into Mana.
I stopped running and let out a sigh while I watched her collect all of the Mana.
“Striders,” Quentin grumbled. “Damn compatibility results…”
I put a hand on his arm to ease his resentment even though I was laughing. Nina looked at me and winked as she collected the remainder of her Mana.
The simple battle over, we resumed our peaceful stroll through the grassy plains. I realized we were approaching the precipice of a hill. I moved to the edge of it and looked down in the valley. Half-a-mile down, the Obelisk resonated in the center of the grass down below.
“A guardian will likely attack us when we near it,” Nina said. “Be ready.”
I led our descent into the valley with my saber resting on my shoulder. The swirls of white energy didn’t interrupt us and we quickly found ourselves standing right next to the Obelisk.
“Let’s get this over with,” I said. “After you, Q.”
He smashed his fist in his palm. “My pleasure.” He reared his arm back to swing.
BOOM!
Thunder cracked so loud the grass trembled underneath us. Nina stumbled and I grabbed her arm to keep her on her feet.
“Are you all right—”
BOOM!
More thunder made the ground quake even stronger than before. I had to dig my saber into the grass to keep myself steady while Nina held onto my arm.
Quentin sank his armored boots into the grass and looked around. “What the hell is that?”