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The Systems Chronicles, Book 1

 
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4/17/2009 4:47:11   
Argeus the Paladin
Member



Prologue
The Fall of Silverlush


Power in the form of immortality, invincibility and dominion, those words had been luring tyrants, conquerors and dark lords of terror like no other since time immemorial, most often perceived as the solution to whatever problems they came across. They would not for one second hesitate throwing away the lives of hundreds and thousands in the quest for such powers, sparking wars and mounting expeditions in the hope of achieving that goal.

None of them understood that all of them were far from absolute in the first place, that there is always a limit to every power however magnificent and godlike, however appalling the price, however they longed for absolution.

And in the wake of such woeful misunderstanding, more often than not tragedies would continue, innocents harmed, and the balance of nature broken, to quench the thirst of the tyrannical conquerors and overlords. Every single person happening to be confined within the walls of the doomed Elven capital city of Silverlush on that fateful day was, unfortunately, subject to that cruel tendency.

The Dark Lord of the Walking Death, King Mortigius of Umbrae, so named for his alleged leadership of the infamous Necromancers, a powerful regal figure, sage of dark and forbidden magic, and an innate monster all in one, all of a sudden commenced a massive invasion of the neighboring Elven kingdom of Greenglaze. The invasion practically stunned the entire world of Mediava, and in due time, would prove to be the most devastating war in the whole history as recorded.

The attack was not too surprising, judging from the Dark Lord’s diplomatic stance, and to be fair, the Elves of Greenglaze had had their share of war preparation, not to mention millennia of experience in the way of both combat and magic. The painful fact that the powerful Cloudforge Dwarves had to swallow defeats after defeats throughout their history of feud and warfare with them proved that such pride wasn’t groundless at all. The long-living elves, with all that to back them up, were rightfully confident that any attack against them or their forested sanctuary would be suicidal at best.

What was surprising, and totally trashed whatever war effort the Elves managed to muster, however, was how the Dark Lord played his war game. Never before in their centuries-long lives had the elves seen such a magnificent diversity in terms of enemies, and how well they cooperated with each other on a united front. It turned out that the Dark Lord’s armies were not just made of the ominous staple Black Knights of Llouche and the Vermillion Raven Divisions, but also a plethora of other creatures, factions and tribes that the Lord, for some reason, had conscripted into his tremendous army. Trolls, Goblins, Mountain Giants, Orcs, and even the mighty Red Dragons had joined his cause, bolstering the Dark Lord’s ranks, bringing any hope of resistance to the point of absurdity.

Before the elves could properly figure out what went wrong, the brunt of their defenses, the Steeloak Keep, was overrun and burnt to the ground by the invaders, thoroughly obliterating a fifty-thousand-strong Elf-Human hybrid unit, reducing the morale of the remaining Elven soldiers into a pile of smoldering ash. The fortunate survivors told horrifying tales of how the Dark Lord’s legions moved, act and fought in thorough discipline, right down from the fearsome dragons, as if under a single, united leadership, something never known before to the chaotic orcs and goblins. The strength of the goblins’ number, the trolls’ sheer power, and the mighty dragons’ scorching fireballs, when consolidated into a single combat-ready swarm, became something downright impossible to stop, even given the elves’ incredible tactics and magical affinity.

And with that power, it took the Dark Lord’s army almost no time to close in on the walls of Silverlush, the glorious capital of the Elven kingdom, the city that had never once succumbed to any invading army in known history. The Elves never had any time to recover from the defeat at Steeloak, and by the time the first shadow of the airborne dragons reached the city wall, her occupants were still too shocked to even devise a proper resistance plan, let alone actually carry out one. The state of the city at that point as such that “defenseless” was just an understatement. The deafening roars of the mighty winged beasts, coupled with the thundering war drums and the savage cries from the chaotic horde of wild creatures of darkness and the maddening groans of the Dark Lord’s personal necromantic army in unison formed the most infernal symphony that the remaining elves had ever heard during their whole lives. The dragons’ wing spans clouded the sky in quite the same way the ground troops’ ranks covered the entire meadow before the city gates, blocking out simultaneously the golden sun and the green pasture.

Such a conflict could only have one kind of outcome – utter annihilation for those within the city walls, sooner or later. The Elven King of Greenglaze, Lord Elladin, to spite his five-hundred years of life and three-hundred and sixty-six years of ruling experience, could not think of any sound way for his people to escape from the current situation. All what he got from a week filled with news of catastrophes, one after another, was a pair of sunken eyes, fatigued expression, as well as an unprecedented mass of despair clumping up his mind, and still growing. As the elven ruler clutched his head, succumbing to the despair alone in his study, Lord Elladin could but curse his incredibility, for want of any better solution.

On his table, crumpled in cone corner, was an official letter. Even though it was now balled up in a fit of rage on behalf of the king, the remarkably ominous black seal of the Dark Lord’s administration was still partially visible on the folds of the paper ball. The Dark Lord had offered, with questionable sincerity, a way for the Elven king to solve the conflict in “peace”. The King was to give up himself as well as the Platinum Orb of the Forest to the invader, in exchange for the safe passage of his people from Silverlush.

A brash, loud and obviously furious knock on the oak door temporarily snapped the elven lord out of his desperation, immediately hosing an equivalent dose of alertness into his system in its place. In the past few days Lord Elladin had been under the impression that the Dark Lord’s soldiers could storm his keep anytime, and every single loud noise in the surrounding would lead him to assume the worst. The pride of a five-hundred-year-old Elf, and the leader of his people, would not allow him to appear pathetic before their enemies, even in the last moment of his life. The ruler promptly grabbed his longsword out of reflex, springing up from his table, cleared his throat, as if to regain composure, and shouted out in the most courageous voice he could muster.

“Who goes there?” the elven king succeeded, as is voice this time carried none of the trouble, despair and fear that clouded his mind just a minute ago. The sound of the blade leaving its scabbard, sharp as if ripping through the air itself, produced an interesting effect to boost the king’s courage.

“My lord, the Foremost Paladin would like to speak to you and…” the soft, sweet, but clearly startled and frightened voice of one of the palace handmaidens echoed into the room.

The servant didn’t have time to finish the sentence, as the announced person had swung the door open with his full force, the wooden door spinning its full orbit, hitting the wall with a loud slam. And there, in the opening he had just forcefully created, his figure appeared in full - a knight in silver armor, with an elven longsword in one hand, a large steel shield in the other, and a crimson cherrywood bow across his shoulder. The elven race’s platinum hair of his was badly soiled to spite the otherwise perfect color, and left in dishevel. Not that the armored warrior had time to worry about his look – his facial expression showed a disturbing combination of annoyance, impatience and resentment, as he stared at his king in the rudest way possible.

“Your Highness,” the knight addressed, his voice raising, as if he could no longer stand the mass of hot air building up in his lungs, “I heard that you are planning to give yourself up to the Dark Lord, am I correct?

“Yes, unfortunately, Sir Harthrane,” King Elledin sighed and nodded. “It so appeared in the ultimatum that the Dark Lord apparently has no interest in our land or people. This invasion is aimed at the artifact that I have been blessed with and assigned to as the King of Greenglaze…”

“This is impossible, Your Highness!” the knight roared, cutting his liege lord’s words short. “You know more than anyone else how important you and the artifact are to the survival of our kind! Not to mention the unknown powers of the Orb… it must not fall into the wrong hand!”

The elven king shook his head, after which he stared at the young knight. Harthrane Nightowl, the 25th Foremost Paladin of Greenglaze, the kingdom’s best knight, commander, the king’s most trusted retainer, as well as a brass and unyielding rebel at heart. The one-hundred-and-sixty-year-old Elf was well known to be the only knight in his court to openly oppose to his decisions on a regular basis. And he often voiced such disagreement in such manners that borderlined lese majeste, that should have gotten him a capital punishment long before. But King Elladin, fortunately, was among the few who truly understood the young Elf and his passion to serve Greenglaze in the best way he could.

“I understand your concern, Sir Harthrane,” gently the elven king answered. “Still, that decision is for the good of our people. If the Dark Lord really wanted to crush us all, he could do it in no time. With that army of his, he could have leveled Silverlush and leave no survivor before you can say ‘To arms!’ And he clearly wouldn’t hesitate to, if I don’t give him what he wants.”

“Have you grown cowardly, Your Highness?” growled the knight. “We can still rally our forces for a final stand!”

“I have never been a coward in my life,” scowled the king rather harshly. “I myself do not expect to survive the confrontation with the Dark Lord, nor would I seek to – it is under my responsibility that this city shall fall, and I will take my responsibility before history for this shameful moment of our kind.”

“Then there is another reason for you to not surrender!” Sir Harthrane exclaimed. “We elves are not going to fall without a fight!”

“That is not the way, Harthrane Nightowl,” the king shook his head decisively. “As the Foremost Paladin, you should have known better that our people can’t last another battle. This is not the time to be choking on pride, but rather the time to find the way out, not just for me, for you, but also for the rest of our people!”

“But…”

“Sir Harthrane, I have lived and ruled long enough,” Lord Elladin said. “This is the time for us to take not the most valiant decision, but the most beneficial to our survival. If our people survive today, we will rebuild everything to fight another day. If not, all would be lost. Do you know where I stand?

“If that is your decision,” the knight said, kneeling before the lord. “Allow me to accompany you this time, Your Highness!”

“No, Sir Harthrane,” the elven king refused. “You have a much greater and nobler job to accomplish. You must save our people from destruction. Lead them to safety, and rebuild the Greenglaze I have failed to defend.”

The king then walked briskly towards his table, drawing out a wooden, but luxuriously gilded box. The advent of the object drew an expression of bewilderment from the elven knight – the royal crest of Greenglaze was visible on the top side of the cube, and the kingly color of the box, as well as the ceremoniousness that the elven king handled it with meant that whatever was within it was something specifically important to his country and his people.

“Your Highness, this is…”

The elven king answered by sliding the cover off the box, revealing within the space of its hold a golden, jaded seal, shimmering in the dark, curtained room. Before the object was even drawn out from its hold, the elven knight had already figured out what it was. His reaction to such discovery was one of both astonishment and denial, for good reasons.

“The royal seal of Greenglaze,” King Elladin responded calmly. “The symbol of the power of the royal throne that which lies in the control of the king, and through him shall the power of the elven state be practiced. I would like you to take over this seal now, Sir Harthrane.”

“Your highness, what… what is this supposed to mean?” the knight exclaimed, his emotion becoming especially difficult to discern from one another.

“I hereby name you the Steward and Regent of Greenglaze, Sir Harthrane,” the king announced as he held the box forward. “To defend this kingdom, to serve the reconstruction of Greenglaze, and to lead our people once again to glory, please take it as your duty from now on.”

“But… but… Your Highness, I… I am not that suitable…”

“As you know, Elledin Elfblade is quite unfortunate in terms of children. As of now, Prince Faegard is too young and inexperienced to take care of our people by himself. And yet, in this hour, our people will need someone, a strong leader, to turn to, a face that will bring them hope of a brighter tomorrow. Being a Paladin yourself… this is naturally your duty, isn’t it, Sir Harthrane?

There was a moment of silence as the elven king gazed at his loyal knight, half pleading, half ordering. All the while, Harthrane was keeping his head down. Partially, his normal rebellious self that he had prided so much was finally coming back to bite him. There was no guarantee he could do much better than the fifty-year-old Prince. Granted, the prince had the mental, physical and magical maturity comparable to a mid-teenage human, but Harthrane knew that he was not that much greater. Cracking easily under pressure and being a brass, impatiently incompetent leader much of the time didn’t work for him.

“If you should refuse, and I would understand why, I will still forgive you,” the king continued, his voice turning to a tone of persuasion Harthrane had never before heard. “However, I am not sure if our people and our history will be that tolerant to your reputation. So, would you, or would you not?

“I…” the paladin finally replied. “I will take the duty, Your Highness.”

“Very well then,” the king nodded as he handed the knight the gilded box. “Sir Harthrane… no, Regent Harthrane Nightowl, Steward of Greenglaze, with this, the fate of our people now lies in your hand, before the dark days that shall follow…”

The silhouette of a red dragon flying right outside the keep, casting a black shade all across the curtained window meant that there was no need for any further emphasis on behalf of the elven king. The darkest episode of the history of Greenglaze elves were about to begin…

******


At the meantime, somewhere completely different and unknown to both the Dark Lord of the Walking Death and the Greenglaze Elves, something quite extraordinary was taking place. In a certain building, built of steel and corrugated metals, fixed with a plethora of equipment too alien to the elves, dwarves and men of Mediava, a group of people, dressed in tight-fitting, color-coded tunics were gathering around a massive humanoid built of pretty much the same material as the building that housed it. The humanoid resembled the kind of steel golems Elven mages would like to temper with using their control magic, but much more elaborately painted and decorated, and had transparent glass panels for eyes, whereas steel golems would only need marble balls for the same purpose.

Judging from the looks of their face, an air of nervousness and excitement was abound, as if the biggest even of their life was going to happen shortly. To add on to the excitement, a mishmash of sounds in the surrounding, ranging from the non-stop, periodic blipping of some unknown contraption, to the volcanic-like noise of large amount of hot air being relieved from a closed container, were filling the background with the highest level of thrill available.

From the group, two people specifically stood out – a young, high-spirited youth, wearing a blue suit and transparent helmet to go with, standing at the feet of the humanoid, with as much awe and anticipation as he could possibly muster, staring at the massive, forty-foot-tall creature with a degree of interest like no other. He could well make a fine apprentice for any trade, as his enthusiasm was obvious and clearly unmatched, but he was more or less made out to be a mage or craftsman, judging from the extremely intelligent eyes and inquisitive insight he bore. The only problem was that he was human, evident from his five-foot-seven height, black hair and clear eyes – had he been an Elf or dwarf, the transition from that stage to a full-fledged battle mage or dwarven blacksmith would take no time.

“I can’t believe I’ve made it!” the young man finally said, his excitement spewing out with his every word.

“You have done your very best, Sergeant Kurogane Renzoku,” the person standing next to him smiled. “You deserve to be the Shishioh Nishiki’s test pilot, in your own rights.”

“There’s no need to get ceremonial now, Captain Einherjar Ritter,” the young man said. “Just call me Kuro like always.”

“Same here,” his friend replied. “Haven’t I told you “Ein” is enough for me?

The two speakers stared at each other for a while, and both burst out laughing, as if mutually clearing up the tense air. The young man’s partner, or more like it, his superior, happened to be the second person standing out from the crowd, not just by being the tallest in the group, but also by establishing a never-fading smile of relaxation in that moment. He was about five years older than his friend/subordinate, whichever more suitable, although he was by no means older than thirty. However, his eyes was filled with confidence, as if the past years in his life had won him more experience than he would need for the rest of his adventure in the living world.

“This is going to be your first real test run with this... Shishioh-series, Kuro,” he said, smiling at his younger companion. “Are you any bit worried?

“Well, to say the truth, yes, I am,” the young man bent his neck a little as if demonstrating. “If something goes wrong at this hour, people will doubt the result of the preliminary test.”

“As if the pilot alone can turn a mechanical failure into a success,” Ein replied. “And especially for the Shishioh-type, didn’t you hear that things that can go wrong with this mech will go wrong?

“Don’t jinx me, Ein,” Kurogane shook his head jokingly. “The Lion King is hard to tame, but I will do my very best, not just for me, but also for my father. To prove to the world that I got this place today not because Colonel Kira Renzoku happens to be my dad.”

“Oh yes,” Ein snapped his thumb, as if having just discovered something important. “Nice work hiding that from us for the duration of the past six months.”

“Well,” Kurogane smiled. “If you and the rest of Squad 12 had known that I am the Colonel’s son, would you guys still be my nakama like now?

“That depends,” slyly replied Ein. “You know all too well how many of the Union Army’s officers have children so thoroughly spoiled it would be a pain just to look at them straight.”

“Looks like I am not one of them, right?” Kurogane nodded satisfactorily, before his eyes suddenly returned to the tone of seriousness as he gazed at the metal humanoid. “Certainly those people in charge of the Shishioh’s decoration had been doing their very best to polish this boy.”

Kurogane’s admiration had its basis. A closer look revealed that the metallic humanoid docked in the building was not only a world different from the elves’ steel golems in terms of mobility and elegance, it was also decorated with a plethora of stained plates, painted with lion symbols and themes, for its armor. Even the being’s bodies were modified so as to bear a general lion theme, with shoulder plates, elbow plates and knee plates being pairs of lion heads, not to mention the lion claw-like knuckles to protect the arm, displaying a mixture of both majesty and elegance. The design was not too different from a knight’s simplified plate mail, the kind of equipment so forged as to maintain the maximum balance of mobility and defense. To be fair, apparently whoever got that lion-themed golem in mind didn’t at all consider the factor of disposability, unlike elven magicians’ golems. But in any case, it was safe to assume that the steel humanoid was superior to the elven golems in all aspects.

“They sure did,” Ein remarked. “It seems that the higher-ups are planning to upgrade the Shishioh into something along the lines of a live mascot for the Global Union Army, once it makes it into the mass production phase. It should be as elaborate as they can make it.”

“I know,” Kurogane nodded. “Which makes this test run of mine even more important.”

“Just relax though,” Einherjar patted on Kurogane’s shoulder. “I myself don’t really believe they can make heads or tails out of a Mechfantry Frame that has such a ridiculously high piloting skill requirement. The control of the Shishioh Ichishiki was already crazy enough in the first place, and now guess what? They made the system even harder to maneuver with a heavier frame to house the FALCON system. As if anyone could use the F-System.”

“Of course older frames like the Stahlpferd, Hiryuu or Sturmgewehr are easier to control and more beginner-friendly,” smiled Kurogane rather comfortably. “But technology should go somewhere shouldn’t it? Those models are becoming obsolete faster than you think.”

“Oi oi! Don’t you touch my Weiss Stahlpferd!” Einherjar jerked jokingly. “I tell you, nothing can match the resilience of this boy in actual combat! And still be flashy enough to save the day!”

”And that is exactly why they say a steel horse is useless,” sighed Kurogane as he thought. ”If we need a resilient war beast, I’d rather have an elephant than a horse that can’t gallop. Oh well, no wonder they say Lt. Einherjar is the biggest old school anime fanboy to have ever existed…”

Kurogane couldn’t finish what he had been thinking, however, as a flaring read beam of light on the ceiling, followed by rigorous bleeping, and a highly rigid and rather urgent voice booming in the horizon.

“Hostile units at 6 o’clock and 3300 distance! This is not a drill! I repeat, hostile units at 6 o’clock, 3300 distance, this is not a drill! Cancel testing session! All units, battle station level 1!”

The next thing Kurogane knew was a large rumble from outside the building, as if it had been hit by a high-impact projectile. Whether or not he wanted to believe, the fact was that a battle had found its way to his important day.

“An attack at this time, huh?” smirked Einherjar. “Not that I haven’t thought about it though. Kuro, let’s head back to the main MF hangar! We’ll teach those terrorists a lesson like always!”

The last sentence Ein spoke was left dangling in the air while the speaker dashed off, virtually brushing aside the mass of slow-reacting people around him still not having a grip of the current situation. The next explosion outside the hangar, as well as the impact it gave out, managed to almost knock Kurogane flat on the ground, while spoonfeeding the sense of danger into anyone still unsure of what was happening.

“Right there, Captain,” Kurogane answered, as he maintained his balance, and zipped off at his superior’s direction.

“Wait for me, Shishioh Nishiki,” the young test pilot gazed back at the now-immobile MF before continuing. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

******



< Message edited by Argeus the Paladin -- 11/22/2009 22:28:14 >
DF  Post #: 1
4/24/2009 4:59:03   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 1
Prince in Distress


The trail of Elven refugees painted a blurry, long, twisted line across the thick forest, in the final attempt to preserve their heritage from a fate worse than defeat. The sound of footsteps worn out from prolonged trailing, amidst the crackling of flame from a distance and groaning of pain, sorrow, humility, or simply fatigue, an obvious sight of a contingent of defeated and routed people fleeing from death closing in on, was something the elven population of Mediava never expected to encounter. Not with all the military prowess of their kind to back them up. And now, to the Foremost Paladin’s compatriots, that unforeseen exodus had become reality all of a sudden, a harsh reality of war that drew wails and cries and moans of suffering every so often, along the narrow path through the wood.

Taking the lead, the Elven Foremost Paladin, Harthrane Nightowl, his sword and shield still in hand, cutting his way through the more unfriendly vegetation of the forest to clear a path for his wearied fellows, was not quite defeated yet. Even though the glint of fatigue and the occasional pain from the gash on his shoulder were taking their toll, decades of training and vigilance finally proved to be useful to keep him together even in the face of this challenge. Or more likely, he couldn’t allow himself to falter, for both the fate of his kind, and the tarnished honor of a Paladin defeated, forced him to work double to repay the humiliation.

The fall of Silverlush the previous day was, after all, partly his fault. Certainly, it was the King who authorized the surrender of the city, himself and the Orb of the Forest, in a final hope to preserve the Elven race from utter annihilation. But it was the Paladin’s fault, more than anyone else, for failing to realize that the Dark Lord was not to be trusted. The King’s surrender brought nothing to him and his people, apart for a summary execution and a sudden charge at the already weakened and demoralized Silverlush, resulting in the annihilation of the city, over half of its population, as well as practically everything the elves could probably lay their hands on to even hope to rebuild their city in one feel swoop. It was only owing to the Paladin Order’s bravery, as well as the death of more than five-sixth of his brothers that Harthrane was able to lead the rest of his people out of the carnage into the wood beyond.

And the Prince’s fate was another, not much less tragic story. Presumably Faegard Elfblade was unable to escape the city, judging from how his escorts were attacked and overwhelmed by a full contingent of fully-grown, adult Mountain Giants. The bestial humanoids of the Northern Range, well known for their weapon of choice, twenty-feet-tall trees uprooted on the spot and swung around as war clubs, as well as their appetite for elf meat, more certain than not, would have more than enjoyed the Prince as a midnight supper. Even then, when the refugees where a good distance from the city, Harthrane Nightowl was still laying the blame solely on himself for the Prince’s loss, even more when he reminisced what kind of rigorous anti-Giant trainings he had taken, only to fail to bring it to use when his liege lord most needed it.

But it was no time to be lamenting on the past, however terrifying the experience was. Danger was still behind them, for the Dark Lord would most certainly not leave the preys alive to recover after such a defeat. The late King had entrusted him with the fate of his people, and as a proud Elf, and Paladin to boost, he would honor that trust, even if it cost him his life. A glint of hope, further embellished by the courage of a born fighter and that oath of honor, flared up in his eyes, shining through the dark, moonless path they were about to walk.

And yet even that much wasn’t enough to clear up the doubt, the morbid fear, or win back the trust of the crowd so speechlessly taken over by the shattering defeat and the utter destruction of the land they once called home. It wasn’t long before the Paladin felt the weight of the responsibility swiveling out of the control of what little leadership skill he had.

“I am tired, Mom,” the wearied, beset voice somewhere behind the single-file line of refugees, sounded, in a tone best translated as a desperate, morale-sagging complaint.

The speaker seemed to have been an otherwise very loud-mouthed kid ordinarily – his tone was unreasonably loud, drawing the attention not just his mother, but also of much the entire file of adults around him, and unfortunately, reminded them of how sore and numbed their legs had been. The effect spread along the line rapidly, halting the exodus wherever it went, and before the Paladin even had enough time to realize what was going on, the whole line of refugees had come to a temporary standstill, as each and every elf sat down on the spot, as if refusing to carry on. What was worse, that complaint and its effects were reasonable. The refugees had been marching for long enough that day, more than enough for the average adventurer to travel for three days, at a feverish pace, for fear of enemy pursuit or other deadly complications.

“What is going on here?” Harthrane rushed to the spot, urgency overriding his entire expression as he stared at his demoralized people. “Why is everyone stopping?

“Lord Nightowl, we can’t walk any more,” one of the downtrodden elves replied weakly, leaning against a nearby tree stump, clutching his legs.

“And we have the wounded, the old, and children with us as well,” another continued. “If this goes on, we wouldn’t last.”

“The Dark Lord has dragons in his army, friends,” the Paladin replied, somewhat annoyed. “If they catches us, the millennia of history of our kind will be put an end to, once and for all! I shall not allow that to happen! We must press on!”

“To where?” defied another of the refugees, with sparked resentment. “Where would you want us to go now? Without the Orb, the forest and its every denizen have turned their backs to us! We have nowhere to go now!”

“I will not tolerate such talks,” the Paladin gritted his teeth. “I don’t believe there is not a place by the name of the Spirit of the Wood that we can settle down!”

“Oh yeah, sir? What can we do when our king himself perished before the battle even began, and Prince Faegard is lost!”

That statement was like a sledgehammer blow squarely on the face for the Paladin for sound reason. It took him a good couple of seconds to stern himself up once more to respond.

“Regardless,” determinedly spoke Harthrane, as he suppressed his own doubt. “We ARE going to find a place to live, and we shall rebuild our civilization from scraps, if need be!”

“Your words, excuse me, sir, do not bear much strength now, Lord Nightowl,” yet another refugee talked back. “We are stuck here in the true wilderness, the wood forsaking us, our enemy ready to devour us any time now, and most importantly, we can’t go any more.”

The paladin was going to speak, but what he got next from the crowd was nothing too encouraging. Being mutinously glared at by every person still conscious around him, a glare in unison bearing a degree of resentment he had never experienced throughout his career, was thoroughly unexpected and more or less prompted Harthrane to find a better solution.

“Alright then,” Harthrane sighed, as if giving up. “Everyone, looks like we’ll call it a day and have a rest for now.”

The Paladin glanced at the darkness behind them, sighing once more, before concluding.

“I’ll keep watch, and should the Dark Lord’s pursuers reach us, run as far as you can, and don’t look back. I’ll buy you time to get away and survive.”

The crowd’s relief was profound, as every single member of the exodus took a seat, leaning against the nearby trees, heads buried in their laps. Before the paladin knew it, the sound of snores and contented breathing had filled the quietness of the forest with a soothing blanket of quasi-peace. Harthrane was left alone, standing on self-appointed guard duty, watching over the rest of the refugees as his eyes wandered across the dark night, strained out from both the stress and distraught of the day, as well as the attempt to detect any malignant movement from the shadow. For the night in its own rights contained many astonishments, and especially in this situation.

In case the worst happened, Harthrane would not hesitate to give his life up… all for the survival of his kind.

But sometimes, not all the astonishments were nasty ones as the situation would have him think…

******


Never before in history had a city of Mediava been so terribly and utterly destroyed like what had befallen Silverlush. Apparently the Dark Lord himself had made it a point to make sure that the symbol of the Elven bastion in the Great Forest would be eradicated from the face of the earth for good, and had largely succeeded in doing so. The sight of the burning ruins of Silverlush, with the streets filled with rubbles, flames, as well as the carcasses of the slain and the infernal beast from the Dark Lord’s army taking their time to feast upon them quite guaranteed that there was nothing left worth noting amidst the death and flame.

That speculation, however, was not quite right in this case. On the southern front of the ruined city, hours after the fall of the city, a chase was still taking place, albeit a rather hopeless one on behalf of the hunted. A young elf, still a long way from the age of maturity, was trying his best to shake off a persistent pursuer. His size, features, and voice, apart from the signature long ear, extremely fair skin and long platinum hair flowing down his shoulder – although all of which had been quite badly soiled by both ash and dust from the debris of the sacked city - were comparable to a teenage human, showing that he could not be older than a hundred years old and far from physical and magical maturity.

Compared to his pursuer, a brutish Mountain Giant the size of a five-storey building, with a large uprooted oak tree which he twirled in his hand like an average, everyday mace, he was anything but a threat, and the fact that this particular Giant had a thing for the tender meat of young Elves didn’t help at all. It didn’t matter to the stupid creature even if his prey was supposed to be a very valuable political figure if wisely used by his master – the only child of the dead King of Greenglaze, Prince Faegard Elfblade.

And now the battered prince was doing his best to cling to dear life by whatever means necessary. Throughout his life, the Prince of Greenglaze had never had to face such absurd amounts of imminent danger, until around a week ago, when the invasion came to be. From then on, everything seemed to have gone the wrong way, climaxing with his father’s death, the people around him being killed in cold blood, and the last platoon assigned with protecting him sacrificing to the last to try to see him to safety, which unfortunately didn’t happen.

So far, and more owing to luck than talent he had eluded his foe’s grasp, but judging from the situation, he would not be able to hold out there for much longer. In the past few hours, he had been surviving by haphazardly swinging a couple of unadjusted fireballs of miniature size at his oversize foe, causing him more irritation than harm to buy himself more time. And now, the state of what limited magical prowess he could muster at that time was no better than the general condition of his tattered clothing – a royal garment torn, deformed, and almost unredeemable from all the forceful contact throughout the escape, with both sleeves torn off, a battered backside, a burnt shoulder, and a multitude of scratches totally ruining the chest. As he realized after he pulled himself out from his latest hiding place, a rundown bakery, he noticed that his fancy collar had succumbed to the blackening soot as well – not a pretty sight.

Not that he had nothing else to worry about at that point – his pursuer was just in range, and had him locked on in short notice. The earthshaking footsteps of the gargantuan creature prompted the escapee to attempt to swing another fireball back at him on reflex. This time, though, it didn’t work, and all what the elf got for all his effort was a nasty stroke of headache – a signature warning sign of amateur spellcasters having depleted their magical reserve. Whether or not the dim-witted giant noticed the complicated mechanism upon which arcane spells worked, he did somehow realized that his prey’s attack rate had drastically dropped. Maybe it was just the young elf’s terror making up an illusion, but he could swear he did hear the beast give out a loud slurp as he charged towards him, club in hand for the kill.

Survival instinct didn’t allow him to give up – just yet. With all his agility, the young elf burst forth, making a final break as he ran off, in a futile attempt to outrun his predator. Needless to say, it didn’t work. The fact that the mountain giant’s legs were far longer than his own meant that there was no way he could make it. In the end, the elf could but helplessly look back as the mountain giant closed on him with impunity, reaching its calloused, dirty, grimy hand out for him. The last thing he realized was himself involuntarily shutting his eyes, covering his ears, and letting out a sharp shriek of terror as the disgusting palm and the similarly disgusting grunt of the creature made their mark in his senses…

And then there was a blinding flash, piercing through his tightly shut eyes with impunity. Before the light had even died down, the young elf felt his body losing weight at such a rapid pace, as if each and every single bit on his material body were being ripped from where it was, before being thrown into a massive melting pot for rearrangement and placement. Not being a physically constituent figure himself, he felt violently sick as a result of the process, before being wrapped up with a dreadful shock that pierced his every sense, rendering him comatose. Whatever happened to him after that point, no one in Mediava would know, for simply, the Prince of Greenwood, as well as his pursuer, had been simply erased from existence in his native world.

And so Prince Faegard Elfblade was written off as dead by friends and foes alike, although he most certainly wasn’t.

It might have felt like an eternity in a prison of darkness for the prince in question, but eventually he did regain his consciousness, realizing himself comfortably hidden within a green bush, covered and concealed well by the leaves above and kept warm by the grass below. As his sense came back to him, the Prince nervously reached for different parts of his body, finally breathing of relief when he realized that none of his limbs were missing. In fact, whatever happened had left him more or less without a scratch, a good sign for a survivor-to-be.

The next thing that came to him was to find out where he was for the moment being. Apparently he was nowhere near the ruins of his hometown at the moment – the soot-filled atmosphere, the air thick with ash, smoke, and nauseating with the smell of burnt bodies and blood was nonexistent in this place, but instead there was the soothing scent of green grass and vegetation. The light breeze and the mild sunlight penetrating the wall of leaves revealed that he was now in a rather open place, like a prairie or a forest opening. Either way, the fresh scent of nature of a much-needed change – if he was to breathe the death-polluted air of his ruined home town any more, he would probably perish before someone could take his life.

For now he was safe within the embrace of nature, and the most prudent explanation as to why, was that bolt of blinding lightning or magical beam, or whatever might fit the bill, that hit him that moment. Where it came from or how, he would not know for sure, but from his meager knowledge of common magick, such kind of space-altering effect could only be brought about by a teleporting spell, and not just any of them. It was common knowledge that even a powerful wizard would consider successfully teleporting anyone other than himself to a different place a boastable achievement. And even so, most wizards can only teleport those within their line of sight, and as far as Faegard knew, he didn’t see anyone, let alone a powerful spellcaster, around him at the time of distress.

”Maybe it’s a miracle,” the prince thought. ”Or was it divine intervention?

An all too familiar roar in the background instantly stopped his train of speculations and theories. A chill ran up his spines as soon as he realized the source of the noise, a dreadful fact he confirmed just a second later by peeking through the leaves. It seemed that whoever saved him from that moment’s imminent death hadn’t taken into consideration all the consequences of his actions – a careless teleportation had brought not only himself to this place, but also the very creature that was threatening his life. The dirty, brutish Mountain Giant he had been throwing fireballs at and running away from for the last half a day had also been teleported there with him, and had finally woken up from the teleportation spell’s impact. His dirty tatters, his huge tree club, and his nasty roar meant that the cat-and-mouse game was prone to continue as soon as possible.

“Oh no!” thought the prince as he gasped. “Wait, did I just say that out loud?

He most certainly did. That helped his foe to realize its foe’s availability sooner than he thought. And the last thing Faegard would want in the new situation was exactly what he heard immediately following that – a delighted roar from the hunter in question, as he lunged towards the bush at full speed. Barely had Faegard run out from his once-comfortable position when the monstrous flesh eater crashed into to bush, completely wiping out said vegetation from existence. It was a bad move, as the dangling branches and roots that the creature pulled off the ground effectively tied him in place, entangled by the vegetation. On reflex, Faegard tossed another follow-up fireball at the beast. This time it worked – his rest must have subsequently recovered his magical reserve enough to allow him to throw back counterattacks at the offender. The flame, though still weak compared to what a real fireball should be like, still managed to incinerate the entangling roots, and singing the creature’s left foot with it, causing him to tumble over in an awkward pain.

Taking that chance, Faegard sprang to his feet, and dashed away in a random direction. It took his foe a good couple of minute to actually recover from the pain and stage a pursuit, its face tensed by apparent rage, as it was probably the twentieth time in just that day it had been denied of its food when the walking food tossed another of his funny toy at it. This time, the Mountain Giant decided not to let it happen again, as it gave out another massive roar, dashing towards the silhouette of its prey at top speed. Its intelligence, however, was only so much, and once again Faegard forced him face-down on the ground with another fireball that scorched his knee. The next fifteen minute was more or less a particular number of rinse-and-repeats of that sequence, with the giant growing madder and madder as he tumbled time after time again.

However, this time Faegard wasn’t as lucky as when he was back in Silverlush. There weren’t quite enough place to hide in the open, and at the rate at which he was casting his spells, sooner or later he would once again run out of reserve, and there would only be one ending for him at that point. And unfortunately, that point came far earlier than he could devise a possible plan to escape, the signature headache coming at the most awkward of time and place, when he was finally cornered, with a cliff in front and the pursuer behind in a classic face-off situation.

Faegard nervously glanced down the only escape path, feeling slightly nauseous as he did – the deep, almost bottomless pit, the howling wind as a result thereof and his innate, magic overuse-induced headache mixed far too well for his own good. Assuming that he could actually summon enough courage to jump down that cliff, chances are he would suffer from a death even worse off than on the giant’s plate, with a smashed head and equally crushed flesh. And lest he think about tricking the beast into charging him and falling into the pit, the fact that the ground below him wasn’t exactly stable enough for the rampaging footsteps of the giant turned it into a textbook loss-loss scenario for the unfortunate prince.

The beast, on the double, seemed, at least at this particular moment, to be remarkably smart enough to avoid a suicidal run towards its prey and the pit, as it had apparently slowed down, looked around, and then proceeded with a noticeable degree of cautiousness towards the prey, as he reached his hand out for a quick grab. Faegard took advantage of the movement well enough to dive-roll out of his reach, and away from the pit as a result.

But now it was back to square one for the lost prince – without his back facing the pit to daunt the monster, and without even the amount of magic needed to cast a simple spell, Faegard was now completely defenseless before the creature’s whatever action. Not to mention the loss of balance from the dive made it impossible for him to avoid the next grab from the monster, which it did throw out towards him. Once again, involuntarily, the downtrodden prince shut his eyes, as if to avoid having to set his eyes on his own demise.

While Faegard did expect something along the lines of his own bones break under the squeezing grip of the creature, that instance didn’t happen at all. Instead, the next thing he knew came in the form of a roaring explosion from a distance, followed by the sound of solid metal smashing into flesh with a bruising slam, and the thunderclap of the massive creature being forced to the ground. The effect was tantamount to an earthquake, and when Faegard opened his eyes he realized how lucky he was that he had rolled away from the edge of the cliff – the impact of the fall had caused the entire cape to collapse, leaving a bottomless expansion of the pit just where his feet were half a minute ago. And the offending beast was well lying on the ground writhing in pain, clutching its gigantic chin, as whatever had hit it must have probably broken the beast’s jaw for good. But there was more to meet his eyes now than just that, in the form of the person, or thing, that had just saved him.

A steel golem, or, rather, what could be classified as one, was Faegard’s first expression of his savior. As much as he remembered his magic lesson of “humanoids built of steel are known as golems, a popular tool of powerful wizards, so built of plain steel or granite or other inanimate material and infused with magic to animate it, to the level so desired by its owner, used preemptively to do its master’s bidding”, it seemed that this humanoid was far too elaborate, too luxurious, too beautiful to be of such simple use. No wizard, however skilful or extravagant, would go as far as to paint his golem, let alone attach such myriads of decorations and unknown features as metal lion heads, manes and stained plates to such an expendable tool as a golem. Not to mention the attachment on its back, a wing-like structure fixed with some other unknown parts, a complicated device in its own right, somewhere along the lines of the clever gnomish machines, but far more complicated and advanced.

At first glance, it appeared that the golem had got a missing hand, a notion corrected at Faegard’s second glance, when what appeared to be its missing appendage flew back to it from a good distance away and magically connected back to its wrist as if nothing had happened. The dark bloodstain on its knuckle suggested that it was that detachable arm that was responsible for severely mauling the Mountain Giant just now. The magnificence of the machine was such that no amount of near-death experience could take Faegard’s eyes out of it. While a normal golem would be no larger than an ogre for ease of use and control, this golem was more or less as large as, if not larger than, the Mountain Giant, in its own rights. Leaving out the difficulty to control, as Faegard speculated, just animating this humanoid alone would cost an ungodly amount of magic power. Whoever owned this monstrosity of a golem, Faegard thought, would easily outpower the dreaded Mortigius in every field of magic.

And then the huge steel golem bent down, as if to look at Faegard, at which point the awed prince nervously backed away on instinct, as he had always learnt from his classes that constructs were highly unpredictable, and it would better be safe than sorry around their kind. As he backed up, eyes still glued to the creature’s shape, the golem’s next action, as Faegard saw it, was downright out of this world. The creature’s hands clasped at its chest, at which point the entire lion head-decorated chest of the golem sprang open, revealing an opened hatch – a feature Faegard could swear was nonexistent in any design of golem throughout the history of Greenglaze.

But the surprise was not yet to end. Before Faegard could properly put his feeling about that bizarreness to words, the prince once again felt light on his feet. The explanation came a second later when the tip of his feet left the ground – he was being sucked into the bowels of the machine! That movement came with such suddenness that Faegard could only respond by a loud scream, trailing behind him as he was finally sucked into the golem’s opened chest, and brought to an abrupt end when the chest hatch of the creature finally closed.

His unnecessary twitching and struggling within the body of the golem resulted in something of a mild concussion, and coupled with the moment’s suddenness, resulted in his temporarily phasing out for a moment or so. When Faegard finally managed to get a hold of himself, he could but open his mouth in an awe much, much greater than before.

There was an entire cabin built within the chest of the golem, with a screen before Faegard, showing him nothing other than the scenario outside, as lively and realistic as he would look at it from outside. And that was just the least of the astonishment. At least three panels were lined up before him, filled with buttons of all sorts, shapes and sizes, and as he had realized earlier, most probably of the same category as buttons and levers on various gnomish contraptions, but much, much more advanced, beyond the level that the tiny inventors could ever dream about creating. According to what he knew about such gnomish constructs, each button was supposed to do something, but what it should do is solely the private knowledge of the inventor, and sometimes even the inventors failed to take note of what which button was supposed to do, making the entire process of using a gnomish machine a purely trial-and-error process, and that was for things that actually worked. For this instance, Faegard felt especially tempted to temper with some of the buttons and levers, just to find out what would happen.

However, in that situation, tempering with unknown machine could mean death. For one reason, far too often gnomish machines would blow up if the wrong button was pressed at the wrong time. And for another, his primary source of danger, the Mountain Giant, was far from out.

Still clutching its jaw as it stood up, its eyes filled with rage, the jaw-broken Mountain Giant was being the textbook epitome of a wounded animal – reckless and dangerously savage. It didn’t even try to defend itself this time, as it used to shield part of its body from Faegard’s spells throughout the last day. Rather, it charged straight at the machine, ramming it at maximum speed. Without anything to control it, the golem was more or less defenseless, as it was thrown sideway forcefully, landing face-up about sixty feet away. The impact was such that Faegard could have been crushed by the very after-effect of the ram, had he not grabbed the nearest lever for balancing purpose.

The monster did not cease it attack yet, but it was certain it was on the winning side. A quick punch it threw as a follow-up after the ram aimed directly at the golem’s head, and with such a force, it still risked being crushed, regardless of what material it was made of, and its rider would risk a concussion even worse than before. Frantically, Faegard tugged at the said lifesaving lever hard, as if clinging on to dear life. This time, he was lucky, once again. The lever turned out to be the control for the golem’s legs or so it seemed, as the moment Faegard tugged it, the golem’s legs and hip turned at an angle enough to push itself aside with a roll, avoiding the Mountain Giant’s punch by a hair.

The Mountain Giant was, needless to say, driven madder. It proceeded to throw another punch at the offending golem, with even more force than before, aimed straight at its forehead, once again. Having learnt the lesson from before, Faegard pulled the lever once again, triggering another evasive action. This time, however, the shock from the giant’s punch almost threw Faegard off his seat, making the prince involuntarily reach his other hand for another lever on the left side for balance. As he tugged at it, however, the effect was not too pleasant. A loud blast could be heard right behind him, followed by a massive push upward from the same direction, nearly driving his head straight onto the screen once again, followed by another string of head-twisting turbulence that didn’t work with his present headache at all. Before he knew it, the next thing he saw from the screen confirmed that the golem was standing upright again. The prince had just discovered the hard way how to activate the funny-looking attachment behind its back.

“So that lever activates that machine to bring this thing back on its feet?” Faegard mused. “Slow down there, man!”

However, Faegard didn’t have that much time to speculate. A flaring red light on the top of his head began to bleep loudly, spreading an incandescent reddish beam all over the chamber’s background. It didn’t take Faegard much time to realize that such a reaction from a machine would mean nothing good, as a rigid, mechanical voice spoke at a monotonously annoying, yet extremely urgent tone.

“Warning. Frame damage at 75%. Right arm and Lion Blaster offline. Left arm Boost Knuckle at 13% efficiency. Left thruster at 23% efficiency.”

Faegard couldn’t understand half of what the voice was suggesting, but from the looks of things alone, it didn’t seem to be any good, namely, if he was to take another direct blow from the Mountain Giant, he and that machine would likely not make it.

“Damn! Is there anything on this blasted machine I can use to fight back?” Faegard looked around frantically, searching for a button that would say something even barely resembling a physical attack, a magical spell, or both. There was none. And all the while, the monster was making its advance, its fist raised high above its head, ready for a coup de grace.

All of a sudden, a fragment of the screen before Faegard suddenly flared up, displaying the words “F-MISSILE READY FOR LAUNCH” in bright, red block letter. And in conjunction with that, the button panel on Faegard’s left suddenly split open, revealing a bright, red button. Such buttons would, according to Gnomish inventors, symbolize an extremely dangerous complication if pressed. However, Faegard didn’t look like he had much choice for the time being – everyone knew that a Mountain Giant’s berserk fist was the only known force in Mediava that can one-hit-kill an adult dragon, by crushing its skull and deforming it beyong recognizability. The prince jammed his eyes shut, and the landed a random slam on the said red button.

The next thing Faegard knew was a huge explosion right next to him, followed by a cataract of blood painting the entire area of the screen red. The concussion that followed, however, knocked him out rather hard before he could hear the proof of his triumph – the final roar of pain from the dying giant…

******



< Message edited by Argeus the Paladin -- 5/8/2009 3:47:51 >
DF  Post #: 2
5/8/2009 3:49:00   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 2
Of Terrorist, Secret Technology, and Unknown Vocabulary


“Ein, how did the meeting go? What is going on, anyway?

Kurogane's voice echoed concernedly from the other end of the corridor, his tone struck an obviously still astonished Einherjar Ritter as yet another addition to said surprise. That tone was far too concerned and curious even for the considerate and scrupulous soldier Kuro was, telling the Global Union captain that the classified information would not remain classified for much longer, at least to Kurogane. The commissioned officer sighed, as if trying to release the chunk of disbelief stuck in his throat for the last half an hour, while returning the concern back to his friend.

It was not his subordinate's fault in being curious after all - what had happened in the past fifteen hours had been all but believable. An attack by the Confederate Colonies-backed terrorists right when the first test launch of the Shishioh Nishiki, with laser-guided precision in terms of time and place, gave Einherjar the implication that someone other than fate was planning it all along. Had the 12th and 13th Mechfantry Squadrons not been there to intercept on time, the attackers could have thoroughly laid waste to the Kansai Hybrid Base and claimed the Shishioh prototype as their own.

Unlike the last times, this attack was much better organized, with far better-trained and equipped enemies. And one factor was especially jarring to anyone participating in that battle. When an anti-governmental militant group started to get their hands on not just a few antiquated fighter jets and light battle tanks, but also a couple of giant robots - Mechvalry Frames, the Mechfantry Frames' theoretical cousins with flight capability and shock weaponries, no less - then something was going dreadfully wrong. Had it not been for Einherjar's - pardon his arrogance - exquisite skills with his Weiss Stehlpferd, the entire grounded interceptor squads could have been gunned down in a thoroughly disadvantaged position.

“What do you mean, what is going on?” Einherjar stared at Kurogane. “At least half a dozen things went wrong in the past few hours, to varying degrees of wrongness.”

“Did the Colonel tell you anything regarding the newest development on the Liberators' movement, to start it with?” Kurogane asked.

“Don't ask Colonel Albert about that,” Einherjar shook his head, trying to appear cool. “He's still pretty shaken from the last chain of events. To be fair, judging from how the whole of the terrorists getting themselves some Mechvalry Frames business is going, he's pretty much the only member of the Eurasian Corps commanding rooster to keep a relatively cool head.”

“I still can't believe the Liberators have found themselves some Mechvalries myself,” Kurogane said, looking highly tense.

“And not just any MVF,” Einherjar nodded. “According to the database, those are the SD-03 'Daimyo” MVFs they were using - pretty much the pet project of Hyperion Heavy Industries. That model is still in development last time I heard, and the makers boasted that when they are done adjusting the last perks, its output would be far superior to both the Hiryuu and the Sturmgewehr, as well as surpassing the Stehlpferd in many aspects.”

“And they are Mechvalry Frames, for all what is holy!” Kurogane exclaimed. “The nearest equivalent we Global Union have is just the Hiryuu Mass-produced model, which is getting outdated rather quickly. If the Daimyo makes it to the mass production phase, we are screwed up more ways than one!”

“When all reasoning fails, blame luck, fate, or anything along those lines, Kuro. That’ll make you feel better,” Einherjar shook his head, smiling optimistically, his words contradicting that attitude in a somewhat disturbing mismatch. “Had it not been for the Confederate paying much of Hyperion's manufacturing bills, the Daimyo model wouldn't have rolled out right into the hands of the Liberators that early. While we are at it, let’s just hope Hyperion Heavy Industry does not apply any Crimson Society technology to their newest productions.”

“Well, at least we still have the Shishioh-series with us. With them... wait a second,” Kurogane raised his eyebrow as something rang him a bell. “What happened to the Shishioh Nishiki?

Einherjar twitched a little, trying to bring himself to terms with the nonsense that his friend had just touched back. Reading that signal as some sort of communication failure, Kurogane repeated his question, more clearly and emphatically.

“I mean, how could the Shishioh probably end up so far away from the base? And with someone we hardly know piloting it, no less? And what about that... oversize corpse lying side by side with it when we found it? What is this all about?

For a second Einherjar remained mute, partially because the Colonel had asked him to keep any information regarding that event “from as many people as you can”. But even if he purposefully screwed the classified nature of this matter, as he would usually defy some particular orders from above the chain of command, and tell his friend what it was all about, interpreting something even himself was uncertain of its meaning or implication was more or less impossible in the first place. His boss was clueless himself at best, to be fair - from the Colonel's puzzled voice back then, it was implied that there was no way he could explain the matter without quoting senseless technobabbles as spoken by the resident scientists.

“Do you know something that I don’t, Ein?

“Well, good news is the Shishioh only sustained a reasonable amount of damage, and it wouldn't take more than a week to repair its arm, legs and replace the cockpit block.” Einherjar asked back, pulling himself together to return to his carefree attitude flawlessly. “With that aside, what do you think about these mysteries?

“The more I think, the less sense it makes,” Kurogane scratched his head. “Did you see that humanoid corpse? It was larger than Shishioh! And he obviously didn't go down before painting the entire robot with his own blood! Unless someone can prove that the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk is real, alive and well, there is no way I can explain this sort of thing!”

“You got half of that right, Kuro,” Einherjar nodded. “The giant's DNA structure was nothing we have ever seen before, or so I was told. And while he happened to have taken a full-fledged F-missile to his doom, we are now absolutely clueless about where he comes from or what he is... was up to.”

“We still managed to extract whoever was piloting the Shishioh then, right?” Kurogane asked eagerly.

“The pilot. Now we’re talking,” Einherjar twitched as he repeated. “He is a sack of mysteries almost as large as Natsume's collection of colored beads in his own rights. Good thing - all evidence points out that he had managed to control some of the Shishioh's most difficult maneuvers to some extent… somehow.”

“Did I hear myself right, Lieutenant Ein?” Kurogane rolled his eyes. “When you said most difficult maneuvers did you mean the…”

“F-System weapon linkup and control,” nodded Einherjar. “And that’s precisely how he killed that giant back then. Only a handful of living, nonconditioned people can do that.”

“This means we will have quite the investigation going on in the next few days,” contemplated Kurogane. “This will make a fair ruckus to begin next month with.”

“That will definitely take some time, I suppose,” Ein shook his head, speaking emphatically. “Bad thing is, he's passed out before any further question could be asked, so this case is definitely on hold until dude wakes up. And the ugly news is...”

“He is with the Liberators?” Kurogane nervously speculated for the worst.

“Nah, that would be too good for us, wouldn't it?” Einherjar chuckled as he shook his head. “He isn't even human to begin with!”

“What?

Einherjar grinned at his friend's textbook anime-esque response, with a 'Nani?' at relatively three quarter an octave higher than his usual pitch, eyes wide opened and jaw left hanging. Of course the more he looked, the more he realized people in real life had almost the same dramatic tendencies as what he was reading off his prized Super Robot anime stash.

“That caught you by surprise, didn't it?” responded the superior with an obvious degree of amusement.

“What... what do you mean he is not human?” with a slight tone sway towards the more nervous, Kurogane asked, his eyes held fast at his superior's position, as if demanding for an appropriate answer.

“That wasn't too much of a surprise for me, on the other hand,” Ein raised his shoulder. “You weren't there when we extricated the Shishioh's cockpit block, so you didn't know. That guy... boy's ears were anywhere from six inches to a foot in length. Almost scared the crane operator off his wits, unfortunately.”

“Nearly a foot? Are they bunny ears, Ein?” Kurogane's curious disposition spurted out with his every word, never minding the ridiculousness of the description.

“Nice call, Kuro, but no. As far as I could see, they looked somewhat like our own, but only longer and far, far pointier. Needless to say the forensic department was shamed for the second time in a row trying to find out who he is,” Einherjar then paused for a moment as he stared at his friend. “Are you not thinking what I am thinking?

“You don't mean... he is a fantasy creature? Like a dwarf or an elf?” Kurogane gasped. “Or an alien?

“More like the first type, if you would ask me,” Einherjar shrugged. “I'm not really into those boring high fantasy, but those overgrown ears are a quintessential tell-tale sign of the elves in most of these works. Again, I am no expert, so I can be anywhere up to a mile wrong.”

Kurogane stuck his arm out, as if initiating a facepalm, which culminated with his palm covering his forehead, his thumb and index finger wrapped around his forehead, in a fine mixture of speechlessness and confusion, clutching his head as if in a genuine headache. Needless to say that gesture halted the conversation for a good couple of dozens of seconds.

“So... uh, what are we supposed to do to him now?” Kurogane finally said, releasing the said pose, “We don't even know where he comes from, and even if we do...”

“That's Colonel Albert's call,” Einherjar shook his head. “Which came in the form of an F-Test for the stranger, by the way.”

“No way!” Kurogane’s voice noticeably raised by another half an octave as he jerked. “The F-Test is supposed to be a military secret, isn’t it? And using it on an… alien, dwarf, or Snow Whi… a being we don’t even know a bit about? How could this be justified?

“Kuro, this boy had apparently operated the top-secret of the top-secret F-System already. Why worry about this tiny perk when the biggest one has been breached already?” Einherjar remarked, before patting his younger subordinate by the shoulder in a casual manner at the sight of his puzzled expression. “Don’t worry, you can go and ask every single one in this base who has survived the first war about Colonel Albert, and I’ll be damned if even one distrusts him or his motives.”

“I… I guess so,” Kurogane sighed. “My father speaks rather highly of our commander, after all.”

“Which leaves just one thing to think about now,” Ein smiled coolly. “How much will he actually score in that test?

******


Yet once again Faegard trembled and twitched in his sleep. Yet once again the trauma refused to leave him. The tragedy befallen his people and his fair city was such that he couldn’t lift his conscience out of it. And for the event in question, failure to shake it off was devastating to his sanity.

”S… Silverlush… is… lost, my… my prince… You… you must escape!”

“I am no coward! I won’t leave my people behind!”

“Your survival… is crucial, your… Highness… Without you… our cause is lost…”

“Don’t speak nonsense! I am NOT leaving anyone behind! Especially not you, Lord Digathond!


Even with whatever blurred memory and incoherent mind at present, Faegard could still reminisce the tragic end of his long-time mentor and friend, when the rampaging fist of a Mountain Giant of the Dark Lord’s armies crushed the wounded elven knight, man and horse alike, leaving but a pile of messy flesh and bones where the valiant warrior once stood. That very savage beast then proceeded to kill every single member of his personal guard, in the same manner, before going for the prince himself.

What was worse, that bloody mess of an event was not the quite a quarter of the scenario at that time. All over Silverlush, the massage was rolling in at full swing, as houses were set ablaze, people cut down without mercy, and children eaten alive. Any elven soldier still holding his sword or bow to resist was immediately roasted by the dragon cohort’s stone-melting flame. The Elven people, the Elven culture, the Elven way of life, everything was consumed by the shade of crimson of the dead and fire.

”Aargh… make… make it stop! Make it stop! The noise… I can’t stand it any longer!”

Faegard was speaking his mind is this issue. The worst memory of his was neither the sight of destruction, nor the fact that he had spent the last conscious hours running away from a giant who could pluck his head off in no time. It was the noise that was taking the greatest toll. The cracking flame of the burning city, the screams of people being slaughtered, the savage roars of the infamous dragons, the barbaric laughter of the goblin rabbles, not to mention the half-sadistic, half-idiotic growls the Mountain Giant gave out every so often when he was in its sight … every of those sounds combining with one another, forming the pandemonic orchestra of carnage and destruction that would please no one except Death himself.

The longer Faegard remained in his coma, the more that tragedy repeated before him, as vividly as it happened. That memory had seared a scar in the heart of the prince, following him wherever he went, even the afterworld.

The afterworld? Good question.

”Am… am I still alive? Faegard mentally asked himself, after half a dozen unsuccessful attempts to open his mouth.

The answer to that, of course, was ambiguous at best. With all the pains and ailments all over his body, stinging, or rather, piercing, his nerves in unison, the darkness clouding his eyes ever since, his mind clouded with those memories he wished he could forget, Faegard wouldn’t be too astonished if someone told him he had been a Longall all along. Warriors fallen in battles by disciples of evil gods or cursed weapons, bearing with them the mental and physical pain they had picked up in the last moments of their lives, cursed to wander the depth of the underworld with no hope for redemption, becoming a Longall was naturally considered the worst fate for valiant children of the woodland. As much as Faegard feared the implication, the non-stop pain and a thoroughly scrambled mind were not helping at all to disprove it.

”It… it can’t end like this! My… my people need me!”

In despair, the wounded prince twitched even harder. His paralyzed limbs were betraying him – what should have been a violent struggle to break free of whatever holding him back turned out to be a little better than lifting and turning his hands and feet. The struggle itself didn’t last long, however. Faegard’s pains set back as quickly as it could, nullifying any ounce of the downed prince’s attempt. Faegard’s state didn’t take too long to force him back down, only to realize a particular soft sensation beneath him. It was a good sign at least – in hell, no one would offer one a warm mattress, or so his nanny had said many times. His numbed body and blurred eyes did not allow him any glimpse of the situation, but for now, the prince knew he was alive, though not quite well. A soft sigh escaped the wounded prince’s lips, both as a sign of hope… and life.

But survival and comfort aren’t synonymous. As much as Faegard felt relieved that eh had made it after all, the bruises, cuts, and mind-scrambling headache were still there. The faint sensation he got in part of his skin notified him that the worst of his injuries had been treated and bandaged, but they didn’t help much to stop him from quietly wincing in pain. Whoever was in charge of that infirmary he was being treated in probably was totally oblivious of the necessity called proper education in divine healing magic, to Faegard’s woes.

“What? Are you kidding me?

Faegard almost jerked. Or rather, he could have, had his legs and arms been intact. Someone other than himself was in the vicinity, and his voice was not exactly pleasant to begin with. His elven heritage was to be blamed in this case. The fact that his sense of hearing and sight each would amplify when the other was down, an adoptive trait that his people had been considering as a blessing by the High Spirit of the Forest, could, and did come back to bite him in this instance. The loud voice was excruciating to hear when its intensity doubled, even more so when his headache was still in full swing. Fortunately, as a racial trait, he could have as well shut down his hearing sense. Yet, this time, curiosity got the better of Faegard after all, as the prince chose to listen on.

“No, sir, not at all. This… being’s readings are just that extraordinary.”

The next voice he heard was, thankfully, feebler, slightly startled and frightened, and much less piercing to his ears.

“Can there be any mistake?” the booming voice resumed to Faegard’s terror. “F-Sync rate at 80% and F-Utilization rate at 4.56? Have you ever seen any human to achieve that kind of score?

His tone had been slightly watered down this time, showing that he had somewhat calmed down, at which point Faegard sighed of relief again. Just about time Faegard needed some explanation, the way the loud voice was addressing the matter was not cutting him any slack, namely, half of the vocabulary he used, Faegard didn’t know.

“As… as you can see, sir, the F-System itself is full of mysteries, like other gadgets and equipment made by the Crimson Society…” the softer voice, now clearly that of a subordinate, continued. “Not to mention, he is most likely not a human in the first place.”

”Not human? the words rang Faegard a huge bell. ”Are they talking about me? And does that mean I am now in human territory? The domains of King Elric the Great and his famous Guardian Knights of Lornehelm?

As Faegard had learned, Lornehelm, the biggest of the human Rydian League Alliance, ruled by the fair King Elric III, had been a long-time ally with the Greenglaze Elves. Their kingdom and their Guardian Knights were well known as the other source of steadfast defenders of the light, should the Paladin Order of Dawn fail. In all fairness, it was only logical to assume that it would be the next of the Dark Lord’s conquest when the flames of Greenglaze had died down.

”And they have found time to search for and heal me...” Faegard tried his best to pull his scrambled mind together to deduce. “Does that mean that they have successfully repulsed the Dark Lord’s invasion?

“This is as close to the edge of logic as things can get,” the loud voice went on again, somewhat confused.

At this point, Faegard started to realize that it might not have been quick temper or annoyance that had caused him to speak like roaring just now, for even amidst confusion, his voice was still thundering too loudly to spare Faegard’s ears. It must have been natural for him to speak loudly.

”That man must be a captain of the Guardian Knights,” concluded Faegard, wincing a little. ”No wonder his voice rings that hard.”

There was a soft pause, as the “Captain of the Guardian Knights” contemplated something in silence, enough for Faegard to take a deep breath, before listening on.

“So what you probably mean is, a man… boy of unknown race, with no prior contact to the FALCON System, nor any training needed to operate an F-equipped Mechvalry Frame,” the man in charge continued, obviously not concealing the puzzled undertone in his every words, “miraculously got into the Global Union’s most advanced test Frame, emptied the entire F-arsenal onto an organic enemy even bigger than said MVF, and now shows an aggregate F-score about twice as significant as the best aces in the Eurasian Corps. Is that… oxymoron what you implied?

”Wait… what? Come again? Faegard thought, his headache increasing in intensity as the cataract of strange vocabulary poured down his ears. ”Mechvalry Frame? Falcon System? Eurasian Corps? Does the Lornehelmeans have all of those fancy-sounding magic for their armies?

“That… that seems to be the case, sir.” With a couple of seconds pausing, the subordinate replied, and from the tone of his voice, he was not so certain of himself as well. “As far as I know, sir, the technologies made by the Crimson Society in general and by Dr. Aussen von Scharlachs are as mysterious as extra-territorial technologies in their own rights.”

There was no answer from the leader, prompting another sequence of silence, only ending when the subordinate, independent of Faegard’s growing curiosity, grew anxious himself.

“Colonel Albert,” he asked, “what are your orders, sir?

“We have to hold to this… boy for now. We can’t afford to have someone with such an absurdly high F-stats as an enemy, or even among our enemies.” Another contemplating pause ensued, as the man in charge considered the options. “As of present, we must priorize his survival first – he can’t help us unless he is alive. How is his condition faring?

”Priorize… my survival? Don’t they know I am the Prince of Greenglaze? Why speak of the obvious? this time it was Faegard’s turn to lose grip of the current situation. ”Are these humans serious?

“He has stabilized somewhat, but that was quite a concussion he had received. Not to mention spontaneous F-Feedback in full swing, I suppose he’ll be lucky to regain consciousness… in another week’s time.”

However his headache tried to deceive him, Faegard couldn’t help but sense something, or more likely, a lot of things, abnormal with the dialogue, to think of it. Needless to say, Faegard had more questions than one that needed explanation, as fast as possible. Reactively the elf tried to move his arms and legs to pull himself upward. He would have succeeded, had it not been for the fact that his entire body was literally on strike - a painful jolt in his neck kept Faegard down and motionless, and the rest of his limbs followed suit. The final shocks in the fight against the Mountain Giant must have left his physical body in a less than adequate state, to top up with the previous trauma and injuries. Working in tandem with the various other bruises and cuts he had acquired during the entire duration of the flight, this jolt was probably the last straw, pulling him back down, and threatened to shove him once more into the coma he had just gotten out of.

”Nnngh… Pull yourself together, Faegard… You… You must see King Elric… This… matter is… too important… to… miss…”

His will could only hold him up for that long. In due time, Faegard lost the fight against his physical ailment and drifted into unconsciousness once again…


< Message edited by Argeus the Paladin -- 5/13/2009 6:03:17 >
DF  Post #: 3
5/13/2009 6:04:26   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 3
Stranded


The myriads of cuts, bruises, broken bones working in tandem with various concussions he could feel even during what short moments of blurry consciousness he had had amidst the coma didn’t stop Faegard from the particular feeling of astonishment when he finally woke up for real to find himself lying on a warm clinic bed. Contemplating the various layers of bandage around half of his body, the mild astonishment quickly turned into a full-blown, jaw-dropping bewilderment, as he contemplated where he was lying. And how.

”What on Mediava? Faegard thought, squarely dropping his jaw on the fluffy white bedsheet as he sprang upright in a fit of haste. “Is the humans this advanced?

Making the assumption that he was being nursed back to health in the domains of humans, things made even less sense to Faegard when he remembered what he had learnt about the human civilization back home. As his textbooks and mentors taught, stated, or simply referenced to on various occasions, the Human Kingdoms, the pinnacle of which being the Rydian League, were still rather primitive compared to the elven civilization. Limited use of elegant arcane magic, increasing reliance on the honorable but largely magically illiterate Guardian Knights, as well as an economy focused more on producing “cheap knockoffs of our achievements” as an elven scholar put it, than inventing technologies of their own, all of which ensured that humans would lag behind the proud elves by anywhere from fifteen to fifty years in the foreseeable future.

And nothing screamed “That’s all wrong” to the young prince than everything spreading before him, proudly elaborating their elegance and advancement to the unbeknown. It was no “crowded, windowless, single-storied stone building with simplistic design, humble structure and uninspiring texture” he found himself in, unless by that description, elven scholars meant “elegantly whitewashed, spacious rooms filled with soft, soothing scent, with more windows than would be necessary, with barely anyone to delve deeply into the comfort.” A neat, fluffy, white curtain was spreading across, cuddling the bed, the nearest window and the table next to it within its containment, forming an artful yet cozy cloth cubicle. The quaint atmosphere of the night, and the occasional breeze flowing through the open freely, bringing with it the soft scent of night flowers was extremely soothing to the wounded prince.

Had Faegard’s strong resolution not pre-determined that he was still alive and well within the humans’ domain, he would have been easily convinced that he had died and was now enjoying the first tastes of heaven. An extra pinch on the calf to disprove the latter wasn’t even necessary, as the scent of nature just a little away, beneath the window, would make no sense if Faegard assumed he was dead, at least according to elven folklore.

A second look around revealed that the place was not all about comfort and serenity. In particular, the amount of machinery within his chamber alone was nothing like what he had seen before. Machines of all shapes, sizes, and most probably purposes were filling the room to the brim, their strings and cords webbing across the floor in at least one place. Basically, their overdose on machinery was the primary reason why Greenglaze elves never got along very well with Gnomish inventors, but even those irritating midgets’ prized collection of machines couldn’t match the sheer density of mechanical construct within his chamber at present. Quiet, but still rather irritating blips emitted from one of those metallic rascals were especially jarring to Faegard, even more so when he took his yet-to-recover headache into consideration.

The irritation of the moment quickly turned into a nightmarish start when his curious eyes nonchalantly traced along the various cords of said machine, only to find out that one of them led right up his bed, with its end subtly embedded onto his wrist, with the help of a whitish, sticky armband wrapping around the spot. What was worse – it wouldn’t go off. Perhaps Faegard was still weak after the ordeal, and couldn’t summon his strength to the fullest, or perhaps the band was just that tough, Faegard only knew that he spent the next five minutes frantically trying to remove the band, to no avail. If anything, he only succeeded in causing himself a good deal of extra pain in the process, rather similar to attempting to rip off his own skin or bone.

The continuous bleeps in the background the whole time didn’t help, and Faegard’s nervous sweat began to roll down his forehead in yet another failed attempt to peel the sticky band off. Briefly pausing, Faegard looked around, seeking any potential sharp object capable of the task, when his eyes caught a particular object on the table next to the bed – a spoon to be specific. Biting his lips in hesitation for a second as he recovered from the latest jolt of self-induced pain, Faegard leaned forward, his trembling hand reaching out to the tool.

Unfortunately, the prince’s various injuries and concussions somewhat left his hand-eye coordination in a much-less-than-ideal condition, and he ended up knocking over the glass of water next to the object instead. There was a loud, eardrum-shredding crash as the glass fell on the ground, instantly shattering and thoroughly drenching the previously perfectly neat floor. The sudden, high-pitched noise startled Faegard once again, as he responsively bit his lips out of reflex. Being a prince hadn’t stop him from taking regular scolding from his parents like any regular child, especially his mother, whenever he broke anything, and his clumsiness with fragile objects meant that happened far more often than he would want. With that reflex in mind, unconsciously Faegard braced himself for impact.

Needless to say, that “impact” never came. The next thing Faegard realized was the curtain being drawn a little, and a warm, caring visage emerged from outside the cubicle. A young human lady, as it appeared, had arrived, dressed in the same color tone as everything else in the room, smiling at the elf in question, taking him aback with surprise. Her small stature and gentle demeanor suggested that she was some sort of a nurse or physician. But most importantly, she seemed to be alive, and friendly, and that would be enough.

“So you’ve woken up?” she asked softly as she looked the prince over.

“Where… where am I?” Faegard asked. That was not a very innovative question, but still the most necessary before he could plan his next moves.

“Relax,” the woman in white answered. “This is the sick bay at the Global Union Army’s Kansai Base.”

“The what?” Faegard jerked. Even though it wasn’t the first time in the last few days he had overheard or seen a word, phrase or sentence that didn’t make sense whatsoever, this was quite the first time he was explicitly told so in person.

“You are with the army,” seeing the confusion in Faegard’s expression, the woman explained. “You must have been caught in the last attack by the terrorists, but you are safe now.”

“The army?” Faegard’s light shone up, ignoring the last two-third of the nurse’s words, as he forcefully ripped himself from the bed in excitement. “You mean this is the headquarters of the Guardian Knights of Lornehelm? Then I ask to speak to the Master Knight immediately! My people’s fate, no, the fate of the world depends on it!”

A diplomatic lesson passed down through the Elfblade family was that whenever in need of diplomacy, dramatization, or overdramatization when need be, always worked. The last sentence Faegard spoke was a direct application of that lesson. The problem was, it didn’t work this time. Or rather, it only succeeded in freaking the woman out, as her facial expression changed quickly from compassion and gentleness to thorough astonishment and confusion, even more so than the prince himself. Her eyes rolled at the patient as she silently muttered some unclear words, and then her entire visage changed to a white-as-a-sheet shade of horror. It took her another couple of seconds completely paralyzed before she could speak again.

“I… I’ll get someone in authority to speak to you,” she said, her voice losing stability with every word. “Please pardon me!”

The awkwardness of her reactions climaxed with her shuffling out of the room quickly even before she could finish the sentence, trembling as she moved out, leaving Faegard to wonder within the cubicle once more. As much as he was looking forward to meeting the leader of the famed Guardian Knights, something the nurse was indicating, that sort of reaction was far more suspicious than he would find comfortable.

”What is that supposed to mean? Naturally, the pessimistic events in the past few days were enough for Faegard to assume the worst out of the situation. ”Does that… does that mean that even Lornehelm has fallen? And that I am in the hands of Mortigius’ men?

A swift brainstorm thereafter resulted in Faegard looking down at his wrist, for an even more paranoid revelation.

“Wait… now I know the meaning of this…” Faegard shivered, his eyes fixed with disgust at the cord still lodged on his wrist. ”This… this is supposed to be a magical chain, isn’t it? So I… I am…”

The next thought that emerged to the prince was incoherent and all mingled up in a stroke of panic and despair. As much as he would like to disregard the fact that he had been captured, all the proofs in the surrounding pointed to that fact. There was but one mistake in the capturers’ design. The prince was being tied to his place with only the aforementioned cord pinned to his wrist. It should take no more than a magic spell to break it, theoretically. Faegard chanted an incantation as he raised his other hand up into the air, concentrating whatever magic he had into the most advanced spell in his arsenal.

The spell fizzled followed by another mana-feedback concussion, bringing with it Faegard’s hope. A second and third attempt, with a less advanced spell each time ended in the same way, telling Faegard at all the wrong time that apparently he had been too drained of both physical and magical power to even start up a primitive fireball to save his life.

”No! I won’t end like this! I must survive! I must escape!” Faegard mentally steeled himself. “I’ll unchain myself! None of the Dark Lord’s lackey can have me alive!”

The moment’s panic had Faegard completely disregarding the pain, tugging ferociously at the cord, so hard that his restraint palm was going numb and his eyes watered from the pain. It didn’t move in the least bit, to Faegard’s dismay, however hard he tried. It soon seemed to the lost prince that whatever kind of chain that was, it had been so masterfully crafted such that no prisoner could ever break it out, not with their intact limbs, at least.

”Screw it!” Faegard exclaimed quietly, briefly stopping before returning to his tedious task. ”I must… keep trying! Before they come back to…”

“Sir, the CFA-2345 Multipurpose Medical Application in this clinic is a state-of-the-art device costing almost as much as an APC. Please try not to break it.”

At this moment Faegard was getting the picture that the humans there had a knack for startling him. The assertion was made at a sarcastically condescending tone, that of someone highly experienced with this kind of situation. The authoritative undertone of the voice was enough to force Faegard to stop whatever he was doing and look up, confused and trembling, expecting to find someone no less barbaric than an infamous Half-Orc Torturer of the Dark Lord’s cadre.

Yet once more within the last half an hour Faegard realized how far his thoughts strayed from reality. For before him now stood a human, an absolutely normal one with no visible deformations or disfigurements, and in fact, had it not been for his clothing, he would have been identical to the occasional human merchants who stopped by in Silverlush in the past thirty years or so.

But his clothing was a thoroughly different issue. Last time Faegard checked, humans, especially those living in the Rydian League, were accustomed to wearing barethread, plainly colored adventurers’ garments or otherwise simplistic designs, right up to the nobles. This was basically the first time he had seen the humans’ sense of fashion to surpass that level by a mile. The man’s clothing was a rather neat blue attire, with a multitude of pockets lining up his long-sleeved shirt, and a cloth hat of exotic design. Judging from its well-groomed condition, Faegard could tell that it was something of an official, or even court attire.

His features gave Faegard an even deeper impression that he was being confronted by someone in authority. An elderly man he was, sporting a beard and mustache, with mostly grey hair and a good deal of wrinkles on his forehead to prove his seniority. There was something both friendly and inquisitive and both helpful and stern in this figure, the expression of one who would not hesitate to both save and kill when the time came for either. The calmness he maintained as he looked at Faegard was quite the same as that of his role-model Paladins, proving even further his position.

The man’s impression quickly turned to the sterner side, as he stared at Faegard’s hand fidgeting his “chain” with displeasure, further reinforced by a firm headshake. Faegard responsively dropped the object as he nervously eyed back the man.

“That’s better,” smiled the man as he saw Faegard’s hand leaving the object. “Now, I heard that you are looking for someone… in authority, aren’t you?

”That… that sort of resolution… that stature… he must be a knight, no, maybe something more,” Faegard mumbled quietly as he contemplated the situation at hand, bending his neck as in a long pause. ”But… no, I mustn’t make any mistake. After all, I can’t tell who this man is, friendly or not…”

“Well?” the officer urged after a couple of seconds of silence. “Were you saying something?

“I… I have a very important matter that needs immediate attention!” replied Faegard, at which point he paused briefly to consider the alternatives. “But… But first I must know who you are! Are you with the Guardian Knights of Lornehelm or the Dark Lord?

“Lornehelm? Guardian Knight? Dark Lord?” the man lifted his eyebrows, twisting his mouth in a bout of perplexity. “What are you trying to say?

“If you are with the Dark Lord, you’d do better to finish me off, because I won’t tell anything!” asserted Faegard, steeling his nerve, knowing too well that Mortigius had a nasty habit of making his victims’ deaths “worth his while” once they had outlived their usefulness.

His words had a noticeable impact on his captor, as it seemed. The stoic officer was virtually stunned in a long pause, probably racking his brain to find out what the young prince was talking about.

“What if I tell you that I have heard of none of the above?” the officer finally settled with the most neutral-sounding question, while retaining his coolness in the fullest degree.

“What?” jerked Faegard, with wide opened eyes. “What do you mean, you have never heard of any of the above? The Guardian Knights are the most famous order of knights in the whole of Mediava, save for the Paladin Order! And the Dark Lord’s military campaigns in the past week have shaken the entire world, for that matter!”

Once more the human stood silent, his forehead wrinkling even more as he bent his neck in speculation, mildly shaking his head and shrugging in the next few seconds.

“Interesting… what is this Mediava you are talking about?” the human finally asked, his inquisitiveness exposing an absolute degree of pure curiosity.

“You don’t know what Mediava is?” Faegard rolled his eyes at the man, as if accusing him of not doing his homework. “Our world is called Mediava, the name that dragons and elves and men and dwarves are proud of! I thought everyone, including the dumbest of trolls and goblins would have known that!”

“Well, no, that is not the case here,” the man’s eye brightened in a bout of revelation. “This world is called Earth, and has been so called for a hundred thousand years or more. There are no trolls and goblins here either, not even dragons. Whatever faint doubts about their existence had been completely disproved by scientists around two hundred years ago.”

The human’s words struck Faegard with the weight and velocity of a meteorite, no less, taking him aback literally as he fell back down on the bed, staring blankly at the human, as if demanding an explanation, only to be met with a sympathetic, but similarly clueless gaze.

“Are… are you joking?” Faegard finally managed to hold himself together and spoke. “Then how… how did I get to this place?

“I don’t have an explanation to your problem,” the man’s sympathy became evident in his words. “In fact, I am not sure if this phenomenon is even explainable by our scientists.”

“No… no way! The give me just one proof why I should believe you!” Faegard demanded, as he frantically looked around the place. “Prove that to me”

The officer didn’t have to waste his time explaining, though. A random gaze outside through the opened window caught a glimpse of a gimmick that sealed Faegard’s fate abruptly.

“Wait… there… there is only one moon?” Faegard trembled into revelation. “What… what has happened to the other two?

“That proof seems to be adequate, my friend,” the human replied. “In this world, there is only one moon. It has been like that for ages now.”

The room fell back into silence the moment the human finished his last word. Faegard’s shock was such that his jaw was completely frozen, together with the rest of his bodies, as he tried to comprehend the fact, and failed. It was the first time in his life that Faegard was left in a state of thorough blankness, with a mess of completely indiscernible emotions. Was he angry, desperate, anguished, or simply sad? That jumbled mess held Faegard’s jaws fast, and it stayed like that for the next half a minute.

“But my people need me…” Faegard mumbled aloud. “Without a leader… our people are doomed!”

“I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do for now,” the officer said in an attempt to break the silence. “In any case, it is probable that you will have to stay here indefinitely. Reality is harsh, as it often is.”

The man then proceeded to pull a chair from beneath the table, sitting down next to the still awe-struck elf, ignoring the presence of the splintered glass beneath his heel. From the look of his face, it was evident that, whoever he was, the human was a decent person at heart, one he could possibly trust at this stage.

“By the way, I am Colonel Albert Granger, in charge of this military base,” he said, looking at the young elf, exposing his friendly half. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself? Who are you? Where did you come from?

“I… my name is Faegard Elfblade, and I come from…” Faegard spoke difficultly, after another pause. “But again, in this world, what I say may be… hard to believe.”

“Field experience proves that even the most improbable conclusion may be reality given the context,” calmly spoke the Colonel. “Please speak your mind – I’ll try my best to comprehend what you have to say.”

******


“Are you absolutely sure he said that?

Kurogane’s voice sounded like a thunderbolt across the evening, prompting his superior to raise his hands to ear level in a gesture of displeasure. The young Japanese pilot’s naturally loud voice seemed to be hereditary, but it had so far worked with him far less beneficially than his father, and as of present, was more of a nuisance to those around him than he was conscious of. The fact that he and his friends were standing in an open garden didn’t help much to disperse the sheer impact of the sound.

In this case, though, his exclamation was quite justified. A close friend of his, coincidentally working at the Kansai Base clinic, was making quite the news with what she had to say. Judging from how she was dressed, her shift ended not too long before, her medical staff garment still bearing the mild scent of peroxide from the working shift.

“Yes, I’m sure that was what I heard,” the girl said, not making any attempt to conceal her anxiety or perplexity. “He told the Colonel he is an elf.”

“An… elf… in today’s world?” Kurogane heavily stressed the first two words to emphasize his disbelief. “As if that would make any sense, Tsuki!”

“On the other hand, I believe it makes perfect sense,” Ein nodded as he propped his chin while leaning against the nearby pillar. “There is no way an unconditioned human being can get such an absurdly high F-score, both in theory and in reality.”

“That was 80% and 4.56, wasn’t it?” Kuro sat down as he spoke, looking perplexed, “He beats you squarely in that aspect, doesn’t he?

“More like, ‘hysterically laughing while crushing my F-score to microscopic bits.’ Ein replied with a joking smile, “That score would be more than enough to handle even the Shishioh’s very advanced F-system.”

“So, Captain, you believe in his tale, too?” the nurse asked, clasping her hand. “True, his ears are a little off-scale, but…”

“The universe contains far more secret than mankind can ever comprehend,” smiled Einherjar as he waved his hand casually. “When the existence of extra-terrestrial beings has been confirmed, then anything can exist. No, anything that can exist in theory WILL exist.”

Einherjar’s coolness suddenly subsided, as his eyes filled up to the brim with seriousness once again.

“I wouldn’t be astonished if he is conscripted into military service right here and now,” Einherjar said. “This is too remarkable an opportunity for us to miss.”

“That is no joke, Captain!” Kurogane rolled his eyes at his superior, dismissing the assertion as a mere gag. “Conscripting an extra terrestrial being into the Army without even carrying out the appropriate investigations? That doesn’t look like what someone sensible in the commanding rooster would do, would it?

“Well, let us just wait and see,” Ein replied with a blink. “We all know that these days anyone capable of handling the F-system is an extremely valuable military asset. Believe me or not, the higher-ups are perfectly willing to commit genocide if that can warrant an effective F-Manipulator.”

“No, I don’t,” disagreed Kurogane “I don’t think it will be that extreme, Ein. Many of the GUA generals are decent, if not thoroughly respectable people.”

“We may never know, Kuro,” Ein shook his head. “The current situation is getting more disadvantageous for us by the days. Now a full-scale war seems to be just a matter of time, and to top it with, Hyperion Industry doesn’t seem to have any qualms against applying Crimson Society technology en-masse.”

“And that wasn’t even the end of the issues!” Kuro said, “The controls for the MFF and MVF are quite complex and beginner-unfriendly, and mastering either is a matter of years! If that… elf is conscripted into the pilot seat, he will get himself killed for sure!”

“Be that the fact,” Einherjar said calmly, “Knowing the Colonel, he can always find a way around the issue. Not to mention training time for rookie pilots has decreased significantly in the last few years, and also the fact that the Liberators’ attacks are ever increasing in frequency and ferocity in the past few da… ”

A huge explosion in the distance cut off Einherjar’s speech prematurely, almost causing the captain to bite his tongue off and tossing the other two off balance. The next thing they knew, a similarly enormous curtain of flame drew up all of a sudden across the horizon, rising high up, wrapping up an entire building just about three blocks away from their position. Even from where they stood, the trio could feel the immense heat and the ferocious cracking from the burning flame. It didn’t take long to realize that whatever had happened wasn’t any good, especially when the red-alert siren was going off in full volume.

“What… what was that?” mumbled Kurogane.

“Does anything scream ‘Terrorist attack’ to you more than this?” Einherjar, having regained his senses, exclaimed as he pointed at the raging flame. “We are under fire! Let’s get to the hangar!”

Another explosion just around the corner, squarely on the front of a particular, unfortunate building, knocked down the trio, and before they could properly respond, the aforementioned block had crumbled down, sending debris all across the yard.

“Damn, this is getting ugly!” cursed Kurogane, turning swiftly to his defenseless friend. “Tsuki, take cover! Anywhere!”

Kurogane’s warning couldn’t have been timelier - Barely had the nurse nodded and dashed away when a piece of flying debris from the collapsing building hit the very spot she had been on, slicing a deep gash on the asphalt. The nurse was safe, but that much was enough to mean staying any longer in the vicinity would be fatal. Tsuki awkwardly scrambled away from the red zone, still limping somewhat from the impact of the last blast.

“Let’s get moving, Kuro!” Ein urged, taking a head start.

“I’m at it!” Kurogane replied, quickly turning towards his senior.

Before resuming the run, Kurogane’s quick glimpse at the sky revealed a disturbing fact.

“M… Mechvalries?” mumbled the young pilot in amazement. The sky was virtually being torn apart by a trio of engine jets, ripping through the night ominously like angels of punishment. That meant nothing but trouble at this stage.

******



< Message edited by Argeus the Paladin -- 5/14/2009 1:39:19 >
DF  Post #: 4
6/3/2009 5:37:46   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 4
Amidst the Debris


Faegard sat there, half-lying on the bed his eyes fixed on the sky where the single moon stood as a reminder of his current scenario. His fingers twiddled around the cord restraining his wrist while he stared at the darkness above. The “chain” was now less and less disturbing to look at, partly because he had realized it was nothing but a nuisance, and partly because his mind was still swiveling from the information the so-called Colonel Albert had just pumped it up with.

By then Faegard had gone through quite a lot of shocks that the impact of the one he had just received had been quite undermined. As much as the vocabularies of the leader of the “humans” in this camp confused him, there was one thing he could understand barely from the context of the conversation. This new world was far more advanced than his kinsmen, or any other denizen of Mediava, could ever dream of. A world where supposedly dull and uninspiring machines had grown to such a degree that their complexity and usefulness exceeded all but the most advanced of arcane magic, completely integrated into everyday life with such thoroughness Faegard could have thought humans and machines were a couple made in heaven.

”Fighting machines directly controlled by soldiers doing all the work, huh? Faegard thought, trying to make do with the theoretical lack of logic. ”And he wants me to help him out with one of these?

Such was the Colonel’s request – that Faegard lent them a hand with the very machine that had saved his life the other day. The choice seemed odd enough – the machine in question had just about the most complex of controls that Faegard had ever seen. Compared to the mechanical steel giant, even the most complex of gnomish contraptions, complete with five levers and ten sets of buttons, looked like a child’s toy. Personally, he might as well never be able to use that machine ever again, the bad memories of standing before that massive number of buttons, levers and pedals cluelessly while his foe proceeded to nearly hand him his behind was extraordinarily jarring, and that was just an understatement.

”Very well then,” the Colonel’s words echoed in his head as his gaze stiffened upon the lone visage of the moon. ”I’ll give you time to think this over. Make your choice when you’re ready – it is not like us to force you into our service.”

It was more or less a rhetoric question, judging from his current situation. If he was to return to his home world, it was crucial that he stuck to the people most likely to provide him help, and that meant the well-mechanized bunch of humans in this base. And it was obviously not like they would give him a free ride home as well, even if they could, or should he beg.

”Home,” the one word to come into his mind at that spot managed to burn a hole right through his mind.

Even now, part of Faegard’s subconscious mind still persistently maintained the belief that everything after the invasion of the Dark Lord, up to and including that moment, was but a dream, an illusion, a nasty mind trick a royal mage had embedded on his mind as, perhaps, a punishment. That subconscious notion would frequently attempt to take over his more realistic conscience, failing miserably every time, leaving the prince more and more devastated at each failure. Every now and then, he would expect a warm, familial voice, comforting him that this all was just an illusion, only to shake his head a split second later to find himself still tugged deeply within the mess of his current situation with no visible light of hope.

That mental shock had claimed its toll more than once during his flight from Silverlush, and cruelly so. Whenever the subconscious deception had worn out, reality would come back with a hammer of truth, and proceed to beat some sense into him mentally, forcing him to accept the truth he would do everything to run away from. That notion had at least once managed to come within a hair of breaking the prince completely when he was running away from his Mountain Giant predator. Had he not kept his cool at that time, Faegard shivered, he would have probably ended up another nameless ingredient of a Mountain Giant’s infamous Elf Meat Pie.

The prince sniffed as his mind wandered back to his ruined home once more. He had lost everything, right when he thought he was the happiest child to have ever graced the whole of Mediava, everything up to and including his parents, a notion especially ironic, considering the longevity of his kind. Never before had he even considered his parents something especially precious. Never before had he realized that being an orphan would be so depressing. Never before had he so wanted to be scolded by his stern father and subsequently comforted by his loving mother just once more, only to realize that it would never happen again.

But there was something he would never lose, something so entrenched into his very conscience that death itself would not detach him from it - The pride of a Greenglaze royalty, the arrogance of the elven heritage, molding together in a solid, steadfast symbol of courage, flowing in his every vein. Never again, Faegard thought, clenching his fist, would he allow him to be so taken over by grief.

“Father, Mother, I… I will make you proud. I promise.”

Faegard’s eyes shifted down to meet the ground, as the elven prince steeled himself to stop tears from overflowing his eyes, stiffening his features to a stern, brave expression fit for a royalty of his caliber. He would live on, to carry on the heritages of his people, whatever it would take

And yet, there was a limit to even that fine virtue could not surpass. After all, Faegard’s heart was no steel or mithril, and his mind no library. It was questionable if he could even see his dear Greenglaze again in this life.

“But… but what should I do?” however hard he steeled himself, his gesture alone could not hide the particular doubt and confusion paralyzing his pupils and ringing a desperate tune in his words. “I… I am lost, Father, Mother, I am… lost.”

Had the thought linger in Faegard’s mind a little longer, all his effort to keep himself from crying out loud like the child he was would end up futile. External consequences would ill like to see that, and its response came in the form of a massive explosion in the distance, followed by a thunderclap and a blinding flash, temporarily lit up an entire corner of the night sky. The fierce explosion blew the wooden windows inward with a force enough to nearly blow the moping prince off the bed and overturn said bed.

Before Faegard could make heads or tails out of the situation and respond, another explosion, dangerously closer to his ward than the first one, went off, this time detaching the windows completely, sending them backwards. Faegard could have very well received a double blunt trauma to the head as a result had his reflex evasion not saved him. At that moment, it became obvious that his danger hadn’t been over yet, and confirmed by the bleeping alert noise from within the building, followed by a mechanical-sounding recital.

“Our base is under attack. I repeat, our base is under attack. This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!” the soulless, monotonous, although urgent announcement would have sounded more unpleasant than the actual explosions had Faegard’s senses not been so focused on assessing his current situation.

Yet another explosion went off, this time even closer than the last one. Faegard, however, wasn’t amazed any more. Promptly the prince sprang off his bed, rolled on the floor, and looked around. This time, the bed couldn’t hold out for any longer, and was flipped right over, tearing a chunk off the cubicle’s curtain wall when it was thrown outward. The pressure from the explosion also crushed the machine housing the cord, the unfortunate object giving out a veil of black smoke before blacking out. Thus expired the “expensive machine”, while Faegard couldn’t have been sympathetic – the machine’s deactivation also loosened the grip of the cord on his wrist, and he couldn’t help but delightfully peel the now-powerless cord off his wrist.

He was free, but danger was far from over. Another explosion quickly sprang Faegard back into alertness, this time, from above. The prince dive-rolled sideway just on time – a massive slab of broken ceiling fell right on top of where his cubicle once was, crushing everything beneath. The impact sent a chill up the prince’s spines in the meantime, when the young elf realized that the entire building was quickly becoming some sort of a death trap, and the quicker he got out of there, the better his chance to survive.

”How? a quick notion flashed across his mind. ”Good question.”

A quick glance out of the nearest window told him that he couldn’t just bail himself out the fast way as well – jumping off from the estimated height of five or six storeys would probably be no better than being crushed by random debris. That option out of the window, Faegard unwillingly looked into the blacked out corridor before him with growing doubt. He was apparently on unfamiliar territory, and being taken into the ward unconscious certainly didn’t help his sense of direction any. This, and the fear of getting lost in the worst of times, prompted Faegard to stand in place for a couple of seconds as he looked around frantically. However, the enemy, or whatever was attacking the place, didn’t seem to give him a chance, as another couple of explosions in the distance, followed by corresponding slabs of collapsed ceiling reminded Faegard that anything was better than staying around at this moment.

“Damn,” cursed the elf silently, as he raced towards the nearest spot of light. “Here goes nothing…”

******


Never before had deployment proved that much trouble to the Japanese soldier. Had the base itself not been third level battle station for the past few days and the Frames not been readily loaded up with live ammunition and refueled, taking off would have been impossible judging from the current state of the base. Thankfully, with those preparations in place, all it took for the pilots to ready their machine was to make it into the cockpit and prepare for sortie. But even then, there was still problem, when Kurogane realized the hangar gate had totally failed to respond to his emergency sortie signal.

“C… C… Captain!” Kurogane’s muddled voice sounded in visible panic through Einherjar’s communication radio channel. “The hangar gate is jammed! We’ve been set up!”

The said captain nodded in approval. Kurogane’s voice-over meant that the junior-grade soldier had arrived safely at his machine, although Ein was much less impressed by the observation. His exclamation came as a matter of course to Einherjar, as the older soldier gave a rather out-of-place smirk. Whoever was planning such a daring attack on one of the most fortified GUA bases in Honshu, or rather, in the whole of eastern Asia, must have been crazily prepared enough to pull out such tricks to prevent, or at least, delay the defenders’ fielding of their own MFs.

“I’ve kind of expected this sort of sabotage,” Einherjar spoke nonchalantly. “We’ll just have to do it the hard way.”

With another smirk, the captain pulled a lever on his right side. The next thing that his apprentice realized was an unexpected beam shot piercing a small panel near the bottom of the gate – presumably the gate’s manual control device. There was a relatively small explosion as the unit went up, and Einherjar proceeded to complete his job by stepping on a pedal, accelerating his machine and rammed the steel gate at the highest attainable speed at that point. The door was promptly blown out of the way as a result, creating just the needed opening for deployment.

“Get out of there, Kuro,” Einherjar said, still nonchalantly, but with an added notion of urgency. “This hangar wouldn’t stand for much longer.”

Even with that urge, it took Kurogane no less than six more seconds to move out of the hangar – Einherjar’s nonstandard and borderline random behavior and response to problems still struck him as odd by now, even though he had spent the last six month by the senior’s side. When he finally jetted out, however, the Japanese could but thank his senior for such a swift movement, as a couple of stray missile had found their ways towards their particular hangar and went off spectacularly, bringing half of the Squadron 12 hangar with it, together with the Squadron’s spare machines.

“No time for the regular ‘Einherjar Ritter, Weiss Stelhpferd, Ikkimasu’ phrase, is there?” joked the captain as soon as he saw Kurogane’s machine dashing out from the flaming hangar, his tone about-faced into the territory of seriousness about instantly. “It looks like we are in trouble. Deep trouble.”

As he spoke, Einherjar turned the White Steel Horse’s head up into the sky, and when Kurogane followed suit, the young soldier’s first impression was that his superior’s remark was, if anything, an understatement. A relatively small-sized, but abnormally fierce, dogfight was going on in full swing right over their head, spanning over the entire airspace above the base. Around twenty to thirty AS-34 and AS-45 Tactical Fighters, the Global Union Army’s mainstay aircrafts, were gliding, barrel-rolling or zooming across the visible horizon, their vulcans and missile flares lighting up a corner of the midnight sky, in an attempt to hold off the airborne intruders in the form of not-yet-identified, hostile humanoid machines. And losing.

“That… that is Supporting Fighter Squadron No. 15 and 17, right?” Kurogane asked in bewilderment as the screen before him showed yet another jet plane being gunned down by the attackers. “How could they be so beaten up?

Kurogane could have well said, “beaten up badly”. The dogfight was quite one-sided as it was going, as every so often an allied airplane would invariably fall prey to enemy fire, have its tail or wings forcibly torn from the body by a trail of vulcan fire or a well calibrated rocket salvo, before plummeting down to a fiery doom. The enemy Frames almost won the fight by themselves – gliding in the sky as freely as top-of-the-line jet fighters, while still packing the firepower and armor of a ground-based MFF made them nothing short of annihilators, monsters on the battlefield preying on the lesser aircrafts. Judging from the speed the friendlies were being shot down, it was quite obvious that the said aircraft squadrons had been battered to the point of humiliation even before Einherjar and his protégé could leave the hangar.

“And Tactical Fighter Squadron No. 8 as well,” added Einherjar, shaking his head quietly in the cockpit, as if contemplating on a simple truth. After all, how could ancient aircrafts of uninnovative designs stand a chance before enemies that had given top-of-the-line MFF a hard time?

“Just as the Colonel feared – they are no match for airborne Mechvalry Frames.”

As he spoke, the captain turned on his jet engine, dashing his machine towards the battlezone, leaving the rest of his commands dangling behind at his subordinate.

“Let’s go, Kuro,” Einherjar said firmly. “Switch to your Anti-MF beam rifle and lay down cover fire!”

******


Never before had Faegard found his elven physique as useful as now. Had it not been for the legendary agility and night vision of his kind, the prince could have well died quite a few times then, if not from the various explosions, then from the ominous lightning-like bolts breaking out of some particular, funny-looking panels on the walls, or from the caving-in ceiling, crumbling walls or collapsing floor. As he fled the scene, the prince could feel a glimpse of pity – he had come across a few humans, or the remains of whom, having fallen to such death traps he had evaded fairly well for the moment being.

There was not really a chance for him to pity upon those less fortunate, however, for before long, the elven refugee realized he had been entering the same room twice too many times. It was obvious that no degree of agility or intelligence could help Faegard get out of the danger zone if he didn’t even know where he was going to begin with. In the past fifteen minutes of frantically dashing across the place,Faegard only succeeded in making his way three floors down. Before long, Faegard could feel an itchy, damp sensation all over his forehead as the blood rush and the heat of the moment manifested themselves into nervous sweatdrops, occasionally dripping on the ground as if reminding him of his hopeless plight.

Another explosion in the background temporarily switched Faegard’s mind to the impending danger. A reflexive dive roll once again saved the elf, as the blast within the refugee’s neighborhood had thrown a whole chunk of debris at his position. This time, though, Faegard didn’t get away without a scratch, a sharp shrapnel from the pile of broken bricks gliding right across his cheek, slicing a long, thin, jagged line on his flesh upon contact. The tingling sensation of injury and the dreadful warm blood running down his lower cheek was immediately suppressed by his rapidly thumping heart, though. Another couple of explosions in the distance prompted Faegard to let out a gasp of terror. If the situation kept deteriorating, not even the best ranger of Greenglaze could hope to survive, or so the prince thought.

”Calm down, Faegard, calm down, damn it!” the prince thought, trying to keep himself contained with little effect. ”I’m not going to die! Not now!”

And then the elf’s eyes flashed to a side alcove, where a still open window lay waiting, as if inviting him to jump through. Naturally Faegard hesitated for a split second – jumping off a window from a third floor was just slightly better than doing so from the fifth, talking about the consequences. But then, the consequence for not doing so could have been worse, as so demonstrated to Faegard in the form of another, flaming explosion in the close vicinity, followed by another volley of falling debris. There was no other choice…

Faegard turned back briefly, and then clenched his teeth, before dashing forth at top speed at the opening, lobbing himself out of the window with a somersault. His timing couldn’t have been better – no sooner had he jetted off the death trap of a building than another explosion set off at the very spot he was standing a second ago, blowing flame and broken bricks and mortar through the opening. The building seemed to have as well reached its limit following this, the entire upper portion of the doomed architecture crumbling and falling into dust as flame billowed through the ruined windows.

Faegard had survived the building, but all wasn’t over yet. Taking off was the easy part, it was the landing that would hurt. As Faegard rolled out of the burning ruin, his eyelids clenched hard, as did his jaws froze solid, as the prince mentally steeled himself for a dreadful impact…

… which didn’t happen.

The next thing Faegard realized was not a blunt trauma of a collision, but rather a soft gasp of startle, followed in quick succession by a scream of pain. Not his scream, apparently. That realization came in line with a soft feeling beneath him, as if some sort of cushion had broken his fall. Faegard opened his eyes in bewilderment, which turned at once into a squeamish horror when he opened his eyes.

He had landed on someone rather than something. A girl, he found out, after the initial shock had worn out. She must have been unfortunate enough to be right under the window when he made the desperate saving jump. The result was fine for him but not that well off for his savior. Faegard got away with no more than a mild bruise in the underarm, but the young lady had passed out cold from the trauma, while his form was rather inconveniently pressed on top of hers compromisingly, resulting in a reactive red shade across his face.

“It is… the nurse from just now?” Faegard thought out loud as he scrambled off the awkward pose, shaking the blush off his visage, and took a closer look at the young woman. His memory had served him well, although in this case, the image was too remarkable to be forgotten – the shy, feminine kind of beauty she possessed would be quite remarkable even among the Elven community.

Still, it was rather ironic to see a nurse out cold and helpless on a literal battlefield. Taking a deep breath to stabilize himself, Faegard bent down again to look her over. There wasn’t any visible injury, as far as his eyes could see, but the blunt trauma must have taken its toll on her slender, meek body frame. In this state, she was but a burden, considering Faegard’s attempt to stay alive amidst the blasts and blazes. Yet, however he was determined to survive the ordeal, the prince realized he just couldn’t leave her there.

”A Paladin is both a sword that smites evil and a shield that protects the weak,” remembered Faegard. The Elven prince was one of the few nobles of Silverlush to still take the doctrines of the Paladin Order seriously, to the point it had merged with his behavior and become part of Faegard’s very way of living before long, and ignoring the girl having just saved his life, though inadvertently, was simply out of the question.

”But, how? Faegard felt like punching himself as he thought. Basically just the good old simple Lay on Hands could have worked wonder in this case, had it not been for the fact that good old lazy Faegard had been sleeping, slacking, or otherwise skipping right through Sir Harthrane’s lessons on Paladin healing magic throughout the past few years. And an unconscious woman would make a perfect escape partner, obviously.

Before he could come up with a solution to the problem, another blast in the distance managed to uproot a nearby tree with a crack, scattering rocks and pebbles across the vicinity, reminding him that danger wasn’t yet over. Having no other option, the prince realized that the time had come for the extraordinary measure - With all his might, Faegard lifted the nurse up on his back and stood up. It sounded easy enough, if it wasn’t for the fact that the nurse was slightly taller and weighing as much as himself. The burden made it nearly impossible for Faegard to stand up, and had it not been for a broken branch lying around used as a walking stick, the prince wouldn’t have been able to even walk.

The next thing Faegard remembered was a large crash and rumble as the lower portion of the building also succumbed to its fiery doom, putting up a thick veil of dust as it subsided. How Faegard managed to pull both himself and the young nurse from the dangerous vicinity, he could only attribute to some kind of berserker instinct for survival and a much needed adrenaline rush. Breathing of relief, Faegard pulled his female burden towards the nearest object resembling a shelter, a relatively intact tree

”Alright, so that is over with. But what now?

Good question. All what Faegard could see scattering across the horizon were fires churning up from windows, with debris scattering all over the place, be it broken barbed wire fence, shattered bricks, or bits and pieces of smashed glass; the cracking flame, the blaring siren, as well as the constant screams, cries and frantic name-calling amidst the fumes and smokes making up the rest of the chaotic atmosphere. There didn’t seem to be many safe shelters in the vicinity, and from what Faegard saw in the sky a split second after that, there might as well have been none.

“What the… O Holy Spirit of the Forest! What on Mediava is THAT?

Faegard unconsciously spoke out loud, his jaws dropped squarely on the ground as his eyes fixed at the space many yards above him. What he had just happened to observe was the surest and most decisive proof that, unlike what elven scholars liked to say, the evil chromatic dragons of the Far Western Crags were far from the most fearsome beings in the universe. Had it not been for his vowed regal pride he would have probably lost his composure and freaked out at that sight of those beasts on the sky.

He might as well have every right to freak out – the sight of abnormally enormous, flying Steel Golems armed with huge explosive arrows and swords of light, raining fire down the military base while soaring high upon the sky was every bit as terrifying as the Black Dragon bombardment on Silverlush just before the fall of the city. Or maybe even worse – Black Dragons couldn’t probably shoot beams of light that ripped through bricks and mortar and steel alike like what the enemy steel golems were doing. And they are mechanical creatures unlike the dragon, devoid of pain, suggesting that the only way to put them out of commission would be to completely blow them off the sky – a night impossible task.

Even from where he stood, Faegard could feel his hairs stood on ends as he observed the scope of a full barrage, shredding the midnight sky in a matrix of lethal beams and missiles and flame bolts, annihilating everything in its path. A simple comparison occurred to the prince – if the combined force of the Royal Archer Battalion and the Arcane Guild could only barely drive away the dragons, and not before suffering enormous losses themselves, what chance did he have against the mechanical aggressors? Faegard's teeth gritted, in both fear and resentment, as he observed the destruction without any solution...

******


“That’s about it, Lieutenant Jessica,” a calm, cold voice sounded. “The first stage of our operation tonight has been completed.”

The radio transmission struck the mentioned officer quite unexpectedly, and for good reasons. Sitting in the cockpit of her state-of-the-art Daimyo Mechvalry Frame and enjoying what firepower and mobility superiority over the opponents, the Lieutenant was hoping for nothing less than a thorough annihilation of the enemy base. Judging from the way the battle is progressing, it was only going to be a matter of time – she herself had already claimed six fighter jet and five main battle tank kills since the beginning of the assault, not to count the number of disabled AA turrets.

“M… Major Elward?” the officer asked back, sounding appropriately puzzled.

“I repeat, we are preparing to retreat,” the voice continued in a colder, but firmer voice, the attitude of someone in a position of absolute authority. “We have done enough to weaken the defense of Kansai Airbase. The rest, we will leave it to the Kingsley Squad.”

“But they are definitely losing!” protested the Lieutenant. “Why shouldn’t we just unload everything we have on this measly defense base and claim a rightful victory for the Insurrection?

As she protested, the officer defiantly shot a laser beam from her rifle at the nearest enemy aircraft. That nonchalant attack nevertheless did more than enough damage, searing the left wing of the unfortunate jet and plunging it down towards the ground in a blaze. The doomed jet slashed an orange flame across the horizon like a shooting star as it fell, scoring yet another kill for the officer in question.

“Did you see that, Major Elward von Krieger?” proudly spoke the ace. “If this is how the Union intends to fight us, we may as well hog as many kills as we can and win our share of medals!”

“We wouldn’t want to show them our entire hand, would we? Besides, we are not here to destroy the place, but rather to obtain the Type-2 Shishioh prototype,” the authoritative voice asserted. “Which, we will not take charge of. Now, order the team to retreat and lay down cover fire to the Kingsley Squad!”

“But…” hesitated the officer.

Her hesitation came at a high price, to her chagrin. Before either officer could say anything further, a large, bright blue beam of light had shot up from a particular location from the ground, where neither of them was keeping watch, ripping through the darkness spectacularly, climaxing with a good explosion right behind the Lieutenant, followed by another descending fireball of debris plummeting into the ground just like the unfortunate aircraft just now. And yet, it wasn’t another Union jet this time to have been blown out of the sky.

“We… we’ve lost contact with Forks Three!” Lieutenant Jessica cried out in panic as her eyes glued to the control panel. “He… he’s been caught by that beam!”

“This beam… it must be a shot from the F-Solid Beam Cannon!” Major Elward sounded slightly shaken, apparently taken aback by the unexpected blast, before raising his voice in a bout of realization. “Tell your men to get out of here, Lieutenant Jessica! Unless you want them to all die here!”

“M… Major? What is…”

Another lethal blue beam shot up, aimed directly at the direction of her Frame before shecould finish her question. Startled, the officer engaged the emergency evasive maneuver, jerking her frame out of the line of fire a split second before the beam impaled the space where she once docked her machine. While the killer beam did not score a direct hit, it still took with it the entire of the Daimyo’s left arm, ripping it out of the torso and instantly vaporizing the appendage. The resulting explosion shock the entire foundation of the Daimyo, coming within a hair of stalling the machine’s thrusters, something that could have well spelled the doom for the frame and its pilot.

“AAAH!” screamed the officer in horror as her machine was tossed sideway on momentum.

“Only one person can use the F-Solid Cannon with such proficiency,” the Major shrieked, partly in response to the damage and partly out of annoyance for his subordinate’s stubbornness. “Einherjar Z. Ritter the White Knight, the Cannon of Heaven of the First War, an ace that none of you would ever stand a chance, however more advanced your mechs are!”

The Lieutenant still seemed rather hesitating, which certainly didn’t amuse the commanding officer one bit.

“Didn’t you hear me, Lieutenant?” Major Elward snapped, his voice sounding truly cross. “Get out of here before you throw away your lives! I’ll cover your escape, so be quick about it!”

“Y… Yes sir!” Lieutenant Jessica replied sheepishly, as she turned on the communication channel with the rest of her squad. “All units, retreat and regroup! Major Elward von Krieger shall cover our back!”

The downtrodden officer then withdrew her machine, leaving a trail of smoke behind its lost arm as it staggered off, her body still trembling from the impact of the destructive blue beam, followed by the remainder of her team, most assuredly still bewildered by the sort of power their opponents can pack.

Only the field commander of the operation still stood in the sky, with a smirk, no less. He had every reason to be confident of his machine – while the Daimyo had barely been mass-produced at all, he had been given a prototype custom model, far exceeding the performance of the supposed Mass produced models. With the kind of armaments it was equipped with, had Elward been as active a combatant as he had been in the First War in this battle, the entire assault would have been over within no more than a minute. And there was another reason as well…

“Let’s go, Isabella,” murmured the Major with an enthusiastic undertone, as he dashed his machine towards the ground.

Another blue beam shot up, this time directed at him. But unlike his less fortunate and less skilled teammates, Elward had no problem at all avoiding the attack even while descending. It wasn’t long between his nimble evasion and the sight of his opponent entering his sight, at which he lifted his eyebrow. There, on the ground, right next to a ruined building block, was a familiar shade of white, encasing a humanoid frame with a mane-like decoration on the back of its head, proportionately large legs and plated in thick armor with a large shield to spare. The offending cannon was sticking out of its other arm, effectively pointing at his direction. Whoever was controlling the machine wasn’t firing on purpose – had he fired once more while Elward was further descending, he would have been stuck in a far tighter spot. Not that he had expected such a drastic turn – the Einherjar Ritter he had known was like that.

“Einherjar Ritter,” the Major opened a personal communication channel to his opponent – a rather unconventional approach in wartime. “So, I see you haven’t lost your touch after all those years of peace.”

“How unfortunate, Captain Elward von Krieger, that we have to meet again like this,” Einherjar replied, looking at his adversary’s visage through the communication image.

“It’s Major Elward von Krieger now,” corrected Elward. “Major Elward von Krieger of the 21st Battery Division, Grand Army of the Colony Confederacy.”

“You know very well that this act of belligerence is in direct violation of the 2479 Geneva Treaty between the Colonies and the Global Union, don’t you?” Einherjar asked.

“Sorry, Captain Einherjar,” Elward replied. “This assault is not my decision in the first place. In other words, I am merely following my orders.”

“Ha!” Einherjar exclaimed in excitement. “If that is the case, this should mean a full-scale war doesn’t it?

“Take it what you will,” Major Elward answered. “But either case, I suppose it’s about time for us to start settling the promise ten years ago, isn’t it?

“I’ve been expecting that,” Einherjar replied enthusiastically. “High time we settled the scores of old – I gamble my fate on the barrel of my F-Solid Cannon!”

The glint of the destructive metallic cannon barrel, a sight that had frightened off much of the Colonies’ forces in the middle phase of the First War, last time Einherjar remembered, still hadn’t tarnished one bit since the last time it fired a shot in a war. Responding to that, Elward only smiled.

“Let’s go, Tenjouhou!” Elward grabbed the control joysticks with about as much eagerness. “Isabella and I won’t lose!”

A cannon shot once again pierced the midnight sky, but this time, served no purpose except for starting the battle...

******



< Message edited by Argeus the Paladin -- 6/24/2009 1:20:02 >
DF  Post #: 5
6/29/2009 4:10:54   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 5
Tsuki Nagoyaka


Everything took place so quickly that by the time the last spark of flame had vanished into the dead of night, Faegard was still at a lost for both understanding and words. If the presence of the steel golems and the notion of how such a blatantly out-of-this world display of firepower could possibly exist had already been shocking enough to him, the way one of them was blown right out of the air just a second later in an even more extravagant and magnificent display was naturally an even bigger. As the unfortunate machine spiraled downward and out of existence, Faegard thought he could feel the tip of his lower jaw touching the ground in sheer amazement.

But it was the sheer magnificence of the assault itself that gave Faegard the largest jaw-dropping margin. Never before had the prince known of the existence of a weapon capable of channeling such concentrated light to deal massive damage as he was witnessing. The arcane magic nearest to such majesticalness was probably the Orb of the Sun spell, an attack so potent and self-destructive that only the most well-learnt and most reckless of wizards could bring himself to carrying it out. Such an assault not only summoned the primal heat of the Sun to grill the enemy to a crisp, it also came at the cost of carving a huge chunk off his reserve, doing permanent damage to the wellbeing of the caster in question. That spell remained a restricted weapon throughout history for that precise reason, and naturally, Faegard's first reaction to the lethal beam was a glint of anxiety, in the belief that a daring human must have paid the cost of such power with his power, his health, his longevity, or even worse, his life.

Needless to say how bewildered Faegard was at the sigh of the second, the third, and nearly half a dozen more of such beams lining the midnight sky with the deadly bolts of light, as if threatening to rip the horizon into ragged black tatters, at which point the prince started to lose control of his senses. So dazzled he was that the fugitive completely averted the sight of the entire fleet of enemy flying steel golems having withdrawn from action. His eyes had been completely fixed upon the multitude of bolts of light shooting into the sky, as if beauty itself had manifested into the very fabrics of destruction.

It seemed that nothing short of a series of violent explosion in the background could shake him from the trance, and yet it was only a soft groan by his side that did it.

“Ugh... aah...” the sound drew Faegard's eyes backwards, immediately flooding it with delight and relief as he realized its source. The unconscious nurse was beginning to come round to his rejoice, her eyes opened to the touch of night gradually as she shivered back to her senses.

“Err... hello?” Faegard hesitated for a moment at a particular loss for words, before he could retreat to his natural sense of politeness and eloquence. “You seem to have survived the worst, I suppose, Miss.”

“Where am I?” the nurse asked, at which point an important task seemed to have dawned upon her, so represented by her sudden panic.

Her attempt to stand up, however, failed miserably, her slender form toppling over as she tried to exert herself. The failure was accompanied by a deep grimace – her ankle had been twisted at a rather uncomfortable angle, reducing her walking capacity to the level of a toddler at best. Had Faegard not caught her falling over, the result would have been visibly more painful.

“Err... It looks like you aren't in a very good shape,” Faegard remarked. “You really should avoid moving for the moment being...”

“I know that! But I can't stand here like this! I've got my orders!” the young nurse snapped, after which, as if realizing a mistake on her part, bent her neck and covered her mouth. “Sorry... I didn't mean to yell at you.”

She might as well not have had to apologize. Her tone of voice was innately velvety and sweet, that of a person either having never had a reason to be angry or being too polite to ever raise her voice, and even by doing what akin to yelling at the top of her voice, the effect was far from being threatening or mad. Needless to say, Faegard wasn't quite bothered.

“Order?” Faegard's curiosity ran wild at the notion. “What order?

“I... I must find that elf! He is still trapped in the infirmary!” she answered, her bout of panic taking full effect, manifesting itself all too well in her frantic looking around.

Faegard, on the other hand, when he realized what the fuss was all about, cracked a sound laughter of amusement. The girl didn't take that well, her mouth twisted in annoyance as she stared at the prince. If anything, it seemed that it was her innate politeness that was stopping her from being full-blown vocal about her displeasure at such a reaction.

“Sorry, I just couldn't help it,” Faegard apologized with a smile, “but when you said 'elf' did you mean... me?

“Y... you?” gasped the nurse as her eyes scaled the outlander's face. Her gaze stopped at Faegard's ears, upon which the prince pinched the tip of his left mildly in an obvious display of Elven national pride. At once the nurse turned red, presumably embarrassed at her failure to realize the obvious.

“Faegard Thunderwood Elfblade, a proud elf of Greenglaze, at your service,” bowed the prince with a glint of mischief in his eyes. “My soundest apologies for crashing into you earlier on.”

“You... crashed into me?” she asked back. “So that is how...”

“Sorry, the circumstance at that time called for extreme reactions,” Faegard scratched his head bashfully. “I had to haul you here – you were quite a load, aren't you?

“Quite... a load?” repeated the girl, the shade of red on her face grew somewhat deeper as she kept her head down. Oblivious as Faegard was to the opposite gender, the elf still knew enough to realize what a slip-up he had made.

“I... I didn't mean to comment on your weight or anything…” stuttered Faegard as he corrected himself. ”Sorry...”

“That's alright, now that you are safe,” smiled the girl, as she tried to make heads or tails out of her scenario and failed. Her dark brown eyes opened at full stretch at the sight of the outlandish being, her common sense attempting to compute how he survived the hellfire that had befallen the infirmary and still had enough strength to carry her with him to safety. She tried to conceal her loss for words with a generic question. “Where are we?'

“I thought I should ask you that!” Faegard replied, as if venting his frustration. “I'm no Ranger to have such an awesome sense of direction!”

Before he could properly finish his sentence, another series of explosions went off in the horizon. The duo turned towards the direction of the blasts in horror, realizing the newest blazes had claimed yet another building block, reducing it to smoldering debris. Apparently human buildings in this world were more elegant and more comfortable than what they had in his own world, but also far more volatile and tended much more to blow up than those simple crude huts and wooden cabins Faegard knew.

“Well, wherever we are, we are far from safe,” Faegard said hastily, the dancing flames reflecting in his eyes. “Any idea where we can hide until the fighting is all over?

“Shh,” uttered the nurse as she looked around, scouting the background for clues, before her eyes fixed on a relatively intact sign in the distance. “Let me see... if I am right, we are now in front of Block 2-E... or whatever is left of it. The nearest shelter I can think of is the F-6 hangars, around two hundred meters south of here.”

“Where?

“Ah, over there! Can you see the big building?” pointed the young woman, her voice raised a little in mild relief. “Strange… I thought all the hangars should have been attacked…”

In the direction the nurse pointed, Faegard could see the blurry outline of a large, imposing shed still standing, particularly clear of combat, as if having been conveniently forgotten by the consuming firestorm of late. Not only that, the general pathway leading to the shed, illuminated by whatever “electric” lights – as what the humans called it – still remaining and the various flames around the horizon, seemed to be largely untouched, unlike the battered ground where he had just treaded across. It seemed to be a suitable shelter, at first sight.

As much as the sight of a peaceful haven delighted the prince, Faegard still retained enough of his common sense to realize that all wasn’t over yet. For one, the silence and darkness surrounding the huge shed promised both safety and danger to all those who dared to take shelter within it. Moreover, the ferocity and ubiquity of the bombardment just now somewhat hinted that anything, anywhere in the compound could be attacked any minutes, and if the unknown enemies didn’t destroy something, there should be a purpose.

Naturally, Faegard hesitated for a couple of seconds, until another thunderclap and blaze in the vicinity tossed him out of his hesitation quite literally. The prince got back to his feet as fast as he could, having realized the degree of danger surrounding the place the hard way. The explosion didn’t hurt him or his hitchhiker much, apart from a couple of grazes, but it was clearly no laughing matter: the ground five meters away from where they sat had been carved inwards, into a large bomb crater of remarkable size and depth.

“No other choice, eh?” Faegard stared at the crater, shivering as he pondered what would have happened of him had the shell dropped just a little off. The notion paralyzed him somewhat for a split second, after which he regained composure, wiped his forehead, and turned to is traveling partner. “Do you need me to carry you there?

“Uh… no,” the nurse whipped her head left and right in a rather frantic manner, while her cheek turned into a luminescent scarlet shade for some reason, to which Faegard was quite oblivious. It was only when her eyes caught Faegard’s makeshift walking stick leaning on the tree trunk that her attitude returned largely to normality. “I think I can manage myself with this.”

“All good,” nodded Faegard. “Let’s go then.”

The prince then proceeded to hold the nurse’s hand, pulling her up. At that point, he realized that her hand was abnormally cold and wet, like a bar of elven steel left in the open for the night. The tingling sensation was such that Faegard for one second regretted not bringing his hide glove with him for warmth.

”Ah, forget it,” sighed Faegard. ”You can’t remember absolutely everything when you are in such a hurry.”

******


The duo then walked towards the shelter at what seemed to be a snail’s pace. From the painful look in the girl’s face, Faegard knew that every step she took with the disfigured ankle would trigger a jolt of mind-numbing agony, and even being able to walk at all was a tremendous effort on her behalf. The fact that once every so often an explosion would set off, might it be from a stray projectile, a ruined building or a funny-looking barrel on fire, was not helping at all. At the very least, Faegard could feel the air around him heating up and intensifying as he drew closer to the target, further augmented by the occasional, irritating but justified, groans from the injured lady.

“And what’s your name?” Faegard suddenly asked as they trudged through a grassy patch to cool down the intensity.

There was no answer for a short while, prompting the prince to turn back, fearing that his companion might have passed out. It turned out that Faegard’s question had somewhat stunned his travel partner, gluing her functional foot on the ground as she stared at the elf. Maybe it was just Faegard, but for a brief moment, it was as though her hand felt even colder and sweatier.

“My apologies,” awkwardly apologized Faegard. “Did I ask you something I shouldn’t?

“No…” replied the nurse, after a while fidgeting one end of the walking stick nervously. “I am Tsuki. Tsuki Nagoyaka.”

For some reason, the act of giving her name alone sounded like an awful task for the young nurse. Apparently the question didn’t help her mood much, but instead, worsened it further, as her neck bent even deeper, more out of an unexplainably disproportionate effort to hide her face than out of pain or agony - it seemed as though she had broken a supposedly untouchable taboo just by giving her name. Little did Faegard care about her mood shift, however, his elven scholastic curiosity tapping in at full swing.

“That’s strange,” remarked Faegard, his head bent low as he racked the miniature library that was his head for an answer. “I’ve never heard any human with that sort of name. Humans usually are named after brave kings and queens or warriors and champions of the Golden Aeon, or after names of the weapons, armors or working tools of choice of their parents. Your name… It sounds like a quadri-syllabic name in Orcish dialect… no, Orcish tone doesn’t use the ‘a’ syllable that much. Or maybe it’s Undinic? Not even – the water nymphs’ language is much more elaborate and their names often have four or five layers of literal and transliteral meaning,” at this point, Faegard’s frustration manifested into a well-placed facepalm on his forehead. “Geez, I surrender. I wish I had had more experience in lingual studies…”

“S… Sorry,” Tsuki bent her neck and back in a deep, frantic bow. “I didn’t mean to confuse you…”

She could not finish her sentence, as the next second, the ground suddenly trembled in a huge quake, throwing both of them on the ground without any chance of resisting. As Faegard scrambled to his feet, he felt his sense of hearing dulling down at a frighteningly rapid speed, brought about by a deafening noise, as if hundreds and thousands of tornadoes were swirling right then and there, threatening to puncture his ear drums with every passing second. Not to mention an overwhelming pressure filling the air, giving the sensation of a real, raging cyclone. When Faegard could finally cover his ears and look up, queasiness filled his systems as the vicious sounds still echoed within his cranium.

However he had tried to maintain his resolution until then, at this point he realized to his horror that his previously unshakable faith was now trembling to the core. He had every reason to be frightened at this point – one of the gigantic steel golems attacking the compound had landed quite close to them, cracking the ground under its heavy feet. As it landed, the pair of wings on its back started to fold in, the incandescent flame at the tips of which dying down, and the deafening whirs in the air slowly subsiding, to Faegard’s rejoice.

Painted in blue and resembling a warrior in full plate armor, with an imposing visage and demon-like horns to one-up it, the steel golem, for a second, appeared like a metallic avatar of a god descended into the mortal plane to wreck havoc. A myriad of gadgets were protruding from its humanoid frame, which Faegard believed to be the arsenal it sported. And there was something exceptionally frightening about the sword it held in one hand – the blade seemed to be made from solidified light, and before Faegard could properly reason how such a feat could be feasible, the steel golem demonstrated how effective such weapon could be, simply at a whip of the forearm. The result was not pretty – a nearby, thirty-feet oak tree was cleanly sliced into two, to his horror.

For a second, Faegard thought that all was over for him. It might as well had been, had the steel golem in question not so absorbed into something else. Faegard didn’t have a chance to properly react to its next action, as a gushing flame out of a hollow in its back had burst out at about the same time Faegard had a complete view of the machine. When Faegard’s composure finally came back, the machine had sped off well into the distance… towards the destination he and his travel companion was supposed to go to.

“Wait, what?” Faegard stared at the quickly diminishing shadow of the machine in bewilderment.

When the surrounding had calmed down somewhat, the elf turned to his travel companion, and sighed of relief. The nurse was more or less fine after the collision, except for that she was apparently unable to stand up. It took nothing less of a good pull to finally bring her back on her foot, although her frail, injured figure looked as if it could topple again any minute now.

“You are okay, right?” asked Faegard.

“I… I suppose,” shivered Tsuki, as she gazed at the direction of the hangar. “That is… an enemy MVF, isn’t it? What is this all about?””

“Well, one thing I know, from the look of things,” shrugged Faegard in resentment, “even that huge warehouse isn’t safe any longer. We’ll just have to stay here and hope for the best.”

Just about the next second, another drastic development took place, in the form of yet another steel golem, albeit of a drastically different design than the first, dashing across the distance, passing Faegard and Tsuki in a blink of an eye and approaching the former mechanical beast at maximum speed. It generated quite a gust as it covered ground, going so far as to nearly throw the injured nurse back down, had Faegard not grabbed her hand and keep her standing.

The movement climaxed with its beam sword, albeit much larger than that of the first golem, as it was clearly visible from his position, slicing the former diagonally upon contact. The result was obvious – the tree-slicing steel golem was being force-fed its own medicine when it was dissected into two, cleanly. Faegard could still catch a glimpse of the golem falling apart into said two halves, before flames burst out of every square inch of the cleaved plane, culminating in the entire machine blowing up spectacularly in a huge, blinding fireball, engulfing both its charred remains and the victor.

And then, when the flame had died down and darkness returned to the surrounding except for the various pieces of smoldering debris on the ground, the triumphant steel golem emerged, unharmed, sword in hand stalwartly, not too unlike the victorious pose of the knightly Paladins of Greenglaze. The steel golem was, quite literally, a dragon, given its look, speed and power. Its valiant form was further enhanced by the various glints of flames reflecting upon its plating, and the draconic head it adorned pushed this valorous picture straight into the domains of majesticalness. The wings did factor in as well – Faegard could swear that the pair of bony-looking, yet sharp and shimmering wings over its shoulder was more or less a direct replica of the most valuable assets of the elves’ Gold Dragon allies. The fact that it was also painted gold only strengthened the analogy in Faegard’s mind.

There, before the hangar it stood, like a guardian dragon watching over an ancient artifact of great significance. It was easily the most awesome image Faegard had seen in the whole day.

“That is… magnificent…” Faegard uttered, mesmerized by the sheer, literal splendor of the moment, his eyes glued on the sparkling shape of the golden dragon golem.

“It is the Hiryuu Custom,” Tsuki’s soft voice was similarly filled with awe as she identified the machine. “One of the best models we have got, or so I heard. But I’ve never seen it in action before…”

The glory of the moment was cut short, however, as not half a minute had passed when yet another steel golem charged right in towards the dragon-type golem. This newcomer bore the same design and weaponries as the first, presuming that they were allies, and this new development translated into trouble rather quickly for the dragon golem in question, as it readied its beam sword and stood ground. The adversary stopped about twenty yards before the dragon golem, brandishing its own, lesser, beam sword.

“It’s the Hiryuu again?” the newcomer boomed, its voice somewhat garbled, as if interfered by something. “You would really go to such lengths to stop us, wouldn’t you?

“I’m not going to hand the Shishioh to you guys without a fight!” the gold dragon golem hissed in a similarly garbled tone. Even when so distorted, its voice was incredibly youthful, very much different from the deep tone of the original Gold Dragons, as far as Faegard remembered.

“Fool… challenging the integrity of the Kingsley Assault Squad is…” smirked the attacking golem.

“… Similar to charging head-on into a stone wall!” another golem showed up in the distance, this time from a different direction.

“When Chief Kingsley says that, Jacob, he wants us to say ‘charging into a friggin’ lava pit’!” another mangled voice sounded from the same angle, signified by what sounded to be a sigh of displeasure, as another golem stepped into the scene with heavy footsteps. “When will you learn, mate?

“A stone wall is a much better depletive!” argued the second steel golem.

“Oh yeah? I stand by the lava pit till the end of time!” the third snapped.

“Stone wall!”

“Lava pit!”

The pointless argument went on along those lines for a good minute or two, at which point the first golem’s patience seemed to have dried up.

“Ah, cut it out, you two,” it snapped, showing obvious frustration, before finally returning to his threatening tone. “Anyway, pilot of the Hiryuu, you’ve gotten yourself surrounded. What chance does a Hiryuu have against three Daimyos?

There was a brief silence as the dragon golem’s head turned around. It was definitely in the disadvantageous side of the battle. Still, the golem was nowhere near giving up yet.

“The Shishioh is mine, you hear that?” the dragon golem exclaimed at the top of its voice. “There is no way I am going to hand it over to someone else! Especially the Liberator scums!”

“Too bad,” the first golem roared in a sadistic string of laughter. “You know what usually happens to unreasonably hot blooded Mechanized Frame pilots in this day and age? They go out with a bang. Just like that. Now are you going to stand down or not?

“Like hell I am!” roared the dragon golem as it lunged for the first of the enemy golems, its blade in hand. There was a rather bright flash as the two beam blades clashed, signifying the beginning of the struggle.

As far as Faegard could see, the dragon golem could have been holding its own quite well, had it not been for the massively biased odds against it. Not to mention it was at another massive disadvantage – the wings seemed to be only decorative, as the dragon golem couldn’t fly at all, while its primary opponent had no qualms against abruptly taking off and completely trashing its attempt every time it was about to land a direct hit with its beam blade. Coupled with the fact that the other two reveled in taking advantage of the situation to punch in a shot from a distance once every so often, it was only due to the golem’s mobility and a little bit of luck that it was able to avoid a fatal hit throughout the time. But judging from the incredible odd, it wasn’t going to last much longer.

“This isn’t a fair fight!” exclaimed Faegard with genuine irritation as his eyes glued on the battlefield. “Where is their sense of chivalry?

Faegard naturally didn’t take that unfairness well, with all the lessons and trainings under the Paladin Order having integrated the chivalrous and bravery of the Elven Paladins of Greenglaze into his very lifeblood. Immediately, he turned to Tsuki, his eyes flaring in righteous wrath as he looked at her.

“Well, I suppose I am not going to sit around and do nothing,” Faegard said hastily. “In the meantime, Miss, please sit down and keep yourself from the enemies’ sight!”

“What are you going to do?” Tsuki looked quite confused as she followed his instruction. “It is not like you can do anything to an MVF with bare hands…”

“I have to do what I have to do,” Faegard smiled, before speeding off in the direction of the ongoing clash.

******



< Message edited by Argeus the Paladin -- 7/8/2009 0:12:53 >
DF  Post #: 6
7/8/2009 0:13:37   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 6
Of Golems and 'Mechanized Frames'


In the meantime, the battle was definitely not going well for the golden dragon golem. Finally came a point in which skill and luck couldn’t help it any more, as a stray shot pierced through its defense, landing a crippling it on its right arm, severing the limb and the beam sword from its control. The arm fell on the ground with a loud thud, freezing the dragon golem in place out of bewilderment. All the while, a steady stream of lightning-like bolts was flowing out of its severed arm, replicating a bleeding effect to a frightening resemblance. It didn’t take too long for the leader of the enemy to realize the turning point, and secured his victory by pointing his weapon at the dragon golem’s head, preparing to deliver a coup de grace.

“Time out, greenhorn,” smirked the enemy golem. “You’ve put up quite a fight, but sadly that isn’t enough…”

Never could the golem deliver the final thrust, for a bolt of lightning from seemingly nowhere had pierced the sky, jolted on its fingers, jerking the beam sword out of its hand. As the blade left its hand and fell on the ground, the entire battlefield was frozen once more in astonishment. The afflicted golem’s next reaction was particularly fun to watch as it turned around a hundred and eighty degrees to search for the attacker, completely failing to take notice of a particular, comparatively tiny persona hidden well under a nearby tree, his fingers still scintillating with the potency of the spell he had just cast.

“Wow, a lightning spell sure does wonder treating these metallic dolls,” smirked Faegard. “Let’s see how much better it can work out.”

Another bolt of lightning, tiny in comparison to the golem, hit it squarely on the chest, knocking it back a step or two, much like the effect of an unexpected punch. A third one hit it on the shoulder and a fourth one its leg, to a lesser effect. Still, his continuous assaults had taken its due effect – the enemy was being struck with confusion, giving the golden dragon golem to snap out of its position and recover its vital weapon. He might have as well concluded and wrapped up his intervention there, but Faegard seemed to be enjoying himself experimenting his spells on his much larger foe. But then again, while having fun, he completely failed to heed a simple advice his parents had been spoonfeeding him on a daily basis in the past…

“There you are!” roared a very crossed golem, as its eyes fixed on his hiding place, startled Faegard and quite befittingly, sending a chill up hiss spine. He had been found out, as signified by a shot from the creature’s beam weapon, punching a clean hole through the tree the spellcaster was hiding behind, felling it shortly later. Had the elf’s reflex not kept up, he might as well have been blown to bits by the full power of the beam shot.

”Uh oh,” Faegard exclaimed mentally as he scrambled up after the instinctive life-saving dive roll out of harm's way. ”I really shouldn’t have pushed my luck…”

Whatever regret was far too late for the elf at that time, as Faegard found himself running for dear life, with a full-blown, well-armed and very disturbed steel golem in hot pursuit. The unfriendly terrain was outright uncooperative, to make matters worse. If only he was still within the protective shelter of a forest like his homeland, he could have as well outran and outmaneuver the clumsy beast. That was unfortunately not the case – In that military compound, the tree having just been felled was about the only one within a dozen yards, making hiding impossible.

To add up to the difficulty, the very estranged footsteps of the huge creature itself was literally making the ground tremble, each step crushing and turning over slabs after slabs of earth, ruining the previously perfectly built road. Under such unfriendly handicap, Faegard's racial, hereditary dexterity could only help him so much as to avoid being knocked down by the sheer turmoil in this case. Factoring in the fact that the enemy golem was absurdly agile and steadfast for its size, it was no surprise that Faegard found himself being forcefully ripped from the earth by the assailant's massive hand no more than half a minute since he was spotted.

It was effectively the first time Faegard had ever been so captured by an oversize being, and already he learnt that it was no comfortable experience, especially when the hand grabbing him was made of night unbreakable tempered steel. To make matters even worse, the notion that the golem could crush his frail, unremarkable torso with just a slight tightening of the fist was a terrifying thought And yet there was no escape – struggling, prying, pushing, banging, even bashing the creature's finger with the full force of his forearm didn't move the pincer an inch. Just as Faegard was about to despair, the golem raised its hand to its eye level, its reddish eyes glowed at his direction as it seemed to be observing the boy with an increasing, tenacious enthusiasm.

“That's... just a kid, and yet...” the distorted voice of the golem sounded, at first still uninterested and unconcerned, but quickly ascending into amazement within a couple of passing seconds, the shift in tone signified by a short pause and a conclusive gasp. “...what on Earth? The F-Statistics are off the scale!”

There was a brief pause as the creature stared at the prince, scanning his form from top to toe, its ruby eyes sparkling with a myriads of symbols, gauges and characters Faegard had no knowledge of, before its voice resumed, its astonishment taking over its tone at full swing.

“With such absurd F-stats... and... for all what is holy, what kind of ears is that?” exclaimed the golem, in an outburst of bewilderment indiscernible from panic. “This kid is not from this world!”

It was high time he realized, Faegard supposed, and with all due astonishment. It appeared that in that world, any race other than human was regarded as a phenomenon, as the bewilderment had taken its toll on the golem, prompting it to stand completely frozen in place in the next few seconds, trying to cope with the absurdity of the realization. When it finally recovered from the shock, however, what it said was by no means relieving to the prince.

“Okay, kid,” the golem's tone returned to normality after what appeared to be a forced suppression of disbelief. “You are going with us now – there are people who will have better use for your juicy F-Stats than the Global Union scums.”

“I have no intention of going anywhere!” Faegard’s righteous, deep regal voice no doubt bore with it the pride and spirit of a royalty, a king-to-be, no less. And yet it was not even remotely possible to take his words seriously while his forearms were still desperately banging on the solid composure of his captor’s metallic finger like a literally helpless kid.

“Quiet down there, kid,” the steel golem repeated with a chuckle. “You will make a fine trophy regardless of whether we can capture the Lion King or not.”

The creature was quite serious with what it said. A glint of light sparked behind the creature’s back followed by its folding wings unraveling at full stretch, culminating in a screeching sound of abnormally powerful wind gusts as jets of smooth flames shot out of its back. Within seconds Faegard felt the air around him heating up at an alarming rate, surrounded by the steam-like gas exhausted from the golem.

”He’s about to take off!” realization struck Faegard at all the wrong timing. In a final attempt to break free, Faegard resumed his fruitless beating away at the solid fingers, to no avail. Still, he persisted right until the creature began to levitate off the ground, at which point a combination of fatigue and helplessness overtook his will to struggle further. Faegard relaxed his muscles, panting, while staring at the ground as his carrier began to break free from it, his eyes filled to the brim with uncertainty and spiced with sufficient regret for his rash actions to make him feel like kicking himself.

And then there was a huge shock, followed by a small, but damaging explosion at the machine’s other shoulder, causing the entire frame to tremble like a ship in storm. To the golem, the entire trauma apparently posed no problem, but to Faegard, the shock, while failing to rip him out of the captor’s firm grasp, was still able to tumble the contents of his guts right up his throat. Spitting out the foul-smelling, half-digested material didn’t help Faegard’s dizziness one bit, as another, vertigo-inducing sudden loss of weight filled his interior, further heightened when Faegard looked down at the ground.

The golem, and of course himself, was freefalling on the ground at a mind-numbing rate, whatever device it used to maintain balance in mid-air having obviously been damaged beyond function. Faced with the terrifying scenario, Faegard could but utter a helpless, long-winding scream of terror, only so abruptly silenced when the creature’s legs smashed onto the earth with a huge slam, crushing a huge slab under its fall, followed by a thick curtain of dust in its wake.

In spite of the extremely messy crash, the elven prince was more or less unhurt, apart from a mild concussion that faded away within seconds and teary eyes from the huge amount of dust. Faegard had his captor to thank for such a lucky escape – had the golem’s grasp on his torso been just the least slack, the sheer force of the trauma could have knocked him right out of the safety of its hand, and the result would have been a foregone conclusion.

”No one can take that fall and stand,” Faegard thought as he stared down at the miserable shape of the golem, shaking his head.

It was in a bad shape, literally, with one of its legs taken a nasty crack and the other close to subsiding, small bolts of lightning evoking from the cracked joints. The remarkable arsenal it bore was falling apart, disfigured, deformed or otherwise rendered unusable by the collision. The wings it was so proud of had been trashed, shattered into pieces, scattering all over the ground as it landed. And to further strike a nail on its coffin, its shining ruby eyes had also dimmed down, suggesting that whatever magic or power source it ran on had been depleted, destroyed or damaged beyond salvage.

And then it came to him that the entire frame of the golem could collapse any second now, making it foolish to stay in the creature’s grasp any further. Considering the state of the enemy at that time, getting away was by no means an exploit, and with no more than a basic wind gust, Faegard was able to blow the encasing fingers outwards, leaving just enough space for him to squeeze out and jump out of his imprisonment.

It turned out that he didn’t have to push his leap – the enemy golem was still up and standing by the time he had reached the ground and rolled away a good distance from the frame for fear of collateral damage. The jump height was much shorter than his escape from the burning house just now, but hurt a wee bit more – there was simply no Tsuki Nagoyaka to break his fall this time. Soft earth instead helped him somehow, and Faegard stood up rolled on the ground to damp the momentum, suffering from nothing more than a couple of minor bruises.

Wiping some dust and sand off his head and clothes, Faegard stood up, took a deep breath and looked around. He had been saved, but by what? The answer came in the form of a towering golem slightly taller than the enemy, standing right behind the downtrodden silhouette. As Faegard stared at his savior, he could not stop himself uttering a childlike, royalty-inappropriate exclamation of awe. It was the same steel machine that had saved his skin and ended his hopeless escape from the hungry mountain giant!

Despite its heavy damages in the last battle, having taken a blow so heavy Faegard could literally feel its very frame being dismantled while he was still sitting within its innards, the friendly steel golem was up and kicking by then. The lion’s crest engraved on its chest and various other joints, the lion jaw-shaped helm-like decoration on its head, the claw-like structure of its forearms, even the two spike-shaped racks behind its back, everything had been adequately fixed up, to Faegard’s delight.

Staring at the majestic rescuer for a couple of seconds, the first thing Faegard realized was a tubular object descending from the sky, attaching itself on the golem’s arm with a click. The creature must have disconnected its fist to strike the enemy from afar, bringing about the crash. How it could have possibly carried out an attack along those lines was beyond Faegard’s understanding, but it must have been a magnificent sight, Faegard presumed.

After a moment of silence as he stood, still overwhelmed at the moment’s splendor, Faegard decided to walk up to his benefactor, stopping right under its feet.

“Oh, hello there, big guy,” Faegard called out. He didn’t have to say twice – once again, the creature opened its chest, revealing the suction beam hatch Faegard had had a hard time with the first time. This time, though, the elven prince was more than happy to take up the invitation.

”You just have to use a giant golem if you’d like to survive a clash involving another giant golem,” Faegard thought as the beam coated his form and his feet felt lighter.

Within a couple of seconds, Faegard had found himself seated at the helms of the mechanical creature, behind the host of levers, buttons and screens that had freaked him out the last time. Not that he had gained any more know-how in controlling this complex machine since then, but for some reason, Faegard still felt vastly more comfortable than the last time, if not much, much more confident.

”Now, then, let’s get this started, alright? Faegard thought delightfully as he took another, more complete look at over the cabin.

Only now did he realized a couple of features he had missed out the first time he used it. First, there were two or three pedals beneath the control panels directly in front of the seat, which Faegard supposed could be stepped on to some effects. And secondly, the screen itself. By then, Faegard was quite convinced that the screen showed the scene outside as seen through the golem's eyes shrunken and adjusted into perspective. Looking at it this way, the prince realized just how majestic the scene outside was – the feeling of standing higher than mostly everything in the background was something one couldn't just enjoy every day.

A second look at the screen revealed to Faegard much more than simply the scenario outside. There were a myriad of gauges, tables and interesting-looking shapes, color-coded for convenience. There were also a couple of words, blinking in block letters at various segments of the screen, which Faegard supposed was how one controlling the machine would monitor the various facets of the complex contraption. The ones in biggest and most striking fonts, clearly read “Pilot Acquired”, “F-System Connection In Process”, and “Auto Pilot Engagement Off” respectively. It was such a pity Faegard understood the practical meaning of not one single word on the entire screen.

“Oh well,” Faegard sighed as he looked around the cabin again, searching for clues and finding none. ”I suppose it is trial-and-error time”

“The Shishioh!” a loud, garbled and by now, quite familiar to Faegard sounded from somewhere below him, cutting him from his train of thoughts and diverting his look towards it.

It then turned out that the enemy golem might have taken quite a blow, but it was nowhere near out of the fight yet, so signified by the red glow in its eyes reinvigorating as the machine rumbled to push itself upright. Although the process was carried out with due difficulty, and perhaps pain, if the golem did feel any, in nearly no time at all, it was already standing upright. Even so, the various cracks and energy bolts spewing and gushing out of it on a secondly basis like some sort of gaseous blood was not an optimistic sight for his opponent.

“You are still standing?” Faegard asked out loud. What an astonishment he received right after he uttered the last word – when he was speaking inside the golem, his voice, too, had become mushy and garbled, sounding much the same way as the voices of the other golems, while being magnified many times to the outside world. A quick brainstorm and a logical comparison in just a split second left Faegard with a sound explanation.

“You… you are human, aren’t you?” Faegard asked again, thoroughly not amused by his ‘new’ voice. “You are also sitting inside that golem, aren’t you?

“Are you really that stupid, kid? And besides, does it really matter that much on the battlefield?” the golem – or rather, whoever was sitting at his core just like himself – chuckled. “But enough talk! Hand over the Shishioh and I’ll let you live!”

“Shishioh? Faegard pondered. ”Is it what this lion golem is called?

Naturally, his enemy didn’t cut Faegard any slack. Out of the trashed armory, it turned out that the golem still have one remaining piece of functional equipment – the exceptionally destructive beam sword, still in its hand, relatively undamaged by the fall. Even with the broken body it had, his opponent still summoned sufficient power to point the blade at Faegard, as if asking for a fight.

The problem was that Faegard was unable to grant him any. What would result from a clash between a beam sword capable of cutting through practically everything, as Faegard had observed, and a giant golem who had no known capability to defend himself was a matter of simple arithmetic. The thought alone was quite spine-chilling for him, further reinforced by the greenish blue, dynamic color of the beam sword.

If there was anything worse than that equation, it was that his enemy had no qualms against realizing it.

“So you value the Type-2 Shishioh more than your life, I guess,” said his enemy with a low grin. “Fine – after all, no one told us to bring the Shishioh back intact.”

There was a visible flash from the hollows of the opponent’s back just a second after that, propelling the entire crippled shape of the golem towards his, its beam blade pointed at his position. In panic, Faegard stepped on the left pedal unconsciously, resulting in the lion golem taking a quick left step, effectively leaning the entire body forty degrees to the left.

The result was not quite pessimistic for the amateur – not being able to predict such an unorthodox move, the opponent’s charge missed Faegard totally, instead ended up sliding off by a couple of dozen yards. What was worse for his opponent, the strain placed on its already damaged joints proved to be disastrous, wraecking its left leg even more, and by the time it could turn back to face Faegard again, the golem was barely standing. Its state was such that Faegard began to pity his opponent.

“Do you really think you can continue like this?” Faegard asked. “Your golem doesn’t seem like it can take much more.”

Naturally, his prideful enemy didn’t take that notion well.

“I’m not losing to some amateurs!” roared the angered enemy.

Without saying another word, the enemy launched another lunge at Faegard, blade blazing. That charge was even more abrupt and with a greater precision than before, and in the split second he was allowed to find a reasonable response, Faegard could find none.

However, Faegard’s disproportionate luck was shining through that day to his opponent’s misfortune, his frantic fidgeting again saving him. This time, the outcome was even more damaging to his foe, as the prince’s blind, ignorant fidgeting with a particular lever and the shiny red button on its handle resulted in the lion golem raising its arm to shoulder level, and, to Faegard’s marvel, launched its fist at the charging opponent with a blast. The next thing Faegard realized was a large smash, followed by a reasonable explosion. The consequences of such an action, the prince’s words summed it best when the knuckle completed its mission and returned to the arm.

“How could a punch probably wreck up metal like that?” Faegard spoke hypnotically, having observed the power of his steel golem first-hand.

It was effectively the first time Faegard had decapitated someone. The fact that it was not a man, an orc or a goblin he had just removed the cranium of, but rather a full-size golem, and did so with his own golem’s punch, naturally left him in an awe that drowned out all possible words. There, just several golem steps away from where his Shishioh stood, his foe lay on the ground, its legs finally subsiding, relieving its torso of support.

Around its wreckage, whatever remained of its helmed head, mostly bits and pieces of shattered or torn metal was scattering all over the place. The enemy was doubtlessly down, and this time for good. Over its trashed remains stood Faegard’s triumphant machine, although both the victory pose and the victory itself were hardly valorous. Faegard had won his first battle, although questionably, but that notion of triumph didn’t strike him as much as the amount of power his steel golem possessed.

”What… what kind of power is this? Faegard thought. ”This sort of strength is draconic! No… this machine alone is even stronger than most dragons, save for the eldest and most prominent! But… how?

Faegard’s confusion had its reasons. Since time immemorial, the dragons had been hailed as the harbinger race of the gods and messengers from a higher plane of existence. It was no surprise that to believe anything to be stronger than the dragons was eschewed and sometimes downright blasphemous in much of Mediava, not to mention factually wrong. No mage of whatever birth or school could match the immense psychic and arcane capability of a draconic one, and only the dreaded Mountain Giants could marginally go toe-to-toe with the mythical winged beast in a contest of strength.

The elven society was, at most, a slight aversion to the rule rather than an exception., in which both the elves and the Gold Dragons of Arminus Peak were proud to have the other as an ally. Even so, among his community, the obvious power of the draconic race had also been taken as a matter of course. The notion that the strength of a being, a man-made being, to top it with, could be an edge over the mythic dragons, did not compute well in Faegard’s mind.

However, the trouble was not yet to end. Before Faegard could sit down and relax his muscles, another series of heavy steps in the distance alerted him. His curiosity wasn’t quite helped by his near-complete ignorance of how to operate his machine. It was quite a nasty surprise for him when he realized what appeared to be the burning edge of a beam sword protruding from behind the golem, appearing to be well-placed right at its throat.

“Pilot of the Shishioh Nishiki, identify yourself!” a familiar voice sounded from the direction of the beam sword. It was the keen, enthusiastic, and yet very much quick-tempered tone of the dragon golem he had just lent a hand from just now, or, probably, the person controlling it. It wasn’t the kind of voice to be taken lightly, and not one he would want to be his enemy’s.

“I…” Faegard couldn’t say any more than that.

“What are you doing?” the dragon golem’s controller appeared to be quite irritated as he spoke. “Keep your hands where I can see them and face me!”

“I… I can’t,” Faegard stuttered. “I… I don’t… don’t really know how to… control this thing.”

“Seriously?” there was an obvious change in tone in the dragon golem’s controller. His voice had shifted into a fine mixture of both amusement and amazement. “How can you probably pilot a Shishioh and take down an enemy without knowing how to?

“It sucked me inside in the first place and all I did was just to press the nearest buttons,” Faegard tried to explain, knowing full well that his take on the chain of events didn’t make sense in one least bit.

“Is that what really happened?” his questioner pressed the inquiry.

“I swear!” Faegard exclaimed, for want of any better statement to make.

There was a short pause as the controller of the dragon golem tried to compute the turn of events. And then, possibly having figured it out, he let out an audible stream of laughter, to Faegard's loss for understanding.

“Well, it appeared that you have chosen the wrong time and place to fall into the cockpit,” his laughter quickly quieted down into a mild chuckle as he withdrew the dangerous-looking beam blade from the Shishoh's neck, as if telling Faegard that he was no longer threatened. “You're fairly lucky to have gotten out of that fight in one piece.”

“Err... thanks,” Faegard spoke embarrassedly. “By the way, would you mind telling me what is going on around here?

“First switch to the one-on-one communication channel,” instead of answering, the other person gave Faegard a rather cryptic order, at least to him.

“One-on-one? Communication channel?” Faegard repeated blankly. “What is that supposed to mean?

“You don't know anything about a Mechvalry Frame, do you?” sighed the soldier in mild frustration. “Alright, listen carefully – the first row of transparent buttons on the panel directly in front of you controls the various communication functions of the Frame. To open the personal communication channel, press the one that is blinking green,” he paused for a short while, presumably giving Faegard time to look over the control panel. “There, got it?

Faegard didn't respond as quickly as the soldier would have liked, not because of failing to understand the instruction, but out of sheer curiosity. The entire row of buttons he was pointed to, now that he had some time to look at it, was as colorful as an Elementalism monk's chromatic prayer beads. It felt as if whoever built that control panel had made it a point to toss as many colors within a single file of button as possible, seeing that there were almost as many colors as there were buttons. Faegard once again felt especially tempted to press a button at random just for the fun of it, before the task at hand reminded him via a rapidly blinking green button at the middle of the row, as if represent the frustration of the controller of the dragon golem. With a gulp, Faegard clicked the button.

As soon as the button sank into the panel, the scene before him had dramatically changed, with a medium-sized panel overwriting a good portion of the screen. The panel then buzzed to life in a split second, and from within it emerged a visage, staring at him with disappointment written all over it. Faegard didn't expect something as dramatic as that to take place, and factored with the resentment of the opposite speaker, he was unable to hide his jaw-dropping bewilderment as well as he should have.

“It took you long enough,” the visage on the screen lifted his eyebrow in clear displeasure.

“You... you are the controller of that dragon golem, right?” Faegard, having somewhat regained his composure, stared at the screen and asked.

Dragon golem?” the speaker in the screen raised his voice, before giving out another sigh. “Get your fact straight – mine is a Hiryuu Mk-II Custom Model Mechfantry Frame, not a golem or some such out of the average sword and sorcery fantasy novel!”

Judging from the looks of the visage, his voice being that prideful was quite explainable. His short, black hair with a couple of spikes protruding slightly lower than his eyebrow could not hide the bright, sharp, chestnut pupils filled to the brim with unfaltering determination. Naturally, his sharp jaw line forged his smile into a rather arrogant one, and coupled with his piercing eyes, formed a formidable picture of a born warrior. And a noble one, Faegard supposed. Someone with such a bright, clear pair of eyes as he had, according to what Elven folklore passed down to him, was destined to become either an honorable ranger or a righteous paladin. Not to mention the enthusiasm emitting from every single feature on his face, adding even more to his dignified portrait.

What was even more fascinating was how the seemingly clashing duality of his features meshed together perfectly. His sharp jaw clashed directly with his round, medium-high cheek, the former a tell-tale sign of defiance and innate stubbornness, and the latter an universal symbol of an overly polite and respectful character. Whether or not it corresponded with an analogous duality of his personality, Faegard was uncertain of. Assuming that it did, the fact that Faegard was being faced with his more hot-blooded, arrogant, warrior-like tendency at the moment being wouldn't change for the moment being.

While Faegard stared at his face and its interesting composure, the soldier seemed to have realized the most blatant deviation if Faegard's looks. Instantly his voice mellowed down, shifting to a more childlike, curious tone.

“Is it just me or is your ear... five times longer than average?” he asked, his eyes glued on Faegard's racial asset with all due bewilderment.

“Oh yes,” Faegard nodded. As much as he tried, the prince found himself not summoning enough of his racial pride to give a definitive answer, instead, his voice somehow trailed off in hesitation. “I am... an elf. Faegard Thunderwood Elfblade is the name.”

“So you ARE that creature whom the Shishioh saved a few days ago,” clapped the soldier in realization as he looked closer at the prince. “Hmm... you look younger than I thought.”

“Is it such a surprise?” Faegard asked back, somewhat irritated by that behavior.

“We don't meet folks like you everyday here... Watch out!”

The soldier's exclamation was quickly followed by a large slam and a good deal of blunt trauma on the torso of the Shishioh, and had Faegard not grabbed the handrail of his chair on reflex, his head could have exerted the same amount of proportional impact on the screen before him. What seemed to have began as a simple, nonchalant comment turned into what amounting to an emergency maneuver for the dragon golem, or as the soldier called it, the Hiryuu Custom.

Faegard's golem seemed to be more or less unharmed by the sudden cras itselfh. Nevertheless, the collision still knocked the Shishioh off balance, and the notion of seeing the ground suddenly closing on him through the steel golem's eyes while he was being flung in the same direction within the cabin was quite frightening for the inexperienced.

Frantically Faegard grabbed the two nearest levers and pulled them backward, originally as a means to stop himself from being so throw forward by gravity. The result was quite fascinating, as the Shishioh's two arms suddenly flung forward, slamming onto the ground just mere seconds before the creature's face hit the floor. Its controller, though, wasn't quite as lucky, eventually failing to grasp the two levers, his entire form flung towards the screen as an unfortunate consequence. The last thing Faegard still remembered was a bright flash, followed by an explosion, fading out in his ears as the blunt trauma took effect in full. And then everything went black...

******



< Message edited by Argeus the Paladin -- 7/8/2009 0:14:24 >
DF  Post #: 7
7/8/2009 0:15:12   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 7
Squad 12's New Member


Faegard shook his head gently, a jolt of blunt pain still resonating within his cranium, heightened somewhat by a pricking sensation of ointment on open wound over his forehead as he wriggled back into consciousness. The headache made it rather hard for him to pull his consciousness together, not to mention the soft, cool smoothness of delicate silk beneath his whole body was too satisfactory given his injuries to get up from.

Slowly, his eyes opened, the pain blurring his vision a great deal, and when the image before him solidified, a familiar image entered his vision, that of a curtained-off cubicle, in which he was bedded and treated. White bedsheet, white blanket, and a pesky, nigh irremovable cord embedded on his right wrist, it was not the first time he had seen them. The same soothing scent that filled the clinic's parlor yesterday was hanging around in the air, cementing the suggestion that he had been hospitalized yet again to his chagrin.

”Not again,” Faegard sighed, his sight moved onto the beeping console on the table to his right with all due disappointment, his hand fidgeting one end of the treatment cord, for want of anything better to do.

A second look, however, revealed he was not in the same building as before, which made sense, as after all, it had been blown into a pile of smoldering debris the last time. This new building he was in was darker and windowless, both of which Faegard resented. The soft scent in the air was somewhat tainted with what seemed to be an overall damp and cold atmosphere, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Castle Silverlush's chilly, desolated underground dungeon. To say it was not Faegard's cup-of-tea environment was an understatement.

Another mild headshake brought the elf's ears back into consciousness, something Faegard regretted the very moment it took place. The atmosphere quickly devolved into something of a nightmarish surrounding to Faegard when he realized he wasn't the only one in bed any longer. All around him, he could hear groans and moans of pain and agony, from a myriad of different voices at various different pitches. Occasionally there would be one or two sharp, but small and seemingly congested screams, as if someone's pain had well reached unbearable levels. And once every so often, perhaps out of extreme agony or anguish, someone would start calling out for their loved one, their voices twisted and trembling in pain and desperation, adding even more to the pandemonic surrounding.

To add on to the picture, the soft perfume was quick to subside, mingling with the very smell it was designed to hide – a mixture of blood and ointment. Together with the dampness, the atmosphere's smell rapidly degraded into a shocking combined stench of chemical and fetidness. Add in the stuffiness and Faegard was thankful that his sense of smell had somewhat desensitized through the course of the past few days. Regardless, the hellish surrounding was not helping his headache in one least bit, and Faegard soon found himself covering his nose with his bedsheet to avoid the worst of the increasingly nauseating stench.

”This...” Faegard thought in perplexity, before a flash of revelation hit him. “Is this the result of the last battle?

Faegard didn't have to ponder for too long though, the next thing he heard confirmed him the worst.

“Hurry up! We need more anesthetic here!” a commanding voice sounded in the background, managing to be both low and urgent at the same time.

“Yes, ma'am,” replied another female voice, bogged down by fatigue and distress.

“Can't you hurry up a little more?” the first voice said in annoyance. “Our soldiers are dying, you know!”

“We... we are doing our very best already, ma'am!” another voice replied. “This is just too much for us! If this goes on we will die before the wounded!”

“Will you please stop complaining?” yet another sounded in the distance, amid the sound of rapid, urgent footsteps. “Even the Head Nurse is working at twice her usual capacity!”

”Just one battle and this much has happened? Faegard thought in disgust. “Is war always the same regardless of world?

Another jolt of pain surged through Faegard's forehead as his composure slipped away once more. It might have been the injury, or perhaps, the atmosphere itself that had taken its toll. As Faegard blacked out, the nasty stench of carnage still lingered around his nose as an uncanny reminder of what had happened.

******


The bad thing with his injuries was that he was unable to rest for too long. The rest of that evening – or morning, whatever applied - was spent drifting on and off from a state of semi-coma, amid the other wounded. Once every so often, his sleep would be interrupted, or, more like it, forcefully cut off by a scream, a cry, or simply an influx of fetid stench into his cubicle. Every single time, Faegard would be pestered with a surge of headache, and with the frightening frequency such interception happened, had it not been for his sheer force of will, the floor, or worse, his own bed could have been bogged down with vomit throughout the ordeal. Thankfully, his soft, warm bed did its job well, and whatever rare minutes he could sink into a brief rest wing to the velvety touch and soft, untarnished scent of the bedsheet and blanket proved to be quite helpful for his head, prolonging his endurance a little longer every time.

However, the comfortable bed alone couldn't help him much, his torment could only go on for so much longer before his limit was hit. After around ten hours that seemed as long as ten days under that ordeal, that limit seemed to have been hit. Should the condition persist, he wouldn't know if he could still maintain an ounce of consciousness any longer. And then at that very moment, a change for the better emerged in the form of a soldier in uniform standing over his bed.

“Mr. Elfblade,” his solemn yet sullen tone, definitely gloomed by whatever had happened in the past few days, sounded right beside Faegard, like a crude chime echoing within his cranium in a physically painful manner, “The Colonel has got special orders regarding you.”

“The... Colonel?” Faegard spoke difficultly, finding his tongue nearly frozen in place, abreast with his dull pain and fatigue. “But I...”

“First of all, you will be moved to a new room,” the officer didn't answer. “The condition of this place is not good at all for your injuries, the Colonel says.”

“Move... to a new place?” repeated Faegard. It was such a sudden declaration that the prince didn't know what to say.

“Please allow me, Mr. Elfblade,” the officer said affirmatively.

Not that he had any chance to protest - before he could take his time consider the situation at hand to respond accordingly, a group of two or three, half of which military personnel dressed in uniform, had stepped into his cubicle, grabbed the corners of his bed, and started pushing it into the hallway. The bed itself was wheeled, and the next thing Faegard experienced was essentially what amounting to the clinic's version of a chariot cruise along the corridor.

The military men were quite expeditious with their pacing, a good thing, judging from the current scenario. As Faegard was rushed out of the large hall, the prince was even more shocked by the number of wounded – the fifty-yard long corridor was virtually filled to the brim with makeshift beds aside from a number of preset cubicles as his. There wasn't even a spare vacancy, except for the walkway itself. And judging from the bloodstains on many of those makeshift beds and, in worse cases, on the wall, Faegard could tell that a good portion of the wounded had been suffering from worse injuries than himself.

The wonder turned into a sort of guilty conscience as he passed the and of one section of the hallway, where a group of five or six soldiers were being treated. Just a glance at their condition alone was enough to turn Faegard's guts. One of them had what amounting to a huge, crimson hole in his tummy, as if his innards in their entirety would flow out of it any second now had the bloodied bandage covering his torso not held them together. Another got away with an intact torso, at the cost of all his other limbs severed from it at varying degrees. A third had every single patch of visible skin covered in bandage, turning him into a sort of mummy in a patient's clothing, presumably because of widespread burns. And the list went on and on. Compared to their life-threatening injuries, Faegard's was but a minor scratch that might as well have been ignored.

”So why am I receiving such a special treatment? pondered Faegard. ”I am no longer anyone's prince, not in this world, no.”

After another quick look at the group of dying soldiers, Faegard decided to at least be vocal about what he thought.

“Hello?” Faegard spoke weakly. “Could I ask you something? Why am I the only one to receive special treatment?

Faegard got no answer, and neither did his subsequent attempts. Either the soldiers had been ordered not to answer any of his inquiries yet, or they had been in such a hurry or so absorbed in their duties, he couldn't even be heard. Finally Faegard gave up, partially because of the fruitlessness of the plight, and partially because his head was hurting again. The prince rapidly drifted back into the domains of darkness, just like the last dozen times in the past day. There was a minor difference, however – the stench of casualties in the air was lessening even as he was sinking into his slumber...

******


The much needed sleep Faegard had was a particularly long one. The surrounding having quietened down and the stench of blood and antiseptic no longer pestering his subconscious senses, Faegard's slumber had been quite satisfying while it lasted.

For how long he had been asleep, he didn't know for certain. When he finally gained composure, the prince could feel the weight of his entire form lighter, especially his forehead. The bandage had been removed far before he woke up, and all what remained of a particularly painful forehead was a mildly tingling sensation of regrowing skin where the wound was.

”I am... alive and well,” Faegard told himself as he lifted his back off the new bed and looked around.

Quite surprisingly, where he was staying looked more like a master room in a deluxe inn or hotel rather than a hospital room. And it was quite a spacious and comfortable one too, not much worse than what his own room in Castle Silverlush used to be - A nice, warm bed, a couple of tables and chairs for different purposes, not to mention a huge glass window taking the area of one entire wall. That was not to mention the soothing white paint and a host of other gadgets scattered across the room, embedded on tables, chairs and even walls, all of which looked particularly new and interesting to him. Perhaps the only remaining relic of hospital life still following him to this new place was the ever-annoying, wrist-entangling console, now conveniently resting upon the dressing table next to his bed.

Faegard stood up, or rather, sprang off from the bed, feeling excellent. What was better, the annoying machine's cord had been disconnected some time ago allowing the prince some much needed freedom of movement. With a deep breath, Faegard began to take another thorough look around the place. The myriads of strange-looking machines and gadgets around the place drew his attention at first, until his curious stare finally stopped at the glass window, having been caught by what amounting to be the most poetic scene he had seen ever since his departure to this unknown world.

”Just one single moon,” Faegard thought, ”and yet... how could it be so beautiful?

The round, full moon, shimmering on the surface with all its grace and beauty, was just outside the window, hanging over a mountain range far, far away in the horizon. The quaint, solemn firmament was standing still, all the twinkling stars above the horizon paling in brightness compared to the one gleaming moon, like a host of pearls surrounding a perfectly crafted silver dish. And there in the middle of it all, the moon shone upon the surface of the word, upon the mortal men, upon both knights and knaves, both messiahs and maniacs, both templars and thugs indiscriminately, as if proving how limited a mortal life was when compared to the grandeur of creation. Everything was so harmoniously aligned as if a sentient, divine being had taken the time and effort just to present such an amazing stellar arrangement for the lesser mortals like himself to observe, and to each his own lessons.

“So I see you are getting used to the moon in our world, aren't you?

To Faegard's astonishment, the doorway had flung open all of a sudden, and standing at the threshold was a late middle aged, uniformed figure, with an unique voice he could never forget. There, the one called Colonel Albert was waiting for him with a kind smile.

His unannounced arrival took the prince by surprise totally, and for a couple of seconds, Faegard was at a loss for words, even for the most basic proprieties. So surprised he was that only when the Colonel had stepped in did Faegard realize he didn't come alone. On his side stood another figure, presumably another well-decorated military man in this dimension, judging from the badge over his shoulder and most importantly, his mannerism.

“I hope you have recovered well, Mr. Elfblade,” Colonel Albert began.

“Ah... Yes, sir,” Fargard jerked, forcefully being pulled back into reality after letting his curiosity wander so far into the young officer's looks. “I think I am back to full health by now.”

“Very good,” the colonel nodded. “I presume, Mr. Elfblade, that you understand why I have come to see you today, do you?'

“Is it because of the offer you made yesterday, sir?” Faegard asked back.

“It is eight days ago, Mr. Elfblade,” corrected the colonel. “You have been unconscious for around a week by now. Had it not been for the intensive treatment, you would not have recovered this quickly.”

“I see,” Faegard bent his neck. “I suppose I've been quite a nuisance during the meantime...”

“Not at all,” reassured the colonel. “Intensive treatment exists for people such as you. Please pay it no mind.”

“But, Colonel Albert, would you mind if I asked a question?” Faegard looked straight into the colonel's eyes, ignoring all notions of politeness for the time being. “Why was I the only one to have received such a treatment? The room I was in before I was moved... it was practically filled to the brim with the wounded and the dying... some of them looked as if they could perish any minute, and I am quite sure some have. So... why was it me?

“The answer to that question, Mr. Elfblade, links right back to our matter at hand,” Colonel Albert replied tolerantly. “However you want to avert it, in war time, soldiers and even civilians are prone to die, and however hard we may try, we can never save them all. Instead of trying to save everyone under our command, we believe it is much more efficient and logical to concentrate on preserving the lives, sanity and wellbeing of those most important to our quest. Those such as you, Mr. Elfblade.”

“.... Pardon me?” Faegard opened his eyes wide as he heard the colonel's last words, being at a loss for words for a good few seconds. “Do you mean, I am a crucial component of your quest?

“To put it one way, yes,” Colonel Albert affirmed. “You can help us turn the tide of this war... or even take us to victory with much fewer losses than we would have to take otherwise.”

“But what help can I possibly be of?” Faegard asked, looking very perplexed. “I would have understood what you are trying to say had I been still a prince. But now, even my kingdom is loss and I myself have been separated from what little is left of it...”

“The key issue of this is not that you are or have been a prince, Mr. Elfblade,” the colonel explained, “but that you are, as you said, an elf.”

“What does being an elf having to do with this, sir?” Faegard asked.

“Let me just leave it at that you are capable of feats no generic human would be able to accomplish, solely due to your heritage,” the colonel answered in brief. “Take it what you will, but reality is, some of our most complex war machines can only be operated by those like you.”

“But why did you humans manufacture machines you cannot use in the first place?” Faegard was completely puzzled by now, his eyes in a literal blank state.

“That I cannot tell you by now,” Colonel Albert said. “Suffice to say, only with those like you in the cockpit, those machines can function at one hundred percent efficiency.”

“Colonel Albert, as much as I am grateful for what you and your men have done for me,” Faegard said, “I should make it clear that I am not an enthusiast when it comes to war. What if I said no to your offer?

“Then it would be your loss, Mr. Elfblade,” affirmed the colonel, his voice suddenly turned threatening. “The machine you have been using, the Type-2 Shishioh, is a top-of-the-line Global Union Army Mechvalry Frame prototype and naturally a military secret of the highest clearance, its specs and statistics something, besides the commissioned officers, only its engineers and test pilots have privy to. Therefore, if you should refuse the offer, we will be left with no choice but to resort to incarcerate or dispose of you to keep this military secret safe.”

“D... dispose of me?” Faegard stuttered as he stared at the opposite speaker, literally jerking backwards in self-defense.

“Even if that extreme isn't the case,” continued the colonel, “should you refuse us, I can assure you with all the honor of a soldier that there would be no way you can ever return to the world you came from again. If you accept the offer, though, you at least have the right to hope.”

Needless to say how enthusiastic Faegard jumped at the last word. Simply put, the elf hadn't given up his hope to return to his own world yet, and the colonel's words just poured that hope some additional fuel.

“What do you mean, sir?” eagerly asked Faegard.

“I am no scientist, so I don't exactly know the in-depth,” replied the Colonel. “But just imagine – our technology level allows us to construct towering skyscrapers hundreds of storeys high, engineer battle machines that can single-handedly destroy a whole city by unleashing just half its arsenal, and send probes all over deep space. Given that technology level, opening a warp gate into another world may not exactly be a matter of course, but entirely possible.”

“So... what you want me to do is effectively to fight for your side in an upcoming war in exchange for my ticket home?” Faegard said, after a short pause. “Like a mercenary?

“Yes,” said the colonel. “Rest assured, though, that you will serve the Global Union Army as a non-commissioned officer rather than a mercenary, and will be recognized as an official soldier in regards to legal issues.”

The next few seconds saw a silent, yet savage self-struggle within Faegard, his natural desire to go home hampered by what amounting to a sense of responsibility, albeit a very vague and idealistic one.

“As much as I would like to go back whence I came,” Faegard said, concentrating as much dignity and self-control as he could in a few sentences. “I'd like to know what I am supposed to do and who exactly I am supposed to fight. For while it is undesirable to not be able to return home, selling my soul fighting the innocent for it is not what an honorable being should do, ever.”

“That spirit of yours is laudable,” the colonel nodded quickly with a smile of approval. “The world of ours today has everything aplenty, except for pacifists. But you can rest assured with your pacifism – the war I am speaking about is not a pointless war to snatch land and wealth like others throughout history. We are fighting for something much nobler.”

“Nobler, you said, sir?” Faegard asked.

“You must have observed the battle at our Kansai airbase firsthand a week ago, haven't you?” the colonel asked a rhetoric question. “You must have seen what was going on there – it was clear that our enemies had no qualms against striking military hospitals and civilian volunteer camps, in direct violation to a host of treaties signed since time memorial, as well as common military ethic. At best, they are mislead war zealots with a false cause who need to be punched into reality, and at worst, mindless, bloodthirsty terrorists, no more, no less. That is the kind of enemy we are facing. ”

In fact the colonel didn't have to remind Faegard of that event. Coupled with the bloody fall of his beloved Silverlush, the attack at the airbase had been etched into the very foundation of his memory, lest he forget the nightmare of war, a fickle, yet potent flame that, by now, would never die down, and once rekindled, would grow into a nightmarish wildfire of disgust and resentment, and along with it, an immense hatred against all who would want to repeat such atrocities again.

“If that is so, then I would gladly lend you whatever power I can afford,” Faegard nodded in agreement almost instantly. “But on one condition.”

“And what may that be?” Colonel Albert lifted his eyebrow with a particular degree of interest.

“If the noble war you promise turns out to be not so justified,” Faegard said firmly, “then I will quit. Throw me in prison or kill me if you want – I refuse to side with an unjustified army, regardless of consequences.”

“You seem to be an even more interesting individual than I have assumed, Mr. Elfblade,” the colonel suddenly let out an audible stream of laughter. “That's the spirit, soldier. While war today no longer rely as much on spirit, it is courageous men like yourself that we need.”

“Thank you, sir,” Faegard didn't know whether to take that statement as a threat or a compliment, or both. “Could I ask you, then, what am I supposed to do in particular?

And then the colonel turned to the man accompanying him, looked at him, and then back at Faegard as an answer. The first thing Faegard realized in this person was that he was quite young to actually have the air of a genuine officer about him, and did. In his whole life, Faegard had hardly seen a capable military officer sporting such a youthful visage – in human age, he was not likely to be older than thirty. And he wasn't quite a muscular, gladiator-like champion as most of the few young military leaders he had met or heard of, instead sporting a largely average height, a rather slender build, and a blond, well-groomed mass of hair to top it with.

This newcomer himself in his very origin was already a creature of vast conflicts. Half of his look spoke of an extremely radiant and capable leader and a superb soldier, and the other half was only slightly more than that of an idiosyncratic hermit with a strange life and even stranger interests. His high, savage cheeks and his similarly high nose was one of a born warrior, a feature so far as etched into his very stature. To make the fact even more obvious, his skin was rough and slightly tanned, as would be expected of any savage warrior having experienced the various hardships of the battlefield. That half of his features was as remarkable as, or even more remarkable than his superior, in terms of a warrior's stature.

Yet the other half of his features took great lengths to subvert all the above traits. Perhaps for want of a mouth bearing significance to such a stout warrior's look due to a pair of thin lips, the officer instead adopted a smile that was more playful and mischievous than it was serious. To further boost that nonchalant aspect, his hair had been purposefully done in such a style that while still short and supposedly unremarkable, as of other military men, his bangs and how well they shaded over his eyes were potentially a chick magnet. He made no attempt to hide his lady-killer tendencies, and Faegard could assume that had he been a girl, that smile and that look would have swiped him completely off his feet. It was as if he had decided to screw the knightly code of behavior of a soldier all over in exchange for a more playful, more casual look just for the fun of it.

And then Faegard's attention switched to his eyes, and almost at once was so shocked he nearly took one step backwards. Obviously, the young officer's emerald eyes was the epitome of the vast conflict in his very origin. Never before had Faegard met a person whose eyes displayed so many opposite traits simultaneously and still maintaining harmony like the officer's. Sternness and casualness, seriousness and playfulness, romance and pragmatism, chastity and flirtatiousness, stoicism and uncertainty, and even so far as despair and hope... when one's look told of so many things simultaneously, either he was a very messed up sociopath, an omniscient philosopher, or any, however unlikely, combination of the two.

“Mr. Elfblade, let me introduce,” the colonel spoke, turning his neck slightly to the direction of the accompanying officer. “This bright young man is Captain Einherjar Haus Ritter, the squad leader of our 12th Mechanized Frame Squadron. A spirited person, like yourself. From today onwards, you will be under the leadership and jurisdiction of the Captain. He will be filling you with the details.”

“Greetings, Captain Ritter,” Faegard bowed to his new leader. “It's an honor to meet you.”

“From today onwards,” announced the Colonel, “Mr. Faegard Thunderwood Elfblade, no, Corporal Faegard Thunderwood Elfblade will be a member of the elite 12th squadron. Live up to the name of your unit, soldier.”

“I will do my best, sir!” answered Faegard. Somehow, the elf felt especially riled up by the event, as if having found a motivation to live. Judging from his current plight, it might as well have been a justified notion.

“Well then,” the colonel adjusted his cap and said, “I have some other matter to tend to. Captain, I entrust the elven pilot to you from this moment.”

“Yes, sir,” saluted the Captain. Maybe it was just Faegard, but he could swear that he had captured a glint of mischief in his eyes as he saluted his superior. Whether he would be a good commander or not, only time would tell, but even then Faegard could see that his superior in the foreseeable future was an extremely interesting person, even more than himself...

******

DF  Post #: 8
7/8/2009 0:17:44   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 8
The Hard Beginning


“For the last time, Faegard, what we are using are top-of-the-line Mechanized Frames! M-E-C-H-A-N-I-Z-E-D F-R-A-M-E-S! Not a silly golem for children's play!”

Faegard had lost count of how many such 'last times' had taken place in the course of the past two or three days. However hard he tried, he was bound to address the huge, steel, humanoid machines the Global Union Army used as steel golems once every so often, as if his subconsciousness refused to acknowledge the new, fancier name. And to make it worse, his new captain didn't take it well, replying to each and every violation with utmost precision and with a roaring voice, as if it was an unbreakable taboo, to the point that Faegard believed there was a hidden trigger in his mind that sprang into action whenever Faegard made that tiny mistake. Even over the machine's voice over communication channel, it sounded scary enough to startle him into panic.

“S... sorry, Captain Ritter,” Faegard said, reactively panicking.

His superior didn't answer, but rather snapped his finger, signifying that the training session had been over. Almost at once, the light surrounding Faegard were turned off with a weird sound, comparable to the final sizzles of a potion freshly brewed from a cauldron.

Faegard had somewhat gotten used to this experience in the past few days. Not one hour had passed since his first meeting with his now-superior, the enigmatic Captain Einherjar Ritter when he was pulled into that room and pushed into the little chamber-shaped machine, the very one he was now sitting in. The captain called it a Training Simulator, and Faegard realized why as soon as he sat into one. The interior of the machine was similar, if not identical to the cabin within the Shishioh's chest, right down to the massive, complex keyboards, control panels, multi-purpose screen, levers and pedal system. As the captain put it, it was the only way for greenhorns like Faegard to get used to the controls of the Global Union Army golems, or 'Mechanized Frames' as he insisted they be called, without having to risk the real thing.

And it was convenient as well. Faegard's performance on the Simulator was “abysmal” in the first and second day, if he was to trust his commanding officer. After all, to him, at that stage, even maintaining balance and not fall over while walking and jumping was already a problem, let alone fighting or carry out fancier maneuvers as his captain showed him. He might have as well destroyed his machine and doing massive collateral damage to the friendlies had he been given the real thing for practice at that rate. It was only after that day that he had somewhat gotten a basic grasp on the machine's control and was able to confidently run and jump without fearing of falling over. Far from satisfactory, yes, but at least things were beginning to look up.

“Well, forget it,” sighed the captain in a mock disappointment. “As long as you always keep in mind that you are piloting a giant robot, not a dumb doll, that should be alright.”

Faegard jumped out from his machine, still somewhat dizzy – the rapid moves he carried out in the last few minutes didn't bid well to his sense of balance as he looked up to the captain. Judging from the activity they had been undertaking for the entire day, Faegard couldn't help but find that statement too idiosyncratic to resent, as if his superior was cracking out a tongue-in-check gag. But then again, with the kind of perceived devotion almost to the point of obsession to the Earth's Mechanized Frames, he might as well have been serious.

“Captain Ritter,” Faegard asked anxiously, “how... how did I perform?

“Not bad, Faegard,” Einherjar's expression quickly switched into a satisfying smile. “You learn quite fast, I concur. For someone who had no experience with machine to perform that well in the first three days, you'll go quite far if you keep working hard.”

“Thank you, sir,” Faegard bent his neck. “It certainly doesn't feel so well, having to learn how to walk again like a toddler...”

“And that's just why hand-eye coordination is extremely important for us MF pilots,” nodded Ein. “So does reflex – think of the Mechanized Frame as an alternative body that you have to control in a whole different way. Only when you can move this alternative body like you would your real can you step into the battlefield without fear.”

“It would take time, I'm afraid, sir,” Faegard said bashfully.

“Hey, have faith, recruit! I didn't become an ace in a day, you see,” cheerfully spoke Ein as his eyes moved to Faegard's forehead. “Anyway, how's your bandana coming along?

”Oh yes, the bandana.” Faegard thought, glancing at his reflection on the shiny, metallic surface of a table nearby.

In the past few days, ever since he got the official decree to join the 17th Mechanized Frame squadron, his looks had changed so much that Faegard ould no longer recognize his old self in the mirror. Long gone was his prideful, shoulder-length hair, the eternally fashionable hairstyle among his kind, as obviously the military in this new world required every male personnel a short haircut, which, according to the elf's personal taste, didn't go well with his naturally platinum-gold hair color. Without the long hair to soften his face, the white prince now looked no less rough and rugged than a street-smart delinquent. And the bandana his captain gave him no later than five minutes after the colonel left them alone on the first day didn't help at all.

”Your ears is a little too showy, don't you think? You better hide them before the entire Global Union Army as well as every single terrorist working for the Liberators know that we have an elven F-Manipulator up our sleeves,” or so said Captain Einherjar Ritter.

There it was now, reigning on his forehead, covering both the top of his skull and his abnormally long ear, binding the latter to the side of his head tightly. When worn together with that hairstyle and the Global Union Army's dark black-blue uniform complete with badge and cap, the prince felt as if he looked twenty to fifty years older than his current age. To top it with, Faegard couldn't exactly say that it was a comfortable headgear in the least bit – the kind of dull pain one would get by forcefully twisting the top of his ear became perpetual to him, aesthetics aside.

“My ear hurt a bit, but it is alright now,” answered Faegard, trying to be polite while feeling as if he could rip the thing right out of this forehead the very minute.

“That's good,” said the captain sympathetically, as if knowing beforehand what Faegard was undergoing, and yet had to exercise the harsh option anyway. And then, he stood up, flashing his trademark, carefree smile at Faegard.

“Alright, Faegard, I believe we can call it a day, can't we?” he said. “But don't think you can slack off yet - remember to read up the manuals in your free time as well. Do you have any other questions?

“Ah, yes, Captain,” Faegard asked. “Could you tell me more about the FALCON System? What the manual said about it is far too confusing...”

“That's the advanced stuff, Faegard,” Ein replied. “Suffice to say, the F-System is one of the reasons, if not the sole reason why we need you to join us. But for now, all you need to care about is to master how to walk and run and jump and shoot while doing any of the above.”

“So... is it a military secret then?” Faegard said, looking rather anxious.

“It is a military secret that you have clearance to, so it isn't all that different to you,” Ein shook his head casually. “I can tell you everything and anything you may want to know about it right now. But my rule is to think less and do more – if you can't yet understand what the manual says, then you are probably not ready for it yet as well.”

“If that is so, sir,” Faegard looked perplexed. “By the way, how are the wounded in the last battle faring?

“These guys? With that sort of en-masse incendiary ammunition those guys use in the raid,” Ein replied, “I think it is relatively reliable to say that anyone who couldn't survive their wounds had already perished within the first day or two. We don't have yet a complete census, but it should be around five to six hundred dead. The rest are steadily recovering, so you needn't worry about them.”

“I wonder if she's alright...” Faegard thought out aloud.

She?” the captain raised his eyebrow with a mischievous, curious smirk. “Hey, don't tell me you've got your eyes on someone in the base, recruit?

“Do you happen to know a nurse by the name Tsuki Nagoyaka, sir?” Faegard asked, oblivious of Ein's expression. “She... well, let's just say I accidentally injured her while escaping from the old clinic...”

“Oh?” Ein lifted his upper lip as he looked at Faegard. “You know, you actually don't have to worry about her – someone will have the Colonel's head if something remotely bad happens to Tsuki-dono. No, you really shouldn’t worry about her. I’ve warned you.”

Einherjar’s mood swing was about as quickly as a ticking clock's pendulum, from a cheerful and mischievous grin to a grimly twisted mouth tinted with anxiety. It was as if his commander was attempting to remind Faegard that it was the one girl they should not mess with in any circumstance. Not that it made any sense to him, though.

“Could you repeat that again, sir?” Faegard said, at a loss for understanding of both the words and the gesture.

“Well, I said nothing,” Ein shook his head, before lowering his voice to such a level only he himself could hear. “And she is pretty good eye candy too – what a pity...”

******


”…The Type-II Shishioh utilizes the F-Console Mk-III, the latest generation of FALCON System console. Like any machine utilizing the F-System, the most important aspect in adjusting the Shishioh is neither the amount of firepower nor the ease of control, but rather how well the pilot connects to and synchronizes with the F-Console. Optimum performance is achieved when and only when the pilot doubles as an F-Manipulator, and in extreme cases, the power of the F-Manipulator alone will offset any technical disadvantage the Shishioh is subject to.



Unfortunately, the true scope of the F-System is still beyond our understanding. The F-System installed in the Shishioh is extremely complex and as of present, the purposes of many of its features are still under research. It is highly advised that the pilot restricts all but the most basic functions of the F-System under any circumstance.”


Faegard had been reading those pages well over a dozen times by then, and those two paragraphs were the only ones he remotely comprehended. It was as if that specific section of the manual wasn’t written to be understood, which was not actually surprising, considering that it was an appendix, tucked at the very end of the manual booklet. But then again, the fact that the only parts making some sense seemed to be disturbingly contradictory.

The true scope of the F-System is still beyond our understanding,” Faegard stared at the page, pondering. “Does that mean that the humans of this world is mass producing some sort of technology they themselves do not understand? Would any sane person create a machine while not understanding what is its full capacity? Not even the silly gnomes – those midgets at least know which part of their toys would blow up if overheated and when. And moreover, how in Mediava is it possible?

Faegard relaxed his head on the pillow, setting the book aside for a moment with a deep breath. Never before in his fifty-two years of reading had he ever caught a book that triggered such frustration. And anxiety, when he was at it – Faegard was quite sure those pages concealed the definite answer to why the Global Union Army so needed him on their side.

Stretching his fatigued form over the soft cushion, the exiled prince was grateful that at least there was a place to rest his dizzy head, and an excellent one at that. Never before Faegard believed there existed places in the whole wide universe more comfortable than his princely chamber back at castle Silverlush. And that was even before he learnt how to use the various mechanical gadgets around the room to make it even better. Too cold at night? There was something called an electric heater unit that would solve all problems. Table too high or too low? A tiny panel below the surface would adjust it in a whim. Add in instant hot water, automated window cleaner and an awesome bathroom, and his accommodation looked and felt much more like a sovereign’s suite rather than a military barrack for the rugged soldiers prepared to charge, fight and die at anytime.

The comparison became even more biased when Faegard learnt that his ‘barracks’ was one of the very few buildings in the entire military compound to remain intact after the surprise raid one week ago. Needless to say, Faegard began to feel shameful for being entitled to such luxuries.

”Yes, we are enjoying a far more comfortable life than the average infantryman in the other barracks, even before the attack. But I don’t mind at all – after all, we ARE the elite. One of us, given our Mechanized Frame, can accomplish more in an hour than an entire battalion of infantry in one day.”

That being his commanding officer’s remark, Faegard couldn’t find himself excused in the least bit, not while knowing the average rank-and-file soldiers were, as he was told, housed mostly in underground temporary barracks while their above-ground quarters were still heaps of rubbles. Not to mention his own people.

”My... my people...”

Faegard had been trying hard to not dwell on what cruel fate could have befallen the remnants of the Kingdom of Greenglaze after the fall of the capital city. For whenever he failed to, tears of helplessness and despair would fill his eyes against his will, an ignoble self-image thoroughly unfit for a royalty, and yet was happening to him in a frightening frequency in the past few days. Even now.

Strange that his mind should work that way – in moments of great pain, danger or trauma, his survival instinct would always prevail, triumphing over the moment’s ordeal, such that both his eyes and his soul would maintain an inextinguishable flame of courage and resolve, so that he could clearly and efficiently think, plan and devise strategies to immediate survival. And then when he was all alone, with no visible danger around, where everything was going his way, even comfortably so, his conscience would again shift to his deceased nearest and dearest as well as those he held dear, those bearing the same blood as him, those who would address him as “Your Royal Highness”, and those who, even then, were patiently waiting for the return of their prince.

And there he sat, thoroughly oblivious of his people’s suffering, unable to do neither what a rightful prince should be able to nor what a son would be obliged to. The notion of not being able to guide his people across the present hardship nor to exact vengeance upon those who had murdered his parents and friends due to limited capability was already a painful one, but when the reason for that inability came from being stuck in another dimension with barely any hope to even return home again, it would ascend straight into the realms of nightmare.

At that thought, his mind would soften to the point that he could feel his spirit melting and flowing out of his eyes in the form of undignified tears so abhorrent to a noble like him, as it was happening even as he lay there thinking. Before he realized, the tears had once again formed a stream, rolling down his upper cheek, flowing down on his pillow, leaving a warm, wet sensation at the back of his head. As if seized by anguish, Faegard slung his upper body upright, his offending eyes glowing with rage like that of a trapped animal.

”Come on now!” Faegard’s inner roar echoed all over his skull as he forcefully swiped his hand across his eyes, wiping off all the overflowing tears in a gesture resembling gouging his eyes out. ”A paladin shall not cry! A prince shall not cry!”

His violent reaction climaxed with the said arm slamming on the soft bedsheet with an audible slam as he flipped his body face-down, all the while clutching the pillow, pressing it against his watery eyes. Tears seeped into the pillow, while his arm flailed at the bed, punching and bashing it as if it was his worst and most detestable enemy.

Faegard finally succeeded in stopping his tears, though his resolve was not strong enough for him to return to a straight face or otherwise continue what he was doing. Silent, anguished sobs still escaped his mouth even though his teeth was clenched shut, his nose congested and strands of hair on his forehead wet, like the disheveled fur of a pathetic shaggy dog on a rainy day. Inhaling deeply, Faegard stood up and straightened up his hair, before breathing out his entire lungs’ worth of air in an attempt to get rid of the mushy, degrading emotions still grasping his mind like an obnoxious goo exceedingly hard to get rid of.

”That’s right, Faegard, that’s right,” the prince exhaled heavily, chanting some sort of survival mantra as his breath slowly stabilized back to normality. ”That’s right, a Prince Paladin is like that, right, Faegard? A student of Sir Harthrane Nightowl is like that, right? Right?

“Lieutenant Saionji, it’s good to see you back.”

So spoke a voice from outside the chamber, cutting short Faegard’s mantra. Considering his current mood, what he had just heard was particularly disrupting, giving rise to his insatiable curiosity instead. He had his racial sensitive hearing to blame in this case, though the speaker’s abnormally loud voice was also a factor, as noted by whomever he was speaking to.

“Shhh, Kurogane,” his friend said hastily. “It’s already 11 p.m. People are sleeping, you know?

The second speaker was definitely a girl… no, a woman, as so noted by her very mature tone overriding much of the innate youth within her voice. Soft spoken and graceful, her voice was much harder for Faegard to catch, and yet every word she sttered was soothing to the ear, as if she had been well trained in the mundane art of speaking.

“Oh yeah, I’m sorry – but it can’t just be helped when an excessively loud voice is in the blood, you see.” answered the first speaker, lowering his voice a little, and yet still way too loud in contrast to his companion. “By the way, did you get to do anything interesting while on leave?

“I did enjoy myself, thanks, and would still be hanging around my old high school classmates now had it not been for the attack,” his companion replied with concern. “Speaking of which, why did you go back to service so soon? I thought you've received some serious injuries in combat the last time.”

“You know my old man, Lieutenant. Sticking around home with him for one entire week was ten times painful than my own injuries,” said the man, pausing for a while, before continuing, amping the emphasis factor up to eleven. “I kid you not.”

“That's a pity, Kuro,” gently said the woman, as if trying to conceal some sort of disturbance inside. “Colonel Kira Renzoku is one of the most popular officers in the entire Army.”

“Yeah, that's my dad,” the man called Kurogane replied sarcastically. “A saint to his soldiers and a jerk to his own son. Ironic isn't it?

“Kuro...” the woman said softly. “You do know that the Colonel is a really nice man, don't you? He may be a little strict, but...”

“Alright, alright, cut it out, onee-san. I know I can never be as wonderful a soldier as my old man would like,” the man brushed the subject away with a sigh as he took a few steps, each heavier than the last, until he finally stopped a few steps before Faegard's room. “Aya-onee-san, my room is here,” the man's voice changed towards a more upbeat tone, “I'd better rest up for now when I still can. Who knows, when the war officially begins, maybe even getting some sleep would be a luxury.”

“Do you need some help with your luggage?” the woman asked with concern. “Your arm hasn't fully healed yet...”

“What kind of man would bother a woman with such things as carrying the luggage?” grinned the man, as if it was a matter of course. “Besides, don't you have to meet up with Chief Ein right now?

“O... okay then,” the woman finally said. “If you need any help, don't hesitate to call me over, alright?

“Good night, onee-san,” yawned the man.

The next thing to happen, both Faegard and the newcomer in question didn't expect. No sooner had he finished his goodbye and lazy yawn than the door flung open, to Faegard's bewilderment and panic. The light at the middle of the ceiling was switched on as the man scrambled into the room, his luggage in one hand while the other tucked in his pocket. And when he realized alien presence under the lamplight, his reaction wasn't exactly calm, his luggage fell on the floor with a rather loud thud.

The two locked eye for at least five seconds, each person's eyes opened a little wider with each passing second, trying to capture a clearer view of his opponent. Faegard thought he could feel the very air of the room heating up at an alarming rate as the opposite person's look turned from astonishment into annoyance in no time. The looking contest concluded with the man suddenly reaching his free hand for his side, produced a menacing object and pointed it at Faegard.

“What are you doing in my room?” demanded the man as he raised the object to Faegard's head.

Faegard could barely hear his last few words, his eyes and mind preoccupied by the menacing object. Even more terrified he was when he realized what it was – something the humans of the world of Earth called a handgun, the nearest equivalent of which in Mediava would be an automatic, concealable light crossbow. And much more powerful than the best-crafted bows, if he was to believe Captain Einherjar's description.

In any case, being pointed at the face with such an object was by no means a sign of friendship or welcome. Not to mention being hit with one of its projectile was not going to be comfortable at all. To top it with, the man's face himself was scary, his eyes alight like two solid fireballs, staring at Faegard as if the elf was some kind of despicable vermin deserving of extermination without question.

“Err... I... I was... I was just...” Faegard stammered, shivering as the gleaming black barrel of the weapon shimmered at him threateningly.

“Just what?” the newcomer asked, raising his voice and his handgun in tandem, a frightening side for the receiving end.

“What's the matter, Kuro?” the sweet, mild voice of the woman from just then interrupted the holdout as the gun wielder turned back to the doorway, still pointing his weapon at Faegard.

“We've got an intruder, onee-sama, most likely a spy!” the man said as his eyes alternated between the shadow of the woman at the door and the 'intruder'. “Now speak up – Who do you work for? The Liberators or the Joint Colonial Council itself? What did you expect to find here? Speak up or eat lead!”

“Calm down, Kuro, even if that's a sp...” the woman spoke as she stepped into the light to investigate, at which point her speech was stopped in mid-sentence.

The first thing Faegard realized about the woman was that his age estimation for the her was off by three to four, if not five or six years. She did look much, much younger than she sounded, bearing the young, innocent-looking face of a young maiden no older than twenty two. Her innocent was slightly undermined by an unnaturally vivid brown hair color, having apparently been dyed just recently. A colored bead necklace strewn across her neck, covering the collar of her black-blue uniform quite neatly, like a testament of the presence of casualness and young spirit even in the military. She was the kind of woman who seemed to care as much about her looks as about life, the universe and everything in between.

Had Faegard not looked at her eyes, he would have been convinced she was a living embodiment of a beautifully made doll or something along those lines. It turned out that her eyes, along with her voice, spoke of an entirely different tale about her. Nowhere as complex as the Captain's multi-faceted, contradictory eyes, the woman's delicate orbs looked like a pair of imperfect crystal balls, what could have been a perfect, flawless surface and texture had it not been for inadvertent impurities mingling inside beneath the surface. It was those 'impurities', possibly that of sadness, loss or an unfortunate past that turned what should have been two beautiful amethysts into a much darker tone, for what reason exactly, Faegard couldn't fathom. Not that he had any mind to try to comprehend, while her companion's weapon was still fixed on his head.

Faegard didn't have to worry for too long for that matter. The next thing to happen was came as quite a relief to Faegard as her eyes fixed on his with enthusiasm. To the gunman's astonishment, his companion had walked up to his target before he could properly respond, squatted down before him, a look of great interest filling her eyes as they traced his face, a smile filled her expression.

“Eh?” the gunman dropped both his gun and his jaw at that unfathomable sight, quickly turning into panic as he finally got a grasp with reality. “Aya-onee-san! That is dangerous! He could be an enemy!”

“Dangerous? A cute boy like this? No way!” the woman's answer was definitive, her voice suddenly raising an octave or two, so that all the maturity was dropped within a word or two. “Little boy, don't be afraid – it's not like my friend would shoot you or anything.”

“Little? Cute? Boy? Me? Faegard mentally repeated each and every of those words in complete disbelief. “But I am a regal elven prince! A wizard! And a Paladin as well! What on Mediava is going on in here?

The disbelief spewed out of him in the form of a rapidly reddening cheek, followed by a tedious headshake in an attempt to conceal it. It might or might not helped, the latter being more probable – from her behavior, Faegard felt as if he was looking even cuter in that pose.

“What's your name, boy?” teased the woman as she stared at Faegard. “Have you got lost?

“I am NOT a boy!” retorted Faegard, feeling his face on fire in embarrassment. “And I am not lost either!”

The speed at which his face was reddening was definitely not at all dignified for a prince, and the fact that the woman was smiling at him like that wasn't helping at all. But fortunately, the discomfort didn't last for too long, for not a few seconds had passed when another figure appeared over the doorway.

“Aya, so you have finally returned.” spoke the shadow in a tone Faegard realized as a sort of reinforcement for his current circumstance.

“Captain!” the gunman about-faced and exclaimed once he saw the shadow's face with his own eyes.

“Ah, what a coincidence,” the newcomer said as he stepped into the light. “Kuro comes back to action today as well, right? How's everything, both of you?

Only at those words did Faegard breathe of relief. Before the trio now stood his commanding officer, the wacky Captain Einherjar Ritter. It was obvious that when Faegard was busy trying to reread the manual booklet and moping and everything in between, the officer had had a change of clothes, and was now wearing a vibrant, casual T-shirt and light trousers somewhat inappropriate for military life. The light blue trouser was slightly acceptable, but the bright red shirt adorned with the picture of a contingent of giant golems... Mechanized Frames was apparently over-the-top. Reagrdless, Captain Ritter's presence meant that Faegard had been saved from the imminent dangers.

Before the woman could slip any word in, the gunman had jumped at the commander, still pointing his finger at Faegard.

“Captain! I've discovered a spy in my room!” panted the young man in urgency.

“Oh really?” smirked Einherjar as he glanced at Faegard briefly. “He is still wearing the military uniform, I believe?

“Military... uniform?” the woman repeated in bewilderment, until her eyes reached Faegard's attire beneath his collar. “Captain, what is this all about?

“Yeah, I owe you guys an explanation, don't I?” said Ein heartily. “This kid here is called Faegard Thunderwood Elfblade, a newly recruited non-commissioned officer assigned to our team two days ago.”

******



< Message edited by Argeus the Paladin -- 7/8/2009 0:20:03 >
DF  Post #: 9
7/10/2009 0:01:50   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 9
“That is MY Shishioh!”


“Say what?” said the young man, slamming his fist of the table in astonishment.

He was called Kurogane Renzoku, or simply Kuro, as he was introduced, yet another odd name Faegard could swear he had never seen along the massive linguistic libraries of Silverlush. Never mind the name, Faegard found just a couple of minutes in that Kurogane was, if anything, even more quick-tempered than Sir Harthrane, the only Paladin in elven history who had ever pointed a finger at the king in a fit and got away with it. However, it seemed that Faegard's current commanding officer was nowhere as lenient as his father, and had no qualms against mercilessly breaking the haughty.

“I said, Kuro, you will have to accept Corporal Faegard as a roommate in the foreseeable future,” calmly explained Captain Einherjar, in direct contrast to his impatient subordinate's behavior. “Until further arrangements can be made, that is.”

“But... but he's just a brat! And not even a soldier to begin with” Kuro answered back angrily. “Why accept him into Squad 12 in the first place, let alone...”

“Ah, you weren't much better when you were still a greenhorn,” Ein shook his head in disapproval. “Sergeant Kurogane, a mere ordinary senior high schooler a day before entering the armed force and a teenage boy turning soldier aren't that far off in the scale, especially in war time.”

“But I am different!” Kurogane snapped. “Nothing guarantees the skill of this... this brat!”

“How are you different when over the course of your first month at arms you have crashed not one, not two, but three Sturmgewehrs in accidents?” Ein said sternly. “And you couldn't tie a simulator match against Aya in the first two months. How is THAT different?

“Aww, c'mon, Captain, am I that awful?” protested the woman mildly, in a rather mocking, playful tone.

“Oh yes you are,” said Einherjar with a friendly grin. “But at least you accept it, right?

As the Captain said, her name was Ayaka Saionji, or Aya in short. Faegard could swear if he hear another irregular name again in the next few days, he would find the nearest linguistic library in this world and lock himself in until he could properly understand why on Mediava did people in this world have such idiosyncratic naming convention. At least it had a nice, sweet ring to it to compensate, correlating with her genuine sweet smile, if Faegard was to ignore how she was looking at him as if he was a doll or something along those lines.

“Besides,” continued the captain after a short pause, “appointing this boy into our squad isn't my choice. It is a direct order from Colonel Albert himself, and a high priority one at that. As a soldier, I am in no position to disobey it. Do you get me, Kuro?

“Argh,” Kurogane looked anything but accepting of that decision, finally concluding his futile resistance with a sigh of disappointment.

“Relax, Kuro,” the captain stood up and patted the young soldier on his shoulder. “Give this boy a chance as Aya and I have given you six months ago. Is it that difficult?

“N... no, of course not,” Kurogane tried to put up a smile, but his inability to hide his resentment resulted in a difficult-looking wry one instead. The captain seemed to pay that no mind, however.

“So it's settled,” concluded Ein. “From today, Kurogane, Faegard here will share your room. Whatever arrangement afterwards is all yours, but I’d prefer not to hear any complains. Is that clear?

“Roger, Captain,” Kurogane said, a certain look of fatigue written all over his face.

******


“Alright, kid, you’re sleeping on the sofa for today,” Kuro breathed out deeply, tossing his luggage on the ground with a loud thud, before rolling on the bed while still wearing his full uniform, one of his arms over his eyes. “I’ll try to see if I can make any arrangement later.”

“Err… your luggage, Sergeant?” Faegard’s eyes shifted between the face-down valise on the ground and its extremely worn out owner.

“Just leave it there,” half-heartedly answered Kuro. “It’s not like it would kill anyone lying around for another half a day or so.”

His worn-out posture and tired voice spoke of irritation, fatigue, frustration, or any combination of the above with emphasis. It was inferable that he was already having a bad day when Faegard’s presence added even more to it. The sort of mental and physical fatigue he was experiencing weighed the soldier down quite a great deal, as in a matter of minutes, steady snores could be heard from the direction of the bed.

It was not that Faegard needed to worry about a place to sleep. His kind slept much less and much easier than humans, and for that need the sofa was more than enough, not to mention he had probably dozed off his daily dosage some time earlier. His irritation was because of something else – nothing was more frustrating that watching one's roommate, if Faegard could call Kurogane so, doze off while he was wide awake.

As if it was bad enough, Faegard soon discovered his new roommate's annoying behavior of sleeptalking. There he lay on the bed, one arm still covering one half of his face, whichever part not covered seemed to be grimacing in mental pain of some sort. His jaws froze, the teeth they housed grinding against one another with such ferocity that even from afar Faegard could see them swelling. And whenever they didn't lock each other in such a posture of strong annoyance, his mouth would open for a brief, furious gasp, upon which his incoherent, senseless mutters became audible.

“Damn... that's all I can do... damn it... I'm such a defect... must aim... for higher... Dad... but... can't... must... I am... a failure...” said Kurogane, his subconscious composure seemingly fading away with each spoken word, each with a louder, more anguished and more stressful tone than the last. Whatever was bothering his dream must have been particularly terrifying or detestable to draw out such a strong, subconscious reaction.

Kurogane's troubled sleeping began to turn for the more pathetic shortly later, when his whole body seemed to be trembling, droplets of cold sweat visible on his skin even from a distance away. The young man must have latched on a repugnant imagery, a frightening scenario, a humiliating plight, or whatever unlikely combination of those in his slumber. By this time, his nightmarish mumbling had turned for the worse, his sleeptalking staring to sound like the mindless wails of a tormented spirit in Elven folklore. It wasn't exactly as insanity-inducing as a stray spirit's, but obviously not healthy in the first place.

“Why... how... I must be strong... must... but... too far.. why... I can't...” Kurogane sounded as if he was speaking in a different language system altogether, occasionally emitting sounds so similar to anguished sobs that Faegard was beginning to wonder if he was crying in his sleep.

As little as Faegard knew about what he was talking about, it became obvious to the prince that if the grumpy sergeant was allowed to continue, he would sooner or later speak what he would normally never want to reveal. In Faegard's sense of morality, listening to one's secret without consent was nearly as morally jarring as theft or fraud, two big nos for a prince and Paladin-to-be. Not to mention it wasn't exactly the most polite thing to watch a man crying. While trying to wake him up to avoid such a surrogate crime was outright a no-no, Faegard resorted to the next available alternative – getting out of the room. As he opened the door, Kurogane's senseless wailing still trailed along, lingering around his ears, only fading out for real when the automatic door slided shut behind him.

“So you finally have to get out of the room, boy.”

The voice he had just heard and his reaction to it was Faegard's testimony how a sweet, soft voice could be especially startling if uttered at the wrong time and place. Slightly jerking behind for a second or so, his visage distorted more or less by the rush of fright, it was only when the speaker let out a quiet, smooth grin that Faegard was brought back to the ground. Before him stood the brown-haired young woman from just now, leaning against the corridor balcony, gazing at him with a particular degree of interest.

“L... Lieutenant A...yaka Sai...onji?” Faegard spoke with interruptions, less because of his astonishment and more because he found her name particularly hard to pronounce.

“It's Aya, if you find my full name so hard to pronounce,” the woman shook her head playfully.

“Sorry, I find yours and the Sergeant's name particularly strange,” Faegard replied, for want of anything else to say.

“I never thought my name was that uncommon,” Aya smirked.

“Maybe it was just me,” Faegard said, shrugging. “Where I lived, such names as yours and the Sergeants are nonexistent.”

“So it must be wgere you came from, huh?” Aya stooped over Faegard, peering into his eyes with a gaze remotely possible to be ytranslated into an eager ogle. “Where are you from again, boy?

“First, please don't call me 'boy',” Faegard retorted with annoyance. “I hate to say this, but I am most probably much older than you, Lieutenant.”

“Oh?” Aya said shrewdly, drawing her head even closer to Faegard's, so that her eyes were about an inch at most from his and the tip of her nose even closer to his own, her face cast a shadow on his beneath the moonlight. “You do know that lying is bad for someone of your age, don't you?

“How old are you then?” Faegard asked back without hesitation as he took a step back to retain a safe distance.

“It's rude to ask for a woman's age, you know?” answered Aya as she swung her head mildly from side to side. “Even though you are just a thirteen-something-year-old boy, don't you think you should start knowing such stuffs from now?

“Thirteen?” Faegard seemed to be extremely annoyed by that assumption, his voice raised much higher than he normally would speak. “Who do you think I am?

Before the woman could respond, Faegard took a deep breath, reached for the bandana on his head, and ripped it from his forehead. As the cloth strip crumpled in his hand, Faegard shook his head quickly several times, enough to feel the late evening wind slip through his bound ears, cooling them down and soothing most of the pain and discomfort the bandana had caused him during the whole day. And there, pridefully rising from the sides of his head, his ancestral, signature long ears, approximately three times longer than that of an average human's, exposed themselves to the evening sky and whoever beholding him. To conclude that ceremonious action, Faegard proceeded to emphatically flex his upper ears once or twice, both as a light massage and a further reconfirmation of his heritage.

“Are those... your ears?” Aya looked stunned, her attention forcefully diverted towards Faegard's abnormal appendage.

“You said I am thirteen years old, right?” Faegard smiled victoriously. “If you multiply that by four and add five you will get my correct chronological age.”

“Just... just what are you?” Faegard found Aya's confusion mingled with bits and pieces of terror as she spoke highly amusing, a good stress reducer considering the current situation.

“If I said I am an elf, and that my people usually live six to eight times longer than the average human, would you believe me?” Faegard said, gazing at her perplexity with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

“But... how?” Aya shook her head vehemently, before resuming her stare once more. “Are you sure you are not playing a prank on me, boy?

Her words was backed with action soon enough, her hands quickly reaching for Faegard's ears and grabbed them before he could effectively counter her movement. The result of this inability to defend his prized appendage was a painful tug on both ears that lasted for a good ten seconds, the trauma from which flooded Faegard's eyes with tears.

“Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!” shrieked Faegard as he peeled Aya's fingers off his ears. “What are you doing? That hurts!”

“Huh? So that's the real thing?” Aya muttered, reliefing her grip on his ears, her cheek turning slightly red as she lowered her arms. “I'm sorry – didn't see that coming...”

“That's alright,” Faegard breathed of relief, flexing the tips of his ears again to return their shape to normality. “Colonel Albert and Captain Einherjar also stated that my kind doesn't exist in this world, so your skepticism just couldn't be helped.”

“Wait, did you say in this world?” Aya asked in bewilderment. “So where exactly do you come from?

“If this were my world,” Faegard said, “then an introduction of 'Faegard Thunderwood Elfblade, a noble Greenglaze Elf hailing from Silverlush, the capital city of the Elven Kingdom' would have more than sufficed. But in this world, it is no longer a suitable introduction, is it?

“Well, that I can understand,” Aya lowered her voice. “But more importantly, how did you end up here? Will you be able to go back to your home world again?

“At present, I don't know how far away from my own dimension I have strayed away,” Faegard shook his head. “How I got here, I'm not quite sure, and whatever happened to us Greenglaze Elves right before that alone would require no less than a prolific bard to retell. Suffice to say, it's likely I'll have to stay here for quite some time, and in the meantime I am working for your side.”

There was a brief moment of silent as the woman stopped dead in her track, trying to compute the massive amount of astonishment within just a couple of sentences. It was not before a solid half a minute had passed when Aya could start talking again.

“So... so you really are that old?” she stammered.

“Well, not really,” Faegard scratched his head. “I have another twenty to thirty years to spend before I reach maturity age. So, in a sense, you are right – I am still technically a boy among my people – a thirteen-year-old who just happens to have spent four times as long fooling around.”

“That must have been hard on you, wasn't it?” Aya spoke sympathetically, her tone returning to resemble the maturity he had first heard.

“It sure does, but looks like I'll just have to go ahead. Joining the Global Union Army can't be that bad, especially if they are fighting for justice,” Faegard shook his head in a friendly manner, before abruptly changing the topic. “What are you doing here so late at night, Lieutenant? It should be past midnight by now...”

“Waiting for you to go out,” blinked Aya playfully, before her voice suddenly turned for the more serious at the flick of an eye. “I expected that you wouldn't survive too long in the same room as Kuro. The young man was well known for being an extremely tacky bedfellow around here.”

“True that,” Faegard replied. “He had spoken more since he dozed off than during the whole of the meeting just now. And whatever he spoke was quite... disturbing.”

“Please don't mind his behavior from before. Sometimes his sleeptalking would get so loud that he would wake up those sleeping in the next rooms – that means me. We just have to deal with it accordingly,” Aya explained. “Kuro is quite a decent guy, although he tends to be... like that whenever he returns from a leave.”

“Whenever he returns from a leave?” Faegard asked. “What exactly do you mean?

“Sorry, that is Kuro's personal stories. Kuro-kun would be quite mad if he finds out I've been spreading his secrets around,” giggled Aya. “You'll have to find it out from him – if he trusts you, that is.”

“Then I'll have to ignore it for now,” Faegard concluded. “There are other duties that take priority, right?

“One of which is to take a good, sound dosage of sleep for the night. Around nine tomorrow, Captain Ein will hold our weekly briefing session, this time with our full squad, including you.” Aya nodded with a thumb-up and a sly grin. “But sleeping's not going to be easy while Kuro-kun is making so much noise. Would you like to come to my room instead?

“Your... room?” for some reason, Aya's blink, gesture and silent chuckle sent a shock of some sort up Faegard's cheeks, manifesting in a rapidly reddening shade covering those surfaces. “What... what exactly do you have in mind?

“Just follow me!” Aya concluded her grin with a firm grasp of Faegard's wrist, pulling him towards the other end of the corridor, where an open door await, revealing a dimly lit chamber inside...

******


”All of that fuss just for a couple of earplugs, huh?

Faegard thought as he removed the alien object from his ear with a grin of satisfaction. It turned out that Aya pulled him into her room just for two purposes – to hand him the earplugs with which to survive Kurogane's sleeptalking, and to tease him for whatever misunderstanding his not-yet-mature head could have concocted in response of her rather suggestive action. The catch was, even now, Faegard was unable to distinguish how much of him was genuinely deceived, and how much was blissfully oblivious of her intentions.

”'What kind of weird ideas are you getting at, boy?' or so she said. As if I started that up in the first place.” Faegard shook his head as he remembered Aya's triumphant smile as she stared at him the previous night. ”But that woman does know her jokes, I have to admit.”

Waking up with a freshly renewed spirit at the first onset of dawn, Faegard was relieved to find the first, arguably most uncomfortable night, had finally come to an end. The elf stretched his arm as his sight switched from the first, albeit dim, ray of sunlight shredding through the dark curtain of night to his roommate, still fast asleep. Periodically Kurogane's snores would resound from his throat, much quieter and less violent than the previous night. It was as if whatever traumatic nightmare that had befallen him had claimed a good portion of his strength. Regardless of reason, Faegard was glad to find the dreadful noise making finally coming to an end.

Normally a Greenglaze elf would require around two to three hours of sleep per night to maintain maximum mental capacity the next day. But had it not been for Aya's earplugs, Faegard wouldn't have been able to claim even half as much time while Kurogane's seemingly endless stream of nonsense spouting went on for half the night and his monstrous snore the other half. At their heights, Faegard could feel the sturdy plugs themselves threatening to burst asunder from the mere impact of the noise, forcing Faegard to brace himself for fear of the worst. Witnessing that, Faegard was convinced that what trauma Kurogane had gone through to manifest in such a violent nightmare wouldn't have been too far off, or even on par with his own tragedy.

”It's still early,” Faegard thought, shifting his eyes from the sleeping soldier to the window and finally to the clock on the wall, which he had just learnt how to read no more than two days before. “It's just 5 a.m – this man apparently can use some more rest...”

Thinking so, Faegard threw himself back at his makeshift bed, landed his head on the pillow and stretched comfortably over the sofa, taking deep, contented breaths of relief. His gaze then fixed on the horizon far away, whence the sun began to rise from its slumber. A new day was coming, for better or worse.

******


“Captain, did you say that war has finally broken out?

Kurogane's voice was heightened with deep concern as he spoke, a concern Faegard couldn't say he was free from. The declaration Captain Einherjar made as soon as the briefing with the full squad commenced was quite troublesome in its own rights.

“Yes,” Einherjar replied, a look of utter seriousness dominating his usually dual-faceted visage. “Just as we have feared, the Joint Colonial Council has finally taken definite action in direct violation of the 2379 Geneva Non-aggression Treaty.”

Ein then proceeded to pull down what looked like a curtain from the ceiling, and then followed up with pressing a certain button on a mechanical object on the large table in the middle of the room as everyone sitting around it observed. To Faegard's surprise, the 'curtain' suddenly flashed to life, a particular imagery materializing on its surface in a manner comparable to clerical oracles' shimmering crystal balls, first blurry but rapidly vivifying, until the entire parchment was filled with a clear picture.

”A map,” Faegard made a mental note to self while gazing at the materialized picture.

Judging from the general layout and texture of the map, it was most probably the overworld map of this dimension. Assuming so, it dawned upon Faegard that the world of Earth was much, much more diverse than Mediava, with myriads of islands, isles, peninsulas and archipelagos interspersing with varying density around five or six major continents. Contrasting that vibrant, diverse picture to the rather unremarkable layout of Mediava, consisting of one main and one sub-continent, with no more than a dozen large islands and one or two archipelagos, Faegard couldn't help but feel his own world dwarfed in comparison to this dimension.

“Since early this morning, they've started fifteen simultaneous offenses against medium to large Global Union air and space facilities,” the captain continued. “So far, our forces have successfully pushed them back in over half of those locations, but the other half is still under heavy fire.”

As Einherjar spoke, he clicked another button on the console, manifesting in a series of ten to twenty blinking red spot of varying size and hue emerging on various parts of the map. With no further explanation, Faegard had to assume that each spot stood for one such 'air and space facility' that Ein mentioned.

Before he could slip in a remark or two, Kurogane had already voiced his response, in a much more anxious tone than Faegard could ever summon at the moment's being.

“The locations they are attacking... Are those our primary space operation facilities?” asked Kurogane, raising himself up.

“Looks like whatever happened in our Kansai facilities is being repeated on an even larger scale,” nodded Einherjar. “The Colonial Council-backed Liberators must be aiming to wipe out, or at least cripple the space facilities essential in the space-earth war to come.”

Then Ein picked up a thin ruler from the table and pointed at a star-shaped blink on the map, drawing a circle around it. That star lay conveniently around the middle of a J-shaped island at the northeastern corner of the map, signifying its importance. Perhaps it was another, much more important military base. Perhaps it was the capital, or a major strategic location that the Global Union Army had to defend. If it was so important to be brought up on the map with such a striking symbol, Faegard wouldn't be surprised if it would have to do with his next mission. Thinking so, Faegard eagerly awaited some more information regarding that star-spangled location.

“So far, our Kansai base here is still safe,” Einherjar unintentionally crushed Faegard's expectation with a direct point at the star. “Not only that, the entire of the Japanese Archipelago is relatively untouched after the last attack on our base.”

“Captain, so that star is our b...” Faegard blurted in astonishment.

“Yes, it is, Faegard,” Einherjar interrupted hastily, before springing back to the topic. “After all, the situation having come to this is no news – after the raid on our base last week, the Colonial Council's belligerence has become too obvious to hide beneath any amount of diplomatic disguise.”

“But I couldn't believe they have grown so bold to launch such all-out attacks!” Kurogane said. “We Global Union still have superior numbers!”

“Well, speaking of the extreme, if they destroy every single space-capable unit, facility and vehicle we can crop up, the colony clusters would be virtually unreachable; we lose,” Einherjar knocked on the screen with the ruler emphatically. “This sort of attacks will likely stall our counterattack efforts in the foreseeable future.”

“One question, Captain,” Faegard rose his hand. “If those facilities are so important, why didn't the Army defend them with all what it has?

“It is more of a matter of 'cannot' than 'did not', Faegard,” answered Ein as he pointed the ruler at Faegard briefly. “This brings us straight to the matter of discussion today – our worst speculation has become reality. The Liberators did possess enough Mechvalry Frames to outmaneuver and outgun our garrisoned air force and Mechanized Frames in all but a couple of those locations.”

“Mechvalry Frames?” Faegard asked back.

“Our Mechfantry Frames' more mobile, flight-capable brothers,” explained Ein. “The Daimyo Mk-II you've seen in action in the attack on our base last week is the exemplary Mechvalry Frame of this day and age, for instance.”

“Captain, you mean the giant flying gol... Mechanized Frames our enemies were using?

It wasn't exactly a pleasant memory for Faegard, now that the captain had brought it back. Even though Faegard hadn't seen those flying golems, or Daimyo Mk-II Mechvalry Frames in full action, whatever he had witnessed that night was too close to the terror of a full frontal draconic bombardment for comfort.

“That is where our forces lose out,” Einherjar twisted his mouth. “Most of our Mechanized Frames are landbound, and that is a huge disadvantage in dogfights – our only Frame remotely close to achieving flight capability is the Hiryuu Mk-II, and even that model isn't capable of sufficiently sustainable flight yet.”

“But most of the Liberators we fought that night were amateurs, Captain,” Kurogane said confidently. “I believe most of them were hastily retrained jet or space fighter pilots with only bare basic knowledge in MF control and weaponries.”

“That seems to be the case at the moment, fortunately,” nodded Ein. “But they have their own share of aces. And judging from how technically superior the Daimyo model are, we'll have a painful tiem if their skilled pilots sets in.”

“There's no need to fear!” cheerfully said Kurogane. “We have the Type-2 Shishioh with us, don't we? It is supposed to be superior than any mass-produced Daimyo!”

“You seem to be over-enthusiastic whenever you talk about the Shishioh model, aren't you?” Ayaka blinked at Kuro, smiling provocatively. “Watch out, you are becoming more and more like the super robot otaku that is Captain!”

“I have my own reason, onee-san,” Kurogane replied positively. “I am the Nishiki Shishioh's test pilot. Of course I must be enthusiastic; that is MY Shishioh!”

Maybe it was just Faegard, but the elf could clearly feel a cold, sharp glare from the commander's direction as soon as Kuro uttered the last word.

“Sorry for this, Kuro,” said Ein, his voice suddenly froze into an icicle of harsh news, “but the Colonel apparently have had other intentions for the Shishioh.”

However he tried to look at it, Einherjar's method of breaking the news turned out to be extra cruel for Kurogane, seeing how his jaws froze in place, still in the frame of a disrupted grin. It took him a good moment before he could defrost his jawbones and start speaking again, in a disheartened, trembling pitch.

“What... what did you just say, Captain?” said him, his face looked as if every single vein under his skin was about to pop out and explode.

“Kuro, the Colonel specifically told me that you'll have to stick to your Hiryuu Custom for a while,” Einherjar spoke ambiguously, “for we have found a comparably better pilot for the Shishioh Nishiki.”

******

DF  Post #: 10
7/21/2009 2:19:33   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 10
A Question of Fairness


As far as Faegard knew, his people had always been fascinated with the night since time immemorial for a variety of convenient as well as religious reasons. Among the most prominent legends were the beliefs of the druidic circles that the Great Spirit of Nature is at his strongest at night, when the denizens of the forest were all asleep, when the struggle for survival for each and every animal was at its calm, when Nature is at true harmony with itself and those who depended on and worshiped it. It was a proven legend – members of the druidic circles found it much easier to concentrate, cast spells, or even speaking out to the various denizens of the wild at night than they would in broad daylight.

Over time, coupled with his people's mundane requirement for sleep, most Greenglaze elves would end up spending their shares of the solemn evening doing what they consider most important and most mentally demanding, such as meditation, spellweaving, enchanting, or contemplating on philosophical or existential matters. For an elf to spend his prized evening hours for any purpose other than that was not only a waste of time, but also a mild blasphemy against the Great Spirit, one to be shunned upon. This held true even to the most warrior-like members of the nation, like the Elven Paladins or Vanguard Knights of Silverlush.

And yet over the course of that day Faegard had been repeatedly, consciously breaking that taboo. Ignoring the cool, soft, refreshing nocturnal wind of the world of Earth, Faegard had been locking himself within the stuffy, hot and stiff confinement of a particular chamber. Before him lay nothing but a huge screen, a triple keyboard, a set of pedals and joysticks, and a beam sword-wielding on-screen enemy charging at him at full throttle with murderous intent flashing with its every step.

The enemy was apparently a Mechfantry Frame with remarkable size and agility. A lightning bolt-shaped ornament adorned its humanoid head, while its knee joints was protected and reinforced with two thick, shining plates, covering up to its lower thighs. One of its arms was permanently fixed with a huge, long barrel connected to some even heavier, complex firing mechanism – an arm cannon, as it was officially called. Supporting that amount of weight, that arm's elbow and knuckle joints were plated with at least three layers of steel armor, both to stabilize the arm and to protect the huge gun it wielded. On its other arm was a much lighter, more dynamic beam sword, held pointed forwards as if glided over the cushion of air towards Faegard's direction.

For a second, it looked as if every bit of Faegard's mental concentration was fixed on the glowing blade in front of the charging Mechfantry Frame, as his sight glued on it without a single blink. Unlike the previous times, this time it was not fear and helplessness that had frozen him in place like that. Instead, his calm visage showed but a tranquil focus, that of a predator taking its time to wait for its prey's downfall.

“Dodge!” Faegard exclaimed just as the blade was within milliseconds of stabbing him. With a swift, fluid movement of his right leg, Faegard stamped on the corresponding panel while pulling the joystick on his left backward. The result was quite rewarding for Faegard, as the blade appeared to have passed right across the screen, barely missing him as he, or whatever he was controlling, had swerved and stepped aside from danger.

Before his foe could respond to the situation at hand, Faegard had snatched the joystick on his right, pulled it halfway down, and pressed the big, red, shiny button on its top. This reaction manifested in a loud whirling sound as a large, clenched fist flew out from beneath the screen, crashed into his foe at point-blank, knocking it sideways while making short work of its head, neck and upper chest. Whoever manufactured that model must have focused too much on arm and leg protection while forgetting the more vital, upper body part, as those crushed organs broke up into hundreds of metal shreds and fell on the ground, followed by the rest of the Frame's decapitated body.

Victorious, Faegard leaned back against the chair, breathing deeply of relief. His hands were all sweaty – as much as he had focused, his nervousness still managed to get in the way and resulted in such an embarrassing sight. Even knowing that it was just a simulation training, in which there would be no penalty for losing except for a good, 'realistic vibration' shake or two, Faegard was still somewhat afraid, even now. The image of a charging enemy Mechanized Frame was still frightening in its own rights, especially when Faegard's subconscious mind kept drawing an analogy between those humongous robots and the dragons of Mediava.

”Come on, Faegard, come on!” the prince mentally smacked himself. ”How can a coward even stand proudly as a Greenglaze elf, let alone be a worthy prince of use to his people?

Faegard had hardly completed his mantra when a quick, but loud enough knock at the walls of the chamber caused him to jerk off his seat, hitting his head on the low ceiling above with an equally loud bump. The confusion was brought to an end when the tiny chamber's door slid open, and a familiar visage peered into the space within.

“So you’ve just shot down a Sturmgewehr on the simulator,” the newcomer spoke nonchalantly, his lips stretched horizontally in a friendly smile. “Not bad at all, considering you knew next to nothing about Mechanized Frames just two weeks ago.”

“Captain Ein!” Faegard recognized the visage. “What are you doing, awake at this hour, sir?

“It's just two o'clock in the morning,” Einherjar replied. “Normally my day would not end before four.”

“But you always stay in your room after nine, or so Lieutenant Saionji said, don't you?” Faegard asked.

“That is if my laptop isn't down, which it is tonight,” grinned Ein. “What a pity – I was expecting to watch up the last ten episodes of The Drill That Cleaves Heavens today.”

“The Drill... That Cleaves... Heavens?” repeated Faegard blankly. “Is that supposed to be an enchanted, mastercrafted magical weapon?

Ein's reply to his ignorance was such a grimace that it was fortunate for Faegard he wasn't in the middle of a drink when the elf asked. Faegard could see his commander's mouth swell up, culminating with a good, loud string of laughter.

“Captain?” Faegard rolled his eyes in bewilderment.

“Sorry, didn't mean to laugh my behind off so late at night,” Ein said in an attempt to contain his laughter. “I forgot you knew next to nothing about our culture.”

“So... exactly what is it?” Faegard resumed his question, some degree off curiosity added on to his existing bewilderment. “The Drill isn't a weapon, isn't it?

“It is an anime,” Einherjar shook his head. “Or, in simpler terms you can understand, a story animated so that I can enjoy it by watching the plot happening rather than reading. My personal brand of drugs – if I don't get my daily dose of robot anime awesomeness I'll go mad.”

Not that the detailed explanation helped Faegard much, his blank stare persisting with a heightened degree of confusion even as Ein spoke.

“Okay, okay, I'll tell you more about that some time, alright?” Ein conceded. “Anyway, I was quite impressed you've chosen to spend your night like this.”

“I supposed if I can't spend my time in peace, I could as well do something productive,” answered Faegard. “After all, after yesterday, it doesn't seem like I can live in peace with Sergeant Renzoku any more.”

“I'm afraid so,” Ein slowly nodded his head, raising his eyebrows sympathetically. “Kuro has been like that since he was a child, and I can't say his attitude is totally unacceptable. I'd just hope that you weren't offended too badly.”

In turn, Faegard couldn't say that he hadn't been offended. Ever since his birth, no one, not even his parents and his various teachers, had spoken or behaved to him in such a manner.

Kurogane's reaction when Ein announced that he was no longer the test pilot for the Shishioh and that Faegard was now in charge of it proved that Sir Harthrane was by no means the most hot-blooded being in the whole universe as he used to believe. Nowhere before did the elven folk saying 'Ten yards from a troll, twenty from a berserk ogre and a hundred from a human who looks like a berserk ogre is a safe distance' hold truer than that very minute. At that time, Faegard was actually scared as he looked at a readily berserk Sergeant, who looked as if he had no qualms against breaking his neck at the least of provocations.

The next thing Faegard remembered was being pulled out of the briefing room like a hunted animal, threw into a simulator – in fact, the very machine he was now sitting inside – and then repeatedly got his behind handed to him at least two dozen times within the duration of half an hour. Kurogane did all of those with such fervor that both the Lieutenant and the Captain was taken aback by his actions, not being able to slip a word in until he emerged from his machine, zealous and fervent sweatdrops profusely lining up his forehead and cheeks.

”'Did you see that, Captain? He doesn't even know how to properly use the Shishioh's Boost Knuckles! I am far superior than what this useless brat can manage in his whole life!'” Faegard reminisced Kuro's words as he emerged from the machine, wincing in resentment. ”As if my natural lifespan were that short.”

If he remembered it right, Captain Ein showed up his stern, rugged side of a disciplined soldier just around that time with a powerful slap that knocked Kuro flat on the ground. The half-an-hour match from hell with a professional pilot had taken quite a toll on Faegard at that time, and he couldn't recollect how Kurogane responded to that slap, except for that Kuro returned to his room shortly later, locking himself in, and Faegard out, for that matter. His unheroic resolve was so overwhelming that Faegard was still trembling with an ignoble wave of fear even when Kuro had left, not returning to normality until the hot-blooded youth had been well off. Maybe it was for the better – his fright had somewhat drowned out whatever boiling resentment Faegard could have churned up from such an impudence, which could have resulted in serious detriments to the team spirit.

Faegard had been glued to the simulator training room ever since that incident happened, partly because he had nowhere else to sit down. The catch was, the more time he spent on the simulator training machine, the more he sympathized with his offender. Save for his unreasonable attitude, his point was perfectly valid. Faegard at that very time was by no means qualified to even take a sit inside, let alone control, something as state-of-the-art as the Type-2 Shishioh. As he practiced in the machine through the afternoon, being beaten left and right by mere simulated data, Faegard came to realize that his survival at the last battle simply boiled down to luck.

“No answer, eh?” Ein smacked on Faegard's shoulder, snapping him out of his train of thoughts. “You appear to have a lot in your mind – care to share?

“I...” hesitated Faegard. “I'm not sure if this is a good thing to say now, but...”

“Just say it,” Ein chuckled. “Your being nigh-immortal and all doesn't mean you should waste your time keeping unpleasant feelings locked inside.”

“Captain, I was wondering if,” Faegard nodded, speaking in a much lower voice. “if it was a right choice to give me the Shishioh or not. The Sergeant has a point – I have next to nothing when it comes to skill and experience dealing with this sort of equipment.”

“Mmm,” said Ein. “Yes, that is an unpleasant, yet straight fact. As you are now, you wouldn't survive long in front of even a conscripted rank-and-file Daimyo pilot, let alone shoot them down. Let alone the aces.”

“So why choose me in the first place while Sergeant Renzoku is such an amazing pilot?” Faegard asked back with due anxiety.

“Kurogane is among the best, if not the best Mechanized Frame pilot among the non-commissioned officers in Japan, that I agree,” concurred Ein. “But you've been chosen for a special criteria that he would never be able to achieve throughout his life, however hard he tries, even should he go as far as giving up his life.”

“And what exactly is that, sir?” Faegard said eagerly.

It was then Einherjar's turn to hesitate for some reason. Some sort of compassion popped up in his eyes, weighing down his eyelids, and in turn, his head. A veil of silence wasn't what Faegard was waiting for, his impatience beginning to show through his every expression.

“The Nishiki Shishioh was not built for the likes of him in the first place,” sighed Ein, realizing he couldn't get away with it. “In other words, as long as he is an ordinary human, never will Kuro possess the knack needed to fully utilize the Shishioh and the FALCON System it houses. Knowing that the Shishioh is our ace in the hole, naturally the higher-ups would not let someone lacking in that particular knack to sit in its cockpit when someone else possessing that trait shows up.”

“As long as he is... human?” Faegard's eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of the sockets. “If no ordinary humans can effectively use it, then why create the Shishioh and the FALCON System in the first place?

“I am a soldier, not a scientist, Faegard,” Ein denied. “Even if I were, I wouldn’t tell you what you don’t need to know yet.”

“But the way things are, it’s extremely unfair to Sergeant Renzoku!” Faegard exclaimed.

“He will have to learn a lot before he can become a truly steeled and dependable soldier like his father wants. For that purpose, such shocks like this are mandatory.” Ein said firmly. “But as for you, I suppose you wouldn’t feel comfortable sitting in the Shishioh’s cockpit with your current skill, do you?

“Yes, sir,” Faegard scratched his head. “Where I came from, to be eligible to test a new spell, horse or any other things means that one must be literally the best available. I am nowhere near that level yet in terms of go… Mechanized Frame control.”

“That’s why you’ve been training here since the morning, right?” Einherjar snapped his finger in approval. “That’s the spirit!”

And then Einherjar walked briskly straight towards the control unit on the left of Faegard’s simulator, took a glance at the screen, and promptly shook his head.

“No, Faegard, this doesn’t do,” Ein said, this time voicing an open disapproval. “Do you want me to be frank?

“Ah… no, Captain,” Faegard replied, somewhat taken aback by Ein’s impeccable mood swing.

“You didn’t change the AI setting for the simulator since our last session here, and it is still at ‘aggressive melee’ mode,” Ein explained. “That is why the Sturmgewehr just now charged straight at you with its beam sword so that you could get a very easy kill. In real battle, it doesn’t work that way.”

“Then… how, Captain?” Faegard asked in bewilderment.

“The Sturmgewehr is a long range, supporting artillery unit that always stay from one to five kilometers away from the main action, or even further, to lay down cover fire for the melee and dogfight-oriented Frames like the Hiryuu or the Stahlpferd or main battle tanks. That is why it has very thin armor except for its arm and leg joints to provide support and reduce recoil for its long range cannon, making it extremely clumsy and unwieldy in close quarter.” explained Ein in detail. “So most of a fight with such a Mechfantry Frame would involve dodging its fire and approach it, because once you have engaged it in one-on-one combat, the Sturmgewehr wouldn’t survive a single hit.”

“Like an archer, sir?” Faegard’s brain quickly drew up an analogy.

“More or less,” answered Ein with a nod. “Just like how an archer would never leave his bow around and charge head-on with his sword, a Sturmgewehr always stay out of danger and fire everything it has at you. Your win just now was, I’m afraid, invalid.”

“I see,” Faegard bent his neck. “So… what should I do?

“Rinse and repeat, but this time with the correct AI program. For the Sturmgewehr, it should be ‘survival’ mode,” Ein replied, keying in the requisite data into the console. “Now there, go ahead and try again.”

******


“How is the boy, Captain?

“Nothing serious – he just happened to have tired himself beyond his limit.” Ein replied. “He’s had a really hard day today, what with Kuro going berserk all over him. As if that wasn’t enough, he got battered by a simulated Sturmgewehr running on some years old data just now.”

Einherjar nonchalantly leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath of the aroma of the very late night. Beside him stood the brown-haired beauty of the band, dressed up in her casual clothes and a lively, if not wide awake expression. Einherjar was quite thankful that the only female member of his squad was about as insomniac as himself – carrying an unconscious Faegard back to his room to rest up was much easier when done in a duo.

“Still, fainting like that is a bit over the top, isn’t it?” Aya remarked.

“You probably know the drill practicing with Kuro in the simulator,” said Ein. “His speed with the Hiryuu Custom is quite dizzying, if I have to say it myself. For standing against Kuro for nearly thirty matches over half an hour, and then gobble down another twelve hours straight of simulator training to top it with before collapsing, the boy sure deserves some credit. Luckily…”

“His kind doesn’t sleep much, does they?” Aya barged in Einherjar’s speech with a meaningful blink.

“His kind?” Einherjar’s facial expression steeled up in caution as soon as he heard those words. Slowly he turned to face his companion, casualness replaced by graveness over the course of three seconds at most.

“So you know, didn’t you?” Ein continued after that pause.

“I eat gossips like this for breakfast, Ein – aliens, espers, time travelers and elves are excitement sauce, after all,” Aya waved her pointer finger with a cheery smile. “I’d have to try twice as hard as Faerie-kun is a really cute boy, isn’t he?

“You do know well enough that this isn’t gossip material, don’t you?” Ein stressed the last two words for all the emphasis he could squeeze up. “It is unofficially medium-level classified information, and the clearance may ramp up as soon as he learns how to properly use the F-System.”

“Who did you take me for?” Aya casually gave the captain a quick pat on the shoulder. “I’ve been in the military for four years now – of course I know certain things are not supposed to be spoken around.”

“Knowing Ayaka ‘Chatterbox’ Saionji, I’ll have to doubt that,” Ein’s stressful face melted into a relaxed smile as he glanced at his companion’s especially energetic figure. Having known Aya for a long, long time now, Ein never ceased to be refreshed by her active, upbeat personality whenever things went tense.

Following one or two short strings of giggles and chuckles, it was Aya’s turn to return to her serious tone, filled with concern and anxiety.

“By the way,” she said, “I am very worried about Kuro… he’s never been like this before. I mean, he hasn’t eaten anything in the whole of today too. Do you think we should…”

“Leave him be, it’ll do him good,” Einherjar interrupted Aya, his words suddenly turning more callous and merciless. “Colonel Renzoku has told me in person to do whatever I can to turn Kuro into a true soldier, and he needs to be shown that army life is not all excitement and glory, however hard to swallow it is.”

“We are going to war, Captain,” Aya disagreed. “Surely you think that letting our team’s top ace mope around like that is a good choice?

“I’ve lived in the army quite longer than both of you put together and gone through a full-scale world war when Kuro was merely in elementary school, Aya,” Ein stressed heavily each and every word. “Enough to know two simple fact any pilot should know. War is not for the petty-minded and nothing kills an ace faster than arrogance. I most certainly wouldn’t want Kuro to let it get to his head. This seems like a good time to start.”

“Even so, what are you going to do next then?” Aya asked. “This is not good at all for our team as a whole...”

“Simple. I'll speed up Faegard’s training from tomorrow,” said Ein decisively. “Nothing stops a moping arrogant young man better than taking away his reason to whine.”

“You mean...”

“Right now, Kuro's resentment mainly sprouts from the belief that he is superior to our newcomer, and was not treated accordingly,” Ein said. “If we can have Faegard show him that he was by no means superior, his attitude would mellow down. A great deal, that is.”

“Judging from our time constraint, I don’t think it will be such a good idea,” Aya rolled her eyes in complete denial. “Not to mention..."

“Not to mention what?” Ein smiled at his companion, trying to cool down her heated attitude.

“Captain, have you ever...” Aya hesitated for a couple of seconds, before speaking compassionately “Have you ever thought that Kuro has many issues himself? And that he had gambled their solution on the Shishioh as well, only for us to snatch it away from him like that...”

“You are speaking of Colonel Renzoku, I suppose,” Ein pinched his chin.

“Kuro really, really dislike his father, you know that?” Aya said. “And that he considers his becoming the test pilot of the Shishioh a way to stop his father looking down on him? And this happens...”

“He sure tells you a lot of things,” Ein replied with a smile in contrary to Aya's increasing seriousness. “But I stand by my choice. You don't need to worry too much about him – Kurogane Renzoku is eighteen years old AND in the army to boot.”

“But...”

“I've said this once, and I'll readily repeat it for as many times as it is needed,” Ein shook his head. “The army, no, life itself is like that. Stuffs happen. Failing to cope with the woes of life disqualifies a boy from not just the army, but also from manhood itself. Next time you meet him, if he doesn't sober up, tell that to his face. If he is the Kurogane we have always known, that would clear him up.”

“You can be pretty harsh sometimes, you know, Ein?” Aya responded after a long pause, her voice riddled with a semi-serious resentment. “No love for a disgruntled young boy?

“As I said, you don't have to worry,” Einherjar said, his position planted on the ground solid as a brick. And then with a quick movement of his right hand, he grabbed his companion's shoulder, bent his neck so that his mouth aligned with her right ear, and whispered softly.

“Chatterbox-chan, you'd better keep this from Kuro,” said him. “The truth is, Colonel Renzoku himself has entrusted me with his son's education while in service. As much as I care about our team's young gun, I'm not going to be so lenient as to let his father down. Not in this life, Aya, not in this life.”

******

DF  Post #: 11
7/21/2009 2:22:26   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 11
Wager – Serious Business


“That's our new order. I hope you guys have prepared yourself – when we leave this base, it is likely that we wouldn't return for a long, long time, maybe even until the end of this war,” ceremoniously declared Einherjar. “Any questions so far?

It was the second briefing he had received, and already there had been so many things that struck Faegard as worth paying attention to. The first was Sergeant Kurogane Renzoku. Throughout the meeting, he didn't say one single word, putting up a stoic, carefree front, but the degree of resentment engraved into the very origin of his chestnut eyes was especially frightening. Once every so often he would throw a challenging, if not downright malefic glance at Faegard's direction, and if Faegard's eyes ever met his, his entire facial expression would change for a split second to reveal the highest degree of disgust he could muster at once. Faegard couldn't help but be both afraid of and pity the young man.

”By the Great Spirit of Nature, what has petty competition done to this fine warrior's soul? So it turns so sad, so dark, so grim, so foul? extra cheesy as that classic drama quote was, Faegard felt as if that line was specifically tailored to match this occasion.

In any case, what the Captain had told him was particularly more deserving of attention. They had received an order from the higher-ups to pack up their stuffs, report to their machines, and depart for a city called Tokyo in three day's time. According to the notes he had got laid before him, Tokyo, the capital of this 'Japan' region of the world, housed a large scale underground manufacturing facility, 'the only intact space operation center we have left in the whole of Asia-Pacific'. Squad 12 was to join forces with the Global Union garrison to defend the city from potential enemy attacks, and 'react accordingly to whatever development there might be'. Long story short, it was time for them to get directly involved in the war.

”Couldn't be more inconvenient, that one,” Faegard thought.

His training was far from going on well, as much as he could recollect. The last thing he remembered from the simulation training the last night was being hit by a huge, blue, destructive beam of light that disconnected him from the machine on impact, analogous to an instant wipe-out had such an event took place in reality. The elf didn't have the time to contemplate that failure, as the simulated impact had added the last straw on his mind and body , both having gone well over the limit for the day. Next thing he remembered, Faegard woke up some four to five hours later in the Captain's room, barely in time to attend this meeting.

“Captain,” Kurogane finally spoke, about the first words he uttered for more than a day, “when we leave, what will become of the Kansai Airbase's defense?

“Good question,” remarked Ein. “We won't have to worry about this base, and judging from our opponents' activities recently, there might as well be no reason to worry at all.”

Taking a brief, rhetoric pause, Ein resumed with a smirk.

“This is a bit of classified information which we have privy to,” he said. “The enemy's mobile Daimyo MVFs aren't as numerous as they would have us belief. Thus, they have only been attacking our most important space facilities in order to do as much damage to our space corps and hamper our counterattacks as long as possible in a relatively short time span. This is what the ultimate objective of the attacks yesterday is. But then, our base here is mainly an air base, not a space facility. Moreover, much of the hangars and runways had been damaged severely in the attack last week, nailing this base's most important function a great deal. In short, to our enemies now, attacking the Kansai military compound is simply a waste of time. That is also why the higher-ups are quite comfortable in making this decision.”

“Does that mean we are free for the next two days before departure?” Kuro hastily followed up.

“What are you getting at, Kuro?” asked Ein.

“I am not through yet, Captain,” Kurogane spoke in a tone translating well into both determination and defiance. “There is no way I am giving up my privilege to pilot the Shishioh without a fight!”

“You are still bawling about that, Sergeant?” Ein replied coldly. “I've said once, and I am going to repeat it until you get it. This is a decision made by our commanding officers. I am in no position to oppose it, whatever you say. Even if you beat Corporal Elfblade a hundred, a thousand, a million or a billion times in the simulator, it's not going to change anything apart from making you even more depressed. Got it?

“No, Captain, that's not what I mean,” Kurogane shook his head. “I would like to have a fair fight with this... brat again before we leave, yes. If I lose, I will admit my fallacies and happily hand over the Shishioh to him without any further question. But if I win...”

Kurogane then stood up and looked around the room, his sharp eyes abnormally cold as it swept across the room as if slicing the very air itself, giving Faegard quite a chill when it swiped across his position. Judging from the startled expression Aya displayed, Faegard was quite certain he wasn't the oly one to feel the murderousness in that glare. Only after he had taken a full look across the briefing room, virtually slicing the atmosphere into two equal halves did he continue with as much emphasis he could gather in one breath.

“If I win,” Kurogane said savagely, “Then I will go into battle, knowing full well that the Army I fight for is a crapsack that doesn't know how to treat their most loyal soldiers with respect. Should I die in this war, I'll become a vengeful spirit to haunt those responsible for what they have done today!”

”What the... this... human isn't serious, is he? Faegard was freaked out at that morbid speech, so much that it took all his self-restraint to stop an imminent gasp, scream, or anything along those lines to escape his lips.

Speaking of death in such vanity was quite the taboo in the Elven society, partly because his people's longevity exceeded everyone else in Mediava but the dragons. And explicitly talking about becoming a vengeful spirit upon death was, if anything, a worse offense. It was well believed that the Longalls, the true tormented spirits of dead warriors were constantly stalking the ingdoms and realms, ever ready to bestow a mark upon such blasphemers, so that upon death they would also join the ranks of the restless spirits for real, cursed to walk the land for all eternity. Nothing short of a full-fledged church or druidic purification ceremony could hope to lift the curse, or so his people believed. As skeptical Faegard was regarding to such matters as what lies beyond death, he knew all too well that it was a matter best left alone and be done with.

Apparently Faegard wasn't the only one in the room to have had such a violent reaction. The Lieutenant, after a good few seconds blanking out from the sheer stupidity of such a thing, displayed as much disbelief and disapproval she could with one solid, twisted grimace.

“Kuro!” Aya literally screamed in pure horror, albeit of a somewhat different reason that Faegard. “What do you think you are saying? Do you know what you've just said is a severe violation of military laws?

“Like I care?” snapped Kuro angrily, swiping his arm across his face in rage. “Onee-san, I am about an inch from calling it quit, so don't remind me of things like that!”

“Quit? What are you quitting from? The army? Are you planning to desert?” Aya shouted back with no less savagery. “Don't you think of your father? What would he think if you do such a cowardly thing?

“Who knows? Maybe this team, maybe the army,” Kuro said spitefully. “Or, who knows, life itself? Like I care about what my old man think any more?

”That's the second time in a row he has tempted fate,” Faegard frowned with Kuro's each passing word. “At this rate, I most certainly won't be surprised if the angels of death claim his life before we can even leave.”

“He is your father, Kuro!” Aya's face turned red with rage with each and every word Kuro said. “How could you say such a thing?

“You bet,” nonchalantly Kurogane replied, his anger turning dangerously tranquil – not a good thing, as far as Faegard's wisdom could make out. “If tomorrow someone tells me I'm not his flesh and blood, I wouldn't be all that surprised.”

Kurogane never had the chance to finish the sentence, for a loud, frank, resounding slap had struck across his face, hitting his cheek and upper lips when he was halfway through the last word. This slap was nowhere as strong as the one he received the other day, but was sufficiently strong to make him flinch, take a couple step back, and bend his neck in some degree of pain. Kurogane lifted his head a second later, revealing his bloodied lips, the crimson liquid smearing over the corner of his mouth. Judging from his genuine look of agony, Faegard could tell that the young man didn't expect to be reacted to with such violence.

There, standing directly opposite of him, Ayaka Saionji stood, her eyes fixed on his shape with extreme prejudice, showing no attempt to conceal her offending arm. Instead, she raised it again, as if ready to strike him again. And the degree of anger in her every expression, Faegard believed he hadn't seen it anywhere other than among the brutish arena fighters or zealous Paladins in combat. Her eyes no longer shone, they were virtually burning. Her mouth no longer compassionate, they twisted into a sharp, condemning line. Her occasional heavy pants, more resembling that of an enraged beast than a human as she stared at Kurogane didn't help the frightening impression at all.

”That's gotta hurt,” Faegard thought as his sight alternated between the Lieutenant's fury and the Sergeant's battered mouth.

But there was more to Kurogane than just fright or pain; in his muddled expression, Faegard could still read a strong, dominant astonishment. Not only did Kurogane never expect to be hit, he must never have thought the Lieutenant would personally hit him. Naturally, he didn't take it well.

“L... Lieutenant... onee-san,” his astonishment translated into resentment quite rapidly, “why... did you hit me?

“Does that need to even be asked?” roared Ayaka. “Look at you, Kuro! You are making a mockery of yourself! Are you a soldier, no, a man any more?

“Whatever!” ferociously Kurogane answered back. “I don't need to care about things like that any more! I don't care any more!”

“If you wish to live like that, fine! But at least think about your father!” Aya said, tears starting to well up her eyes. “Don't you know how lucky you are to have a father who always thinks about you, worries about you and wishes the best for you?

“Good luck telling that to my stupid old man,” Kurogane shouted back.

Then Kurogane flipped towards the Captain, quickly marching towards him, stomping his feet on the ground as noisily as he could. Maybe it was just Faegard, but the elf could swear that he could feel the floor beneath him trembling under every step the troubled soldier took.

“Captain, I beg of you! Let me have just one decisive match with him, so that at least I can die without any regret!” Kurogane spoke, his speech losing civility with every word he uttered, and at its end, sounded not that much different from the maddened bellows of a caged beast of war.

”Third time, Sergeant Renzoku, this is the third time,” sighed Faegard. ”May the Great Spirit of Nature be with you.”

At that moment Faegard was practically expecting something along the lines of a loud, sound, probably bloody slap from where the two of them locked eyes, knocking the Sergeant back down on the ground as what happened the previous day. Fortunately for the disgruntled trooper, such a thing didn't happen. Instead, contrary to his reaction the previous day, the Captain responded to Kurogane's insolence with a smile, a very arrogant and challenging one at that. When he finally did raise his hand over his shoulder, it was not to give out another slap that Kurogane really deserved, but to pat him on the back, a gesture best understood as one of encouragement.

“So you really want to do this, right, Kuro?” Ein said casually. “If you lose, you will drop all this nonsense altogether and return to your normal self, wouldn't you?

“I highly doubt that it is going to happen,” Kuro retorted as he threw a disparaging glance back at Faegard, the amount of resentment shipped in that single glance enough to give the elf a chill.

“You wouldn't know unless you give Corporal Elfblade a chance,” Ein shook his head. “That is why I... approve of this scheme.”

For a second or two, Faegard thought that the bandana had strained his ears to the point that his sense of hearing was playing jokes with him. Only when his eyes shifted to Kurogane's arrogantly satisfied visage did Faegard realize that no, he did hear it right.

“Captain!” both Faegard and Aya shouted in unison at that realization.

“Thank you, Captain,” Kuro lifted his upper, uninjured lip in a smug smile, before turning to Faegard. “Now then, Corporal, shall we begin?

“Wait, wait, wait, Kurogane, I'm not done with you yet,” Einherjar continued with a meaningful expression. “There is no way I am going to let you get away with spouting such insolence you've said that easily. This match will only be held on two conditions.”

“What are those, Captain?” Kuro asked eagerly.

“First of all, this match will be carried out not in the simulator, but on the real thing,” said Ein.

“The real thing?” gasped Aya. “But wouldn't that damage our MFs?

“As long as you don't blow a machine up, it can be restored within half a day, so that wouldn't be too big a matter,” shrugged Einherjar. “If you are aggressive enough to trash your opponent's machine though, you automatically loses. Is that acceptable, Kuro?

“Perfectly,” enthusiastically replied the Sergeant. “I accept that one, Captain.”

“As for the second, it would be extremely unfair should you fight Faegard today – you've beaten him twenty times within half an hour's practice yesterday,” said the captain. “If you pull him into the machine at this time, the same would happen again. I won't allow that.”

“But why, sir?” Kurogane rolled his eyes. “Doesn't that fact alone prove my point already? This brat doesn't deserve to sit in the Shishioh's cockpit, however you put it!”

“At present, what you said is perfectly right,” Ein said. “However, Faegard Elfblade is an exception to that notion for a reason. I say you give him two days, from now until the night before our departure. If he still can't defeat you given that time, you are free to think however you like – condemn us, blame us, curse us, whatever you think fit.”

******


“Hmm, this is not working well, is it?

The nonchalant chuckle and upbeat tone of voice Ein used to describe the situation struck both Aya and Faegard as stupendously odd, even more disturbing when they both remembered that it was him who approved of Kurogane's scheme in the first place. There, on the main screen at the front of the room, Faegard's recent simulator results were being displayed, and as Aya put it, it was worse than that of a mediocre first-year MF cadet.

It was late night of the first day according to the agreement – Faegard had practically confined himself within the simulator training room from noon, just like the day before. And yet, his results were only marginally, if at all, better than the appalling records of the past day. He had finally lost count of how many times he had been shot down, the last number he remembered was around thirty to forty, while claiming only one or two kills, due to a lucky potshot with the Shishioh Boost Knuckle or two. The situation failed to produce him any reason to be optimistic at all.

“Captain, is that all you can say?” Aya had voiced the concern before Faegard could spit it out. “If this continues, tomorrow Kuro will make short work of Corporal Elfblade! And then... and then... Kuro's already somewhat suicidal since the beginning of this month... and we are going to war...”

There was a short moment of silence while Aya shook her head, as if trying to shake off the pessimism off her head. The effectiveness that method was wholly up to debate, though.

“I know that, Aya, I know that,” said Ein, his voice still calm and collected.

“Then why did you approve of Kuro's insanity the first place?” Aya questioned with a high voice.

“As I said,” Ein shook his head. “Regardless of whether he was aware of it at all, Kurogane was letting his near-flawless records get to his head. This can, no, will be deadly when the war comes for real. I've made a point to knock him off his high horse with whatever we have before the first real battle begins.”

“But at present it is both groundless and foolhardy to think that Faegard will stand a chance against Kuro!” Aya jerked towards her companion emphatically.

“I've heard that, Lieutenant Saionji,” grumbled Faegard, drawing both speakers towards his direction.

It turned out that Faegard's grumbling wasn't caused by Aya's words, judging from how he difficultly pulled himself from the simulator. His neck bent, his eyes sunken, his limbs looked like they were on the verge of losing touch, falling off, or both, and he was quite close from collapsing face-down on the floor the moment he left the machine. Never before had Faegard so resembled a pilot having just barely ejected from his exploding machine before, and if only he had been covered in soot and smoke, the analogy would have been complete.

“Today... is three times... harder than yesterday,” puffed Faegard as he staggered towards his two superior in a pose not too different from a town drunkard having finished his daily pub roll. “What is... going on?

“Not surprising, Faegard,” said Ein. “I've ramped up the AI difficulty setting to the fifth level on purpose. Looks like it didn't work as well as I'd expected.”

“The fifth level?” Aya gasped. “At this difficulty, Kurogane's personal record was one victory every one minute and six seconds! And that was a month ago!”

“One... one victory... every one minute and six seconds?” it was safe to conclude that any little bit of confidence Faegard still retained after the numerous beatdowns of the day had vanished into thin air with his pupils and voice going blank.

“True,” calmly replied Ein. “After all, Kuro had been training as a pilot for two years, even back when he was still in high school. Certainly there is no way you can beat that combat history with just one or two days of training from hell.”

”What he is saying now and back then are contradictory in every sense of the word,” Faegard stared at his commander as his thought was filled with irony.

“Cap... Captain, do you really mean what you said?” Aya's respond to that sentence was no less bewildered, with both her hands raised above her shoulder in a display of extreme anxiety.

“Of course I do,” Ein answered still maintaining his composure at a commendable level in contrary to his companions.

“Then... then why...”

“You must be thinking that I've set this up for Kuro to win, didn't you?” Ein stroke Aya on her head like petting a child – seeing he was at least four inches taller than her, such a gesture wasn't as difficult as it sounded.

“What are you getting at, Captain?” Aya's attitude quickly turned from anxiety into annoyance as she jerked his hand off her hair. “And there is also the whole business about playing this out on Mechanized Frames for real as well! This is no joking matter!”

”Wait a second,” the Lieutenant's word had suddenly rang a bell in Faegard's mind, randomly triggering a flash of brainstorm, blanking out all his other thoughts for a second or so. And when it had passed, Faegard's newest realization brought a smile to his face and a relaxing notion to his mind, just when they are most needed.

“Captain,” Faegard asked, “there must be a reason why you requested for this match to be held on the field, right? Is there something on the Shishioh itself that can change the tide of the match with ease?

“Bingo,” Einherjar's entire visage shone up with a broad smile, as his eyes switched to his female friend. “You see, Aya, the Corporal here is much sharper than yourself!”

Aya's punishment was another series of headstrokes. Whether or not she took it as a punishment was ambiguous, but her resentment did clear up from her look as Einherjar said in favor of a smile of relief. That feeling, together with the smile, vanished quite rapidly though, and in its place, a different sort of concern popped up.

“Ein, don't you mean... the FALCON System?” Aya exclaimed.

“Yes, I do mean the F-System,” Ein nodded, a victorious smile decorated his bright visage. “If the reason why Faegard was recruited into the Army out of the blues like that is because of his abnormal F-Statistics, we had better let it earn its keep, shouldn't we?

“Abnormal F-Stats? This boy?” asked Aya with due surprise. “You never told me that!”

“You never asked in the first place, Aya. Hell, you didn't even ask why Faegard was stuffed into our team since you returned,” teased Ein. “All what you cared was we've got a cute Shotaro to play with. Didn't you?

“Captain!” Ayaka's cheeks turned into the shade of a beetroot within seconds, and Faegard followed suit to a much lesser extent, if only because he figured out they were talking about him, and the word 'cute' was never supposed to be mentioned in a valiant knight or a noble lord's company. Aya's reason, however, was much beyond his understanding. And neither was a particular word Ein mentioned.

“My name isn't Shotaro, last time I checked,” Faegard said, taking a wild guess, “I am Faegard Thunderwood Elfblade, a proud Greenglaze elf and... huh?

It was obvious that whatever he had just said had unintentionally brightened the hue on Aya's face even more, this time to the point that her entire upper body was trembling, completely disabling her speech pattern as it went on. For the next couple of seconds, whatever escaped her lips was a combination of nonsense and confusing gibberish in the most embarrassing manner. While Faegard still had no clues about it all, Einherjar was enjoying it a little more than he should, panicking the poor woman even further.

“Okay, okay, okay, let's cut this out for now, alright?” smiled Ein mischievously when he had had his fill of humor. “You wouldn't want Aya-kun to explode, would you?

“I'm not going to explode!” shrieked Aya, the hue on her face temporaryly flashed up again, before eventually settled down back to normality.

”Having so much fun right before a decisive matter,” Faegard said to himself. ”Captain Ein, you really are something, aren't you?

“Alright, no more joking around for now,” Ein finally declared when Aya's face had gotten rid of its last shade of crimson. “Aya, take Faegard down to the hangar. It's a long walk – you may want to bring him an extra cloak or so. I'll tell you the basics when we are down there.”

“Just the basics, Captain?” Faegard asked.

“Yes, yes, just the basic. Just so you know, the less you know about the FALCON System, the longer and more carefree a life you will live.”

******

DF  Post #: 12
7/22/2009 23:39:37   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 12
The Sword and the Shield


However Faegard put it, the cluster of events surrounding the past few weeks had been all but rational. In a matter of days, he had gone from being a powerful prince to a battered refugee, then an injured prisoner of war, then a hastily drafted soldier, and now, sitting in the cockpit of a top-of-the-line Mechvalry Frame of another world. At times, he was just not sure whether he was still maintaining a healthy grip on reality any more.

”So this cabin is called a cockpit,” Faegard's mind drifted away for a short moment. ”Is it just me, or is this just a really, really bad pun?

If only he had the opportunity to contemplate a bit more on that issue. The situation at hand was anything but lenient to him. In front of him, roughly a hundred yard away, stood the magnificent dragon golem in the battle one week before, though Captain Einherjar insisted it be called the Hiryuu Nishiki Kai or Hiryuu Mk-II Custom, whichever Faegard felt more comfortable with. Or “The Flying Dragon,” alternately.

Never mind the name, the fact remained that the creature lived up to its namesake. Both in look, posture and potential power output, it seemed to be as draconic as the renowned Mediavean dragon. It had been a proven fact as well - the mere memory of how the steel creature wrecked havoc on the field that day alone was already frightening when Faegard was just the mere spectator. And now, that man-made dragon that could very well challenge the thousand-year-old ones and win was standing under the moonlight, glittering as the moon shone upon its metallic surfaces, striking a pose as majestic, as threatening as a crouching dragon awaiting its strike.

That marvelous sight coupled with that vivid memory, unfortunately, also reminded Faegard how screwed up he was. Already quite imposing as an ally, having to confront such a beast in battle was effectively a nightmare enacted. As promised, Faegard was to fight, or 'spar' with the Hiryuu Custom that night, a fight that served no practical purpose other than to satisfy the ego of its pilot. Or alternately, humble him down to rationality, as his commander expected. What was worse, the pilot of the Hiryuu was dead serious with that match, literally.

“You didn't flunk this match as I feared,” said the young soldier over the voice over channel.

The Sergeant's words brought a dreadful frown to Faegard's face for good reasons. Kurogane's tone had been distorted somewhat through the radio, but that very distortion added a whole new level of threat and savagery to his already stressful and melodramatic voice. That sort of intonation gave Faegard an impression of a live-or-die match, although his captain had stressed more than once that anyone who severely damages the opponent's machine, let alone blow it up, would be disqualified instantly and 'dealt with according to military rules and regulations'.

“So, shall we begin?” boomed Kurogane. “You aren't chickening out in the last minute, are you, brat?

Within seconds, Faegard's fears faded out completely, in its place a prideful, righteous rage of a royal prince. No one, and he would like to emphasize, no one could look down on the Elfblade family in particular and the Greenglaze elves as a whole and get away with it. His jaws steeled, his teeth gritted, and his hair stood on end as he replied.

“I take that as an offense, Sergeant!” bellowed the prince. “If you want a fight, you'll get one!”

“Roger that,” replied Kurogane, short and simple, in a voice devoid of all feelings except for a monstrous urge for victory.

And then Faegard saw a bright, violent glare from the opposing MF’s back erupting like a newly awaken volcano, followed by a burning blade of energy emerging from its hands. Brandishing the blade with both hands and dashing forth with the full push of the twin engine flares, the Hiryuu Custom shot forward at Faegard’s direction, a trail of yet-to-fade flame dragging behind it, analogous to the burning tails of a meteor of destruction. The charge was so furious that anyone faced with it the first time would undoubtedly be knocked off balance in awe, only to fall victim to the sword, the velocity, or any combination henceforth. As far as Faegard could remember from the unrestraint beating on the simulator, most of his previous defeats two days ago could be credited to that charge.

”It’s different now, Sergeant Renzoku,” Faegard let our an audible smirk as the searing silhouette glided towards him. ”This battle…”

Faegard’s eyes glued on his opponent, a sweatdrop of tense rolling down his forehead while his left hand left the neighborhood of the respective joystick, reaching for a particular panel just overhead. That action in its own rights was a wager – by relaxing his control of the Shishioh’s arms, if his plans failed, Faegard could no longer hope to evade the attacker’s onslaught and defeat would be inevitable. Certainly, his opponent’s speed and maneuverability advantage was far superior, but if he could time his next action just right…

“… Is mine to win!” Faegard let out a boisterous roar as he stabbed his pointer finger into the overhead button of note.

The next thing the elf felt was a nasty shock, as if the very foundation of the cabin had been shaken to its core, threatening to rip the pilot right from his seat and toss him around until he ended up bruised and bloodied. Had it not been for the safety belt the Captain had told him to keep on ‘at all cost and at all time’, he could have been thrown off the chair for real and hit his head on the screen again. From the experience in the clinic the last time, more than anyone else Faegard could testify it was most certainly not a good way to exit combat.

But it was no time for Faegard to contemplate his fortune or how his captain’s advice prevailed. As soon as the impact of the shock blurred off, the elf felt a dull, but growing pain at the very center of his head, as if something was being forcefully sapped and sucked from his mind for all its worth. That dizzy-inducing sensation was no foreign to Faegard, however. An elven apprentice whose number-one hobby had always been reading, researching and trying out unadvised, advanced spells would know all too well what it felt like for one’s magical reserve to be drained from his system in excess due to channeling a spell too powerful for him to handle.

The twinge was racking up in a gradual, but steady pace, as opposed to the sudden surge of headache he would usually get for trying to take a bite out of such spells as Summon Greater Spirit of the Woods or Furious Cyclone, the consequent flood of saliva down his throat serving just as a final catalyst to bring forth a nasty nausea to the elf. For a second or so his vision blurred as he clutched his head, trying to contain the pain within an acceptable level. He succeeded, though it took him a good deal of willpower to keep his eyes clear and prevent his dinner from flooding the floor, and when he did, a sense of triumph flooded him for more than one reason.

“I see... so this is what the F-System is about,” Faegard's reasoning connected the dots quite efficiently. “It runs on arcane power – magic, or whatever the people of this world calls it. Hence, the headache.”

Still, Faegard could tell he hadn’t gotten the raw end of the deal. As the block letters “F-BARRIER AT 85% CAPACITY” flashed on the top left side of the screen, the rest of it was displaying the very satisfying sight of the Hiryuu Custom and its sword of light stopped dead in its track just barely a couple of yards from his own machine. Judging from its attacking pose, the blade still in the middle of performing a forward stab at him when it was blocked from pressing further, Kurogane was quite oblivious to that special power of the Shishioh until the very last minute. The mere thought of breaking the haughty alone was enough to draw a refreshing smirk on Faegard’s grimacing visage.

“What kind of trickery is this? A barrier?” Faegard could hear Kurogane’s voice over the radio, filled with astonishment as his machine took a leap backwards.

That movement allowed Faegard a breather. No sooner had the large blade of light left his vicinity than the dull ache within his cranium plummeted to nil. Even that sudden relief wasn’t foreign to Faegard as well – whenever he interrupted his channeling of a painful spell, be it from being overwhelmed by its sheer potent or snapped out of it by a responsible adult, the weight on his brain would vanish as if it had never existed in the first place. To a wizard, that feeling was an ironic combination of both comfort and failure. This was perhaps the first time in his life his relief came together with a well-earnt victory.

“Or so it seems,” Faegard taunted back at maximum spirit with a broad smile of satisfaction. “Looks like I am not going to lose this match, Sergeant!”

“You wish!” roared Kurogane in response.

Immediately Kurogane swung the Hiryuu’s blade a couple of times more towards the Shishioh in quick succession, only to fail every single time. Each and every time, it was blocked just mere feet before the target. Each and every time, a good jolt of pain shocked Faegard, to the same effect as before, though generally weaker and less dizzy-inducing. Despite all those jolts, the clashes between the sword of light and the invisible barrier provided Faegard’s ears with a plethora of fulfilling clangs, signifying how completely and utterly his opponent’s every move was parried.

“The F-System is awesome. I hate to brag, but if this battle boils down to burning magic reserves, then I am proud to say I possess the biggest pool among all the arcane apprentices of Silverlush!” Faegard murmured to himself when the last of Kurogane’s attacks faded, and likewise, the last bit of ache left his head.

“Your attack failed, Sergeant!” Faegard exclaimed over the radio channel. “Now then, Sergeant, shall I counter?

“That’s not going to happen!” bellowed Kurogane, right before lunging into another flurry of attacks.

”What the… this guy is serious? was the only thing Faegard could think before the next flurry of attacks closed on him, bringing forth encore for his annoying series of headache…

******


“I still don’t know if you should be punished or rewarded for your reckless decision, Captain Einherjar Ritter.”

The said captain smirked at those words as he saluted his superior.

“And I fail to comprehend if that was meant to be a compliment or a reprimand, Colonel Albert, sir,” replied him, his voice no doubt painted with some degree of deserved arrogance.

“Both, but more on the complimentary side,” answered the Colonel with a smile of approval. “Reckless as your method is, it is by far the most effective method to both field-test the capability of our new test pilot and to cool down Sergeant Renzoku down to acceptable level.”

To say the truth, Einherjar himself believed he deserved something along the lines of a good praise. After all, he did turn a reckless soldier’s grudge and wager into a beneficial experiment for the Army in a whim, something that should usually require a good deal of planning beforehand to work.

“All I did was to introduce Corporal Elfblade to the FALCON System, sir.” answered him, his speech faking modesty while his eyes spoke otherwise, before returning to a tone of serious concern. “Anyway, this is a dangerous gambit, Colonel, and for it to take full effect, the Corporal must win this battle.”

“We’ll see to that,” answered the Colonel.

Then both officers turned around towards the front of the large room in anticipation. The room was not the command room of the entire complex for no reason, being exceptionally spacious and sporting a high ceiling to boost. Populating it was more than a dozen engineers, analysts, programmers and the likes sitting in rows before their respective computer, rapidly tapping away at their keyboards just in time to keep up with the endless flow of data passing through their consoles. The constant tapping of a multitude of keyboards in unison was an annoying sound Ein had always had to put up, but in this occasion, his absorption into another, more important matter had already pre-empted the pesky noises beforehand. His object of focus was nothing other than a huge screen embedded into the very fabrics of the wall at the front of the chamber, the likes of which reserved only for the Global Union’s regional-level bases or above.

As Ein’s eyes reached the screen, they instantly locked upon the battle-ready figures of two unique Mechanized Frames engaging in close-range combat. One was the Global Union’s close-range DG-X02 Hiryuu Custom model, identifiable by its extra large Overcharged Beam Sword and the pair of devastating but highly difficult to utilize Variable Wings. The other was the newest pride of the Union, the LK-02A Shishioh Type-2, the machine whose complexity and potential specs were ‘above all other Mechanize Frames known in the history of MF combat’. The fact that two of his subordinates were involved in that battle, as well as his responsibility for supporting such a spar, if it could be remotely coined so, pressed Ein’s eyebrows together stressfully as he stared at the two machines’ every movement.

“You’ve taught Corporal Elfblade well, Captain Ritter,” complimented the commander as he gazed at Faegard’s machine. “His movement has become quite fluid for someone with only a couple of days’ experience with the Shishioh.”

“But that’s not enough,” said Ein. “Colonel, the sole reason why he was able to survive until now was his usage of the F-System. In terms of speed, maneuverability, as well as experience, he was nowhere near the level of a standard MF pilot, let alone Kurogane Renzoku.”

“Regardless, the kid did particularly well with the F-System himself,” the colonel pointed at the screen, specifically at a row of numbers below the Shishioh’s figure. “His activation of the F-Barrier had achieved some 85-88% of the ideal, maximum output in just the first time using it. His current rate of F-Sync is around that level as well. If I didn’t see it myself, never could I believe such extraordinary feat as completely deflecting an Overcharged Beam Sword with just the F-Barrier could be achieved.”

Einherjar shook his head mildly. As much as he had seen with his own eyes how effective Faegard had been at phasing out every single attack Kurogane had pulled out, the battle was by no means going in his direction. Even though Kurogane had been unable to even scratch the Shishioh, his prodigal speed was pre-empting every single opportunity for a counterattack his opponent could possibly find, forcing him into a strictly defensive position. The battle progress until then bare strong resemblance to a horde of ants surrounding a defenseless cockroach, biting and stinging the larger creature until its massive defense broke down, only with the Hiryuu taking the role of the entire ant mob. However think Faegard's defense could be, he couldn't hope to hold it forever under such assaults.

The next five minutes went on in quite the same direction, getting worse with every passing second for Ein’s young protégé. The continuous, relentless, borderlining sadistic onslaughts Kurogane executed could have by then done enough damage to sink a Sky Wing-class battleship, let alone a MF. It was hard to picture just how the Shishioh’s F-Barrier could still hold in one piece at that time, let alone still going on nullifying its opponent’s blow effectively. Meanwhiloe the elven pilot was showing clear signs of not being able to keep up, staggering under the weight of his opponent's blows, his defense no longer impenetrable and impeccable like previously.

“This is not good,” Ein remarked. “Faegard wouldn’t last long against this kind of strategy.”

His remark was well-founded, as no sooner had he finished his sentence than a panicked announcement came from the row of analysts at the front.

“Abnormal psychic sequence detected from the Shishioh’s F-Console!” cried out the analyst in charge. “The F-Barrier output is dropping! F-Sync rate falling to yellow zone! The Shishioh wouldn’t hold for much longer if this continues!”

“What?” the colonel rolled his eyes at his subordinates. Disbelief quickly turned into horror for the senior officer when his eyes met the row of numbers beneath the Shishioh’s figure again. Every number was clearly dropping at an alarming rate, some of which had turned red on the screen, some of which even blinking, as if the emphasis wasn’t enough. To make matters worse, Kurogane’s attacks not only didn’t diminish in response, but seemed to be ramping upward in intensity

“Faegard is just a living being with a high F-Stat, not a psychic generator,” Ein stared at the monitor. “Is there anything we can do about that?

“I'm afraid not, sir, and... what is this?” the operator's announcement was cut short by a gasp of horror. “The pilot of the Shishioh's brainwave is entering the red zone with abnormalities detected over various waves! Regular patterns are no longer recognizable! If this goes on, his life would be in danger!”

“Say what?” the colonel rolled his eyes. “Corporal Elfblade is at his limit already?

There was but a hesitating 'yes' from the operators, adjoining the colonel's thick eyebrows as his forehead strained and wrinkled.

“Because that's the F-System he's using. The wretched F-System, mind you!” Ein said, clenching his teeth and freezing his jaw in a moment of bewilderment, before his better judgement could return for a wise decision. “Operators, please connect me to Sergeant Renzoku at once!”

“We can’t, sir!” shrieked the technician in charge after a few moments of frantic tapping on his keyboard. “The Sergeant has shut down all of his periphery equipment including long-range communication devices to route energy into his beam sword! Not even his escape hatch is functional any more!”

“All of them?” questioned the colonel, his teeth gritted in a fine mix of fright and fury. “What on Earth is Sergeant Renzoku thinking?

Only then did Ein realize that the Hiryuu’s beam sword as appeared on the monitor was remarkably longer, wider and brighter than it should usually be. Even without seeing the Sergeant's face, Ein could easily picture his subordinate's face at the moment, that of gritted teeth, popping-out eyes and hair standing on end in rage and battle craze.

“Damn, I should have seen this earlier... I never expected Kurogane is this serious about winning this match!” cursed Ein, suddenly turning around and headed for the door. “Colonel, I am taking off!”

“Taking off?” Colonel Albert raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure it’s necessary, Captain?

“I know Kurogane quite well, sir,” answered Ein as he sped off. “When he becomes too stubborn for words, we’ll just have to beat some sense into him or suffer the consequences!”

******


By now, Faegard no longer knew how he could stop the cataract of his half-digested dinner from overflowing his mouth and flooding the cabin. Apparently he had underestimated his opponent – Kurogane Renzoku wasn't the type he could beat in a battle of attrition, his persistence and determination standing headstrong and steadfast like a granite statue. And all the while he was holing himself within the defense of his newly-learnt F-Barrier, his opponent had been connecting absurd numbers of consecutive blows all over him, turning his cranium into a drum in no time. Suddenly the F-System and its consumption of arcane magic wasn't awesome any more, Faegard thought.

At that point the prince started to regret bragging, especially when what his opponent had just did was essentially draining his entire reserve of every drop of magic energy he's worth. What was left of him at the moment was a terribly weakened self, devoid of most of his magic, while panting in exhaustion as his dizziness persisted and deteriorated with Kurogane's every blow. The screen notification seemed to have agreed with him in all the wrong way. The positive, soothing green shade on the top left of the screen had now turned to a crimson color, flashing with a constant beeping noise, further drilling into his already awful headache. As if just displaying the depressing line of 'WARNING! F-BARRIER IN CRITICAL CONDITION!' wasn't striking enough to draw his attention.

”Damn!” Faegard said, his left hand leaving the joystick and clutched his forehead. ”Am I seriously going to lose?

There, a dozen yards away from his Mechanized Frame stood his opponent, his spirit indefatigable, his stance unwaning, his flashing sword of light shining incandescently under the single moon as if coated by the essence of the silver light itself. The elf could feel a vein under the side of his forehead bulging up out of the sheer tension as his opponent strode towards him, weapon in hand. Of course he would continue to fight, if not for the new organization he had joined, then for his pride and honor as an unyielding proud Greenglaze elf. Given his present headache, Faegard could probably still hold on for a few more blows, but after that, either the F-Barrier or he himself would collapse, whichever would come first.

Expecting another flurry of blows to proceed, Faegard received quite a pleasant astonishment when the Hiryuu Custom unexpectedly stopped within five yards of him, its broadsword of light left pointing at the ground fwith no hostile intention. Its head, especially its emerald-colored, shining eyes then locked straight at his machine, as if trying to speak to Faegard all by itself. As a matter of course, the machine itself couldn't and Faegard only got the message when the Sergeant's voice from within spoke through the radio channel.

“I... I admit,” panted Kurogane, showing, to Faegard's astonishment, how his opponent was in fact just about as exhausted as himself, “you've done... far better than I've expected.”

After a brief moment challenging the credibility of his ears and finding no fault with it, the elven prince's visage shone up at the realization. To confirm this notion still, the next thing Faegard could see was the Hiryuu's large broadsword of light suddenly diminishing both in incandescence and size, shrinking and dimming with every passing second. Very soon after that, the iconic weapon of the Hiryuu Custom had been reduced to its bare handle, the shiny energy blade having vanished into the dead of life, suggesting whatever having given it life, shape and power had been drained of all its worth.

“Does that mean you've accepted defeat, Sergeant Kurogane Renzoku?” Faegard said joyfully. “Even your beam sword is refusing to shine any more!”

“The last part was true,” Kurogane said. “I've burned up all of the Overcharged Beam Sword's energy reserves, and even cannibalizing some spare energy from other of the Hiryuu's functions can't save it,” his voice suddenly shot up in a heat wave of pure determination, piercing Faegard's ear drums even just over the radio channel, forcing the elf to reflexively cover his ears in self defence. “But I'm not giving up! Not today!”

“Eh?” Faegard replied in awe while slowly uncovering his ears. “But in this shape, you can't fight at all!”

“Brat,” Kurogane said, all fired up, “have you ever heard of a desperation attack?

“I've heard of something along those lines,” Faegard exclaimed. “But that sort of desperation is unwise on so many levels, Sergeant!”

“Since both of us and our machines are equally depleted, let's make it this way, brat,” Kurogane seemed to be ignoring Faegard's words. “We will both unleash the most powerful attack at our disposal at each other. Whoever still stands after this wins the match.”

“Are you really planning on going out in a blaze of glory, Sergeant?” Faegard asked anxiously. “But the Captain has said this battle is not to the death in any sense of the word!”

“I'm not planning on dying until I've proved my superiority, so just relax there,” sniffed Kurogane. “Don't tell me you're chickening out now, are you?

Once again, that taunt had rubbed Faegard the wrong way, something the prince's pride had absolutely no tolerance for.

“We have our pride, Sergeant!” Faegard roared in resentment. “If you want it to end this way, so be it! Come! Do your worst!”

“At least that show me you've got some spirit, right, brat?” smirked Kurogane, his machine leaping backward a few steps, presumably to prepare for what was to come. As soon as the Hiryuu Custom's legs touched the ground, the wings on its shoulder started to stretch out, little by little like a paper fan being artfully opened, until both wings were fully spread, soaring above its stylized head, as if ready to take off at any time tantamount to a real dragon's stance.

Then came the most wondrous thing Faegard had seen in the whole day, if only with the additional snag of being an opponent's demonstration. Very much unlike a real draconic being, the Hiryuu Custom's wings suddenly detached from the machine's shoulder as it flexed its arms, focusing its entire might on its hands. And then, in a manner analogous to two golden swallows taking flight, the two wings flew off from its regular position, right towards the Mechanized Frame's corresponding hands. As they descended onto their designated destinations, the base of the wings slowly transformed, each revealing a handle analogous to a sword or dagger's, round and short, ideal for one-hand grips.

The transformation sequence only ended when the Frame's large hands grabbed the handle, brandishing the newly founded weapons one in each hand. Within a mere ten seconds, what seemed to be just a pair of decorative articles had turned into genuine, bladed weapons for the taking. And judging from the wing blades' gleam under the moonlight, Faegard could conclude it was no joke weapon at all – the sharp, smooth glimmer it gave off was tantamount to that of some first-class mastercraft blades sold like hot cakes in the Silverlush weapons markets he had seen and loved. How such a weapon was transformed from a decorative dragon wing, Faegard's curiosity was killing him to find out. But the present situation would ill allow for such luxury at all.

“This is the ultimate feature of the Hiryuu Mk-II model, the Variable Blade System!” announced the owner as he held the weapons with pride. “Now, let's see how you deal with this!”

Hardly had he finished his sentence when Kurogane charged forth, pulling together the last drops of energy his machine could probably muster into his thruster engine. The sight of his relentless charging towards him was as frightening to Faegard as a full-scale stampede of the natural denizens of Greenglaze, and many, many times the potency, just seeing how murderously the twin blades shone under the cold moonlight. For a second, the prince flinched at the sheer magnificence of the onslaught.

”Like hell I'll lose!” Faegard's pride gave him a heavy clap across his face when the least bit of surrendering sentiment arose. ”I'll do this for our Elven pride and for everyone who has put trust in my capabilities!”

It was not like he didn't have any option to match up Sergeant Renzoku's killing attack as well. The beginer-friendly interface of the Shishioh had once again handed him its help when he needed it most, this time, in the form of a flashing 'LION BLASTER F-CHARGE READY. PRESS BOTH BUTTONS TO ACTIVATE”. At the same time, the left and right joysticks' tops both split up, right above their respective finger ledges, revealing two identical, bright red buttons for the pressing.

“It's sink or swim, Faegard!” the elf told himself aloud. “And no way in heaven or hell am I going to sink!”

Faegard pressed both buttons just moments before the Hiryuu Custom could crash into him. The result was a display of light and explosion of epic proportion – from beneath the screen, presumably from the Shishioh's chest, a huge beam of light, about ten to twenty times as large as the Hiryuu's beam sword at its maximum extension, sparked up, before channeling in a straight line, shooting forth and laying waste to everything in its path without discrimination. A blue comet might have sounded like an expression too poetic to captivate the sheer power of that massive beam launch, but Faegard believed there was no other analogy more befitting to describe an attack that was both dreadfully powerful and epicly awesome at the same time.

The attack culminated when it hit the Hiryuu's charging frame with a loud, bellowing explosion, resulting in an even brighter flash, overwhelming everything in sight. The very last thing Faegard could see before the blinding flash temporarily put his eyes out of commission was the blurry sight of metal bits and pieces being ripped asunder and forcefully torn from the general figure of the unfortunate MFF...

******
DF  Post #: 13
7/24/2009 3:09:49   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 13
Flying and Counterflight


Faegard's eyes welled up with tears for a good moment. Never before had the elf seen such an intense flash at close range, the immense brightness rendering his prized sight useless. Had he not turned away from the blast on time, the effect could have been worse.

When the flash, the teary eyes and their aftereffects had mostly been purged, before Faegard stretched a sight of destruction on an epic scale. The ground beneath him was in a huge mess, turned upwards as if a massive plow had raked along the place in a straight line with due dedication, resulting in a shallow but long trench-like crevasse slashing across the land like a giant serrate wound. Some of the nearby lampposts also fell victim to the impact, uprooted from the ground, strewn all over the land at random, none of which in proper shape any more. Given the damage the lampposts had taken, the fate of those unfortunate trees around the spot was a foregone conclusion. Obviously whatever 'desperation attack' the Shishioh managed to come up with was far more powerful than Faegard could imagine.

And then Faegard's eyes reached a point on the ground where the crevasse suddenly tore into two branches, running along two different directions. The reason was obvious – at the split stood his opponent, the Hiryuu Custom, or whatever was left of it. Judging from the shape of the crack on the ground, the Hiryuu must have taken the brunt of the Lion Blaster at point blank, for want of last-minute evasion.

The result was not pretty at all for his opponent. The Hiryuu's arms and wing-blades had both been shattered, molten, vaporized, or otherwise blown into oblivion, leaving only its bare torso in place. Even the torso wasn't untouched, various cracks and burns interlacing the surface, crushing part of the plating and shattering some others, its elaborately decorated plates marred to the point of unrecognizability. Its draconic head had also taken a major blow; the dragon horns, jaws and ear decorations broken and crumbled, rendering the entire shape deformed into something ridiculous rather than majestic. Finally, its legs had been battered to the point that all what was left of the front leg was the 'bone' - core metallic frame, and half of the back leg was also blown away. In the present shape, the mighty Hiryuu looked just like a hastily reanimated zombie, handiwork of a bumbling wizard who didn't know how to properly arrange the corpse in proper order before enchanting the spell of reanimation.

Just like a shambling zombie with missing appendages could not stand properly, the Hiryuu could only stand for so long before its skeletal leg bent and snapped under the weight of the rest of its body. As it subsided, the MF's entire carcass collapsed on the ground face-down with a loud crash, blowing up a good deal of dust over the place. Obvious as his victory was, it was only when this veil of dust had fully settled down, revealing the completely battered shape of the MF did Faegard believe that he had finally completed the unexpected.

“I... I've won,” murmured Faegard, pinching his cheek for a reality check, “my... first gol... Mechanized Frame victory...”

His celebration somehow ended before it could even begin, for no sooner had Faegard finished uttering those words, complete with his reality check when his keen eyes began to notice an abnormal sight from his defeated opponent. Just like the damaged Daimyo the last time, Kurogane's Hiryuu was starting to bleed sparks from its wound, followed by small, but sooty black tufts of smoke rising from its bare innards. Any wizard-in-training with minimum experience in potion brewing and alchemy would know that whenever any formula started to give off fumes of that color, it was best to clear off before the concoction blew up on his face. Connecting the dot for this instance gave Faegard quite a bloody, messy image in his head, enough to administer a serious fright to the elf.

“Sergeant Renzoku!” Faegard called out in horror over the radio voice over. “Do you hear me, Sergeant?

“Urgh...” went a weak answer on the receiver. Perhaps it was just him, but Faegard could swear the voice over was much weaker and mixed with a lot more annoying buzzes than at the beginning. “I... this...”

“Sergeant Renzoku, if you can still run, get out of there now!” yelled Faegard at the top of his voice. “Your Frame's going to explode!”

“I see,” answered the Sergeant with a sigh. “I've lost, right? Lost, how hilarious.”

“This is no time for winning or losing!” Faegard screamed. “If you don't make yourself scarce now, you'll never be able to leave the Hiryuu again!”

There was a short moment of silence, made all the more jarring to Faegard with the constant buzzing over the receiver, not to mention the persisting soot-black smoke bellowing from the Frame.

“I... I can't,” Kurogane finally said. “I... have used up the emergency energy reserve needed to... even open the escape hatch. Now... it won't move.”

“And you seriously plan on blowing up?” Faegard scowled with all due urgency. “What on Mediava is going on in your head? Where is your survival instinct?

“Ha, survival. How ironic should you say that after having won,” exhaled Kurogane. “Of what use is a defeated soldier? A defect? Survival isn't a luxury, it's a waste on those who can't earn their keep.”

“I'm not going to tolerate this sort of unhealthy pessimistic speech much longer, Sergeant,” Faegard exclaimed, momentarily forgetting his current position. “If you aren't coming out yourself, I am going to pry you out of the Hiryuu!”

Then Faegard's feet rached for the pedal underneath the control panel, pressing his Frame's legs forth towards the downed ally – if he could be remotely considered one at the moment. Just as its controller's hasted pace, the Shishioh pressed forward in long, rapid strides, its upper body leaning forward in urgency.

“Hang in there, Sergeant Renzoku!” Faegard called out as he closed onto the Hiryuu. “I'll make sure you are safe and sound in no ti...”

Just as Faegard was about to finish the sentence and reach out for the desolated cockpit of the Hiryuu, a projectile from nowhere had hit his machine squarely on the back, canceling both and knocking the Shishioh about three yards forward. The impact was followed on almost immediately by a small, but major explosion right on the Shishioh's backside, their combined push blessing the cockpit with an awful shock while liberating the machine of all its balance, forcing the whole thing downward. Luckily there was a still relatively intact lamppost within the machine's grasp, otherwise Faegard and his Mechanized Frame could have ended face-down on the ground, helplessly disabled before he could even see what hit him.

“Wha...?” Faegard gasped, barely able to control the Shishioh's grappling fingers amidst the violent tremor. To add up, the mechanical voice warning he heard right after that was anything but assuring.

“Direct hit on left thruster. Automatic balancing system and thruster control offline,” as if the grim report being read aloud wasn't enough, the very same line was flashing in bright red on the screen, followed by a miniature diagram of the machine, marking the supposedly damaged areas in the same ominous shade of crimson.

Faegard bit his lips in an attempt to contain his panic. Even though he did manage to stay relatively calm after the direct hit, it took him nearly half a minute to finally be able to turn his machine back to face their attackers. The fact that not even a single shot was heard during the whole process meant that whomever sneaked on him must have had no intention to destroy his Frame, for during that time, his attacker could have easily filled the Shishioh with holes if they had wished.

His new opponents this time came in a duo. Amid the dark night stood the grim silhouette of two jet-black Mechanized Frames hovering a couple yards above the ground – the signature sight of an advanced, flight-capable Mechvalry Frame as his Captain had told him. To add it with, the design of the two machines struck him as somewhat frightening. Particularly, their torso, limbs and heads were much more slender than that of the Hiryuu, or even the Daimyos he had seen. Coupled with the all-black color scheme and the sickle-shaped beam swords they brandished in their main hands, the newcomers gave off an air of chilling death, like a mechanical incarnation of the god of death in Mediavean human lore, or a rampaging lich of great power in the records of his own people. The pale white skull and crossbone painted on the Frames' chests were the icing of this cake of horror. If the only reason for that design and color scheme was to freak their enemies out, the black Frames had done a splendid job.

”A basic rule of survival in MF warfare is never rush in head-on against new models,” Faegard's sight froze solid upon the fearsome new enemies as he remembered a particular tip his commander had given him within the day. “Nowadays they can conceal just about everything from an anti-ship beam cannon to a tactical nuke within a Frame.”

A tactical nuke, Faegard thought, apparently the world of Earth's version of a Forbidden Spell of Arcane Destruction, that which could wipe out a city the size of Silverlush if channeled by a wizard powerful enough and through sacrificing enough Channelers. While it was highly unlikely that the newcomers possessed something along those lines, the fact remained that hostiles showing up while his machine had taken quite a beating and his brain scrambling with the aftereffect of the headaches was not going to be a pleasant experience.

While Faegard was at a loss for any reaction, a communication panel suddenly cut in, overriding a portion of the main screen, and after a couple of seconds of buzzing, televised a familiar, but blurry visage.

“Corporal Faegard Elfblade, do you copy?” said him.

“Colonel Albert!” Faegard exclaimed upon recognition. “What is going on, sir? Is this a drill?

“We’ve got an emergency,” the colonel answered while shaking his head in a feverish haste. “Our defense has been breached – you are being faced with an unknown enemy model! Retreat immediately!”

“An unknown… enemy model?” Faegard asked back in disbelief.

Even as he spoke, the screen was blurring down at an abnormal rate, and by the time Faegard finished that sentence, his high commander’s visage was only about half as clear as before – and deteriorating.

“Colonel Albert, sir?” Faegard asked in fright while leaning forward to touch the screen in an attempt to figure out what was happening.

“They’ve deployed… an electromagnetic wave… disruption field… retreat… immediatel…”

At that point, all what was left of the communication field was an empty square filled with noisy buzzes, similar to a furious swarm of insects across a clear sky. The communication channel he was told to rely on in all emergencies had been cut off before he could make out any discernible command. This time, panic seized Faegard at full swing, no amount of survival mantra or self-control could fully repulse the fear factor within him.

It was then that his two enemies made a move. Swiftly landing on the ground and taking measured, almost leisurely steps towards him, they gave out an impression of a pair of hunters having successfully ensnared a fierce animal and was now mocking the downed beast for all the humiliation it was worth. The first machine then promptly put away its sickle beam sword and produced its sidearms, a weapon resembling a light crossbow, but with a hollow tube for its stock, and pointed at Faegard.

The communication frame on the Shishioh lit up again before the elf could freak out, and after a little initial disruption and buzzes, cleared up to an astonishing definition. A visage covered by a large full helm with transparent visor showed up on-screen, glaring at Faegard. The newcomer had somewhat adapted a savage impression, with rolling eyes, clenched teeth and a wicked, sadistic smile of a professional torturer. But even that front couldn’t hide some of the gentler features, like a pair of fired, but still feminine eyes by default or the yellow, soft strands of stray hair flowing over them. Faegard didn’t have to wait until he had heard the voice to realize it was a woman at the helms of the ghastly machine.

“Pilot of the Shishioh, you’ve been surrounded,” declared her in a sharp, commanding tone. “Hand over the MVF and no one will get hurt.”

“Surrounded? Hand over the Shishioh?” Faegard put all his remaining self-constraint into a last-ditch effort to steel himself. “You are in our base, and our soldiers are on standby. Do the math before spouting more nonsense.”

“I can assure no one will come to your aid,” laughed his adversary. “Don’t you know that a radio wave jammer can shut a base down literally for as long as it’s active? Go ahead, give it a try and contact your HQ if you’d like.”

”Radio wave jammer? a drop of sweat ran down Faegard’s bewildered face as he connected the dots. “Is that why I was cut off just now?

Faegard responded by stepping on the panel in an attempt to run off, but a sharp, threatening click right beside him told otherwise. The crossbow-like weapon had pointed at the Shishioh’s head before he could do anything else. To Faegard’s dismay, the present situation had boiled down to a hostage circumstance with himself being the hostage.

“I’ve said it,” the woman said in an amusing voice. “Step out of your machine and hand it over to us and no one will get hurt. And don’t you think of anything funny – this blaster is designed for anti-ship combat.”

The elf bit his lips hard both in fear, frustration and humiliation. He must have been the first wizard his race had ever known to have gotten trapped in a frank, straightforward hostage crisis right out of the book. As far as he knew, it would take nothing more than a nimble apprentice with a basic telekinetic spell to disarm a terrorist and give him a taste of his own medicine. But in this extraordinary situation involving giant machines and little zone for spellcasting in proper, Faegard could do nothing but to grit his teeth in both fear and resentment.

“You have ten seconds,” repeated the enemy. “If you don’t get out of the way before then, I’ll just have to blow up the whole cockpit and drag the machine back. Ten… nine…”

Faegard didn’t have to despair for long. Before his enemy could countdown to eight, a bright blue flash had ripped across the horizon, catching all those present by surprise. And then there was a dual explosion, followed by two mechanical arms being blasted out of their sockets and falling on the ground. The second explosion administered another brutal shake on Faegard’s cockpit, and when he recovered from that, Faegard realized that not all had been fine for him – the status panel on the screen now displayed his machine with the entire left arm section shaded in red. It didn’t take long for Faegard to realize that while the blue beam shot did save his life, it also triggered his enemy to fire in retaliation. To think of it, it wasn’t exactly a wise choice for whoever having just fired – the black machine’s retaliation had come quite close to piercing his haven and ending his existence.

“You again?” Faegard could see his female captor shriek out in bewilderment as she took off, maintaining a dozen-yard altitude.

Turning towards the direction she was facing, he finally saw where it was all coming from. Dashing over the distance was a heavily armored machine bearing an implausibly huge arm cannon and sporting an even more improbable speed. Like a well-trained warhorse galloping into battle despite being laden with armor and armaments, his new ally was gliding the distance as smoothly and artfully as ice skating. Its silvery white color scheme, when placed in the same packet as its protruding cannon, looked analogous to the visual image of a High Paladin of the order charging straight into battle against the foul creatures of the night.

“The White Knight of the Global Union, at your service!” cried the pilot of the white machine at the maximum volume its built-in loudspeaker could allow while still covering ground at top speed.

“What the… The Weiss Stahlpferd is already here?” responded the pilot of the second black machine over the loudspeaker, no less. “Lieutenant, we are at a disadvantage now. We had better retreat and regroup!”

Barely had he finished his sentence when the newcomer presented himself within their melee range, its dominant figure complete with thick plates and an imposing yet cumbersome tower shield towering just within a dozen yards of the two trespassers. If his gigantic cannon had looked fearsome from a distance, seeing it pointing at one’s general direction within less than twenty yards was absolutely terrifying.

“Going somewhere, ladies and gentlemen?” Faegard could imagine the triumphant smirk of the pilot even from within his cockpit while he pointed his weapon of choice at his enemies. Never before did his Captain’s voice sounded so refreshing and relieving as in this one situation.

“So the big one has shown up,” the female pilot responded with a stiff voice, trying to sound stout. “Captain Einherjar Ritter of the Union Army, I’m very pleased to inform you we are not going anywhere without the Nishiki Shishioh tucked along with us!”

“You do realize that fighting my Weiss with one arm is more than a handicap, don’t you?” laughed Ein.

“Try us!” shouted the female pilot. “This Silent Shinigami is not the same as the Daimyos you have fought!”

“This is unwise, Lieutenant Stewart!” yelled the second black machine’s pilot in dismay. “We can’t let the prototypes be shot down in its first test mission!”

“Don’t you have any bit of self-esteem left, Captain Ingham Kingsley?” roared his companion. “For one of your rank to have been shot down by an amateur in the last battle… you should know more than anyone else what you should do to prove your worth when you have the chance!”

“Then you go, Lieutenant,” the male pilot said after a pause. “Major Krieger will never forgive me if something bad happens to you.”

Without dropping another signal, the intact black machine instantly dashed towards Ein’s Weiss Stahlpferd, launching a downward cleave at the MF’s head. At that range and with that suddenness, the captain’s trademark heavy cannon was rendered useless for a split second. His reflex and heavy tower shield still made short work of that attempt, but with the opening he created, the other machine had taken the chance to dash towards Faegard’s motionless MF, grabbing its undamaged hand before the pilot could properly respond.

“Got you,” exclaimed the female pilot as she nabbed the Shishioh’s hand. “Hold tight, pilot, looks like at this rate we’ll have to take you with us back to base as a… liability.”

The next thing Faegard realized was the black machine’s backside blazing up with a huge boom, providing a thrust so potent that his entire cockpit was tilted diagonally to the opposite side. He and his machine was both being lifted from the ground with a proportionate force equivalent to an adult dragon’s taking off!

For a few seconds Faegard sat silent-struck. How such a slender machine could pack within it such an enormous pull was beyond his understanding, let alone pulling out such a feat after having its entire forearm removed. The matter quickly evolved from astonishment to absolute horror when Faegard looked at the screen. He was gaining altitude faster than a soaring hawk, and only after a couple of seconds of spacing out, he had been flown high enough to catch a bird’s eye view of the entire military compound, or, in layman’s term, no less than three hundred yards over the ground. To think that the only thing keeping him from a bloody death was the firm grip of another machine was as terrifying as riding a soaring griffin without any safety equipment.

“Release me at once!” demanded Faegard.

“Better conserve your energy, pilot,” answered his captor. “We are going to leave the earth’s atmosphere in a short while.”

”Leave the earth’s atmosphere? Faegard thought in fright.

While he had been enlightened a plenty in the last few days on how the realms above the sky of Earth housed no gods and goddesses as in his people and his world’s mythos, but rather housed such artificial structures called Space Colonies, some of which he and his squad was expected to battle against and obliterate, the notion of being ripped from the surface and pulled into the unknown without the least of preparation was still especially scary in its own rights. Even moreso when Faegard realized how desperate he was at the moment, with all his weapons offline and an increasing distance barring himself and the surface.

”If only I could detach my arm,” Faegard’s brain suddenly clicked. ”Oh wait…”

The elf’s finger then fidgeted upon the rims of one particular button on his left joystick. A sly, but daring smile flashed across his visage in restrospect, before he opened his mouth wide for a declaration.

“Thank you for your civil invitation,” said the elf. “But then, if I have to die, I’d like to perish on the surface instead! Left-hand Boost Knuckle, Fire!”

The elf then proceeded to hit the button with not his thumb, but his entire fist in a display of extreme determination. To the captor’s horror, like a rocket-powered gecko’s tail, the Shishioh’s intact knuckle detached from its wrist, before shooting straight upwards. Not only did this movement free the rest of the Shishioh from the captor’s grasp, it also drilled right through the black machine’s grappling palm, tearing the rest of its arm into shreds, bringing along with it a portion of the shoulder as well. Everything took place with an extremely satisfying crunching sound, followed by a nice, loud explosion to wrap it up.

The rest of the black machine was intact… mostly. With smoke billowing from its hollow joint and knocked off-track by a large angle, the Silent Shinigami staggered in the air for a good few seconds, unable to control its still flaring engine. It never got around to regaining the loss balance, culminating in a final stalling sequence that left the machine blasting off in all directions over the sky like a punctured balloon. The engine didn’t take the strain kindly as well, as it wasn’t long before the thrusters malfunctioned for real, plummeting the whole thing on the ground to wrap it up.

Faegard could enjoy but a fraction of a second’s satisfaction at his victory, before he realized the greatest nightmare a flyer could ever dream of was realizing at a shocking velocity. The Shishioh and himself were both freefalling from no less than a mile up in the sky, with neither safety equipment nor magic to save them from a messy, bloody death upon landing. If the despair just a few seconds ago was one of defeat and resentment, the despair running through Faegard’s head at that notion of a horrible demise was a full-blown, morbid fear, escalating exponentially the closer he approached the ground. For a second, the elf could feel his every blood vessel pumping popping up and overflowing with fright. That fear of death translated quite rapidly into a quite understandable regret.

”I… I’ve failed my people… my family… my order…” Faegard thought, his eyes all teary. ”I’m sorry…”

”No!” another string of thought shot up from his very subconsciousness. ”I’m not going to die like this! I must live to bring glory and prosperity to my people! I must!

Determination didn’t seem to be of much use to the elven prince at that time, now that he was within a hundred yards of plunging into the ground. But that didn’t stop the elf from randomly chanting a particular incantation he had picked up by accident in one of those library-crawls back at home.

“O Great Goddess of Air, O Holy Spirit of Ether,” murmured Faegard in High Ancient tongue with both eyes closed. “I summon thee, with all mine fervor. May thine presence rid this creature its worldly weight!”

One could only question Faegard’s sanity when he uttered the incantation – the incantation for the Weightless Levitation Spell, a relatively minor spell that few full-fledged wizards would take seriously – in that moment of life and death. Maybe it was just a reflexive or desperate action, for want of anything better to do. Maybe it was his last shot at demonstrating what fancy spells he had learnt in his short life before passing on to the great beyond. Whatever Faegard was thinking, he should have known better it was not going to work.

The only problem was it did work.

Five seconds after the last word escaped Faegard’s mouth, the prince realized he still hadn’t received the skull-crushing impact he should have had upon landing. Reopening his eyes and taking a good look around the place, Faegard found everything to be in place, without even a scratch on the cabin, while his body was still snuggly bound within the protection of the safety belt.

”Am I… alive? Faegard asked himself. A positive answer came to him a second later in the form of a communication screen opening up right before his eyes.

“Hey, Corporal!” spoke his captain, his figure in the screen painted with astonishment. “You’re still doing okay, right?

“Captain!” Faegard exclaimed in joy. “I… I am alive, aren’t I?

“Not only you are alive, you are basically hanging in mid-air without even a single propeller on,” Ein said, emphasizing on his disbelief. “How did you do that?

“Me? Hanging in the air? Without any propeller on?” Faegard asked blankly. “Could you clarify, Captain?

“Look at the screen, boy, just look at your screen!” urged Ein.

At precisely that moment, a green, flashing line appeared across Faegard’s screen, displaying the words “PSYCHIC SEQUENCE RECEIVED. COMMAND EXECUTED SUCCESSFULLY”. To back up that confirmation, if Faegard was to trust what he could see on the screen, then he was virtually standing at about thirty yards from the nearest spot of light on the surface, his machine hovering in the air as if it had no weight to begin with. Never before did the lampposts at close range shine so sweetly to the elf. At that height, even if he was to plunge on the ground again, he would suffer from a mild concussion at best, given the seat belt and helmet he was equipped with.

But all wasn’t over yet.

“Wait, Captain!” exclaimed Faegard. “How can I get down from here?

“Why ask me?” snickered his commander with a shrug. “You put yourself up there in the first place, didn’t you? You should know better than me how to land, don’t you?

“But I… Oh wait,” realization struck Faegard with the full weight of a sledgehammer. “Did that spell… work out in the end?

******

DF  Post #: 14
7/27/2009 21:17:01   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 14
Parental Issues


Thirty minute and a counterspell later, Faegard could rest assured that his challenge for the day had finally come to an end, snuggly wrapped up in a warm blanket in the sick bay. Not that he appreciated being hospitalized as a favor of any sort – last time he checked, much of his injuries, if any at all, were just minuscule cuts and bruises that not even toddlers would cry over. Of course, had the levitation spell not kicked in on time, it would have been a different story entirely. But Faegard would rather not think of the 'if' situation for a valid reason.

For his teammate/rival/sparring partner/whatever he could come up to call Kurogane Renzoku, however, things weren't that fortunate. As he entered the clinic on his own, he could see the Sergeant being pulled into a separate compartment on a wheeled bed with all due urgency. Faegard didn't have much idea on what exactly had happened to him after the Hiryuu collapsed, but judging from the sheer impact of the fall, Kurogane couldn't have gotten away lightly.

“Just hope he wouldn't end up crippled for life – that's a fine warrior the Global Union has got, really,” Faegard murmured to himself. “Anyway, what use is worrying, Faegard? You are no healer...”

Thinking so, the elf stretched out comfortably, topping it up with a large yawn. Under any circumstance, stretching his sore back on the clean, soft and perfumed sick bed encircled with curtains and with a flower vase to boost was far better a deal than crumbling himself within the confinement of a medium-sized sofa without so much as a pillow. A smile of content stretched across his face as the soft texture caressed his body.

”Almost makes me want to get injured everyday,” Faegard inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the soft perfume scent.

“Faegard, yo!”

Simultaneous to the sharp and energetic call was the loud, screeching sound of the curtain being forcefully pulled apart, the combination of the two struck Faegard with a good start, stiffening his relaxing form and forcing it to sit up straight.

“What? Where?” Faegard freaked out.

“Fairly good reaction time, recruit,” smirked the newcomer. “Hmm, looks like you aren't that badly injured after all.”

“Captain!” Faegard exclaimed upon recognizing his superior, only to quickly suppress his voice. “Please keep quiet, sir, last time I checked this is a clinic.”

“This place is pretty much empty at this hour except for you and Kuro, and his compartment is as good as completely soundproof.” Einherjar shook his head. “So how about your own wounds?

“If I call these wounds, sir, pretty much the entire Elven Paladin Order of Greenglaze will cast me out in disgust,” Faegard said emphatically.

“I see,” said Ein, lifting his lips to form a mild smirk. “Your people are a proud bunch, I suppose.”

“Is everything alright, sir?” Faegard quickly asked out of concern. “The enemy attack was not in our plans at all, so...”

“Relax, relax,” Ein replied. “Everything is back under control. Did you think those amateurs' shabby skills could keep up with The Cannon of Heaven?

“But exactly what had happened?” Faegard said. “The Colonel had told me that they deployed a particular electro-whatever-it's-called field and blocked out our communication systems, did they?

“So it seems. Their new model – they called it the Silent Shinigami – was apparently outfitted with a radio wave disrupting module. That was why we were unable to detect those trespassers until they were deep within our base and almost paid dearly for that,” Ein explained. “But apart from that, now that their machines have all been trashed, everything's back to normal... for now.”

“What about their pilots, sir? Did we capture any of them?

“Unfortunately, no,” Ein shook his head. “They both managed to eject and got away. You see, not everyone is foolish enough to pump every single drop of energy from their escape unit into their weapons like our Kurogane, are they?

“Talking about him, how's the Sergeant, sir?” Faegard asked hastily. “Seeing you as carefree as this, I believe it's safe to assume he is alright.”

“Nope, not really,” Ein shook his head nonchalantly. “He broke some ribs and sprained his ankle quite badly. Even with our highly advanced drugs and treatment system, it should still take him three to four days to fully recover – and we are supposed to leave for Tokyo tomorrow. Fortunately, things could have been worse. Had the Hiryuu blown up or the cockpit caved in, we'd probably have to see him in the mortuary, wrapped up in a body bag.”

“In a body bag?” Faegard asked in an appropriately morbid surprise. “Not to mention being late for our direct order? How could you possibly say those things with a straight face, Captain?

“My philosophy is quite simple, Faegard. What's done is done – unless we can do anything to change things for the better, it's best to just forget it and deal with whatever consequence accordingly,” replied Ein with a serene, carefree tone as he pulled aside a chair nearby and sat down next to Faegard's bed. “In this case, perhaps the best I can do is try buying us some time from the Colonel tomorrow. Hopefully he can give us an extension or so.”

“I... please forgive me for saying this frankly, sir,” Faegard blurted, “but you don't really have that sort of impression a leader should have, that of responsibility and seriousness...”

The captain didn't answer at once, his silence beginning to give Faegard a frightening impression he had offended his superior somehow.

“I... I am sorry, sir,” Faegard hastily mended his speech. “That's not exactly what I mean.”

Ein smiled in response, a kind, understanding one at that, as he replied.

“There's no need to be sorry for such perception, Faegard. It's true I'd rather take things slowly and deal with problems one at a time than to assume massive responsibilities,” said him. “I never wanted to become a commanding officer in the first place, and would never have had it not been for a particular person. Even today, I am not completely sure if that was a good choice or not.”

The tone of Ein's response was quite unexpected. Instead of being cross or annoyed, Ein's voice carried a degree of relief and peace, as if a load was being lifted from his shoulder. He looked serene as he spoke of such things, clashing so sharply against his own ideology that the elf could not fathom such reasonings.

“Why not, sir? A leader is a position to aspire for, after all,” Faegard asked in due bewilderment. “My father, all of my mentors, as well as my best friend are all magnificent leaders, respected by the commons and the nobles alike, and I always look up to them. Being a leader is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

“You do want to become a leader, right?” Ein asked. “Would you mind telling me why?

“Because history is written by those whose charisma and leadership drive their brethren to accomplish great deed,” Faegard replied without hesitation. “The woes of everyday life is beneath them, the petty calculations of the mercantile inferior to their great plans, their names will live on with their legendary exploits carved in every stone tablets and embedded in every bardic song, all the while their people will forever benefit from their greatness. In exchange for that glory for my people and for myself, I can do anything, take any responsibility and vanquish any enemy that comes in my way!”

“That sounds easy enough,” Ein shook his head gently, “But do you understand the full scope of the weight of responsibility a leader must take on?

“Putting the benefit of the entire society as a whole and press on towards the goal at any cost and in spite of any odd,” Faegard answered. “And most importantly, never compromise when it comes to the designated objective!”

Ein responded with a smile possibly translated into ridicule, followed with a tap on Faegard's forehead, mildly startling the elf.

“There there, Faegard,” said him. “I know that you haven't understood it yet.”

“Eh? What do you mean?” Faegard asked back with eyes wide open in bewilderment and curiosity.

“What you've told me is not a real good way to be a leader that your subordinate love,” explained the captain. “That is the one-way path to dictatorship, something that can win you fear and obedience, or even trust and respect, but never love. And so any victory, any achievement you could lay your hands on will be hollow at best. If you want to be a good leader, first of all you must be a good friend and a reliable person whom your companions can count on in times of need. Only then can you hope to lead with love, not fear.”

Faegard remained silent for some time, what the captain said struck him as both odd and sensible. His mulling had coated the cubicle's atmosphere with such a silent that the captain had to speak up about it.

“Hey, Faegard,” said him. “What's the matter?

“I... I just can't believe a carefree person as you, sir, can give such a well-thought statement,” Faegard said, scratching his head.

“Because these words are apparently not mine. Mine would have been something along the lines of 'taking the responsibilities of a leader cuts into your anime time budget'. But I digress,” Ein broke out grinning. “Those are the exact word the person who had persuaded me to become an officer said as an advice.”

“Then I suppose he must be an exceptional leader himself, someone as great as our Foremost Paladin Sir Harthrane or Archmage Zenethil, whom everyone respects and love!” exclaimed Faegard with all due interest. “I hope I can one day meet and speak to this man in person to ask him more about this!”

“I'd advise against it,” replied Ein in a very much joy-killing tone. “Depending on whom you ask, this mentor of mine could be either a wise and far-seeing strategist, or a cheap hypocrite like so many other in the army's higher-ups.”

“Eh?” Faegard rolled his eyes. “Just who is this person you are talking about, sir?

“Colonel Kira Renzoku, Chief of Staff of the Japanese Archipelago Task Force. All of the special Mechanized Frame squads basing in Japan reports to him, either directly or indirectly. In short, our team's big boss,” Ein said. “Now, do you recognize something in this name?

“Kira... Renzoku,” Faegard bit his nails, before snapping his thumb in discovery. “He has the same surname as Sergeant Kurogane Renzoku, doesn't he? Does that mean he is...”

“Yep, Kuro's old man,” Ein gave his thumb-up. “One catch though – Kuro doesn't like him in the least bit.”

“Wha...?” Faegard's eyes turned blank. “How could he not? Having a father who is also your superior is every aspiring wizard and paladin's wish back where I come from!”

“He has his own reasons, Faegard,” Ein said. “Suffice to say, Kuro have never enjoyed the paternal love he believes he deserves from the person whom pretty much half the army garrisoned in Japan look up and respect.”

“But exactly why, sir?” Faegard asked again, his curiosity far from satisfied. “Exactly what kind of person is Colonel Kira Renzoku?

“Well, I'll fill you with just a little more details as reward for your valor in the last battle,” Ein said, his voice suddenly deepened in concern, his features stressing out accordingly. “I can speak ill of neither the father, whom I owe both my life and career to, nor the son, who is by far my best subordinate in my whole life. If only he could get along better with his old man, he would have easily been the happiest man in the entire army.”

Ein paused for a little while, perhaps to allow his face to return to normality.

“But that is beside the issue,” he concluded. “I think I've already spoken too much about this. Any more and Kuro's not going to forgive me when he wakes up. Let's respect his privacy, alright?

He then patted on Faegard's head again before standing up and neatly tucked the chair back in place.

“Well, I've got to go now,” said him with his trademark carefree voice. “You also need to rest up, don't you? And besides, there's still some anime I'd like to watch up before the war starts for real...”

“Are you worried about the Sergeant any, sir?” Faegard asked out just as his captain began to walk out of the room.

“Why should I?” answered Ein as he brushed off the question. “One thing, he's a big boy now, and two, he really shouldn't be complaining when he's got not one, but two extremely pretty girl waiting on him. Once every so often taking sick leave can yield you that kind of reward, it does.”

With a plain wave, his captain had left the room as abruptly as he had entered, leaving Faegard to ponder for himself.

”Captain Einherjar Ritter,” Faegard wondered, ”don't you have any problem with living your life as carefree as that?

******


The next day dawned upon Faegard with a shocking revelation, packed conveniently in the form of an envelope marked with an Urgent stamp. Unwrapping the package and reading the message just before dropping by Kurogane's chamber for a visit was quite understandably not helping the mood, but the very content of the message was on an entirely different plane of mood-killing.

“Captain, this is...” Faegard asked his commander in bewilderment upon reading up its content. “Is this exactly what the higher-ups want us to carry out even after all that ruckus?

On the sheet of paper left dangling down from his fingers was an affirmative order: “Carry out Tokyo Reinforcement operation as scheduled. Mechfantry Frame Squadron 12 must rendezvous with 3rd and 4th Fighter and Reconnaissance Squadrons at Yokohama district before 1900 without fail. Failure to comply with this order will be punished according to the Global Union 2379 Military Code of Conduct, Section 3, Article 4.” The strict terms of that order was concluded with a wiry, sharp but neat signature of a particular Colonel Kira Renzoku.

“Absolutely,” Ein nodded. “This comes as a direct order from Colonel Renzoku himself. As we are by default under his jurisdiction, his decision is final and overrides everything our regional commander might say when it comes to mobilizing us Mechanized Frame units.”

“But... but you said Colonel Renzoku is the Sergeant's father, right?” Faegard flailed both arms frantically in an attempt to convey his lack of understanding. “Has he not learnt that his son has just been mauled in battle and should not move around until he's healed?

“Believe me, Faegard, this decision was given out after he learnt of Kuro's plight,” Ein replied. “He deliberately wants to push his son forth despite all odds. That's his character.”

“But then, even if Sergeant Renzoku could recover on time, his machine has been thoroughly trashed!” Faegard retorted. “Even the Shishioh has taken quite a beating yesterday – are we really going to war battered and bruised like this?

“Believe me,” Ein said in a cryptic tone. “You'll soon find out, the Frames' repairs or our immediate orders aren't our biggest concern at this moment.”

Before Faegard could address another question, Ein had taken the initiative and slunk into the chamber's interior, another sealed envelope in hand, probably Kurogane's share of the order. Then there was a very moment of silent, just about enough time to recite a medium-level incantation or a small poem. Hardly had Faegard gathered enough wit to try figuring out what his captain was trying to say when realization was forced down his throat, or rather, ears, starting with a glass-shattering scream from within the chamber.

“AAAAAHHH! DAMN YOU, DAD! DAMN YOU!”

How such a scream could have escaped the containment of a 'virtually soundproof' room was beyond Faegard, to devastating effect. For a second the elf thought he could feel his eardrums being shredded into minuscule bits and vaporized into nothingness. The scream no longer sounded like a human voice, but resembled the crazed howls of a hungry dire wolf out for blood and carnage, the kind of howling that any forest ranger should know to run away from real fast or risk an appendage or two. The resemblance was so uncanny that for a good couple of seconds, his subconscious refused to accept that such savage roars came from a civilized human's mouth. Even though now that he had gotten a hold of his rowdy teammate's personality somewhat, that sort of crazed roaring still struck him with awe and horror every time he was subjected to it.

Faegard took a deep breath to calm himself, before instinctively tiptoeing to peek in through the round glass panel on the door. It didn't work out well – the window was far too opaque for even an elf's keen eyes to pierce. Half of Faegard felt like rushing right through the door and bear witness to the situation to satisfy his curiosity, while the other half trembled in fear, gluing his feet on the ground. In the end, his curiosity score another victory, as Faegard filled his chest with air once more, straightened his features, and braved through the not-really-soundproof doorway.

The elf couldn't say he hadn't expected to see what he saw the next second. And yet, he couldn't help but be frozen in both amazement and fright at the overall sight of what was going on inside the room. Sergeant Kurogane Renzoku, whose injuries over the last battle had left his body covered in bandages and plasters, was struggling out of the confinement of his bed with all his might. His twisted visage, grimacing in hatred and fury, told of an unstoppable rage manifesting in his every muscle in the literal sense. It took no less than two healthy women, one dressed in full nurse outfit and the other in the black-blue military uniform, as well as his well-built captain to hold the raging bull of a person back. Even that much seemed to be insufficient – from the look of exertion and exhaustion on their face, they had been at their physical limit already.

“Release me now, Captain!” screeched Kurogane, his voice muddled with gasps and tears. “I must report to my MF! I must!”

“Renzoku-san, please stay still! You are still badly hurt!” the woman in the nurse uniform cried desperately while still panting.

Faegard's eyes flashed with intrigue as his eyes closed on her face. As inclined as he was to look for his nurse companion on the night of the raid, he never expected to meet her in such a situation. While her voice was still as compassionate and gentle as it could be, her elegant but frail constitution didn't mix with physical exertion any. Her face was covered with sweat, tears, or a mix of the two, her fair complexion painted red with exertion, her long hair all disheveled and in a general mess. Faegard never asked how long she had been in that profession, but there was no doubt Kurogane was her most troublesome patient to date.

“Heh, you heard the princess,” his captain said, tugging Kurogane's uninjured arm hard. “You don't want her to faint out of exhaustion, do you?

”Princess? ”Lady Nagoyaka is a princess? How intriguing...”

“Don't taunt me, Captain!” scowled Kurogane. “Don't you see my old man is making fun of me? If he tries so hard to give me an order I can't possibly comply, I AM going to comply with it! Please release me! I must go!”

“Going where?” the woman in military uniform asked back angrily.

The vivid, unnatural brown hair and acerbic tone of Lieutenant Ayaka Saionji could be noticed from a mile away, her tone implying anything but calmness. The murderous glare in her eyes pushed Faegard aback in a mild degree of fear – the full display of anger she sported in the last team briefing was absolutely nothing to be scoffed at. There was a strong possibility that someone would have to walk away with a bruised cheek again that morning.

“Go show my father who's boss,” shouted Kurogane. “Don't you see he is getting ridicu...”

What happened the next second prompted Faegard to scratch the 'strong possibility' part in his last assumption and replaced it with 'absolute certainty'. Maybe it was just an elf's natural hearing affinity, but Faegard could swear he had heard a thunderclap the caliber of a full-blown exploding spell blasting off squarely on the poor Sergeant's left cheek. Not only did the slap cut him off in mid-sentence, it also send him falling back down on the messy bed with its massive recoil writhing in pain. The slap's clearly had a large area of effect, bleaching the faces of other two occupants of the room white in fear within merely a second. If Faegard could look at his own reflection at that moment, he was quite sure he'd have seen the same happening to him as well.

The slap bore with it an effect tantamount to a tranquilizer shot, temporarily stunning the rampaging sergeant, forcing him back down where he should like a good boy. Still, somewhat taken aback Kurogane was, all wasn't over by any means.

“You slapped me again, Aya,” Kuro finally gathered enough composure to retort in the form of a loud grumble.

“I've put up with enough of this, you know? Enough of this already!” Ayaka's eyes welled up with tears as she berated him. “Can you get any more pathetic than this?

“You don't understand me,” Kurogane cried out in protest. “If you were in my place, could you put up with my father?

“Stop using your father as an excuse!” Aya roared, pointing at him with a pointer finger trembling in rage. “Have you ever put yourself in your father's position? Have you?

“What do you know about my father?” Kuro shouted back. “Or do you just see him as a super special elite soldier that you can't help but swoon over like every single other soldier in this entire country? If you do, I'm sorry – I wish... I wish I were an orphan! I wish he would just perish somewhere obscure so I could be free of all this!”

All the while, the whole chamber was still frozen solid as the other two eyed the conversation between the Lieutenant and the Sergeant with wary eyes. But that sentence had broken the ice somehow, as Faegard could swear he could spot a simultaneous 'you're gonna get hurt badly' horrified glance from the other two. Their anxious stares fixed upon Aya for good reason – her previous annoyance had ramped up into anguish within mere seconds of Kuro's declaration. Faegard thought he saw every single joint in the young woman's body stiffening and shaking in unspeakable rage. Tears no longer welled up in her eyes, they had grown to covered them completely, turning her normally beautiful dark chestnut orbs into two large water bubbles.

“You... am I hearing it right or you are really wishing death on your father?” with a disbelieving tone, she asked Kuro again, as if giving him a chance to redeem himself.

There was no audible answer, but Kurogane's stubborn face and a minuscule movement along the up-down axis of his head more or less suggested an affirmation. In response, Aya stared at him, every muscle on her face quivering in disgust of the purest form, suggesting a violent resolution to follow it up with. To everyone else's surprise, Aya never realized that theory, but rather stood still for a good few second, before dropping both of her raised, clenched fist as if surrendering.

“If that's what you really think, I'm ashamed of you... of ever being a friend with you, I... I...” Ayaka said in an attempt to maintain her composure. It failed spectacularly, her entire face trembling in anguish with fresh tears gushed down her cheek in a stream as she drew closer to the sentence's conclusion. “I hate you!”

The word 'hate' sounded as sharp as a mastercraft arrow tip and hit as hard as a giant warhammer, at least to Faegard. And he was most probably not the only one to think so - the entire room then froze up like a block of ice once again as everyone stood speechless, amazed by the Lieutenant's resolution. There was more on Kurogane's face than fright or astonishment. His mouth twisted in disappointment, his eyes blazing in resentment while crystal-clear droplets rolled down his cheeks. Faegard could swear that at that precise second, the Sergeant and the Lieutenant's eyes mirrored those of a terminally wounded animal companion being put down by his ranger master and the distraught, weeping ranger respectively. Kurogane's literal helplessness and Ayaka's genuine tears only helped to strengthen the analogy.

O... onee-san...” Kurogane finally said, his own tears flooding his facade uncontrollably. All of the strength, stubbornness and fervor of his previous speech had somehow vanished in a matter of seconds, with only an empty, depressed look of defeat and loss remaining in its place. Aya's last three words must have probably hurt him deeper than all of his physical agony put together for some reason.

“Don't call me onee-san. Just don't,” was Aya's last words, before turning around and ran out of the room in tears.

Once again the room was covered in a veil of silence and depression. Kurogane sat there on his bed, his neck bent in sorrow and regret, while the other two looked on, at a loss for words.

“Well, well, well, we're moving out today, and this happens,” Ein finally broke the ice. “Bad timing, isn't it, Princess?

“Ah?” Tsuki answered, breaking out of her trance. “I... I suppose.”

She then turned to the wounded Sergeant and asked in the most polite tone she could summon.

“Renzoku-san, you should get some rest,” she said. “Don't worry, Ayaka-san must have been in a really bad mood today. I'll try to speak to her for you, is that alright?

“Please, everyone, just shut up,” Kurogane breathed out foully as he rested his back on his messy bed again. “Can't I just have a bit of peace of mind?

“This is definitely not going well. Is there anything I can help? Wait... looks like there is,” something of particular interest clicked in Faegard's head as he thought. “'If you want to be a good leader, first of all you must be a good friend and a reliable person whom your companions can count on in times of need. Only then can you hope to lead with love, not fear'. Right. So shall it be.”

“Err... hello, everyone?” thinking so, Faegard realized a need to speak up and acted accordingly, notifying the rest of the occupants of his presence.

The response to his arrival was mixed. While Ein gave a trademark, carefree nod as if questioning him why he was arriving so late, the nurse's eyes shone up bright as a lamp when she saw Faegard's little figure standing next to the door.

“You are... Elfblade-san from the other day, aren't you? So you're alive and well after all... I'm glad you've made it” she asked with an excited voice, to which Faegard replied by flashing a smile back with an affirmative nod attached.

Not all reactions were positive, unfortunately. Apparently the wounded Sergeant didn't take his presence well, springing up the very second he recognized Faegard's voice, gaining back most, if not all the rage and vigor lost with Aya's harsh words.

“You've won, Corporal,” Kurogane said angrily, the spark of fury once again blazing in his still wet eyes. “Must you return to mock me? Or do you take so much interest in laughing at other's failure that you just had to drag your mug here where you aren't even wanted?

“I just want to pay you a visit... and have a talk in person,” Faegard answered calmly. “Would you mind?

“Yes, yes, I do,” mocked Kurogane in a voice as threatening as he could muster. “You'd best make yourself scarce... if you wander too close to my bed, you may find your neck snapping before you know it.”

“Kuro!” Ein responded with a loud, threatening roar.

“That's alright, Captain,” Faegard answered in an even calmer voice. “I would like to have a private talk with the Sergeant. Would you allow me to, Captain, Lady Nagoyaka?

“It's not the wisest thing you can do at this moment, you do know that, don't you?” Ein said, doubtfully looking at both Kuro and Faegard,

“That's right,” Kuro nodded with a rugged, savage smug just like a regular gangster. “Get out and no one gets hurt.”

“If I've found the audacity to turn up in your room today, Sergeant Renzoku, you'd know I'm not going to be frightened off with just that,” Faegard answered without flinching. “I'd just want a respectful talk, no more, no less. Would you allow me, Captain, milady?

“I see,” Ein finally nodded. “Take care of yourself- Kuro is not in his best mood today, if you know what I mean.”

“I can take care of myself, Captain,” answered Faegard with an optimistic tone.

“Well then, good luck,” Ein replied, before signaling his companion to leave the room, leaving only Faegard and Kurogane inside.

The sudden silence was not at all comforting to Faegard, the tension only escalated by the extreme look of disapproval and hostility on Kurogane's face. Perhaps he wouldn't go as far as going berserk all over him, but it was totally possible the Sergeant would just ignore all of the goodwill the elf was going to show.

”Come on, Faegard!” his inner voice encouraged. ”Nothing ventured, nothing gained!”

“Sergeant Kurogane Renzoku,” Faegard took a deep breath and said. “Shall we begin?

“Go ahead then,” half-heartedly answered Kuro. “Try not to waste my time.”

******



< Message edited by Argeus the Paladin -- 7/27/2009 21:19:33 >
DF  Post #: 15
7/29/2009 19:55:06   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 15
“Tonight We Dine in Akihabara!”


The sliding door slightly opened, and a slender, petite figure slunk through the opening with a graceful, soundless step. On her left hand, the tray filled with an assortment of medical junks lay perfectly balanced between her fingertips, passing through the gateway ass smoothly as its holder. Faegard opened his eyes wide as he gazed on her slim body working through the narrow doorway as nimbly as a forest squirrel. Even among his highly dexterous elven kins, not anyone could complete that deed with such impeccable balance and timing. Had Tsuki Nagoyaka adopted a fake pair of long ears and lighter colored hair-dye, she could easily be passed for one of his people.

She then glided across the hallway with swift but stable steps towards a nearby row of tables on wheels. There was a minimum level of clattering in the background as Tsuki laid the tray on the nearest table, before walking briskly back to the front of Kuro's room, as noiseless as she could.

“Shh...” Tsuki raised her other pointer figure to her lips as soon as she finished her navigation, her crystal-clear eyes scanned across those present in the clinic's hallway with concern, giving an obvious reason for her artful maneuvers. “Let's talk outside - he's sleeping.”

And then she raised her left hand towards the exit, signaling the rest to follow her as she strode out.

“Good,” Ein exhaled in relief as his legs began to follow the devoted nurse's steps. “Kuro's berserkergang is legendary among these parts - We're lucky he didn't hurt himself much worse in that state.”

“Sergeant Renzoku must have been through a lot of stress recently. Stressful people tend to exhaust much faster than they normally would,” Faegard remarked as he tried to keep up with Ein's long strides. “At least, that's what a particular master of mine had said.”

“We owe it to you, Faegard,” Ein patted the short elf on his shoulder with a downward swipe of his left arm.

“More importantly, I'm worried about Lieutenant Saionji,” Faegard said in deep concern. “Captain, did she really take the Sergeant's words personally? Sergeant Renzoku was badmouthing his own father, not hers, right? Why did she get so mad?

“There was some discrete circumstances, Elfblade-san!” said Tsuki while still maintaining her pace. “Suffice to say, given what had happened to her so far, Aya can't stand anyone speaking bad of their parents. Anyone and any parent. But don't worry, Aya-senpai isn't the type to sulk. She'll be back with in no time, I'm sure!”

”Parents...” a sudden sadness filled Faegard's mind, stalling him solid on the spot. ”I... I wish I had done more for them when I still could...”

“Hey, what's the matter, Faegard?” asked Ein.

“I'll... I'll keep it in mind.” hastily said Faegard, snapping out of the trance. “I sure will.”

“And by the way, Faegard,” said the captain, snapping his thumb. “Kurogane was pretty much in an unstoppable rage just now. How did you calm him down so quickly? Oh wait...”

No sooner had the last word escaped Ein's lips when his footsteps suddenly quieted down, pinning him on the ground where he stood. Faegard should have known better that when a superior with a pair of curious eyes suddenly stopped dead in his track in a leisurely stroll for some reason, he had better prepare himself. Before he could take any effective countermeasure, the captain had stooped over him, his face casting a shadow all over the elf's as their eyes locked. A mischievous smile stretch all across Ein's facade, further empowered by the gleaming flash of interest radiating from his pupils. When Faegard realized the discomfort, the distance between them had been too close to shrug away casually.

“I see,” said him, his arms grabbing Faegard's shoulders tight while still maintaining his pose, his smile flashing like the cold reflection off a sharp edge. “I can smell dark magic at work here, do I?

For a second Faegard was thankful he wasn't in the middle of a drink. The kind of estranged reaction he would have probably had in that case couldn't have possibly been pretty for his interrogator. His mouth hung open as widely as his eyes, which had both grown to the size and shape of a fresh, ranch chicken egg. It took him about ten seconds to come round, looking like a complete idiot in the meantime.

“D... Dark magic?” Faegard finally said, in the form of broken stutters in pure horror, if not disgust. “Do... Do you seriously have... have any idea what you are talking about, Captain?

“I... I believe I know something about this!”

Tsuki spoke with an extreme degree of enthusiasm and interest, in a way so contrasting with her usually shy and reserved demeanor that it began to smell distinctively fishy. Faegard tried to turn his neck around, a relatively difficult task at the time being with both shoulders restrained by the captain's iron grip. His valiant effort prevailed, earning him the reward of seeing her hidden side in full extent. Her face turned to a shade of rosy red, her eyes half-closed dreamily, like a girl absorbed in something covetously cute. Her arms bent so that her slightly clenched fists covered her mouth in a timid display of politeness. For whatever reason, Faegard thought, that couldn't be good.

“I've read a lot about our kind, Elfblade-san,” she said in a half scholastic and knowledgeable, half fantasizing tone. “Your kin would use your wondrous charm and grace to lure meek maidens into your domains, hypnotize them while holding them in your arm, and then... and then puncture their throats with your dreadfully sharp fangs while they close their eyes to you, eager for their maiden kiss, and... and drink their blood, depriving them of the very life that courses through their vein! The unfortunate will die painfully from this, and the more fortunate will become one of your kind, whom you will consort with! Am... am I right?

Words couldn't describe the amount of disgust and horror Faegard felt in response to Tsuki's abhorrently vivid description. Thankfully he hadn't had much to eat since the early morning, otherwise he would have had the discourtesy of unloading everything on the ground in an uncontrollable cataract. The fact that she was mentioning such blasphemies to the religion of his people with a daydreaming look blooming all over her face didn't help at all, and it took Faegard a full minute to gain his senses back.

“What... what kind of blasphemy are you talking about, milady?” Faegard uttered in a long string, barely stopping to catch a breath. “Using mind-affecting magic in battle to deceive, frighten, or otherwise strip our opponents of the mental integrity to fight fairly and bravely is shunned in most parts of the Kingdom of Greenglaze and is a capital offense in the Elven Paladin Order of Greenglaze, punishable by excommunication for one thing! And... and for the other, drinking blood is an act of heresy of the highest order in the name of the Deity of the Sun and the Goddesses of the Moons! No amount of atonement, no, even the most painful of deaths can earn our soul forgiveness from the deities!”

“Eeeh?” Faegard's long lectured knocked Tsuki back to an acceptable level of common sense, her palms leaving her mouth in clear astonishment. “So... so your people aren't vampires?

“VAMPIRES?” Faegard thought he had thrown up a little as he heard her. “It is the job of the Elven Paladin Order to purge such aberrations from the face of the forest, and the planet if need be!”

“P... purge?” Tsuki looked as if she had just been faced with the biggest horror of her life to date.

“Oh my, oh my, this joke has backfired spectacularly,” grinned the captain mischievously. “I forgot to tell you, Faegard. Princess Tsuki Nagoyaka here is a vampire fangirl of the most devoted kind. She doesn't read any fiction without vampires and cannot distinguish vampires from any other long-living, non-human race, up to and including dragons. Trust me on this.”

There was a moment of awkward silence after Ein's explanation as Faegard and Tsuki locked eyes, at a sheer loss for words. The silence only dispelled with a deep, quick and frantic bow from the young woman's part.

“I... I am very sorry!” said her with bent neck. “I... I... didn't mean to... offend you...”

“That's alright,” Faegard responded courteously as he moved forward, prompting her to straighten up quickly. “It's partly my fault for not introducing myself to you more clearly the last time, isn't it?

Maybe it was just his hereditary keen sight, but Faegard could swear by his honor to the aforementioned deities that Tsuki's cheeks did flush red as he closed on, albeit a very, very mild shade while her fingers quivered in confusion and embarrassment. Whether or not it was a good sign, Faegard couldn't say, but at least he had the obligation to sort out the misunderstanding fair and square.

“I belong to the proud elven bloodline of the world of Mediava, a long, long way from here,” Faegard said slowly and clearly, now that his composure had come back. “Our people have been dwelling in the great forest in the center of the world, Greenglaze, since time immemorial, protected and cherished by the deities of the Sun, the Moons, the Light and the Great Spirit of the Forest, in complete harmony with the denizens of the woods who looks up to us as their champions, their protectors, their benevolent crusaders. Our warriors are the bravest there are, our wizards the most proficient, and our craftsmen most talented and devoted. A perfect civilization, envied by many and rivaled by none, at least in our world.”

“I see,” replied Tsuki, overwhelmed by his elaborate words for a couple of seconds, never mind the fact that her 'offending' speech was far more flowery than Faegard's own. “Then, may I ask you what position you play in that picture?

“Me?” Faegard asked back.

“I mean, do you play any special role in that setting? What are you? A valiant young squire, perhaps? Or a vampire hunter in training? Or simply a nobleman, a lord or a prince?

Tsuki's third hypothesis hit home too close for comfort, taking Faegard aback for a second or so. Even with only his limited wisdom of fifty-eight years, he still found it better to not reveal his true identity.

“I... I am an apprentice wizard who doubles as a junior member of the Paladin Order,” Faegard finally resorted to telling half the truth. “But then again, I haven't had much combat experience, so I can only do so much as casting simple combat spells.”

“So... you are a wizard for real after all,” Tsuki closed her eyes while stretching a broad smile. “The last time when I saw lightning dancing from your fingertips, I thought I was hallucinating...”

Her hands clasped just right under her chin in contemplation as she spoke. For some reasons, Faegard's cheeks started to fire up as well – it was clearly harder than he thought to maintain a straight face while gazing at her naturally cute demeanor.

“By the way,” Faegard said, putting up a rather silly grin. “I've spoken a lot about myself. What about you, milady? Would you mind sharing your tale with us?

“With you only,” Ein corrected. “I've known the Princess for two years now and still counting. Kuro, even further before that.”

“Princess,” Faegard said. “I suppose you must be a royalty, aren't you?

“Royalty? No,” she giggled heartily. “Though it is true that my father... no, my family has a prominent position in the Union...”

Hardly had Tsuki finished her sentence when a soldier in full uniform, with his proper standard-issue weapon strapped across his shoulder, came striding along the corridor, making somewhat unpleasant, noisy footsteps in the meantime. He took off his head and saluted the two officers upon sight, completed with an even louder ceremonial boot stamping, drawing a slight frown on the devoted nurse's face.

“Captain Einherjar Ritter, sir, and Corporal Faegard Elfblade,” said the soldier. “Colonel Albert would like to speak with the two of you as soon as possible!”

“This must be about Operation Tokyo, isn't it?” Ein's face immediately returned to the much-needed degree of seriousness as he asked.

“Yes, sir!” confirmed the soldier as he turned to and saluted the nurse. “The Colonel would also like to speak to you as well, Lady Nagoyaka.”

“Me?” Tsuki asked back with a look of justified confusion abound.

******


“That's about it for the details. You've got three hours before lifting off. If nothing out of the ordinary happens, you should be able to arrive at Yokohama half an hour ahead of schedule,” said the colonel. “Do you have any question, Captain Ritter, Corporal Elfblade?

The package laden with documents weighted heavily on Faegard's arms. The pack, per se, wasn't exceptionally heavy, but it was the 'Top Secret' seal on its flap that was unconsciously adding on to the weight. According to the briefing, he was supposed to escort the large parcel to a particular person in Tokyo, making the entire mission looking like some sort of an errand-running to him. Only that it was an extremely dangerous errand, from the look of things.

“Yes, sir,” Ein asked. “I believe there is more to this mission than just 'reinforce Tokyo with whatever we have and hand over the document to who needs it most', am I right, sir?

The commanding officer adjusted his spectacles, as if to catch a clearer view of the captain.

“Very interesting, Captain” Colonel Albert answered with another question “Why do you think that?

“Strategically speaking, Tokyo is more or less a liability for the Union Army by now,” Ein said with a confident, sly spark in his eyes. “Our military establishment there is abnormally light, with only a minor non-space facility and twenty thousand garrisons, with less than a full functional air regiment and a borderline antiquated White Wolf team that wouldn't last for more than five minutes under a full frontal Daimyo assault. Not to mention the city is, at this moment, mostly an empty metropolis, as most of the 45 million citizens had already evacuated to the countryside or to smaller towns since the first official gunshot of the new war was heard at Cairo five days ago. And finally, in terms of spiritual values, the city has little to none symbolic meaning to most Union soldiers, apart from Japanese ones. In fact, Tokyo has already been lost when the war began.”

“Exactly,” Colonel Albert said, nodding in approval. “So what precisely do you think we are doing, sending you to Tokyo then?

“I have only two hypotheses, sir,” Ein continued. “Either this is a death montage for our team, pitching us against the brunt of the Confederation's Northern Pacific front at a total disadvantage. But since arranging our death doesn't seem like what the Union would plan for their best pilots, this theory doesn't hold any merit.”

“What is your second theory?” asked the Colonel.

If the glint of slyness in Einherjar's eyes was a barely visible glitter just now, at that moment it had grown into a full-fledged sparkling shade as he demonstrated his theory.

“There must be something of especial strategic importance brewing in Tokyo... beneath the city, that is,” said Ein, his words strangely solid, as if cemented. “I can only guess a top-secret superweapon is either under development or deployment under the city, and we are sent there specifically to take care of it in the literal sense.”

The colonel's response was more than positive – to Faegard's surprise, he was clapping his hand, albeit quietly, in approval and satisfaction.

“Had you not been a passionate pilot, Captain Einherjar Ritter,” Colonel Albert remarked, “with that level of strategical analysis, you could have gone much further as an officer. Yes, yes, you've happened to have guessed the backbone of Operation Tokyo in a whim, Captain.”

“So it is true... we've got some aces-in-the-hole stashed away in the city reserved for cases like this,” Ein answered passionately. “Just like in the animes, that is.”

“Listen carefully, Captain,” said the colonel. “This operation will deal with the one weapon capable of dealing the finishing blow to the Colonial Confederacy all by itself. The Universal Wing-class Mechanized Frame Carrier/Battleship.”

Upon hearing this, even Ein couldn't hide his astonishment. Apparently he had not been expecting something along those lines to pop up.

“Sir, did you say the Uchuu no Tsubasa project?” Ein asked in bewilderment. “If I remember it right, this plan has been scrapped by the Global Union Army Grand Council three years ago! How did one pop up in Tokyo at this time?

“That much is right,” Colonel Albert explained. “But that's only half the truth. The only thing to have been completely phased out was the plan for the mass-produced version of the Universal Wing-class due to apparent inefficiency. However, the Universal Wing project wasn't about producing a new line of warship in the first place. Its ultimate goal was to construct a flagship capable of interplanetary combat and bombardment as well as deep-space campaigning – the literal beacon of hope for humanity when the bad comes to worst. Of course, that much is information only officers of my rank or higher can access, so I'm not surprised if you know nothing about it.”

“And just why is such a ship stored in Tokyo, sir?” Ein asked back eagerly.

“You said it – Tokyo isn't supposed to be the brightest target on the map. Moreover, it is very unlikely our enemies will target the city if all they want is to cripple our space power.”

“Wait... does this mean that all of the attacks recently on the Union's military research facilities all around the world is...” Ein's eyes shone up in revelation.

“Exactly. They are looking for the Universal Wing, Uchuu no Tsubasa, our hope for a quick resolution of this war.”

“Then why haven’t we launched it into action just yet, Colonel?” Ein asked hastily.

“That is because it hasn’t been finished yet,” answered the colonel with a surprisingly straight face. “A 1200-m-long interstellar battleship-carrier hybrid needs much more than the normal armament and propulsion systems. To further empower the battleship, the Focused Beam Cannon and Hyperdrive generators were both being installed right before the war began. Suffice to say, when both features have been installed, how many Daimyos the Confederacy could muster would no longer be an issue.”

“And so our job is to defend Tokyo and the Universal Wing until it can safely enter service,” Ein speculated. “Well, as long as the enemies don’t know what we are hiding, this shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“I’m glad you said so, Captain,” the Colonel nodded, before turning to the juvenile elf. “And, Corporal Elfblade, there is something you need to know about this mission.”

“This is my first official one, sir,” Faegard answered in high spirit. “I’ll do my very best!”

“Not just for the sake of the mission, but for the very machine you are piloting as well,” said his superior.

“What did you just say, sir?” Faegard asked back with a blank look. “For the sake of the Shishioh?

“Yes,” answered his superior. “I suppose you have many questions about how the Shishioh and the F-System works, don’t you?

“That...” Faegard paused for a brief second as he mulled over the amazing even in the last spar, up to and including an impenetrable magic-powered shielding matrix and a spell he intended to cast on himself suddenly working on the MF instead. “Yes, sir. Exactly how it works is still beyond me.”

“Then, let me encourage you by telling you that the answer to any of your questions regarding the FALCON System lies in Tokyo,” said the colonel. “Specifically, the person to whom the package is addressed is the one who will answer your questions when you arrive.”

Upon hearing that, Faegard’s eyes reactively gazed down upon the envelope. A fine, block-letter line was embedded on the front side of the parcel, which read, “DR. MARTIN C. BANNER, CHIEF OF PROJECT.” Gently shaking the package, Faegard could hear a small, but noticeable rattling sound of something solid colliding with the inside of container. As far as he could guess, there was more to the delivery than just a simple document.

“Try not to shake the pack, by the way,” reminded the colonel when he saw Faegard playing with the parcel. “We can’t afford to have the item inside damaged.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” Faegard instantly stopped his fidgeting in response. “Could I ask you what kind of person is this Dr. Martin Banner?

“You’ll get to meet him soon enough,” answered the colonel cryptically.

“This… this sounds like it’s going to be tough on them, Colonel,” Tsuki barged in, saying her first words ever since entering the room with the duo.

“And you as well, Princess,” Colonel Albert said. “Did I tell you the reason why I summoned you today?

“No, sir…” Tsuki bent her neck in anticipation. “Did I do something wrong?

“Not at all. In fact, the only nurse to have received only praises from the Head Nurse is you, Princess. You can be proud of that,” the Colonel said, tapping his fingers on the table. “But that’s beside the point. You are accompanying them, or, if you’d prefer I put it this way, they are escorting you on this mission.”

The declaration more or less took the timid young woman by surprise, as she literally jumped aback in amazement. But its impact on the steeled veteran was, quite inexcusably, even more profound.

“What?

Faegard didn’t expect Ein to react in such a way after all the cool and intelligent comments he had made up till that point. However he tried to see it, Einherjar’s exclamation displayed a freaking out of spectacular proportion, his eyes seemingly popping out of the socket, his lips stretching out of symmetry, and all of his collection and calmness flying out of the window in a split second. That applied to his voice as well, degenerating into a confused, somewhat frightened stutters.

“Co… Colonel, are you absolutely sure about this? As in, honest-to-god-or-whatever-deity-you-believe-in certain?” Ein said, his eyes threatening to burst at the smallest provocation. “We are going to Tokyo with the Princess tagging along with us?

“Once again, this isn’t my order, Captain,” Colonel Albert said. “It is a semi-official request from the head of Nagoyaka Heavy Industry relayed through Colonel Kira Renzoku. This basically means that however you object the decision, you’ll just have to deal with it.”

“Still... Doh!” Ein tried to retort, but his words stuck in his throat upon realizing how futile the plight was. In the meantime, the 'princess' was also, quite obviously, trying hard to shake off her astonishment.

“But... why me, Colonel?” Tsuki humbly replied after somewhat taking back her control again. “What business can I have probably in Tokyo?

“The details are included in the briefing handout I gave Corporal Elfblade. But in a nutshell, you are carrying out a special… test of sort at the Tokyo Underground Facility,” said the commander casually. “Well, I suppose I can’t explain it in scientific terms as well as the scientists there, so they will fill you in on arrival.”

“Even so, won't I just get in the way of the Captain and the Corporal here?” she asked back in anxiety, stealthily glancing apologetically at the two mentioned. “Is there any other way?

“I don't think so, given the current war situation,” the Colonel shook his head. “Besides, you shouldn't take more than the sub-pilot seat in either the Shishioh or the Weiss. Unless, of course,” his voice turned into a joking, jabbing tone, “you've just gained weight in the last few weeks, daughter.”

“I... I haven't!” retorted Tsuki, her cheeks flared up in a crimson hue.

“Then all's good, I believe,” grinned the colonel as he waved his hand, as if trying to fan away the aftereffect of the joke, before facing the two soldiers. “Then again, I honestly believe you can just relax through the first phrase of this operation. If everything goes on as planned, you will meet barely any resistance at all en route to Tokyo.”

“I suppose so, sir” Ein replied with a sigh, stretching a positive smile immediately after. “Well, at least we are going to Tokyo.”

“Is there anything that interests you in this city of Tokyo, sir?” Faegard asked out of plain curiosity.

“Well, you're not a proud otaku like me, so you wouldn't know even if I try to explain,” Ein stooped over and rubbed the tiny elf's head, ending up messing it up like a crow's nest. “Suffice to say, Faegard, tonight we are dining, and, if Lady Luck smiles upon us, shopping in Akihabara. That much warms my heart.”

“If you hurry up, you will definitely have one to two free hours,” approved the colonel. “That is, of course, only if the legendary Otaku District hasn't yet been evacuated to the last person.”

And then the Colonel stood up, facing the trio, and gave them each a friendly nod.

“You're dismissed,” he said. “Good luck with Operation Tokyo, MF pilots!”

“Yes, sir!” saluted the two soldiers in unison, while the nurse bent her neck instead.

However, as the door closed behind, only two short, small silhouettes could be seen outside the room, their shadow trailing behind them under the early afternoon sun. The other figure was still standing inside, beside the door he was supposed to walk through. Captain Einherjar Ritter hadn't yet made himself scarce for some reason. The colonel was quick to respond to this.

“Does something concern you, Captain Ritter?” the Colonel asked, slinging an empathic glance at his subordinate.

“I have something I would like to ask you in person, sir,” answered Ein.

“Staying behind after I've dismissed this meeting,” remarked the Colonel, “I've thought you'll have that much to say, Captain. What troubles you?

“Yes, sir,” Ein answered. “What will become of Sergeant Renzoku after yesterday's incident?

“I see, Kurogane Renzoku, right?” said the Colonel with the same concerned look over his facade. “He will have to take full responsibility for the unfortunate change of event regarding his part. Precisely, putting the life of another Global Union Army soldier in jeopardy unnecessarily and disregarding a direct superior's order. Since this is just a first-time infraction, he can get away with just a demotion. Next time, though, he will probably be court-martialed.”

“Did you say 'demotion', sir?” Ein asked back with utter bewilderment. “When did this happen? Why didn't I know anything?

“He must have failed to tell you, I believe,” Colonel Albert shook his head. “His demotion order arrived early this morning directly to the boy – from today onwards, he'll be just Corporal Renzoku until further notice.”

A breeze of enlightenment swept through Ein's head as he stopped for a second to connect the dots. Suddenly, Kurogane's madman act earlier that morning didn't seem unjustified and uncalled for any more, at least, not as much as it appeared on the spot.

“I see,” Ein finally nodded. “No wonder he was acting like a complete moron this morning... must have been his last straw, this demotion. Did Colonel Renzoku know about this, sir?

“How could he not?” said his superior. “The boy's father signed his demotion order himself and specifically instructed that the order be directly taken to him before informing you.”

“I really don't want to say this, Colonel,” sighed Ein at the revelation. “But Colonel Renzoku is going too far these days...”

“Captain Ritter, I understand your concern,” said the colonel. “But more than anyone else, you should know that this is the army, and there is a rule for anything and everything. Breaking the rules not only endangers oneself, it also jeopardize the lives of one's comrades and the wellbeing of the battle, or sometimes even the war. As for Kira, I know he's just doing what he deems right – something for the good of his son.”

“But then, would Kurogane be excused from this battle, sir?” Ein asked hastily. “His injuries particularly forbids him from participating in active combat for the forseeable future!”

“So Squad 12 is truly like a family,” said the colonel with a smile of agreement and satisfaction. “You're not the only one to have asked me this, Captain. Lieutenant Saionji had already paid me a visit some time before I summoned Corporal Elfblade and you.”

“Aya?” Ein asked back in astonishment. “After what amounting to telling him off this morning?

“I thought as much – she didn't seem to be in her right mind when she saw me. But then again, her reaction changed dramatically as soon s she learnt of his demotion,” nodded Colonel Albert. “Not only did she asked to excuse him from the operation, she also requested another half a week, non-paid leave on her own account.”

“This isn't going to look nice in her records later on, but she insisted on it,” the colonel continued after a dramatic pause. “'If I leave my little brother when he needs me the most and something bad happens to him later on, I will never forgive myself, ever,' she said. And I ended up granting her that favor.”

A warm and fuzzy feeling coursed through Ein's every vein and arteries as he heard those words. Not that he had never seen the tomboyish, flirtatious Lieutenant's soft side, but her reaction in that one occasion couldn't have been more appropriate and impeccably timed.

“Yes,” Ein replied. “Knowing Lieutenant Ayaka Saionji, I believe that resolution is only natural. After all, Squad 12 is the only family she's got left – She's not going to leave her little brother in distress and walk away with it,” taking a short pause, Ein continued with a request of his own. “Sir, I would like to ask you for a favor as well – please look after them when I am away if you can.”

“If that's the only concern you have got in mind, Captain, then I assure you,” the colonel said as he stood up and patted his subordinate on the shoulder in reassurance, “Lieutenant Saionji and Corporal Renzoku will fare just fine in the next few days. I'll help them however I can. This is the promise of a soldier, a commissioned officer, no less.”

“That must be all, sir,” Ein said, saluting his commander. “I thank you for your compassion.”

“Very well then, Captain,” the Colonel saluted back. “I wish you best of luck and godspeed on this operation. You'll need it.”

******

DF  Post #: 16
8/17/2009 2:36:11   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 16
Encounter Before Dusk


“Faegard, you comfortable over there with the booster module?

With his trembling hand, Faegard switched on the side communication screen, on which the inappropriately relaxed face of Captain Ritter appeared much to his chagrin. That question sounded more ironic and rhetoric to the elf than the asker would have believed. While he couldn’t tell for any certainty about the female freeloader sitting at the spare seat behind him, the elf himself didn’t enjoy the flight in the least bit. Not that he had never taken to the sky before, having gone through more than a year’s worth of griffin flying back home. But flying a sentient griffin who knew where he was flying and manually controlling a mechanical module, knowing full well that a slip up could result in a fatal crash were two different matters entirely. The prince was literally shaking left and right for the entirety of the flight up till that point, his sweaty hands drenching the joystick finger control buttons to the point of slippery. And on his visage, an undignified expression of fear and nervousness marred the noble and courageous image a prince was supposed to keep.

“Captain, I… can’t talk right now,” Faegard said, quickly withdrawing his left hand to the designated joystick. His anxiety and fright gushed out in torrents with his broken, shaking voice. “I’m trying my best so that… this thing… won’t crash…”

“Hey, hey, get a hold of yourself, recruit!” Ein winked, flashing his teeth with a mischievous flip of the upper lip. “The All-Purpose MF Skybooster System is designed with rookie pilots like you in mind. If you mess up in any way at all, the system will reboot and automatically take over the flight control. In short, you just can’t crash unless you’re shot down.”

Faegard took the discourtesy of not answering while his teeth ground together with great ferocity, or rather, terror. Einherjar didn't like that attitude in the least bit.

“Or perhaps you don't trust this booster module?” Ein teased. “If you aren't at home with this state-of-the-art add-on, then no other system can satisfy you.”

Faegard hated to confirm it, but his commander had hit the nail squarely on the head, though it was more like he didn't really had much confidence in the Shishioh as a whole. How the MF went from a scrapheap with a plethora of damage, including but not restricted to 'melted Lion Blaster module 1 through 5, displaced left arm and knuckle joint and torn-off right arm' to 'acceptable performance level' within a day, no, twelve hours to be exact, was beyond Faegard's possible suspension of disbelief. Add to the pile a hastily attached 'booster module', and Faegard reasonably had as much faith in the machine's buoyancy as a flying fish. Frankly speaking, the elf felt lucky that the whole thing hadn't fallen apart, let alone still floating by now.

“Well, to be... honest, sir,” Faegard tried to speak coherently. “I'm not so sure if this thing... will hold for much longer...”

“Nonsense,” Ein laughed aloud on the other side of the communicator module. “If our rapid repair services fail that hard, our casualties in the first war would have been three to five times higher than it had been. And that was ten years ago.”

“Even so…” Faegard couldn’t stop his voice from shaking madly, however hard he tried. “This sort of… terrain is…”

At least the elf could spell out his difficulty comprehensibly. Since the beginning of the journey, Faegard had seen nothing but hills and mountains stretching as far as the eyes could see. At least his forest-covered homeland knew little of such incredible elevation patterns in the terrain. The seemingly never ending stretch of heights, mounds and vegetation appeared especially daunting. Every now and then a tiny settlement would show up, only to be swallowed by the bumpy terrains shortly thereafter. One had better not think of what would happen if the machine was to lose balance and dive-roll vertically into the vegetation below with a blast. Or worse, strayed too close to the ground and collide head-on with an abnormally tall tree.

“I see what you mean,” Ein said leisurely as he glanced to the side, presumably to catch a glimpse of the scenario outside. “This sort of terrain is Japan for you.”

Large sweatdrops rolled down Faegard’s forehead, apparently visible from even the other side of the communication screen. His captain took that notion with a nonchalant smirk, as per normal.

“Okay, Faegard, try this,” Ein said. “Just relax. Stop thinking about flying the MF for a moment. Keep your hands off the joystick if you’d like, and see how it turns out.”

“Are… are you sure this won’t crash if I do so, sir?” Faegard stuttered, obviously freaked out.

“Look, the Princess is with you, right?” Ein casually brushed Faegard’s fright aside. “I would most certainly not suggest something along those lines if it is potentially dangerous, would I? I still value my life, you know.”

‘Princess’. Had Faegard still been the pampered, sheltered prince of a month before, never could he have believed that the petite, lovable nurse could be any royalty of any kind. Compared to the spoilt sons and daughters of nobilities, be they of elven or human or any other blood, Tsuki Nagoyaka was on a thoroughly different tier to begin with, so much sweeter, friendlier and more compassionate than them all to be consciously lumped into the same category. Or maybe Faegard was just biased.

But after all the crazy events happening to him lately, that revelation would pale in comparison. Even so, the word still sounded more or less awkward to utter.

“Milady,” Faegard yanked his neck sideway, signaling the girl. “Would… would you mind if I… give it a try?

“I have no objection,” the young woman answered with closed eyes and a fully relaxed smile. “If something goes wrong, you’ll protect me, won’t you, Corporal?

Faegard could have jerked out of his seat had it not been for the restraint of his seat belt. In contrary to his reaction, Tsuki’s reflection on the front screen showed no change in impression at all as she uttered those words, still maintaining a more or less dreamy façade, with both eyes shut and an unfaltering beam across her face. Faegard’s intelligence could only afford two explanations. Perhaps she was a woman of stronger personality and greater courage than the legendary Vanguard Knight Lady Bathi’ara Tidestrider who held her own against two adult Black Dragons at the gate of Steeloak until the Guardian Gold Dragons arrived. Or, conversely, simply a hopelessly romantic young woman quite oblivious to the danger of the present. He dared not dwell on the second possibility for obvious reasons.

“I… I believe it’s my duty, milady,” Faegard finally chucked out the answer most neutral in tone he could think about, to which the woman replied by leaning forward, pressing her chin on the headrest of Faegard’s seat, peering at him from behind. For a second, the elf could swear he was feeling a patch of the backside of his head was being burnt away.

“Please watch who you're flirting with, Princess. The rookie here is still a minor, last time I checked,” Ein shook his head, presumably at the young lady. Whether that gesture was mocking or serious, Faegard's low level of composure at the moment didn't allow him to comprehend. Either case, Faegard could feel the weight on his back disappearing not long after the Captain uttered his reminder, Tsuki having presumably retreated to her default stature. Faegard responded with a sigh of relief.

“Come on,” Ein said enthusiastically. “Go ahead, give it a go.”

“I... I'll try,” Faegard could feel his heartbeat accelerating to uncomfortable levels as he quickly nodded. And then, taking a deep breath, the elf withdraw his hands, or rather, forcefully excising them from the joysticks.

For a second Faegard thought he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. No sooner had his last finger departed from its respective control notch than the entire machine began to shake and rumble out of a lack of balance. The whole frame then tilted over to the right by a remarkable angle, before plunging downwards at that exact trajectory. Panicking, Faegard tried to grab the joysticks for readjustment, but the large tilt had shoved the entire cabin sideway such that he could no longer reach the object. And before he could, right beneath him lay the rugged, green overgrowth of a forest arguably thicker than Greenglaze itself closing on him at a dizzying speed, a scream-inducing scenario for even the bravest of Paladins...

This time, thought, the prince didn't have to scream any. Before the machine could fall to its demise, another violent tumble shook the cockpit to the foundation, throwing Faegard the other way with a bump. And then the entire chamber stopped dead in the air, hanging between the sky and the earth just as if a Levitation spell had been cast on the whole Frame. Faegard didn't have to stay at a loss for understanding for too long, before the screen filled him in with the rest of the picture.

The Shishioh was standing in the air, balanced just a couple of yards over the top of the forest, far enough to be safe yet close enough to the lush green surface to view the beauty of the vegetation to the fullest. Far away, over the distant mountains as far as the eyes could see was the bright, golden sun, gleaming at the surface from an angle. By then, it was nowhere near the intensely burning, blinding shine of sharp noon, but was yet to succumbing to the twilight's onset as well, rather gracing the surface and everything on it with a mellow, soothing kind of aura, putting a smile back to even the most fatigued of souls. Under the sunlight, the green vegetation had seemingly polymorphed into a carper of lush, bright, sparkling crystals, just like a forest made of emeralds and jade shards overlapping one another in a wondrous arrangement of nature. And there, beneath the Frame's feet, a flock of swallow soared to the sky with wings in full spread, gliding towards where the sun resided, their slender figures floating through the cushion of air with the grace of a troupe of professional dancers. All of those passed slowly before Faegard's eyes as the machine slowly glided over the green under the automatic control of the booster system.

“This is... beautiful,” Faegard left his mouth wide open as he filled his eyes with the miraculous imageries of the expansive forest of emerald to his heart's content.

“Though CGI can fare far better than this,” Ein popped in with a remark of his own, “I suppose this is one of the best nature has to offer.”

His hitchhiker must have been feeling the same, as all what Faegard could hear from his back seat was a soft but passionate coo of satisfaction, continuing into a full-fledged outcry of appreciation.

“It sure is,” Tsuki said, the tone of dreams and fantasy deeply ingrained within her voice.

Faegard turned back due to sheer curiosity, only to let out a gasp of amazement and – as much as he would like to deny it – admiration.

”T... this kind of beauty... ” Faegard felt his face heating up at a dangerous speed for every passing second he stared at her form, and yet for some time was unable to lift his eyes from her. ”Is she even human to begin with?

Faegard's amazement was not without basis. Tsuki Nagoyaka was literally glittering in the soft light emitting from the main screen. Maybe it was just the nurse outfit she wore and whatever light-reflecting property it possessed, but on her body, the sparkles were absolutely gorgeous. The effect was such that, Faegard could swear to the whole of his people's pantheon, no amount of Elven favorite Faerie Dust cosmetic powder could mimic. Coupled with her natural charming smile and the innate cuteness in her complete absorption in the scenery, she could probably hold even the bravest of warriors under her spell with little to no effort.

It took Faegard quite the effort to rip his eyes from her gorgeous figure, an unquenched longingness yet to fade from his half-hypnotized eyes. Perhaps he was too young to fall completely and irrevocably under that charm of hers, but as far as he know, the feminine grace and beauty that could induce such an impact upon his juvenile mind was definitely not the kind to be underestimated. There would always be more than enough people who would murder to claim such an elegant flower for themselves, he thought.

“Ahoy there, Corporal! Enjoying yourself, I presume?

Never before did Ein's voice sounded so sharp, direct and yet so sardonic at the same time to Faegard. How the Captain put some extra emphasis on the word 'enjoy' made it worse, and the remotely mischievous-looking smirk on his visage was more than sufficient to lead a very muddled Faegard into a state of panic.

”N... no way, he knows? Faegard's somewhat sullied innocence assumed the worst from his captain's remark, naturally. ”Damn you, Faegard and your corrupted, ignoble ogling of a woman! Are you a worthy prince any more?

Yet again in the course of the flight the elf had the seat belt to thank to for keeping him firmly glued to the chair. But then, the seatbelt alone didn't help his appearance any when his panic and embarrassment could already be seen from a mile away, complete with a bewildered mouth and twitching eyelids, in a desperate attempt to regain composure. As if that wasn't clear enough, his increasingly reddened face was a dead giveaway of his current state of mind.

“Hey, what's with the surprised face?” as usual, Ein responded to Faegard's reaction with a completely straight face, oblivious, or pretending to be oblivious to all those tell-tale, gossip-bait signs. “You've been looking funny for the last few minutes, don't you know? Too busy enjoying the scenery outside?

“Err... I... ah...” Faegard jumped at those words. “Yes, yes, I must have been too absorbed in the scene... yes, the scene, that's right!”

“Well, sightseeing time over, Faegard,” Ein quipped, before returning to a more serious tone. “We're speeding up,” and then immediately dropped down to the casual level, “as I am most certainly not going to miss out on an Otaku's pilgrimage to Akiharaba!”

“Y... yes, sir,” Faegard answered just for the sake of answering.

He barely had time to recuperate from his panic seizure when the screen flashed red all of a sudden, followed at once by the beeping alert siren, the irritating noise that Faegard just couldn't adapt to. Another fair portion of the main screen was simultaneously overridden by a communication panel, buzzing and whizzing with interference. In response, the round, green subscreen located on the far side of the control panel also flicked to life, displaying a green flash some distance away from the center. The reading on radar system suggested that a friendly unit was in the area, or so he was taught.

The buzzing signal interference was frustrating, he had to admit. Still, Faegard could make out the blurry visage of a middle-aged, helmed pilot amid the interference. Even the transparent visor could not hide the distraught, panic and terror written in block letter on his face. Judging from the way his eyes bulged outwards and his irate gasping, Faegard could safely imply that he had just encountered a monster of unspeakable horror and disproportionate power, or some other sources of overwhelming horror of that caliber.

“Mayday! Mayday!” the unidentified pilot said, or perhaps, screamed between his pants, his downright fright and panic piercing through the veil of interference. “Mechanized Frame Squadron 12, do you copy?

“This is Captain Einherjar Ritter of Squad 12,” Ein replied. “Please identify yourself!”

“Lieutenant Friedrich Volkstein, Supporting Bomber Squad 45,” answered the pilot, a tone of urgency had now overridden his speech pattern. “We've encountered enemy Mechvalry Frames en route to Tokyo!”

Ein lifted his eyebrow a little, having been somewhat surprised by the new development, but only very barely. His stable voice showed hardly, if any change at all.

“I copy that,” Ein asked with a firm voice. “Where is your unit?

“15000 distance away at 3 o'clock,” the panic and the interference made it impossible to discern the pilot's voice coherently at this point. “We're under heavy fire! Requesting assistance at o...”

And then Faegard's screen went blank. A blurred, but terrified scream could be heard from the other side just before the screen was filled with gibberish. At the same time, the green spot on the radar screen had also disappeared without a trace, making it hard not to think of what horrible fate had probably befallen the unlucky messenger.

“What... what was that, Captain?” Faegard asked hastily, having lost track of the newest development.

“Obviously our friendlies are under attack. We won't stand at the sideway and watch, of course,” Ein's eyes flashed. “Faegard, release the Skybooster module and get ready to sortie!”

“Release... the flight module?” Faegard asked back. “Wouldn't it be better for us to engage our enemies in flight?

“This system wasn't built solid enough to support prolonged airborne combat,” Ein said hastily. “Long story short, if you don't eject it now, [I] it will drop you right off the sky within about five minutes of battle. You wouldn't want that.”

“But... how, sir?

“Fifth button from the right on the third row,” promptly answered the officer. “Choose the 'Eject' option on the touchscreen, and let the computer decide the landing trajectory.”

Any doubt in the man's leadership capability Faegard had yesterday had all vanished into thin air just as he heard the Captain's voice and looked at his flashing visage. The unshakable resolution embedded in the very foundation of his tone, his demeanor and his eyes, all shining with determination and confidence was distinctive. If that wasn't the tell-tale sign of a competent and dependable leader, Faegard didn't know what was. The elf lifted his lips in pride – Captain Einherjar Ritter had officially been added to his list of people he felt distinguished to be in the presence of.

“Roger that!” Faegard replied, before pressing the respective buttons as instructed.

There was a series of borderline irritating noises of metal plates and bars being detached and rapid gas exhaustion after Faegard entered the final command on the touchscreen. As the main screen showed, the Shishioh was closing on the ground below diagonally while what appeared to be the ejected Skybooster system propeller tubes floated upwards in the opposite direction. The sequential detachment of the propeller tubes in tandem allowed for a gradual decline, and before long, Faegard found himself and his machine standing comfortably on the ground with barely any collision impact at all.

It turned out that Faegard didn't landed on the forest by any chance, but rather on a large road cutting the forest into two. On both sides were the lush greenery, some of which taller than the forty-feet machine itself. The terrain was generally flat, although there was no shortage of elevations just a short distance away.

“Nice landing,” Ein remarked. “The computer is smarter than I thought.”

“S... smarter, sir?” Faegard asked.

“This is ideally the best location possible for a land-borne MF to counter airborne ones,” explained the captain. “We're well covered on both sides by the vegetation while the road still allows for dynamic movement with little restriction. Keep yourself covered under the forest and they won't know what hit them... at least for the first few minutes.”

Einherjar allowed himself a short pause to look sideways, presumably at his main and radar screen. If he was seeing roughly the same thing as Faegard was, he must have noticed not one, not two, but a full row of red dots approaching them from where the green one was just a minute ago. At that point, it became painfully obvious of what had happened to their messenger.

“They're here. Daimyo-class MVFs, ten in number,” Ein said, his defiant grin beamed across his face seemingly contradicting the dire present situation. “Corporal, ready whatever anti-air weapon you've got there and prepare to roll!”

“I've got it, sir,” Faegard answered, trying to stage a firm, stout voice, only to be betrayed by his shaking, nervous hands on the joystick.

The duo didn't have to wait for too long. A group of hostile MVFs emerged over the horizon almost as soon as Faegard uttered his last word of approval. Arranged in a V-shaped formation, the enemies combed across the sky, tearing the blue texture apart with their fired-up engines, trailing blazes behind them as they flew. And then, having probably identified their new preys, the entire group halted in mid-air for a brief second, before gliding diagonally downwards towards the duo while still maintaining their line of formation.

As the distance between them closed in, Faegard could recognize the exact same design and make as those attacking their base two weeks ago. The codenamed HP-M101 'Daimyo' Mechvalry Frames, notable for 'their plethora of long-range weapons lodged on the front shoulders, short-range napalm payload and dynamic air capability,' to quote his last briefing session. As impressive as their flight demonstration was, their novelty had mostly died down for Faegard – having been exposed to quite a few of their combat footages and analysis, by then he was quite sure to be able to identify each and every trick the Frame could possibly pull out. If there was anything more fearsome about the Daimyos this time, it was probably only their overwhelming number.

“This is the 3rd Assault Unit of the Colonies Confederation Army,” a female, yet savage voice over the loudspeaker declared as soon as their formation entered the duo's line of fire. “Union pilots, you have been surrounded! Surrender and no one gets hurt!”

Faegard couldn't say he wasn't surprised at that frighteningly familiar voice over. To think that he would come across the very pilot trying – and failed – to capture him the previous night in battle just a little less than twenty hours since their last encounter was more than a mild astonishment. It appeared that his opponent was not quite amused by that coincidence as well.

“Isn't that the Nishiki Shishioh?” her voice raised into a shriek. “How... how did you survive that fall?

“Our people are experts at surviving the impossible,” Faegard pulled himself together and gave the most impressive remark he could think of. “No lousy fall or skinny gol... Mechanized Frame could prey on me that easily!”

“You want us to surrender?” Ein followed up with one of his trademarked snide comments. “We could be asking for the same, you know. YOU surrender before someone gets her arm amputated again.”

“Why you...” exclaimed the enemy officer. Her lack of amusement was quite justified, knowing how badly her Silent Shinigami got trashed the last time by both the Corporal and the Captain. Some of her soldiers, however, still had their common sense about them.

“L... Lieutenant Jessica, wait! That's... that's the famous Weiss Stahlpferd of the Union Army!” said a horrified Confederate pilot before their leader could do anything rash. “We don't stand much of a chance against that machine's pilot!”

“I know that!” yelled the female pilot. “It's a good time to settle the debts of the last two battles then! I'll sink both of you today!”

“Oh well,” sighed Ein, “Don't you ever learn that 'sink' and 'my Weiss Stahlpferd' never appear together in one sentence?

Faegard thought he could hear a small, but fully noticeable sound of furious teeth grinding on the female pilot's side. She was quick to get over herself, though, the responsibility of a squad leader must have hit her with its full blunt trauma before she could do anything rash.

“So you would turn down our offer. Not that I didn't warn you,” she shouted at her highest pitch. “All units, dispatch the enemies with the Long Range Missile Storm! Do not hesitate to shoot down the Shishioh! We can always reverse-engineer its scraps later!”

Instinctively Faegard reached out for the F-System console. His reaction was not redundant at all – no sooner had his finger reached the control module than the enemy formation shirked aback slightly with recoil. In their wake, towards the Shishioh flew the world of Earth's equivalent of an Elven ranger squad's infamous hail of arrows. Clusters of explosive arrows – missiles, that is – homing in on the elf and his MF at all imaginable angles. Puffs of white smoke exhausting from their behind clogged the air, forming a cloud-like veil trailing behind the lethal warheads. Whether that bombardment was an epic scene of combat or a frightening nightmare of war was entirely up to whether one was on the receiving side or not.

“If this battle boils down to this,” Faegard exclaimed, hitting the control with a defiant look on his face, “I'm not going to be afraid to use that!”

At a flick of Faegard's finger, a field of distorted air formed around the Shishioh, just in time for the first volley of missiles. There was a series of resounding explosions as the missile volleys, one by one, slammed into the area surrounding the Shishioh, spectacularly exploding on impact. The fireballs exploding in quick succession clumped together, forming a full-scale firestorm, a sight both fascinating and fatal at the same time...

******



< Message edited by Argeus the Paladin -- 8/17/2009 2:49:51 >
DF  Post #: 17
8/17/2009 2:37:53   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 17
Mysterious Pilot of the Daimyo Custom


So violent was the bombardment that 'storm' sounded like a mere understatement. The ground itself shattered under the impacts, broken into tiny bits and hurled into the air, mingling with the smoke and fumes to form a spherical, homogenous cloud of smoggy dust, giving a general picture of utter destruction. The missile barrage in itself was a crime against nature – the concentrated explosions had struck down, vaporized or otherwise knocked the lives out of each and every tree in a twenty-yard diameter around the Shishioh's position. Nothing short of a fully-armored battleship could survive that and tell the tale, obviously.

And then the smoke subsided. From the belly of the settling globe of dust, the stout figures of the two Union MFs still stood firmly, suffering from not even a scratch. So were the circular patches of the road right beneath their heels, while the rest of the ground had been battered, plowed, crushed or turned over to the point of unrecognizability. The field of distorted air around both the Shishioh and the Weiss Stahlpferd had apparently done its job well. So reality-defying such feat was that the entire array of Confederate MVFs were left speechless several seconds after the outcome of their barrage became as obvious as day.

“This is... the F-Barrier?” shrieked their captain in complete bewilderment. “We're facing the Union's F-Manipulators?

“Next time, check your F-Sensor before jumping to challenge us, lady,” mocked Ein, raising the Stalhpferd's shield in a victorious, mocking pose. “Now then, have you any other stuff to show us? Or... shall we show you our hand instead?

“Damn it!” exclaimed her. “If we can't bombard them to death, slash them apart with whatever we have at close range! All units, set your engine to maximum output! Charge!”

The next thing Faegard saw was the entire enemy formation drew out their close-range beam swords before swooping down at the duo with engines ablaze. Their speed was dazzling, as if they had all unleashed every single drop of their energy pool to fuel that onslaught. At that sight, the elf was completely helpless in a situation analogous to a goblin on the receiving end of a Paladin Order's renowned cavalry charge – caught at the fangs of a swift assault with little chance to react on time, let alone evade.

In contrary to his awe, his commander responded to the situation with nothing more than a spiteful raise of the eyebrows.

“You don't know what's good for you,” Ein said, shaking his head with mild disapproval. “Fine then – make sure to eject if you don't want to get fried.”

The captain then fired up his own engine, dashing forward towards the swooping Daimyo formation, his massive cannon's scope fixed at their position as he skated across the land. Perhaps he was waiting for them to get into range, or perhaps was trying to frighten those who treasured their life into breaking their formation or fall back. The enemies didn't take those warning signs, and continued their diagonal charge nevertheless. Ein's response was, of course, a smack of the lips and a headshake of disapproval.

And then the flashiest performance of the day took place. When the Captain's Weiss was barely two scores of yards away from their beam edges, the machine went on a blast in the literal sense of the word as the engine exhausted an even more intense jet of flame. That maneuver propelled the machine forward at roughly twice the previous speed, like a racehorse galloping at the final lap. Not being able to keep up with that sudden move, the enemy Daimyos failed to adjust the angle of their charge. And just after the split second that this happened, Ein's machine was standing perpendicularly beneath their formation. At that precise blink of an eye, Faegard saw Ein's cannon changing its shape – the singular barrel had split and rearranged its components in some particular way, giving raise to a strange-looking, multi-barreled structure. When each and every of those barrels started to glow with a cold, eerie blue spark, Faegard was certain the result was not going to be pretty for anyone on the receiving end.

“I've told you, haven't I?” Ein exclaimed, his tone as fired up as the engine flame trailing behind the machine. “But it's too late now! F-Beam Cannon, SCATTER MODE, FIRE! ALL! HAIL! JESUS! YAMATO!”

And then there was a huge blast. A vertical column of blue beam, or rather, a plethora of vertical beams arranged in a circular array shot out from the multiple barrel of the new F-Beam Cannon, spreading out at an angle from the cannon's body into all direction. From Faegard's position, the outward-spreading beams looked like a neverending blue funnel, ripping through the air and shredding anything in its path, air and metal and flesh alike. The light they emit was so intense that for a second or so, even the sunlight was overwhelmed and overshadowed by the scattering beams. Not even the most renowned of wizards could hope to pull out a spell of proportion that grand without resorting to sacrificing a Channeler or two.

To those unfortunate enough to suffer a hit from it, the result wasn't at all pleasant. Any machine hit by even one of those beams was pierced from one side to another vertically, from bottom to top. With the sheer number of beams fired, every single one of the attacking formation was speared three to five times over, at different angles by those bluish, lethal blasts. Some got their legs cleaved off. Others their arms. And some others were literally skewered from top to bottom like a fish stick.

The beams finally subsided, but the machines they pierced didn't outlive them for long. Barely a couple of seconds had passed after that when the ruptured and battered Daimyos began to fall apart and blew up, one by one, like a string of firecrackers setting off in the sky. Before their dooms, their loudspeakers did a pretty good job at conveying the pilots' terror at the last moment – screams of astonishment and horror at different pitches and tones laden the air as the shots went home. As much notice as Ein had given them beforehand to be prepared to eject to save their skins, Faegard wouldn't be at all surprised if none of them managed to escape on time from that flame and brimstone hell.

It would be incorrect, though, to say that the entire enemy rank had been wiped out by the spectacular cannon shot. Still one single machine remained, due to it being a little ahead of the main formation and thus out of the scatter beams' area of effect. Now left all alone, the machine hung in the air, its beam saber left suspending on its dangling hand. Obviously its pilot still hadn't the slightest idea of what had happened.

“What... is going on?” unconsciously said the pilot. The very leader of the enemy squad was the sole survivor of the blue funnel of death. The vanity and fury in her voice had been, quite reasonably, blanked out to nothingness by the utter destruction of her entire team.

“The joy of using an area-of-effect weapon on a badly placed formation when friendlies aren't in the way,” remarked Ein, his voice especially critical and caustic. “You don't have any idea how to lead a squad to victory and not death, do you?

“You...”

Her words were cut shot at the sight of a huge, black barrel pointed straight towards her. The F-Beam Cannon in the Weiss Stahlpferd's hands had reformed into its original shape, sporting a singular, formidable barrel gleaming with a dreadful glitter in direct contrast to the mild sunlight it was under. To make it worse for the downtrodden pilot, her Daimyo was directly vertical of the Weiss, just a couple of dozen yards away. At that range, it was harder to miss than to hit, doubly so with a gun capable of beam shots as huge as half an MF. Suffice to say, the Daimyo and its pilots hung solely on the Weiss' trigger finger.

And then ****eard saw Ein's visage on the screen nodding with an amusing wink of his eyes. Corresponding to that nod was the unexpected lowering of his gun, to the elf's astonishment.

“Captain!” Faegard exclaimed. “What are you doing, sir?

Einherjar chose not to answer that question directly. Instead, the captain turned up his machine's loudspeaker to maximum level, and spoke to the enemy.

“Go,” Ein said loudly, as if fearing the loudspeaker's capacity wasn't enough. The result was a echoing comment the caliber of a bellowing thunderstorm. “I have no intention to take a woman's life, ever. Now get out of here.”

For a moment, the enemy machine appeared stun-struck out of humiliation and amazement. From the current situation, Faegard thought any sane person with the slightest bit of wit to understand what was advantageous and what was not would pull back at once at the face of such utter defeat. It appeared that their opponent that day was not the type, unfortunately.

“AAAAH!” the pilot let out a long, bitter scream of despair, swinging right back into a berserker's grace, completed with a glaring red flare in her Daimyo's eyes. “Like I am going to lose to a mere bit of history like you?

The purple blade-shaped flash on the Daimyo's hand then beamed back into life as the machine swung its back hand over its head, blazing up its engine and swooped down almost perpendicularly to the ground. Faegard gasped at the realization – what just a second ago seemed to be the perfect range for a hold-up had now betrayed the Captain completely. At that distance, there was no way Ein could avoid the sneak attack.

“Captain, watch out!” the elf shouted out of desperation, his voice blaring through both the loudspeaker and the private communication screen. But knowing that hardly had he finished the sentence when the beam sword was barely a couple of yards away from the Weiss' head, that notice seemed to have been wasted...

Or not.

In the nick of time right after that, the captain's visage on the communication panel just let out a mild, arrogant smile. And then both his arm cannon and tower shield swung back to life with a quick flick of the machine's hands, but not to shoot. The enemy realized Ein's reaction too late. When she realized what Ein was planning, her surprise factor was lost – her sneak attack had done no better than sinking into the Weiss' extremely thick and 'beam-resilient' shield, stopping on the spot before it could do any major damage. To top that with, now she couldn't draw the blade out of the shield, the beam sword's edge having been somehow glued into the tower shield's body like iron to magnet.

And while her blade and arm was still stuck helpless on within the shield, the Stahlpferd's main hand swept into action. This time the beam cannon didn't fire a single shot, but rather served a purpose tantamount to a mountain giant's giant club. There was a loud whack as the hollow metal cudgel delivered an awesome bludgeon to the Daimyo's cranium at true point-blank range. Comparing the Daimyo's head at that point with the skull of an ogre unfortunate enough to cross path with a rampaging giant was a befitting metaphor, judging from how shattered metal bits and pieces were forcefully liberated from the remainder of the machine's head and clattered on the ground.

Ein still had enough time to strike a victory pose when the Daimyo was knocked back aroiund a dozen yards and fell down on the ground with a loud rumble. By the time the defeated Daimyo was completely motionless, it appeared almost headless to Faegard. Most of its mass had been quite obviously scattered in the form of shredded metal fragments strewn all over the ground in the direction of the beam cannon swipe. With a convenient move of his left arm to wrap up the flawless victory, the Weiss shook the beam sword off the shield after absorbing all its energy, the handle of the extinguished blade falling on the ground with a lifeless crash.

“I may be part of history, but that doesn't make me useless in any sense of the word,” Ein spoke again to the pilot of the Daimyo after the handle had settled down, assuming she had survived the impact. “Now go train some more before challenging me again next time...”

Ein suddenly stopped speaking at that precise moment, an abrupt sense of alertness filling his visage as it appeared on Faegard's screen. The elf had little time to ask why, for at almost the same time, a jolt of psychic shock coursed through his own head. Faegard couldn't exactly say he was pleasant in its presence – the shock, though mild and generally harmless, was enough to make him somewhat dizzy and queasy for some time. It had been some time since he had last had this feeling, and knowing at exactly which circumstance he had encountered it, Faegard simply couldn't take that sort of shock lightly. That last time was none other than the beginning of the tragic siege of Silverlush.

[I]”A mana shock of this caliber... here? In this world? But how?

Being an apprentice spellcaster born into a spellcasting family of a spellcasting world, Faegard had encountered this sensation many times. Its book name was long and technical, but the commoners and less adept magic users colloquially referred to it as a mana shock – the disturbance in the flow of mana at the presence of a powerful magic user in the neighborhood. The range of effects such a mana shock could have on a spellcaster's senses varied, from soothing or comforting and barely noticeable in the presence of a friendly magic user to a tingling restlessness, sometimes physically painful if the sensed magic user was hostile and belligerent and everything in between. In the case of the Dark Lord of the Walking Death, the shock from his enormous dark magic came in the form of an intense, dreadful headache that had more or less incapacitated many of his peers just at his mere presence in the frontline.

How he could once again sense such disturbance in the flow of mana, though mild, in a world where supposedly magic didn't exist was beyond him, but the elven prince knew more than anyone that it could be nothing good. It seemed that his commander had somehow felt such as well, his usually carefree features showing the clear restlessness of one under the influence of an obvious mana shock.

“Watch out, Corporal,” Ein said, biting his lower lips. It was the first time Faegard had ever seen such a degree of anxiety and seriousness in his commander's normally carefree demeanor. “A big fish is coming.”

“You... you sensed it as well, Captain?” Faegard blurted.

“An F-Manipulator just like you and me is coming to join the party,” Ein said with a firm nod. “Prepare yourself!”

“Lieutenant Jessica Hargreaves, please withdraw at once!”

The loudspeaker came before the person himself. Only after the newcomer had uttered his last word that his shape began to appear on Faegard's radar panel, approaching them at a blinding speed. And there, in the horizon, the newcomer appeared, in a Daimyo painted with the Confederate's dark brown-red color tone, gliding through the air towards them with engines blazing at its fullest output.

“A new model,” Ein remarked. “Looks like the Confederate has more tricks up their sleeves than they appear to.”

Only when the enemy machine had entered his firing range did Faegard realize what the Captain mean by 'new model'. The new Daimyo was fundamentally the same as the other, mass-produced models, but with a number of key differences. It had discarded the bulky but devastating shoulder-mounted bombardment modules and missiles system in favor of a free, more flexible shoulder joint. In exchange, its back arm was fixed with a tower shield not unlike the Weiss' impenetrable defense, and a purple-bladed beam sword three times wider and twice longer than a standard-issue adorned its main hand. To think of it, the new machine's arms were larger than that of its brethren, to the point of disproportion. A second look revealed four, instead of two like the standard model, flaring engines roaring behind its back, explaining its ridiculous acceleration rate. If that MVF could be called a Daimyo at all, the resemblance was perhaps in the overall design only – everything else about its construct told of a heavy-duty, close combat-specialized unit.

And then the new machine stopped in the air about a hundred yards away from the members of the 12th squadron, its flashing red eyes scanning the battlefield for friendlies and enemies. Faegard could swear the mana shock about it had grown even more than before, but maybe it was just him and his bad memories speaking. Either case, there was little doubt standing before them was an enemy on a thoroughly different tier.

“Master Sergeant Black!” cried the downed enemy lieutenant through a barely functional loudspeaker module at the sight of the newcomer in a voice translating into both overjoy and disappointment. “You're late!”

“The Daimyo Custom's adjustments and conditioning took longer than expected,” the newcomer said with a gradual raise in tone. “Lieutenant, you've done all you could. It's my turn now.”

“I am a soldier of the Colonies!” growled the enemy lieutenant. “I'll fight when I still can!”

“With your machine at that state you just can't,” the newcomer said with an emotionless tongue, almost to the point of ruthlessness. “Besides, this battle is personal; the Weiss Stahlpferd and its pilot,” he turned towards Ein's machine, pointing the overcharged beam blade at the white steel horse of the 12th Squadron, “is mine to send to the depths of Hell!”

The defeated officer grunted in displeasure.

“But...”

“No buts,” scowled the newcomer in an impudent attitude sharply resembling Kurogane's. “At this rate you're just getting in my way. No offense, Lieutenant.”

No amount of bull-headed persistence could deny the harsh fact

“Fine,” the downed pilot finally said. “Try not ruin this machine.”

And then there was a sharp crack at the headless Daimyo's chest, followed by a section of its surface lifting out of its usual position. From the opening, a small, human-sized capsule outfitted with a singular, miniature pulse engine popped out. And then with a mild roar, the capsule shot up into the sky, vanishing in the distant clouds in a matter of seconds.

“Now then,” the new Daimyo turned to the two members of the 12th Squad.

Hatred and vengeance clogged up the newcomer's voice as he spoke. His trembling tone, welled with tears and steaming in anger stood in direct contrast to his calm, resolved facade just now.

That might as well have been among the least of Faegard's anxiety at the moment. The newcomer initiated his assaults before the last syllable had escaped his lips, swooping down on the duo in short notice.

Reactively Faegard braced himself, anticipating an impact. There was none – the melee-model Daimyo just swept past him without as much as landing a hit. The newcomer had chosen to ignore the Shishioh completely in favor of the Weiss Stahlpferd.

And then there was a loud crash. Faegard turned his machine back to find the Daimyo Custom's overcharged beam sword pinning on the Weiss' shield. It looked like a bad idea at the time, from what had become of Jessica's machine as a consequence of such maneuver. Faegard felt like taking a breather at such stupidity.

It turned out the other way round. The only thing to be shattered following that attack was not the challenger's head, but rather the defender's shield itself. The overcharged beam sword sliced through the anti-beam tower shield, shattering it like a stone through glass window, and cutting a large gash in the arm underneath. There was a small explosion as the shield broke into two and the slash connected to his arm. Fortunately Ein had his reflex to thank to. A backward maneuver right before the blade could do severe damage saved him from any damage more than just a sliced arm. The devastating momentum of the charge, fully capable of crushing the Weiss' frame and everything in it, ended up shooting the Daimyo Custom back into the air instead.

“Eeeeh?” Faegard gasped. It was the first time he had seen the Stahpferd taking so much as a hit. The machine's arm was clearly bleeding energy bolts, the two halves of its broken shields lining the ground as a solid proof of the Captain's failure to avoid the blow. The Weiss' movement was still fluid and mobile, but the current of the battle was not looking good.

The Captain's visage on the communication screen could testify that. If Faegard had thought his features had turned for the more serious a few minutes ago, by now it looked even more tense. His forehead wrinkled so much that his eyebrows appeared to have joined together. A vein popped up on its side, throbbing intensely. His jaws stiffened, showing a clear clenching of the teeth.

“Extending the Overcharged Beam Sword to Hyper Mode without burning energy. Piercing both the F-Barrier and the Anti-Beam shield in one shot. Breaking the scale on my F-Sensor to top it with,” Ein remarked with all due tension. “This is a powerful F-Manipulator we've have here.”

“That's right, Einherjar Ritter! Today you die here!” growled the pilot of the Daimyo Custom.

If anything, Faegard's tingling sense of magic was intensifying even as the pilot spoke. Whatever violent emotion he was experiencing practically skyrocketed his mana flow nearly to the point of manifesting in physical pain to the elf.

“Faegard, stay out of this,” Ein said. “You aren't good enough to face this pilot!”

The enemy pilot didn't waste time talking. Once again he launched his machine downwards in a similar thrusting maneuver from above, at an even sharper angle and higher velocity. His exclamation, or more appropriately, war cry blared all over the place, courtesy of the loudspeaker. In response to the newest development, Ein discarded his humongous blaster cannon, in favor of a tiny object he had up his sleeve all the while – his own version of an energy blade.

There was a flash, a thunderclap, followed closely by a blinding blaze. The Daimyo Custom's overcharged beam sword slammed into another beam edge, stopping it dead in its track. Compared to his opponent's boisterous blade, Ein's own regular-issue beam sword looked like a kitchen knife, but it was doing its job well. The two blades adjoined for some time in a fierce tug-of-war, complete with occasional sparks igniting from the contacting edges. Still, Ein was at a massive disadvantage, his one-hand grip of a smaller sword no match for his adversary's two-handed, oversize blade. The parry wouldn't hold for long.

The Weiss flicked its legs backward to break the parry. The sheer force of the Daimyo Custom's downward slash, having lost its counterweight, staggered the machine, driving the blade into the ground. The result was a deep, smooth, clean cut at the earth's skin, throwing up minced dirt and gravel as the blade swung through the ground.

Taking advantage of the confusion, the Weiss leaped up, its thigh opening to reveal a crossbow-like projectile launcher. The design was similar to the Silent Shinigami's beam gun, but smaller and more concealable. Its uninjured hand then sheathed the energy blade, replacing it with the newly revealed item.

“Strong, but not skilled enough! You still need more practice!” Ein exclaimed, pointing the bowgun-like weapon at the trapped machine.

The shots he then fired did catch the enemy by surprise, but was by no means conclusive. One shot took out the decorative horn on its head, the other grazed its shoulder pads, and that was about it. The pilot of the Daimyo responded by activating a circular, air-distorting field, effectively absorbing and dissipating the next projectiles.

“An F-Barrier, huh?” Ein said. “I should have expected this...”

The Daimyo Custom then produced its own sidearms, a larger, longer and two-handed version of the Stahlpferd's. For some reason the long, slender design of that weapon reminded Faegard of a rapid-firing crossbow. To complete the analogy, the Daimyo proceeded to fire a full volley of beam shots at the Weiss in quick succession. The stray shots plowed the ground, uprooting and tearing apart whatever vegetation in its path. In response, Ein promptly swerved sideway, evading the brunt of the flurry, and whichever shot he couldn't avoid was taken care of by his own F-Barrier.

But his opponent was determined not to give Ein a moment of peace. Immediately after the last shot was fired, he grabbed the overcharged beam sword and glided towards the Weiss, still flat-footed from the last complex maneuver. The huge beam edge aimed for the Weiss' head with a quick downward slice at a dead angle.

“Die, Einherjar Ritter!” the pilot screeched. “Die so that Luna can rest in peace!”

“As if,” Ein replied, swinging his own beam sword to parry the blow.

For the next minute the battle boiled down to the giant robots' equivalence of a nobleman's duel. Blows were exchanged at an increasing speed, with neither side gaining a certain upper hand. While the huge beam sword was unable to break through the Weiss Stahlpferd's parry, Ein had no opportunity to launch any counterattack. Finally, both combatants were exchanging blows at such speed that their figures mingled together indiscernibly; flashes of beam blades clashing being the only way to tell them apart.

It didn't take long to realize that Ein was at the raw end of the duel. Faster and more skillful, but before the speed, zeal and utter disregard for his own safety that his opponent displayed, it wouldn't be long before his control slipped. And seeing the size and intensity of his opponent's huge sword, the result would be lethal. Faegard realized he just couldn't stand in the sideway any more.

“I'm not going to sit out here and watch, Captain!” called him. “I'm lending you a hand!”

The elf then pressed a particular button on his left joystick. The Shishioh's left hand detached from the wrist as a result, clenched into a tight fist and launched itself towards the Daimyo Custom from behind.

”I never want to sneak on anyone, but this...” Faegard thought as he watched the fist flew forth. ”There simply isn't another choice.”

However, Faegard had forgotten to account for the impenetrable barrier the Daimyo Custom had. There was a loud crash as the fist slammed into the force field on its back and stopped dead in its track, to Faegard's bewilderment. The useful technology he was enjoying, when used by the enemy, proved to be indeed fearsome. All what the sneak attack did was to stun the enemy for a split second, enough for Ein to increase the distance between the Weiss and the Daimyo Custom a little for comfort.

“You are trying to piss me off, aren't you?” the pilot of the Daimyo said without even turning back, resuming his onslaught immediately thereafter.

“Corporal, listen!” Ein exclaimed as the Weiss leaped backward to avoid the charge. “This isn't looking good. Go to our assembly point without me! I'll catch up with you later!”

“I'm not going to turn tail and flee!” Faegard stubbornly retorted. “I am a proud Elven Paladin of Greenglaze!”

“The princess is not,” Ein said promptly, blocking yet another downward slash as he spoke. “Think of the girl in your cockpit before you do anything rash!”

The worst had come just as Ein was about to finish his sentence. Perhaps talking while fighting had interfered with his reflex, perhaps his evasion had reached his limit, or perhaps his opponent had predicted his movement pattern. The only thing Faegard knew was the downward slash had turned into a slightly diagonal side chop. As it flashed across the Weiss' weapon holding arm, off went the appendage with a clean cut. Everything under the right elbow, including its beam sword, was torn off, falling on the ground as lifeless scrap metal. While the other hand was broken and out of commission, that blow effectively deprived Ein of all means to defend himself.

“C... Captain!” Faegard cried out in horror.

“Freeze,” said the enemy pilot, pointing the overcharged beam sword at the Weiss' neck. His victory was questionable, but undeniable.

The next few seconds passed in silence, astonishment and fright filling the duo inside the Shishioh's cockpit. The same couldn't be said about Ein, however, as a sort of odd serenity was written all over his visage as he watched his machine's detached arm rolling on the ground. It was almost as if he was expecting a defeat and rejoiced at it.

“Heh,” Ein finally said, the same serenity filling his tone. “So I lost, didn't I? What do you intend to do to me now?

“What I intend to do to you?” mocked the victor. “For what you've done to Luna, death is too good for you!”

“I'm afraid that's about it,” Ein said coolly. “I'm unmarried, have no children, and my only living relative is myself.”

“So you end here, butcher!” the enemy scowled. “Rest in peace, Luna – your murderer is finally brought to justice!”

And then the Daimyo raised its overcharged beam sword over its head, readying to behead the Weiss in one blow. At that range, there was little to no chance Ein could eject on time, and even if he could, the enemy could, and would make short work of his escape shuttle, as crazed as he was about killing him.

It was in that moment of despair that a crazy idea flashed in Faegard's head. The elf closed his eyes tight, concentrating all his attention and mana flow as a result thereof at his two hands, or in this case, two joysticks – the standard procedure for starting a powerful, high-level magic spell. As he opened his mouth, eloquent High Ancient words escaped his lips in a long string of incantation.

”O Guardian of the Element, whose sparks seethes the azure sky. I beseech thine presence, lest mine foe forget thine searing smite!”

No sooner had Faegard's High Ancient chanting concluded than storm clouds gathered right above the Daimyo, completed with an appropriate darkening of the sky and sparks of charged bolts filling the space. So absorbed as the pilot of the Daimyo was about killing his sworn enemy, the awesome change in the weather forced him backward in confusion.

From the rainclouds, a bolt of pure plasma the size of a building sparked and scintillated, its thunderous roars filling the heart of all those who observed with awe and terror. And then the entire pillar of sparking lightning collapsed on the Daimyo, engulfing it with the purest essence of the element of air. There was a sharp sound of the F-Barrier collapsing, followed by a thunderclap, a series of blasts, and concluded with a huge explosion.

And then silence returned to the battlefield. Faegard couldn't see anything beyond the cloud of smoke – sparks and sizzles from the lightning spell was filling up what space the smoke didn't occupy. When they had all died down, however, the sight was rewardingly spectacular. The Daimyo Custom squatted on the ground, half of its body charred to black. Its sword-holding arm was especially fried, reduced to a heap of smoldering scrap metal. From the smoke billowing from its back, Faegard could say the same for at least two out of its four engines. As much as Faegard was aware of the sheer destructive power of that spell, never did he know it could be that devastating.

The other members of his troupe weren't that amused by Faegard's new moves though. Even the cool Ein was left silent-struck, and from the reflection on his screen, Tsuki looked like she was going to faint.

“What... what was that?” Ein finally broke free of the spell and asked. “The Weather Control satellites going berserk?

“Err...” Faegard scratched his head. “Sorry, I never expected the Burst Lightning spell to be that powerful...”

“That... that's... magic?

It turned out that the Daimyo's pilot wasn't dead after all, but to Faegard's credit, his voice was filled with astonishment, even more so than Ein or Tsuki.

“How... how did they know... magic?” he said, unable to wipe the astonishment off his voice.

“Magic?” repeated Ein in all due astonishment. “Is that what you call... what you've just did?

“You saw it,” Faegard replied on reflex, before turning to the enemy with a huge bluff. “I am capable of things far more devastating than this – If you still value your life, get out of our way!”

“I...”

“If you want to avenge that Luna you are blabbing about, then by all means stay alive,” Ein also said. “You are not going to kill anyone with that broken machine of yours! Now go!”

“I don't need an enemy's sympathy!” scowled the downed pilot. “Mark my word, Einherjar Ritter – the next time we meet will be your last!”

The Daimyo's functional engines were still doing there work, or so it seemed, as the machine could still take off, although staggering, before vanishing beyond the horizons, leaving the battered Squad 12 on the battlefield.

“Well, that takes care of that,” Ein sighed in relief. “We've been behind schedule for some time, haven't we?

“Let's get back on track then, Captain!” Faegard exclaimed.

“We'd better,” Ein said, blinking his eyes mischievously. “There are certain things... you'll have to fill me in when we reach our destination. Got it?

“You too, Captain,” suddenly asked Tsuki. “How could anyone be hunting you down with such fervor? Did you happen to kill anyone you shouldn't?

“Not that I remember,” Ein shrugged. “Don't get me wrong – it's war. I've been responsible for so many casualties on the opposing side that I've forgotten about most. Perhaps, some time, some day, I really did kill someone I shouldn't have.”

“I see,” Tsuki replied, bending her neck.

”That pilot's voice,” she thought. ”I'm sure I've heard of it... somewhere. A very familiar voice... but where? Exactly where? I can't remember.”

“Right, cut the chatter,” Ein smiled. “Let's hope we can still make it to Tokyo and receive the due repairs before 1900!”

And then the duo set off, this time over land. Tokyo awaited somewhere beyond those hills and forests. And with it, the one battleship capable of winning the war on its own.

******

DF  Post #: 18
8/17/2009 2:39:28   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 18
Aya's Tale


A soft evening breeze flowed into the chamber, brushing against Kurogane's cheeks. The wind tingled his senses, bringing the young man back into reality. Kurogane gave out a loud yawn, his eyes opening gradually to the faint moonlight filling the room through the translucent window. His slumber had been cut short, but it was not that he would miss it any. His last dream was not a good one, and waking up from it was a blessing of sort. It would be a long night nevertheless – the clock on the table suggested that it would be another three hours before sunrise.

The first thing that caught his attention was the state of his bed. It was no longer warm and neat like it should be, but rather rough and messy. His pillow and bedsheet had deformed into an unrecognizable pile of wrinkled textile, dampened by his own sweat. Half of the blanket had overflowed on the ground, its remainder barely covering his damp torso. With the breeze constantly blowing through the wide open window, his sweaty skin started to feel cold.

“Damn brat,” Kuro gave out a mild curse. “Next time close the window after you leave the room!”

The foul words escaped Kuro's mouth naturally, with little dissent, hatred or malice. As if cementing that notion, Kuro concluded with a smirk, a shrug and an overall amused expression. The young man then reached for a small button on the side of the bed and pressed a particular combination without looking. The combination ended with a beep, followed by the sound of sliding metal at the window, concluding with a click as the window panel shut tightly in place.

Kuro took a deep breath, straightening his clothing and smoothing out part of the wrinkled bedsheet, and lay down on his back again. His palms cupped the back of his head, raising it above the wet pillow like a pedestal. His eyes gazed at the ceiling, pondering.

His first thoughts were, naturally, of the subject of the outspoken complaint just now. It was outright impossible for anyone to hate the new addition to his team. Faegard Thunderwood Elfblade, the midget with a name seemingly drawn from any random Western airport novel, was simply a perfect soldier, by his father's standard. Obedient. Diligent. Idealistic. Compassionate. Ready to fight to the death for what he believed in. Factoring in his capability to control the F-System with insane efficiency, the little creature was literally worth more than his weight in gold to the Union top brass.

Even Kuro was feeling the very basis for his hostility against the alien creature faltering. Now that he thought of it, in the past few days he had been breaking more unwritten rules of his people's code of honor than over the rest of his 18 years of life. He had stooped too low, nearly to the point of murder out of petty jealousy. It seemed to be a good idea at the time – the Shishioh was too big a chance to be given away without a fight. A chance he had fought and struggled hard for and won despite all odds.

”The Shishioh,” Kuro mumbled.

He was neither a mecha otaku like Captain Ein, nor one who could use the F-System to save his life. But the top-of-the-line Nishiki Shishioh still had a special meaning to him. To be recognized as an ace, to become the great pilot his father had expected him to be, the shortest path was to test-pilot a MVF of its caliber. Being the test pilot of such a machine was not just an honor, but also came with a set of tangible benefits – promotion and recognition being only the most immediate. It took Kurogane no less than three fierce rounds of examination and eliminating competition, facing off against the best of his generation to earn the Shishioh's pilot seat.

All of that, for the machine to be snatched away by a nobody whom he didn't even know the true identity of. Perhaps it wasn't just jealousy that had motivated him, but something else as well. Fear of not living up to his father's overwhelming expectation. Exasperation over a chance rightfully his deprived at the last minute. But nothing could hide the fact that he had been in the wrong, that his behavior had gone against everything a soldier and a man was meant to be. The first time in his life, Kurogane felt himself loathsome, a complete monster who deserved to be ridiculed and hated.

And yet he couldn't stand the notion of the one person who took the liberty to spell it out for him.

“I hate you!”

The soldier touched his cheek where the Lieutenant had struck, her words echoing in his skull, as if striking deeper into his conscience. The boiling, angry palm printed on his cheek had faded away, but her words just wouldn't. Knowing himself, had it not been for her unforgiving chastisement, never would he seriously look back and reflect upon his own mistake. But what he saw then, the normally cheerful Ayaka Saionji storming out of the room without making the least attempt to conceal her tears and fury, pained his heart more than he had anticipated.

”Do you... do you truly mean what you said, onee-san?” Kuro smacked his forehead in a personal display of regret. “Do... do you hate me now?

In all seriousness, rarely had he expected anyone to hate him, apart from the soldiers of the other side and, of course, his father. And his mother, Captain Ritter and Lieutenant Saionji were the last people in the world to hate him, or so he thought.

But it was only logical, sighed Kuro as he pondered on the worst possibilities. They had known each other for nearly a year now, and Aya had only slapped him twice – all in the neighborhood of the past few days. It was the only two times he had seen her crying openly, forfeiting all of her playful antics. He should have known earlier of her sudden change in mood and temperament. But even if he didn't know that, having been close to her for that long, he should have at least realized what kind of people she loved and what other kind she couldn't stand. Why didn't he realize earlier that Aya hated jerks with a passion, even worse for those jerks who would jump into full depressed suicidal mode at a whim?

The wounded soldier sighed, turning over to scratch his side, as if to brush away his despair. Now that he had been fully awake, the medicinal nanite plates embedded in his broken bones to heighten recovery constantly itched, as if wanting to make life harder on him. No amount of scratching would ease the itch, but Kuro tried anyway in vain. Fortunately, he would only have to survive the treatment for another three days at best. Thinking so, Kurogane stretched his body all over the bed, trying to find the most comfortable position.

And then a sharp, painful poke at his back jerked him up. Letting out a mild cry, Kuro quickly turned over to relieve himself of the pain, before sitting up, staring at the bedsheet to look for the culprit. The lamp on the table helped a great deal as well. There, on the crumpled surface lay a silvery, oval object the size of his thumb, gleaming under the incandescent, reddish lamplight. The unknowing soldier must have rolled over it under the darkness.

Intrigued, Kuro picked up the object and inspected it under the lamplight. It was hard and cold to the touch, but glittering and fine. Not being a master of metalwork himself, Kuro could but admire the delicateness of the object. The silver texture was flawless, while a multitude of intricate patterns engraved both the front and the back of the trinket. He could even smell a faint scent of perfume from its interior to add to the exquisiteness. A second look revealed a lid, with a tiny hatch to open it. Out of curiosity, Kuro clicked the hatch and slid the front surface across.

It turned out that the trinket concealed within its bowel a picture, framed perfectly well within the oval metal bound. While it was mostly intact, tiny traces of deterioration could be seen along its texture, suggesting that it was quite old, perhaps even older than Kuro himself. The main body of the picture was largely intact to Kuro's interest.

It was the picture of a young couple, likely clipped out from their wedding picture, judging from the costumes they wore. Leave out the obvious fact that they looked completely happy and contented, both of them were strangely familiar to the Corporal. Kurogane had seen the likes of groom's beaming visage more often than he could remember. He bore an uncanny resemblance to a war hero of the First War, the very person Kuro aspired to be like when he had fully matured as a pilot.

But it was the bride's visage that left his jaws dangling with astonishment. She was a spitting image of Lieutenant Saionji – the same heart-shaped face, the same kind and refreshing smile, the same hair color, even right down to the twin strands of hair hanging over her forehead. If there was any difference, it was her eyes, wet, soft and... weak, if he was to say himself, as opposed to Aya's burning, decisive eyes, laced with mischief when need be.

”Is there any chance that onee-san had dropped this? Kuro's head sparked with the most reasonable conclusion, followed by a beam across his face for good reasons. ”Wait... does this mean that the heavens have granted me a chance to apologize to her?

His smile evolved into a giggle, then a full, loud laughter of appreciation. Perhaps it was just his joy overriding his awareness of the surrounding, but Kuro's laughter sounded demented and hysterical, like that of a serial killer approaching his mark. Only when he had finished his laughter did he finally regained enough control to tuck the trinket into the safety of the pocket.

”Wait, she's probably in Tokyo now,” the soldier thought on with all due excitement. ”I'd better get well quickly so that I can bring this to her in person!”

Kuro concluded his streak with yet another sigh, as if negating all the joy he had just had the moment before. Waking up in the middle of the night like that, he knew all too well it would be impossible to settle down again for the night. And knowing the kind of nightmares he would usually encounter recently, it might be wiser to not think about getting back to sleep to save his sanity. Thinking so, he reached out for the crutch leaning against his bed. If staying in bed would have no merit at all, he could as well take a walk outside. It wasn't like his legs were derelicts now, after all.

******


It was colder outside than he thought, even though it was already late spring. The clinic was next to empty – it would have been completely so had it not been for the nurse on duty. She didn't make any difference however, snoozing on the shift as she was. Kuro was able to leave the clinic without making as little as an effort.

Just outside the automatic door of the clinic was a completely different world. Gone was the smell of antiseptic and bleach or the bleeping sound of medical machines. Fresh air and the soothing chirps of the first crickets instead dominated the atmosphere, bringing a smile of refreshment to the troubled soldier. The beauty of a balcony at midnight. And in its stead, a spring of memories rushed back into his head.

The last time he heard those sounds, Kurogane was still a schoolwork-happy, prank-happy schoolboy, who prided himself for having a father and, consequentially, a foregone position in the Army, and thus, being above his girl-crazy classmates. Even now, looking back at those days, the pride of himself half a year ago had already sounded absurd. His father's increasing, borderline unreasonable expectation in him only redoubled itself after he joined the army. To make things worse, the horrors of true kill-or-be-killed when a war was brewing in the horizon was striking him with the full impact of a sledgehammer to the cranium.

The novelty of warfare was quick to wear out, far quicker than he had expected. Kurogane lost his innocence with his first kill just three days after he joined the army, and suffered his first severe injury short of a week later. Had he not transferred to Squad 12 and enjoyed Captain Ritter's crazy but awe-inspiring antics or Lieutenant Saionji's sisterly care and understanding, he would have gone mad. Before long, his team became a literal family – if he would accept the Captain and the Lieutenant as his acting foster parents.

”Wait, what? What am I thinking? Kuro mentally kicked himself. It was an arrangement he would not agree to in his deep subconsciousness, for some reason he didn't know for sure.

And then the stream of memories came to a close when he realized a silhouette half-hidden behind a nearby pillar. Normally such a shadow would be a frightening presence, reminding children of frightening ghost stories and adults of stalkers and murderers. But after joining the army, in Kuro's subconscious mind, that sort of dark figure would automatically equate an enemy spy sneaking into the base. He knew precisely the appropriate remedy to that situation – the pistol he always kept in his person.

“Who's there? Put your hands up where I can see them!” yelled out Kurogane, taking one step forward and pointing the gun at the direction of the shadow. His other hand grasped the crutch tightly, both for support and for use as a side weapon should the bad come to worse.

There was a mild shriek of bewilderment from the direction of the shadow, before it slowly stepped into the light, hands up in the air. A familiar, brown mass of shoulder-length hair was the first thing Kuro realized. The soldier responded with a gasp, dropping his weapon on the ground with a solid thud.

Onee... Lieutenant Saionji?” Kurogane asked with the most astonishment he could summon in one sentence.

“Kurogane?” the brown-haired person responded with about the same amount of surprise, lowering her hand in the process. Her voice then quickly switched into a sterner tone, corresponding to her changed expression “I thought I am the one who should ask you that! You need to rest!”

For a second, Kuro thought his ears had finally snapped and was sending him the opposite signal of what was happening. Aya's voice was no longer bitter or hateful as it was just the last morning, but rather filled to the brim with anxiety, compassion and care. She also sounded much, much more tired than she would usually, as though reflecting her own lack of sleep.

“I... err....” Kuro was at a loss for words for a couple of seconds, scratching his head. “I can't sleep...”

“I see,” sighed the lieutenant. “You'd better get back to bed – your wounds were nothing to be scoffed at to begin with.”

By now he was certain his ears weren't playing tricks on him. Aya's tone was every bit as caring and concerned as she would usually be, for some reasons.

“After you,” Kuro said, in an attempt to make an intelligent comment. “You've been waiting here since the evening, haven't you?

It was just a wild guess, but the slight change in Aya's color proved that he was correct. That notion was further cemented by a slow, but obvious nod on her behalf.

“But why? You said you hate me, didn't you?” Kuro asked in bewilderment. As much as his subconscious mind was desiring something along those lines, it was something he wouldn't logically believe.

Before the soldier could do anything, Aya had closed the distance between them with quick, almost feverish steps, until they were barely a foot apart.

“I can't hate you, Kuro,” she said. “How can I hate the only family I have alive now?

Any possible trace of fatigue and tiredness in her eyes had vanished. Under the moonlight, her crystal-clear pupils glimmered, the gentle silver shimmers reflecting the transparent liquid on the verge of overflowing the rims of her eyes.

“But I...” Kuro replied, his eyelid stretched upward in bewilderment. The young soldier could feel the surrounding heating up with every passing second, even more when he looked into her wet, trembling eyes.

The young woman answered by raising her hands and, with a quick movement of her arms and wrists, clasped them around Kuro's cheeks. Her hand was soft and cool to the touch, and yet for a second Kuro felt as if two lumps of burning charcoals were pressed against his face to incinerating effect. There was no escaping Aya's deep, passionate eyes.

“Listen carefully, Kuro,” Aya said. “You and Captain Ritter... both of you are my only living relatives. Under no circumstance will I forsake either of you. However mad I am, whatever I say, keep in mind that I can't leave my little brother alone, especially when you need me the most. Never, my brother. Never.”

The next thing Kurogane felt was the Lieutenant's hands leaving his cheeks, reaching behind him. Her arms then wrapped around his neck, pulling him to her. In seconds, the duo were in a full embrace, at which point Kuro began to break down as his body pressed against hers.

“Would... would you forgive me?” Kuro murmured, in his futile effort to keep himself from crying.

“Why must I not?” gently said Aya, stroking Kuro's back like a child. “You've learnt your lesson in more ways than one, haven't you?

“So... I can... I can still call you onee-san, can I?” Kurogane uttered.

“Idiot,” jokingly chastised Aya. “Of course you can... you're my brother, aren't you?

O... Onee-san!” cried Kurogane as he grasped Aya with the full force of his arms, his tears flowed down his cheeks as he relieved himself of all self control temporarily. The result was a tight, passionate, almost painful squeeze for the woman within his grasp...

******


“So... you're going to stay here tonight?” Kuro asked.

With just a touch of a woman, Kuro's messy bed had cleared up considerably. The drapes were in position, the blanket folded back neatly, and a new pillow was brought out to replace the old one drenched in sweat. Suddenly his bed became a soothing place to lay his back against, all thanks to the young woman sitting at the chair next to it. As if mocking him, Aya replied by knocking on her shoulders, where his hands were a couple of minutes before.

“Next time, don't squeeze me like that,” she said. “It hurts.”

“Sorry, I failed to control my limbs for a split second...” Kuro said, scratching his head while his cheeks turned red. “Anyways, onee-san, I thought you have followed Captain Ritter to Tokyo already...”

“I didn't,” Aya asnwered. “As I said, I am not going to leave you lying wounded and depressed like that. I've asked for a leave extension according to Article 3, Section 12 of the Military Rules and Regulations.”

“An... extension?” jerked Kuro at the mere concept. “You do realize that the top brass does not usually tolerate officers who have asked for a Limited Extension, don't you?

“I've been in the army for half a decade now, Kuro,” blinked Aya. “Of course I do know that. But as I said, I can't leave you. Not after you've just received a demotion, no.”

Aya's words, for some reasons, dragged the atmosphere low down. Kuro kept his silence for some time, his neck bent, looking at the ground.

“So... you know about that,” he finally said. “I thought I've requested the Colonel to keep this... shameful fact from both you and the Captain.”

“Sooner or later we will know,” Aya said. “Wouldn't it be better that we know about it now and try to help you than later?

“Well, guess there's no hiding it now,” Kuro sighed. “My father's notice arrived very early this morning – it was as if he decided on this the moment he heard of my defeat in the battle yesterday. So that I'm not even sure if it is really my action that had upset him, or if it was he couldn't stand the very notion of my losing to a rookie.”

“This may sound as if I'm siding with Colonel Renzoku,” Aya said, “but I do believe that your father wasn't upset with your defeat as much as your conduct.”

“How can you be so sure?” Kuro asked back. “Knowing my vain old man... he always picture his son as this one bright star in the sky whom none can outshine...”

“Just think about this, Kuro,” insightfully said Aya. “Your father is a high-commissioned officer. He should know about Corporal Elfblade's proficiency with the FALCON System as much as, if not more than Colonel Albert. Or, in other words, he should know more than anyone else that you have little chance against the Corporal in a battle of that context.”

A spark shone across Kurogane's eyes as he heard this, followed by a visible beam across his face.

“Are... are you sure about this, onee-san?” he asked hastily.

“Of course I am not 100% sure,” smiled the woman. “But logically speaking, that would be the most sensible explanation.”

“I... I just hope you are right,” Kuro breathed out heavily after a short pause to mull over the idea. “I always want to think of my father as you do – a respectable general who loves his soldiers and subordinates as much as he does his country and his ideals. But... well, I don't know what better to say rather than those... rants even you are tired of listening to...”

Aya didn't reply, but instead shook her head at the younger soldier, as if requesting him to think things over before drawing any conclusion. Getting her message, Kuro bent his neck, digging his hands into his pockets to averse her inquisitive, piercing eyes. And then his hand touched the cold, engraved surface of the trinket he'd picked up earlier. His eyes immediately shone up with a newfound joy as he flipped his head upwards, staring straight at his caretaker with all due fervor.

Onee-san,” he asked passionately, “is this yours?

He then produced the silver piece of jewelry on the palm of his outstretched hand. Aya's answer as her eyes reached the object was obvious. First came a gasp, followed by a sequence of frantic pocket-searching, and completed with her staring at the object in question without a blink.

“How... how could I have lost such an object?” she said with all due bewilderment as she picked up the item from his palm and opened the lid to check out the content. “What... what's wrong with my head?

“So... it's yours?” Kuro asked hastily.

“Even more than that,” Aya said, clasping the object to her chest. “I treasure this locket as much as my own life, or even more so.”

“Is it because of the man in the picture?” Ein asked excitedly. “Is it Captain Okazaki Itou, the famous ace of the North Eurasian Front in the First War? The very pilot who had single-handedly wiped out an entire fleet's worth of Colonial Mechanized Frame in the Battle of Vladivostok-Kyushu, who was KIA in the same battle, was posthumously promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and awarded the Order of the Union Hammer for valor in battle?

Things made sense up to that moment. Captain Itou was, after all, a legend. He was to the likes of Captain Einherjar Ritter as the Captain was to Kurogane himself. His untimely death at the peak of his service only served to cement his position as a modern-day superhero, winning him not only posthumous honors, but also fans, and, however unlikely, fangirls. But Aya's expressions didn't spoke of anything along those lines. As Kuro mentioned his name, the only response he received from Aya was that of unexplained sadness.

“Right, and wrong,” Aya finally said.

“So... that man isn't the Lieutenant Colonel?” Kuro asked back with all due astonishment.

“The world know him as the Black Phantom of North Eurasia, the Winner of Vladivostok, or the Undefeated Ace of the East. But I call him,” Aya paused, “father. Short and simple.”

“F... F... Father?” Kuro couldn't believe his ears any more. “Onee-san, are you referring to the same word as I am?

“My real name should be Ayaka Itou, had I not adopted my mother's surname,” Aya went on. “The woman in the picture... is my mother, Furuka Saionji. Whom I have never met and will never meet in person.”

“I... I don't understand,” Kuro looked completely blank. “There should be a story behind his, right?

“Alright,” Aya sighed. “You must have been quite familiar with the modern-day fairy tale. A shy, but pretty girl meets a carefree, troublemaking delinquent in school, whom everyone thinks lowly of. It turns out that the delinquent is a misunderstood person with a heart of pure gold. The girl falls for him, reforms his outlaw nature, and forms a bond with him unlike anyone has expected. The story ends when both of them graduate from high school and then college, after which the man takes great pain to prove his worth to the society and finally asks for the girl's hand in marriage. They would live happily ever after, to prove the true meaning of unyielding and selfless love.”

“I believe that is as close to reality as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” Kuro remarked. “I'm not really a romantic person.”

“Well, I can tell you that this is precisely what happened between my parents,” Aya said. “Only that it didn't end as it should.”

“What happened then?” Kuro asked curiously.

“The First War,” Aya said sadly. “The romantic fairy tale started to run off course within days of my parents' marriage with the orbital bombardment of Berlin and Moscow that sparked the war. My father, being the hot-blooded youth he was, chose to join the Union army to defend his homeland, leaving my then-pregnant mother alone. She never saw him again.”

“That was a long time ago,” Kuro said. “The First War went on and off for around a decade – surely the Lieutenant Colonel could have found some time to pay your mother and you a visit, couldn't him?

“It was more like he did not want to come back home,” Aya shook her head, her tone sunken even lower than before. “Or rather, he grew afraid of returning home, and couldn't find any reason to overwhelm that fear. For when the first open act of the war ended with the Treaty of 2379, the one person he cherished the most in life... was no longer alive.”

“Eh? Did you mean your mother... died during this period? How come?” Kuro blurted. “As far as I know, the first half of the war didn't even touch the Japanese Archipelago, did it?

Almost at once Kurogane realized he had asked a question he shouldn't have. Aya was silent-struck by his words, her entire body trembling in an attempt to hold back from bursting into tears again. It was probably a memory she had wished to forget, but couldn't. The conflict resulted in another length of silence as Aya pulled herself together.

“My mother did not die in the war,” Aya finally said. “She died... on the 23th October, 2378. The very day I opened my eyes to this world. In other word,” at these words, her tears started to break free of her control, “I have murdered my own mother in a particular sense of the word.”

Incidentally Aya's account coincided with Kurogane's biggest paranoia in his younger days, that of 'what if my mother died giving birth to me'. His answer to that paranoia was quite identical to what Aya felt – 'in that case I'd be guilty of murdering my own mom'. The notion of someone having to live their lives with that conscience of guilt was already overwhelming. Now, being faced with an eyewitness right before him, Kuro thought he had swallowed his tongue.

“But I've got my punishment,” Aya continued, wiping away some stray tears escaping her eyelids. “My father never returned, and all what I know of him is through newspaper reports and TV broadcasts of a man hailed as the Black Phantom of North Eurasia. The Union praised him as if he was the newest superhero, but to me, he was nothing but a figurehead. And so I've lived, grown up, and never forgot to send my father a short video-mail every single week, waiting for a reply that never came.”

”Just like my own father,” Kuro couldn't help but make a reference.

“So... how did you spend your childhood, onee-san?” Kuro asked.

“I am by no means the only orphan in the whole country,” the young woman said. “I was rounded up with thousands of others of my kind into a huge orphanage. It was a tolerable life there, far from ideal, but bearable, unlike what 19th century literature would have you believe.”

“I see,” Kurogane said, for want of anything better. “You must really hate your father, didn't you?

“To say the truth, there was a time when I did have the same notion as you are,” Aya replied. “I didn't come to terms with why others had both parents and I had none for quite a portion of my childhood. Even when I came to terms with it, I didn't know if I should love or hate my father. And then I started to think of my father as some kind of... prize.”

“Prize?” Kuro rolled his eyes. “That's kind of... odd.”

“I was but a ten-year-old kid by then. I simply thought that my father didn't want to see me because I was being a bad girl. So if I behaved myself, did my duties and was nice to the other children, then perhaps I would see my father again,” Aya said, half serious, half self-ridiculing. “In the depth of my heart, I still wanted to see my father, still wanted him to hug me like any other girl out there, still wanted to whisper in his ears how I love him and how I am proud of such an awesome father. You know... now that I've grown up, the notion of that wishful thinking alone was ridiculous, wasn't it?

Kuro felt like evading the question, for want of anything better to comment.

“So... In the end, did you get to see your father again?

“I did,” Aya answered. “Shortly before the beginning of the Battle of Vladivostok-Kyushu, my father did pay me a visit. Or, rather, he paid the orphanage a visit. The Union propaganda had demonized the Colonial forces and angelized their own quite well, at least to the orphaned folks where I came from. Imagine being visited by a superhero who mows through the hordes of evil like there's no tomorrow – the impact of such words were... let's just say that I didn't even get a minute to talk to the man, even though I am his daughter and everyone knows that.”

“And they call it an orphanage,” Kuro said, quite enraged at the notion.

“They have their own reasons,” Aya said. “Besides, I was quite happy to see him, even though it was just from a distance. He hadn't changed much, compared to the few pictures I had of him. Except for one striking difference – the confident, proud smile of complete happiness he displayed on the wedding day picture... was gone, as if it had never existed. That was the only thing I could remember from that day.”

“And then he went to the Battle of Vladivostok-Kyushu and died there without so much as speaking a word to his own daughter,” Kuro remarked, even more pissed than the inside woman. “That's as bad as, no, worse than my own father!”

“That wasn't what happened, Kuro,” Aya said quietly.

She turned the locket upside down. On its bottom side, to Kuro's surprise, was another, albeit smaller and much better hidden hatch. Aya's thin fingers slid it aside, revealing a second layer within the locket. It was a miniature, waterproof audio player, the type of gadget people had been using to store precious personal quotes for many years now. With her shivering pointer finger, Aya pressed the playback button. The tiny gadget quickly sprang to life, playing its content with all due scrutiny.

“Thank you for your support to the Union Army, young men and women of Sakurazaka Orphanage. I am sure you will grow up to be great people who would serve the goods of your country in specific and mankind as a whole,”

The playback suddenly paused, the drama of the moment recorded in the form of absolute silence even in the background.

“But in this last minute of the program, I would like to send these words to my daughter, Ayaka, who is enlisted among your numbers, and yet has been unable to see me since her birth. Ayaka, if you are here, I wish you to know this: I love you, even though I have only seen you through pictures and video clips. Never have I blamed you for your mother's death, and never will I. When the war end, I will come back for you. Mark my word, Aya! Your father will come back for you! He will! This is the oath of a soldier! Please wait for me when the war ends!”

And then the playback abruptly halted, having completed its run. At this point, Aya was audibly sobbing, while Kuro was similarly grinding his teeth. The overall impact left the duo speechless for minutes after the final second of recording died down.

“It was that moment,” Aya finally broke her “that I learnt that I had a father who loved me and who would do anything for me, for the first and the last time.”

“This is not even plain abandonment any more,” Kuro growled. “He's broken the oath of a soldier!”

“It couldn't be helped, Kuro,” Aya said, with a bent neck. “It is war, remember? People's lives are but fickle flames in the open. Just a bullet, a napalm, or a collapsing building, and tales worse than mine would be written.”

Taking a short pause, as if to calm herself down, Aya stood up, looked at Kuro straight in the eyes, held him by the shoulders and said.

“That is why... that is why I cannot stand you badmouthing your father, Kuro,” she said passionately. “Having both parents alive in a war is not a right. It is a privilege that could be revoked any second now. I've lived through it; I know what it means to not have a parent when you need them the most.”

Onee-san...”

For a second Kuro felt the palms on his shoulder quivering, grasping it tightly like a pair of beetle pincers. It was as if whatever Aya wanted to say but was unable to spit out was manifesting in full within the clamp itself. All the while, she maintained full eye contact without so much as a blink, a piercing stare that was starting to make him feel uncomfortable. It took her a full minute and several deep breaths to finally begin speaking.

“Say, Kuro, would you promise me one thing?

As she spoke, the grip on his shoulder loosened a little, but her stern, focused sight on his eyes still held, as if forcing him to say yes. Strange was the impact of her wet irises glittering in the faint moonlight. Kuro could feel every bit of possible resistance he could put up melting away as those melancholic eyes swallowed his own. Was it just the cold midnight, or were his entire arms shaking for no reason?

“I… I think I can,” he said in the end, after a deep breath that still failed to calm him down after all, his voice trembled and somewhat hypnotized. “What... is it?

******

DF  Post #: 19
8/21/2009 5:12:05   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 19
“His time's yet to come”


Kurogane lazily flipped another page of the tankoubon volume in his hand, his eyes skimming the picture while a large sweatdrop materialized on his forehead. A yawn escaped the young man’s lips, one of both exasperation and fatigue. It was certainly boring where he was. The clinic had never been a fun place to stay in the first place, however advanced science and technology had developed throughout the ages.

It turned out that he didn’t heal quite as fast as would be optimal, what with a couple of bones still displaced by the end of the supposed half-week recuperation period. Perhaps he really shouldn’t have left his bed at all in the past few days.

To make things twice as bad, his onee-san’s leave extension expired the previous day. He knew more than anyone what would happen to her if she pushed her luck to stay with him for another day or two. Obviously, for the rest of his treatment, the young soldier had to spend his day alone and static, for fear of disturbing his relocating joints.

The only entertainment he had at his disposal was the pile of manga strewn all around his bed, on the nearby chair and scattered across the table. He didn’t seem to mind – Kuro could confess quite proudly that his father had been complaining about his messiness since he began to learn speak. However, whether that pile could be considered entertainment or not was still up for debate.

The comic books were, frankly speaking, too girly for his liking. Kuro was certain he could smell perfume radiating from the ink and paper themselves every time he flipped a page. Strawberry perfume, even. Even if that sensation was just a trickery of the mind, the fact that he was in the mere presence of, let alone reading that sort of book, was enough to drive a bright fluster up his cheeks.

Shoujo. It had been many centuries since that genre of manga first came to life, and yet the format and contents had remained largely the same. The beautifully drawn cover, even made more stylistic by a wide array of bright, girly color scheme could not hide the incredibly mushy plot dragged out over dozens of volumes, all just to settle one or a few simplistic romance plot twist. The same formula applied nearly every time to his disappointment. He’d finished the fourth series within a single day without coming across a single redeeming volume.

Looking around him, Kurogane was thankful that next to no one was looking. The number of those books alone in his vicinity was enough for any passer-by to place a doubt on his manliness. However, embarrassed as he was, he couldn’t deny those mushy high school romance did succeed in keeping him company for the last few days. Without some badly written comic books to snark on, the dull but constant pain of chemically-assisted bone regrowing and relocation could have been thoroughly unbearable.

Still, Kuro felt like hitting his forehead with a hard object. Obviously asking someone who didn’t read much like Aya for a couple of books to pass the time wasn’t a good idea after all. It wasn’t reasonable to expect some centuries-old classics like Victor Hugo or Dostoyevsky, but the likes of these was too disappointing.

”T… Twin Heart Chronicles? C… Cherry High? What kind of… junk is this, Onee-san?”

Kuro’s astonishment at what Aya had brought him had not faded even by now. And the notion of who owned those volumes had changed his impression of a particular person for ever.

”Huh? This is just about a fraction of what Captain Ein leaves in my possession. His room can’t hold them all, so I’m safekeeping some for him,” or so Aya said. ”Didn’t you know that he keeps roughly as much shoujo in his stock as he does the regular super robot series?

Kuro remembered having his jaws on a complete lockdown in the next few seconds, and nothing short of a smack on a shoulder by his foster sister could knock him back into his senses. How could any man in his right mind even read those seriously, let alone stocking up those things? Not even a hardcore otaku, no. How his respectable Captain Einherjar Ritter, the shining beacon of excellence and valor in the whole army, one whose interest in giant robots and huge explosions preceded everyone else’s, could secretly keep a stash of such mushy graphic novels was beyond him. The mental image of the manly team captain giggling like a schoolgirl at those stuffs literally drove a chill up Kuro’s spines.

”I probably know much less about the Captain than onee-san does,” Kuro finally rubbed away the image, concluding with a sigh. He laid the book aside while taking a deep breath. ”Well, that’s what I get for joining late, I suppose.”

He then fell back on his bed, stretching his form over the bedsheet for comfort, touching his side to feel the lump that was his displaced rib. The pain and the swell were both vanishing with every passing hour. The lump that was as big as a chicken egg yesterday had shrunken into a mould the size of a bottle cap, and still shrinking. At that rate, he would possibly be free from that room reeking of chlorinated bleach and iodine for much longer. Perhaps the day after the next, or even the next. Or maybe even that exact day. The mental picture brought a smile to the injured soldier’s face, before his unrestraint thoughts wandered elsewhere again.

“I wonder how things are going on the battlefield,” he said out loud while staring at the ceiling.

From what he had heard from his foster sister the previous day, it was no time for a soldier to be sitting indoors. Just two days ago, the Confederate had finally taken its first major, coordinated action against the Union – Operation Pelican, or so it was called. Within thirty-six hours, they had been able to seize control of the Middle East and Central Asia in its entirety, shutting down the Global Union’s major space-port at Baikonur to wrap up their strategic lockdown of the Union’s space powers. Even as he was lying there wasting his time on mushy manga, fierce skirmishes were still ongoing all over the Middle East, spilling into Eurasia and spreading all over the continent like a flu epidemic. If the Union could use a good Mechfantry Frame charge anywhere, the time was right then.

And then there was Tokyo to worry about. Both he and his Captain had a special place in their heart where the city lay, but for thoroughly different reasons. Not to put down on Ein’s near-religious level of zeal when it came to the city that gave birth to all anime, but Kuro’s love for Tokyo was that of both a born native and a fervent patriot. He couldn’t help but feel part of his heart pinching at the city’s state in the past week. To say that Tokyo had fallen on hard times was an understatement.

If the field report was to be trusted, the biggest city in the whole of East Asia had become a burning battlefield. The past few days had seen a massive assault on the city from the Colonial Far East Expeditionary Corps, the very same unit that had carried out the assault on the Kansai air facility half a month ago. The Union army was fighting an uphill battle, and had it not been for the intervention of the Eurasian Wing fleet, the city might have as well been completely lost.

Thinking so made Kuro feel useless. The pile of manga did help to remedy his frustration for half a day, and now that he had cast it aside, the exasperation was coming back. Captain Ein and thousands of soldiers were fighting for his hometown, and there he lay, useless and incapacitated. Even that kid Faegard Elfblade who wasn’t even supposed to be there in the first place was playing his part in the battle. A wave of frustration ran up Kuro’s skull, compelling him to smash something with all his might and fury.

Just before he could cause any damage to the room or its properties, a swift, familiar sound of nurse slipper followed by a knock on the door had snapped him out of his warpath. He knew those nurses and their tendency to go ballistic too well. Apart from Tsuki and her near infallible capability to maintain her calm in most cases, most of them had little tolerance for their misbehaving patients. And when they were ticked off, the result wouldn’t be any pretty for the victim’s ears, even if said victim had a hole in his tummy or a crack across his head.

He couldn’t find a reason to blame them. After all, most of them were young medical students conscripted into the army, faced with the rigors of wars and could die quite as easily and meaninglessly as a rank-and-file soldier should the bastards on the other side decide to carpet-bomb the clinic. No way in hell would they not be jaded by that harsh reality. Thinking so, the soldier quickly whipped his torso back into the blanket, obediently awaiting the entrance of…

“Corporal Kurogane Renzoku, the Colonel has sent for you, sir.”

Standing at the doorway was not a nurse, a doctor or anyone in the medical profession. It was a soldier, a young private from his badge, about the same age as Kuro himself. The young man stood at the doorway, calling out for the wounded corporal with a salute and as much ceremony as a soldier should greet a superior.

Kuro sat up straight, glancing at his informant, an abstract train of thought ran through his brain. The other soldier’s uniform bore the distinct insignia of the Infantry Corps. A rank-and-file conscript just being drafted into the army after the war broke out, Kuro supposed. If the war kept going badly, his life would have been no more meaningful than the average soldier in the First World War of the ages past – subject to a horrible death, either mowed down by machinegun fire, incinerated by carpet bombing, or simply casually squished by an enemy MF. And to serve practically nothing.

But is Kuro himself different from it? Was he going to suffer the same fate, an ill-documented death only to add to the statistics of a war? Or would he be able to drag along as many of those Liberator and Confederate bastards down with him like Lieutenant Colonel Okazaki Itou once did? Or would he take after Captain Ein’s career, trampling all over his foes with a smirk and be the man of destiny that the war awaits?

“Corporal Renzoku?

The soldier asked again, with a hesitating voice, as if wondering whether he had completed his informant duty.

“I’ve got it,” Kuro answered. “I’ll be seeing the Colonel as soon as I can. Thank you.”

The soldier at the doorway finished his part with another solute and a stomping of the heel before closing the door and walking away. Perhaps he had spend so much time on manga that his eyes was blurring, but Kuro could swear he had seen something amounting to a smile on the informant’s lips as he walked away. A high school student’s smile, even. Innocent and optimistic, with a dash of mischief. He, too, was like that, just a few months ago.

“But am I really that different now?” Kuro asked himself, seeing that he was left alone. “Am I really that… apart from those soldiers who could die any second now?

******


“You are late, Corporal Renzoku.”

Even now that he had somewhat gotten used to his demotion, he still was unable to take the word ‘corporal’ with a straight face, especially when it came from Colonel Albert. It was as if the commanding officer had so stressed the word as to focus on his failure to obey order like a soldier was, to remind him never, ever to resort to such a course of action again. Or maybe his troubled mind was reading too much into Colonel Albert’s words. Either case, it was certain that there was some displeasure in the old man’s voice.

“My apology, sir. I haven’t gotten used to my bone growth yet,” Kuro replied with a salute. The salute was rather difficult to execute with his crutch in the way and the lump on his side, but eventually, he was able to pull off a performance not too shabby.

“At ease,” said the Colonel. “I hope you’ve gotten better, haven’t you?

“I have, sir,” Kuro replied. “If all goes well, I will be ready for launch as soon as tomorrow!”

“I see,” the colonel responded in an absent-minded manner as he glanced over an electronic folder on his table. The room was filled with an eerie silence while he examined the folder, during which Kuro bit his lips in nervousness. The Colonel didn’t just call him up to ask him if he had recovered, would he? Or perhaps he was laying the foreground to give him the chastisement he deserved? Or was it something else? Knowing Colonel Albert and his subtlety, Kuro realized there was no way he could know what the commanding officer was thinking until he had actually started speaking.

Finally, Colonel Albert set the document aside, clasped his hands, looked straight at Kuro’s eyes and asked.

“Corporal Kurogane Renzoku, do you know why I am calling you up here today?

Once again he used the word ‘corporal’ with that distinct stress. That could not be going well.

“I… I am not sure, sir,” Kuro replied, a glint of panic flared in his eyes as he took his chance to guess. “Is it… is it because of what happened last week in my duel with Corporal Elfblade?

“Naturally you would think that, wouldn’t you?” nodded the Colonel. “Sergeant Kurogane Renzoku, one of the top aces garrisoned at the Kansai compound with a very favorable kill count, who had never once committed insubordination, suddenly ignored a key superior command in a crucial time and almost jeopardized his teammate’s life as a result. The punishment for this one isn’t supposed to be light, is it?

“I… I understand, sir. I was being unreasonable then,” Kuro bent his neck. “I am ready to accept the consequences.”

To respond, the colonel instead discontinued his stern tone and returned to a more casual, friendly and sociable voice as he would normally speak in.

“But you’ve been punished far more than enough this time, Kuro,” he said, referring to the opposite speaker in first person. “Severe injuries. Demotion. Inability to prove your wing’s worth to everyone you wish to. If I were to punish you further, then I am the one who is unreasonable.”

“Sir?” Kuro opened his eyes wide on reflex.

“The reason why I summon you today is simple – To reinforce Tokyo,” the Colonel continued without so much as a shift in tone. “I fancy you have been following the recent reports, haven’t you?

“Yes, sir,” Kuro replied, seriousness coating his voice. “The battle over the capital city is intensifying every passing minute. I am ready to move out at any time now to fight for the Capital! When shall I launch, sir?

By the end of the sentence, Kurogane’s youthful fervor had drenched his voice in boiling spirit, as expected of a fiery patriot.

“That, Kuro, is exactly why I am seeing you today,” the colonel’s cool, collected voice stood in stark contrast to Kuro’s burning tone. “Because you are not going to rush into battle like a berserker this day. Tokyo and the surrounding districts had been filled with more enemy MVFs than the sum of all Mechanized Frame we have in this whole country.”

“We are outnumbered, then, sir?” Kuro asked fervently.

“And that is where the Eurasian Wing fleet comes in to the equation,” said the colonel. “The sole reason why Tokyo is still largely under our control after the past few days of fighting is because of the presence of the Alexander in the region.”

“Alexander…” Kuro pinched his chin as he racked his brain. “Isn’t that the Sky Petersburg-class ex-flagship of the North Sea fleet?

The Alexander. Of course it was a special ship. It was effectively the oldest warship that the Union possess, having gone through both the Lagrange Conflict and the First War with more than three decades of service, having been severely damaged three times in combat and refurnished five times in between. There was a reason why it was called the Cool Old Man of the Union, and a solid one at that.

“And the most powerful all-terrain flagship that the Union has under its disposal until the unnamed Uchuu no Tsubasa can launch,” added the Colonel. “At the current state, any military endeavor to retake Tokyo will have to lean upon the Alexander for support, supply and firepower. I hope you know what that means, don’t you?

“We have to rendezvous with the Alexander,” Kuro answered hastily. “When shall we depart, sir?

“1000, tomorrow. You and Lieutenant Saionji shall depart with the 6th Fighter-Bomber Hybrid Squadron. The destination is the Alexander, which is currently stationed at the Edogawa district, over the Tokyo Bay,” said the colonel. “You will be under the Lieutenant’s direct command. As long as you follow her orders, everything is going to be alright.”

“Could I ask you a question, sir?” Kuro raised his hand. “Is Captain Ritter and Corporal Elfblade…”

“They’re with the crews of the Alexander by now,” nodded Colonel Albert. “Do you have any problem with that?

“I…”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you are still bitter with Corporal Elfblade,” said the colonel. “But keep in mind, Kuro, we are at war. Any infighting is detrimental to the cause as a whole. As an elite pilot, you do know the impact of that on a strategic level, don’t you?

“That I understand, sir,” Kuro bent his neck, submitting to the commander’s words.

“It’s good if you do,” said the colonel with a nod. “That is why I am suggesting you this optional mission. Turn it down if you want, but I dearly hope you will accept it.”

“Does this have anything to do with Corporal Elfblade, sir?” asked Kuro rather nervously.

“I’m requesting you to bring a particular item to outfit the Shishioh with you,” the colonel said. “As you see, the Shishioh’s secondary weapons had been more or less damaged since the day Corporal Elfblade came here and has to be repaired piecemeal. One of those weapons happened to have been finished yesterday. Are you up to it?

Kuro keep his head low down, his eyes pinned on the ground for want of anything to say. Colonel Albert seemed to have seen through his predicament, and responded with an enlightening comment.

“Don’t trouble yourself too hard over this,” said him. “If you still feel awkward facing Corporal Elfblade, I’ll have Lieutenant Saionji deliver the pack.”

“That’s alright, sir,” Kuro said, after a good pause. “I think I can…”

“As I said, you should not take this task if you are uncomfortable with it,” reassured the commander. “If you still feel up to it tomorrow, report to the hangar. If not, they will load the package on Lieutenant Saionji’s Sturmgewehr.”

“Yes, sir.” The troubled soldier said with a sigh, as if unloading a heavy load. His commander responded to it with a nod, whether out of approval, agreement or belief, he could not fathom just yet.

“Now then, where were we?

A rhetoric pause cut off the Colonel’s sentence short, complete with a tricky gleam on his spectacles. Kuro couldn’t help but feeling nervous from such a sight.

“Is there… anything else I need to know about this, sir?” he asked.

“Yes,” the colonel finally said with a smirk. “You seem to have forgotten about your Hiryuu and the plans you had for it before you were assigned to test-pilot the Shishioh, have you?

“What do you mean exactly, sir?” Kuro asked, looking perplexed.

The colonel did not answer. Instead, he picked up the report he had just tossed aside some minutes ago, stood up from the table, and handed it over to the corporal. As Kuro opened the computerized folder, the first thing that struck his senses was a bright, red, flashing line of text that couldn’t be missed.

“Hiryuu… Shinkiro…” the corporal read out loud, before realization nailed him on the head with a mental bludgeon as a computerized graphic diagram of a particular, winged Mechanize Frame materialized on the screen. “This… isn’t this… my suggestion for the Hiryuu Project?

“The development team has approved of your highly revolutionary idea and has been working with it for the past two months,” nodded the colonel in approval. “Your damaged original Hiryuu Custom frame was trashed beyond repair and has thus been modified into the Hiryuu Shinkiro during the past week. It is effectively the first of this new line of Mechfantry/Mechvalry hybrid. The details are in that folder. Take your time and familiarize yourself with it.”

“A Mirage Wing system which doubles as a variable beam sword and anti-beam shield… Reinforced and rechargeable built-in Skybooster for prolonged flight… as well as a twin Overcharged Beam Sword!” exclaimed Kuro in pure joy as he flipped through the document, each page with more excitement and satisfaction than the last. “Is this a dream coming true?

“Take it that way if you please,” smiled the Colonel. “Use the new Hiryuu Shinkiro to take back Tokyo in the name of the Union as a whole and your proud people in particular!”

Kuro stood frozen in the middle of the room for some minutes, one or two droplets of tears unconsciously flowing out of his eyelids’ containment. It was some time before the young soldier stood up straight, holding the computerized folder near his chest, and spoke out aloud, as if every drop of passion in his body was gushing out with each word.

“I… I will, sir! Without fail!”

******


“Colonel Albert, I’m present.”

A soft, sweet, but heavily weighed down voice rang across the colonel’s room, followed by a standard issue salute and a stomping heel. Colonel Albert turned toward the direction of the voice, a refreshed smile flashed across his face.

“Ah, Aya,” he said to the newcomer. “Take a seat, dear.”

“Thank you, sir,” she replied, before slumping on the chair opposite to the colonel.

“I’ve told you many times,” the colonel said, a mild tone of displeasure arose in his words. “When we are alone, you can call me Uncle Albert, just like the old days.”

“I cannot, sir,” Aya said firmly. “We are still on duty. Discipline comes before everything. Colonel Renzoku always reminds us that there is no father, son, brother, sister, uncle or aunt in the line of duty. There is just superior and subordinate and a mission to be accomplished.”

“You are just as serious as your mother, Aya,” the colonel said, lighting his cigarette. “No, you are a carbon copy of what your mother used to be at your age.”

“And I am proud of it, sir,” Aya replied with a broad smile, tilting her head sideway so that her mass of brown hair flowed downwards, catching the late sunshine piercing through the curtain. Under the fainting sunlight, Aya’s hair strands glittered somewhat in an abnormal way, as if she had applied gloss or glitter to each and every strand. It was beautiful, yes, but not the kind of natural, healthy beauty, but a fake, forged color.

“You didn’t have to dye your hair for that, did you?

“I’ve told you many times, sir,” Aya said with an ambiguous tone. “My mother… she’s the most perfect woman to have ever walked this earth. I keep this hairstyle as a memorabilia and reminder of how to live and how to die.”

For the next few seconds, nothing but the Colonel’s mild coughs of disapproval could be heard. However, the wise old man had known better than wasting time arguing with Ayaka Saionji, especially when it boiled down to her mother. She would not cut anyone any slack when it came to that. Including whomever she might love in the future. Including him.

“Well, I digressed,” Colonel Albert cleared his throat to signal his surrender. “I summoned you here today for a request of sort.”

“I know what you want to ask of me, sir,” Aya said before the man could finish his sentence. “You would like me to take care of Corporal Renzoku in the next mission.”

“It is a little… redundant, I know. You will take care of him and risk your life before you see him put in danger anyway, I believe,” the colonel said, puffing his cigarette. “But there’s more to it.”

“So what is it that you want, sir?” Aya asked.

“You see, Aya,” he said after another puff. “Squad 12 is made of a bunch of ragtag. A young man with anger management issue. A very competent commander who also doubles as a fanatic otaku and who sometimes have trouble telling truth from fiction. And lately, a mysterious ‘transfer student’ to this world who happens to be hated by the first one. You do know you are the only person in the right mind when the squad regroups, don’t you?

At these words, Aya suddenly shut her mouth tightly, as if she had hit a rock-solid obstacle and was unable to go on, as if her confidence in the above sentence had vanished into the unknown.

“Sir,” she finally said. “I’m afraid… I’ve failed that task once, and I’m not sure if I’m still credible to assume such a duty after what happened last week…”

“Furuka used to be absolutely amazing with such things as maintaining a friendly atmosphere in the group she consider her family, you know?” Colonel Albert said. “You do know that she was the glue that kept our multinational, multi-personality group of five together in high school with great ease, don’t you? Not to mention before she came, two of that five could not look at each other in the face without starting a fight…”

“But I…”

At this point, the colonel stood up from his table, walked towards the girl, and before she could properly respond, patted her gently on the shoulder, like a father to a daughter.

“Aya,” he said with a familial tone. “I trust you. If your father is still alive, he would probably say the same thing.”

“I… I really don’t know what I should say about this,” Aya said, bending her neck. “But it is really… difficult to deal with Kuro when it comes to a group. He’s normally okay, but if something happens, he would be too stubborn… too melodramatic… too easily depressed to see things straight. When Corporal Elfblade took over the Shishioh he must have felt that his time is over, even going so far as to say it out loud...”

“Over?” the colonel suddenly burst out laughing.

“Sir?” Aya stared at him, as if fearing for the commander’s sanity.

The commander’s laughter didn’t last for too long, and when it ended, transformed into a sparkling shade that covered his entire visage in an indefatigable optimism.

“That, you don’t have to worry, Aya. Next time he goes melodramatic, tell him these exact words!” he said, a bright smile of trust and confidence flashing across his wrinkled visage. “His time, the time when the young ones like him can shine, has yet to come!

******

DF  Post #: 20
8/23/2009 17:29:51   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 20
Tokyo And A Battleship Means War


Faegard Elfblade took measured, steady steps along the steel-plated corridor. His slender body, light weight and nimble toes kept the noise his footsteps made at a minimal level. He might as well have been trying too hard to not make any noise, for the footsteps of the other crewmen in the distance would drown out any sound his feet created. And yet the elf still tiptoed along the corridor for a purely psychological reason, fearing that a step too forceful could tip the delicate balance of the vessel to disastrous results.

Faegard was one of those land-born elves to doubt a seafaring ship's buoyancy, having never left the safety of the lush forest and the green vegetation before. The idea of how an 'assortment of shredded, lifeless trees' could even stand in one piece was already an absurdity to those elves' stubborn sense of logic, let alone float and travel hundreds of miles in the water.

Needless to say what a huge astonishment Faegard was in for when he first saw the nearest equivalent of seafaring ships known to the humans of the world of Earth. The absurdity was amped to a whole new level, as if to make fun of his disbelief. The first time he saw it, the elf had thought his race's superior night-vision capability had failed him. Even though in the past few weeks he had had plenty of experience dealing with absurd and unbelievably amazing technology that the superior civilization of Earth had to offer, that was too much.

What they called a 'ship' was not floating on water, but on air. Even though that monster was shaped as a ship and aptly named so, Faegard still refused to acknowledge it as a ship of any kind. Its size alone was absurd – twice as wide as Castle Silverlush, at least four times as long and about one and a half times as high. Instead of oars protruding from the side like its seafaring counterparts, the behemoth was propelled by a blazing assortment of flame-gushing engines on its tail and bottom side. Just imagining the sheer amount of power output required to maintain its balance was enough to make Faegard dizzy.

Faegard would like to reserve his comments on the beast's collection of armaments. Judging from the sheer amount of destruction it caused just by firing half of its bow-mounted cannons, the 'ship' could easily go toe-to-toe with half a dozen elder dragons and win without much effort. And that wasn't even accounting for the dozens of oversize launchers and various other imposing turrets protruding from any imaginable part of its hull. Docked about a hundred feet above the bayside, the massive battleship resembled the mythical dragon god staple of Elven folk tales throughout the ages, a very appropriate impression indeed.

Fortunately, he didn't have to face that monstrosity as an enemy. According to his Captain, they had gained clearance for landing, and merely half an hour later, the elf found himself and his Shishioh standing in the very bowels of the beast. And within another hour, after a quick visit to those in charge of the humongous vessel, a hot meal and a good shower, Faegard Elfblade, his Captain and Princess Tsuki Nagoyaka as well as their MFs had been assimilated into the vessel's crews.

He didn't have too much time to contemplate on the majestic piece of technology or ponder on how such a massive construct could float in mid-air for so long. Within four hours of their arrival, barely enough time for him to get a much-needed nap and for Ein's Stahlpferd to be repaired, they had to sortie again. The experience was nothing pleasant, to say the least. The elf remembered turning as white as a sheet and trembling like a little kid when ship shook and rumbled as an explosion rocked its entire foundation. At that point, Faegard was told what effectively amounting to 'If this ship sinks, we are going to be goners' as he rushed to his machine. The fact that the overhead loudspeaker was blaring “Direct hit to starboard! All units, intercept the enemies!” in the background while the impact was in full swing did not help at all.

For the next half a day Faegard and Captain Ritter had been in their machine, guarding the ship against the incoming enemy onslaught with the help of the local airborne units. Or to put it more accurately, it was Ein who was doing all the fighting. The Captain was especially thorough in his work, as the unfortunate two dozens attacking Daimyos found out too late. The battleship's arsenal ripped through the sky with all its worth, knocking about as much off the air. In the end, for the whole three hours of the battle's duration, Faegard couldn't help but feel he had been left an inert observer.

And then came the stressful part. The remaining enemies, concealed within the ruined city's cover, protected by whatever left of its derelict towers and high-rising blocks, began to take potshots at the ship and its deployed units. The struggle boiled down to a sniping and evading contest, at which point Faegard wished he had had something in his disposal similar to the proud elven longbow. At that point, Faegard's usefulness had effectively dropped to zero for the time being.

He might as well not have been worried. It was not like his enemies had any chance to begin with – Ein's skill and accuracy with that oversize cannon of his was exquisite. And yet, the fighting still dragged on for a long, long time after that. As the other soldiers put it, nothing short of wiping out entire building blocks could completely rout the enemies entrenching behind them, which they weren't too willing to do.

Only after about ten tedious hours of exhausting and nerve-wrecking hide-and-seek sniping did the enemy finally pull back, leaving both the area surrounding the bayside and the crewmen's tummies in bad condition. Thankfully, there was no enemy activity of note after sunset; everything had quietened down somewhat since then, leaving the hungry and the fatigued just enough time to rest and refresh.

During the entire battle, the ship itself, being a huge target easier to hit than miss, had been targeted by almost every single enemy Daimyo in the vicinity. The ship's hull was now littered with dents and even punctures in some place as a result. None of them were too serious, but the notion of riding a leaky airship was still sufficient to render Faegard paranoid. Thinking so, the elf again redoubled his effort to tiptoe as he slunk towards a particular residence chamber.

“Come on in.”

The familiar voice of Captain Einherjar Ritter in response to his knocks placed a smile of relief back on Faegard's face. A quick pressing of the button on the side of the door slid the metallic plate aside, and Faegard promptly dashed into the room within, still trying hard not to stomp his feet so hard.

Once he had closed the door behind him, Faegard realized to his astonishment how the space inside and outside the room contradicted so much. It was as if he had entered a whole new different world, even though the private residential chamber aboard the ship was only about a fourth of what they had back at the Kansai base. The entire room was covered in darkness apart for the dim light from the table, stooped over by a single, sitting shadow. Ein had apparently chosen not to turn on the light, instead satisfied with what opaque lighting radiating from the electronic screen. The air inside was slightly stagnant, and the eerie light condition gave Faegard the chill, as if he were in the hideout of a mysterious cult of darkness up to no good.

“Oh,” the figure at the table turned back, and, upon seeing Faegard, stood up and went on in a now-familiar tone. “It's you. I'd thought you might come sooner or later.”

“Captain?” Faegard asked, trying to figure out what was going on. “What are you doing? What is with the light?

“Never mind me,” Ein reached for the nearby control unit.

The room sparked to life in a matter of seconds following a single click. Einherjar's face, however, did not. He looked like a bookworm being ripped from his favorite volume against his will, a look of displeasure adorned his face for a couple of seconds. His self-control kicked in soon enough, as in just the next second he was already looking at Faegard in the eyes, his signature smile stretching across his visage.

“I can't enjoy my anime with the light on,” he said with a nonchalant smile. “Never mind that. It's a standard-issue otaku trait. Did I frighten you?

“In the middle of the war, sir?” Faegard asked back, his eyelids stretched upwards in well-justified surprise. “You still have the heart to enjoy your hobby with all this going on?

“I'll go insane without my daily anime intake,” dismissed Ein, as if it was an indisputable axiom, before changing the topic. “So what's up, recruit? Missed our Kansai base already?

“I'm just... stressed and would like to speak to someone I trust to clear up,” Faegard nodded, keeping his head down as if he had just admitted a grievously unmanly fact. “Would you mind if we have a chat of sort?

“Well, if you wish,” the captain shrugged, sitting back at his chair in a thoroughly relaxed pose as he folded his laptop down. “Guess I can always find the time to finish the extremely complex ending of NEG some time today or tomorrow when there is no fighting.”

“I... I'm sorry for the troubles, sir,” Faegard said politely.

“No worries,” Ein flashed a forgiving smile at the rookie. “So how's everything? What do you think about Tokyo?

“It must have been a precious gem before all this happened,” remarked Faegard as he looked out from the window. “The war certainly... complicated things.”

He might as well not needed to look before he said that. In the last day, he had seen more than enough. The first impression he had when he first set eye upon the metropolitan area was awe in the purest form. Buildings and man-made structures stretched out as far as the eyes could see, a large portion of which were built so high Faegard wondered if they had actually pierced the sky. Perhaps even when he himself had left the world, his fellow elves would still not be able to build something remotely as high. And that was really saying something, knowing his people's longevity.

By now the impression only grew stronger. Even now, as devastated as the city was, the lamplight from the relatively undamaged sectors of the town deeper into the mainland still shone brightly like a thousand fireballs, as if competing with the moonlight itself. The area closest to the port didn't enjoy such fortune, being practically razed to the ground. Yet whatever remained after the firestorm, the debris of high towers and glamorous plazas still told of the suddenly lost glory of a bustling district. Even though that city was not connected to Faegard's history in any way, he still felt part of his heart taking pity for that destruction.

“Yep. Looks like Akihabara and Otome Road had also been nailed hard in the past few days,” Ein nodded with a look of dismay. “Bad news for anime and manga lovers worldwide, may I add.”

“But we need not worry,” Faegard said empathetically. “We have this... ship that can win the war all by itself, don't we?

“You mean this Alexander?” Ein asked, pointing at the floor. When Faegard gave him a nod of agreement, the captain responded with a hearty laughter, followed by a strong tap on the elf's solder, one that felt almost as painful as an actual whack.

“Wha...?”

“Faegard, this 30-year-old ship is not the Uchuu no Tsubasa we've been talking about for the past few days!” Ein burst out laughing as he explained. “Sturdy as it look, just a couple well-placed anti-ship beam shots will send it straight to Davy Jones' Locker in a heartbeat!”

“What... what did you just, say, Captain?” Faegard stammered feeling as if a tray full of ice was shoved up the back of his shirt. “You mean... this can go down any minute now?

“Yep, to put it frankly,” Ein said with a smile thoroughly clashing with the graveness of his comment. Faegard could feel his phobia coming forth at full extent, his legs frozen in place and the rest of his body trembling like a malaria patient.

“H... how can you say that with a straight face, sir?” once again Faegard asked that question, but this time while trying in futile to stop his shivering in dignity. The Captain's answer, however, freaked him off even more.

“Because it's nothing to fuss over,” Ein replied, stretching back with a yawn and an especially laidback expression in stark contrast with the content of his speech. “Maybe you still haven't a clear idea, but let me keep this straight and simple. We humans in this world die that easily.”

“Die... that easily?” Faegard repeated like a parrot, the cold along his spite turning into frost as he heard those words.

“You should have known this already,” Ein said. “Especially in this era when there are weapons that can obliterate whole cities and regions in a fraction of a second. We are MF pilots – those with historically the lowest death ratio in conflicts of late. And even you saw just about how easily they perish in the last few battles.”

When Ein put it that way, suddenly the imagery of a dozen enemy MFs being blown right off the sky and reduced into smoldering heaps of junk metal from one single shot of Ein's F-Scatter Beam Cannon turned disturbing rather than awesome to the elf. It would be even less awesome and a world more morbid had Faegard experienced it from the receiving end rather than as a spectator.

“That is why,” Ein continued, looking thoroughly relaxed, “if it doesn't get into the lines of duties, we soldiers just have to enjoy life as much as we could before our time come. I can't watch NEG or Princess of the Moon any more when I'm blown to bits in a flaming Stahlpferd, can I?

“You... you do have a point, Captain,” Faegard tried to squeeze the right word out of his mouth while coping with the statement's sheer morbidity.

“Anyway,” Ein suddenly switched the topic with a large smack on the Corporal's shoulder, “you still owed me an explanation. And the Princess too.”

“An explanation, sir?” Faegard asked back, looking rather blank.

“It's been more than a day since that encounter,” Ein said, looking rather eager. “You still haven't told us... what was that lightning bolt that struck the Daimyo Custom all about? The sky was still clear until the second right before impact, so it can't be natural.”

The suddenness of the question took Faegard aback for a couple of seconds. Not because of tact or cautiousness, but rather because even he himself was uncertain of what had happened.

“And not to mention that pilot said something along the lines of 'magic' before he ran off,” Ein continued his assault. “How do you explain this, eh?

“I...”

“Come on now, be honest,” Ein gave a friendly beam. “Didn't you say you wanted to talk to someone you trust, did you? So why wouldn't you share with this person whom you trust? It's not like we will cut you apart for scientific testing or anything...”

“C... cut apart?” Faegard stammered in foreseeable horror. Apparently he had never had such a notion in his system before, and it didn't sound good from the wording.

“I was just kidding,” Ein chuckled as he sat back on his chair. “But back to the question. What exactly was it?

“I am not even sure if I was the one who sparked it in the first place,” Faegard finally replied, “But if I did, then that is the spell of Storm Spark – a medium-level evocation magic. We students of the Silverlush Arcane Guild cannot graduate without being able to pull out one of this.”

“So it really was magic. And if my hunch is right,” Ein pinched his chin, his expression changing instantly from joking to serious, “how your Shishioh managed to stay airborne without a single thruster engine functioning after the duel with Kuro was also...”

“From the same reasoning, it was the spell of Levitate Self that time. It is the most logical conclusion I could come to.” Faegard replied, cupping his hand over his mouth as he mulled over the possibility “But even so, it didn't make sense at all.”

“How so?” Ein asked eagerly, both from curiosity and a leader's duty. “It is magic, after all.”

“You don't understand it, sir,” Faegard said with a serious overtone. “I don't know how the people of Earth view magic, but where I came from, magic is but a school, an art and a profession, just like swordplay or shipwright. It is not the kind of technique that can draw miracles out of nowhere.”

“It can break the rules of physics, can't it?” Ein remarked. “And the only restriction we know in this world is that of physics – once it's broken, anything should be possible.”

“It's not,” corrected Faegard. “A skilled wizard can create tons of material out of seemingly nothingness, but he had to pay for it with his mana reserve. The same applies when one wishes to create flame without any fuel, call down tornadoes and hailstorms to overwhelm his foes, or overturning gravity to meet his needs. Magic has plenty of limits, and it is in fact the first thing we learn that magic isn't the fairy godfather who tend to our every need without asking for anything back.”

“Hmm... I'm intrigued,” Ein nodded in sheer interest. “So what are those... limits?

“For starter,” a blaze of enthusiasm sparked in Faegard's eyes as he explained, “my favorite fireball spell can never be hot enough to melt iron. However I try, however much practice I get, however powerful I become, that limit was quite set in stone. There is simply no natural way to break that metamagical barrier.”

“Like the power output of a particular model of MF,” remarked the Captain. “However you tune it up, the frame could only perform that much.”

Faegard nodded, and went on.

“And that is why I was weirded out by the kind of 'magic' at work in those two occasions, sir. They were too powerful – far more than they should be. At my level there is no way the Levitation Self spell can suspend more than twice my natural weight, and at best the Storm Spark spell can electrocute a beast no larger than a bear. And yet... you know the rest, Captain.”

“What do you think then?” Ein asked.

“I only have one theory in mind,” answered the elf as he bent his neck in . “If it wasn't me who cast those spells, but rather the machine I rode, then everything would make sense. Only something of that size could have been capable of such metamagic feat,” he briefly stopped, his face grimaced in an attempt to comprehend the absurdity of the case at hand. “But that doesn't make sense in its own way. As far as we know, magic only naturally exists in living things. A wizard can infuse magic into objects of his choice, but the magic the infused object should hold would never exceed the amount the magic user injected into it. This is the Archmage Difarra Fenberry's First Axiom on Conservation of Magic that we all had to memorize from our first day at school. This is simply... preposterous.”

“That is what happens on a regular basis in super robot anime,” answered Ein. “But I'm not that kind of wide-eyed daydreamer to think something like that could happen in the real world. Unless...” a spark of brainstorm roused in Ein's robot fanboy self at that very moment, “unless the Shishioh IS a Super Robot!”

“Super... Robot?” it was Faegard's turn to be dumbstruck.

“Let's think this way, Faegard. What is it that sets the Nishiki Shishioh apart from the other regular Mechanized Frames we have seen?” Ein asked, his eyes shining in discovery.

“Isn't that the FALCON System?” Faegard answered instantaneously. The moment he uttered the last two words, the same realization struck him as well. “Wait a second... I'm starting to see where you are coming from now, sir...”

“The F-System runs on mental energy, provides the machine equipped with it a much more powerful weapon output and a nigh-unbreakable barrier to begin with,” Ein spoke rapidly like machinegun fire. “To top it with, those who can utilize the F-System are called F-Manipulators. Does that remind you of anything, recruit?

“It... manipulates arcane magic and magnifies spell potency to the point of shattering the ground rules of metamagic,” Faegard exclaimed. “That is the only possible explanation, however implausible..”

“Perhaps that is what the Colonel suggested you see Dr. Banner for; to learn how to use the Shishioh's F-System more effectively,” Ein suggested. “I mean, the F-System in its entirety is still a mystery even to us. But not to the likes of him.”

“You have told me that I needn't know about what lies behind the F-System yet,” Faegard remarked. “But after all that experience, am I entitled to that knowledge now? What is the F-System?

“Well, to be honest, at this point, I don't actually know that much more than you,” Ein answered. “We were told it is a system that allows... special humans to gain special advantages on the battlefield, going as far as of tilting the flow of combat with just one single unit. The kind of quirk ubiquitous in any robot series worth its salt from the Universal Century onwards. This kind of addition is thoroughly unexpected.”

“But it is useful as well!” Faegard rejoiced at the thought. “Captain, from the next battle onward I believe I can show our enemies what a proud Greenglaze elven wizard is made of on a colossal scale!”

Contrary to Faegard's belief, his captain's expression turned into a strong shade of disagreement. He needn't even shake his head to convey his opposition.

“You can't,” denied him. “If my hunch is correct, what we discuss today can be far more devastating to our enemies than a multitude of tactical nukes.”

“You mean...”

“Yes, let this be our ace in the hole,” blinked Ein. “Whatever you do, don't use any of your exquisite magic in the battles to come... until I say so.”

******


“Major Krieger, Sergeant Black has arrived as your command.”

The officer sitting at the table, whose eyes were still fixed on an electronic report console as the announcement went, acknowledged with a simple nod without changing his expression. The soldier in the green uniform of the Colonial Confederate Armed Forces at the gateway if the room saluted to him before marching outside. And just a second later, the rapid, ceremonious footsteps at the doorway signified the arrival of someone else.

The officer at the table lifted his eyes off the report. Before him, in the place of the informant just some second ago stood a soldier, a non-commissioned officer like any other. Or rather, someone who would look like any other had it not been for the stark contrast between his tender youth and his dark, sorrowful expression. His smooth skin, fair complexion and a mass of well-kept, jet black hair told of a dandy, fashion-conscious high school student or one having just departed from one. And yet the depth of his dark purple pupils pierced into any observer's thoughts like a vortex, as if wanting to share all of its owner's tragedy, despair, sorrow and unquenchable thirst for vengeance, something he was unable to communicate in person. Even in the presence of a friendly, his mouth was still distorting into an enraged shape, as if he had to constantly remind himself of his own sorrow every single passing minute.

The officer, Major Elvaht von Krieger, set his report aside as the soldier entered speaking range. Just as he was so called 'The Colonies' Tenjouhou', Elvaht was the nearest counterpart the Confederate had to the Union's Einherjar Ritter. His coolness, implanted in his military-cut white hair, his solid, charismatic eyes and the ubiquitous smirk of one always in control of everything, would strike an impression of a competent leader and a skilled soldier to anyone who met him. In the meanwhile, his square face, sharp jawline and high nose was a lady killer's delight. Still, that handsome look and leadership's charisma did not help to conceal a certain corner of his visage, a shadowy, emotional half he would ill like others to reach.

“I'm present, Major Krieger,” the soldier saluted again as he approached the officer's table.

“Sergeant Zakawa Black of the 204th Mechvalry Squad, Far East Expeditionary Forces,” Elvaht recited as he turned to look at the soldier straight in the eyes. “You arrived a little earlier than I thought. Are all Japanese more than punctual like this?

“You are mistaken, my lord,” Zakawa answered with his head down, but his frank and unreserved tone somehow betrayed that politeness. “I'm not Japanese. Nor have I ever been.”

“My apologies,” Elvaht said, before returning to course. “Sergeant Black, what do you think I summoned you here for?

“For punishment, my lord,” Zakawa kept his head down as he replied. “For my failure to back up Lieutenant Jessica's team, the entire squadron had been wiped out by the White Satan Einherjar Ritter. And that is not to mention I let the Daimyo Mk-II Test Type be damaged beyond repair in its first battle due to my own recklessness...”

“Yes,” Elvaht nodded, but his face showed not a single hint of anger or exasperation. “Every other commander would have probably issue serious punishments in response to such shortcomings,” he looked straight into the Sergeant's eyes without blinking. “But I am, fortunately, not one of those types. If anything, you deserve some rightful rewards.”

“R... Rewards, sir?” the self-convicting Sergeant jolted.

“Recklessness is usually not what I would encourage. But this time, it is because of your reckless confrontation with the Tenjouhou that we’ve been able to confirm a very important data.”

Major Krieger then tossed the electronic unit across the table. The object slid off the surface, before flinging downward in a curve and falling right on Zakawa’s palm.

“This, Sergeant Black,” said Elvaht with a grin.

The sergeant took a glance at the unit, responding with a loud gasp of astonishment. The readings it displayed was off the scale on so many level that he had plenty of difficulty taking it for real.

“These statistics…” he said, looking inherently muddled. “My lord, is it true that such a powerful F-Manipulator exists?

“Where the Union got this boy, we haven’t yet confirmed. But we know one thing,” affirmed Elvaht. “In this age when victory or defeat in war depends majorly on whether one has access to the better F-Manipulator, someone with F-Stats of this caliber is far more of a threat than an orbital bombard cannon. You know what that means, don’t you?

“Yes, my lord,” said Zakawa, his facial muscles stressed even further. “I must get rid of him.”

“Or better still, sway him to our cause. But I doubt you would be able to do that, knowing your limited skills in mental manipulation and even less capable in terms of diplomacy,” smirked Elvaht, the ambiguous tone of his voice making it impossible to tell if he was joking or purposefully offending the sergeant. “So I’m issuing you another mission that would better suit your liking.”

“I’m ready for anything, my lord!” Zakawa replied fervently, as if he hadn’t heard any of the prior insults.

“Tokyo is going to be the center theater of war in the Far East for some time,” the major said without a change in impression. “You are to join our MVF division there and help hold back the Alexander until our main forces arrive.”

He then stood up from his table and slung a meaningful glance at the sergeant.

“And, Zakawa, I give you official permission to request whatever resource you may need from our fleet in Tokyo in order to dispose of the Tenjouhou Einherjar Ritter,” he said. “He is not going to join our cause anyways, so it’s best for us this way.”

There was a moment of brief silence, marred only by the sound of muscles cracking. Sergeant Zakawa Black was grinding both his fists and his jaws, as if trying to crush something within them. The sorrow in his eyes had all vanished, and in its place a burning desire, a murderous gaze that could frighten away the weak-hearted.

“And one last thing, Sergeant,” reminded Elvaht as he looked at Zakawa’s rising fury. “I know you cannot forget what Einherjar Ritter did to Luna Harmonia, but let it not get into the way of your judgement. Do you get me?

“I know what I have to do, my lord,” snapped Zakawa in a sullen tone. “He killed Luna – the only person I care. The only person who care about me in this whole world. He will die like a dog, I assure you.”


******
DF  Post #: 21
8/28/2009 5:15:36   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 21
Pinch over Tokyo Bay


“Einherjar Ritter, Weiss Stahlpferd, IKKIMASU!”

Captain Ein's exclaimed as his machine slid off the left wing launch catapult of the Alexander, leaving behind him a trail of smoke and sparks. The machine then landed on the water surface with a splash, dipping about a third its legs' length under the water before the motors beneath its feet roared into life, rebalancing its heavy body and hovering it over the surface. Ein had gotten into position for another day of fierce combat, his fluid movement singing with an upbeat attitude.

That attitude of his commander was in direct contrary to the gloomy sigh Faegard gave out. It appeared that the feisty squad commander never tired himself using that catchphrase whenever he trailed off the end of the catapult, though Faegard could not quite say the same about the others. Even the curious elf was feeling the novelty of that war cry wearing down with every passing day. There was a distinct reason to this, however. For that exclamation marked yet the beginning of another day of hardship for Faegard and the crews of the Alexander.

It had been five days since they came to Tokyo or whatever is left of it. Every single day, the script of the first clash would uncannily replay itself. The Confederate Daimyos would launch a full frontal rush, only to deal some damage to the Alexander's hull and piss off the resident fighter/bomber escorts. When that phase was warded off, they would scatter towards the inner city, as quickly as a flock of bird taking off at the sound of a bowstring. And then the grueling sniping warfare would begin, their enemies hiding behind the debris of the Edogawa district, their long-range weaponries giving the ship and its escorts all what they were worth.

The reality of standing in the open, pelted by the hailstorm of sniping fire from all direction was thousands times more frightening than the mental image. And every day came off worse than the last, with thicker fire and more tenacious camping, pushing the ship and its subordinates further and further away from the shore. It didn't matter how much they shot down – Ein had shot down within the neighborhood of twenty within the past few days – the enemies just kept coming, as though their numbers were limitless. Anyone with military experience worth its salt could tell that the enemies were trying a little too hard to wear them down.

Had Faegard not been protected by the nigh-impregnable F-Barrier, he and the Shishioh would have been sunken to the bottom of the Tokyo Bay a hundred times over. Not all of the soldiers fighting alongside with him were so lucky, though. What happened the previous day was still leaving a bad taste in Faegard's mouth. There was a particular, funny fighter pilot among the crew Faegard had yet to learn the name of, whom he and his Captain were still having breakfast with the previous day. Apparently an optimistic guy who was still cracking jokes the minute right before launching, his positive attitude was betrayed when he was blown right off the sky by a stray beam rifle round literally seconds before the day-long sortie ended. They still couldn't recover the scraps of the fighter, the Tokyo Bay having become the soldier's grave.

That wasn't even the first death, or last, for that matter. Already Faegard could see the dwindling number of jets being launched, the dented, broken skin of the mighty battleship, or, at the very least, the distinct look of anxiety and uncertainty marring the eyes of the nameless beauties on the ship's bridge. Already the harsh reality of war was slapping Faegard hard and laughing at his difficulty to cope with it. Already Faegard felt the primal fear of death striking into the very foundation of his heart, to shame the teachings of bravery that every Elven Paladin of Greenglaze took to be their defining trait.

Had his captain not been there, the elf could have as well gone mad. Or, to be precise, Ein and the pile of moving pictures he brought around with him as some sort of inseparable heirloom. Every day since the grueling campaign broke out, whenever battlefield silenced down, the elf would follow his captain into his chamber, where Ein would open his laptop like a treasure chest, revealing within it a wealth of animated stories.

When Ein was absorbed into those animated stories, he could have as well forgotten the flow of time itself. His eyes would inexplicably glue on the screen, as if ignoring the presence of all else, to the point of becoming one with the story being unraveled. Never mind the fact that they were at war, never mind the constantly shaking foundation of the ship, never mind how easily they could plummet into the bottom of the ocean in the heartbeat, his eyes would not for one second shirk from the screen.

And for good reasons of course. How the people of Earth could make and store such exquisite moving pictures in a such a tiny object was beyond his understanding, but Faegard did know one thing. Whomever created those stories must have been absolute genius storytellers. Never before had he seen such vivid personifications of emotions, of glory and disgrace, of love and hatred, of courage and cowardice, of friendship and rivalry or of virtues and vices, all concentrated in the form of stories, some epic, some lovely, all meaningful. It was an experience akin to listening to a prolific bard reciting the epic Tales of the Dark Sword of Truth at high speed and condensation, with colorful illustration to boost.

The true reason why his captain watch those moving pictures he called anime with that sort of near-religious fervor was another mystery Faegard wished he could know. Did he shallowly enjoy such luscious storytelling as a form of luxurious indulgence in life to satisfy their need for entertainment? Or did he, like his fellow scholars and nobles, follow the flow of those moving stories and use it as a mirror on which to project what he thought, pondered or contemplated on the true nature of living beings, of the world and everything in it, or the great beyond? Or any combination of those two?

”Just like you,” Faegard remembered his captain replying to that question of his, ”I watch anime as a means to keep myself from going insane.”

“Hey, recruit!”

A portion of the screen flashed, signifying the connection of a direct line. With a click of his hand, the patch materialized into a mini-screen, on which Ein's face appeared, beaming at him at maximum stretch.

“Spacing out, huh?” he asked with a joking voice, or a voice trying to pass as joking.

Faegard could hear a quick pause of uncertainty when the words lingered on his lips. Captain Einherjar Ritter, too, had turned on his serious side in full, something he had been trying a little too hard to conceal, for good reason. When a master started to look worried before an enemy, what chance did the apprentice had?

“I... err...” Faegard stammered, at a loss for anything better to say.

“You're launching next,” he said, blinking his eyes in reassurance. “Step on the catapult now would you?

“Yes, sir!” Faegard promptly answered, then stepped on the pedal, keeping the rhythm in mind.

The hulking steel golem took steady steps towards the huge set of double pedal in front of him, and then stepped on it with both feet. That was the footpads of the launch catapult. With a sound click, the underside of the Shishioh's feet was locked onto the pad's safety hatch. When the process was completed, the hangar shutter before him rolled up, revealing the morning's sunlight with each inch. Within about half a minute, the shutter was fully open, the blue sea, blue sky and ruined city background stretching before Faegard as far as the eyes could see.

“Remember your launching exclamation, Faegard!”

Ein reminded through the personal communication channel. The Captain had told him before that beach professional pilot should have his own 'launching exclamation', a battle cry to boost his teammates' and his own spirit whenever he shot out from within the launch bay. From the look of Ein's face, he was dead serious about that simple, seemingly redundant ritual. However ridiculous it is, an order was an order. Faegard had forgotten about it for the past three days, and his captain didn't look like he would tolerate should he forget for another day.

“Err...” Faegard bit his lips for a split second, pondering on what he should say, before a spark of idea coursed through his head. The elf turned up his loudspeaker to maximum volume, adjusted his bandana so that it didn't squeeze on his ears too badly, and exclaimed.

“The Paladin of Greenglaze,” he shouted, “has arrived!”

As if just waiting for that phrase to escape his lips, the catapult jolted forward, shooting the Shishioh towards the launch bow at maximum speed. The elf felt his entire body pressed against his pilot seat as the machine accelerated at a dizzying velocity. And then sunlight filled his eyes as Faegard felt light on his feet. That was when his machine was flung off the far end of the launch bow, and plummeted into the blue sea below.

With a large splash, the Shishioh was drenched thoroughly in water as its entire body was plunged below the water line. It took the amateur pilot a solid half a minute of pulling pushing, pressing and clicking a variety of levers and buttons before he could correctly activate the thrusters to raise the machine above water level. Had Faegard not have been in the watertight cockpit, that much of immersion could have drowned a land-borne elf with no swimming capability whatsoever like him.

The elf sighed as the Shishioh slowly rose above the seawater, his eyes fixed on his Captain’s machine, his mind weighed down with a disheartening comparison. The previous day he had the machine below the surface for a full minute before he could pull out of it, so that day’s performance was an improvement however he looked at it. But then, the Captain could pull out that maneuver before his machine’s foot was even immersed in water. Or better, knowing what sort of skills Einherjar Ritter possessed, he could have activated the hover drive before even landing on the surface. It was obvious to him now there was no way he could spend a day at that man’s side without feeling inferior to him in both skill and style.

“Nice catchphrase, Faegard!”

Einherjar’s visage blinked on his screen. Some of his anxiety had worn out, replaced momentarily by a pleasant surprise. His was a proud smile, like a father or a teacher rejoicing at a child or student’s most recent achievement. Once again caught while spacing out, Faegard was at a loss for words until his superior asked in fascination.

“Where’d you pull that one from, Valkyrie 4?”

Faegard flinched a little at the sound of the title Ein referred to him as. Even after almost a week of adopting the call sign system instead of calling one another by name during mission, Faegard couldn’t get used to his call sign – Valkyrie 4. However, his quick mind preceded his confusion.

“You wouldn’t want to know, Captain, I mean, Valkyrie 1” was Faegard’s answer after a split second of mulling it over.

The reason was simple. It wasn’t even his own catchphrase, but rather what he had picked up from the master he respected the most, Sir Harthrane Zaladriel Nightowl of the Elven Paladin Order of Greenglaze. So magnificent a soldier he was that it was rumored among various bands of Orcish raiders and pillagers that whenever the words “The Paladin has arrived” or any variant thereof were heard, the raiders would be already dead. As much as Faegard held the Paladin at the highest esteem, it would take many, many decades, or even centuries before he could attain such a reputation. And before that, assuming Sir Harthrane’s catchphrase seemed to be a shameless act to him.

The Union soldiers did not have the luxury to continue talking. Before Ein could lodge a response, their enemies appeared, gliding across the ruined skyscrapers and flying through the various columns of smoke around the devastated district. From afar, the silver-gold scheme coating the formation of incoming Daimyo MVFs shone brightly under the sun in the color of prosperity and wealth. Yet, from the sight of the cracking husk of what used to be a bustling portside district reduced to debris by their very hands, Faegard could not help but regard their paintjobs as an irony of the highest order.

“Conqueror to Valkyrie 4, Conqueror to Valkyrie 4,” the radio unit across the control panel beeped to life, revealing a soft, sweet, but urgent female voice amidst the interference. “Daimyos at two o’clock, 22 in number! Orion Fighters approaching from one o’clock, 12 in number!”

“Two o’clock…” Faegard repeated, temporarily blanking out in confusion. “That is…”

“Between East and North East, Valkyrie 4! Look at your radar if you still don’t get it!” Ein verbally nudged his subordinate, a look of both amusement and displeasure emerged on his features over the communication screen. “Haven’t I told you to memorize those conventions yet?

He had. But somehow, the convention just happened to escape from his mind whenever the enemies appeared. He wasn’t a coward per se, but participating in live battle while he was still confusing the thruster, brake and pedal control levers was placing too much strain on his concentration. At present, he was literally drenched in cold sweat, the inside of his reinforced rubber pilot suit soaked and sticky with all the perspiration.

“Okay, okay, no time for this now,” Ein said, with a visible facepalm. “Anyway, Valkyrie 4, activate your F-Barrier system, and move to point 0114 on the radar and act as decoy. I’ll move to point 0116 to provide cover fire! Now get on your feet!”

Nervously Faegard scanned the circular radar module across the control panel. Between the group of green spots denoting allies and the cluster of red spots standing for enemies, there was a shiny, blinking spot, marked ‘0114’. A little bit to the south-west of the 0114 spot was another, marked ‘0116’, presumably where the Weiss Stahlpferd would stand. Following the plan would place both Faegard and the Captain himself ahead of the rest of the Alexander’s escort and at the brunt of enemy fire. Those two spots were in the very middle of the attackers’ course, and no doubt they would unleash their entire rapid-fire arsenals on whomever dared to brave that far.

”Keep calm, Faegard, keep calm,” the elf told himself as he laid his sweating hands back into position. ”This has happened four times already – they just can’t break through my barrier. Yes, yes, they are not going to break through…”

Still, he couldn’t help but shiver. The last time he followed this command, the resulting enemy fire he had to swallow whole consumed so much of his mana that it caused a concussion similar to an unrestraint punch on his forehead. This time things were even worse, with five more Daimyos and six more Orions than the last.

Faegard took a deep breathe as he and his Captain drew closer to the enemies. Within about half a mile of the tip of their wedge-shaped formation, Faegard could see their menacing weaponries protruding from under their arms and beneath their heavily armored shoulders. With a cold chill running down his spines – or perhaps it was all the sweat beginning to take its toll – Faegard reached for a particular overhead switch, and flipped it over with the tip of his thumb.

******


“Raptor 13 to Valkyrie 4! Mayday! Raptor 13 to Valkyrie 4! Mayday! Taking heavy fire! Need assist…”

Faegard never got the chance to listen to the rest of what the fellow jet fighter pilot had to say. The signal was cut short in mid-sentence, leaving only a buzzing mess of interference in the place. The reason was explained the split second later as a jet plane, or whatever was left there of, burst into flames right before his eyes and plummeted into the water. With a loud splash, the flaming debris and whatever within it was swallowed by the blue sea.

It was not until this point that Faegard realized that the battle was not going well at all. Unlike the last times, the enemies must have decided to end the existence of the Alexander for good in one fell swoop at whatever cost. And it was high cost indeed – since the beginning of the morning, three consecutive waves of enemies had launched their onslaughts without so much as a break. The logical conclusion to this sort of tactic was a literal web of machinegun, beam gun, mortar, napalms fire and practically everything they could dump on the Alexander’s head to cause damage stretching from the shoreline to the battleship and covering everything in between.

Their current adversaries were much more numerous than the last times, but the pilots were significantly less skilled. Apparently many of them had worse techniques than Faegard himself. Even the rookie elf with his rag-tag skills could put an end to two Daimyos and severely damage another using just his boost knuckles. Judging from the frequency of explosions surrounding Ein’s position, Faegard estimated that over the course of the fierce battle, Ein had claimed at least twenty times that many kills.

Their jet fighter pilot allies weren’t so fortunate. With much less durability and flexibility and no handy F-Barrier to save their skin when things got hairy, one after another, they were blown out of the airspace and reduced to piles of sizzling junk metal on the sea bed. Raptor 13 was about the tenth or twelfth pilot to suffer from such a fate within a mere hour. Turning back to face the direction of the battleship and the aircrafts circling it, Faegard realized that barely half of them were left flying.

The ship itself was no better, its surface more and more resembling the scaly, jagged skin of a crocodile from countless hits by enemy projectiles. Parts of its hull were split open by stray beam shots, gasping out black smoke and flames from the cavities. Its balance appeared to have been tipped somewhat as the ship was visibly shaking, albeit mildly. It appeared that the crews were still in control of their vessel’s buoyancy, but not for much longer.

But Faegard had other things to worry about at the moment. One of those was the absolutely out-of-place reaction of his commander upon finding out how low the actual skill level of the hordes of attacking enemies and drawing the most logical conclusion.

“These guys are just drafted high schoolers at best,” Valkyrie 1 said through the radio communication channel just as he slung his trademarked cannon across his shoulder, blasting a clean hole through another suicidal MVF and sending it and probably its pilot straight to Davy Jones’ Locker. “What kind of heartless generals would send them to their deaths like this?

A look of true concern strewed across his face. It was almost as if the Captain was regretting having finished off the enemy he had just blown off the blue sky. Strange that such a look should appear now – he never showed such a sign of weakness, even when he was consciously mowing down a dozen of

“Err…” Faegard was at a loss for words for a split second, his eyes still fixed on the critically damaged ship and wondering why his commander still had the time and heart to worry about some nameless enemy soldiers.

“What’s so wrong, Valkyrie 4?” Ein said.

“I seriously believe you should care more about the state of our mother ship and our friendly air units before…”

At that point a solid beam shot hit Faegard squarely on the head with unthinkable precision, knocking the Shishioh backwards. Had it not been for the still active F-Barrier, that could have decapitated the Shishioh clean off. Still, it did enough to inflict a mild concussion to his cranium, nearly blacking the elven pilot out. To top it with, as he was staggering back to position, another stray volley hit the water right beside him, culminating in a huge splash of water blowing forth from the impact point. Faegard still somehow managed to maintain balance, but his self-control didn’t enjoy such luxury.

“Damn it, captain!” the elf exclaimed, this time thoroughly maddened. “Why don’t you just blow them all off the sky with that funnel-shaped cannon of yours like the last time already?

“Blow them out of the sky with the F-Scatter Cannon?” Ein asked back, a look of growing hesitation growing in his speech.

“For the love of the Deities of the Two Moons, Captain!” Faegard found himself shouting out loud. “They are the enemies! They are evil and must be exterminated without second thoughts!”

Never did the elf imagine the impact of such a speech coulf be so profound on his usually easy-going and cheerful squad leader. For the first time, Faegard saw Ein’s true expression of hesitation pushed to its logical extreme. A large sweat drop rolled down his forehead, his lips lifted up a little, his eyes estranged. Perhaps it was the interference that was deluding him, but Faegard could swear Ein was trembling at that very moment. His face showed a great fright, as if he was stuck in the deepest end of a daytime nightmare happened to strike it the worst time available. It was as if something Faegard just said had triggered something especially repugnant in the Captain’s mind to result in such a reaction.

“Evil?” Ein repeated what his comrade said, as if having lost his mind.

“Of course they are evil!” Faegard shouted, anxiety filling him as he called. “Wake up, Captain! We are in a fight here!”

“Then I… I must not hesitate,” Ein monologued, without even paying attention to the communication channel still open. As he speak, more sweat drops materialized on his foreheads, and his words clogging together until Faegard no longer understand what he was trying to say. “They… aren’t… not my friends… not them… they’re all… dead… they… they’re not…”

“Captain? Take a hold of yourself, Captain!”

For a split second, Faegard thought that his call had been effective, and that his captain had returned to his usual self. The Weiss Stahlpferd reached for its oversized cannon, hoisted its shield, and knelt one knee down in a ready-to-fire pose. The barrel of the F-Solid Beam Cannon sparked and rearranged itself, revealing its array of smaller, outward-scattered mini-barrels. And then the tip of those barrels started to flare to life, preparing for a devastating discharge of metal-shredding beams.

And then Faegard realized that something had gone horribly, horribly wrong.

“Get out of my way, those of you who still value your life!”

That, blaring straight from the loudspeaker at maximum volume, definitely wouldn’t come from someone with an intention to kill. To back this up, Ein purposefully left his cannon flaring, but not shooting, for a whole two seconds, as if to give his enemies ample time to notice impending danger and get away. That was enough time even for Faegard to flee if he wanted to, and by proxy any of those within his firing range to fail to take reaction would be deemed too dumb to live anyway.

“Oh no you don’t!”

Ein never had the chance to fire that cannon. A pair of throwing daggers from seemingly nowhere had shot forth, piercing the cannon’s barrel from top to bottom before the Ein could press the trigger. The result of such an attack was devastating, at least to the F-Solid Beam Cannon. The cannon’s entire body flared up as bluish, potent energy waves burst from the hole, beginning to tear the fabrics of the cannon into shreds. An appropriate expression of shock emerged on Ein’s face at this new development.

But Ein hadn’t been an experienced veteran for nothing. Shock quickly gave way for sharpness in his expression as he slung his right lever across. In response, the Weiss Stahlpferd performed an athletic toss, not too unlike shot-putting the damaged beam cannon forward. His timing couldn’t have been more appropriate. A mere heartbeat after the heavy damaged cannon left the Stahlpferd’s hand and swung at the enemy-infested space before him, the uncontrollable energy waves tore out from the cannon’s body, totally dismantling the machine. And in its wake, the ruptured weapon went up in an explosive blaze, filling the space before the duo with a colossal fireball, shooting out faint bluish beams into all directions as if scouring and destroying any survivor of the blast. Any intention of mercy on Ein’s behalf was literally trashed along with his instinctive throw of the cannon.

He didn’t have any slack to contemplate on his failure to provide quarters. For right the second after that, the fireball was pierced through at the very center by an object flying by at high speed. Emerging from the hole, a very familiar looking MVF swooped down on him, still trailing blades of flame and tuffs of smoke behind him. Ein barely had enough time to draw his beam saber to ward off the newcomer’s attack.

There was a large flash as the newcomer approached Ein and swung his weapon at him. The distinctive flash of two beam swords crashing into one another at high speed. It didn’t take too long for Faegard to realize who was at the helms of the charging machine, judging from the sheer size of his weapon. And then when his eyes set upon the quadruple thruster engine of the machine, there was simply no more doubt.

“The Daimyo Custom?” exclaimed the elf.

“You are not getting anywhere today, Einherjar Ritter!” shrieked the enemy pilot. To match his threat, his blade began to push Ein’s back, subduing the Captain’s chances for a counterattack.

“And I’m not going to sit outside and watch!” Faegard shouted, changing his facing in preparation to lend his captain a hand.

“Think you I’ll give you a chance to?

Another voice rang in the distance, accompanied by a volley of beam shots raking the water right in front of Faegard, effectively stopping him from whatever he was doing. Barely having the time to turn up, Faegard was forced to perform an emergency dodge as the next volley splashed the water underneath him. One of those beams hit the Shishioh’s shoulder, temporarily knocking it off balance but no damage, thanks to the F-Barrier.

The faces he saw as soon as he looked up were as good as a shocking reminder. He was certain he had seen those three semi-customized Daimyo with personalized paintjobs before. To clarify any other doubt on their identity, the pilot of the Daimyo in the front tuned up his loudspeaker and spoke.

“This is Captain Charles Kingsley of the 412th MVF Squadron speaking!” he announced. “Pilot of the Shishioh, you’ve been surrounded! No amount of FALCON power can save you now! Lay down your weapon and surrender!”

”That voice…” Faegard racked his brain, before realization came to him together with fright. ”He is that Daimyo pilot back at the raids of Kansai base… both of those times!”

“I’ve got a bone to pick with you for the last time, kid,” said him before Faegard could submit a verbal response. “But I won’t stoop so low as to compete against rookies. Surrender and you will be treated according to the spirit of the 2379 Geneve Convention!”

“Yeah, and if not you’ll just be walking into a stone wall!”

That, coming from the loudspeaker of one of the other Daimyos in the group actually made Faegard twitch from its silliness. But that hadn’t come to its end. Yet.

“Mike, how many times do I have to tell you?” retorted the last member of the group. “Haven’t I told you it’s lava pit we’re talking about? Lava pit, I say!”

“Ah, shut up, Eric,” the pilot called Mike countered. “I’m ranked higher than you so of course my words count! I say it’s stone wall, and it will be!”

“Oh yeah? It doesn’t make sense at all!” Eric protested. “Make it lava pit, or else!

“STONE WALL!”

“LAAAVAA PIT!”

The argument went along that line for a full minute, with increasing speed, pitch and loudness from both sides. How some fully-frown, military men could make serious business out of something as trivial as that was beyond his understanding. At that point, Faegard supposed no sane commander could stand such foolishness any more. Perhaps that was the only thing he and Charles could come into agreement at the point, as the enemy Captain was quick to shut up both of them, by slapping their machines hard on the cheek. The impact was such that the two arguing MVFs were knocked off balance and just about to dive-roll straight into the water, had their commander not held them back.

“I’m warning you, Sergeant Michael Stanhoff, Master Sergeant Eric Heathrow,” scowled him as he pulled the two subordinates back to his level, “When your commander tells you to stop that kind of joke, you stop,” he then turned to Faegard with a rigid and extremely serious tone, to the point of morbidity, as if to make up for his subordinates’ folly. “If you do not surrender now, you are not going to return to your nearest and dearest in one piece!”

Contrary to his expectation, Faegard didn’t find Charles’ threats credible any more. That was perhaps the only time when laughing at gunpoint was an acceptable option, and Faegard did just that – laugh his head off at the face of the menacing enemy captain. Or rather, the enemy captain who was trying too hard to be menacing to save his face and the ‘negotiation’, if it could be called one.

“You do realize that it is impossible to take your words seriously after something of that caliber, don’t you?” Faegard answered, trying to hold back his thoughts. “Besides,” he glanced at Ein, still holding back his archenemy’s blade in the distance, “Think you I will leave Captain Ritter and surrender to save my skin? I think not!”

“You are not going to end well on the battlefield with such a tongue, whelp!” roared Charles. He clicked his weapon, as if ready to unleash whatever he had at Faegard in a heartbeat.

Unconsciously Faegard glanced at the communication screen, as if asking for some help from his commander. During the time he was occupied by Charles Kingsley and his literally Merry Men, it turned out that Ein’s expression had returned somewhat to normal. Not that the impact of what surreal shock he had received had totally died down, but his signature, albeit somewhat forced, smile had returned to his visage, a good sign indeed. Knowing that even now he was still caught in a tight spot, it was a refreshing and optimistic sight.

“Captain!” Faegard called, his eyes quickly switching between his commander’s face and the threatening trio above him.

Ein didn’t answer, at least not verbally. Instead, he raised his left hand to face the screen, and with a quick but ferocious movement of his shoulder and wrist, waved towards himself. He finished his message with a nod, with no less fierceness and decisiveness as the wave. And then communication terminated.

“If we can’t have you, we’ll have your corpse for reverse-engineering anyway, or so they say,” Charles said, putting up the most threatening voice he could have, making Faegard jerk up. “If you can’t take it, run back to momma dearest and hide when you still can!”

”Wait, what? Running? To momma dearest? something clicked in Faegard’s head, followed by a spark and sizzle. A glint of intelligent but mischievous resolution flared in Faegard’s eyes, followed what seemed to be the most crafty smile he could possibly muster at the moment…

******



< Message edited by Argeus the Paladin -- 10/13/2009 21:21:56 >
DF  Post #: 22
8/30/2009 21:21:04   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 22
Amidst the Ruins


“You know what? I don't have a mother to run back to any more!”

That was the best witty comment Faegard could come up at the moment, before he launched his right hand boost knuckle at the three Daimyos above. That daring and abrupt move surprised all of his opponents. While Charles had enough skill to dodge it with a last-minute swerve, the same could not be say about his two comrades. Specifically, the one standing right behind Charles only realized the presence of the rocket punch when it was within merely five yards. The machine's shoulder took a direct hit, the punch rending the joint like hot knife through butter, crushing and shredding everything in its path. As a result, its entire right arm, from the point of impact downwards was severed from the torso, plopping down into the water like a pebble.

“Eric!” shouted Charles as he turned back to his subordinate, letting his gun down for a split second.

Faegard did not let that chance go to waste. With a quick step on the pedal and a single button press to activate the thruster, the Shishioh shot forth away from the Daimyo squad and towards Ein's side. When Charles Kingsley realized what was wrong, Faegard had well covered half the ground between him and the Weiss Stahlpferd.

“Damn!”

There was not much else beside cursing Charles could do at that time, except for unleashing an entire volley of beam fire at Faegard's machine in the distance. Shooting a MF moving at high speed was as difficult as it sound, and experienced as Charles Kingsley was, he could do no better than to disturb the water with his missed shot. The few beams that did hit the Shishioh was absorbed by the F-Barrier without any difficulty.

Faegard's purpose was not to run away, however well he pulled out that escape. As the machine was still brushing up water as it glided over the surface, Faegard was grabbing both joysticks, his forehead wrinkled in extreme concentration. His form on the seat looked as stiff and rigid as a statue, in direct contradiction to his mouth. The speed at which the elf's mouth was opening and closing was approaching machinegun fire rate the closer he approached Captain Ein and his opponent's locked position.

And then the Shishioh's remaining hand started to flare up, an orange, semi-material ball building up around its fingertips. The sphere expanded quickly, and by the time Faegard was within five score yards from the Daimyo Custom and the Weiss, it had grown to the size of the Shishioh's head.

A large sweatdrop rolled down Faegard's cheek as he tried to focus on the target in front of him. The aim, already unstable from his quick movement, was made infinitely more difficult by the enemies behind and above. Not only were the three custom-colored Daimyo unloading everything they've got at him, but each and every of those who survived the F-Solid Cannon's meltdown were giving their all in an attempt to not let him get away. Projectiles, particle beams as well as infrequent grenades raked the water with a frightening frequency and thickness. While the barrage was quite useless in terms of damage dealing, they did succeed in shaking the Shishioh like a willow tree amidst a storm.

”Holy Mother of the Elements! Are you kidding me? Faegard clenched his teeth, his sweaty, shivering hands grabbing the joystick as if his life depended on it. ”Not even Archmage Zenethil Manewillow can pull off anything like this!”

Suddenly, the screen flared up, startling Faegard at all the wrong time. A full-sized, green line of text emerged from nowhere, overriding its center and obscuring part of the vital scene in front of the Shishioh. The control panel responded to the new development by splitting itself open around the middle, revealing a palm-sized control unit connected to the panel's base by an extendable rod. And before he could figure out what was going on, the rod had extended enough so that the console was brought within a lift of Faegard's finger.

There appeared to be only two buttons on the console, one red, one green. How to use that console only made sense in context – the line on the screen read “ACTIVATE F-SYNCHRONIZED MAGIC AIMING DEVICE, Y/N?” Oblivious as he was, at least Faegard could guess what the purpose of the console was.

”In an emergency, there is no time to waste hesitating!” Faegard told himself, as he reached out and, with his hand still shaking, hit the green button.

The green line of text immediately vanished as the button sank in. In its place now formed a myriad of red circles with crosshairs in their center. Almost at once after materialization, the red circles hovered forth towards the Daimyo Custom's form, stopping at each of the machine's vital points – head, thruster, joints, hand, with a blip of confirmation every time they locked on any location. There were an assortment of miniature graphs, numbers and texts around each and every of those point, which Faegard took to be in-depth analyses of said point. It was as if the interface was requesting and giving the required data for him to choose a spot to hit where it would hurt most.

“I'll go for the left thruster then! Fireball!” Faegard exclaimed, touching the corresponding point on the screen.

What happened after that was beyond his suspension of disbelief. And probably any other wizard having done his homework on metamagic would have had the same impression. The fireball garnered on the Shishioh's palm had grown to its maximum size, and, upon being flung forward at the target, homed into it along a zigzag path at an unimaginable speed for a spell of that class. And then, after a dozen or so ricochets, with a final sharp turn, it homed right down the designated target with pinpoint accuracy. The large explosion as a result not only severely damaged the target, it also chucked the Daimyo Custom off balance, knocking it aside and temporarily lifting its onslaught on the Weiss Stahlpferd.

Ein did not waste that chance. With a quick maneuver. the Weiss slid off its opponent's blade lock and dashed towards its rescuer. When the Daimyo Custom could regain balance, with all due difficulty due to the damaged booster and the blunt trauma, the Weiss had already been on its way to the shoreline, dragging the Shishioh by the wrist along with it.

“Nice work out there, Valkyrie 4!” Ein commended.

“That was thanks to some of the Shishioh's features, sir!” Faegard replied, his face turning slightly luminescent.

“Wish we can have some more time to discuss about this,” Ein said, turning back to look at the enemy trailing behind them, “but our land-based MFs are at a total disadvantage fighting on water against this kind of odds. We have to get on the shore as soon as possible!”

Ein didn't actually have to remind Faegard about 'this kind of odds'. It looked like more enemies had survived the cannon meltdown than Faegard had expected. Trailing behind them at that time were an assortment of enemy MVFs, at least twenty in number, including the Daimyo Custom and Charles Kingsley's wacky team. The latter looked as if they had steam coming out of their ears.

“On the shore, sir?” Faegard asked back. “But... but what about the Alexander? Are we...”

“The number one capital ship to date of the Global Union will not sink that easily, even with most of its armaments taken down like this,” Ein reassured. “I've been on it during the First War – it has survived far worse than that.”

There was no time for hesitation. The barrage the Daimyos put up hot on their trail would very likely make short work of both of them should they stop moving. The deafening sound of rapid fire and splashing water made Faegard grip his joysticks to the point of nearly snapping them. That might as well have been unnecessary, seeing how he was being dragged along by Ein without much control of the situation.

As the shore closed on, so did the barrage thicken. On both sides. The enemies still taking their positions in the ruined debris of the streets closest to the dockside had no intention to let their preys get away scotch-free. What was worse, the enemies on the shore were mostly armed with high-caliber beam rifles, the kind that could pierce a hole through thick steel and mithril alike within a blink of an eye. Seeing how easily those weapons pierced through allied jets in the past few days, Faegard wouldn't want to take the chance of being pelted by an array of those at point-blank range. Not even with the F-Barrier still active.

“Get down! Behind me!”

Ein ordered, raising his shield above his head, covering both of them. The effect was tantamount to a tower shield guard against an array of archers. Faegard watched in awe as the beam shots were either deflected from the surface or completely absorbed into the plating.

“Don't worry,” Ein said while blocking the crossfire, “the anti-beam coating of this shield can stand a lot more than this.”

However, 'a lot more than this' didn't mean limitless. Within barely half a minute after he raised his shield, the deflection and absorption no longer worked as well as it should. Beam shots began to pierce through the layer of coating, inflicting a variety of dents and holes through the surface. The closer they got to the shore, the worse the shield become, until Faegard could no longer recognize its surface. If the frontal barrage prolonged for any more, even the shield's integrity wouldn't hold...

“Now!”

Ein's exclamation snapped Faegard from his nervousness. Turning to the front, Faegard realized the roguht crossing had finally come to an end. The shore was right in front of them and largely unguarded to boost. Not wasting another second, Ein rerouted most of the Stahlpferd's output to the boosters beneath its feet. With a loud cry, he switched on the boosters, resulting in an extraordinary diagonal leap towards the land, pulling the Shishioh with it. With a loud thud, the duo landed on the asphalt, shattering the ground beneath their weight as they hit the solid surface.

All was not well yet. No sooner than Ein and Faegard had descended upon the ground than a couple of Daimyos emerged from behind the ruined block ahead, pointing their weapons at them. Ein responded to the newcomers by discarding his shield at them as a thrown weapon. The nearly-shattered tower shield hit the first Daimyo on the head, crushing its cranium. The second Daimyo never had the chance to respond properly before its was torso pierced multiple times by the sidearms Ein produced during the confusion.

“We can't fight back a pincer attack in the open like this,” Ein said, cocking his weapon while gazing towards the incoming enemy horde from the seaside. “Valkyrie 4, go hide behind that ruined block over there!”

He pointed towards a building, or whatever is left thereof in the corner of the street. It must have been a nice, spacious two-storey house in its heyday. But after all the devastation, all what remained was the southern wall and parts of the floors, as well as an indent along the wall's surface to mark where the staircase used to be. The space available coincidentally matched the size of the Shishioh while kneeling, making it an idea hiding and sniping place. That was, if he had any ranged weapon to begin with.

“What about you, sir?” Faegard asked.

“That pilot of the Daimyo Custom is out for my blood, remember?” Ein said casually.”I'm sure he is not going to give up with just minor damage like that. And if he's going to fight me hand-to-hand, I'm not going to need this.”

The Captain then tossed his weapon at Faegard. The tiny, crossbow-like projectile launcher landed squarely on the Shishioh's hand to the pilot's astonishment.

“This is...”

“Use it like you would a crossbow,” Ein said, before dashing in the opposite direction. “Now get going! You're going to die VERY fast if you hang on in the open any longer!”

As if reinforcing his statement, a mortar shot landed on the debris behind the Shishioh and went off with a loud blast, tossing broken bricks and gravel all over the MF. And when a dual beam shots ripped through the ground, barely hitting him, Faegard realized there might as well have been no other option. He picked up the pace, stomping the pedals as fast as he could.

It was only when he was safely behind the shelter, with a trail of smoke and wrecked road behind him that he could take a breather. Most of the enemies still didn't cross the shoreline yet, making it an excellent opportunity to preempt and snipe them down. Only one problem remained.

”But how to use this thing?

Good question. Now that Faegard had time to look over it again, its resemblance to a crossbow was minimalistic. Except for the trigger usually included in some of the heavier crossbow variants, Ein's weapon still looked more like a toy than something capable to doing damage at long range. Not that he would doubt its power, knowing what kind of amazing feats his captain was capable of with it. But observing is one thing, and replicating it is another different matter entirely.

”Who cares? Faegard slapped himself mentally. ”If he tells me to use it like a crossbow I WILL use it like how a true elf would use a crossbow!”

Taking a deep breath, the elf grabbed the joysticks and pushed them forth. In response, the Shishioh hoisted the weapon, pointing it at the mass of advancing enemies. Faegard's forehead wrinkled, a multitude of tiny sweatdrops materialized on his forehead. Controlling the Shishioh to aim a weapon was much harder than doing so with his own hands, but in the end the elf managed to set the barrel's alignment at the enemy. It was a little too late at that time, as about half a dozen had already crossed the shoreline.

”Late is better than never!” Faegard thought, jamming his eyes shut as his right-hand pointer finger pressed on the respective notch on the joystick.

There was the whizzing sound of a beam shot flying across, followed by that of metal being drilled through, and concluded with an explosion. Opening his eyes, Faegard could see one of the machines in the front row had been hit in the torso and blown up into a pile of smoking junk right at the water edge.

”So that's how it goes,” Faegard smiled victoriously at the proof of his victory. ”An elf has to be able to do at least this much with a crossbow!”

The enemies at the front row halted in unison at the sight of their teammate's demise in the most unsoldierly way possible. Only then did Faegard understand what his captain meant with his hesitation just then. Most of the pilots they were fighting were completely green. And there was a way specifically reserved to deal with recruits like those...

“Now then, who wants to die next?” the elf declared, a fitting arrogant smile beamed across his face as he pointed his weapon at the enemies. “Those who still value theirs are free to leave!”

******


“DIE!”

Einherjar was not quite as lucky as his protege. The fight between the great sword and the butter knife had been going on for a solid ten minutes, and no one had gained a visible advantage. Ein and his attacker fought along the streets, laying waste to the surrounding as they clashed. As if the district hadn't been ruined enough, the pilot of the Daimyo Custom had no qualms against cleaving anything between him and his prey without mercy. That behavior didn't bid well for the lampposts or billboards, being slashed into halves along the warpath.

The enemy had impeccable techniques and reflex, if Ein had to say that himself. From the way he swung the oversize beam sword with the fluidness and control of a master, he would most certainly make a fine ace if he survived the war for long enough. Add in the fact that he was a potent F-Manipulator and Ein could bet his entire fortune in manga, anime and robot figure on his bright future. That was if he survived the war, of course.

However, from the way he attacked, it looked almost as if he didn't care if he would survive or not. For someone having been in the trade for long enough to recognize a pilot's mood and attitude just from how he fought, Ein could conclude that his lust for combat was most definitely not a healthy one. His moves were wild, his stance unconventional, his patience almost nonexistent, pulling out some extremely risky maneuvers in the hope of ending it quickly. Had Ein still had a ranged weapon handy, he could have easily put an end to that duel in any one of those vulnerable split seconds.

Ein pulled a quick swerve to avoid an uppercut and countered with a rapid stab only to be blocked in midway. The opponent then turned the blade sideway and produced a circular roundhouse cleave, which Ein dodged with a swift jump. This was replied with by yet another uppercut, which the Captain took care of by a diagonal downward slash-block. The Daimyo jumped back for a brief second, before resuming its onslaught with a 120-degree vertical jump-swing aimed at the Weiss' cranium. Once again, Ein blocked with his butter-knife beam sword as his opponent pushed his blade down. That resulted in the duo being locked together again in a blade tug-o-war.

“You are good,” Ein remarked through the loudspeaker. “Too good to die here.”

“Like hell I am!” growled his opponent, pressing his blade forth.

His careless move revealed one tiny vulnerability that Ein could not miss. With a swift movement of its right leg, the Weiss Stahlpferd kicked the Daimyo on the shin, knocking it slightly off-balance for just long enough for him to jump backward half a dozen yards. Once the Daimyo regained its balance to finish the cleave, the Weiss was well far enough from it to render the slash moot. Before the enemy could follow up with any other attack, Ein had leaped on the nearest building top, gaining a height advantage over his foe.

“Your surprise factor is no more, pilot,” Ein taunted from aloft. “Face it – you are not skilled enough to take me down. Or calm enough, that is.”

“Even if I have to die today I will drag you along with me to Hell!” roared the enemy as he lunged forward.

Another timely jump saved the Weiss from being cleaved. The two-storey building it stood on a second before, however, was not that lucky. The Daimyo's overcharged beam sword had made short work of the structure with a clean, diagonal cut.

That turned out to be a critical mistake on the Daimyo's part. While the smoke and dust from the overturned debris hindered its view, Ein had had enough time to decide on his trump card. The older pilot grabbed both joysticks with an iron grip, as if holding on to a precious treasure. Closing his eyes, Ein's mind began to expand, before focusing on the beam blade in the Weiss' hand.

”A green, bright, shiny blade... that can pierce absolutely everything from Neosteel to adamantine to Super Alloy Z... So bright...” visualized him, the image's vividness grew within his head, until the point it became so lifelike Ein could not tell if it was just a mental image any more, or had become an extension of reality. A sudden jolt of pain ran through Ein's head as the vision in his mind's eyes built up, as if something or someone had split open his cerebral chamber and extracted some of his gray matter in the process.

In the meantime, his attack in the real world had been fully prepared. His beam sword had extended itself to about twice the original length. The additional length was manifested in a greenish, ethereal-looking aura of unknown light. At precisely that moment, Ein opened his eyes with the suddenness and certainty of one having just awakened from an enlightening meditation. His face tensed, his eyebrows knitted, his eyes focused without blinking on his enemy ahead.

Only then did the Daimyo Custom realized the position of its opponent. That realization came to the pilot a split second too late though. Before he could take any action, defensive or offensive, Ein had lunged at him, blade first. There was a solid clang as the empowered beam sword in his hand crashed into the layer of distorted air surrounding the Daimyo Custom and stopped dead in its track. A bright flash of the same color as the extension of Ein's beam sword reflected back to the attacker, denoting the presence of the Daimyo's F-Barrier. The air vibrated wildly between the edge of the blade and the F-Barrier, as if it would implode any minute now. The Captain responded to that seemingly disadvantageous development with a lift of his upper lips as he proceeded with his attack.

His perseverance paid off. Within a second of contact, his blade began to pierce through the layer of disturbed air. Sparks of energy scintillated around the point of contact as the charged blade stabbed through, increasing in number and intensity as the blade was stuffed deeper and deeper into the barrier. The entire disturbance was concluded by a blinding flash, followed by a distinctive sound of glass shattering. The sparks previously cracking around the violated barrier, now having no other surface to orbit around, burst out freely and rained all over the surrounding area.

There was another flash followed by a minor explosion. And then silence, with nothing other than the sound of settling gravel and debris and minor scintillations across the surrounding.

It took some time for both the smoke and dust and sparks to die down, and when it did, on the battlefield stood the two figures locked in place. One figure was kneeling before the other in mid-attack, its hand not leaving its precious beam sword. The other machine had had its much larger and more frightening overcharged beam sword ripped from its hand and pushed into the ground for a good reason. Its shoulder joint had been pierced from front to back by the former's beam sword.

And then more silence. It as as if the wind sweeping through the field and brushing against the machines' figures had sapped the ability to speak from their respective pilots. It was some time later before Ein could properly respond to the situation at hand.

“I won,” Ein said. “Not surprising. You have plenty of potentials, but you don't yet have what it takes to be an MF pilot.”

There was no reply from his adversary for the next few seconds. The shock of being defeated must have made him swallow his tongue.

“Aha, ahahahaha,” he finally responded with a long string of hysteric laughter, that of a chronic psychopath deemed too dangerous to live among the community.

The tone of his voice did not match that laughter at all to Ein's dismay. However deranged it sounded, it was clearly the clear, youthful voice of one having graduated from teenage not too long ago he was laughing in. But it was his next comment that deeply disturbed Ein.

“You see that, Luna? Did you see that? The world is ending... Armageddon is coming, Luna! To think that bloodthirsty devils like Einherjar Ritter could triumph over me... the gods must be dead! Dead, I say, dead! Aha, ahahahahaha!”

Those words left Ein dumb-struck for some seconds, before he lowered his voice and spoke.

“Perhaps you are right,” Ein said with an apologetic tone, although he knew all too well the man, or rather, boy in the other machine would not benefit any from it. “I don't deny being a serial killer not unlike those crazed rippers documented in history throughout my career. A madman, a demon, an youkai, a devil, or even the Antichrist... take your pick.”

“You killed her...” mumbled his adversary in a largely out-of-tune voice. “You killed the only person who cared about me in this entire world... Why can't you die, Einherjar Ritter? Why won't you just go to hell and join the butchers down there? This world... this peaceful world... ill needs of a killer like you!”

“I can, and I will,” replied the pilot of the Weiss Stahlpferd. “This is just not the time... yet.”

“No, this IS the time!”

Ein quickly realized all too late he shouldn't have let his guard down. For right after his opponent's declaration, or condemnation should it be so called, the Daimyo Custom's backside glowed bright green in an all too familiar hue. And then the back armor detached itself from the torso, revealing a continuous stream of said light, outshining the sunlight a it illuminated the area behind it. When Ein realized what he was planning, it was already too late to take any preemptive action.

“F-Missiles?” exclaimed the Captain upon recognition.

His words were drowned by the whizzing sound of a dozen warhead blowing out from the Daimyo's back. Warheads coated in the same green colored aura of an F-charged weapon, no less. Like a flock of hunting kingfishers, they shredded the air towards their target, not giving it a single chance to avoid.

And then there was a cluster of explosions, scattering the eerily colored light all across the place, dyeing the dust, smoke and gravel into a radioactive green shade. Where the Stahlpferd was standing just a second before was filled with that sort of abnormal dust, drawing a morbid analogy to a nuclear fallout, albeit at a smaller scale...

******


“Order the rest of Team 412, 413 and 414 to retreat.”

Charles Kingsley issued his two wingmen a seemingly inappropriate order. Mike and Eric's astonishment at that was thoroughly justified.

“Captain, but... but we still haven't captured or shot down the Shishioh yet!” the 'Stone Wall' wingman asked back.

“This is a pointless waste of lives,” Charles said, his machine pointing its finger at the site of battle with the Shishioh.

Since the assault on his position commenced, Faegard had shown how an elf's skills with the crossbow or anything along those lines should never be looked down upon, even if he was in a MF. Already three Daimyos had been dealt lethal hits to, two of which were reduced to heaps of smoking junk, and the other knocked face-down, bolts of leaked energy sparking from the hole on its head. The rest of those under Charles' command were backing off from Faegard's beachhead, falling back to the shoreline. No telepathy was needed to understand their fright and nervousness.

“Useless greenhorns,” cursed Eric 'Lava Pit' Heathrow. “If we knew recruits are this weak...”

“You were no better when you first joined the boot camp, Sergeant,” Charles reprimanded. “We can't expect a bunch of high-school seniors being drafted in short notice to fight like battle-hardened veterans.”

“But...” Mike said.

“See the Alexander out there, both of you?” Charles remarked as his machine glanced back at the temporarily disabled battleship in the bayside. “Once they fix their targeting system and their main turrets, these boys are going to go down like animals. Insects. I will not see to that. They are too young to die meaninglessly.”

And then he turned towards Faegard's stronghold.

“What we face here is an F-Manipulator. An Union recruit, but still an F-Manipulator,” said Charles. “And he isn't as incapable of putting up a fight as he look. Nothing short of a veteran can hope to contain him. Got it?

Saying so, Charles flew his MVF forth, approaching Faegard's hiding place. The elf responded with a triple shot. But Charles was no recruit – he calmly evaded the first one and deflected the second with a whisk of his beam sword. The third one completely missed its mark, hitting a nearby building instead.

“Now get to work – sound the retreat and guide the boys towards our capital ship! They will live to fight another day!”

Not waiting for his subordinates' answer, the commander's Daimyo swooped down on Faegard's place, and before he could fire another shot, proceeded to cleave the building into halves with his beam edge. Faegard managed to dive-roll out of danger on time, but his vantage point was out of commission. As the Shishioh scrambled back to an upright foothold, Charles' Daimyo was already standing in front of it, beam sword in hand.

“Stand up,” said him, pointing the edge at Faegard. “And fight like a man.”

His last comment was cemented with his drawing out another beam sword from his arsenal and throwing it at the Shishioh. Instinctively, Faegard stepped on the pedal to perform an evasive roll, only to realize it was unnecessary. The backup sword pinned on the ground beside Faegard's machine harmlessly, as if waiting for him to pick it up.

“This is...” Faegard exclaimed.

“You are piloting a flawed machine,” Charles said. “A machine with plenty of fancy functions but none of the useful utilities a combat MF should have. If I were to scrap your machine right now, it would be too easy. Pick up that blade and fight!”

His voice was totally serious. The enemy commander had completely changed his attitude through just merely fifteen minutes of confronting him. For the first time in the world of Earth, Faegard felt the honor of being respected at least a little, by an enemy, no less.

“I accept your challenge,” he said, reaching out for the beam sword, pulling it out of the ground.

*******

DF  Post #: 23
10/13/2009 3:41:20   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 23
Courage, Skill, and Everything in Between


“Captain, 50% of our escort jets has been wiped out!”

The Captain being addressed raised his eyebrow in an uneasy acknowledgement, but otherwise displayed no change in attitude. His rugged visage, decorated with many a scars and calluses, still displayed a steeled expression of courage and collection. His massive, grey Russian beard and moustache effectively covered the lower half of his face, but it was not difficult to picture his lips glued together. All in all, the fierce, yet dependable poster image of a Russian aristocrat and his vast reserve of courage and charisma.

“Report progress on the 5th and 6th AA turrets’ maintenance!”

Hardly had he finished the sentence when the entire bridge was shaken up and down following a large explosion echoing from somewhere below. A couple of high-pitched, terrified screams enveloped the chamber, as some of the personnel stationed inside frantically clung to their seats as if their lives depended on it. And for good reasons as well – the few who were thrown out of their post following the turbulence were lying on the floor, passed out from the concussion.

Dread filled the room in the wake of the explosion, a sort of dread that any seaman would have experienced at one point or another in his life. When one’s life depended solely on the integrity of a failing vessel, even the smallest tremor could bring the most courageous of seamen to their knees in fright and despair. It took the operator in charge some time to calm his own, vivid horror before he could control his speech again.

“Emergency repairs is being stalled at 45%! Our technicians can’t do any better under this bombardment!”

“What about the rest of our armaments?

The captain asked, not the least unnerved by the grim prospect.

“The damage we took earlier is beyond immediate repairs, sir!” frantically answered the operator. “With the main reactor damaged to this extent, the best we can do is to stay afloat!”

“Then stop the main reactor to conserve energy. Focus all of the ship’s remaining output on anti-beam generators to cover the propulsion and engine from further damage.” ordered the captain, looking straight forward, swiping his arm across his face in a gesture of extreme determination. “Prepare for emergency landing on water!”

The operator was more or less baffled by his seemingly reckless decision. His objection spewed out all at once against his better judgement, as if fright was getting the better of him.

“Captain, but… won’t that completely halt our emergency repair on Block A and C?

“I have captained five ships so far,” the captain immediately silenced his subordinate with a convincing voice, reinforced with his ever-stalwart gaze. “None of them have sunken. I have no intention to let this one slip.”

“But, sir…” the operator’s protest was dwarfed before that assurance.

“I have survived much worse in the First War,” the captain remarked, his voice resounding all over the chamber, as if reinforcing his men’s morale. “There is no way I, or any of you for that matter, will fall here!”

His spirit was not entirely groundless. Colonel Mikhail “Sea Hound” Zabrovich, one of the very few Global Union officers to have survived all three phrases of the First War while in active combat, had truly earnt his nickname up to date. The 56-year-old Sevastopol citizen did not spend two third of his life on Global Union ships of all classes and categories for nothing. Suffice to say, it was not sheer dumb luck that his Hephaestus was the only one to survive the battle of Vladivostok-Kyushu intact whereas many experienced captains and aces, up to and including top ace Okazaki Itou, lost their lives. And he was always ready to repeat that “Vladivostok Miracle” any time his generals or his fellow crewmen would ask for.

A spark of indefatigable confidence flared up in the captain’s aged eyes as they gazed all over the room, scanning each and every member of his bridge crews. Strangely, whoever his eyes met would immediately regain their morale, planting themselves on their seat and their hands firmly on the keyboard, readying for any order to come. Within half a minute, the previously stunned bridge sprang back to life again, the sound of fingers tapping on keyboards and occasional status reports once again reigned dominant all over the place. All the while, the old captain’s eyebrows remained raised and petrified in place as he observed the progress with both anxiety and belief.

“Reactor output redirected to thrusters at 0.01%! Block D and E AB Shield, at 60% output! Lower deck at 45 degrees downward! Emergency landing in ten seconds!”

“All hands, brace for impact!” ordered the captain, waving his hand forth.

There was a huge splash, a loud rumble and overall a tremor of magnitude no less than the last one when the battleship’s hull slammed onto the water surface. The front window was drenched in seawater as the ship’s bow and bridge was immersed beneath the surface, before again rising above it some seconds later. The amount of water displaced by the emergency landing well created an unusually large wave to wash the shoreline. When it all had settled down, the Alexander’s main bow-mounted cannons pointed towards the city and all the enemies inside it as majestically as a blue whale surfacing for the kill. If only those cannons had been functional, the threatening façade of the landing would have been backed with actual substance.

“Status report!” Captain Zabrovich exclaimed.

“We have successfully landed, sir!” the operator declared, an apparent relief booming in his voice. “Blunt damage on the upper starboard and lower deck is negligible! Energy reroute will be completed in another two minutes!”

“Good!” said the Captain, before turning to the rest of the bridge crew. “All hands, from this minute on we must focus on defending! As long as the Alexander can stay afloat and draw enemy fire, we are actively participating in battle, buying time for Colonel Renzoku’s Mechanized Frame main forces!”

His opponents’ replies came in the form of a barrage of micro missiles and anti-MF beams aiming at the ship’s propulsion. The energy shields managed to observe all but a few of those, and the lucky shots that got through barely dented the heavy armor plates that guard the ship’s essential engines. Still, the multitude of projectiles still managed to shake the ship quite a bit, causing a minor turbulence and one or two screams from within the bridge.

“Do not falter!” Captain Zabrovich chopped his hand into the air. “Our enemies are no longer the skilful pilots we fought previously! Amateurs who can’t even coordinate their fire well cannot hope to sink our Alexander!”

His words were quite effective, it seemed, as the officers and operators in the bridge were quick to regain their composure, sat upright in their chairs, and restarted on whatever they were doing. Only when the surrounding had somewhat calmed down did he turn to another of his aide on his side, lowering his voice so that only that red-headed officer could hear him.

“Lieutenant Martin,” he asked, “How fares the Nagoyaka’s heiress?

“Sir,” said lieutenant replied quickly. “As far as I know, the Princess is still helping the clinic to care for our wounded. She hasn’t rested since yesterday and is still working at maximum efficiency, as the nurses there reported.”

“That girl has more energy than I thought,” remarked the captain. “Or maybe it’s the side-effect of the drug.”

“Nagoyaka Industries are developing some weird medications, indeed, sir,” answered the lieutenant. “That is entirely a possibility.”

“But whatever the case,” the captain said, “we can’t let the Princess’ life be in danger. You had better collect her and put her somewhere safe – with this sort of barrage they put up, even the clinic would not be a good place to stay any more.”

“Sir,” the lieutenant bent his neck apologetically, “we have been trying to do that from early yesterday. But she… refused to leave, insisting that if we had taken her aboard this vessel, we could have as well let her do her job as a military nurse. There is nothing we can do, save for forcefully taking her away…”

For a brief few seconds the Captain was dumbfounded. With the medical and psychological history of the Nagoyaka heiress, doing anything abrupt to her could be extremely devastating in both ways, as the report went, “an anonymous high school student in her class found out too late.” Of course Captain Zabrovich couldn’t afford any of that.

“If that’s the case, get a life shuttle ready,” he finally said. “In the unlikely case that this ship doesn’t survive this battle, you must make sure the Princess live to see tomorrow.”

“Did you just order me to run, sir?” the officer responded abruptly, his fervent voice not without some clear degree of rudeness. “With all due respect, Captain Mikhail Petrovsky Zabrovich, a proud New Yorker never runs from a battle while his comrades die!”

“I will make sure that if there is anyone to perish should this ship go down, it would be me alone,” sternly replied the Captain. “But I can’t make sure that this optimum situation will take place. And for the war, for the Union, we can’t afford to lose Princess Tsuki Nagoyaka, ever.”

“But, sir…”

“Captain!” a female voice from the far side of the chamber shrieked before Lieutenant Martin could finish his rebuttal. “Valkyrie 1 and 4 are both under heavy fire!”

******


If the fight was to prolong for any longer, Faegard would either collapse, go insane, or at the very least, be convinced that a huge tumor was growing in his brain. Indeed, the only thing protecting the Shishioh’s delicate chassis from the assaults of the Confederate’s Captain Charles Kingsley was the already overloaded F-Barrier. Not to mention, his MF fencing skills was perhaps even worse than that of the complete greenhorns of the enemies. The progress of the fight was a downward spiral for Faegard. The relentless thrusts, slashes and stabs from his very skilful opponent forced the elf to utilize the F-Barrier to its limit to block. Unfortunately, in doing so, the System would badly scramble his mind and slow down his reflex, which, in turn, caused him to take even more hits, and so on.

With that vicious circle at work, it was quite a miracle that he could withstand his opponent’s assault for a full ten minutes, in the hope that he would either drain his batteries or make an utterly senseless move he could take advantage of to turn the tide. Unfortunately for Faegard, Charles Kingsley was not Kurogane Renzoku. Perhaps age, experience and countless lessons learnt with blood had taught him that the winner was most likely to be one who could outwait an enemy. His dreadfully efficient attacks, mostly pinpointing for vital spots rather than seeking to cleave Faegard’s machine in half, proved to be far less forgiving that Kuro’s barrage of powerful but inaccurate blows.

And then finally came Faegard’s limit. The constant use of the F-Barrier finally damaged his mind to the point that he could no longer control his machine’s blade-wielding arm. Even worse, the experienced veteran he faced knew exactly when and where to strike to disarm. With a quick swipe of his beam edge, aiming for the lower portion of Faegard’s blade, Charles ripped Faegard’s blade right from within his grasp. The weapon, knocked from his arm, managed to dance its last with an arched trajectory sideway, before its edge pinned onto a ruined building’s wall a fair distance away.

Having realized the deadliness of the Shishioh’s rocket knuckles, Charles immediately launched a follow-up with a downward slash at the Shishioh’s forearm. Only a quick and desperate activation of the F-Barrier could save the Shishioh from having its signature weapon and appendage severed. But that didn’t mean anything to be rejoiced about, for Captain Charles Kingsley’s blade was already placed at the Shishioh’s neck before Faegard had the chance to react.

To make things worse, at that particular moment the elf could swear he had reached his absolute mental and magical limit. Any further usage of any magic or the System at that precise moment would positively knock him out. If the enemy wanted to dispose of him and/or his machine, he was completely defenseless now.

Fortunately, Captain Charles Kingsley was not as low as he thought he was.

“You’ve put up a fair fight, soldier,” the enemy captain spoke to him over the loudspeaker. “I thought you could have done worse.”

It was a few seconds before the elf could overcome his headache and turned to his communication unit. His hands had completely left his control joysticks and clutched his forehead, trying to ease his concussive pain.

“Thank you and no thank you,” Faegard replied difficultly.

“It will be an utter, senseless waste of human life to have you dead like this, wouldn’t it?” Captain Kingsley said.

To Faegard’s astonishment, while he would have expected a taunt, a shameless call for capitulation, or at least an ironic ridicule, his opponent’s words sounded strangely sincere.

But being the stubborn elf he was like most of his kind, Faegard dismissed that idea with extreme animosity.

“I won’t yield to evil. My kind has never, and will never surrender to the evildoers of our world or any other world for that matter!” he shouted out loud.

There was a quick pause, leading Faegard to believe that his opponent had been more or less baffled by his morally superior front, the high-and-mighty battle standard of a Greenglaze paladin that no enemy could falter. How wrong he was. Apparently his opponent was baffled, but by neither of the above.

My kind? Our world or any other world?” repeated the enemy inquisitively. Only then did Faegard realize he had messed up his secret big time.

“I… I mean, even if I’m teleported to another world, I will continue to fight evildoers like you!” frantically Faegard tried to mend his words. It was too late, for a specific reason.

“Welcome to the battlefield, little boy from another dimension,” Charles said in clear enlightenment. “So you did survive the air raid on the Kansai complex and take up the Shishioh’s cockpit all along after all. I would expect no less from the one who have forced me to my knees that day.”

“All the more reasons for me not to submit to you!” Faegard roared. “I will fight and die like a true warrior against mass murderers like you lots!”

“All the more reasons for me not to take your life,” calmly responded the enemy, his blade still placed at the nape of the Shishioh’s neck. “This war has caused both side of the conflict many good men, those who could have done great things for this world. You, little kid, is one of those.”

“Whatever you say, I’m not going to surrender!” Faegard exclaimed.

“You don’t even have to surrender, if wherever you came from has a taboo against it,” said Charles. “Just get down from the Shishioh and I promise I’ll grant you a safe escape from this meat grinder. People like you are too young and too good to die like animals.”

As if offering a reassurance of his side of the deal, the Captain’s Daimyo lowered its blade. It was more or less a silly decision on a tactical standpoint, since with the only restraint on it gone, the Shishioh could have drilled a hole through the Daimyo’s head any second then with its signature rocket-propelled punch. But it had quite the impact on Faegard’s mind. For a couple of seconds, the elf sat in his cockpit block, his eyes opened wide in disbelief.

“I…”

“You had better make your choice as soon as you can,” urged Charles in response to his silence. “For when Master Sergeant Zakawa Black is done with his mortal enemy over there, I cannot guarantee he would leave any Union soldier in his reach alive to tell the tale, knowing his hatred against your soldiers.”

The Confederate’s captain then pointed to a further part inside the city, where his opposite number and the aforementioned Sergeant was still doing battle. Faegard, upon realizing what he was pointing to, couldn’t help but gasp in terror.

******

“You are finished, butcher! You hear that? You’re FINISHED!”

Ein could have as well been. The previous damage to the Stahlpferd’s chassis was mostly minor and negligible, but not this time. The only few weapons known to the world to be able to pierce a full-fledged F-Barrier were F-charged weapons, and among them, F-Missiles were the most powerful weapons to date. The multiple explosions his machine had to endure at point-blank left the Cannon of the Upper Heaven with a crippled machine sans left arm, legs and head, with only the cockpit remaining relatively untouched. Had it not been for his incredible luck, all what would be left of the Weiss Stahlpferd and himself after the barrage could have been a smoldering pile of charred metal and burnt flesh.

Or maybe he wasn’t quite so fortunate after all. There, standing before him was the person having made himself out to be his mortal enemy, with a large overcharged beam blade twice longer than all what was left of his machine. With his target disabled and impossible to miss, and worse, the Stahlpferd’s eject mechanism jammed, Ein’s end seemed to be a foregone conclusion.

“It’s standard practice for an executioner to allow his victim a couple of last words, isn’t it?” Ein asked his assailant, his voice – and expression as well – strangely serene, as if he was expecting death all along.

“You deserve none of that,” smirked the pilot of the Daimyo Custom. “For someone like you… dying quickly is already a boon!”

The executioner did not waste another second. With its remaining functional hand, the machine swung its weapon at the Stahpferd’s bare torso, looking to cleave the remainder of the machine in half, together with the cockpit block and the one inside.

What he didn’t expect, however, was a series of lightweight antipersonnel machinegun volley pelting the Daimyo Custom’s back just as the weapon was about to hit its mark. The damage was minimal – antipersonnel machinegun was already useless against main battle tanks, let alone a Mechanized Frame. And yet, it was still sufficient to startle the executioner, forcing him to turn back.

“Conqueror to all units! Reinforcement has arrived! Repeat, Reinforcement has arrived from six o’clock! Captain’s order: Prepare to counterattack!”

It sounded as if the Alexander’s communication unit had gobbled all of the ship’s remaining energy in order to pass the message to all surviving members of the ship’s escort. The loudspeaker sound was rigged with interference, but the sharp, enthusiastic voice of the announcer, further enhanced by the relief of one having just cheated death, was strangely resounding and uplifting to those who listened.

And to those who still didn’t believe in the last-minute reinforcement for the Union, the next thing to happened proved all the same – a flight of jet fighters in formation flew straight into Edogawa district’s sky limit, unleashing a barrage of anti-air missiles at all of those not bearing an Union call sign above and below.

“This is Captain Tenkan Tsubasa of the 56th Orion Wing! All units, show those Confederate homeboys what our ‘outdated’ jet fighters can do! Commence attack!”

The reinforcing air wing jet fighter’s loudspeaker worked excellently. And the owner of that loudspeaker was by no means bluffing. Within a few minutes, the Union air wing was already tearing the sky with their blazing engine, emptying their limited arsenal at the Daimyo inside the ruined district’s cover. Within ten minutes, the air had become a massive battlezone in its own rights. Missiles, rocket and Vulcan fire saturated the blue sky from all direction. Once every so often there would be a good explosion, and its victim losing control and plunging into the sea. Before long, it was as if the sky itself was burning from the many trashed units, both friend and foe, bursting aflame and plummeting to the sea like an unprecedented meteor shower.

Perhaps it was because of their inexperienced pilots with the courage of a turtle, the Confederate’s Daimyos lost control of the sky quite rapidly, being forced back into the cover of the ruins. And the Union’s pilots were particularly brave as well – how they plunged straight into the city limit with gun blazing would have probably made their ancestors proud.

“What the… Of all the time to come, why now?” Charles was genuinely astonished by the new development.

It was not a very good thing to happen to him, especially when his opponent had not been fully subdued.

“My chance!” Faegard exclaimed, jumping backwards to regain a suitable position while his opponent’s Daimyo was still frozen by the surprise. When he finally realized it, the Shishioh was well away from his immediate grasp.

“Sorry,” Faegard said to the still bewildered Confederate captain when he was a good distance away. “It looks like this battle isn’t over yet.”

The loudspeaker’s massive interference couldn’t hide his amused and somewhat mischievous tone.

“There is nothing to be smug about, is it?

The enemy’s voice brought Faegard straight back into the ground. At that point, he was still mostly unarmed except for his boost knuckles, which, as experience told him, was useless against an experienced and prepared opponent. With his F-Barrier down, it wouldn’t take the Daimyo too much effort to wipe the smile off his dead body. Not to mention, his opponent seemed extremely mad now.

“Looks like I have no other choice, punk,” Charles said angrily. “Hope you had practiced your ejection drills – you’ll need it and a LOT of luck to survive this!”

Then the enraged officer carried out a charge towards Faegard. Or properly, what could have been a charge, had it not been for a torrent of machinegun fire from above. And unlike the shots fired at Zakawa’s Daimyo Custom, those rounds were quite large, delivering some solid dents on the Daimyo where it hit. Flinching from the sudden attack, Charles looked up the sky to see a heavily built MF, having just ejected its Skybooster pack to land before him.

It was a model Faegard had not seen before. Unlike the other Frames, built with at least some sense of balance, this new model appeared devoid of any at all. While its legs were of the same size as the rest of the Union arsenal, if only heavier plated for obvious reasons, its arms were definitely off scale, especially around the shoulders. They looked more of a bulking metal box than any possible armor, and their existence alone seemed to be threatening its balance any second now.

But most impressive were its two arms, each was armed with one of those long guns bigger than the respective arm, blazing at the Daimyo with all it had. All of a sudden, the Elven proverb “Only a fool would hope to use two crossbows at once and not starve” became a moot point, since the torrent of rounds it shot even as it descended was the only thing keeping his enemy from closing on him.

Needless to say, its landing was a hard and clumsy one, but before that, it had already pelted the Daimyo with so many rounds off the two large guns that the enemy was anything but ready to counterattack. Only then did Faegard recognized the distinct lightning bolt decoration on its forehead – the signature engrave of the Sturmgewehr assault MFs.

”Wait, what? Faegard gasped in astonishment. ”Last time I saw, a Sturmgewehr doesn’t quite look like this…”

“Yo, Faerie-kun. Missed me?

A lower portion of his screen sprang to life, denoting an encrypted personal line. Before the image had even materialized, Faegard could guess what was going on. He was right – the screen finally materialized to show a very cheerful and enthusiastic Lieutenant Ayaka Saionji at the helms of the newcoming machine.

For someone just having burst out in tears right before the rest of the team a couple of days ago, she sure did recover fairly fast, so Faegard thought. Maybe it was just him, but the image of the petite brunette stuffed into a machine resembling an over-the-top body builder with a dual repeating crossbow was especially jarring to his sense of aesthetic. That notion left the elf flabbergasted for a good few seconds after her landing.

“What’s wrong?” Aya asked, her voice somewhat mischievous. “Don’t you like my Type-A Sturmgewehr?

Faegard did not have the time to answer, since his original opponent was still standing there, his armor heavily damaged by the barrage. Unfortunately, not only did it not hinder his movement by much, it also compounded his anger by a few powers of magnitude.

“Get. Out. Of. My. Way,” the angered Captain stressed each of his words as he stood up, pointing his blade at the Type-A Sturmgewehr and then back at Faegard.

“I don’t think so, mister,” Aya said, half joking, half seriously, pointing her two guns at him. “If it exists, Type-A Sturmgewehr can punch holes through it, no exception. Even for a Daimyo. Do you really want to push your luck?

Aya was particularly tempting fate. To answer her call, a volley of missiles rained upon her position, exploding around her in unison. Had it not been for the Sturmgewehr’s exceptional upper body armor, it would not have escaped with merely scratches and minor dents.

“We’re back, Captain!”

The unserious voice of the two members of Charles Kingsley’s Merry Men sounded much more suitable for a comedy troupe than a battlefield. Those comedic soldiers were already hovering above the trio as they spoke, pointing their plethora of shoulder-mounted weapons at Aya and Faegard.

“Good to see you two back!” Charles exclaimed gleefully. “How are our brothers?

“We have evacuated the three teams full’o greenhorns as ordered,” said Mike. “We still had enough time for a quick mug of coffee and got into new machines to reinforce you, sir!”

“Excellently done, Sergeants,” Charles sounded extremely pleased as he turned to face his opponents. “Now then, shall we take on our enemies as the Mighty Kingsley Squad together?

“Three against one, huh?” Aya remarked, looking at the field from top to bottom. “Well, the person I love has faced much worse and won! Would you just bring it on already?

“Woah there, that’s a cool sis on the other side, huh?” whistled Eric. “Say, I’d hate for it to end like this, but going against the invincible Kingsley Squad is going to be like going for a swim in a l…”

“Not the time for any nonsensical ‘lava pit vs. stone wall’ argument, men!” chastised the team captain. “Focus on the target at hand and take them down. Over and out!”

“Stay behind, Faerie-kun,” Aya’s tone sounded serious, but the way she used her honorifics was anything but. “It’s time to blow some Daimyo off the sky!”

“There’s no need to, Lieutenant,” Faegard firmly said, standing his machine on the spot. “Please give me a weapon. I have said I will fight against Captain Charles Kingsley like a warrior, and I intend to keep my words.”

“He’s nothing to scoff at, boy!” Aya said, appropriately horrified. “With your current skills…”

“With my current skills I can’t help anyone with anything. That is why I need to stop that from happening any more,” Faegard said.

“But then…”

“Please, Lieutenant Saionji,” pleaded Faegard, “lend me whatever you can spare!”

The fact that the menacing enemy was right in front of them and was going to charge at any minute now left the Lieutenant with little time to think it over. Not to mention, honestly speaking, facing three Daimyos was a little too much for her machine and her skills.

“Well, a growing man needs to learn, sometimes the hard way,” was the first thought that made its way into her head at that moment.

Thinking so, she gave out a loud sigh, before hitting a particular button on her keyboard. The next thing Faegard knew, the Type-A Sturmgewehr had had its back split open, and from there, a blade-like object was exposed. Faegard could hardly identify it when the object was shot straight into the air as if flung from a catapult before spinning a few times in the air. The object completed its performance by hit the ground before him, pinning itself down on the surface.

It was a blade. A metal blade, unlike the beam-based blades that the other MFs used indiscriminately. Even stranger, as soon as it touched the ground, the screen before him started to flash with bright, green letters “PERIPHERY EQUIPMENT DETECTED. ASSUME CONTROL Y/N?” Not even when he was using another weapon did those letters display. The least bit of clue he had was that it was not a random blade at all.

Hitting the affirmative button resulted in an involuntary action on behalf of the Shishioh, as it suddenly took a step forward and drew the blade from the ground in a very fluid and flexible movement, as if preprogrammed. As soon as the blade touched the Shishioh’s arm, once again the screen went out of Faegard’s control, as a torrent of seemingly senseless numbers rained down from the top of the screen. That lockdown was temporary, though, and when it was finally done and over, another line displayed with a positive message: “PHERIPHERY EQUIPMENT ACQUIRED: MS-002 GRANLEON. CONTROL ASSUMED.”

“Gran… leon?” Faegard mumbled as he gazed at his newly acquired weapon.

To Faegard’s pleasant astonishment, the blade he just assumed turned out to be a longsword. Coincidentally the kind of weapon his people were most used to using. Or perhaps, the weapon second most iconic to the Elven warriors of Greenglaze, besides the longbow and crossbow. Seeing the enlarged version of such a weapon in his hand soothed his patriotic heart to no end, and for a second or so Faegard thought he was crying.

“Kuro and I were ordered to deliver this to you,” Aya said, snapping Faegard out of his stupor. “I’m glad you like it.”

Faegard nodded in response, before turning to his original enemy standing before them.

“Now then, let us continue,” Faegard pointed his newly acquired weapon at his foe. “Leader of the Kingsley Squad, you are my adversary.”

“An iron blade?” smirked his opponent. “What use is such outdated weapon in this day and age?

“The spirit of my people’s way of war rests in weapons like this one!” Faegard declared. “Let’s get this over with!”

“Your spirit is commendable,” Charles said with a voice of approval. “So, then, soldiers, take on the Sturmgewehr. I’ll finish the Shishioh up!”

Charles sealed his words by changing direction and charged for Faegard instead. His beam sword flashed at his enemy, aiming for a quick blow to cut through both sword and man. It was only when his blade and Faegard’s touched that he realized the new weapon wasn’t at all what it looked like. The Shishioh’s new weapon stopped Charles’ right on its path, as if it were a beam weapon itself.

“What is this?” Charles exclaimed.

“Hopefully you enjoy the anti-beam sword, Faerie-kun!” Aya answered his question for Faegard, before dashing off to lure the two Merry Men away.

“Now,” Faegard said, a good smirk spread across his face, “this fight is fair again. Here I come, Captain Charles Kingsley of the Colonial Confederate!”

******



< Message edited by Argeus the Paladin -- 10/13/2009 20:59:50 >
DF  Post #: 24
10/13/2009 22:51:29   
Argeus the Paladin
Member

Chapter 24
Granleon and Shinkiro


The surprise assault definitely stopped Zakawa and his Daimyo Custom from carrying out Ein’s sentence, and it just kept derailing from there. Before he could well resume his task, he had to shoulder another volley of assault, but this time, from an anti-MF heavy rocket launcher. From above.

“Stop right there!”

To the Confederate Master Sergeant’s astonishment, before him was a Mechanized Frame, approaching his position at a speed at least as high as that of jet fighters… while flying. And shooting. And brandishing an extra large melee weapon to boost.

It was a heavy machine, with a signature dragon head motif, a pair of razor-sharp wings spewing blaze behind it like any other jet fighters, and a heavily built Overcharged Beam Sword potentially rivaling his own in both size and output. As it flew towards the Daimyo, the draconic machine brandished its own ranged weapon and hurled a volley of badly aimed, but nevertheless ground-shaking beams at Zakawa’s machine.

Naturally, his reflex took care of most of the shots, and the potent F-Barrier quickly nullified the rest. But while he was busy evading, his opponent had already closed on with his main hand weapon ready. The new machine made its landing in a blink of an eye, bringing the entire weight of his machine and his weapon on his adversary’s head.

There was a large clash, followed by a small yet violent disperse of sparks as the two Overcharged Beam Swords clashed in mid-air. The two machines locked each other in that position for a good few seconds before the dragon frame’s brute strength bought it an upper hand. The combined output of both of its large arms was sufficient to knock Zakawa’s machine off the executioner’s position he was holding on so tightly. The force he exerted was such that the Daimyo Custom, already a heavy machine in its own rights, was swept away for a good couple of dozen yards backward. Had it not been for a ruined skyscraper stopping it, the machine could have been flung back much further. The dragon machine completed its rescue by closing on the downed Stahlpferd the next second, giving the Daimyo Custom virtually no chance to reclaim his victim.

“I have arrived, Captain!” the pilot of the draconic machine exclaimed via his loudspeaker as he knelt down to whatever was left of the Stahlpferd. “My apologies for coming so late!”

“Heh, you could have arrived a couple of minutes earlier, Kuro!” Ein replied with an oddly calm voice that sounded more like a jest than a serious reprimand. “You know, I always wished to be buried in a real Super Robot’s cockpit rather than the Stahlpferd’s.”

“You won’t have that chance!” howled the pilot of the Daimyo as he regained control of the machine. The Daimyo lugged itself and its heavy weapon off the ground to an upright position, before once again taking its weapon in both hands and charged the dragon machine. Its damaged shoulder was still visible bleeding sparks, but from the look of his attack stance, the damage was not impeding on the speed and power output of the Daimyo anywhere near crippling level.

There was another clash and an even matchup of weapons.

“Get out of my way!” Zakawa bellowed like an enraged beast. “Not even God can stand between me and Luna’s vengeance!”

“And I’m not allowing even God to harm my Captain!” Kuro roared back with no less savagery. “At least when I am still standing!”

“Then you are dead,” Zakawa said, breaking the stance. He then twirled his weapon around, before delivering a mighty cleave at his opponent.

Then Kuro leaped backward to avoid Zakawa’s horizontal cleave so that his adversary’s lethal blade sank into a nearby building instead, cleanly cutting it in half. The building crumbled, its two halves sliding over each other, throwing up a large cloud of dust around the nearby vicinity. Even with an Overcharged Beam Sword, carrying out that task with only one hand intact was no mean feat.

“That wouldn’t harm my Hiryuu Shinkiro!” taunted Kuro, springing into action. While his enemy was still blindfolded by the ensuing dust, Kuro launched his own strike aiming at the Daimyo’s damaged shoulder before its pilot could recover. The strike caught the Daimyo at point-blank, at which it was unable to withdraw its blade on time to guard.

Kuro’s downward slash resulted in another flash. The attack apparently connected, but he could yet rejoice. As the smoke and dust settled down, it was revealed that the spherical air-distorting field around his opponent had warped his blow, stopping it before it could even graze the Daimyo’s shoulder. The part of his solid-looking blade that could penetrate the distorting field a little seemed to have been warped and twisted beyond recognition by the very fabric of the air. Only when he had lifted his weapon off the field of warped air did it return to its usual shape.

“An F-Barrier? Again?” Kuro gasped out loud at the realization. Indeed, finding himself in combat with another F-System-equipped machine right after a crushing defeat at the hand of one of its kind was not the most confidence-boosting of events.

“It’s no use!” taunted the Daimyo’s pilot “You can’t hope to even dent my F-Barrier!”

“Like I will lose in my new Shinkiro?

The two fighters then promptly broke their locks, and the exchange of blows began proper. From a mile away, all what could be seen of the two fighters was the rough silhouette of their machines and a nebula of interlocking flashes of their weapons dancing amidst the debris. Slashes, cuts, stabs, twirls and all sorts of combat maneuvers with the two huge beam swords resulted in a beautiful, yet lethal sight for all those who ventured too close to the two.

Neither side prevailed. Perhaps it was because both fighters enjoyed taking full advantage of their weapons’ output and reach to deliver devastating swipes and cleaves. Unfortunately, that sort of maneuver made it quite easy for each to avoid or otherwise nullify the other’s attack. For every blow that Zakawa deliver, Kuro would be quick to evade and throw in a counter. And every time Kuro attempted to do the same, his opponent would completely spite it with his impenetrable F-Barrier.

The only true victim of that battle was the district itself. To say that the clash of two Overcharged Beam Swords at maximum output was damaging to the surrounding was a vast understatement. The previous duel between Zakawa and Ein had left that particular section of the district in a sorry state. But what happened in the next few minutes ensured that everything within a two-hundred-yard radius of the two combatants was deformed, broken, shattered, or otherwise flattened beyond recognition.

“Not bad,” Zakawa shouted after yet another attack was launched and broken. “But how long are you going to last against this barrier of mine?

“You got it wrong,” Kuro taunted back. “It should be ‘how long is your lousy barrier going to last before I break through’.”

Kuro then launched a sudden swing across the Daimyo’s body. Like before, the blow just glanced off the surface, but it was nevertheless strong enough to push the Daimyo several steps backward.

“The answer – in a few minutes!” Kuro continued, launching another stab at his foe as he spoke. This time, the ferocious charge from a distance seemed to do particularly more ‘damage’ to the barrier than his last efforts, having sunken into the warped field of distorted air a little deeper than before. Still, it was far from breaking through sufficiently to do actual damage to the machine itself. Zakawa responded with an uppercut of his weapon, effectively hurling his opponent backwards in turn.

“Not good enough!” Zakawa taunted, launching a counterattack aimed at the Hiryuu’s legs. Kuro warded off the blow and delivered his own version, which, once again, the F-Barrier kicked in.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Kuro’s opponent smirked. “You can’t defeat an opponent you can’t hit!”

“Just you wait!” Kuro replied, swinging his blade across the Daimyo’s face in respond, to obvious result. The attack left him somewhat open, and Zakawa’s counter proved it. Had it not been for his quick reflexive dodge sideways, Zakawa’s uppercut would have slashed the Hiryuu’s left arm right off.

“Tch…” Kuro breathed out as he barely escaped defeat.

“Now then,” Zakawa said in response as he pointed his weapon at the Hiryuu. “Let the battle begin proper.”

******


Yet another attack Faegard carried out was broken by Charles Kingsley’s defense, forcing the Shishioh to back down again. The impact of the Daimyo’s swipe pushed Faegard back a few steps, almost throwing the amateur pilot off balance and fall down.

“A new weapon does not a good soldier make,” taunted his opponent as he stood there, challenging. “Even if it had special properties. You still are a greenhorn.”

It turned out that the damage the Daimyo took following the Type-A Sturmgewehr’s bombardment was more severe than it appeared at first. A closer look at its body revealed more than one joint damaged beyond immediate service. A damaged leg limped the machine, and further damage on the arm, one of which took damage deep enough for it to start malfunctioning. Parts of its chest and back plates were pierced, letting out alarming sparks. And the multiple launchers mounted on its shoulder were more or less ruined beyond recognition. The only weapon it had to defend itself was the beam sword, and had Eric and Mike not showed up, there was no way he could fight back both Aya and Faegard.

Logically, when he found out that the Shishioh’s new weapon could resist beams as well as it could slash, Charles decided to hold out. And he was too good at it for Faegard’s sake. Just now was so far the thirtieth in a row that Faegard charged the Daimyo and was forced back in such a manner. However he tried, the effect was quite the same – Charles’ defensive maneuvers were simply impeccable. It was as if the man had spent his entire life practicing the way of the sword, from how he anticipated and pre-empted each and every move Faegard made. And there he stood, on top of an elevation made of debris piled up, pointing his weapon at the elf challengingly, knowing all too well that his best bet was to prey upon the rookie’s lack of experience and patience.

Not far away, amidst some taller debris, Mike and Eric were both determined not to let Aya come any closer. The three of them alone created a near-perfect simulation of the battle still raging in the sky with their various ordnances. Rockets, missiles, beams and napalms from one side and heavy gatling gun fire from the other saturated the area, shattering whatever was left of the debris as combat dragged on. Glass shattered beneath the two Daimyos and splintered bricks fell on the Sturmgewehr, between which sparks and flares from their various weapons painted the air in the color of fire.

“Hey, sis, you’re a pretty cool girl, don’t you know that? Cooler than I first thought!” Eric taunted behind a halved skyscraper he had just adopted as his hiding place. “If the war wasn’t there I’d definitely ask you out!”

“Sorry, I’m taken,” Aya calmly responded, emptying another clip at the building, taking out all the windows and punching plenty of holes the size of a bowling ball on the wall. It didn’t quite damage the Daimyo hiding behind it, but the building itself was on the verge of collapsing to Eric’s

“You did it wrong Eric. This is how you hit on a lady!”

His friend Mike, flying behind a nearby building, immediately replied on his behalf with a volley of missiles at Aya’s general position. The Lieutenant took care of them with a handful of countermeasure flares, and released half a dozen of her own rockets back at him. The building itself took the brunt of the explosions, and its top came collapsing down, presumably on hitting the clever man’s head at least a little.

“Ow ow ow!” exclaimed Mike. “Lady, this means war!”

“We are already at war,” reminded Aya, flaring up her propulsion and glided over the ground, strafing the two Confederate soldiers’ position. It was impossible to decide which one was louder – the Sturmgewehr’s engine or its double guns. The ruins shielded the two from most of the pellets, some of it even crumbling down under Aya’s bombardment.

“What’s better than a cute girl?” Eric tuned his loudspeaker to max and shouted out. “A cute girl WITH BIG GUNS, that is! Can life get any more awesome than this?

“You just wish,” Aya snidely replied, resuming her bombardment.

More missiles flew from behind those buildings that weren’t yet bombarded, blasting the ground near Aya, to which she replied with more bullets flying up. The process seemed to proceed ad infinitum as it went. There was no way that shootout would be over before either side ran out of ammo.

Lifting his eyes off the combat between the Lieutenant and the two Confederate soldiers, Faegard returned to his task at hand. On top of the debris hill, Charles was still waiting patiently, as if he had all the time in the world to have the initiative. In such a kind of standout, anyone with the least bit of experience in dueling could tell Faegard that whoever made the first move would be much more likely lose. With the kind of shrewd opponent he was facing, Faegard finally realized that blindly charging in like he had been doing all the while would never end well.

“What’s wrong?” asked Charles as he glanced at the Shishioh with a heavy tone of superiority. “Scared yet, recruit?

“Of course I’m not!” Faegard instantly retorted with as brave and confident a voice he could have.

”But how am I supposed to beat him when I can’t attack him at all? his inner thoughts, however, said otherwise. Even if he kept his eyes peeled and stressed out, Charles’ stance showed no flaw big enough for him to exploit. His own, on the other hand, was as imperfect as it could be.

”Let’s use magic,” Faegard thought for a split second, but crossed out that thought in an instant. The remaining of his magical capacity could possibly support one or two more primary spells. Knowing the opponent he faced, a slow-moving fireball projectile or a completely random lightning bolt , the latter he wasn’t even know if he could cast or not, would probably be dodged anyway.

”Think, Faegard, think!” the elf relieved control of his joysticks for a moment as they were redeployed on the side of his forehead. Somehow, finding a flaw in Charles’s formation caused him an even bigger of a headache than attempting to squeeze in an extra spell or two.

“I think time’s almost up, recruit,” Charles taunted further. “If you don’t make your move soon, I’d be inclined to take you out actively… and you wouldn’t like that when I do.”

To his horror, Faegard’s arms suddenly felt numb when he tried to place them back to the joystick to control the machine. He had been fighting non-stop since early in the morning, repeatedly pitched against enemies more skilful than his limited piloting capacity could allow for. Never before, not even in the most grueling of training from his wizard apprenticeship, had he been so thoroughly and utterly drained of strength in such a way.

It seemed his physical limit, too, had also been hit – his legs were tired and numb, his arm shaking, and the exhaustion just compounded with his mental fatigue and got worse. No amount of thrill and adrenaline could probably wake up those body parts of his from revolting against him. Being a frail, physically insignificant wizard by trade, that much was already beyond his endurance. Faegard finally managed to put his hands back on the joystick and his feet on the pedal, but that was about it. And then he sat down, trying to wind up his body, but failed.

Even though Charles had been weakened somewhat, if he was to charge him now, there was not a small chance he wouldn’t manage to stand upright any more. Unfortunately, Charles Kingsley was an honorable man who kept his words. Faegard did not have to stand still for more than two minutes when Charles carried out his threat – charging Faegard with his damaged machine. No longer having the same amount of rushing power and output as it would boast at its best, nevertheless Charles’ Daimyo was still far more capable than a shieldless Shishioh with a fatigued pilot.

The next thing Faegard’s dulled senses could make out was a blaring sound of engine flaring up right up close, followed by a loud crash, and then a nasty shock that nearly knocked him out cold. It was sheer luck that got Faegard out of the way of the fatal point of his beam sword, but the impact of the charge was still sufficient to knock the Shishioh backward. No longer capable of maintaining control, Faegard left the machine to its own device, which quickly lost balance and tumbled on the ground with a loud rumble.

Knocked down and defenseless, Faegard could actually care less about his fate – it was a foregone conclusion, seeing Charles’ machine towering over his, his glowing beam edge pointing at him, signifying the end of the battle.

“It’s over,” concluded the superior swordsman. “But I can still grant you one last chance for your life. Leave the cockpit, and I will personally ensure that you can escape this war zone with no scratch.”

”Surrender? Faegard’s mind was quite blank at the moment, but the echo of those words struck him with a good degree of loath. A proud elf’s dictionary would never, ever contain such a word.

”But I do have to survive,” another part of Faegard advised him. “If I don’t, what will become of my people?

”But I can’t!” his righteous self rebutted. ”Surrendering will shame both my bloodline and the Order!”

”There will be even more shame if you die an utterly pointless death and leave your people without a leader,” his darker yet wiser personality countered. ”Those who fight and run will live to fight another day, they always say. Better than dying like animals, no?

”But…”

It seemed that there wasn’t much time for Faegard’s two personalities to keep quarreling, after all, since all what had happened throughout the morning had drained Charles’ patience to the absolute minimal at that time. Barely half a minute had passed when the victor decided to issue his ultimatum

“I can’t wait for much longer, you know.” Charles said, his voice extremely irritated. “I’ll give you fifteen more seconds, no more, no less. I’ll crush your cockpit if you don’t give a definite answer after that.”

And then his computer screen suddenly sprang to life. Having been prepared that whenever it popped up a strange message, something dramatic would happen, still Faegard didn’t expect something to come up at the last minute. The now-familiar green font stretched across the screen, displaying something he did not understand at all, “MS-002 GRANLEON FULL INSTALL COMPLETE. ACTIVATE AB EDGE AND SEEKER SYSTEM Y/N?

Any action Faegard took at that point was, by proxy, a gamble with his life at stake. In the split second he allowed himself to make a decision, Faegard went on with the riskier option – hitting the affirmative button on the screen.

For another split second, he thought it was the biggest mistake in his life. That was until he saw the most magnificent happening he had encountered for the whole day. The dull metal sword in the Shishioh’s hand suddenly flared up, glowing with a bright, incandescent green hue. A closer look revealed that only the actual edge of the weapon was shining, resulting in a blade with a blazing lining.

But that was not all the surprise he was awarded with. The computer screen then switched, displaying a gridded diagram of the opponent he was facing, with a long list of different analytical data strewn all over it. On the quickly-drawn diagram of the Daimyo appeared a couple of spots colored red, of varying brightness. Not having the time to try to figure out what was going on, Faegard decided to do the obvious – touch the screen where it was flaring most ferociously.

And then Faegard realized that from that point on, he was no longer in control of his machine as it rumbled to life on its own. With barely a “OPTIMUM TRAJECTORY CALCULATED. EXECUTING COMMAND” line from the computer to signify what it was trying to do, the machine promptly stood up, sword in hand. Charles Kingsley did not understand what was happening for most of the duration, and when he did, he was no longer in a position to do anything. The Shishioh had nimbly evaded his burning blade with a fluid movement no less professional than a real ace before he could as much think of stabbing it. Having missed his chance, the pilot of the Daimyo had no choice other than to withdraw his blade to guard himself.

And then the climax of the day’s long string of astonishment finally came, with the Shishioh autonomously carrying out an unrestraint diagonal slash across the Daimyo’s body. There was a blinding flash that temporarily decommissioned Faegard’s eyes when the edge of the Granleon and the Daimyo’s weapon clashed. The last image Faegard could see – and he seriously doubted its legitimacy for good reason – was the Granleon’s blade seemingly sliding through the solid edge of the beam sword. That image was dismissed as a hallucination due to exhaustion until Faegard finally regained control of his eyes a few seconds later.

Before Faegard now lay a scene that seemed to have been cut and paste directly from his most abstract and extravagant dreams. First there appeared a diagonal crack along the Daimyo’s chest, looking no more abnormal than the damages it had already sustained. Then it started to split open from that line, sending sparks flying in all directions. And then the top left of the Daimyo’s carcass sliding down from the cut line, generously discharging even more sparks in the meantime. The display finally concluded with the machine’s head, left arm and the upper left of its torso being completely severed from the rest of the body and dropped flat on the ground like trash metal. The rest of the body, without a head, fell within a couple of seconds.

Whatever had destroyed the Daimyo, it had missed the cockpit block by a safe distance. Faegard could still hear his previous victor’s voice from the chunks of shredded metal beneath his feet.

“H… how?” Charles stammered. “How could… a metal sword… cut through beam… like that?

”So that was what happened? Faegard rolled his eyes, as if trying to stretch his disbelief further to accommodate such a revelation.

Even when the deed was done, Faegard still could not believe his victory or the reason behind it. It struck him with a strange nostalgia, to say the truth. It seemed that ever since he had set foot on that world, those battles he won were all due to such unbelievable luck. Whether it was a good or a bad thing, he wouldn’t know. But perhaps the most important thing at the moment was that he was still alive and kicking without having to humiliate himself through surrendering, which was more than enough in a particular sense.

“Captain!”

Two different, distressed-sounding voices rang in unison from a distance, echoing over the ruined background, prompting Faegard to turn back out of curiosity. To Faegard’s further surprise, from the direction of the shout, Charles Kingsley’s two subordinates had jumped out of their hiding place when their commander fell. Not even Aya’s bombardment could daunt them – Mike and Eric just accelerated through her thick net of rapid-fire ordnance taking quite a bit of damage in the meantime – Mike’s Daimyo got its left forearm, right shoulder and half of its head shaved right off, and Eric’s got its left leg and heads severed. It was as though it was pure force of will that had held their machine together and kept moving on.

“Captain, you’re injured! We have to retreat, sir!” Mike said, landing next to his commander to assess his damage. Without losing a second, he lugged the lower half of Charles’ Daimyo up, covering its exposed torso with his back. A couple of Aya’s chasing rounds riffed the ground near where his legs were planted, not daunting him one bit.

Not waiting for his commander’s response, the brave sergeant of the Confederate quickly fired up his thruster, taking to the air with the remaining of his commander’s unit.

“Where are you going?” Aya exclaimed as she chased after the duo. “Running away?

“I’d love to stay and chat with a lovely lady like you for a bit longer, sis,” Eric started his sentence with as much jest as he would normally use, before suddenly turning serious for the first time that Faegard knew of, “but we are not going to lose our commander out here. Ever.”

Aya was about to unload more of her rounds at the escaping Confederate soldiers, but Faegard was quick to state his opinion.

“Lieutenant Saionji, I believe that’s enough,” he said, raising the Shishioh’s hand in disapproval. “Real warriors never challenge those defeated, surrendering or fleeing. That’s what I’ve been taught and what I believe.”

Aya and Faegard was unable to give chase even if they wanted to – From above, the handicapped machine under Eric’s command still managed to launch a few more rounds of flare towards them. The large, multicolored explosions covered the entire sky area above the two Union MFs in one of the rare moments of war not colored in blood and fire. When the blinding flare had died down, the three members of Charles Kingsley’s squad had already left the area.

“Well, if you say so,” Aya said as Charles Kingsley and his group slowly vanished into the reddened sky. “They were perfectly nice guys anyways – Had there not been the war I’d also love to fool around with jests like them to not waste my youth.”

“That should take care of that, I suppose,” Faegard ignored the second half of her remark, breathing out in relief.

“But I believe all is not over, is it?” Aya’s voice abruptly swung back into seriousness. She then turned towards a particular sector of town, where more fighting was still taking place.

******


”Impossible” Kuro thought, panting hard. ”How could his barrier stand for so long?

“How astonishing,” Zakawa responded to his thoughts. “I’ve seen few machines capable of standing toe-to-toe with my own F-Barrier for that long.”

Despite the boasts both side employed earlier, the last few minutes saw no drastic change to the battle between Kuro and Zakawa. Neither could break through due to their roughly equal skills and machines. But Kuro would draw closer to defeat with each passing second. Even though his redesigned Hiryuu Shinkiro boasted twice as much output and reserve as the original, the speed at which his machine guzzled battery alone would probably disable his machine before he took a hit. What was worse, his opponent seemed to realized that too well.

“You still have a chance to get out of my way,” Zakawa said. “My only enemy in this world is Einherjar Ritter. I have no grudge against the rest of you Union soldiers. Leave or die, your choice.”

“I’ve said this once, and I’ll repeat it,” Kuro stressed his each and every word. “No way in Heaven or Hell am I going to desert my Captain!”

“So, you wouldn’t want to give up after all? Tell you what,” Zakawa answered. “I don’t even need my weapon to defeat you if that’s all you have!”

“What?

Kuro’s question need not be answered in words. To demonstrate, the Daimyo Custom stabbed its blade into the ground, leaving it out of the equation. The next thing Kuro realized was his enemy’s machine clasping its hands together. And in an event that could not be explained by any form of physics, a circle of flame started to build up around the clasped hands, burning in mid-air, where Kuro was quite sure there was no fuel at all. The ring then enlarged gradually, until, after about half a minute, reached the side of the daimyo’s torso. At that point, Zakawa completed his ritual by grabbing the ring of flame as if it was a physical object, and slung it at his enemy akin to throwing a hoop.

The suddenness of the action made it impossible for the one on the receiving end to respond on time. It turned out that the ring of fire was more volatile than a charge of high explosive of its volume, as it exploded the moment it touched the Hiryuu Shinkiro. The explosion was particularly devastating – not only did it rip the machine’s weapon from its hand, it also completely destroyed the well-designed and supposedly highly resilient armor plates on the Hiryuu’s chest. Worst of all, the impact of the blast knocked the machine prone on the ground, at the mercy of anything his opponent would throw at him.

Barely recovering from the concussion from the blast, and without even knowing what had hit him, a horrified Kuro realized that his opponent had left him, returning to his original victim.

“I won’t toy with you any more,” Zakawa grinned as he raised his blade above all what remained of the Stahlpferd. “Let’s go, butcher. Death is too good for you – if only I could think of something more befitting for someone like you…”

It appeared that it was too late for anyone to save the Captain of the 12th Union Mechanized Frame squad. But no. A cluster of bullets from afar once again disrupted him from carrying out the death sentence. Had the bullets hit the Daimyo’s body, he would not have let it bother him. But the bullets actually glanced off his weapon, causing him to lose control over it. Another series of shots aimed at his chest was subsequently phased out with his barriers, but the sheer strength of the volley was sufficient to push him away from Ein. There, rushing in from a nearby street was Aya’s Type-A Sturmgewehr, the barrels of her guns still smoking, with Faegard’s Shishioh tagging behind.

“More of those worms?” Zakawa exclaimed. “When will you just stop?

“We are not going to let anyone touch our Captain,” the Sturmgewehr’s pilot declared as she pressed in. “So the answer to your last question would probably be never

Kuro was only waiting for a chance to stand up and prepare for another attack. It was precisely what he needed, and within a blink of the eye, Corporal Kurogane Renzoku and his new Hiryuu was back in action.

“That’s right,” Kuro roared. “Our Captain is like our big brother. There is no way we will let you murder one of our nearest and dearest. Unless you can kill us all, that is.”

“You want to die together with the butcher? So be it,” bellowed his opponent.

Saying so, once again the Daimyo clasped its hands. This time, the circle of flame around its clasped palms materialized much quicker than before, growing to an absurd size before long, with radius larger than the machine’s own size. And instead of slinging it forth like before, the Daimyo’s next action was to stretch its arms as far as it could horizontally. As he did so, the interior of the ring of fire started to fill up with what looked like semi-liquid, semi-gaseous magma, until it looked like a menacing disk of fiery death.

“N… Not good,” Kuro exclaimed, as he stared at the disc of flame. “Everybody down!”

“No use!” shouted Zakawa, finishing his ritual by crossing the machine’s arms.

From the very center of the disc of fire, a spiraling ball of molten lava rolled into existence, spinning towards the four members of the Squad. To make matters worse, the ball grew exponentially larger as it covered ground, until it was as large as a city block. There was just nowhere to evade, and ducking didn’t appear to be aviable option – the fireball was swallowing everything in its path, above or below the ground, leaving nothing but charred remains behind.

And then one sudden thought appeared to Faegard in the split second before the huge fireball rolled into the group, in the form of a particularly high-class spell he had read about earlier. It was reckless idea, even, as one of the quickest way for a wizard to turn insane or outright die was to cast an advanced spell without sufficient experience or magic to support, neither of which Faegard had at that time.

”Still I have to try. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain,” the young wizard reassured himself, and focused on chanting. ”O Holy Deities of the Element, may thine wisdoms grant meek pilgrims divine sanctuary!”

Just as Faegard chanted his last words, his hands and feet start shining, starting from where they touched the joystick and pedal. The glow then traveled up his arms and legs, bleached his entire clothing, before covering his entire body in its entirety. Wherever the glow touched, his previous pains and fatigue was removed, and in its place, renewed vigor ran freely within his veins. It was as if some kind of divine intervention had taken place to refresh both his mind and body.

On the other hand, the computer screen, for some reason, suddenly dulled down remarkably, as if a power fuse or two had been unplugged from its system. This time, no green line of text told him what was happening, but rather a mechanical voice from the speaker above. Unlike the normal announcement it was known to make, this time the voice itself had similarly sounded weaker and slower in this instance.

“Reverse F-Contact established. F-Charge conversion in progress.”

The next thing Faegard knew, from where his machine stood, a bluish, intangible sphere had spread out in the shape of a dome, covering the rest of his teammates and himself. No sooner had that sphere covered the last machine in the radius than the huge lava ball crashed into it. A large explosion ensued as the lava ball’s consistency was relieved, releasing a stream of magma that incinerated and swallowed everything within the radius. Even with his eyes fully closed, hands and feet tightly pinned on their designated position and his teeth gritted, the elf could feel his entire body shaking violently from the blast impact, threatening to rip him out of the safe grip of the sear belt and throwing him around. The light around him was beyond blinding, and every passing second the elf had to swallow the intense, primal urge to let out a scream of terror “unbefitting for a royal”.

It was a good deal of time before everything settled down, the light waned, the shock stopped and the urge to scream likewise vanished. Opening his eyes, Faegard realized the familiar image of everything around him lying in ruins, except for a circular patch of land around him remaining untouched. If the cityscape previously was only lying in ruins, the explosion had completely flattened anything rising higher than a foot above the ground in its blast radius, charring everything below to ash, and caused many a buildings from afar to start crumbling down. For those soldiers of either side still fighting over the sky and was unfortunate enough to venture too close to the blast radius, the sheer gust it generated was fatal, as many a smokestacks from around the place lay in testimony.

“Wha… what was that?” was the first thing Aya could cough out, only to be quickly silenced when she looked at the surrounding area and the immediate damage it had taken.

The unexplainable situation and an even more illogical solution to it ended up leaving both Kuro and Aya baffled beyond words. And so was their enemy, but for a different reason entirely.

“My magic… failed? But how? How? HOW?” Zakawa definitely did not take his failure well, his voice raised to the point of psychotic at the end of the sentence?

“So… this is what it is like, casting spells using the machine’s own power,” Faegard remarked. “Proportionately, the anti-magic barrier I put up can do that much with this sort of power supply.”

There was a moment of silence as the Confederate soldier tried to comprehend the fact. But understanding it did not make him any calmer. Instead, from the pitch of his voice, it appeared that his mentality was on the way to self-destruct.

“FINE! WHATEVER! THEN COME! I’LL STRIKE YOU ALL DOWN!” he bawled, drawing his weapon from the ground and pointed it at the Squad.

“Just where I need it!” Kuro stepped forward. “Remember, I am your opponent here!”

It was then that a large-sized loudspeaker from the very center of the city bellowed out, sounding to all those in the vicinity.

“This is an order from Major Elvaht von Krieger. I repeat, this is a direct order from Major Elvaht von Krieger. All units of Units 401 through 445, retreat to the inner city at once. Failure to comply with this order will be severely punished under the CCAF regulations without exception!”

******

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