Chronicles of Cypra: Requiem

CHAPTER ONE: A TASK
Jav stared at his vile, half-full tankard as he thought about past events. So much has happened in this short lifetime. Regret burned him through and through at all hours of the day. He took a long sip of off smelling beer, and slammed it onto the table. The barkeeper groaned. He was used to seeing depressed characters like Jav. Leetran Taverns were always like this. Everywhere you looked shady characters stared back, and then you'd look the other way to avoid an incident. He sniffed. The smell of urine wafted through the air. It was like this bar had not been cleaned in years, and the stench of drunks was permanent. This smell was probably embedded on him, for this was the lowly rathole he lived in. Not a luxurious life, he knew, but it sufficed. He took another sip. The memories of what had driven him here were still fresh in his mind. It was tale of turmoil, with many ups and downs. But the greatest down, was when he had taken a life; one he held most dear. He didn't know how he could do that devilish deed. What had come over him? He loved her as much as a man could, and would have protected her from any of the horrors of this world. But he couldn't protect her from himself. The only thing that could slip by...... No. It was best to keep it out of his mind, so he forgot it after the next swag of beer. He looked around. Only a single streak of sunlight struggled through the cracks of the rotting wooden structure. The rest of this place was dimly lit by a few lanterns, giving it a sad and depressing feel. Suits it. In the corner of his eye, he spotted two unusual, menacing men staring directly at him. He turned away from them, knowing that they might approach sooner or later. To no surprise they did, and as they walked over to his lonely table he took a last sip of his beverage. The two men lunged, and tried to grab Jav. He turned once again, tankard in hand, and bashed it into the right man's cheek. He collapsed, and the second man tried to throw a punch, so he grabbed his arm with one hand and twisted it, creating a loud crack. He reached into his satchel as his captive struggled and pulled out his weapon of choice-a crossbow-and aimed it at the man's head. 
"Wait, wait!" He did not look so menacing anymore. 
"We didn't know you'd retaliate as brutally as that!" The man was shaking with fear. As if he'd ever even consider this, looking at his real persona.
"Who are you?" Jav said with a serious tone.
"W-we're mercenaries, sent to take you to Lord Recitalle!" His voice seemed to vary in pitch. Barflies remained true to their own business as this happened, as they stuck to wasting themselves. Crimes were forgotten in this place, as most of the witnesses collapse and forget the whole thing.
"Recitalle?" He knew this name. Second son of King Asul I, he was the tyrant who ruled Leetra, the one who brilliantly evaded the Gifted on their conquest. But why would someone of such high caliber send for him? 
"Why me?" He demanded.
"We don't know! We were just supposed to take you to him!" Jav thought for a moment, not noticing his captive slowly inching away from him. If a Lord would want someone to be brought to him by force, he would either be in deep trouble or desperately need something only the hardworking lower class can offer. The first was most likely. But still, a visit might hold a few surprises for him. And besides, it wasn't like his pitiful life meant anything anymore.
"Hmm." he had made his decision, just as the man was about to open the front door. "Take me to him."
Jav walked through the magnificent hall of Recitalle's private estate, flanked by the two mercenaries who tried to capture him. Paintings of fat, bald men hanged on the walls, all looking as corrupt as the next one. Figures. The place reeked of corruption, and it's very aura was wealthy itself. A long, gold-trimmed carpet was laid out in front of him. Only a select few could afford a place such as his. In Cypra's current state, poverty was common in all walks of life. He eventually reached a massive, golden door, almost as big as a town gate. Two armoured guards stood there, and asked for verification. The mercenaries showed a seal of some sort, something like a shield, and the the two guards opened the gate. What was revealed was a dark room only lit by the fireplace in the middle, with shelves of books covering the walls. An old man in exquisite red robes sat reading a thick book behind a wooden desk in front of the fireplace. He wore small reading glasses, and was bald. He seemed content, with not a care in the world. He had this comforting, yet strange aura about him. How curious. Best not to think about it. He looked up from his book and smiled as Jav approached. "Ah, Jav, it's so nice to finally meet you!" He sounded more cheerful than expected. "Leave us." The two mercs left them alone, as Recitalle shooed them away. 
"How do you know me?" Jav said in a hollow voice. 
"It wasn't that hard to find the only surviving member of the Divian Elite Force." He looked at Recitalle in surprise. 
"How did you know?" He voice sounded surprised and stern. "Only those trusted were granted knowledge of Divian activities, and that knowledge was heavily guarded!" But, he forgot that this was Recitalle. A man like him got anything he wanted.
"Let's just say I have ways of knowing things." His face was lit by the fire, giving Recitalle a devious look. "Now Jav, let's get to the matter at hand."
Jav remained expressionless and silent. 
A sigh. "I'm guessing that you don't know what's going on." His expression turned grim, and he started pacing around the room, arms behind his back. "What do you know of Arraval, Mr Harbinger?"
A long pause. "Arraval is a city just for the Gifted, people who can control Minervic Energy." Minervic Energy was a strange power source. It could be found in almost anything, from within people and objects from throughout Cypra and beyond. They say Cypra was where it originated, though no one truly knows where this peculiar energy came from. 
Another pause. "Is that all?" Recitalle inquired. 
"It is protected by a giant shield made of Minervic Energy." That was the most durable of shields, a marvel of modern Minervic technology. It is said to be strong enough to repel an entire army for decades, and by then not even a crack would be made.
"Ah, but you mistake it's purpose," He stopped, and revealed a book he had held for the conversation. He began to read it. "The Shield is not for protecting the Gifted no no, it is to keep them within the city." Jav was surprised. This changed the entire idea of why Arraval was made. So Arraval was not a utopia for them.... 
It was a giant prison.
"I suspect you don't understand why it is how it is." He sat back down in his chair, setting the book down. "Long ago, when the Great War ended, the Gifted were beat back to the southern mountain ranges, and a truce was made. They agreed to stay there, and with the new technology fashioned they made sure they stayed, and eventually Arraval was built around them." That was both ingenious and horrible. The Gifted were normal people. What things have they done to deserve this? "I know what you're thinking. And I concur. The young are not told of this, and when they're older they realise the reality of being forced to live in there for the rest of their lives. Even with consent, they cannot leave. The people in Arraval are sick of it. This I can tell."
"But that doesn't tell me why I'm here." Jav was becoming impatient.
"Well Jav, this is a grim matter indeed." He shook his head as he spoke. "The last Impervous, Drake Laverne, has been assassinated." The Impervous is a special kind of person born with a different type of power. An Impervous has a powerful immunity against Minervic Energy, and an experienced one could repel it completely. But this also didn't make sense. 
"How could someone who is immune to Minervice, be killed by it?"
"Are you forgetting Gifted are still people Jav? People have neglected Gifted for so long that they forget that they are just like us. Anyway, with Drake dead, nothing stands in their way of finally breaking out for good."
"But what about the Shield?"
"Well apparently they have found a weak point. They prepare for a full scale revolution. Now on to your task. We have been looking for someone skilled enough to pull this off." 
But something still didn't make sense. Before he could say anymore, Jav spoke up. 
"Why would you meddle in their affairs? I thought Leetra always stayed out of these things." Recitalle sat back in his chair and frowned. "Mr Harbinger, this is not some political squabble. This is shaping up to become full blown revolution!" Jav was surprised at how intense Recitalle's voice was. Recitalle composed himself. "This is something that could wipe us all out. That is why I am sending you in. To stop this." Jav was almost overwhelmed by the seriousness of this task. Sure, he had been in this situation before, but that was before the incident. That was when he had purpose. Why would he risk his life on this?
"Why would I even accept," Jav said, his voice sounding gruff. "Why would I want the weight of the world on my shoulders alone?"
Recitalle pulled out a stone carved rod of some sort, which glowed with a blue light as he held it in the air. 
"What is that?" He asked.
"Behind the Southern Sea, there is a hidden palace of unknown origin. They say it is a marvel of the Eden Age, though no proof has been found. They call it the Requiem."
"Where are you going with this?"
He held up the item. "It took me ten years to find," he muttered. It was a stone rod, glowing with a strange blue light. It changed the very atmosphere of the room, giving it a chilling and eerie feel. "This is the key to the Requiem, Jav. The place where the souls of the dead are said to be able to make contact with the living. This will be your reward." This meant great things. Maybe, he could see her there.....
"And what shall I do for it?" He asked, now willing for a chance.
"Travel to Arraval, and gain entry to the city. From there, meet a group of my soldiers in the sewers. They will be disguised as Gifted soldiers." 
"How will I know if they are your soldiers?"
"They will see what you will be carrying, and show you my seal. This is what they'll see." He pulled out a circular object that gleamed silver, even in the light of the fireplace. He handed it to Jav, who stared at it with curiosity. "This will seal off the weak point, therefore trapping the rebels once again."
"Couldn't you just have given them the seal when they left?"
"Well, you see, these soldiers were already within the walls when they found the weak point, and now they've been forced to the sewers. But they've managed to discover the weak point, and all they need is that seal."
"Got it." he said as he stuffed it into his satchel. Jav was about to leave, when Recitalle stood. The sound of his chair stopped him.
"Wait," Jav did as he was asked. "The Requiem has another function, Jav. It has the power to bring those souls back to life." Hope suddenly flared within him. "Yes. That means you can see Dawn again Jav. You can see the your murdered colleague." 
Jav couldn't wait to leave this musty room. There was hardly any furniture here, apart from the splintered desk and the unsanitary mass of cloth that was his bed. He almost regretted moving here. If they knew where he was now.... When he had lived in Divia, he had a house in the honoured Eden District, where only the most famous personas were granted sanctuary. It was named after the great Eden Age, which was a major milestone in the history of the world. A fitting name. In a way, it wasn't really a district. It was a large, majestic building carved into a mountain, and the inside was filled with stone dorms covered in sparkling coloured lights. The centre was a meeting place for it's residents, and every now and then public festivals were held there. Here, even the very walls were threatening to disintegrate. They walls were made of rotting wood, and any light from the outside was let in through the tiny cracks in the walls. Yep, home sweet home. For now. He put his torn, weather worn satchel on his desk, and emptied its contents. One dagger, one crossbow, a few bolts, a flask of water, and a few packs of pork. All in bad condition, but should last him at least to the port town of La'dre, a place where merchants from all corners of Cypra set up shop, and where he could stock up on supplies. He could just smell the sweet aroma of fresh meat.... Like the markets of Divia. Always fresh, always that sweet smell of butchery and exquisite dishes. He picked up his crossbow. It was sleek and sturdy, and had a wooden rod attached to the top so he could effectively sheath the weapon. This had served him well over the years, as it has saved as many lives as it had taken. It wasn't in bad condition, a few scratches and dents, but then he noticed the cleaver-like blade on the underside of the front. Once a sharp and deadly talon, now nothing but a broken tooth. Two of these were meant to be fitted onto the underside of the weapon, but now they both barely latched on with the one bolt supporting them. They were meant to be used for close combat, but with one of the hooks torn off, it would just cause him to stumble. All should be well if he didn't run into much trouble on the way. A smart function, as it was enjoying to put something simple on an ordinary weapon. It gave it a reason to be used, and only he knew how to fight like that. Some would criticise. Some would applaud. But either way that crossbow would be the only weapon he would use. He hooked it's wooden rod to his back, hanging on the leather strap that connected to his spaulder. Troubles could be found in all corners of this world. He would stay away from the main roads, and avoid bandits ambushing him on the way. Or at least try. The forests around La'dre were dotted with camps full of cutthroats and thieves, all working together until the point where they would turn on each other, and half of them would be dead. It wasn't like he couldn't take them, it was that his armour was in the same condition as his weapon. He had a leather cloak, fitted with a round, wooden spaulder on his left shoulder. He wore light iron plating over his long strapped pants and had gloves with small iron plates, his sleeves tucked under them. His spaulder was splintered, and the rest was half rusted and pieces had fallen off. Well, it has been a while. He moved his limbs to regain the feel of his travel clothes. Light. Should keep him quick on his feet in a fight. Nice. He couldn't understand the reason to use massive, oversized armour. Such a thing would weigh you down, and in the end there's no escape from an enemy's killing blow. He deemed his inventory worthy and started to pack it. He couldn't comprehend how Recitalle could have gotten his hands on the key to the Requiem. It was the rarest artefact that could be found. And also, how could he know about Dawn. How could he know what he did.... It was just not possible. He forced the thought out of his mind. All that matters is that he has a second chance now. He just has to complete this one task. "I will find you," Jav promised.
The markets were bustling, crowded with people darting from one stand to another. He struggled to reach the city gates, as the desperate people charge through him in a stampede of hunger. Their run wasn't much of an effort, as the food was rotten to the core. The market stands were manned by merchants as desperate as their customers. Their calls were insignificant among the din, as they tried to advertise their foul wares. Jav heard a mother call for her child. "Basco! Basco!" How sad. The tragedies never end in Leetra. And who would have thought that such a cheerful man could turn a blind eye to this pandemonium. But, that would suit such a place. Tucked into the darker recesses of Cypra. Leetra has stayed out of every conflict that all nations have suffered, but during the Great War the Three Nations Conduct had drawn it to battle. The Three Nations Conduct was a thousand year old law that applied to every nation in every region, well, every nation that we knew of. Hence the "three". He shuffled his way through the chaos. It was no easy task, as a swirling mass of rags and flesh scuttled along. One lowly peasant tried to take advantage of this and pick his pocket, but Jav's deft hands quickly swiped him away. Eventually, he reached the towering silver gates, gleaming in the sun so regal, only to be guarded by four heavily armed and armoured guards. The ground around it was the only space unoccupied, and Leetran authority was thanks to that. As he approached, the guards stopped them. "Halt!" they said simultaneously. "None can leave this city without permission!" Heads turned. 
"My name is Jav Harbinger. I am on a important business for Lord Recitalle."
The guards looked unconvinced. 
"What proof do you have of this?" Damnit was his thought. Wouldn't Recitalle have notified the city guards of this? Maybe he was running late. 
"It is quite all right." He turned to thankfully see Recitalle walking towards them, holding a small object in his hand. He showed a shining coin, bearing a triangular symbol. It was decorated with golden leaves on either side. Strangely, it seemed to glow with the light of its own colour. 
The Seal of the Grand House Asul.
"Let this man pass." 
The guards, now not believing what they had seen, looked at each other. Eventually the four bowed, and turned towards the grand gates. They produced small cards, one for each. The were almost as exquisite as Recitalle's Seal, yet they looked more bland than it. They held their cards towards the gate, and the cards flashed with a blinding light, burning Jav's retinas, yet he remained unhindered by it. Peasants covered their eyes to avoid it, and as they opened them they were amazed to see the gate, that never opens, open with a loud grinding sound. It sounded like it has never been open for years, and this was indicated by the grind that sounded more like the grunt of a colossal monster. He figured the gears that operated it were encrusted with thick layers of rust. The gates opened to reveal a forest that seemed unending, the only pathway shown with a faint road of dead grass, made by being repeatedly trodden on. 
The Titanic Forest lay before him.
The gates finally whirred to a stop, and the guards drew their weapons. Jav reached for his on instinct, but Recitalle assured him not to with a hand on the shoulder. 
"Stay back!" Demanded the guards. The crowds were walking slowly towards the gate, trying to seize their chance to finally leave Leetra. The guards responded to this by piking the area in front, holding them back. Such a desperate attempt, but that was to be expected from those with a shattered life. See, Leetra is so crowded is because the population never drops. No one is allowed to leave without permission. That explains the reason why it stays away from foreign affairs. The crowd closed in further. His chance was slipping away. "Go now! The crowds are getting reckless!" They shouted. Jav nodded unsurely, and set off towards his first target. 
CHAPTER TWO: JANGO
Scythe's plan was now put well into effect. Harbinger was now in his way to Arraval, and he will be surprised at what he'll find. He waited in an abandoned warehouse in the Leetran Slums, awaiting his contact. He had heard that this particular man was infamous around these parts, and his only language is money. He had no need for most of his coin. Hah, such petty desires. Any man can be swayed with a gift of gold. It is the law of the Criminal Underworld. He had to conceal himself in the dark, and to help with that he wore a dark hooded robe. Within his robes, he held his scythe. That name had been accepted by him years ago. It felt powerful. He loved it. He rather been known as Scythe rather than Scythatcher. Yes, it was unique. But it didn't match him. It was too lowly to match his superior Minervic Prowess. He heard footsteps within the dark. 
He's here.
His contact wore a mix of wealthy and rugged clothes, and concealed his face with a hood. He revealed his face, and showed it with the light of the lantern he held. The light revealed a scarred face, one brutal one across his face, with brown hair. A crimson bird perched on his shoulder, as if it was his pet. He admired his choice of bird. A Blood Falcon, one of the rarest and deadliest of its kind. 
"Jango."
He turned to the sound of Scythe's eerie voice. "Oh, so you are here." 
"I believe you know why you are here." said Scythe in a menacing voice. 
"Oh yes. You want me to eliminate this guy. Jav Harbinger, is it?" Scythe remained silent. After a pause, he spoke.
"Yes. He is to be taken on with caution." Jango simply nodded, stroking his falcon. 
"Okay, okay. Now how do we do this? Do I get the cash now or..."
"Fool!" Scythe's yell shook the room. "Focus on the target. He is unlike any other foe you have faced before. That is why, I'm lending you this." He held up small, glowing rod, bursting with Minervic Energy. It was warm to the touch, and even a person with his skill had to handle it carefully. The light of the item lit up his face with a harsh blue light, which caught Jango's attention. 
"What is that, may I ask?" Scythe smiled under his hood.
"A paralysis rod. Rare, experimental technology from Dotra. This will widen your chances to capture him." He tossed it to Jango, who caught it and examined it curiously. 
"You can be sure that Jav will be in your clutches. And I will need to be sure that the money will be in mine." Scythe pulled out a sack full of a generous amount of gold. 
"Here," he tossed it down. "I have no use for it anyway." Jango chuckled deviously as he packed away both gifts. 
"You will be pleased." Jango walked out the door, leaving Scythe in the dark. He knew one thing; for this plan to work, for his race to be free,
Jav Harbinger must die.
Jav had been walking through the Titanic Forest for hours, his body aching. He had not traveled for quite some time, and Leetran law was thanks to that. In the distance, wolves howled from the snow capped mountains. They were what made this path the safest route-going into their territory would be suicide, even for someone like him. But, dangers could be found on any path. Bandits, warthogs and wildvines could easily find ways to take you down. Wildvines were the most dangerous of all. They were carnivorous, man-eating plants that use vines to mimic a human, yet they cannot speak and still have he appearance of a tangled mass of vines. People say that they migrate from Sever, one of the bordering regions that made up the Three Nations Triad. It would make sense, as most of the land there was island, and most of those islands were covered with forests. Who knew why they came here? How did they cross Sever's vast oceans? Cypra was dangerous enough as it was. He wondered how people got by. And then he remembered that people didn't. He just couldn't establish how Recitalle found him. The Divian Force was secret. Since he had accepted this challenge, it triggered vivid memories of his times in Divia. The Shining Capital. The Force was his type of place. His type of people. 
Especially Dawn. 
He remembered that she was headstrong and reckless, and that their tactics together were known throughout the city. He had loved her so much. Her elegant but concealing smile. Her sparkling personality. But you wouldn't get her angry though. Or her sword would be the last thing you see. He laughed. Oh, so many memories. But that was still far from this point. He had to keep his mind on the present, not the past. But telling himself this would be useless. So many times has people told him to move on. The same lecture. But she he thought, was worth remembering. Nothing could erase her from his being. And soon, she would be here, yet again traveling beside him. His train of thought was interrupted by bushes rustling. Must be a rabbit or something. He discarded the thought. Then suddenly he heard very faint footsteps, along with some more brushing in the bushes. The footsteps stopped when he did, which was suspicious. He continued walking to draw out any danger, then he heard more footsteps, heavier and more of them this time. "Who's there?" Slowly he reached for his crossbow, and aimed carefully into the direction of the footsteps. He saw a slight glare, like one you would see reflecting off a piece of metal. 
Bandits. 
"Finally, some excitement." He fired a where the glare was, which found it's mark. A man in ragged clothes collapsed. He heard swords being drawn, and in a massive rush, dozens of bandits charged in from all sides, surrounding him. One swung his sword towards his face, but he ducked and grabbed his sword. He let the sword fall out of his hand, and directed the tip towards an unsuspecting bandit's throat. He spun, and whacked one in the jaw, and as he doubled over in pain, he fired another bolt into the one behind him. He saw another blade come at his face, and just before it hit his reflexes came into effect and he pulled out his dagger to parry. The bandit kept trying to push through, but Jav dispatched him quickly with a bolt in the abdomen. He turned and faced the dozen more that awaited their chance to strike. They circled around him, blades at the ready. Yet Jav remained calm. They knew what to do now. Suddenly they lunged, about to lance him when out of nowhere a loud voice shouted an order. "STOP!". The voice boomed loud with a strong accent .A man with a long, grim scar across his face walked out of the forest, smiling. "Surely you must know by now that this man is no merchant?" All bandits sheathed their swords. The man wore a mix of clothes from the rich and poor, and his right arm was lightly armoured, and also wore a hood over his face. A lengthy sword was strapped to his hip, the scabbard torn and revealing. The hooded man whistled. Now what is he doing....?
He heard a loud squawk. Birds flocked away in fear of being attacked by the blood falcon speeding towards them. It flew towards Jango, and perched on his shoulder, who stroked it like a pet. "My name is Jango, and this is my falcon Rapture. Now that you know me why don't you let me know you?" He hesitated, but he reckoned he could at least know his name. 
"My name is Jav Harbinger, and I am just a traveler heading to La'Dre." Jango looked like he didn't listen to a word he said.
"That's very nice. Now can you please put that crossbow away? It's making feel uncomfortable."He was about to put his weapons away, but he decided not to. You couldn't trust these people. "Oh please. You can trust me. I'm one of those.. trustable types."
"I'm not taking any chances." Jango's scarred face changed to anger. 
"Why must people these days be so cautious? Put away your weapons or my Brotherhood will skewer you." The bandits drew their swords once again. Jav smiled. This should be good.
"Brotherhood? Heh. You guys are nothing but a bunch of cowards forming a group pretending to be brave. I bet half of you has never killed a soul." 
"How dare you insult the Brotherhood!" Jango's eyes flared. "You shall pay dearly for that!" He pulled out a grey rod, with both ends fitted with a blinking light. It was Minervic, he knew, but he had no idea what it was for. "Now's a good time to try out this new gadget from our contact in Leetra." He held the rod up high, and it began to glow. The world around him became distorted, and it gave Jav a raging headache. He clutched his head in pain, dropping his crossbow. "Haha! I can't believe it actually works!" Jav's instincts told him to act, but he was frozen by an invisible force. "Haha! This is spectacular!" Jango pointed the rod towards Jav, and it flashed, knocking him out cold. 
"Oh... My head." Jav's vision was blurry. He looked around with the little vision he had, and noticed the shape of a girl sitting in front of him. 
"You're finally awake." He couldn't remember anything except for that scarred man... Jango! As his vision returned, the image of iron bars surrounding him. Around that, large tents filled with stolen loot were dotted around the small clearing they were in. Bandits sat around them. A cage, right in the middle of the Brotherhood's camp. He was the cause of this! He figured he might kill the two bandits guarding them, find a key. He reached for his crossbow, but his hand found nothing. Damnit! They had taken his satchel. "Get used to it." The girl said. "You're going to be here a while. The girl was in her teens, had long brown hair, and wore simple peasants clothing. 
"Who are you?" He replied. "What is going to happen?" 
"Honestly, I don't know. I've been waiting to find out for months." Jav thought of the device Jango had used on him. It was unlike any other Minervic Device. It looked more simple than others, and it's function was extraordinary. It prevented any type of movement, and after that knocked him out completely. Incredible. But how was a bandit supposed to get his hands on that? It would've been in the hands of some powerful Gifted. But wait. There was something he said before he used it. "Now's a good time to use that new gadget we got from our contact in Leetra." Leetra. So the Brotherhood was hired. But to do what? He decided to wait this out, look for a chance to break out. He figured he'd chat to pass the time. "So."He turned to the peasant girl. "How did you end up here?"The girl looked away from him. 
"Jango killed my parents." Killing innocent people and leaving scars? That was low, even for a bandit. "My name is Julie Grimace. I lived in a small village around here, and worked as a hunters apprentice, learned to use a knife. " He noticed Julie give a faint smile of remembrance. He had not heard of any townships in the Titanic Forest, as it was to dangerous for any to flourish. "Flasia was what it was called. It was a nice place to grow up." Her smile widened. "Every day we used to sit by the ponds, feed the ducks and just sit there and talk all day." 
"Sounds like a very safe place to live, for the Titanic Forest." 
"Yeah. I guess we were lucky." She turned to the bandits drinking and celebrating another capture. "We used to have midnight festivals, every fortnight, where everyone danced and ate and we would watch the fireworks light up the night sky." Her face returned to depression. "Then one day, I was out at the ponds, waiting for my friends. I heard screaming, so I ran to the town square. You can guess what I saw." Jav's face mimicked her's. "Houses were burning, people were dying everywhere I looked. Bandits ransacked the burning buildings, and people I had grown up with were now dead all over the ground. Jango stood in the middle of this, with my parents at knife point." Why would he do this? Why her family? "I couldn't think. I couldn't act. Jango's falcon was about to charge at me, but my mother cried out." He noticed a tear running down her cheek. "She said that he could kill her, but spare me and do whatever he wished with me. After that, so many tears blocked up my eyes, I could only make out the shape of Jango's sword piercing their necks, and him grabbing my hand and shoving me into a cage." The tears were clearly flowing now. He felt so sorry for her. This only sparked more hate for Jango. 
"There there." he reassured. "Sometimes you just gotta move on."
"How could you say that?" Julie was obviously furious."How could I move on from such a thing?" 
"Grieving isn't going to do anything! And it's not going to get us out of here!" Julie wanted to say something back, but couldn't find the words. Jav sat closer to her. "You've got to focus on the present, not the past." 
"Ah!" he heard the strong voice of Jango nearby. "The hater awakens." Jav slammed his hands on the iron bars. 
"You!" Jango walked up close to the cage, his satchel strapped to his hip. "How could you slaughter so many innocents like that?" 
"With a bit of incentive." He made a wealthy gesture with his hand. "I see you have met Julie here."
"What are you going to do to us?" he shouted. 
"Oh nothing much. Turns out you have quite a large bounty on your head. You're going to experience a little pain in your neck and everything else will be fine." Bounty? He thought. What has he done? "Soon you'll be out of this cage, and I'll get a healthy sum of money. That way, everyone's happy."
"You bastard! Do your crimes ever cease?"
"Sorry what?" He was to busy stroking Rapture to listen. "Sorry, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with some, circular, golden objects." And then he walked away, donning a devious smile.
Nightfall came, and the bandits sang and drank of their recent success. Jav watched Jango count his ill gotten gold among the pandemonium, not caring of the rough housing and drunk outbursts happening. Glasses were shattered, tables were knocked over, and heads were being butted. At one time, a group were betting on a fight which went to far, and they drew their swords in a drunken rage. One man looked like he was going to vomit, but held it back to Julie's disgust. "Euch!" His mates laughed, and he reassured them he would be back soon. He stood and started walking into the dark, so drunk he did not know where he was going. Jav noticed him move closer and closer to the cage, trying find something to lean on. Hope fluttered within Jav. This was his chance. If he was close enough, he could take his daggers and assassinate the guards for the key, and break out. He watched the drunken bandit move closer and closer towards the cage in a dizzy fashion, and eventually, he bumped into the iron bars and stopped. Vile, green liquid spilled from his mouth, along with chunks of who knows what flowing through as well. Julie turned around to see what Jav was looking at, and suddenly jumped away from the scene in horror. He crawled closer to the bandit, who had no clue what he was doing, and quickly snatched both his daggers from his belt avoiding the spew. Success! He tossed one of the daggers beside Julie, who knew what she wanted it, and picked it up. They both snuck closer to the to guards, who wished they never accepted this job. They were about to be even more regretful. Jav signalled silently to Julie, making a one, two, three sign with his fingers. He pointed at the two guards, and repeated the gesture. The two guards collapsed after they stabbed them in the neck. 
"Good work." He searched one of the bodies for a key, and to his excitement he found the very object that would lead to their freedom. He looked at both sides. No one looked back, as they were to busy with their own activities. He unlocked the cage door as quietly as he could and opened it, being careful not to alert anyone. "Come on, let's go." he whispered. They ducked onto the grass and crawled under the tables. To be seen in this would be instant death, so he decided to sneak to Jango. He had to get his supplies back or he wouldn't survive the trip to La'Dre. Trying to navigate this labyrinth of legs and chairs was a difficult task. He kept finding a dead end and Julie would almost be drenched in vomit. Eventually, after a while of searching, he looked up to see Jango swinging on a chair humming as he stared at a gold piece. His satchel was strapped to his hip. "There it is."
"Wait wait I thought we were finding a way out?" Julie whispered. 
"This is as essential as escaping." Jav replied. He reached up and slowly unclipped the satchel from Jango, quietly taking it from his clutches. He checked the contents. His stuff was all still in there, including his crossbow and dagger. He gave his stolen dagger to Julie, as he did not need two, and pulled out his crossbow. All they needed to do was find a way out. As he was about to search for the exit, he heard a man shout. 
"Ang' on!" Everyone else fell silent. "Jimmy and Dave are dead! And the cage is empty! The prisoners escaped!" The crowd started to become reckless awfully quickly. It seems they did not like the thought of no rum tomorrow. He saw Jango look down to see them both. Damn.
"Ahhh! Very sneaky Mr Harbinger." he said wagging his finger. "Nice try, but you can't hide from me!" Jav burst out of the table, aiming his crossbow at anyone who moved. Julie stood at his back with the two daggers at the ready. 
"Just let us go and nobody gets hurt." Jango raised an eyebrow.
"You think that we would actually let you go? After all the money you're worth? Not a chance."
He whispered to Julie. "Can you fight?" He asked.
"Yeah. But I don't think I'm good enough."
"Yeah is all I needed to hear." Jav fired a bolt at Jango's face, but he knew this was coming so he turned his head to the side, dodging the shot. 
"Come now." he said. "Let's just settle this like gentlemen." In a flash Jango unsheathed his blade and tried to strike Jav, but he parried it with his crossbow. The other bandits just watched in amazement. It was a long while they had seen a fair fight for Jango. "What are you dunderheads looking at? Get the girl!" That set off the fight, so everyone drew their weapons and ran at Julie. The party was turned to an all out battle with fifty to two. She parried and stabbed, but very soon she was overwhelmed by bandits.
"Help!" she cried. Jav heard this, and after he parried another blow he spun and fired bolts deftly into the bandits surrounding her. She was ready for the next wave, and Jav continued to hold his own against Jango. 
"How long can you keep this up Jav?" He was getting tired. He had not had a good fight in years. Jango struck, and this time it slithered through his defences and sliced him in the arm. "You're out of your league. Just surrender and get back in that cage where you belong!" He kept striking Jav, who could barely barely keep up. And he was only using one hand. He heard a loud squawk. He looked up to see Rapture soaring in the night sky, and coming straight for Jav. The falcon swooped, talons outstretched, and slashed Jav in the shoulder. 
"Ahhh!" He tried to stay focused, but Rapture kept coming at him. He could hardly follow Jango's attacks. Julie turned around to see Jav barely holding up, and blocked Jango's strike before it ended his life. Jav regained control of himself, and fired a bolt directly at Jango's torso, who was to slow to dodge and took one in the shoulder. He grabbed his shoulder in pain, and that revealed an opportunity to break through the crowd of bandits. He looked at Jango. "You will be spared for now, murderer." Jango could not fight anymore, and he was tempted to finish him. But if he killed him would he be no better than him? They forwarded through the dozens of enemies before them, in a flurry of sharp edges and bolts. Parry after parry, kill after kill, they broke straight through flawlessly, except for minor slip ups by Julie, who was quickly saved by Jav. Eventually, they neared the edge of the camp, and just ran and ran, looking back on the crowd of bandits who hesitated to chase after them.
"You cannot hide from me!" Jango yelled. "I will find you someday!"
CHAPTER THREE: TRAVELLERS
Julie's eyes fluttered open. She was both excited and scared of the fact that she was finally out of that cage. She looked around. She didn't realise how beautiful the forest was at day, because all she thought of in that cage was of the way out. Jav sat on a mossy rock in front of her. "You fought well." She was flattered.
"I told you I learnt to use a knife." She was very nervous about her next move. What happened now? 
"Well, I should get moving. I suppose you should do the same." She stood.
"Wait!" Jav turned as he was about to leave. "Do you mind if I..." Jav raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?"
"Well, I have nowhere to go so if you don't mind could I... follow you?" He faced her.
"So you have nowhere to go, no one to stay with?"
"Yes. My entire family lived in Flasia. I'm the only one left." She could see him thinking for a moment.
"I don't see why not. Come on." Her eyes brightened. 
"Really?" she said. "You seriously mean it?"
"Of course. It wouldn't be nice to leave someone stranded in the forest. Come on. We're going to La'Dre." She rushed up to Jav, obviously grateful she was not alone. In fact, Jav reminded her a little of her father. It was nice to have someone by her side, through these harsh times. They started walking through the thick forest, avoiding the roads to avoid the bandits. They had no idea where they were going, so they started to trek up a steep hill to find their location. 
"So." Julie asked. "How come you're going to La'Dre?" He helped her up a steep outcropping.
"Well, La'Dre is just a supply stop, my real destination is Arraval. The Shielded City."
"Oh." She had heard of Arraval somewhere. It was a place where magicians gathered, and they were protected by this massive rock wall which acted like a shield. Well, that was what she heard. "How come you're going to Arraval?" Jav's expression darkened. 
"I have to deliver something very important. And private."
"Okay." She was getting tired of climbing already. "I hope we're close. I haven't eaten anything but bread and water for months." Her stomach growled. "I'm so hungry." Jav looked like he realised something. 
"That's right. I have a few chunks of pork in my pack. When we get to the top, we'll stop and eat." She agreed to this, and seemed to climb a little faster with the thought of food in her head. Soon enough, the peak was in sight. The trees parted when they climbed the final cliff, and they revealed mountains surrounding them, with thousands of lush, green trees as far as the eye could see. To the right of the hill was a huge port, surrounded by small buildings and a stone wall surrounding it all."There it is." said Jav, pointing towards the structures."La'Dre." It was the annual meeting point for all citizens of Cypra, and people from all trades gathered here for the variety La'Dre offered. Jav unstrapped his satchel and pulled out two wrapped packages of meat. "Okay, just a short meal and we have to get to La'Dre." They unwrapped their packages and each took a large, generous bite out of the pork, chewing it thankfully. She must've had an obvious smile on her face, because her tongue was acting like it had ever tasted meat before. It was not long for this moment to be ruined though. Suddenly, she heard a loud howl, and out of nowhere grey, savage looking wolves surrounded them, snarling. They dropped their meals and drew their weapons. "Wolves!" Her daggers penetrated one of the wolves' necks as it lunged at her. Jav pulled out his dagger and slashes any wolf that came near. She ducked when one lunged at her head, and as she did so she stuck both her blades in its stomach. Blood sprayed all over her. 
"Eww." The bodies kept piling, but the wolves just kept coming. 
"We can't keep doing this! We have to get out of here!" They ran down the rocky hill, but not managing to outrun the savage pack of wolves. They reached a massive tree blocking their path, and they turned to find themselves surrounded yet again. "Damnit!" She noticed among the pack one comeplety dark wolf. It looked bigger and stronger than the others, and the rest closed in only when it moved. That's when she realised something. 
"The Alpha Wolf! The wolves have a leader!" Jav stared at her in disbelief, but then he noticed the one among the others. He fired a bolt towards the Alpha Wolf, who dodged it and sprinted towards him. It jumped onto him, pinning him down to the ground, and continuously bit at him. He jammed his crossbow into its snapping jaws. 
"Julie! A little help!" She heard his call and finished off her latest opponent, then came rushing to his side. Jav's crossbow splintered and cracked, and it almost snapped comeplety when her blade pierced it's chest. The wolf froze, then Jav kicked it off. The other wolves backed of in fear, and at last they ran off. Jav stood. " That was close." was all he said.
Jango walked through the Leetran streets, trying to find where his contact hid. He had to report his failed capture, so that he may receive more gear for the task. He put his hand onto his shoulder. It was still a little sore from his last encounter with Jav, so Rapture had to follow him in the sky. Damn Jav. Damn everyone who cross the Brotherhood. He passed an alleyway. "Psst." he heard. "Over here." He turned, not knowing what may be in there, yet still followed the strange voice. The alleyway was just like the streets- dark, miserable and unsanitary. He came to an open door, and walked in. He came to a large warehouse, that was dark and musty. Rapture followed him in there, and perched on a nearby railing. It was only lit by one Minervic Lightbulb, hanging like a star in the dark. Below it stood a cloaked man, his cloak hooded so no one may see his face. "Jango." he said. "I know you have failed." His face turned surprised. 
"Well, that is most surprising. In fact, that is why I am here, to to tell you that I have. Perhaps, for next time, it would require more gear?" 
"NONSENSE!" His voice seemed to shake the room. "I gave you the utmost technology available in Cypra, and still you cannot apprehend one man!" Jango took a step back.
"B-But sir, It wasn't me, it was-"
"Don't try to stop this! I have my own way of making sure this never happens again." A wondrous grey light surrounded Jango and Rapture, giving them a jolt if they were to touch it.
"What are you doing? What have I done?"
"You gave him a chance." said the cloaked man, as he walked away into the darkness.
CHAPTER FOUR: LA'DRE
The gates of La'Dre were relatively small, and not many guards were seen patrolling the area. He figured that a merchant's city, where many people flocked, would have a little more safer atmosphere. The outskirts of the city were ridden with the poor and helpless, who lived in huts and smelt of rotten food scraps. The gates creaked. "Oh god." was Julie's reaction. The city watch must have noticed them. It eventually opened to its full extent, showing the crowd that massed behind. Market stalls along the stone road for as far as the eye could see, filled with exotic treasures from Cypra and beyond. "Wow!" They were positioned right outside the richest looking houses, to maximise profits. But in most cases, the merchants ended up running for their lives while being chased by hired bodyguards. In the distance, huge masts from ships were docked at the famous port. "So we're here. Now what?" He said. He figured he'd start with some food, then head to the blacksmiths to repair his crossbow. He wouldn't survive long without his weapon of choice. He told Julie about this, and she decided to do some sightseeing for herself. They parted ways, and agreed to meet at the port later. Jav tried to find a food stall. So many different people in one place. Every stand he passed he would see more and more exotic items like "dweller tooth" or "crystalline spider legs". 
"Come, come! I guarantee you a great bargain!" said a dark skinned merchant with an annoying accent. He seemed to be selling an orb of some sort, that glowed even in the harsh sun. He approached the stand, curious. "Ah! I see you are admiring this fine piece of equipment." 
"What exactly does it do?" The merchant picked it up. 
"It is a tool used by the Dotran miners. As you know, Dotrans have the highest quality Minervic devices at their disposal, and this is one of them. It brings light wherever you go, be it the darkest depths, or the highest summit." Jav stroked his chin.
"Fascinating. How much?" He figured it might be of use to them later, as they were eventually going into the Arraval sewers.
"How much? Well, I'm sure an agreeable price would be 50 gold pieces. Is that acceptable?" 50? That was pretty much all they had. But, this orb would be useful.. "Ah! I can see you thinking hard about this. Tell you what, since I have many places to be, I'll halve this price." Halve? He was surprised. What a generous man he was.
"It's a deal." The merchant gave a smile of acceptance, then handed Jav the orb. He placed it into his satchel. 
"May it show you the path when you have lost the way." He gave him the money, and then parted ways with him. As he looked for a smithy, he thought about what he had been through on the way here. He had already been captured by bandits that worked together, and wolves that did the same. Julie had chosen to follow him, since her home was comeplety incinerated and her parents rotting corpses in the dust. Everyone worked together these days. It must be some uprising. He felt thankful yet sad for Julie being here. She had lost all she had loved, and was now alone in this world, apart from him. It's nice to have someone you can depend on. He spotted the unmistakeable flames of a forge, being used by a tall man bulging with muscles. He approached him. 
"Excuse me sir. Could you repair something of mine?" The blacksmith turned, only to reveal horrendous scars across his face. 
"What then?" he said. Jav pulled out his crossbow, now broken in half. "Blimey. What happened to it?" The blacksmith took it off him, and went to work with his back turned. 
"Wolves. A whole pack. Me and my companion were ambushed by them. They were led by some Alpha wolf." A massive clang. 
"Ambushed? Well well well, they're gettin' smarter. Looks like it was a fine weapon. Once had a grappling hook on it right?" 
"Yes." he replied. "It had served me well." 
"And it shall serve you again." He turned, holding in his hands a completely new looking crossbow, the hooks gleaming and sharpened, the wood sleek and smooth. It was now back to its former glory. 
"By god. You truly are the master craftsman. What can I do to repay you?" 
"Oh nothin'. Your satisfaction is its own reward. Now, your armour looks a bit out of shape. Let me fix it up."
This place has so much variety, Julie thought. She had found herself at the docks, staring at the majestic ships towering before her. They were exquisitely decorated, and showed scars of former trips. A man in a red uniform walked up to her. "Admiring the Winter, are you?" She turned, surprised.
"Winter? How come it's named that?"
"The names Thatch. I'm The captain of this here ship. Now, that's a good question. You see, this ship was built in the city of Coldhearth, were the wind could kill ya if you don't bundle up." He ran his hand across the hull. "This was the ship they used to find the Requiem, and only I knew where it was." She raised an eyebrow. 
"Requiem? Never heard of it."
"It is a very strange place. The walls whisper to ya, and it feels like someone's always watching you. They say you can talk to the deceased." This thought gave Julie the shivers. She always was afraid of ghosts, and to know that they exist somewhere was even more scary. So far we could get as far as the inner wall, and from there is a giant door, hard as hell. None of our equipment could blast through it." That was even more interesting. What could be behind that door? She wished she had been there. 
"I wish I could sail the sea." She noticed Thatch think for a moment. 
"Tell you what. Why don't I give you a tour of the ship. She's got no more trips left within her anyway, so it wouldn't hurt." She eagerly accepted this, and followed him onto the deck. It was more clean that she expected, water pooled in places across the deck, and the crew members sat around doing their own thing. Thatch stopped. "Guys, this is um.. What's your name?" 
"Julie." she said. "Julie Grimace." 
"Nice name. Now, I'm giving her a tour of the ship. You guys better clean up your act." They walked below deck, grunting. "I don't think I have to show you the deck." He pointed at a steel room on the upper level of the deck. "This here is our cannon. It's gotten us far into the beyond." It had a large barrel on a pivot, with a strange light glowing within. They walked below deck. It was far worse then the upper deck. "Down here are the bedrooms, or more like pigstys. I've never seen this part clean." They continued walking down the hallway, and came to a rotting wood door. They walked in, and Thatch sat at the desk in the middle of the room. There was nothing apart from a few windows. Thatch laid back. "This room's the Captain's Cabin. Nothin special, just a place where I can rest my head after a long day." 
"Gee, this ship could sure use a little cleaning."
"You won't believe how many times I've heard that. Now. What brings you to La'Dre? Traveler? You look a little young for it."
"Actually yeah. Me and a friend are traveling to Arraval."
"Arraval?" He leaned towards her slowly. "You'd be daft if you're going there. News is that the Gifted are rioting."
"Actually, we're going to deliver something there. I don't know what it is, but I owe him."
"Owe him? For what?"
"It's a long story."
CHAPTER FIVE: THE SECOND ROAD
Where was that girl? Jav had been waiting at the gate of the port for hours. They had better get moving before nightfall. If they don't make it, then the wild creatures will flock back into the Socrate Highlands, blocking their passage to Arraval. He had bought a few fresh packages of venison, and another flask of water. He saw a figure walking towards him in the distance, waving. "Jav!" It was Julie, and she looked quite content. As she neared him, she said: "Jav, you should have come to the docks. I went aboard one of the ships, and the captain gave me a tour. He said something about the Requiem." He was stunned. The Requiem? That was the same place where he could meet revive Dawn. He had almost forgotten about her. He so very longed to see her again, yet he hadn't thought about the location of the Requiem. And now maybe, just maybe this captain could know its location. 
"Did he know the location?" 
"Yes." she replied. "Only he knows it." That concluded it. He was his ticket to the Requiem, and soon he would have the key to open it. Maybe after, he may pay that captain a visit. 
"Okay, enough of this. I've got the supplies, so let's get moving." She agreed, and then they started to walk down the port towards the north gate. 
"So, how come you're interested in the Requiem?" He turned away.
"It's because of someone. Someone I wish to see." 
"So I'm guessing that someone is... dead? How did he or she die?" 
"I don't want to talk about it." The conversation ended there, and he walked a little further apart from Julie. As they reached the gate, it creaked and groaned. No guards were seen once again, so Jav simply pushed the gate open. The Socrate Highlands sat in the distance, and he could here the cries of its unique creatures already. That was the only passage towards Arraval, as danger ridden as it was. Julie saw Jav stare at the Highlands, and looked nervous, as she knew their next destination. The road was long and winded, leading up cliffs as they climbed it. It was no easy task, as Julie kept slipping off. Suddenly, he heard a rustle. "Get down." They hid behind a nearby rock, scanning for a possible threat. He saw a terrible sight, a tangled mass of green vines, with numerous weapons of the deceased impaled into it. A mask with a cross was where a face would be. A wildvine. It searched for them, taking slow, harrowing steps. It was almost upon them, looking directly above them. He felt Julie shivering she would have never faced one of these, nor had he. But this was not the day. As soon as the wildvine left their position, they sneaked across to the next incline, and eventually started to run. The wildvine eventually slithered away. Their encounter was over. "Phew." Jav said. "Even I couldn't best a wildvine."
Dante was the underdog of Arraval. Well, at least he thought so. He had studied for years about controlling Minervic Energy, but when it came to actually using it he was terrible. This caused him much misery at the Arravali Academy. "I'll show them." he kept saying to himself in his dorm room. He looked out the window. Apprentice casters practicing their techniques in the field. He should be out there with them. A knock on his door. He turned to see his master, Ilritch staring at him. 
"Dante. I have come with a word of advice."
"What is it master?"
"As you know, our uprising forces us to come to a certain level in skill. If you cannot reach that level..." He hesitated. "Then you shall be exiled, to forever leave this place and never return." Dante's mouth must've been gaping. Ilritch turned, and walked away. He looked over his shoulder. "We will have no use for you." He was shocked. Now, this wasn't a goal to determine his popularity, no, it was to determine his very fate. He had to do this, or else his chance Arraval would be none.
The colossal mountains of the Socrate Highlands loomed before them, and they could hear cries of wolves once again. They had to find some shelter, and quick. In these lands, snowstorms were frequent. But it wasn't the snowstorms you had to worry about. It was what came with them you should be scared of. Snow Ghosts, white mirages that could kill you if you looked at them. They could be recognised by their blank faces, mist and transparent exterior. The wind seemed to blow colder. It was starting. "Brrr." Julie shivered. "I'm freezing. How far is Arraval?"
"Very far." he replied. "We'll survive as long as we find shelter. Keep looking." It was getting colder and colder with every step they took. They desperately needed shelter, for now they were too far into the Highlands to go back. The snow started to fall. The howling cries of snow ghosts wailed in the distance. He felt weak at thought of facing one. Julie moved closer to Jav. Their vision became blurred. He could hardly see a thing. Suddenly he felt Julie slip away. "Jav! Help me!" The cry didn't help him at all in finding her.
"Julie!" No reply. Damnit! She was too young for this. The Snow Ghosts must have got her. His anger made him press on. "I'll kill you for this!" It was unavoidable. Sooner or later he would disappear too. He noticed a vague image of a person. "Who are you?" He made his way closer. In a flash, the figure leaped at him. Wait, not at him, it felt like it leaped THROUGH him. He felt like collapsing. It was a snow ghost, no doubt. He charged at it, anger blinding his vision, but the ghost just kept phasing through him. He fell to his knees. The snow met his face, and soon he was lying flat on the ground, surrounded by dozens of deadly mirages.
Bursts of grey energy erupted from the middle of Dante's scythe, only to fade as soon as it began to fly. "No no no! This is all wrong! Maybe my concentration was off." He began to lose confidence. 
"Hey Dante! Giving up already?" He turned to see his hated rival, Pierre walk in the courtyard. He was thin, so he wore a large coat to cover it. "Pathetic! People like you give us a bad name!" 
"Shut it!" Pierre had a devious smirk on his face. 
"What are you gonna do about it?" Dante's anger took over him. He pointed his scythe at Pierre, and focused. The beginning of a grey light shone in the blade, and he started to concentrate on loosing it on him. An invisible force burst from the light, almost reaching Pierre before petering out. "Ouch. That wind almost tickled, Dante." He saw the smile on Pierre's face, unable to hold back harsh laughter. He walked away laughing, leaving him to wallow in his embarrassment. Now, his fire burned brighter than ever. He went back to training, each attempt ending with failure. By now the dummy should have been blasted to smithereens. Yet he kept trying. "Someday." 
"You keep trying, child." He noticed the bearded face of Master Ilritch looking at him. "You will get it soon. I can feel it." 
"Master?" Ilritch walked towards him. He spun, and fired a blast of Minervic Energy towards the training dummy. It was completely mutilated, fake limbs blown everywhere. 
"You need more finesse. Minervic Energy can be weaved as easily as a needle, in the hands of one able to use it." Dante followed his advice, and tried it out for himself. He aimed at the second training dummy, and began to focus. He let the energy flow through him, and he could feel it moving at his will. He drew it into his scythe, and fired. A faint blast rushed towards the dummy, and this time, it actually struck, leaving the dummy wobbling. His patience was finally awarded. Yes! Finally! He bowed. 
"Thankyou master. I am grateful." 
"It is no problem. After all, that is why I am here." He noticed Ilritch think a bit. "You know what? How about you try the Test. Maybe now you'll be ready. Soon, definitely." The Test was a rite of passage for all Gifted to finally be let to leave the Arravali Academy, and begin their lives as a citizen of Arraval. In these times, it was mandatory. 
"Th-thankyou master! I will not let you down." As they went their separate ways, Dante thought of his coming test. Finally, after all this time, he was ready.
Julie awoke in a cavern in the dark, trying to comprehend what had just happened. "Uhhh...my head.." She climbed to her feet. She couldn't see a thing, except for the light of an exit, where outside the snowstorm raged. She looked for Jav. No one. She was on her own. That gave her a frightened feeling. She had no idea what to do, as she had no experience for herself. She forced herself to calm down. "Okay, okay. Its gonna be fine." She focused. She was still in the Socrate, she knew, so Jav might still be around somewhere. She felt her way around. It would be madness to go back into the snow, as those creatures- Snow Ghosts- could be roaming everywhere. She looked very carefully. A long tunnel, leading deeper and deeper into the cave. She followed it. Small mosses and animals sheltered in the cave, and a passing fox surprised her. As she walked deeper, she noticed a small light, emanating from a small blue flower. How strange. She moved in for a closer look, and soon discovered a long, spread trail of the strange plants. Perfect! She could use these as guidance through the cave. Following the trail, she could hear, just faintly, someone yelling, complimented by a booming sound. Who could that be? Maybe it was Jav. Tracing the sound, she came across several dead ends, and smacked her head into the wall multiple times. The voice got louder, and she could just make out the words: "Come get some!" It didn't sound like Jav at all. That killed that theory. Eventually she came across a large light source, dozens of glowing flowers grouped in one place, and a small , metal structure among them. A bearded man wielding a small cannon stood there, surrounded by multiple, transparent figures. She was about to jump in and help, but then something extraordinary happened. From the small cannon erupted an enormous blast of grey energy, making the Ghosts disintegrate. "Whoooweee! That was a rush!" She approached the bearded man, astonished. "Woah hang on? What are you doing here?" 
"I don't know." Julie replied. "I blacked out in the snowstorm, and I wound up here." The man walked to the metal structure, which was his home. 
"You must be bleeding mad to have been out there." he opened a rickety wood door. 
"I was traveling with someone. Have you seen anyone?" 
"Sorry but your story is all I know." he replied. "The name's Smith by the way." He was tending to a fire inside, trying to get it going. "Come on in." She did, and inside was like smithy, arms and armour hanged on the walls, a few she did not know the use. A small fireplace functioned as a heat source and forge, and a small table sat beside it. Smith sat in one of the rotten chairs. She sat in the opposite. Maybe she could get him to help her.
"So how come you live here?" she asked.
"I..... chose to. It's a source of excitement in this life. What brings you to the Socrate?" He obviously was hiding something. She kept it out of her mind.
"Me and my friend are heading to Arraval. We need to deliver something. Thats why I have to find him. He has the package." This was obviously not the only reason. She now had a friendship with him, and that commitment requires her to look out for him when he cannot. 
"That's what everyone says. And I think I can help you find your friend. See, I know these tunnels like my own hand. I've lived in here for as long as I remember. If I can't find him, no one else will. Well, no one that doesn't want to kill him that is." Hope sparked within her. 
"So, you'll help?"
"Hey? What else am I supposed to do? Sit here? I get so lonely. But first, you should rest a bit. Have a meal. Food is scarce from here."
Flashes of people from his past blinked in his head. He kept thinking of Dawn, the way he killed her. Why? What had come over him? As he thought of his bold piercing her heart, deep wounds of regret opened once again. Nothing could compare to the searing pain he felt when he struck the final blow. He had to stop thinking of this. He had to move on. Countless times he had heard that. But no. He just couldn't. He had a chance now. To fix his mistake. All he had to do now, was complete the task he was given. Something else came to mind: the Socrate. He had passed out! No. This could not be the end. And it won't be. He slowly opened his eyes, and clumsily crawled to his feet. A dark cave was his location. Well at least he wasn't going to freeze to death. He looked around. And endless darkness was all he saw. There was no sign of Julie. "Julie!" His voice echoed through the tunnels. "Where is she?" He felt his way through the dark. It was so hard to see. He bumped his head multiple times on the rocky wall. He needed light desperately. Suddenly, he remembered the strange object he had purchased in La'Dre. His hands searched for his satchel. Luckily, they found the smooth, glass orb that he was looking for. Perfect. But how did it work? He felt around for some sort of trigger. Nothing yet. It was curious. Maybe he could twist it.... Yes! The orb began to glow with the sound of an automaton, and the blue light revealed a long tunnel that led downwards. He began to follow it, holding the orb a fair distance in front of him. He had never heard of any caverns as long as this in the Socrate. Maybe it was hidden where few dare to tread. There was nothing familiar in here, so he had to be careful. He came to a large cavern, and almost walked off a large cliff overlooking the cavern. "Woah!" Another loud echo. He looked down. There were bunches of the strange glowing plants, spread all over a path under him. He saw two people, one with a beard and one with long, brown hair. Dozens of strange, glowing blue flowers lit up the path they followed. It looked like he did not need the orb, so he twisted it, turning it off, and placed it back in its satchel. "Julie! Up here!" He said as he waved. To his luck, she waved back.
"Jav! Over here!" He could see her smile clearly from here. How was he going to get down? Maybe he could find another path. 
"Stay there!" He shouted. "I'll find a way down!" He went back the way he came, and searched for a second path. He felt a fork in the paths, and followed one, hoping it would lead downwards. He could feel an incline. This surely enough was the path. The tunnel twisted and turned, and soon enough, he came to the light at the end. Julie ran up to him and hugged him. He knew how much she depended on him now, and felt good about it. "I'm glad you're okay." He said. "Who is he?" He pointed to the man with the beard. 
"Oh Smith's our guide." replied Julie. "He knows how to get out. And also, he lives here." Smith walked up to him and shook his hand.
"Very nice to meet the famous Jav! Julie here's been worried sick about you." 
"Thanks for looking after her." 
"Don't mention it. Now, since everyone's here, let's get outta here." They all agreed, and continued to follow the path of glowing blue flowers. Jav noticed the cannon Smith was holding. 
"That's an interesting weapon. How does it work?" Smith cocked the cannon to one side as he walked. 
"It's a fine girl, isn't she? Made her myself. Powered by a high rate Minervic Engine, which I found just dumped here. There was also a guy laying next to it. Looked a little sickly though." That's weird, Jav thought. But you could expect that from someone who lives in solitude. They reached a dead end. Smith walked up to the wall and put his ear against it. He knocked on it once, and gave a thumbs up. 
"What is it?" Julie asked.
"This wall is weak." Smith replied. "There's another tunnel on the other side. A blast of this baby and we'll be on our way to a straight path outta here." He pointed his cannon towards the wall. "Stand back." The barrel exploded with harsh grey light, and the rock wall was smashed to pieces as he demonstrated its sheer power. 
"Woah!" Julie shouted in interest. "That was awesome!" Smith chuckled.
"That's just a portion of ma'am. This beauty is one of the only things that can kill snow ghosts." 
"Oh yes." Julie said. "I saw you take out four of them in shot earlier." 
"That sounds mighty impressive." Jav said. "People would kill for that sort of power." Smith stroked his firearm. 
"Aww shucks. It just take a little hard work that's all." They walked through the massive hole made for them, continuing onto yet another path. He almost fell off another chasm once, but Smith stopped him before he did. It was hard to believe why someone would want to live in a dangerous place like the Socrate, nor why he would live here by himself. He decided to ask. 
"Smith." He said. "So how come you live here?" Smith made a face that showed either anger or regret. 
"I didn't always live here." He replied. "I used to be a trader, back in La'Dre. People lined up for miles to purchase my craftsmanship." 
"I can see why." 
"Any who, one day some rich fellow came and bought one of my first prototypes of this." He held up his weapon. "He wasn't careful, and ended up shootin' himself, despite what I said. I was blamed for his accident, and was therefore exiled." 
"That's horrible." Julie was in this now. 
"As you know. I fled here, as no one would help me, and built me own place. I made this cannon to remind myself of my creation, and how it's dangers brought me here." 
"Wow." Jav said. He couldn't believe that ones actions had gotten this man living in one of the most dangerous places in Cypra, just because one did not listen. That was unbelievable. "Have you ever tried going back? The citizens might have forgotten."
"Yes. Countless times." Tears welled up in his eyes. "But they run me out as soon as I set foot on the grounds." He knew what it was like to be an exile. He had long sought to return to Divia, yet he is not permitted. They spotted a light at the end of a long tunnel. 
"There!" They ran, excited to be leaving this place. But victory was still far from them. The blue flowers started to glow even brighter, and suddenly flashed, blinding everyone and stopping them in their tracks. When their vision returned, they saw a large group of grandparent figures, blocking the exits. Snow ghosts. 
"Go!" Smith shouted. "I'll hold them off!" Jav and Julie ran, knowing they could not fight them if they tried. Smith let loose a massive blast if grey energy, and dozens of enemies were vaporised in one hit. As the thundering blasts decimated ghost numbers, Jav and Julie ran through the exit out to a snowy canyon. Smith fired another round, drawing their attention, and this time it smashed the rocky ceiling, trapping him inside. 
"Smith!" Smith was buried in a rock slide of epic proportions, taking the dozens of Snow ghosts with him, and there was no way he could have survived. It was sad, that he had lived most of his life in that cave, and died there. Julie began crying. She had not witnessed many deaths of friends, and this was her second. 
"It is all right." Jav assured. "These things happen." They walked away from the scene, trying not to think of Smith's death.
CHAPTER FIVE: THE SHIELDED CITY
There was nothing more important in Arraval than the Test. It was the make or break moment of a Gifted's life. It was soon his turn. He had been training hard, following Ilritch's advice. Two days left. He had already gotten the hang of basic combat, but he had been working on his speciality. Everyone had one. Be it teleportation of even shape-shifting, one could specialise in using Minervice to be able to do those things. He was not sure what he wanted to become. The training dummy ruptured at his command. He was impressed with how much he had improved. He smiled. Let's see what Pierre has to say now. He heard marching outside. Tank-like men marched past holding in armoured suits, holding spears with a conduit, charging them with Minervic Energy. Damn them. Treats us Gifted like crap. We couldn't do anything about it, as their suits make us immune to their attacks. They hated us so much that they even blamed us for the murder of our lord, Drake Laverne. He had heard of people being beat by them at night, and yet no one does anything about them. He hoped he would never run into them. He watched them walk up to a poor man in rags. "Please!" The peasant jumped onto one of the guards. "Spare one coin! Me kids are starving!" The guards laughed with a muffled voice and threw him off. 
"And why would we do that? Filthy worm." They kicked him in the head, their heavy boots leaving a bleeding gash on his head, and kept it up. The man started to scream, but his voice was cut off by the spear being impaled in his throat.
The great sight of the Shielded City loomed before them, the marvellous, intricately carved stone walls towering before them. A massive cliff was where the wall ended, and in the sky he could see the tiniest green tinge. The Shield.
"This is so beautiful." Julie said. They walked up to the gates, where heavily armoured guards stood before them. 
"Halt!" They said simultaneously. "Who goes there?" 
"We have important business inside." Jav replied. "On account of Lord Recitalle of Leetra."
"Ha!" One of the guards said." The affairs of the other capitals mean nothing to Arraval!" The conversation ended there, and they walked off to the side of the road. 
"How are we gonna get in?" Julie asked. "Nothing can get past them."
"I think I have an idea." said Jav, pointing to a steel hatch on the ground beside them. 
"Oh no. Not the sewers." Julie backed away in disgust. 
"It's the only way. Would you rather get into a fight with them?" Julie looked at the guards. They seemed pretty tough, and there was no way she could best them, with the little training she had. 
"Uhhh. Fine. The sewers it is."
"Uhhh!!!! This reeks!" 
"Quiet down. We don't want anyone to hear us." They waded through the vile, green sludge, holding their nose as they went. 
"As if someone would be patrolling here. I know I wouldn't."
The tunnels were dark, and Julie kept tripping and ending up almost falling face first into the sewage. They walked on and on, and it wasn't long before they found a door leading to a second tunnel.They were about to climb up and into it, until they spotted someone walking nearby. 
"Get down!" Jav whispered. They both ducked down, and held their noses. The person came to be guard, and behind him followed a dozen others. They tried to sneak through, avoiding their line of sight. They had to try not to engage, as they did not know if thru could take them or not. A few steps further, and they would be in the clear. 
But something had to slip up.
Julie just needed to let go, and she gulped in a mouthful of air loudly. 
"What was that?" One of the guards said.
"I'll go and check it out." said another. That one turned around to see them trying to hurry away to the door, yet they froze in their tracks. "You there!" He said. "You made a mistake coming here!" The guard pointed his spear towards them, and it began to glow. 
A cannon.
As the guard was about to fire, a purple outline surrounded him. Suddenly he was floating, and he was propelled into the wall with tremendous force. A blonde girl, wearing leathery armour, jumped from the other side of the sewage canal wielding an exquisitely decorated dagger. A party of armed men and women followed her, and together they hacked and slashed their way through the legion. The blonde girl focused, and surrounded two more of the guards in purple energy. She flailed them around, and smashed them into both the walls. Four more took their place, but she was ready. As they attacked, she dodged, then countered with a slice to the abdomen, killing them all in one flawless combo. Jav helped Julie up.
"Thanks for the help." He said. "We were in a tight spot there."
"No problem." said the blonde girl. "Allow me to introduce myself. First off, my name is Harmony Laverne."
Harmony had led them to her hideout, a large, spacious room with a small stream of sewage running in the corner. Hardened looking men and women sat around, as they sharpened stolen guard's spears and tended to injuries. "That was amazing." said Julie in awe. 
"Thanks. You have to be this good in these times. Gifted are crawling everywhere." She looked over to the crowd. "They've been giving us hell as soon as my father was...." She shook her head, trying not to think about it. "So what brings you here?" She said. 
"We have an important package." replied Jav. "For some of Lord Recitalle's soldiers." She looked puzzled. 
"Recitalle? I've heard of him. Leetran." She walked over to a map. It was the complete map of the sewers, Jav knew from seeing the many tunnels that covered the parchment. "I can't say if they were Leetran, all I saw is a few men in uniforms, heading under the Arravali Academy." She traced a line that lead to the edge with he finger. "Passed through here, saying they had urgent business. They could be the people you're after." 
"Thanks." Julie rushed towards the nearest exit, but Jav stopped her.
"Wait." He looked at Harmony. "You know the sewers better than both of us. Could you get us there?" 
"You've come to the right person." She replied. "Let's get moving."
"So how come you're in the sewers?" asked Julie. "It stinks down here."
"I was forced down here when the Revolution began." 
"Oh that's right." Jav joined the conversation. "You're Drake's daughter."
"Yes. I am. He never liked my talent." She surrounded her dagger with purple energy, and levitated it. Telekinesis. "He said I was too much like the Gifted. He resented me for it."
"Sounds like a bad father." Said Julie.
"He was. He only became ruler of Arraval to teach Gifted a lesson."
"How could someone hate them that much?" asked Julie again.
"Because his family had died in the Great War. He was the only one left. Thats how."
"Wow."
"I know. He had this low tolerance with me. He did not let me use my gift in the palace. I thought it useless, as I would never get to use it anyway." A sad expression landed on her face. "Then he was gone one night, and I found these men with bloody swords looking for me. That's how I ended up here." They stopped at an overlook, looking over another room. Down there was a group of soldiers, not like the ones before, as they had a green, circular emblem emblazoned onto it. 
"Gifted." said Harmony. She unsheathed her weapon in a flash. "I'm gonna kill them all." 
"Wait." Jav stopped her before she could jump. As if on cue, another group of soldiers, dressed in the same armour, walked in. The first group noticed this, and, strangely, drew hooked blades and attacked. The second group was too surprised to retaliate. But the weird thing was, the first had not cast any spells, as Gifted do. "There's our people."
"What?" said Harmony in surprise. "You're with them?"
"They're not who you think." Jav jumped down, and Julie followed. She was not quite sure who these people were, but she followed anyway. As they approached, one Drew his blade and pointed it at Jav, who showed no fear whatsoever. He instantly searched his satchel for the item given to him, and held it in the air. 
"By god! The device!" Julie had no idea what was going on. So this was the package. A tiny silver sphere. She wondered what it did. "So you were the one who would end this." The disguised soldier turned to a tank of a man. "Sir. He brings the Device." He walked up to them, and bowed. Jav handed him the silver object.
"Thank you. I am General Salvin of the Fourth Division. We've been trapped here for days, and the Gifted have kept coming and coming." Salvin examined the almost crystalline object. "This is the one. This will end this."
"Recitalle said you knew where the chink was."
"Of course." Salvin was too busy looking at the Device to look at him. "But it is far and we are little against many." Jav knew what he was saying.
"So you want me to get you there?" Salvin walked closer to him.
"Would you be so kind?" Jav rolled his eyes. This better be the last task. 
"Come on Julie. We gotta get these guys to the chink." Julie gave a face of curiosity. Harmony stayed quiet. "Are you coming? This might be your chance for revenge." She rushed ahead.
"Of course I'm going! I've been waiting for this!" They walked on through the sewers, leaving Julie puzzled. 
"Well!" she said. "Is anyone gonna tell me what's going on?"
Unusually, Dante found the Test more harrowing than he thought. It was pretty much a whole building, where within were challenges beyond the skill of a novice Gifted. He was ready. He was able. Well, he hoped so. He walked down the halls of the Arravali Academy, flanked by Master Ilritch and fellow adepts. "This is your time." Ilritch kept repeating. I know, I know, stop pressuring me he thought. They reached the end of the long hallway, were two other hooded elders opened the door for them. They entered a massive courtyard, covered with fake grass and dotted with exotic plants. High walls inscribed with the names of those who passed surrounded them. Soon, the name Dante Bitwa would join them. Every student lined up, forming a path towards the building which housed the Test. Pierre gave a dirty look, which he easily spotted and returned. How do you like me now? He thought. The looming doors of the Test towered before them, glowing with the seal of Arraval resting in the middle. He felt slightly invigorated in it's light- almost like he bathed in pure energy. Ilritch and the others turned to him, and knelt. The students did the same, even Pierre. He approached the doors, and tried to push them aside. It wouldn't budge. This was embarrassing. How would he complete this if he couldn't even open the door? "Psst." He turned. Ilritch looked at him. "Perhaps the door will only open to those who show their strength?" Oh. He had forgotten this. He had to show his skill, or else it would not open. That was how only the worthy may enter. He drew his short scythe, and focused on the middle. Tiny balls of light gathered, and collected to form a pure ball of energy. He aimed it at the door, which reacted to this, preparing to accept the offering. 
But suddenly, fate intervened. 
A loud explosion sounded. The walls surrounding them were decimated in a single hit. Everyone ran, except for him and the adepts. He was too afraid to escape. They looked up. From the rubble, a figure rose. He had a scruffy black beard, wearing grand armour emblazoned with the champion's crest of Arraval- a golden, spherical symbol. 
"I am Scythe!" said the bearded figure. "And today I will set our fair city free!"
She had heard explosions from above, and it made Julie scared. What was going on? What was the chink? What was that silver ball thing for? Jav had said not now. He was too busy. But, she had no choice but to follow him. There was nowhere else. No one else... She had to forget it. Jav was her family now. Jav helped her up a broken cliff. From there stairs began, and they followed them to a long corridor. The stench was completely unbearable, as she found herself holding her nose a few times. As they walked, it got stronger. Even Jav ended up recoiling from the smell. "Ewww! What is that stink?" 
"It's the sewers! What do you think?" Harmony answered. 
"No, this is, if it was possible, stronger than the sewers." A few sniffs from Salvin's battalion. 
"You're right." Salvin said. "And it seems to be coming from the end of the corridor." She shivered at the thought of what might be in there. But still she followed. They eventually reached the end, and the corridor opened to a large, circular room, the sewage pooling in a foul lake in the middle. Julie didn't pay attention, and almost fell in it. She breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't get any more filthier. They continued to go around the pool, but Jav stopped, halting their advance. "What is it?" Salvin asked behind him. 
"Something is here." He replied. "And it's watching us." As if on cue, a gigantic, serpentine creature rose from the sewage, it's roar shattering the very room. It was scaly and smooth at the same time, and it's green skin was caked with a thick coat of slime. Salvin's men stood back in horror, and she was tempted to do so to, but standed her ground with Jav and Harmony. Salvin drew his weapon, and everyone else did the same. 
"Looks like we'll have to give it our all to get past this one." Julie was intimidated with the little knowledge of fighting she had, but still drew her daggers. The serpent shot towards Harmony, but she simply dodged and slashed its right cheek. She showed no fear. Julie envied that. Next was Jav. As the serpent writhed in pain, Jav fired three well placed shots into the chinks in the serpent's armour, which drove it to attack him instead. Salvin ran in before it could strike him, and slashed it before it had a chance to hit. The serpent came crashing down before her, and the battle was over, before she had a chance to do anything.
Or so she thought.
The serpent started to get up, and as it did she ran, out of instinct, and jumped on top of it, securing herself by stabbing her daggers into it's back. 
"You've got it Julie!" Harmony shouted from below. "Finish it!" She had no idea how, yet she continued climbing bloodily towards the serpent's head. "Go for the eyes!" She was disgusted by this suggestion, but knew it was a good choice. She climbed further and further, only just managing to keep her grip. The great beast shook its head. She almost fell, but quickly found a placement for her foot and launching herself back into position. 
"Okay Julie, that was not a problem." She climbed further and further, until she was atop the serpent's head. She fond her balance point-as difficult as it was to do on top of a monster's head- and extracted her daggers. In a quick strike, she stabbed both blades into it's eyes, and kept them there for as long as she could muster. She could feel the slime oozing out after the final blow, and could barely hold back the barf. 
"Yes!" Harmony remarked.
"Knew she could do it." said Jav. The great serpent fell to the ground once again, landing with a thud. Julie stood among the carcass, already rotting. 
"Well." Julie said. "I guess that was fun?"
Julie had done good. Jav was impressed. She had come a long way, and had gained the skill of a fighter quickly. Almost to the end of the sewers. Harmony had told them this. She knew this place well. He was glad to have her along. A light at the end of the tunnel. Under it, a rusted iron ladder. Finally. They would get to see the Shielded City from a civilian's aspect. Closer. He felt both anxious yet afraid about what they were about to see. "I'll go up first." said Harmony. "See if the coast is clear." She climbed the ladder, which almost collapsed under her weight, and opened the manhole above. More light shined through, and Harmony climbed above. "Oh god." Everyone else followed. With every person that climbed added to the gasps of horror. He climbed up last, and was immersed in the landscape. They were revealed to be atop a high terrace, looking over all of Arraval, which was burning in ruin.
CHAPTER SIX: THE ARRAVALI ACADEMY
The Academy was in ruins. He did not know what had happened. All that he could remember was that man on the wall. One slash of his battle scythe and he blacked out. He lifted his head from the rubble. The courtyard he had been in was obliterated, as pieces of the wall were blown everywhere. He still couldn't understand how one of his own kind could turn on us. He had shouted that he'd make this city free. It didn't make sense. What had we done? He had to get out. And avoid that madman. Dante stood, and walked towards the door. If he could complete this, then he could be gone right away. He drew his blade. A little banged up, but it'll have to do. He pointed it at the door, and focused his energy on the middle. A glowing ball of light gathered, and the door responded, and he took this opportunity to fire his energy at the door. The door glowed and whirred, and flashed in blinding light. But to his disappointment, the door remained shut. 
The interior of Arraval was atrocious. Jav wished that he had never been caught up in this. But, what was done was done, and so he had to stick by his decision. But why had the Gifted revolted? Who knew? But that was also why he was here. To stop it from spreading to each of the other capitals. Today was not the day. They had been through enough. Good thing Salvin knew a place where many were welcome. The Arravali Academy. He had heard of the place. A great place where Gifted are educated, and where they can hone their talents. He was kind of excited at the fact that he would finally get a day's rest, after all the work they had been through. As he hiked through the ruins, his body ached. He just had to bring that up. The once beautiful streets were now blown to smithereens, small stores in function no more, the silence so eerie he could almost here the long past cries of the victims. A shattered playground was tucked into a corner, under a disintegrating tree. Nothing had prevailed. And that just showed the might of the Arravali military. "How could someone be so cruel?" Harmony asked.
"The damn bastards had turned on their own people!" Salvin remarked. "Must've gone mad. Suits 'em." 
"It's just so sad. How could you ever have the stomach to see your own people burn?" They simply moved on, trying not to think about they're past thought. Even Salvin's battalion seemed a little afraid of what was to come. They continued up the road. It was steep, and a few heavily armoured soldiers needed assistance to walk it. This was tiresome work. The great hill seemed endless. When, he thought, were they going to get to this academy? As soon as they reached the top, they noticed a shadow, running around them. The soldiers drew their weapons in a silvery flash. As soon as this was done, dozens of Arravali soldiers appeared, each drawing the same weapons. 
"There! Them! They're the traitors!" yelled one of the enemy soldiers. They were like doppelgängers, and he, Harmony and and Julie had no idea who was who. Loud clangs of sharpened steel filled the air. "How do we know who is who?" Harmony asked. 
"We need to find out quick, or either side will be obliterated without our input." Jav thought. And suddenly he knew. "Salvin! Order your men to fall back!" A parry. 
"What did you say? Fall back? We're in battle! In fact, why don't you join?" 
"That's just the problem!" Jav said. "We do not know who to strike! Let us handle it!" Salvin submitted, and ordered his soldiers to retreat, letting them hold the front. Jav ran in and waited for one to attack. As soon as the opportunity rose, he whacked him in the jaw and drew his crossbow. With it he used his renewed blade to slice his neck and bring him down for good. In its previous state, the crossbow would have shattered to pieces by now. Harmony slashed over and over, beating an enemy back, and finally dealt a killing blow. Julie watched and learned, and just blocked on heavy strike, and sliced his belly to bits. She looked impressed with her newfound prowess, and almost made it look simple. Salvin's group congratulated them. They were impressed with their skill. Salvin approached. 
"I've never seen someone fight like that." He said. "You could be part of my squad. We could use people like you." 
Jav made an apologetic gesture. "Thanks, but no thanks."
"Suit yourself." That conversation ended quickly, and they continued to follow the road, being careful not to trip over the corpses of their foes. The bloody massacre did not occur to them. It had happened so much they did not care now. Painful memories were triggered. Dawn. This is all for you. Soon you will be here again, by my side. This is what he thought. He almost teared up at this. It happened so fast. Why had he done it? Then he remembered something. Their final mission. An escort... Then they ran into someone. Anger suddenly flared in an eruption of epic proportions. He clutched his hand. That man... The man with the scythe.... He will pay for his crimes. 
He had no idea how to get out. His anger engulfed him entirely. He was ready! He was! But still, the door was shut, and that concluded it. But he had trained so hard. He wished that his attempt had at least amounted to something... And not have been as fruitless as it was. But right now, he needed to find a way out. Find survivors. Maybe then he could get a grip of what was happening. He walked inside. A long stretching corridor, ever metre marked with fallen debris and bodies of the deceased. The Academy now had this eerie feel, like at all times there was someone- or something watching him. But at least that stayed the same. Part of the roof fell in front of him, splintered wood almost crushing him. That was close. The suddenly, a noise. It was of footsteps, rushing quickly like someone was in a hurry. This worried him. Well, at least he wasn't alone. But still, he had to be extremely cautious. The attackers could still be lurking within. He walked over a knocked over training dummy. It was more banged up the any of the Academy's students could manage. Whoever the man with the scythe was, he was a force to be reckoned with. He shuddered. All this thinking about a murderer on the loose gave him the willies. But he couldn't help thinking about what he'd said; "I will set this fair city free!" It didn't make any sense. If that was true, he wouldn't be Turing his back on his own people, slaughtering them as he did. Unless, we were the real danger. No, that was too unbelievable. What possible threat cold we pose? He forced these thoughts out of his mind, and marched on. The old Assembly Hall. The rows of carved stone tables, arranged in a square surrounding a high silver stage. On top, was the pedestal that the elders once stood, only now was that it was in complete ruin, blown to bits. Chairs were thrown and splintered. It looked like the hairiest of fights had been fought. Some more footsteps, heavier this time. He readied his blade. Vigilance was the key. He couldn't exactly find the source of these footsteps. At first they were in front, and at times they were behind. "Yah!" A loud battle cry. He spun, only just dodging the hooked blade that went for him. It's owner was fully clad in shining armour, with a with a scythe like his glowing with a grey light. Oh dear. His first real fight. Out of instinct, he dodged another strike, and could instantly feel the adrenaline rush. Remembering his training, he pointed at the attacker's back, and fired a blast of bright Minervic Energy into him. This sent him flying into one of the stone tables, cracking his spine, killing him. Suddenly he felt invigorated. That was a little easy. But then he remembered what Ilritch had said once; "Don't get cocky, or your next fight will be your last." He followed this advice, and calmed down a bit. 
"Well well well! Looks like the whelp learned to fight!" He heard a familiar voice behind him, and turned to see a thin man dressed in the academy robes. 
"Pierre!" He gave a dirty look.
"Hey hey! Im not here for that! Ilritch just sent me out to find any survivors." Pierre flung out his arms in a vain gesture. "Of course he would trust me to do it." Ilritch was alive? Then he must be somewhere around here. And if Pierre was chosen, that means that he was chosen among others, which means more survivors! 
"Are there more of you?" He rolled his eyes.
"Pfft. Yeah. We're all in the bunker downstairs. Of course you were the only one left out!" A bunker. Dante slapped his forehead. Of course. There was a bunker downstairs, and conveniently, the stairway was on the stage of the Assembly Hall. "Well then. Looks like I have to take you down there." The walked up on stage. "And I was hoping you'd be long gone." 
Julie was tired. Her body ached from walking in this dead city, and she felt sick at the sight of so much blood and their corpses. From one ruined street after another, she kept thinking of the times she once had in Flasia. Oh, how she missed the days when she would dance throughout the night, with not a care in the world. Her eyes teared up. She missed her family. Damn Jango. Damn him and his stupid little Brotherhood! When this was over, she would make him pay. That reminded her. "Jav," she asked. He looked.
"Yeah?" he replied. 
"I've been meaning to ask about what is happening here. About that device." Jav's face became serious. 
"The Gifted are what happened here. Riots. Battles." She copied his face. "The wall is breaking. Soon, everyone will be let out. So I've been sent here, to deliver the device that will stop this." She didn't realise how big this was. She knew of course, it would be. But why was this happening? 
"How come they're rioting?" she asked. "How come they're breaking out?" 
"Cause this place is a prison to them." Those very words surprised her. "The Shield... It's not meant to keep attackers away. It's meant to keep the Gifted here. Keep them contained." She took a look at her surroundings. Even in ruin, this place looked like a pretty nice place to live. Why would anyone want to break out? And besides, the place looked near impenetrable. The seriousness of this situation was a bit much for her. She almost wished she hadn't had decided to go with Jav. 
"Why would you get caught up in this?" She turned to see Harmony walking up to them. "You have no quarrel with them." 
"In a way, this is also deep for me." He looked down in grief. "I was promised the key to life itself. The key to bring to life the dead." Harmony gave a look of understanding, and nodded. "I know what you are thinking." She noticed a tear run down her cheek. "And I understand." 
"Cheer up." Julie insisted. "I've lost loved ones too, and I know the pain too." She fought the urge to start to cry. "But sometimes we have to move on." She looked at Jav. "That's what Jav taught me." Jav smiled. He was proud of Julie, of now far she had come already. 
"You're right." Harmony understood right away. "Thinking of the past won't get us anywhere." The conversation ended there, and they resumed their trip. They came to stairs, reaching up to the highest point of Arraval. Atop the cliffs sat a building which embodied the rest, as it was more destroyed as any other they had seen. It was gloomy, even in the harsh sunlight. It looked like a palace, with its high walls and long stretches of rooms, now visible through the numerous wounds. 
"There it is. The Arravali Academy." Salvin sounded disappointed at the sight of the ruin. He started climbing the stairs. "Well, any of you coming?" This prompted them to follow, and Julie almost heard him whisper. "I hope Ilritch is okay." he said. 
The bunker seemed to small for the number of survivors that were staying here. And it was surprising how many. The bunker was a large, stone brick room, that was hidden deep underground. The injured lay on stretchers on the left side, and all supplies were tucked into the corner. The only way in or out was a small, iron ladder, and that was heavily guarded by the Academy's best. Dante climbed steadily down that ladder. He reached bottom, and was greeted by a familiar voice. "Dante? Is that you?" He spun around to see Ilritch, looking obviously worried sick. "You were the only one who didn't come back." 
Pierre pushed in front. "And now he's back, all thanks to me!" He pointed at himself in vain. 
"I tried to escape through the Test, master. I wasn't ready." Dante frowned. 
"Do not worry." Ilritch replied. "You are close." He knew this was meant to give him hope, but it didn't help the fact that he still wasn't strong enough. But before then, the dirty, sewer-like bunker would be his place of training. "Is there any more?" 
"No. I was the only one. But a soldier attacked me." 
Ilritch made a look of sudden surprise. "What armour was that soldier wearing?"
Dante tried to remember. It was over in such a rush, that he hardly noticed.