《The Eden Chronicles》 Chapter 1: The Cloak and Revolver Saffron waved her hand through the blades of grass as she skipped through her tropic environment. All around her, she heard snarls and ticks of creatures that too afraid to lunge out at her. They had seen what she did to the other monsters. Saffron looked down at the custom-made Field Bracer on her arm.G-4003was etched on the underside of it, marking it the third of its model that Saffron had made. If only her peers could see her now, on the run to find Eden. She was a scientist who engineered magic, hoping to understand it. She had a long way to go, but she deduced that Eden was where she needed to be. All she had to do was get there. Her thoughts came to a halt when she stumbled upon a clearing in the forest. Walking through the clearing, she noticed the perfect circle shape of it. From the center of it, the dense population trees all around her formed a curtain of shadows, even in the broad daylight. From the corner of her eye, she saw a quick shadow move in the trees, it dashed away as soon as she tried to look. It happened again to her right, then a rustle of a tree behind her. As Saffron turned and turned, the hidden shadow kept circling her and turning her in circles. She took a second and stood completely still, firmly closing her eyes. ¡°Click.¡± Behind Saffron was a man with blue hair, tunic, cape, and cowl; additionally, he had green pants. He was holding a revolver to the back of Saffron¡¯s head. He steadily gripped the gun with his brown leather gloves. He had some sort of device on his ear, probably an earpiece. Saffron made sure not to pull any sudden moves on him. He stared at her golden hair through his dark glasses. She was amazed that he had snuck up on her like that. ¡°Is this how you greet all of your guests?¡± asked Saffron. The man didn¡¯t move at all. He spoke to her after letting out a huge sigh. ¡°Turn around and don¡¯t come back. I would hate to kill a lady on top of her being a kid.¡± Saffron only smiled at this. She slowly turned around and pressed her forehead against the muzzle of the gun. ¡°Or what? Now why would you need to kill me? Are you guarding something, or maybe guardingsomewhere?¡± The man lowered his gun and looked deep into Saffron¡¯s blue eyes. ¡°You¡¯re digging too deep, kid. Run off before you end up like me.¡± He gestured to his body and opened his gun to reveal that it had no bullets in the chambers. In a flash, he loaded them with odd green bullets. ¡°Why would you threaten me with an empty gun? That seems deceptively dangerous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the idea; it fools most people. Anyway, anyone who sees past it usually ends up dead, so what does it matter to you?¡± He put his revolver in the holster on his hip. ¡°My name is Saffron. What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give your name to strangers, especially ones who make death threats.¡± Saffron chuckled and walked around and examined him. He was average enough height, but looked pretty wiry. ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking for advice. What¡¯s your name? I¡¯m justdyingto know.¡± The man sighed. ¡°The name''s Shiso. Best gunslinger in the world. Or, at least around these parts. Maybe left in the world. Now, It¡¯s about time we settled up. If you won¡¯t scram, we can¡¯t just have people like you around here.¡± Saffron put on a look of fake sadness. ¡°Why do we have to fight?¡± ¡°We both know that nobody comes around these parts without searching for Eden.¡± ¡°Are you searching for it too?¡± Saffron asked, making a verbal pounce. Shiso slowly pulled out his revolver. ¡°You know, this is the greatest handgun ever made.¡± he said confidently. ¡°Is it made by me? If it isn¡¯t, it¡¯s not the best.¡± Shiso laughed. He popped out the chamber and showed it to Saffron. ¡°Six bullets. More than enough to kill anything that moves, and definitely enough to kill you.¡± Saffron laughed, then suddenly jumped back and got into a combat stance.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Allow me to make an exception to that!¡± taunted Saffron. She aimed her bracer and shot at Shiso. He dodged so quickly that Saffron only saw a blur. He raised the revolver, which prompted Saffron to hide behind a tree. Shiso formed a hidden smile. ¡°I have a way of making these bullets go where I need them. I like to call it an art.¡± He shot at a rock, which ricocheted off of it and set course directly for Saffron¡¯s head. She would¡¯ve easily died if she hadn¡¯t ducked. Clearly, she wasn¡¯t safe, even behind cover. Saffron jumped from the cover of the tree and shoved a small card into her Bracer that she took out of her pocket. When she did, it fired a baseball-sized yellow sphere, which homed in on Shiso and painlessly phased itself into his chest. ¡°Time to light it up! I love this part!¡± squealed Saffron. A very small patch of dark clouds formed and a crack roared above them. Shiso covered his head with his hands as he was directly struck by lightning. ¡°Aaahhhhh!¡± exclaimed Shiso. Saffron wasted no time leaping forward and pinning Shiso to the ground. She shook his collar. ¡°Where is Eden? How do I get inside its walls?¡± she demanded. Shiso remained quiet. Before Saffron could demand more answers, Shiso raised the gun that he still gripped in his right hand. Saffron dove off of Shiso¡¯s body as a bullet entered her left arm. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that you¡¯re not living much longer. A fight like this is once in a lifetime. It¡¯s like a revolution, nothing like hunting some animals or fighting idiots.¡± Saffron gripped her arm, feeling it throb. ¡°Sorry, but I have no plans of dying. Not before I see Eden!¡± she said as she rushed towards him. Shiso laughed as he took aim once again. ¡°Boom!¡± A bullet entered her right shoulder. ¡°Boom!¡± One in her left leg. She kept on hobbling along. ¡°Boom!¡± Another bullet aimed right for her head, but she blocked it with both her arms. Bullets collided with other bullets as she felt the agonizing pain in her left arm. Now, Saffron was right in front of Shiso. They were once again in the position of Shiso pointing his revolver right at her head. ¡°I told you kid, my bullets are enough to kill anything that moves.¡± Shiso went to pull the trigger, but Saffron was smiling. In the end, she had won. The man pulled the trigger. ¡°Click!¡± He was legitimately surprised when no bullet came out. Saffron wasted no time bashing Shiso¡¯s head with her Field Bracer and aimed at his head. A blast of pure energy busted out and hit Shiso in the head, launching him five feet across the ground. He was only out cold, at least for now. Saffron chuckled to herself. ¡°I told you that I¡¯d be the exception¡­¡± she smiled as she dropped the green bullet that rested between her fingers. Saffron blacked out as she hit the ground. ===================================================================================== ¡°You really wanted to die, didn¡¯t you?¡± Saffron woke up on the ground, her head resting on some of a fallen tree. Shiso was looking down at her. His head had been bandaged while Saffron had slept. She looked at her own body. All her wounds had been sewn up and bandaged. She could still feel the sting of the bullet wounds. ¡°You¡­ patched me up? Why?¡± Shiso sighed. ¡°Listen, I¡¯ve never seen anyone like you. All the other people have been driven by greed and altogether sketchy motives at best. But you, you were driven by something more powerful. I wanted to know what power was. Whatareyou fighting for?¡± He sounded very intrigued. ¡°I lived through the destruction of the world.¡± she said hauntingly. ¡°I want to live through it getting back up again.¡± Shiso nodded and put on a smile. ¡°Then I¡¯ll come with you to Eden then. After all, I¡¯m free now.¡± Saffron turned her head sideways, confused. ¡°What do you mean ¡®you¡¯re free¡¯?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re defeated on the way to Eden, you have to help guard it. If you¡¯re guarding it and get legitimately defeated, you¡¯re free to go.¡± ¡°Sounds like a pain.¡± ¡°Well, it sure is. But even if you¡¯re on your way to Eden, there¡¯s only one way in: Beat the Gate Guardian. Nobody¡¯s beaten her though. I don¡¯t know if anyone¡¯s even made it to her.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no reason I can¡¯t though.¡± Saffron said confidently. ¡°It¡¯s a longshot, but not impossible.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re coming with me to Eden, right?¡± Saffron asked with shining eyes. Shiso looked towards the sky. ¡°When I was younger, I wanted to go to Eden for¡­ reasons. Now that the world''s gone to hell, everyone just wants a place to lay low, you know?¡± ¡°So, is that a yes?¡± Saffron asked impatiently. Shiso gave a happy sigh. ¡°Well, someone¡¯ll have to make sure you don¡¯t die on the way.¡± They both shared a heartwarming laugh. ¡°Then let¡¯s get going!¡± she cheered. Shiso nodded. ¡°I guess so, let¡¯s make haste. We¡¯ll have to if you want to make it to Eden before the Gate Guardian knows we¡¯re on our way.¡± Saffron gave him a confused look. ¡°Why would they know something¡¯s wrong?¡± Shiso looked around him carefully. ¡°Just between you and me, these trees have ears, if you catch my drift.¡± he whispered, tapping his ears. Saffron nodded. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go then.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t have said it better myself, kid.¡± They both got up and walked through the treacherous jungle, now as friends walking side by side. They were leaving together, as they were going to enter together. ¡°Hey Shiso...¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Why do you want to get to Eden?¡± Chapter 2: White Knight Saffron waltzed through the forest behind Shiso while loudly singing at the top of her lungs. Shiso had been hearing the same song for six hours, and he wasn¡¯t thrilled to hear it for another one. Unfortunately, Saffron just wanted Shiso to sing as well. ¡°Dynamite with a laser beam; guaranteed to blow your mind, anytime! Come on Shiso, join in!¡± she said enthusiastically. Shiso fired three shots into the air, which made Saffron jump and become silent. ¡°No music. Let¡¯s talk about something. Anything will do.¡± Shiso said, rubbing his temples. ¡°Alright, where are we going?¡± ¡°Towards Eden.¡± ¡°Okay, but how do you know this way is Eden?¡± Shiso rubbed his chin and looked up. ¡°It¡¯s, um¡­ over in¡­ around the area of¡­¡± ¡°You get there by walking this way, but you can¡¯t get there by just walking. You get it?¡± Saffron shook her head. ¡°That made like zero sense.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more something you just find than something you can locate. Trust me, it¡¯s a backwards concept but it applies logically when you can wrap your head around it, but you can¡¯t really wrap your head around it.¡± Saffron still didn¡¯t quite get it, but just nodded. They kept walking until the forest very suddenly ended. Where the forest had stopped, a desolate plain of rock stretched out for miles. It was populated by stone pillars that stretched up beyond the clouds. Ruins of what looked like houses made out of the same bleak stone littered the plain as well. ¡°Is this part of that path?¡± Saffron asked. Shiso nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve reached another circle of the path to Eden.¡± ¡°Well, this sure isn¡¯t as pretty as the forest.¡± she said, kicking a rock. Shiso shrugged his shoulders and started walking. ¡°Fine then, you can stay in the forest while I relax in Eden then. I¡¯ll even call you when I get there.¡± Saffron rolled her eyes and chased after him. ¡°Like you could make it to Eden on your-¡± Saffron stopped talking as she heard movement. Something was shuffling to her left, right behind a rock. She signaled Shiso to stop and gestured to the rock, hoping to sneak up on whatever it was. Shiso nodded and suddenly whipped out his gun. He shot a rock and made the bullets bounce to hit the creature. The creature died out with an abnormal shriek; Shiso gave a thumbs up. ¡°I got ¡®em.¡± said Shiso, still giving his goofy thumbs-up. Saffron grumbled, gave a sigh, and advanced on the remains of whatever was behind the rock. ¡°Congratulations Shiso, you killed a robot.¡± said Saffron, sarcastically. It appeared to be a robot with a slot to shoot something out of. Something about the robot tickled the back of Saffron¡¯s head; she had seen the design before somewhere. On the back of the robot, there was a tiny symbol etched into it of a wrench going though big ¡°H¡±. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s a robot, then it was just target practice.¡± Shiso said. Saffron just rolled her eyes again. ¡°Stop trying to be cool, it¡¯s not working.¡± ¡°Whatever¡­¡± Shiso mumbled. He kicked the robot just out of spite, which caused it to shudder and shriek. It fired a red laser, which started to bounce all around the pillars and ruins. Saffron and Shiso ducked, trying to not get hit. ¡°Dammit Shiso; what¡¯d you do that for?!¡± Saffron yelled. ¡°How was I supposed to know that would happen?¡± Shiso said defensively. ¡°What do you think would happen?¡± she angrily criticized. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± The laser bounced until it hit finally something, which gave a loud yelp. Saffron carefully looked out and saw a wisp in the air. It seemed to be a ghostlike figure that was now crying. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot this time.¡± whispered Saffron angrily. ¡°Well, if it attacks, I shoot. Deal?¡± Shiso seemed to be annoyed at Saffron¡¯s anger. She carefully approached the spirit, ready to console it. ¡°Hey little guy, are you lost?¡± The spirit looked up at Saffron and cried even louder. Saffron attempted to pat its head, but her hand passed right through. ¡°Calm it down already.¡± said Shiso from behind the rock. Saffron stomped her foot. ¡°This isn¡¯t as easy as it looks!¡± She turned back to the ghost. ¡°Can you tell me what¡¯s wrong?¡± The ghost¡¯s crying died down to sniffling and looked up at Saffron. ¡°You hurt me¡­¡± Saffron looked surprised.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°No, we¡¯d- I¡¯d never hurt you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. You both hurt me!¡± The ghost ran away, outrunning any speed Saffron could have gone. Saffron stood there, wishing the ghost would come back. ¡°Come on then,¡± Shiso said. ¡°It¡¯s gone, so we¡¯d better move on.¡± ¡°How could you be so heartless?!¡± exclaimed Saffron. ¡°The little guy was crying, and all you wanted to do was either shoot it or leave it!¡± Shiso sighed. ¡°Listen, I just want-¡± Shiso¡¯s words were silenced by a piercing howl. In the distance, a pack of what looked like wolves ran their way; they didn¡¯t quite look normal though. They had teeth far sharper than normal ones, and they had multiple visible gashes on them. There were also red collars on all of them, with rope that looked like it was forcefully torn off. ¡°Shiso, can we outrun those guys?¡± Saffron asked nervously. ¡°Um¡­ no.¡± Shiso said bluntly. Soon the wolves were upon them and they had to fight. Saffron took aim with her Field Bracer and shot at the wolves, but they seemed to be shaking it off pretty easily. Beside her, Shiso was shooting, but the wolves weren¡¯t flinching at all. He brought a set of tiny knives from his coat and threw it, but it only made the wolf angrier. ¡°Do you have anything that packs a bit more of a punch?¡± asked Shiso. ¡°I mean¡­¡± said Saffron, hesitantly. ¡°I have some more powerful magic, but I don¡¯t know what that¡¯ll leave me like.¡± Shiso looked around them; they were completely encircled. ¡°Hate to tell you kid, but we¡¯re going to be in six feet under in a minute if we can¡¯t pull something off.¡± Saffron took a deep breath and held her hand out to Shiso. ¡°Your guns, I need them,¡± Shiso reluctantly turned over his guns. Saffron then took out a spell, cast it, and went to work. Saffron¡¯s irises turned a dark red and so did the guns. She held them confidently as she pointed to the wolves. ¡°Heh, nice guns Shiso.¡± she said in a deep and echoey voice. She twirled the revolvers around. ¡°Time to go to work, guys.¡± She fired two fast shots at a wolf, which past right through it and made it run away in pain. She went around the circle, doing the same to all the wolves, who all howled in pain. She took aim at the last one. ¡°Hey kid, watch out!¡± shouted Shiso. A flash of green had jumped down from one of the stone pillars and crashed down, kicking up a huge cloud of dust in front of Saffron¡¯s line of fire. Saffron shot through the dust, but the bullets ricocheted and flew off of something. The red tint drained away from Saffron¡¯s eyes and the guns as she started to rapidly blink hard and feel light-headed; she tossed Shiso his guns. ¡°Oh man, that felt weird.¡± she said. As the dust settled, they could make out the figure that had deflected the bullets. ¡°Leave, right now.¡± The figure warned. The first thing Saffron and Shiso could see was the green suit of armor and the giant shield she held. She had white armor and green clothing underneath, and a mostly green shield. Her shield had a giant design on it, and her armor had a sort of insignia on it. Saffron thought she looked like some kind of royal guard. The woman also had very light green hair. ¡°Are we in violation of some rule here?¡± asked Shiso. The woman nodded her head. ¡°I can¡¯t let you pass after hurting my people.¡± she said. ¡°Who are your people?¡± Shiso asked, puzzled. He gestured around. ¡°We haven¡¯t hurt a single person here. Well, not yet.¡± The woman pointed at the wolves. ¡°They are my people. Or at least, they were. Just because they look different doesn¡¯t mean that they aren¡¯t there though!¡± Shiso shook his head. ¡°Listen, I think you¡¯re confus -¡± The woman pounded her shield on the ground. ¡°I am Reva, defender of the people! You have trespassed and hurt; prepare for justice! You cannot escape!¡± Reva charged forward. Luckily, her armor weighed her down, so Shiso and Saffron could split up easily. ¡°Kid, she looks pretty unhinged.¡± said Shiso over Saffron¡¯s earpiece. ¡°Yeah, I know. She¡¯s pretty deranged to think of those wolves as family.¡± ¡°Cover me kid, I¡¯m gonna go in.¡± Saffron shot at Reva with her Bracer, drawing her attention. Her shots just seemed to effortlessly bounce off of Reva¡¯s shield and armor. ¡°My shield, Eschaton, deflects all unrighteous attacks!¡± Reva shouted. ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt my family!¡± Reva stood firm with tears streaming down her face. A wolf was aggressively chewing on her bloody ankle, but she wouldn¡¯t even flinch. Blood ran red down to the bottom of her foot. Saffron lowered her Bracer and felt sorry for her. Shiso ran up from behind and threw a flurry of knives. Somehow, Reva quickly pivoted around and blocked the knives with her shield and caused some of them to shatter. ¡°Kid, she¡¯s scarily strong, but I think we can probably pull something on her.¡± ¡°Got anything in mind?¡± asked Saffron. ¡°That¡¯s what I was about to ask you.¡± said Shiso. ¡°You got any more spells up your sleeve?¡± Saffron fiddled with her Bracer. ¡°I have one that can take her out for sure, but I¡¯m going to need some time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know how to keep someone company.¡± Saffron rolled her eyes and smiled. ¡°Go get her.¡± Shiso jumped from behind the rock and ran toward Reva with more knives. He realized that throwing and shooting any more would be foolish, so his only option was hand-to-hand. Reva braced herself for the attack, although she really didn¡¯t need to. Shiso ran forward and slashed at the shield, which shattered the knife in one hit. Shiso and Reva awkwardly stared at each other before Shiso ran for it. ¡°Kid, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to hurt her anytime soon! I¡¯m sending her on one hell of a goose-chase though.¡± Shiso was running fast, but Reva gave chase with surprising agility. ¡°Get back here, so I can serve justice! I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± shouted Reva. Shiso bounded up a tall pillar and hung on to the side of it. It didn¡¯t stop Reva though, as she started to pound away at the pillar using her shield. ¡°Kid, I can¡¯t really-¡± Shiso¡¯s message was interrupted by the pillar tumbling to the ground. Shiso laid on the ground, unable to get up. ¡°Do you really think you can defeat me?¡± Reva asked. Shiso smiled. ¡°Not really.¡± the man coughed. ¡°I know she has something to say about it though.¡± Shiso pointed behind Reva, where Saffron stood in the distance with glowing white hair and eyes. ¡°O Great Winter, Fimbulveter; make my enemies your ice sculptures!¡± Saffron shouted. A cold breeze blew from behind Saffron, and dark clouds gathered overhead. ¡°I knew you¡¯d come through, kid!¡± said Shiso. A wave of ice and snow rushed towards Reva¡¯s direction. She raised her shield to block, but it couldn¡¯t do much as her body became completely encased in ice. Unfortunately, it also froze Shiso, who was pointing and laughing at Reva. Saffron fell out of her trance, yawned, then fell unconscious to the ground. Chapter 3: Peoples Phalanx Saffron woke up right where she had fallen, surrounded by a blanket of snow. She looked over and saw Shiso, Reva, and the wolves all frozen in ice. She walked over to the two people; she hoped that they were all alright. Midway, she fell down again and clutched her wrist. Her veins were glowing an unnatural light blue color. Saffron got up and struggled over to her friend. She sat next to Shiso¡¯s frozen body and attempted to start a fire with a spell, but she didn¡¯t even have enough power left over for that. She sighed as she grabbed a rock and started chipping away at the ice on Shiso¡¯s waist; if she could get some knives from his belt, the process would go much faster. ======================================================================== After Saffron freed Shiso from his icy prison, she finally had enough strength to make some fire magic. They both sat down and stared at Reva, both asking the same question. ¡°Should we get her out?¡± asked Saffron. Shiso wiped some ice off himself. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She tried to kill us. No reason she wouldn¡¯t do it again if we let her out. Don¡¯t forget why we had to put her in there.¡± Shiso was firm about this decision. ¡°She was technically just trying to defend her family!¡± Saffron countered. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you protect yours?!¡± Shiso tightened his scarf. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a family for a while¡­ I don¡¯t care how noble you think she is; we¡¯re not letting her out of the ice.¡± Shiso stood resolute in his decision on the matter. Saffron¡¯s face was red with anger at what Shiso wanted them to do. How could she turn a blind eye to that? She stood up and threw her ball of fire at Reva. ¡°Oops.¡± Saffron said with a defiant smile. Shiso stood up and readied his gun. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re going to see; this was a bad idea.¡± The mist cleared and Reva¡¯s body was still mostly frozen. Her head was now thawed out, but it didn¡¯t look like she could move anything else. Saffron went to Reva¡¯s side while Shiso slowly approached her, careful to not let his guard down. ¡°Hey, are you awake?¡± Saffron asked. Reva started to stir from her sleep and looked around. Once she saw Saffron and Shiso, she started to madly struggle. ¡°Get me out!¡± Reva demanded. ¡°Not a chance.¡± said Shiso. ¡°Come on Shiso, give her a second chance.¡± pleaded Saffron. Shiso was about to counter again, but he looked at Saffron¡¯s state. She was leaning against Reva¡¯s icy body for support and her wrists had a burning blue glow to them. Shiso was about to hate the decision he was making. He sighed. ¡°Fine, kid. You go sit down or something; I can get her out myself.¡± Saffron dove in and gave Shiso a hug. ¡°Thank you, Shiso. You won¡¯t regret it!¡± Shiso lightly patted Saffron¡¯s head and pried her off of him. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure. Go sit down.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I will.¡± Saffron went and laid down on the ground; Shiso couldn¡¯t tell if she was asleep though. He turned around to face Reva. ¡°Well then, time to get you out.¡± he said, stretching. ¡°How exactly are you going to do that?¡± asked Reva. Shiso smiled and pulled out a couple of kunai knives. ======================================================================== Shiso hadn¡¯t made much progress before Reva started to ask him questions. He still didn¡¯t fully trust her, but he could probably still have a conversation. Beside him were about a half-dozen knives with broken tips and edges. ¡°So, why do you want to fight to Eden?¡± asked Reva. ¡°I fight for myself.¡± he said plainly. ¡°I don¡¯t think anybody fights for just themselves.¡± ¡°Change your thinking then, sister.¡± ¡°I know you have something or somebody to fight for. Is it the girl?¡± Shiso laughed. ¡°God knows, I¡¯ll fight with her, but definitely not for her.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°But what¡¯s your catalyst? What makes you go?¡± Shiso was starting to get even more annoyed. ¡°What are you; my phycologist? Chill out while I get you out.¡± ¡°Is that supposed to be a joke?¡± Reva asked. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°The girl said your name was Shiso, right?¡± Reva inquired. ¡°Everyone¡¯s got one.¡± ¡°What about her?¡± she said, tilting her head over to Saffron. ¡°The kid¡¯s name is Saffron.¡± ¡°Why call her a kid?¡± ¡°What is this, 20 questions? Because she is one. Why else?¡± Reva laughed. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t think you know a lot about her, do you?¡± Shiso rolled his eyes. ¡°And you do?¡± he asked. ¡°She¡¯s got a huge secret. It¡¯s something everyone on earth who¡¯s seen her before knows, so I dunno why you don¡¯t know it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hear everything about the outside, but I know most of the important information that¡¯s happened over the decades. If it was important enough, I¡¯d know it.¡± ¡°You think you know everything? Just ask her what she did before the world died.¡± ¡°Whatever. She¡¯s got a heart of gold on her, so you¡¯d better not plan on hurting her.¡± Reva pulled out a serious face. ¡°I¡¯d never hurt without cause. That is my only promise.¡± Shiso grumbled as another kunai shattered against the ice. ¡°Goddammit!¡± Shiso shouted. He pulled out his gun and fired multiple shots at the ice, which cracked from the numerous bullet wounds. Reva burst out of the cast of ice that had encased her. Shiso tried to catch her before she could fall, but Reva¡¯s armor was so heavy that it took him down with her. Shiso pounded his fist madly against the ground, finding it hard to breathe with over 300 pounds of woman, armor, and shield weighing down on his squishy body. Reva rolled off of him, hoisted him up, and gave a hearty laugh. ¡°You¡¯re a funny man!¡± Reva then looked down at her feet for a second. ¡°So, no hard feelings about earlier, right? I was just trying to defend¡­ my family.¡± Shiso took a minute to catch his breath. ¡°If the kid wants to move on, then forgive and forget.¡± Reva gave a small smile. ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± Reva and Shiso sat down and looked at Saffron¡¯s napping body. ¡°What happened to your people?¡± asked Shiso seriously; Reva didn¡¯t seem taken too aback by the question. ¡°They all made it to Eden¡¯s gates, but none of them made it through. They all turned into the savage creatures you see today.¡± Shiso gave a tired sigh. ¡°Most don¡¯t make it through. I never even made it to the gates in my time. It¡¯s nice to look after them, but you¡¯ve got to let those people go eventually. They¡¯re far gone.¡± Reva had a sad look in her eyes, as if she¡¯s had this argument with someone else before. ¡°I just can¡¯t. If the Gate Guardian changed them, she could probably change them back; that would imply that I¡¯m strong enough to make her though.¡± Shiso nodded. ¡°I get it. Nothing gets past the Guardian, but with your shield and our fire, we could have just the shadow of a chance. That might be assuming the Guardian is willing to comply with any requests after beating her.¡± They both looked over at Saffron again. ¡°Why do you think she¡¯s fighting?¡± asked Reva. Shiso laughed. ¡°Hell if I know. Kid probably wants to save the world or something. Whatever it is, she seems set on her goal.¡± ¡°Do you really think we can beat the Guardian if we work together?¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t know; even with three people, she might just make us look like a lot of monkeys. A weapon versus fisticuffs might not make a difference in that context.¡± Reva raised an eyebrow and laughed. ¡°Wait, ¡®fisticuffs¡¯? I haven¡¯t heart that word in a decade.¡± Shiso gave an awkward cough. ¡°Oh well, you know; she¡¯ll just make us look like fools. Sorry, us Eden Guardians don¡¯t really age on the job; I guess most of my slang is outdated by now.¡± Reva gave a chuckle. ¡°Well, the world¡¯s over, so you don¡¯t have to worry about adapting to the changing times too much. You don¡¯t have to act like such a man out of time.¡± Shiso raised an eyebrow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you an Eden Guardian?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m not. I think I¡¯ve seen one though.¡± ¡°Oh really; who?¡± Reva rubbed her chin. ¡°I think she was some sort of solicitor or something. She had some really red eyes and she asked if she wanted my blood.¡± Shiso shuddered. ¡°Ugh, and I thought you were unhinged.¡± They both shared a loud laugh. A little ways away, Saffron woke up from her sleep. She looked down at her wrists; everything looked normal now. She glided her way over to Shiso and Reva. ¡°You said your name was Reva, right? My name is-¡± ¡°Saffron.¡± Reva finished. Saffron nodded. ¡°Did Shiso tell you?¡± ¡°You could say we¡¯ve been talking.¡± she said with a wink. Neither Saffron nor Shiso could really tell what she implied by that, but they both gave awkward laughs. ¡°Well, with your shield and our strength, we can be the People¡¯s Phalanx!¡± said Saffron. ¡°I mean, if you like the sound of that.¡± Reva gave a smile. ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯d like that.¡± Her reply made Saffron quite excited. ¡°Are we ready to go then?¡± asked the girl. ¡°You can fill me in on yourself while we walk.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± said Shiso, definitively. They all got up and started walking, but were soon stopped by the ground steeply sloping downwards. ¡°Is there some other route?¡± asked Saffron. Reva smiled and dropped her giant shield onto the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem here!¡± She grabbed Saffron and Shiso and slid down the hill on her shield at breakneck speed. Reva was having the time of her life, and Saffron and Shiso''s screams were drowned in the wind. Chapter 4: Perpetual Motion Saffron wasn¡¯t done vomiting from the ride on Reva¡¯s shield. Reva had put Saffron to lay down in her shield while she dragged it along the ground with a rope. Reva and Shiso had been trying to pass the time by playing ¡°I-Spy¡±, but it hadn¡¯t been so successful. ¡°I spy with my little eye¡­ something brown.¡± said Reva. Shiso walked with slumped shoulders and drooping eyes. ¡°Is it a rock?¡± Shiso asked dully. ¡°Yeah, on the mark. Your turn.¡± she said. ¡°I spy with my little eye something blue.¡± ¡°Is it the sky?¡± Reva asked dully. ¡°How¡¯d you guess one of the two things for miles?¡± asked Shiso, groaning. Saffron stood up and gave a big yawn. ¡°Can¡¯t we speed up this process?¡± asked Saffron. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Shiso, rubbing his eyes. ¡°Maybe you could find some way to make it more fun.¡± Saffron rubbed her chin before, then snapped her fingers. ¡°Fun... I''ve got it!¡± ¡°Kid, you don¡¯t actually have to-¡± Shiso began. Saffron ran up to Shiso and slapped the back of his head. His eyes popped out of his head as he looked at Saffron running away from him. ¡°You¡¯re it, Shiso!¡± Saffron shouted at him. Shiso quickly gave chase to Saffron, catching up after about a minute. ¡°Saff, watch out!¡± shouted Reva. Shiso tried to tag Saffron, but she swiftly dodged. Shiso gave a flurry of tags, but none of them landed. Reva stood in the background, laughing hysterically at the interaction between Saffron and Shiso¡¯s game of tag. Shiso turned around and slapped Reva¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re it, knight.¡± Shiso remarked as he ran away from Reva. She gave chase, but Shiso and Saffron ran much faster than her. Saffron thought it was weird to hear Shiso laugh, but it was what she was hearing. His laughing came to a stop though, as he suddenly halted in his tracks and grabbed Saffron and yanked the back of her shirt. ¡°What¡¯re you-¡± Saffron started. ¡°Reva! Be careful!¡± Shiso shouted. She stopped behind Shiso as well. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Saffron. Shiso pointed at the land in front of them. ¡°Look closely at the ground.¡± he said. Saffron and Reva looked close at the ground and took a step or two back; Saffron had almost run headfirst into a minefield. ¡°Who put this minefield here?¡± asked Saffron. ¡°I think they did.¡± said Reva, pointing at a small figure in the distance. Shiso took out a pair of binoculars and stared at the person. ¡°Who is it?¡± asked Saffron. Shiso gave a loud groan. The figure with giant hair in the distance was doing a little dance and giving various rude hand gestures to Shiso. ¡°Someone who¡¯s going to get a bullet in their leg.¡± said Shiso. Reva patted his back, ¡°Maybe we can talk before resorting to pulling the trigger.¡± Reva said, earnestly. ¡°Well, maybe we should worry about how we¡¯re going to get across this minefield first.¡± said Saffron. Shiso sighed. ¡°You¡¯re the scientist here, do you have something that¡¯ll get rid of them?¡± Shiso asked. Saffron dug through the pockets of her coat and brought out a few spell cards. After reading a couple, she shoved one into her Field Bracer and summoned a bomb out of thin air. ¡°Guys, after I throw this, we need to get behind Reva¡¯s shield.¡± They both nodded. She threw the bomb and huddled behind Reva and her shield. The bomb blew up and waves of kinetic energy burst from all sides of the bomb, setting off an intense chain reaction that was setting off the entire minefield. Shrapnel flew past them at blinding speed and embedded itself in the ground and plinked off of Reva¡¯s shield. Suddenly, it all stopped; Saffron, Shiso, and Reva all fell over and laid down. ¡°That¡­ could.... have¡­ killed¡­ us¡­¡± said a shell shocked Shiso. They all sat and waited as their hearing and other senses recovered. ¡°You wanna go shoot them now?¡± asked Saffron. ¡°Yeah kid, just help me up.¡± said Shiso. Reva was the first to heave herself up; then she helped up Saffron, who helped up Shiso.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Come on old man, don¡¯t throw out your back.¡± Saffron quipped. ¡°Watch it, kid. Let¡¯s get going.¡± Shiso said. The gang, now recovered from the immense blast, ventured on to see who laid down all those mines. It wasn¡¯t long before they came across a tiny steel circle embedded into the ground. ¡°Well I¡¯ll be¡­ I didn¡¯t know the ground could grow pimples.¡± Shiso dryly said. ¡°They don¡¯t.¡± Saffron said seriously. She searched all around the side of the tiny bunker like she was looking for something. ¡°Whatchu looking for, Saff?¡± asked Reva. Saffron didn¡¯t answer; she kept searching until she found a mark on the bunker. It was a brown ¡°H¡± with a wrench going through the center of it. Saffron furrowed her brow and pounded on the bunker. ¡°Hazel! Hazel! Open up, I know you¡¯re in there!¡± Shouted Saffron, as if she was trying to force her voice through the steel. A lot of shuffling was heard inside the bunker before the entire thing popped out and folded up into a small metal disk the size of a frisbee. It left just a woman standing where it used to be. Shiso, like always, readied his gun for potential combat. ¡°Hey Saff, long time no see.¡± said the woman who emerged from the bunker. She had large brown hair that was somehow shoved together using a hair tie. Her pink shirt was covered by blue overalls, which were complemented by her black, almost knee length, buckled boots. She also had a small utility belt around her waist and a larger brown handbag over her shoulder. She held a small wrench in one of her gloved hands. Saffron gave her a big hug. ¡°Is that all you can say after you¡¯ve been gone for so long, Hazel?¡± Saffron asked. Hazel shrugged her shoulders and rubbed her green eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the biggest choice on whether I wanted to stay, now did I?¡± she said. Hazel looked over at Shiso, rushed towards him, and took his earpiece. ¡°Hey, what¡¯re you-¡± Shiso started. ¡°What make and model is this earpiece? How long have you had this thing?¡± Hazel seemed too curious for Shiso¡¯s tastes. She snagged his earpiece back and put it back where it belonged. ¡°Who¡¯s your kleptomaniac friend, kid?¡± Shiso asked. Saffron seemed pretty excited. ¡°Put the gun away, Shiso. Guys, this is Hazel, my old engineering friend! She taught me most of what I know about building things.¡± Saffron wrapped her arms around Hazel. ¡°Me and Saff go way back, guys.¡± Hazel said. Shiso rolled his eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t go back that far. The kid isn¡¯t that old yet.¡± said Shiso. ¡°What do you know, Revolver House Cat?¡± Hazel snorted. Shiso was quite visually mad at this point. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go sit down?¡± Reva asked Shiso. ¡°I don¡¯t need to-¡± Before Shiso could finish, Reva seized him by his scarf and began pulling him away by his neck. Hazel reached into and rifled through her bag before pulling out a metal square. ¡°Here you guys go!¡± shouted Hazel before throwing the square at Reva and Shiso. When the square hit the ground, it began to expand out until it became a small bed. Hazel winked before Reva raised her and in thanks and judo threw Shiso onto the mattress and forced him to stay down. Meanwhile, Hazel also threw down a portable bench for her and Saffron to sit on. ¡°So, any reason I haven¡¯t seen you in years?¡± asked Saffron. Hazel gave a painful sigh. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a hard one to answer. I¡¯ve been here, and I can¡¯t exactly leave without pretty much d-¡± Saffron interrupted her. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you have contacted me though? Don¡¯t act like you can¡¯t communicate with the outside world, because Shiso is clearly up to date on the world, and that guy¡¯s been here for quite a while.¡± ¡°Look Saff, first, I¡¯m not gonna argue or anything about my choice. After they attacked, I only escaped because I activated every single piece of machinery in the Factory. I¡¯ve been laying low out here for a while. Second, that guy looks like he got his weapons from Clint Eastwood.¡± ¡°Zel, I thought you were gone. Really scared me, having no one like you around.¡± Hazel took an assortment of parts out of her bag and began to fiddle with them, not quite sure what she was making. ¡°Saff, I¡¯m really sorry, but once you get here, you can¡¯t leave. I had my shot, and it was a game over for me. Now, I just try to make fun things that blow up monsters.¡± Hazel scratched the back of her head. ¡°Quite frankly, I don¡¯t know what to do anymore.¡± Saffron grabbed her hand and stood up. ¡°Come with us to Eden then! We can all make it together.¡± Hazel laughed, which gave Saffron a frown. ¡°Saff, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve seen the gate guardian. You know the story about the angel that guarded the Garden of Eden? It¡¯s basically that; totally unbeatable.¡± Saffron kicked Hazel¡¯s bench. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think is unbeatable! We¡¯re doing a job here, and you can join us or not.¡± Hazel stood up, just as angry. ¡°No Saff, you don¡¯t know! If you lose, you¡¯ll become a guardian for sure!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to care for me that much!¡± Hazel stopped being angry and looked at Saffron, confused at her statement. ¡°Wait, what did you¡­?¡± ¡°Yea, I said it! We¡¯re not children anymore; I don¡¯t need constant protection!¡± ¡°Saffron, wait! You-¡± Saffron didn¡¯t listen to the rest. She started to march away and signaled Reva and Shiso. ¡°Come on guys,¡± she said angrily. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± Reva looked confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t your friend, Hazel, coming?¡± she asked, concerned. ¡°No, she¡¯s not going to help; the coward she is.¡± Suddenly, Saffron felt something hit her in the back of the head. She turned around and looked at the ground to find that it was a small mechanical bird, kind of like a finch. She shoved it in her pocket and turned around. Shiso started to stretch after getting up. ¡°Hey kid, where¡¯s your-¡± ¡°She¡¯s not coming, Shiso!¡± Saffron shouted. Shiso stepped back, having not seen Saffron so angry. Her fists were clenched, her veins turned a light tint of blue, and she started leaving purple footprints. ¡°SAFFRON!¡± yelled Hazel from behind them. Saffron swiftly turned and shouted. ¡°I thought you-¡± Hazel interrupted Saffron though. ¡°No, I can¡¯t let you pass. She may just make your friends into guardians, but she''ll probably kill you for being a guardian turning on her.¡± Hazel had a distraught look on her face and looked like she was holding back tears. ¡°This is for your own good.¡± ¡°What do you know about-¡± Saffron¡¯s backlash was interrupted by a sharp snap of Hazel¡¯s fingers, which made a whole squadron of turrets pop out of the ground from all around the group. Hazel closed her eyes tight. ¡°Sorry Saff, I¡­ I just can¡¯t let you go. They¡¯ve got non-lethal rounds, but it¡¯s going to hurt a lot. I¡¯m just¡­ so sorry. I can build as many machines as I wan¡¯t, but I can¡¯t build another of you¡­¡± Chapter 5: Artificial Bonds Hazel closed her eyes tight and looked away, as if holding back tears. ¡°Sorry Saff, I hope you¡¯ll understand someday...¡± Turrets fired from every direction, locking on to their closest target. Shiso went to work, shooting turrets and trying to dodge shots. Saffron had seen his moves before, but she couldn¡¯t remember where. On the flipside, Saffron was desperately casting as much defensive magic as she could on herself. ¡°Defend! Defend! Defend!¡± she kept shouting. Every shield she threw up kept shattering from the barrage coming at her. She felt a painful shot rebound off her forehead, knocking her backwards and off balance; Saffron now felt the full extent of Hazel¡¯s ¡°non-lethal¡± rounds. She fell to the ground and curled up into a ball, trying not to get hit in important areas on her body. Shiso yanked Saffron by the back of her shirt¡¯s collar to get her behind cover with him. He had used rocks and broken turrets to make a mass to hide behind. Saffron was breathing heavily and was laying on her back, not willing to make sudden movements. Shiso periodically shot from behind cover and reloaded his gun. Although, Saffron noticed that the turrets weren¡¯t shooting at their cover anymore. Saffron looked around. ¡°Hey Shiso,¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah, kid?¡± ¡°Um, we have three party members, right?¡± ¡°About that¡­'''' Shiso pointed to something beyond their hiding spot and Saffron peaked out. She was stunned at what she saw. Reva was standing in the middle of the firing zone for all of the turrets, taking every last painful hit; although, it didn¡¯t look painful when looking at Reva. She was taking every hit and laughing about it. Her face was a bright red and she was supporting herself on her shield, unable to fully stand from laughing so hard. ¡°Does that even hurt to her?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have to be a psychologist to know that woman¡¯s got a screw or two loose.¡± Shiso said with a sigh. ¡°Although, I wouldn¡¯t trust someone with all their screws tightened.¡± In the distance, Saffron saw the silhouette of Hazel fixing turrets at record speed. Shiso ran out from the cover and ran at Hazel, while Reva was absorbing most of the hits. Saffron started to prepare a spell, knowing she had to do something to help. Shiso was face to face with Hazel, with each looking into each other¡¯s eyes. No turrets were shooting within three feet of Hazel, being programmed to not activate within her vicinity. ¡°The kid made you sound like some sort of hero.¡± Shiso said. ¡°Did you really have to spit on that image?¡± Hazel broke eye contact, almost as if ashamed of herself. ¡°Do you really think there¡¯s any heroes left in this world?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°Who¡¯s going to kill the good ¡®ol Gatekeeper, huh?¡± ¡°We are. I¡¯ll even give you a spot if you cut the crap now.¡± Hazel spit on the ground. ¡°What makes you guys any different than the endless ones before you? You think we can save the world or something? You think some assassin is gonna make me go?¡± Hazel and Shiso started to circle each other. ¡°Bounty hunter; I¡¯m a bounty hunter. It¡¯s not all black and white, sweetheart. Don¡¯t think about the world; the world ain¡¯t worth saving. Think about the close ones; those are the only ones worth saving. Save your person, save the world.¡± Hazel gave a small chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s real rich. What¡¯re you fighting for?¡± Shiso tightened the gloves on his wrists.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°You wanna stick around and find out the hard way?¡± he asked. Shiso advanced on Hazel, knowing that he¡¯d definitely lose the ranged battle. Hazel wasn¡¯t exactly on board with fighting barehanded, so from her hip pouch, she pulled a giant wrench that looked to be even taller than her. Though Shiso definitely wasn¡¯t expecting that, he had seen weirder. Shiso continued to fight Hazel fisticuffs, occasionally pulling out a knife. Hazel¡¯s combat prowess surprised Shiso, being able to easily use the weight of the wrench to swing around and even use it as a lever. She kicked Shiso, sending him slamming into the ground. He put his hand to his earpiece. ¡°Hey kid, you got something up your sleeve?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah, I got something.¡± Saffron said. ¡°You¡¯ll need some cover though.¡± ¡°Got it. Keep charging, I¡¯ll find something.¡± Shiso jumped up and started throwing barrages of knives at Hazel, which she stopped by throwing down a glass marble, causing a wall to erect out of seemingly nowhere. ¡°Reva, you there?¡± Shiso asked, panicked. Although, Reva¡¯s mad laughter made him more uneasy than anything. ¡°Hahaha! Yeahahah! I-I¡¯m Here Hahaha!¡± she said, taking barely any breaths. She berserked through the shots and smashed some turrets. Shiso felt a newfound fear for the woman. ¡°Listen, can you prepare me some cover in about 30 seconds?¡± ¡°Yeah, count on me. I can do it in half the time.¡± she suddenly said, not laughing and taking a serious tone. After that, Reva immediately hung up. The sky started to darken, as if it was about to start pouring rain. The sun looked like a vague area of light as something a bit thicker than the typical cloud covered the horizon. Shiso ran for Reva, who was signaling for him to get over to her quickly. He slid under her as she put her shield towards the sky to shield against whatever disaster was about to strike. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Saffron just finished the spell. She looked up at the sky as smoke and ash started to block out the sun. She got up and ran at Hazel, knowing that they both needed cover. Most of the turrets were focused on Reva and Shiso, so she had little competition against getting over to Hazel. Her brown hair swayed back as Saffron tackled her. ¡°Saff?¡± she exclaimed. ¡°What¡¯re you do-¡± Hazel was cut off when Saffron ripped a metal ball off of her hip and threw it on the ground. The ball shattered and quickly constructed a bunker around them both. Saffron sighed as she put a finger to her earpiece. ¡°You two okay, Shiso?¡± she asked. She could periodically hear something smashing to the ground, and the destruction of metal. ¡°We¡¯re fine for now kid, but how long is it gonna rain hellfire on us?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t do more than about a minute, but that¡¯s all it needs.¡± ¡°Gocha. Over and out, kid.¡± Shiso said before hanging up. Hazel rolled out from under Saffron and looked up at the bunker ceiling, not wanting to look at Saffron. Saffron sighed and laid down next to Hazel, hearing a barrage of hits from outside the bunker. ¡°Are you going to talk, or do I need to make the first move?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°Are you disappointed in what I¡¯ve become?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°In trying to protect you, I¡¯ve probably put you all in even more danger.¡± ¡°What do you think I should be disappointed in?¡± ¡°Your teacher who tried to knock you all out to forcefully hold you in my care. I¡¯m not a good person anymore, Saff.¡± ¡°You never were.¡± Saffron said plainly. Hazel looked like she was going to cry. Saffron continued. ¡°I never was, Shiso never was, Reva never was, nobody is a ¡®good¡¯ person. Good isn¡¯t something you are, it¡¯s something you do.¡± Hazel wiped away a tear. ¡°What comic book did you rip that out of?¡± she asked with a smile. ¡°Are you still going to knock us out?¡± Saffron asked. Hazel sighed. ¡°I would if I could, but I¡¯m not confident anymore.¡± The sound of blunt trauma against metal had stopped outside, being replaced with gentle knocking. ¡°I really hope both of you are in there.¡± Shiso said from outside. Hazel chuckled and hit a button on the side of the bunker, compacting it back into a ball, albeit with many dents and loose metal sticking out, making it look more like an instrument of torture. ¡°Hey Saff, are we good?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°Not now,¡± Saffron answered. ¡°But we can work on it.¡± ¡°Hey kid,¡± Shiso interrupted. ¡°I know you¡¯re reconnecting and all, but I think she really needs help.¡± Shiso pointed over at Reva, who was slowly getting shot in the head repeatedly by a half broken turret. Her armor and shield were both covered in scorch marks, so it seemed like it was possible she couldn¡¯t move at all. Even then, she was still laughing like a mad warlord. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Hazel said. ¡°The rounds are only rubber. They probably won¡¯t put a dent in your suit of armor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m concerned with here.¡± he said. Hazel shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not one to judge. Maybe she needs a reboot or something.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± said Saffron. ¡°A reboot¡­ Maybe we should start with a concussion test.¡± Chapter 6: Shadows of the Past Reva was sleeping on Hazel¡¯s portable medic bed. Hazel had been scanning and inspecting her because of all the blows to the head. ¡°I think it¡¯s only a grade 1 concussion.¡± she said. ¡°She should be fine by the time she wakes up.¡± Saffron breathed a sigh of relief and lied down. Shiso was spinning the barrel of his revolvers, as if he was going to play some kind of gamble with them. Suddenly, Saffron¡¯s stomach began to growl at clamorous volumes. ¡°Um, do you have anything to eat, Haze?¡± Saffron asked. Hazel smiled. ¡°I might have something laying around.¡± she replied. She yanked a multitude of metal pieces from her hip pouch that all expanded into different pieces of kitchenware and machines. Finally, she pulled out an all brown apron and ditched her hip pouch. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you cooked.¡± Saffron said. Hazel shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It happens. I can¡¯t eat scrap metal.¡± ¡°So, how are you going to cook without food?¡± Shiso asked from the side. Hazel walked over to her hip pouch and pulled out a couple boxes of rice and some raw chicken packs. ¡°Like that.¡± Hazel said. ¡°How does that even work?¡± Shiso asked, narrowing his eyes. Hazel gently rubbed her chin for a minute. ¡°I bought it on the black market a long time ago. I think it¡¯s some weird magitek. It pulls whatever I need from wherever, so I can¡¯t pull out something that doesn¡¯t exist or anything that has since been destroyed. I also can¡¯t pull live animals out; I can store them though. Anything I put back gets put into this weird pocket dimension thing.¡± Shiso rubbed his temples. ¡°That explanation gave me a headache.¡± he said. ¡°You could¡¯ve just said Mary Poppins¡¯ purse.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so much more than that, Shiso. It¡¯s my Mary Poppins purse.¡± Hazel gestured for Saffron and Shiso to come over. ¡°Come on guys, get up. I¡¯m not cooking alone. Let¡¯s get to work.¡± She tossed Saffron and Shiso aprons to wear. Saffron¡¯s was white and read ¡°Life needs a little spice!¡± in purple cursive. Shiso¡¯s was a dark blue that read ¡°Killer King'''' in cursive red. ¡°What am I gonna do?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°You¡¯ll season the chicken.¡± Hazel said, already boiling a pot of water. She then pointed to Shiso. ¡°You¡¯re the dishwasher.¡± she said plainly. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you have a dishwasher crammed somewhere?¡± he complained. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s faster to wash them by hand. Just wait at the sink.¡± Shiso grumbled as he leaned against the sink. He inspected around the sink, not seeing any pipes coming out. ¡°Hey, where does the water come from?¡± he asked. ¡°Patented secret.¡± Hazel responded, not turning around. ¡°Alright, where does the water go?¡± ¡°That¡¯s also a patented secret.¡± Shiso continued to inspect the sink in an attempt to see how it worked. Meanwhile, Saffron got the chicken out to spice. ¡°Hey Haze, what do I spice this with?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°Oh yeah. Sorry, forgot about that. Here, use this stuff.¡± Hazel leaned across the counter and grabbed into her hip pouch, tossing something to Saffron without looking to see what it was. ¡°Thanks.¡± Saffron said as she caught it. She looked at the package; it was a typical plastic cylinder container that most spices came in. It was all red except for a picture and some writing. It read, in big white letters, ¡°Succubus Spices, guaranteed to make any eating time a hot one!¡± and had a picture of a woman with horns on her head and small wings on her back wearing only an apron, who was winking and holding a finger to her lips, as if asking Saffron to keep a secret. ¡°What¡¯s up, Saff?¡± Hazel asked, seeing the look of hesitation on Saffron¡¯s face. ¡°This makes me¡­ disturbed on an emotional level.¡± she said, holding the container for Hazel to see. Hazel laughed hysterically at it, thinking it was a funny looking product. ¡°Here,¡± she said, passing Saffron the hip pouch. ¡°You can get something.¡± Saffron reached into the pouch and pulled out a container that was an entirely white container with big red letters that read ¡°Incubus Spices, guaranteed to give your food a bang!¡±. Saffron threw that one back and grabbed the other container to use. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hazel asked. Saffron had a weary face on. ¡°I was just led to question if humanity is worth saving because of a couple of spice bottles. I think I¡¯ll let you pull out the food for now.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saffron, Hazel, Reva, and Shiso all sat around a campfire while eating their chicken and rice. It was nearing midnight, but Saffron seemed to be the only one who was tired. The rest of the group was telling jokes and laughing while she was trying to not sleep face first in her bowl. ¡°Hey, kid. You doing alright?¡± Shiso said, nudging her. She had a zombielike face late at night. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m just tired.¡± she said. ¡°It won''t hurt if you sleep for just a bit, Saff.¡± Hazel said, mouth full of food. At the sound of that, Saffron put her bowl to the side and layed back on the ground. ¡°No, I don¡¯t suppose it would¡­¡± /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Saffron was sad that Shiso had woken her up after she had gone through the bother of going to sleep in the first place. To his credit, there were weird robots and mutant creatures in the middle of their stride when he woke her. It had only taken minutes for Saffron, Shiso, Reva, and Hazel to decimate them all before there was just ashes and some blood left. ¡°Is anyone hurt?¡± Reva asked. Shiso lifted his cape, which had a few holes in it. ¡°No, but now my blue clothes look like molding cheese.¡± he complained. ¡°Good. They match your sense of humor.¡± Hazel remarked while walking by. ¡°You wanna-¡± ¡°GUYS!¡± Saffron shouted. Everyone immediately got on high alert and drew back out their weapons and spells. ¡°What?!¡± asked Shiso. ¡°Treasure!¡± she said, gleefully pointing to a chest laying on the ground. ¡°Is it a mimic or something?¡± Hazel asked. Shiso fired all six of his rounds at it, but the only thing that he actually did was put six bullet-sized dents in it. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine.¡± he said. Saffron approached the chest cautiously. It was a typical personal storage chest that had a slight purple glow on the outside. She tapped the button on the front of it and the lid lifted itself up and split into two before separating out and laying back down. Inside was just one simple object that the group stared at. ¡°It¡¯s a hammer?¡± Hazel said, disappointed. ¡°Lame! I¡¯ve got plenty of those!¡± In the box was an engraved sledgehammer that looked like it had about a third of its handle cut off. Although, the handle was entirely leather and had a lanyard at the end. ¡°Psh. Whatever.¡± Saffron said, also a bit disappointed. ¡°At least it looks cool. I¡¯m taking it with me.¡± Saffron reached to pick it up, but nearly fell down when the object wouldn¡¯t even lift a bit off of the ground. ¡°You alright there?¡± Hazel asked, chuckling. ¡°Yeah, I just gotta get a good grip on this thing.¡± Saffron was trying with all her strength to lift the hammer, but it wouldn''t come out of the box. ¡°What¡¯s so hard about it?¡± Shiso asked, pushing Saffron aside. ¡°Rude!¡± Saffron complained. Shiso was about to try lifting the hammer when he noticed something on the side of it that he couldn¡¯t make out in the shadow of the box. ¡°Hey, can you get a hammer and bash that box¡¯s walls in?¡± Shiso asked Hazel. Before she could even pull out a hammer, Reva went over to the box and removed the walls of it with her bare hands. ¡°Done.¡± she said. Now that the walls were gone, they could clearly see an inscription on the side of the hammer, which Shiso read aloud. ¡°Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.¡± All of them went silent. ¡°Like, the god Thor?¡± Hazel asked.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°How many Thor¡¯s do you know?¡± Shiso asked. ¡°I dunno.¡± she said. ¡°Maybe I knew one in like 4th grade. If that¡¯s Thor¡¯s hammer, it makes it Mjolnir, right?¡± ¡°The gods don¡¯t exist, idot.¡± Shiso said. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain why I can¡¯t pick it up.¡± Saffron interjected. ¡°Not worthy?¡± Shiso suggested with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll show it who¡¯s not worthy!¡± Saffron tried to lift it again with all their might, but once again couldn¡¯t even make it budge. ¡°Come on, Saff. You¡¯re just not worthy.¡± Hazel laughed, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°There¡¯s gotta be some trick or something¡­¡± Saffron pondered. She lifted the bit of the chest that Mjolnir rested on; it lifted no problem except for the regular weight of the hammer. Once Saffron touched the handle though, the weight increased exponentially and it slammed into the ground. ¡°Interesting experiment you¡¯ve got going on there.¡± Hazel remarked. Everyone except Saffron was just sitting down for a break. Reva¡¯s gaze seemed fixed on Mjolnir though. ¡°Shut up.¡± Saffron sneered. ¡°I need an industrial scale. You got one in your magic pouch?¡± Hazel reached into her bag and pulled out a rather large scale. ¡°Here you go.¡± Hazel said, giving Saffron the scale. She once again picked up the box parts under Mjolnir, but set it on the scale. It read 42.6 lbs. She popped her knuckles and attempted to lift it. Instantly, the number skyrocketed to 1,789.59 lbs, then after another second it rose again to 75,687.27 lbs; another second had it rise to 3,201,559 lbs before Saffron let go, at which it dropped back to 42.6 lbs. ¡°Those were some pretty high numbers.¡± Shiso said, amused. Saffron was silent for many minutes, doing heavy thinking and math in her head before she snapped her fingers and looked very disappointed. ¡°Well, I figured out its trick at least.¡± Saffron sighed. ¡°Every second it seems to increase exponentially, which I think could probably be modeled as its initial weight to the power of how long you try and hold it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t do math.¡± Shiso said plainly. ¡°Explain in normal terms.¡± Hazel laughed. ¡°It means the longer you try to lift it, the heavier it gets.¡± she said, poking Shiso in the back of the head. ¡°Unless you¡¯re worthy, that is¡­¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not worthy, I doubt you are.¡± Saffron judged. ¡°We¡¯ll just see about that.¡± Hazel smiled. She wrapped the lanyard around her wrist and pulled on the hammer with a gloved hand. She was straining to lift it so much that Saffron thought she could see a vein throbbing on her forehead. She finally let go and started walking away. ¡°Where¡¯re you going?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°If we can¡¯t lift the damn hammer, I¡¯m not gonna stick around.¡± she huffed. Saffron chased after her. ¡°You coming?¡± Shiso asked Reva, who had been sitting there silently. ¡°Are you going to try and lift it?¡± Reva asked. ¡°I don¡¯t need a hammer for me to know that I¡¯m not worthy.¡± he laughed. ¡°But if it¡¯ll amuse you,¡± Shiso went over to Mjolnir and tried lifting it, but he just struggled as the scale showed the hammer increasing in weight. ¡°Told you.¡± he said, letting go. ¡°I just wanted to know.¡± she whispered. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go catch up with them.¡± he said. ¡°You should join soon.¡± Shiso ran off to catch up to the other girls. Saffron jumped back onto Shiso¡¯s back, nearly breaking him in the process. It appeared that she was planning on taking another nap. Reva walked up to the hammer and put an armored hand on it. She closed her eyes and took a breath in before pulling up. The hammer groaned as it shifted ever so slightly; a spark flew out from the end of the handle. Soon after, Mjolnir grew impossible to move again. ¡°I guess not.¡± Reva said to herself. She looked back over to the group and saw Saffron already asleep again on Shiso¡¯s back. She ran off to join them, ready to continue their trek to Eden. Meanwhile, the hammer sat dormant, but gave off one final defiant spark out into the air. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ ¡°Kid, get up. You¡¯re heavy.¡± said a muffled voice. Saffron woke up to an over the shoulder view of Shiso, who was straining to keep Saffron carried on his back. ¡°Shiso!¡± Reva said, gasping. ¡°You should never call a lady heavy! Where are your manners?!¡± Shiso sighed and helped Saffron onto her feet. He looked at Reva with a tired expression, as if he¡¯s done this before. ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve been called heavy plenty of times. I believe in absolute gender equality, so I have no room for your female privilege.¡± Reva looked ready to fight Shiso before Saffron interjected. ¡°Where are we?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°On the edge of something very nasty.¡± Hazel replied. Right in front of them started a thick, dense forest that looked darkened and misty on the inside. ¡°That looks like a bad decision. Can¡¯t we just go around?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°Yeah kid; you go around and we¡¯ll meet you on the other side.¡± said Shiso, pointing at the boundary line for the jungle that expanded acres. ¡°Fine; I¡¯m coming.¡± Saffron said, still sleepy. They started walking, but quickly stopped when they noticed that they were easily drifting apart. The jungle stopped effective means of staying together, so they figured the best way was to follow in a single file line. \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Saffron was stuck at the back of the line, but she was so sleepy that she knocked into Reva whenever they stopped. Eventually, she just started sleepwalking forward; she was woken from this when she once again hit something. ¡°Reva, I¡¯m sorr-'''' Saffron stopped her apology when she realized that she had not stumbled into Reva¡¯s armor, but instead she had bashed her head into a tree. Saffron looked in all directions to see if she could spot her companions, but the mist and jungle density made it impossible to see more than a couple feet in front of her. She started shouting to try and find her friends. ¡°Hazel! Shiso! Reva!?¡± she shouted. Saffron wandered around shouting, treading as carefully as possible. She was getting desperate when she heard a voice behind her. ¡°Saffron, what are you doing?¡± asked a tranquil, sedate woman¡¯s voice. Saffron turned around to see the vague outline of a woman in the distance. She was hard to make out in the thick fog, but Saffron thought she recognised her voice. ¡°Do I¡­ know you?¡± Saffron asked gingerly. The woman gave a gentle laugh. ¡°Oh Saffron, have you forgotten us already?¡± Gradually, Saffron began to see more outlines around her. Some were men, some were women; some were tall, some were short; some were thin, some were stout; some wore lab coats while others wore hoods. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± Saffron asked fearfully. ¡°Saffron! Is that how you greet friends now?¡± boomed a stern gentleman¡¯s voice to her left. Saffron recognised it as a college professor who taught her. ¡°Saff, you¡¯re not still that thick in the head, right?¡± said a childhood friend. ¡°Didn¡¯t I teach you anything?¡± complained another teacher. ¡°Can¡¯t you recognise me?¡± said a coworker, spitefully. Saffron was beginning to break down, seeing all hearing all of these people once again spitting insults and complaints at her. Their vague outlines growing more defined as Saffron¡¯s fear magnified. She could even see detailed facial features on them, down to their wrinkles. Suddenly, Saffron heard a booming gunshot in the distance and saw a burst of red sprinkle the sky above; it was a flare. Saffron wasted no time booking it past the figures and running for the origin of the flare. The voices called her back into the misty depths. ¡°Where are you going, Saffron?¡± ¡°Saffron, stay with us!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t leave; we just got here!¡± ¡°I thought you loved us!¡± Saffron screamed and ran from the apparitions, now crying while trying to escape them. Suddenly, one of them grabbed her ankle and held an impossibly firm grip. She turned back and kicked the man¡¯s head with her free leg, but it just passed through him and had her falling to the ground. ¡°The past doesn''t die, Saffron.¡± he said, looming over her. ¡°It just comes back to grip you in the cold of the night.¡± The man was now gripping Saffron¡¯s throat while the rest crawled their way to keep her bound to the ground. ¡°Northwind!¡± shouted a voice behind Saffron. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew so fiercely that even Saffron had to hold on to something so as not to get blown away. The apparitions let out a ghastly shriek as their bodies were swept away in the wind, eventually disappearing altogether. ¡°Kid, you alright?¡± asked a familiar voice. ¡°Can¡¯t you ask a different question for once?¡± Saffron said, painfully. Shiso helped Saffron up and helped her quickly walk through the jungle. ¡°When did you learn wind magic?¡± she asked Shiso. Shiso grumbled. ¡°Like, ten minutes ago. Believe me when I say that the price almost wasn¡¯t worth it.¡± ¡°Are the others safe?¡± ¡°The little Tinkerer¡¯s already out. I still need to find the mobile tank.¡± Saffron guessed he was talking about Hazel and Reva respectively. Suddenly, another apparition appeared in front of them both, but said and did nothing. It was a woman in a similar garb to Shiso. Her hair was impossible long though, as she was using it in place of a scarf. She said nothing and nodded at Shiso, who nodded in return. She then put her finger over Shiso¡¯s mouth, as if telling him to keep a secret. After that, she disappeared, with her mist scattering everywhere. Shiso kept walking with Saffron, and she thought it was probably best to not bring it up anytime soon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saffron and Shiso were almost to the exit when they heard the clear ringing sound of metal clashing against metal. Saffron and Shiso rushed over to the source to see Reva in tears holding her shield up, defending for her life. She was being attacked by a man in silver armor and a golden edged red sword. ¡°Where were you when I needed you, huh?¡± the man said in rage. The man also wore a red cape and had light red hair. He was even more clearly defined and detailed than Saffron¡¯s own ghosts. What made the man really scary though, was the bright red glow that filled where his eyes should have been. ¡°Y-you¡¯re not real¡­¡± Reva said gently. The man yelled in rage. ¡°I¡¯m not real? I¡¯m not real? Is this real enough for you?¡± With every syllable, he hammered the sword down on Reva¡¯s shield, spreading a cascade of sparks. ¡°You worked so hard to be everyone¡¯s shield, but you couldn¡¯t protect me!¡± He yelled again, looking and speaking like a madman. Shiso pulled out his gun and shot at the man, allowing the bullet¡¯s passing to create a small hole in his head. ¡°Northwind!¡± Shiso shouted, once again invoking the sweeping wind. In response, the man plunged his sword into the ground, allowing him to not blow away. He slowly stood up and took a few steps towards Shiso, who was trying as hard as possible to increase the spell¡¯s power output. Reva rushed forward and swiped through the man, scattering the mist and allowing it to be blown away without problem. After the man was blown away, only his sword remained; it looked cemented into the ground. Reva looked at it, then turned away, wiping tears from her eyes. Shiso put his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Hey, are you gonna be alright?¡± he asked. Reva sniffled a bit, then sighed. ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡± she said with a small smile. ¡°Good, because I need someone to carry me.¡± he said just before he fell right over, taking Saffron with him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hazel was getting anxious, waiting outside for the three of them. She was about to run back into the jungle before Reva emerged with Shiso and Saffron both on her shoulders. She gently let both of them down and helped them onto their feet. ¡°You guys really had me worried.¡± Hazel said, scratching the back of her head. ¡°I¡¯m just glad to be out.¡± Saffron said with a sigh. Reva stood silently, staring into the sun on the horizon. ¡°Well, all of that is over with and behind us.¡± Shiso said gratefully. ¡°Actually Mr. Shiso, I don¡¯t think our business is over yet.¡± said a voice behind them. Out from the jungle came a woman in a green dress with a big white merchant¡¯s backpack over her shoulders. She had red eyes, brown hair, and held a syringe in her hand. She had a sadistic smile on her face as she took a few steps closer. ¡°If I¡¯m correct, our business is only beginning.¡± Chapter 7: Corrupt Bargins The merchant only got to take one more step before Reva rushed to put herself between the woman and Shiso. ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked for my blood!¡± Reva exclaimed. The lady stopped for a second and took a leather bound book out of her pocket and flipped through it so quickly that Saffron questioned whether she read it at all. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t seem to have you catalogued. Have we met?¡± asked innocently. Shiso shoved Reva out of the way and walked towards the woman. ¡°A deal¡¯s a deal, right?¡± he asked. The woman wore a tight-nit smile. ¡°Unless you want to bargain for something else.¡± she said. Shiso started something, but the woman quickly interrupted him. ¡°And remember, no refunds!¡± Shiso sighed as he held out his arm, ready for what looked like a blood donation. She took out a big syringe, which caused Shiso to recoil his arm. ¡°What is it? You don''t like needles or something?¡± the woman asked with an unamused and impatient face. Shiso started sweating. It was a massive syringe, and he clearly didn¡¯t like needles. ¡°If it¡¯s payment you want, perhaps I can pay my friend¡¯s debt.¡± said Reva, stepping forward. In the back, Hazel nudged Saffron. ¡°Does that lady look¡­ beyond suspicious to you?¡± Hazel whispered. Saffron shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t trust people with needles in their back pockets.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ she looks like¡­ I don¡¯t know. I just can¡¯t explain it, but it makes me want to run away from her as fast as possible.¡± Saffron sighed at Hazel¡¯s paranoia. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Can we just relax for a bit?¡± ¡°Fine; I¡¯m watching my back though.¡± Reva finished bargaining with the lady and handed her a pouch full of Sera. The lady counted them until she looked satisfied. ¡°Alright then!¡± she said happily. ¡°Why don¡¯t you buy something else as well?¡± After that, the lady opened up her backpack and products flew out. Stalls, tables, spells, artifacts, and an assortment of books flew out of an impossibly small space for how much junk was in there. After it all came out, she closed the backpack, which had drastically decreased in size. Looking around, the light edge to a tundra that they stood on was turned into a bazar. ¡°If you have any questions, just give me a yell.¡± the woman said. ¡°What¡¯s your name?!¡± Hazel shouted from the back. ¡°You can just call me Shopkeeper, or whatever name you would like.¡± After that, Shopkeeper disappeared into a cloud of smoke. Hazel snickered and leaned over to Saffron. ¡°You think it¡¯d be funny if I called her Karen or something?¡± she joked. Saffron stretched and gave a loud yawn. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go see if she has any pillows.¡± Saffron said, walking away with heavy eyelids. Reva, Shiso, Hazel, and Saffron each went their separate ways exploring the strange and colorful market that Shopkeeper had set up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Shopkeeper¡­¡± Saffron muttered groggily. Suddenly, the lady appeared right behind the stall with her usual wide smile. ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± she said nicely. ¡°Can I call you Shop?¡± ¡°Of course, miss!¡± ¡°Do you have any pillows?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°How about blankets?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t carry those either.¡± Saffron slammed her fists on the stall table, just wanting something to relax in. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. ¡°Well¡­ just give me the comfiest thing you can find then.¡± she said, waving her hand. ¡°Alright then; I¡¯ll be right back!¡± Shop said before walking out of view. Saffron desperately tried to keep awake until the lady came back. It turns out being traumatized really takes a lot out of someone. Saffron jumped back as she blinked for only a second and the lady appeared again behind the stall. ¡°I¡¯m sorry ma¡¯am, but this was the softest thing I could find.¡± she said, sounding quite disappointed. She held out a light pink scarf made of silk. ¡°Thank you.¡± Saffron said, taking it. ¡°How much is it?¡± ¡°350 Sera.¡± ¡°That¡¯s overpriced.¡± Saffron complained. Shop kept smiling and gave a little laugh. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± she said, innocently. She had gotten the best of Saffron, overcharging while she was too tired to haggle with her. ¡°Fine. Take my money and leave, you crook.¡± Saffron said, dropping the Sera onto the stall table. ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish, ma¡¯am. Have a great day!¡± Shop went to turn away, but instead stepped out of the stall to give something to Saffron. She handed Saffron a small rectangular green and white card with drawings of Sera all over it and ¡°Shopkeeper¡± written in gold. ¡°What is this? Some kind of business card?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°Read the back.¡± Shopkeeper said, looking quite happy. Saffron turned the card over, but this time it read ¡°I¡¯m ready to make a bargain.¡± in gold letters. Saffron tilted her head, still confused.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Just rip that card and say that line and I will warp to your location to do some business.¡± Shop said, looking quite proud. Before Saffron could ask anything else, Shop¡¯s ears twitched and she warped away in a puff of smoke. Saffron put the scarf on, appreciating how soft it felt. She sat down and leaned up against a stall, thinking that taking one small nap wouldn¡¯t hurt. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Shopkeeper!¡± Hazel shouted, poking around the machine parts. Shopkeeper appeared behind a stall. ¡°How can I help you?¡± she asked, not breaking her smile. ¡°Can I call you Shops?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Do you do assessments here?¡± Hazel asked, undoing her tool belt. ¡°If you mean appraisals, then yes.¡± Hazel sighed. ¡°Good enough. Can you tell me exactly what this is? I¡¯ve had it for a while, but nobody¡¯s really given me a good description of how it really works.¡± Shops opened the pouch on the belt and turned it upside down, but nothing fell out. She then reached into the pouch and pulled out an apple, taking a bite and then throwing it back in the pouch; she then turned it upside down again to see that nothing would fall out. She then reached in again, but this time pulled out nothing. ¡°It seems to me that you¡¯ve got a storage pouch. It¡¯s kinda like a pocket dimension; it looks like this one is full of near infinite junk though.¡± Shops said, sliding it across the counter. ¡°But why is there so much stuff in there?¡± asked Hazel. ¡°Probably from the last owner, if it¡¯s been used already.¡± ¡°Well, thanks anyway.¡± Hazel said, disappointed. ¡°You''re welcome! Is there anything else I can help you with?¡± Hazel looked around for something that she might want and pointed at a box labeled Shield-Generator. ¡°I¡¯ll take that.¡± ¡°Great choice, ma¡¯am. That¡¯ll be 540 Serra.¡± Hazel recoiled back. ¡°I¡¯m not paying that much for it.¡± Hazel said, angrily. ¡°Then I¡¯d suggest you find something that you can afford then, ma¡¯am.¡± Shops said, not breaking eye contact or her smile. ¡°What did you just say to me?¡± Hazel said, gritting her teeth. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Merchant!¡± shouted Reva, admiring the different pieces of armor on display. Shopkeeper appeared beside Reva. She patted her smoldering green beret before tending to Reva. ¡°Yes, miss?¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Reva, concerned. ¡°I¡¯m as green as capitalism!¡± she said, enthusiastically. ¡°Now, what do you need?¡± ¡°Tell me about this.¡± Reva commanded, looking at an armor set with spikes all around it. ¡°What would be our prized Thornmail!¡± Shopkeeper said proudly. ¡°No foe will go unscratched when they attack someone wearing this!¡± Reva scratched her chin while she wondered about the other armors around her. ¡°Why don¡¯t I put that shield of yours somewhere. It looks quite heavy, ma¡¯am.¡± Shopkeeper said with concern. Reva laughed at her offer. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t have to hold this.¡± she said as she demonstrated. She pulled Eschaton up to her chest and locked the shield grip into the helmet-like structure of her breastplate. Her shield was now a part of her armor. ¡°That¡¯s quite amazing!¡± Shopkeeper said in wonder as she wrote something down in a small brown book. Reva demonstrated how she was a lot slower, but near invincible in the front. She then also took the shield back off with ease. ¡°This was custom made by some of my old friends.¡± Reva said, looking into the sky with a smile. ¡°Back when we were just protesting¡­¡± Shopkeeper waved a hand in front of Reva after being unresponsive for a few minutes. ¡°Um, ma¡¯am? Are you alright?¡± Reva snapped back into reality and shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Shopkeeper gave a sigh of relief. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. Is there anything else I can get you?¡± ¡°Anything? Well, do you have any shield-type spells?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Keeper!¡± Shiso shouted while rapidly ringing a bell on the stall stand. Shopkeeper appeared, looking quite worn out. ¡°How can I be of service?¡± she asked, weakly. ¡°Do you have knives?¡± he asked plainly. Keeper¡¯s eyes lit up as she pulled out an assortment of weapons from knives to kuni¡¯s to knife belts to knife rings, and even a 3D printer for some reason. ¡°I asked for knives. Why did you pull out a 3D printer?¡± Shiso asked, confused. Keeper tilted her head. ¡°What else do you print with one?¡± she asked. Shiso opened his mouth, but fell short of any words. ¡°Before we do business, are you sure you can¡¯t refund this?¡± Shiso asked, pulling out his spell card for Northwind. ¡°Sorry sir, store policy.¡± Shiso sighed as he put it away. ¡°Figures. I freaking hate magic.¡± he mumbled. ¡°You can still choose from our wide assortment of items!¡± Keeper said, delighted. ¡°Right. Let¡¯s see; can I get-¡± ¡°Shiso, we¡¯re leaving! Now!¡± Hazel yelled, dragging Saffron by the foot behind her. Saffron¡¯s hair was disheveled and she was spitting dirt out of her mouth as Hazel dragged her at breakneck speeds. Shopkeeper jumped up and slammed her hands on the stall, her eyes now a bright red. ¡°What did you do now?!¡± she sneered at Hazel. Shiso figured years of retail made Shopkeeper about to snap. Hazel ignored her as she ran to Shiso. ¡°Where¡¯s Reva?!¡± she asked, panicked. Suddenly, a green projectile came rocketing from the other side of the mini-market and crashed into a stall. Reva stumbled from the wreckage, shield mounted on her armor. ¡°Found her.¡± Shiso said, lightly pointing at Reva. Saffron finally got up on her own two feet, dazed and confused. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Saffron said, looking pretty well rested. ¡°That, I think.¡± Shiso said, pointing to a humongous monster made of scrap metal and looked vaguely like some kind of gollum. ¡°I left you alone for 15 minutes!¡± Shopkeeper shouted at Hazel. ¡°What did you do?! You made a monster out of my merchandise!¡± Hazel scoffed. ¡°I still think you¡¯re the only monster here for the prices you charge.¡± Hazel spat. ¡°So, she¡¯s the monster and not¡­ that?¡± Saffron inquired, pointing at the steampunk goliath. ¡°Yea, she is. She¡¯s not even capitalist!¡± Hazel complained. ¡°You take that back!¡± Shopkeeper shouted, leaping out of her stall to try and strangle Hazel. ¡°No!¡± Hazel shouted while struggling. ¡°Capitalism needs competition. You have none!¡± While Shopkeeper and Hazel had their fistfight, Reva came behind Shiso and tugged on his scarf. ¡°Should we be worried about that?¡± she asked Shiso softly as she pointed to the metal monster closing in. Shiso sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not like HR gonna handle it.¡± he said sadly. The monster started to kick and crunch the stalls in its way, which drew Shopkeeper¡¯s attention. ¡°My children of capitalism!¡± she shouted in despair. She shook her fists as she started to gradually hover higher. Shiso and Reva yanked Saffron and Hazel away to a safe distance away. Around Shopkeeper, purple wisps started to gather. ¡°I think you¡¯ve overstayed your welcome!¡± Shopkeeper shouted as huge plumes of purple fire shot towards the iron giant and tore through it. Reva got in the front of the group in case any spare debris happened to fly towards them. ¡°Kill it; kill it!¡± Shopkeeper shouted madly. ¡°Tear it apart! Piece by piece; molecule by molecule; atom by atom!¡± The entire structure exploded in a giant bonfire of purple fire and smoke. Shopkeeper gently floated back to the ground as the group marveled at the damage. ¡°That was amazing¡­¡± Saffron whispered in wonder. Shopkeeper suddenly turned towards the group in anger as she pointed away from her market. ¡°You¡¯re all banned! Out, now!¡± she said in fury. ¡°But-¡± started Shiso. ¡°I said NOW!¡± she shouted. Saffron, Shiso, Reva, and Hazel were all thrown out of the Shopkeeper¡¯s store as the distraught merchant scrambled to salvage her merchandise. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± asked Saffron, doing various stretches. Reva looked towards the snowy horizon as she put her arms around the others. ¡°To Eden, of course.¡± ¡°I think she meant more short-term.¡± Hazel grumbled. Shiso laughed. ¡°Nothing wrong about looking towards the horizon. We just need something to do along the way.¡± he said. Hazel patted Saffron¡¯s back. ¡°Serenade me, Saff.¡± Hazel joked. Saffron started loudly singing, eventually prompting Reva and Hazel to sing along with her. Shiso silently walked along with them, secretly smiling under his scarf. Chapter 8: Aria of the Soul Saffron, Reva, and Hazel were all huddled together, trying to preserve precious body heat while Shiso walked alongside them, shivering under his scarf. They had been walking across the tundra for quite a while now. ¡°I¡¯m cold! Shiso; make it not cold!¡± Saffron commanded. He readied his gun. ¡°Increased blood pressure would heat you up.¡± he said cynically. ¡°Where do you want the shot?¡± he joked. ¡°I shall take the shot for you, Saffron.¡± Reva said seriously. Shiso took a concerned step away from her. ¡°I was joking.¡± he said. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re probably the warmest person here.¡± Shiso¡¯s claim had some validity to it. Reva was in a suit of armor; sure, the outside of the armor got cold, but it kept quite a lot of heat inside, especially when she was wearing her shield. ¡°At least you and Saff have scarves!¡± Hazel complained. ¡°Why not just do some talking to pass the time?¡± she suggested. She turned over to Reva as they continued their walk. ¡°Reva, what did you do as a child? Everyone has something that their parents forced them to do.¡± ¡°My parents didn¡¯t force me to do anything.¡± Reva said in surprise. ¡°Although, I did lift a lot of weights in my teens.¡± Shiso wasn¡¯t surprised to hear that; he¡¯d felt all that armor on him before. It wasn¡¯t exactly a paperweight. ¡°When I was a kid,¡± Saffron pondered. ¡°I played with my spell creation kit a lot. I¡­ caused a lot of house fires.¡± Everyone fell quiet from that comment except for Saffron, who laughed in nostalgia. ¡°I used to modify my family¡¯s automatic vacuum to¡­ not clean the floor.¡± Hazel said awkwardly. ¡°What did it clean?¡± Shiso inquired. ¡°Um¡­ One time, it was my mom¡¯s hair; another time was my family¡¯s cat.¡± Hazel stayed quiet, apparently embarrassed at admitting her acts. ¡°Shiso, what did you do as a child?¡± Saffron asked eagerly. ¡°Gunslinging? Archery? Brooding?¡± Shiso rubbed the back of his head. ¡°I took ballet.¡± he said quietly. Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked at Shiso with dumbfounded faces. ¡°What?¡± he said with confusion. ¡°You¡­ took ballet?¡± asked Reva carefully. ¡°Yeah. What about it?¡± Shiso asked quietly. Saffron, Reva, and Hazel exchanged glances before starting to give subtle chuckles. Before Shiso could say anything, all three of them burst out into extreme laughter. Saffron and Hazel were crying from laughing so hard. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Shiso asked in defense. ¡°You, a brooding gunslinger¡­. TOOK BALLET!¡± Hazel shouted in laughter. Shiso ran over and seized Hazel by the collar, but it didn''t stop all three women from keeping up their laughter. Shiso was getting ready to start a fist fight when he heard a soft sound that he hadn¡¯t heard in a while. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Shiso?¡± Saffron started. ¡°Are you-¡± But she stopped talking and her laughter quickly died down. Even Reva and Hazel went quiet to listen to the sound. It was music; and not just any music, but damn good music. All four of them walked to find its source. There was a dilapidated wooden stage that looked like an extreme victim to rotting from all the snow around it. It was the kind of stage where huge concerts would be held, but it remained mostly empty. In front of the stage were chairs that looked like they had once been metal, but now only rust remained on most of them. Some of the chairs were populated by lopsided snowmen, but most remained empty. What really attracted all the attention was what was on the stage itself. Alone on the stage stood a beautiful woman in a dark red dress, which had fur decorated all around it. She wore platform heels, but she hardly needed them because when she played, she seemed to levitate off of the ground. Eyes closed, the woman was strumming away at her violin with such vigor, but also grace; like she was giving her last performance. The way she moved about as the played; keeping time, never missing a beat, but also telling and expanding on the story being told in her own two hands. It enthralled the entire group enough that they all took front row seats, not caring about the mystery woman or the rusty chairs they had to sit on. All four of them were on the edges of their seats, wanting to know what the woman would do next. Their ears perked up when the woman started to slow her playing and singing. A rope I walk of my own string, Dancing gently to hear it sing. The shot that killed the albatross, Was fired at too great a cost. I seek to know the reason why, The world is dead, cold, and dry. The echoes that come back to me, Will haunt my soul for eternity. The rope that I walk and stride, Will in the end, kill my pride. After the woman stopped singing, she started crying from under her closed eyes as she drew the song to a close. All four of them jumped up and gave loud applause, which startled the woman, as she didn¡¯t even know they were there. ¡°That was beautiful!¡± Saffron shouted as the woman began to recover. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she bowed in appreciation. ¡°Thank you! It¡¯s felt so long since I¡¯ve had an audience.¡± she said sheepishly. She walked over to the edge of the stage, where Shiso helped her get down from.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Shiso asked. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Violette.¡± ¡°The Violette?!¡± Reva exclaimed, eyes lighting up. She grabbed Violette¡¯s free hand and held it carefully in her own. ¡°You... know me?¡± Violette asked quietly. ¡°Know you? For years, I lived your music until the war!¡± Violette blushed furiously as Reva kept showing her with compliments and praise. ¡°Haze,¡± Saffron whispered to Hazel. ¡°Who is she? She¡¯s really good.¡± ¡°Like she said, her name is Violette. She used to be a real big deal in the musical world; some people credit her for reviving classical music altogether. What, you never heard of her?¡± Saffron shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard a violin like that. It was¡­ magical.¡± They both turned their attention to Violette again, who seemed to be starting a song request from Shiso. The old home town looks the same, As I step down from the train. An there to meet me, Is my ma- ¡°What¡¯s with the violin?¡± Saffron asked, interrupting the performance. ¡°Your melodies sound too good for it to be a regular one.¡± ¡°Saffron!¡± Reva shouted in protest to her intrusion. Violette gave a tiny laugh. ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. My violin is nothing special. I could play any old one; it¡¯s the music you make that¡¯s powerful.¡± Violette said, cryptically. ¡°How so?¡± Saffron asked, tilting her head. ¡°Um, like this.¡± Violette said as she readied her instrument. Violette did a minute or two of tuning before she finally put her bow on the instrument. As she made a sharp note that cut through the air, something else also cut. Looking over, a whole row of chairs collapsed, having been cut down the middle. Shiso quickly drew his gun as Saffron and Hazel jammed spell cards into their weapons. ¡°Everyone, at ease!¡± Reva panicked, shielding Violette. ¡°She means to cause us no harm!¡± Shiso narrowed his eyes, now distrustful. ¡°Why can she do that then?¡± he asked. ¡°Nobody around can just wander this far. No, she¡¯s after something. She¡¯s after Eden.¡± Violette put her hand on Reva¡¯s shoulder, getting beside her and putting her hands together. ¡°Please, sir, I am going to Eden, but I don¡¯t mean to cause any trouble.¡± Shiso tightened the grip on his weapon. ¡°Come on, Shiso! That merchant wasn¡¯t a guardian!¡± Reva complained. ¡°That doesn¡¯t count! You could go to the moon and you¡¯d probably still find solicitors! This is a dangerous woman. You think she¡¯s been performing on that rotting stage in the tundra for fun?¡± Reva looked back at the stage, then at Violette. ¡°Violette¡¯s not going to hurt you!¡± Reva said, angry and frustrated. Violette clearly looked distressed about the whole situation. ¡°Please, you can all call me Vio. Is there a way to resolve this?¡± she pleaded. Saffron and Hazel lowered their weapons at Violette¡¯s plea. Shiso kept aim, with his finger on the trigger. ¡°Hey, cool it for now, Shiso.¡± Hazel barked. Shiso slowly lowered his gun, but kept it at the ready. Violette¡¯s stress levels seemed to have gone down. ¡°I¡¯m glad that¡¯s resolved.¡± she sighed. ¡°So, are you an Eden guardian?¡± Shiso interrogated. Violette looked down and fiddled with the strings on her instrument. ¡°Yeah¡­ I am.¡± she said sadly. ¡°I wanted to make it to Eden to play for the rest of my life, but now I¡¯m stuck here¡­¡± ¡°Told you.¡± Shiso said to Reva. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°What now?¡± Hazel asked. Everyone¡¯s guard was down, but tension was still high. ¡°Team huddle.¡± Shiso said, making his way behind the stage. ¡°And leave her out.¡± he said, pointing at Violette. Surprisingly, Reva made no protests as they left to have a team meeting. As soon as they were out of the way, Reva and Shiso started furiously arguing. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Reva asked. ¡°That was being cautious against strangers!¡± Shiso countered. ¡°Have you ever met a stranger you¡¯ve not tried to kill?!¡± Reva spat back. ¡°What should I do? Wait for them to kill me?!¡± As Shiso and Reva argued, Saffron happened to be caught in the middle of it all. Hazel motioned to Saffron that she was going to leave to check on Violette, which she gave a thumbs up to. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hazel sneaked around the stage to try and comfort Violette after that pretty stressful situation. She was in the back row, back turned to Hazel. ¡°Hey¡­ Vio. Are you-¡± Hazel begun. ¡°Really?! I could?¡± Violette exclaimed in excitement. Hazel took cover around the corner of the stage just as Violette looked behind her in fear. Hazel looked back at the group; Reva and Shiso were still obliviously arguing. Violette turned back around. She appeared to be talking directly to a floating ball of light. ¡°So, I can have a place in Eden and play until the day I die?¡± Violette asked, carefully. ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡± said an angry woman¡¯s voice. ¡°What do I have to do?¡± asked Violette eagerly. ¡°Kill all of your trespassers.¡± the voice said sternly. ¡°All¡­ of them?¡± ¡°Yes, all of them.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even¡­ keep one?¡± ¡°NO!¡± the voice said, more forceful and angry this time. ¡°ALL OF THEM! Do I make myself clear?!¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± Violette said quietly. Hazel slowly got up to tell the others, but her hip pouch got caught on one of the boards of the stage. Violette turned around, looking wide-eyed and terrified. As Hazel struggled, Violette slowly lifted her violin and bow. This scared Hazel so much that she took out a hammer and just broke the board and ran. She threw the hammer at Violette, but one strum easily reflected it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Violette deserves freedom too!¡± ¡°Well, how do you plan on-¡± ¡°Time to high-tail it out of here!¡± Hazel said, with Violette giving chase behind her. Shiso fired his gun right at Violette, but before she could even make a note, Reva rushed to her defense. Violette stopped, surprised at Reva¡¯s action. ¡°She hadn¡¯t done anything wrong!¡± Reva raged. ¡°Reva, run! Now!¡± Hazel shouted. Violette rapidly strummed away, almost inhumanly. Suddenly, Reva began to levitate, limbs outstretched. She yelled in anguish before falling to the ground in a giant crescendo. ¡°Reva!¡± shouted Saffron. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Violette, expressionless, began to pluck the strings of her violin. With each note, a part of Reva rose up, as if possessed until she was fully standing, but something was off. Reva¡¯s limbs were raised in unnatural parts, as if she was a puppet controlled by strings. All of a sudden, Violette flew into a fury of notes and Reva charged forward, being stopped by Hazel planting her wrench into the ground. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Hazel pleaded. ¡°That¡¯s not Reva.¡± Shiso said grimly. Violette sighed as she called Reva back in front of her. She gave a look of true regret. ¡°You all have such great bonds. I shall write you all truly beautiful requiems when I am given a place in Eden.¡± Chapter 9: Rise of the Union Everybody was on high alert; they didn¡¯t want to let their guard down and possibly end up like Reva. Hazel uprooted her wrench and backed up to be at the other¡¯s sides. Violette floated meters off the ground. ¡°You can stop this now!¡± Shiso shouted. ¡°I happen to like classical music, so we can split it even if you let our friend go.¡± It seemed that Shiso¡¯s comment only made Violette more determined. They saw a fire light in her eyes as she began to strum faster than ever. Reva¡¯s body jolted towards Hazel; she threw down a plate that expanded into an entire wall, but Reva burst through like it was nothing. One bash and Hazel was flying backwards. ¡°Such a strong body!¡± Violette marveled. A few more strums and Reva was charging Saffron. Shiso took the opportunity to fire three shots at Violette. She played a sharp and sudden note to recall Reva, who blocked two of the bullets. The third one was deflected by seemingly nothing. ¡°Guys,¡± Hazel said over their coms. ¡°If Reve¡¯s being controlled by her music, can we just cover her ears or something to stop it?¡± Saffron and Shiso looked at each other. ¡°Is it really as simple as music mind control?¡± Saffron asked. Shiso shrugged his shoulders in defeat. ¡°I remember when listening to music was just a thing people did! They never tried to kill each other doing it. Well, except for that crazy night in-¡± ¡°Not the time.¡± Saffron and Hazel said in unison. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll get crazy green. You two focus on the puppeteer over there.¡± Shiso said before darting off. Saffron and Hazel darted to go after Violette. When Violette saw the groups split off, she paused her playing for a second and wiped some sweat from her forehead. For a second, Reva¡¯s body slumped to the ground as if it were just a husk. ¡°Time to raise the heat.¡± she said, sighing. Violette started strumming away again, this time seemingly even faster than before. ¡°What the heck?¡± Hazel exclaimed in shock. ¡°Is she strumming even faster than before?!¡± Saffron felt the wind pick up around them. ¡°Hazel, I need a bag of something powdery, now!¡± Saffron yelled. Confused and stressed, Hazel reached into her bag without question and pulled out a bag of powdered sugar with some kind of devil on it. She tossed it to Saffron who scattered as much of it as she could into the air. As if on cue, something pierced through the powdery air. The vague image of what looked to be some kind of sword slashed at them in time with Violette¡¯s beat. Saffron tapped her attachments on her ears and a visor formed around her eyes. She could see some kind of highly compressed air being moved about. ¡°Haze, she¡¯s got some kind of air-swords after us!¡± Saffron shouted. ¡°So, what do we do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know; create a vacuum?¡± ¡°Like, the black hole kind?¡± ¡°Uh, more like a vacuum chamber kind.¡± ¡°No dice.¡± Hazel informed. ¡°Can¡¯t do that in an open space.¡± ¡°Then cover me while I go in.¡± Saffron ran in to try and shake Violette from her rhythm. She had the advantage of being able to see Vio¡¯s weapons, but that was it. She loaded a spell card into her bracer and a green broadsword made of light appeared in her hand. She jumped as high as she could. ¡°Haze, I need a little bounce!¡± Saffron demanded. Hazel pulled out a ball and threw it under Saffron¡¯s feet. The ball expanded into a trampoline, which Saffron bounced off of. Unfortunately, Violette could quickly move out of the way with ease, which is what she did. Saffron landed on her back with a groan. Her visor was showing various errors before it came back online. She closed her eyes as she braced herself for one of the air swords going for her throat. Hazel gasped and yelled. ¡°Saff-¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shiso knew that there was no way he¡¯d win a head-on assault against Reva; he was just occupying her so the girls could take down Violette. He leaped over Reva and fired shots into her arms, which would cripple most people¡¯s ability to fight. The force knocked over Reva, but she quickly was yanked up as if nothing was wrong. Shiso could see his reflection in Reva¡¯s eyes, but also something else. He saw a look of hopelessness as tears ran down the emotionless face. Reva was still very much awake and in pain. She needed help. ¡°Hold on¡­ Reve. I¡¯ll get you out.¡± he whispered. Reva was thrusted forward and went to strike Shiso with her shield, but she was too slow to catch him. He heard a voice in his ear. ¡°Shiso! You there?¡± Hazel¡¯s voice rang. ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Our game of musical chairs isn¡¯t gonna last much longer at this rate. You got a plan to finish this?¡± Shiso grunted; he didn¡¯t really know what to do. ¡°I¡¯m gonna converge with you guys.¡± he responded. ¡°Get ready for Reva.¡± Hazel was getting ready to say something, but stopped and gave the most concerned gasp that Shiso had ever heard and a tiny scream. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saffron assumed that she was dead, but for some reason she wasn¡¯t. When she opened her eyes, the sword was moving incredibly slow towards her. She simply rolled out of the way and watched as it continued very slowly towards the ground.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t look very normal.¡± she whispered to herself. She even kicked the sword, but it just kept flying in its newfound trajectory. In the corner of her eye, she noticed that her scarf had actually changed color! It was no longer a light pink, but instead now a rich blue that gave off little particles of light. Saffron looked over and noticed that there was actually a sword heading for Hazel, coming from her blind spot. Saffron ran and tackled her. ¡°-ron!¡± Hazel finished, confused as to why she was suddenly moving. Everything seemed to play at normal speed, but everyone was confused, even Violette. ¡°It looks like someone decided to start playing in double time.¡± Violette said, gritting her teeth as she started to play a new song, at least twice as fast than the last one. Once again, a flurry of swords came at them, but as soon as one looked to almost hit Saffron, her scarf turned blue again and the world around her slowed. Saffron moved Hazel out of the way of any of the swords while Saffron took up two in her hands. She charged forward and jumped on the trampoline, but was disappointed when the bounce never came back; the trampoline just slowly started to come back from Saffron¡¯s impact. Grunting in frustration, Saffron merely threw the swords at Violette and braced herself on the trampoline. When things went back to normal, Violette was caught by surprise, but ended up totally unaffected by Saffron¡¯s attack. The swords bounced on impact with a previously-invisible shield that surrounded her. The momentum from the trampoline finally took effect as Saffron was rocketed towards Violette, but she met the same fate as the swords as she merely bounced off the barrier. As Saffron layed on the ground in pain, she used her earpiece. ¡°Haze, you got anything?¡± ¡°Actually, I do now.¡± Hazel said confidently. Saffron looked over to see Hazel manning a larger-than-average turret. She aimed and fired, confident that no music could shield her gun. In all technicality, she might have been right in that regard. Reva rushed over and blocked the laser, sending it right back to Hazel. She jumped away to see Shiso land next to her on his back, having been thrown off Reva. ¡°I almost had her too!¡± Hazel complained. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Saffron shouted. Everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to what she was doing. Saffron was moving her hands as if she was trying to operate some invisible loom, but what she was actually doing was pretty obvious at this point. Above Violette were multiple disk-looking apparitions with holes in the middle, with the biggest one being on top. ¡°You pull anything, I¡¯ll level your face with a snap of my fingers¡± Saffron warned. At this moment, Violette had a look of absolute desperation on her face. Then, she got the most underhanded idea she could think of. Her playing peaked into a sharp trill, unrelenting in the tension. ¡°No, none of you move! And take down your magic!¡± Violette demanded. Everyone¡¯s eyes went wide with surprise and fear. ¡°Saff, take it down!¡± Hazel shouted. Saffron took down her magic as she looked, frightened, at the sight before her. Violette had forced Reva to raise her shield up and reel her head back, ready to slam it forward at any time. Violette was using Reva¡¯s entire life as leverage. The three slowly drifted together again. ¡°Drop all of your weapons.¡± Violette commanded. Saffron threw her field bracer off; Hazel threw her wrench and hip pouch away; Shiso gently put his guns on the ground and kicked them away. There was a wave of silence except for Violette¡¯s trill. ¡°Come on Reva!¡± Shiso growled. ¡°How are you gonna protect anyone if you can¡¯t even protect yourself?!i¡± he asked. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reva struggled to stand as the weight layed heavy on her shoulders, weighing her down. All she could hear was Violette¡¯s music and the world around her was pitch black and nothing but darkness. In the distance, the man that had attacked Reva in the forest came forward; silver armor and red sword. He knelt before Reva and looked her in the eyes. ¡°Help¡­ me...¡± Reva pleaded. The man sighed. ¡°You should know I can¡¯t do that,¡± he said sadly. Reva cried under the weight as her legs were also starting to shake and wobble. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ do it alone¡­¡± she struggled. The man put a hand on her struggling shoulder. ¡°You never could. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°Wha...?¡± ¡°You can be the strongest person and still not be able to do it alone.¡± he said calmly. ¡°You needed me to support you as much as I needed you. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡± Reva held her head down, still crying. The man put his sword aside as he lifted Reva¡¯s head. ¡°Besides; I¡¯m not here anymore,¡± he lamented. ¡°Plus, you¡¯ve got greater people to fight with and protect.¡± he laughed. He then got up and walked away, leaving Reva to think in the vast darkness. ¡°Greater people to fight with and protect¡­¡± Reva pondered. Her head was held low again as the weight finally began to make her sink. ¡°Need some help?¡± said a familiar voice in front of her. A bright light appeared in front of Reva as a leather-gloved hand was held out to her. ¡°Yeah, what¡¯re you doing anyway?¡± joked another voice. Reva looked up. Shiso held an outstretched hand, with Saffron and Hazel behind him. Behind them, the light was cascading in all directions. ¡°Come on,¡± Shiso said calmly. ¡°Take my hand already.¡± Reva reached out and took his hand, and the weight on her shoulders were instantly lifted. Violette¡¯s oppressive music was also gone; instead, Reva heard a chorus singing all around her. Hazel patted Reva¡¯s back. ¡°Go get her!¡± she said, giving a thumbs up. Reva wiped the tears from her eyes and stood tall. The knelt down to the ground and picked up the sword the man had left behind. Her shield was nowhere in sight, but she raised the sword up high. She turned around to face the light, charging sword first into it. To the side, she saw the man giving her a thumbs up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Violette watched as all three of them put their weapons down and step back, waiting for her next move. Violette started a new song, giving new orders. Reva put her shield back down and got into a battle stance. ¡°Come on Reva!¡± Shiso growled. ¡°How are you gonna protect anyone if you can¡¯t even protect yourself?!i¡± he asked. Reva braced herself to charge forward, but her body only gave a stutter when prompted to go forward. Violette formed a face of confusion; had she played a wrong note? She never does that on live performances. Violette strummed her violin again, but this time Reva was unresponsive. Her heart skipped a beat. Reva¡¯s motionless body began to slowly move again. Her fists clenched; her teeth gritted; her arms swayed. Quickly, Reva jumped to hit Violette. Violette didn¡¯t fear though; Reva¡¯s shield would certainly not be enough to break her barrier. Violette let out a highly audible gasp as she saw that in Reva¡¯s other hand was a gold-gilded red sword. ¡°That is not how you treat your fans!¡± Reva said in fury. In one slash, she shattered Violette¡¯s barrier into pieces. Violette¡¯s instrument flew from her hands as she fell to the ground in a painful landing. When Violette tried to get up, Reva planted a foot on her stomach. Violette only saw Reva on top of her, pointing a sword down at her face and having her shield ready in the other hand. She had no idea how Reva had overcome her musical spell. ¡°I remembered you being graceful and full of both passion and compassion.¡± Reva said in disgust. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re better left just as that; a memory.¡± Chapter 10: Spell-Drifters Violette was helpless before Reva, who had her pinned down with only her foot. Behind Reva, Saffron politely tapped her armor in concern. ¡°You¡¯re not killing her, right?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°Oh, no. Why would you ask that?¡± Reva asked, surprised. Her furious demeanor had been completely broken by that. ¡°Because of the righteous indignation in your voice when you talked about her being better left as ¡®just a memory¡¯.¡± Shiso said to her side. ¡°Eh? Well, I don¡¯t kill.¡± Reva pouted, putting the sword to her side. ¡°I thought you all knew me better than that by now.¡± ¡°Can you¡­ remove your foot from my gut?¡± Violette struggled, trying to lift Reva¡¯s foot off of her in vain. ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Reva said bashfully, lifting her foot. Although a second later, she looked like she remembered something and put her foot back down on Violette. ¡°Wait, no!¡± she said. ¡°You just tried to kill us!¡± ¡°Water under the bridge?¡± Violette shrugged. Reva looked back at Saffron, Shiso, and Hazel, not quite sure what to do. ¡°So, what do we do with her now?¡± Reva asked. ¡°I actually really don¡¯t want to kill her.¡± ¡°I could kill her.¡± Shiso offered. ¡°That was a blanket want.¡± Reva said, unimpressed. ¡°We could leave her here to die.¡± Shiso reasoned. ¡°Then, we can just blame it on nature. Is that better?¡± ¡°How is that better?¡± Reva barked. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Shiso said, throwing his hands up in frustration. He pointed at Saffron. ¡°Kid, you got any ideas?!¡± Saffron twirled her hair and whistled for a second before speaking. ¡°Can we just take her with us?¡± she simply asked. Everybody looked around and shrugged in agreement. Everyone except for Shiso, that is. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna take any more people who¡¯ve tried to kill us.¡± he firmly stated. Hazel ran over and threw an arm around Shiso¡¯s neck. ¡°Why start now?¡± she joked, rubbing her fist against his head. ¡°You really want me to start asking that?¡± Shiso threatened, reaching for his hip. ¡°So can I let her up or what?¡± Reva asked, Violette still struggling under her foot. Saffron gave Shiso a look that would undoubtedly haunt him if he didn¡¯t agree. ¡°Fine¡­¡± he sighed. ¡°Just let me do one thing.¡± Shiso walked over to Violette¡¯s violin and violently stomped on what was left of it, leaving it as scrap wood and twine. Saffron gasped and Reva lifted her foot. Violette gathered what was left of her instrument and carried it in her arms. ¡°Shiso, that was heartless!¡± Saffron shouted, stomping her foot. ¡°No, it was safe.¡± he hissed. ¡°If you don¡¯t like my work, you can find someone else.¡± Everyone stared at Shiso, who looked as if he was some cornered wolf. Reva strided towards Shiso, carrying both her confident demeanor and the broadsword. ¡°Shiso, it¡¯s time for your nap.¡± she playfully claimed. ¡°You¡¯ve been up for too long without sleep.¡± she said, advancing towards him. She looked like a warlord mother about to put a grown man to sleep. Into a bed or coffin is to be determined. ¡°Get the hell away from me.¡± he hissed, taking a few steps back. ¡°The less you fight, the sooner you can get to bed.¡± Reva said, dropping the sword and cracking her knuckles. ¡°Don¡¯t make me put you down.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get near me, woman!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°Have it your way.¡± Reva smiled. What ensued was a 10 minute chase where Reva did wind sprints at Shiso as fast as possible, and he tried his best to scramble out of the way of an impact that would''ve probably shattered his femur. Saffron helped Violette up. ¡°You okay?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Violette responded. ¡°Are they going to be okay?¡± she asked, pointing at Reva¡¯s dangerous game of chicken with Shiso. ¡°I¡¯m sure Reva will be fine.¡± Hazel yawned. ¡°And the other one?¡± ¡°Eh¡­ He¡¯ll sleep one way or another.¡± Hazel estimated, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°Hey Violette, can I call you Vio?¡± Saffron asked. Violette was taken off guard by the question. ¡°Like, a nickname?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah, like a nickname. After all, friends give each other nicknames, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah!¡± Vio said, smiling. ¡°They do.¡± They all sat around and watched Reva and Shiso¡¯s elaborate game of tag together. It all finally ended when Shiso landed wrong on the snow, slipping and falling over. Reva took this chance to pin him down.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Now, sleep.¡± Reva said sweetly, promptly hitting Shiso in the back of the head and knocking him out. As Shiso went limp in her arms, she carried him over to where the others were. Sighing, she put Shiso down and picked up the red and gold sword. ¡°Nice new weapon.¡± Saffron complimented. ¡°I dunno.¡± Hazel speculated. ¡°Kinda looks a bit too heavy, even for Reva. Using a two-handed shield and a two-handed sword? Sounds like a wrist-killer to me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Reva has weak wrists after handling that shield for so long though.¡± Saffron argued. Reva looked like a child who just wanted to get a word in. ¡°Why can¡¯t I just use it when I need it?¡± Reva asked. ¡°Depends.¡± Saffron said, arms crossed. ¡°Where¡¯re you gonna put it?¡± That was a good point. If Reva didn¡¯t constantly carry it in her hands, where would she carry it? Suddenly, the sword in Reva¡¯s hands began to glow, as if made out of light. In a giant flash, it disappeared, leaving nothing behind. They all stood there, speechless. ¡°Well¡­ problem solved.¡± Hazel joked. Out of the slot in Reva¡¯s shield where she would insert spell cards, one came out. It had a golden border and a picture of the sword in the center of it. Along the top of the spell card it read Tyrfing in bold white letters. ¡°Woah.¡± Reva whispered. ¡°Is this how you make spell cards?¡± she asked Saffron. Saff scratched the back of her neck and looked apprehensive. ¡°Well, usually I synthesize them in a lab using mana and stuff, but spells can be made in more¡­ unorthodox ways.¡± Reva was going to ask what then meant, but Vio interrupted with a giant yawn. Everyone stared at her, which made her blush. ¡°I¡¯m just tired.¡± she admitted, trying to hide her face. Reva looked like she got an idea. ¡°Hazel, you got a long rope?¡± she asked. ¡°Sure.¡± she shrugged, pulling one out; no questions asked at all. Reva tied the rope to her shield, which she set down into the snow. ¡°There!¡± Reva exclaimed. ¡°Now you can get in and sleep on the road!¡± ¡°On the road to where?¡± Vio asked innocently. ¡°Eden.¡± Reva said, rolling Shiso¡¯s body into the shield. Vio narrowed her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you all attack me because I was on my way to Eden?¡± she asked. ¡°No, we did it because you were ready to silence me.¡± Hazel complained. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Vio apologised. ¡°It was all business, just so you know.¡± Violette climbed into Reva¡¯s shield and took her place lying down next to Shiso, who was still unconscious. The shield wasn¡¯t exactly the softest bed, so she put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. ¡°Time to move out!¡± Reva exclaimed, pulling the shield with the rope over her shoulder. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hazel and Saffron shrugged and trudged along with her. Hazel lagged behind, trying to build something mid-trip. Saffron hung out in the front with Reva to talk. ¡°You alright from the fight earlier?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°I took a few serious hits, but nothing to keep me down.¡± Reva assured. Saffron pointed to Reva¡¯s arm, which had two bullet wounds in it. ¡°That looks pretty serious to me.¡± she pointed out. ¡°Oh!¡± Reva said in surprise, as if she hadn¡¯t noticed them before. ¡°I didn¡¯t see those. I¡¯ve got it though.¡± Reva tensed her arm as hard as possible; a few seconds later, two bullet¡¯s popped out of her arm, clattering as they fell on her armored foot. Some blood began to seep from the sound, which Reva used a spell to bandage. ¡°Reva¡­¡± Saffron said, pointing to Reva¡¯s arm. ¡°Did you just¡­ flex the bullets out?¡± Reva shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± ¡°Reva, ditch the armor.¡± Saffron commanded. ¡°I wanna feel your muscles.¡± ¡°Um, no.¡± Reva replied, looking quite uncomfortable. She tried to quickly change the subject. ¡°You said that spells can be made in unorthodox methods. What did you mean?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to answer.¡± Saffron admitted. ¡°Before modern spell card creation, spells used to come from mastery of knowledge. You had to know how nature worked, and how to exploit it. Most couldn¡¯t manage it by learning on their own. They usually learned it from others.¡± ¡°Like old wizards in small village homes?¡± Reva asked earnestly. ¡°Yeah,¡± Saffron sighed. ¡°Like old wizards in small village homes. Over time, people began to use science and magic in tandem before magic just became another science.¡± she said, holding up a card with a purple jackal face. ¡°So, how do cards like this get made?¡± Reva asked, taking out Tyrfing¡¯s card. ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Saff admitted. ¡°I synthesize them in labs, but it¡¯s probably possible that they can still be made naturally. I heard that some magic used to be made from the memories of people who had come to pass, but there¡¯s only speculative theories beyond that.¡± ¡°Well, thanks anyway.¡± Reva said. She looked behind to see Vio sleeping on Shiso¡¯s shoulder; she smiled at the sight. ¡°Hazel, whatcha working on back there?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°Just a thing for Violette.¡± Hazel replied, holding up what she had. Hazel had a half-constructed violin, which had a metal interior inside of a wooden shell. A small slot rested at the end, like the slots that spell cards fit into normal weapons. Hazel was fine-tuning the strings to some sort of mechanism. ¡°Anything special about it?¡± Saff asked. ¡°Well, unlike her last one, this one can hold and use spell cards. I¡¯m also trying to make the different strings fire different spells. I figured her magic might match the symphony she plays if I do that.¡± ¡°Sounds awesome.¡± Saff said. She looked down at her own weapon on her arm. In their time, weapons usually came with a small slot in them; a slot where you insert your spell cards into. Hazel¡¯s giant wrench and Reva¡¯s shield both had these as well. (Hazel¡¯s in the crook of her wrench and Reva on the inside of her shield.) Some older weapons, like Shiso¡¯s Lynchpin, have no slot; in this case, individual cards can be cast by holding them. Saffron had built her Field Bracer to be primarily a weapon for holding magic, but it could also provide some supporting fire if she couldn¡¯t cast for some reason. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll love it.¡± Reva said sweetly. They all shared a laugh as they continued their trek. Saffron smiled and looked to their right, noticing something in the distance. ¡°Do you guys see that?¡± she asked, pointing to a mass of snow clouds heading their way at a pretty quick pace. ¡°Is it an avalanche?!¡± Reva panicked. ¡°Avalanches need mountains, genius. We¡¯re on a flat tundra plain.¡± Hazel said, not even looking up from her work. ¡°When what is it?¡± Saffron asked. All three of them stopped and looked at the snow, trying to see what it was. The giant cloud converged onto a small point in the front. Squinting her eyes, Saffron saw a woman at the front. She had blue hair, a hooded coat, and icicles around her. Her shoes themselves seemed to be ice skates as the snow below her froze when going over it. The woman seemed to pull up some sort of snarl as she advanced faster. Saffron got out her spell cards as the woman skated even faster, almost as if trying to collide head-on with them. Chapter 11: The Self-Proclaimed Queen ¡°What should we do?¡± Reva asked, not seeming to actually be too intimidated by the mass of snow rocketing towards them. Saffron thought for a second. ¡°Wake Shiso up?¡± she suggested. Her and Reva looked down at the two people sleeping in Eschaton. Shiso was snoring and Violette had somehow intertwined their legs in their sleep. ¡°But they look so cute like that.¡± Reva admired. ¡°Yeah.¡± Saffron said, starstruck. ¡°Wake up, old man!¡± Hazel yelled, kicking Shiso in the shoulder. Shiso jolted up, waking up Violette and falling out of the shield. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, seeing Violette in the shield. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me I shared a bed with her.¡± Shiso shuddered, pointing at a half-asleep Violette who was stumbling around. ¡°Well, no.¡± Hazel said. ¡°Technically it was a shield, not a bed.¡± Shiso shuddered again and began doing some stretching. ¡°What¡¯d you wake me up for anyway.¡± he yawned. ¡°That.¡± Saffron bluntly said, pointing at the encroaching snowstorm. Shiso¡¯s eyes went wide as he took a jump back. Reva took the rope off of her shield as she held it up high. ¡°Everyone, single-file behind me!¡± Reva shouted. Shiso ducked behind Reva as soon as she gave the word. Saffron took Violette by the wrist and yanked her behind Reva¡¯s safety as Hazel followed behind, trying to finish the project she was working on. When the wave hit, Reva groaned as she was slowly pushed back from her grounded position. Snow flew past the group in every direction, with Reva being their only way to pierce the fierce snowstorm. As the giant wave of snow started to subside, only a light snowy mist remained that obscured their vision in every direction. ¡°Come on out!¡± Shiso yelled, spinning the barrel of his revolver just for show. In the midst of the mist, a cold voice hissed. ¡°I¡¯m not hiding. You just can¡¯t see straight in front of you.¡± As the mist parted, a single figure was left standing. She was wearing a jacket that all of them except Shiso recognised. It was a popular jacket before the Final War began. Lined in fur, the jacket looked like it kept her plenty warm. She had ridged, sharp icicles floating around her. She had blue hair and blue ice-skate blades on the bottom of her shoes, which was unnatural, seeing as they were actually just tennis-shoes. The jacket flowed a bit in the wind, as if it was just a tad too big; her pants seemed to be just fine though. She had a sneer on her face. But the thing that everyone saw the most was her small stature. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± she apologised. ¡°That happens when I skate too fast, nothing to be really concerned about.¡± ¡°Are you lost, child?¡± Reva asked gently. ¡°The hell did you just ask me?¡± the woman hissed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Reva exclaimed. ¡°I simply thought because of your height that you were a child and you needed-¡± ¡°What about it?¡± she yelled, anger in her eyes. ¡°Got a problem with my size?!¡± ¡°You here for a fight?¡± Shiso growled, interjecting the argument. ¡°You mentally stable?¡± the woman retorted. ¡°I think a regular ¡®hello there¡¯ could¡¯ve been just a bit friendlier.¡± ¡°I could say the same thing.¡± Shiso grumbled. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re not looking for a fight?¡± Hazel asked with a cocky smile. The woman stopped and thought for a second. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not looking to fight right now.¡± she yawned. ¡°I¡¯m tired from dealing with some stuff earlier.¡± She started stretching and yawning, which prompted Shiso and Violette to unwillingly do the same. ¡°So, where¡¯re you going, anyway.¡± Violette asked through an impressively loud yawn. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s only like one place to go, you know.¡± the woman sighed. ¡°My sight is on Eden, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m getting there any time soon at this rate.¡± ¡°You wanna hang with us then?¡± Hazel asked. Saffron was standing behind them, skeptically rubbing her chin almost in sync with Shiso, who was beside her. ¡°What¡¯re you thinking, kid?¡± Shiso whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t trust her.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t trust anyone you haven¡¯t tried to put a bullet in.¡± Saffron pointed out. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s setting me off. Something about her is just¡­ volatile. Like a live wire that only looks like it¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°So you agree that she can¡¯t be trusted?¡± he asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I dunno. Do me a favor and don¡¯t let your eyes off of her. Can¡¯t be too careful when my gut¡¯s screaming at me.¡± ¡°As long as you keep your eyes peeled as well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a team effort then.¡± Saffron said. They both smiled then gave a fist-bump before approaching the rest of the group. ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡± Reva asked. ¡°Selicy.¡± the woman said without hesitation. ¡°Weird name.¡± Shiso commented. ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Selicy said with a heavy attitude. ¡°You got a better one?¡± They spent a while trading introductions and names to Selicy, who still seemed a bit too moody for both Saffron¡¯s and Shiso¡¯s tastes. Something about her radiated some kind of bad-influence energy that worried Saffron, as if she could turn on them at a moment¡¯s notice. Even Saffron thought it was weird that she¡¯d think that about someone.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°So, we getting this show on the road or what?¡± Selicy said, bumping Shiso¡¯s shoulder as she walked by. Shiso was now visibly upset about Selicy existing in the same plane of existence as him. ¡°I don¡¯t want you walking with-¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± Violette whispered in his ear, which made him jump like a jackrabbit. ¡°You complain less when you sleep.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me how I sleep!¡± he fumed. ¡°I¡¯m not even totally over you being here! Why should I be-¡± Shiso never finished his sentence due to Reva hitting him in the back of the head, knocking him out. ¡°You need to finish you cat-nap.¡± Reva said sternly. ¡°You¡¯re gonna give the man brain damage.¡± Hazel joked as she tightened something in the violin prototype. ¡°It could only improve his social skills.¡± Selicy lightly laughed. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, stretching her arms out again. ¡°I think you need some sleep as well.¡± Reva commented. ¡°You try and knock me out, I freeze your goddamn hand off.¡± Selicy threatened. ¡°May I suggest an alternative idea then?¡± Reva chirped. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The group trekked on, giving care to accompany as many comforts to people as possible; well, at least Reva was. She was dragging a sleeping Shiso in her shield again while Violette sat in it hugging her knees. The rope was now tied around Reva¡¯s waist as she used her hands to give Selicy a piggy-back ride as she slept, using Reva¡¯s head as a pillow. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it get exhausting, doing all of that?¡± Saffron asked, waving to all the people that Reva was supporting. ¡°Of course it does.¡± Reva said. ¡°But if it means that other people are happier or more comfortable, I¡¯m happy to give them some of my strength.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a bit too generous.¡± Saffron chuckled. ¡°Maybe.¡± Reva admitted. ¡°But I¡¯m happy when I know that other people are happy. And if I know that other people aren¡¯t happy, why should I just overlook them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite the mantra.¡± Saffron admired, impressed at Reva¡¯s morals. ¡°Where did you get that set of morals?¡± ¡°Well, back when-¡± ¡°It¡¯s finished!¡± Hazel declared, holding up the violin in triumph. Reva and Saffron stopped to see the instrument, which was made of a dark red wood and looked sleek and polished. Violette clapped vivaciously as Hazel handed it to her. She hugged the violin for several seconds before showering it in kisses that made Saffron feel quite uncomfortable. ¡°Are you done making out with your instrument yet?¡± Shiso asked, being rudely awakened from his sleep. He didn¡¯t really bother getting up though, as standing up would offer no more than a better view of Violette smooching her mass of strings and wood. ¡°Have you never kissed your gun goodnight?¡± Violette asked defensively. ¡°Leave Lynchpin out of this.¡± he countered. ¡°She¡¯s a special gun.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Hazel said skeptically. ¡°You wanna see?¡± Shiso asked. To everyone¡¯s surprise, he didn¡¯t try to immediately shoot Hazel. Instead, he opened the barrel and let the green bullets inside fall out. Hazel bent down and picked up one of them, looking at it closely. ¡°Is this¡­ Sera?¡± she asked in disbelief. ¡°Yeah.¡± he answered. ¡°Bullets got too expensive.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re literally firing money at this point!¡± Hazel exclaimed, exasperated. ¡°Well what¡¯s the big deal then?¡± he asked. ¡°If it works, it works.¡± ¡°What happens when you run out of money?¡± Violette asked. ¡°Even after I run out of money, I¡¯ll always have plenty of ammo.¡± Shiso claimed. ¡°After all, a knife is always fully loaded.¡± ¡°I think you did give him brain damage.¡± Hazel said, looking over at Reva. Seconds later though, she just shrugged her shoulders. ¡°But I guess that¡¯s not my problem, now is it? I fix machines; people are much harder.¡± Hazel then laid down next to Shiso in the shield, feet crossed and tapping to a beat. ¡°Make yourself at home, why don¡¯t you?¡± Shiso mumbled. ¡°Thanks, I will.¡± Hazel said with a grin. ¡°Yo, Vio, you ready to finally test to see if that violin can really play?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask!¡± she exclaimed, putting her bow to the strings and began to play an entire symphony on one instrument. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reva was finally starting to show signs of fatigue from her long, long walk. She looked about ready to be the one taking a nap. She had still been dragging her shield and carrying Selicy on her back. ¡°Do you need to stop?¡± Saffron asked, concerned. ¡°Nah,¡± Reva assured. ¡°I¡¯m a powerhouse. I can keep going.¡± Saffron was about to protest, but she heard a sound coming from Selicy on Reva¡¯s back. ¡°No¡­ you¡­. I¡­ he¡­. Stan¡­.¡± she muttered. Reva tried gently shaking Selicy on her back in an attempt to try and wake her up. ¡°You¡¯re dreaming, honey.¡± Reva said softly. Selicy had her eyes closed tight and looked like she was in a nightmare. Saffron could see her breath now and light frost began forming on Reva¡¯s armor. Reva looked like she just had ice poured down her back. ¡°No¡­ fire¡­ die¡­ stop¡­¡± Selicy began to mutter faster. Reva was now almost fully covered in frost. Everyone could hear her armor clinking as she shivered. ¡°Reva, drop her.¡± Saffron demanded. ¡°I¡¯ve got her.¡± Saffron tried to take Selicy from Reva¡¯s back, but Selicy¡¯s body seemed to be completely stuck to Reva, even if she let go. ¡°Little help?¡± Reva pleaded. Saffron was tired of trying to get Selicy off normally. She grabbed Selicy by both shoulders and ripped her off of Reva¡¯s armor, throwing her onto the ground. Selicy woke up and darted her head around. ¡°What the hell¡¯s going on?¡± she frantically asked. ¡°You were having a nightmare.¡± Violette said. ¡°A nightmare.¡± Selicy wistfully whispered. ¡°But why¡¯d you guys wake me up?¡± ¡°Because we had to crowbar you off of our resident sentient suit of armor.¡± Shiso chimed in from the back. Selicy looked at Reva¡¯s frost-covered armor, which had a light outline of Selicy in thin ice. ¡°Sorry.¡± Selicy mumbled. She stood up and turned away. ¡°Wait, where¡¯re you going?!¡± Reva exclaimed. ¡°Away from here.¡± Selicy said coldly. ¡°I still only cause trouble where I go.¡± ¡°Why do you wanna keep her here?¡± Saffron whispered to Reva. ¡°You just carried her for a literal eternity. What¡¯s compelling about that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a cry for help in my life.¡± Reva declared. ¡°That woman needs some people to enjoy life with.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you all in Eden, if any of us even make it in.¡± Selicy said grimly. ¡°I won¡¯t let you leave!¡± Reva said, flipping both Shiso and Hazel out of the shield and into the snow and using it to block Selicy¡¯s way. ¡°Outta my way.¡± Selicy growled. ¡°Don¡¯t get me pissed.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Shiso asked, slowly drawing Lynchpin. ¡°Because you wouldn''t like me when I¡¯m angry.¡± she responded simply. ¡°No!¡± Reva exclaimed again. ¡°You need some help! There¡¯s so much you haven¡¯t told us about you, even though you trusted us enough to sleep with us!¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some stuff I don¡¯t want you to know.¡± Selicy hissed, smoothly maneuvering around Selicy. ¡°Well, tell me who Stan is then!¡± Reva shouted. Selicy stopped dead in her tracks and slowly turned her head to look Reva in the eyes. ¡°Who told you that name?¡± she asked angrily. ¡°I- You-¡± Reva stumbled to get words out as she was disturbed by the hatred in Selicy¡¯s eyes. Selicy manifested spears of ice and threw one at Reva¡¯s shield, which caused the ice to shatter on impact. ¡°I asked you who told you that name!¡± Selicy shouted, skating towards Reva at a breakneck speed. The entire group unquestioningly got ready for battle as the sound of ice scraping metal rang throughout Eden¡¯s icy tundra. Chapter 12: Frozen Hearts Selicy was surprised when her slashes and attacks didn¡¯t even leave a scratch on Reva¡¯s shield. She darted away before Reva could even counter, causing Reva to just swing at empty air. Selicy was already behind Reva, but once again her ice couldn¡¯t pierce the armor. Even then, Selicy was gone before Reva could finish turning around. ¡°How¡¯s she so fast?!¡± Reva shouted. ¡°Her feet!¡± Saffron shouted. ¡°Snow is freezing under her feet, making an ice plain to skate over!¡± Selicy skated right outside of their reach, circling them over and over again in an attempt to think of some way to take them all on. ¡°Stand still, you flurry!¡± Shiso said, trying to aim his gun. ¡°What¡¯d you say to tick her off?!¡± Hazel asked, pulling out spell cards. ¡°All I did was mention the name Stan and she went berserk!¡± ¡°Maybe you should¡¯ve just let her run off.¡± Saffron growled. Selicy continued to circle them, slowly spreading her ice outwards until a good portion of the ground was covered in the stuff. ¡°Saff, is it a good time to tell you that I actually don¡¯t like the cold?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°No, it¡¯d be a good time to build something!¡± Saffron forcefully replied. Selicy had enough of waiting; she rushed right into the middle of them. ¡°Everyone, scatter!¡± Shiso shouted. Everyone picked a different direction and ran; everyone except Reva, that is. She stood there and stopped Selicy in her tracks. ¡°I¡¯m not going to fight you.¡± Reva firmly stated. ¡°Fine by me.¡± Selicy retorted. ¡°You can just freeze instead.¡± She bent down low as she skated by and gripped Reva¡¯s ankles for a few moments before darting away again. From the spot where Selicy touched, Reva began freezing from the legs up until she was encased in a thick layer of ice. ¡°Stay down.¡± she chirped. The other four looked at Reva¡¯s frozen body, which looked like an ice statue. It reminded Saffron and Shiso of their first encounter with her. Shiso decided that he wasn¡¯t going to be the one to hack her out with a kunai though. Surprisingly, Saffron was actually the first one to make a move in the standstill. She pointed her field bracer and pulled the trigger. ¡°Ring of Fire!¡± she shouted as the spell cast. Selicy became surrounded by intense, scorching flames. Selicy looked around and panicked, beginning to hyperventilate from the flames that were burning and rising around her. Selicy took a huge breath in and blew gusts of freezing air all around her. As the flames went away, huge clouds of thick mist rolled over the area, making it impossible for anyone to see anything. They all heard as Violette started playing some music in an attempt to do some magic and serve as a beacon for the rest of the group to home in on. Her music and long and strung out notes, like something you¡¯d hear in an old wild west film when the two gunslingers are about to duel. As the group hesitantly wandered towards Vio, Selicy whispered and hissed in the back of their minds as she nimbly skated around. ¡°You can try and try, but you¡¯ll never be on time.¡± she hissed. ¡°When you think you¡¯ve got something, it all goes up in flames just for someone¡¯s enjoyment.¡± Suddenly, Violette¡¯s music came to an abrupt stop. ¡°Sounds like you know from experience!¡± Shiso shouted in the fog. He knew saying something would be a big gamble, but it would draw attention away from potentially attacking the others. ¡°What do you know about loss?!¡± she yelled behind Shiso. Shiso had to do a dodge roll to his left, barely missing the icy talon that would¡¯ve raked across his neck. For a woman boasting all of her ice powers, Selicy had a fury rage in her eyes. Jagged shards of ice covered her entire body, serving as armor plates all over. Her hands were now wicked sharp gauntlets with razor-edged ringers. When she missed Shiso, she stumbled about and caught herself on the ground, creating a layer of permafrost in the dead grass. ¡°I know more about loss than you probably do, kid.¡± Shiso warned. ¡°Why does everybody think I¡¯m a kid?!¡± Selicy yelled in utter rage, veins throbbing. ¡°I¡¯m not even a teenager anymore!¡± Before Selicy could get an icy claw on Shiso, a blast of blue energy shot through the mist and sent Selicy flying away through the air, making her disappear into the mist. Through the mist, Hazel emerged, breathing heavily and clearly exhausted from building the turret that she was now pushing on wheels. She took out a pack of gum and popped it into her mouth. She glanced at Shiso. ¡°You throw your back out or something?¡± she asked casually. ¡°Can you not be so juvenile?¡± he asked. ¡°Fine.¡± she said, popping a bubble. ¡°Get your shit together; there are others still out there. They¡¯ll probably die with our luck.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Maybe a bit nicer wouldn''t hurt.¡± ¡°You¡¯re whinier than normal. Just get up.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saffron ran towards Violette¡¯s music, not wanting Selicy to get there first. When Saffron thought that she was close enough to her, she attempted to stop herself. Saffron then had exactly four seconds to feel stupid about not remembering how ice works. Saffron crashed into Violette¡¯s legs, which were only levatiating about an inch or two off the ground. It certainly didn¡¯t stop her from being tripped as Saff swept Vio¡¯s legs with her entire body, sending her crashing down on top of Saffron. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Violette gasped, scampering off of Saffron, who looked like she had been subjected to being crushed by a bag of flour rather than Vio. ¡°Never better.¡± Saff groaned. She winced in pain as she tried to turn over. ¡°Actually, no. I¡¯ve definitely been better. Help is appreciated.¡± Vio helped Saffron up and they dusted snow off of themselves. The musician picked back up her violin and bow. ¡°Have you seen the others?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°I hoped they were with you.¡± Suddenly, they both heard a series of shouts from their left before a giant laser blast rang out through the air. ¡°I think I have an idea on where they are.¡± Saff said sarcastically. Vio¡¯s ears perked up and she turned around. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± she asked. ¡°Hear what?¡± Suddenly, Selicy¡¯s screaming, airborne body rocketed into Saffron and took her down, giving them both bruises. Vio covered her mouth and gasped, getting a full view of ballistic missile Selicy taking down the poor scientist. Selicy was the first to recover. ¡°You had better back away before I freeze her veins solid!¡± she threatened, holding up Saff¡¯s wrists, with her hand clutching it. Selicy had never seen or heard of Violette, so the ice queen didn¡¯t suspect anything when Vio put the bow to her instrument and started strumming away at a scherzo. At first she was confused, but then it was very quickly replaced with the feeling of taking a brick to the chest, launching her several dozen meters backwards. In the meantime, Shiso and Hazel caught up, who also helped Saffron get back on her feet. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you!¡± Violette shouted, going back to playing her long-strung western-style music. ¡°Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t want to either.¡± Selicy growled. Selicy dashed forward, manifesting a giant spear of ice in her hands. She was ready to drill through any defense they might have; she picked up speed dangerously quick. Violette tried using her music, but it all seemed to bounce off of Selicy¡¯s bullet-train of an approach. ¡°Pyroblast!¡± Saffron shouted, casting out a ball of pure flames. It collided head-on with the cryomaniac, but quickly dissipated like it was confetti. ¡°I¡¯ve been burned by way hotter than that!¡± Selicy shouted. ¡°Next time, try setting yourself on fire!¡± Not even Shiso¡¯s gun or Hazel¡¯s turret were making headway in stopping Selicy. Saffron was afraid that she had already reached terminal velocity. Running was basically pointless by now. Violette tried to brace the group as much as possible with a musical shield spell as they all shit their eyes tight in anticipation. In a flash of white, snow was kicked up in all directions as a giant shockwave was made on impact; accompanying it was a sound that was akin to shattering glass. As the massive wave cleared, all that was left standing was Selicy holding the shaft of a giant icy spear against Reva¡¯s giant shield. Reva stood absolutely firmly, not budging even an inch against Selicy¡¯s attack. For the first time since the incident that scarred her forever, Selicy felt a flash of fear and disbelief. She was quick to cover it up with anger. ¡°I thought I told you to say down!¡± she yelled. ¡°What¡¯s your problem?!¡± Reva asked, trying to understand. ¡°I don¡¯t know who this ¡®Stan¡¯ guy is, but I want to understand your pain.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in pain!¡± Selicy shouted. ¡°I cause pain!¡± Selicy had tears running down her eyes; it was quite the contrast to the image from only a few moments ago. ¡°If you¡¯d just let me¡­¡± Reva slowly let down her shield. She faced Selicy, hand outstretched. ¡°I want to know your pain.¡± Everyone stood as still as stone, holding their breath and waiting for what Selicy would do. Selicy didn¡¯t make an effort to take Reva¡¯s hand at all. She looked around at everyone and growled. ¡°What are any of you guys here for?¡± she asked. Nobody spoke up and Reva had stopped inching towards Selicy. ¡°Have any of you stopped to ask who any of you are?! Where you came from?! What you¡¯ve done?!¡± ¡°You wanna sit down and have a therapy session?¡± Shiso asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us are certified to give one.¡± Reva raised her hand a bit. ¡°I was almost.¡± Shiso rubbed his temples. ¡°That¡¯s not the point. You wanna sit down and talk; fine. Because I¡¯m tired of trying to convince anyone on who¡¯s enemy and ally.¡± Shiso put his hands up and groaned. ¡°We¡¯ve all got problems. That¡¯s why we¡¯re on our way to Eden. Don¡¯t go thinking your pain is greater than someone else''s here. We all shared each other¡¯s pain here, so whatever pain you¡¯ve got there inside your brain is nothing compared to what we all carry together. You wanna lift the pain off your shoulders? Join the club.¡± Selicy dropped her spear and allowed all of her ice to melt down and the temperature of the immediate area began to rise just a bit again. ¡°Did Shiso just invite her?¡± Hazel whispered to Saffron. ¡°I don¡¯t really know.¡± she said. Selicy¡¯s eyes began to tear up once again and Reva knelt down to give her a strong embrace. The ice queen¡¯s tough exterior had fully melted away in front of the others. As Shiso passed by, he bent down and whispered something in Selicy¡¯s ear. When he finished whispering, Selicy then erupted into full sobs and crying on top of Reva¡¯s shoulder. Violette knelt down to hug Selicy as well; Hazel and Saffron rushed on to get to Shiso. They were both confused. ¡°What the hell did you tell her?¡± Hazel asked. Shiso shook his head. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. I see that she¡¯s seen some serious shit. It¡¯s all in her eyes. I think it¡¯d leave a bad taste in my mouth to kill someone like that.¡± Hazel and Saff walked out of earshot of him. ¡°You think he¡¯s changed since you first met him?¡± Hazel asked, pointing at the gunslinger. ¡°Somehow or another.¡± Saffron laughed. ¡°I dunno quite when it happened, but I think he learned how to feel empathy.¡± The two watched as Reva and Vio hugged Selicy and tried to console her about something. Shiso watched from an even further distance, thinking of past memories and what he said to the crying girl. Silently, in the back where nobody could see him, he shed a single tear in remembrance of what used to be and what he is now. Chapter 13: Fractured Minds, Healing Hearts As the sun set on the horizon and twilight surrounded them all, Shiso flicked a match into the firewood and watched the flames rise. The campfire¡¯s flames reflected off of his lustrous sunglasses. The group gathered in a circle around the fire, all staring at Selicy. She was in a ball, hugging her knees to her chest; Violette had her arm around her as well. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m gonna go cook something.¡± Hazel said, pulling out various utensils, machines, and building materials. ¡°What do you guys want?¡± They all looked up and said what they wanted at once, which made it pretty inconvenient for Hazel. ¡°Chicken and rice.¡± Shiso said. ¡°Hamburger.¡± Selicy mumbled. ¡°Salad.¡± Violette chirped. ¡°Steak, please.¡± Reva politely requested. ¡°Ramen?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°You guys wanna try that again?¡± Hazel asked, rubbing her temples. ¡°How about we don¡¯t all say our suggestions all at once and maybe also decide on one thing?¡± The group fell silent once more. ¡°Hamburger¡± Selicy mumbled again. ¡°Hamburgers it is.¡± Hazel huffed, moving a distance away to set up her kitchen equipment, getting out of hearing distance. Saffron got up and tugged on Violette¡¯s fur clothing. They both walked over to help out Hazel with dinner. Reva patted Selicy¡¯s back. ¡°You wanna talk?¡± she softly asked. Selicy shook her head, keeping silent. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Me and my friend Shiso can talk enough to make up for you. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Well, you certainly can.¡± Shiso sighed. ¡°What¡¯re we all thinking about?¡± Selicy still wouldn¡¯t open her mouth. ¡°How about we talk about our lives before the war?¡± Reva asked. ¡°Would that be alright?¡± This time Sellicy didn¡¯t even move her head. Shiso lowered his mask over his mouth. ¡°Who wants to start?¡± he asked. Everyone stayed quiet for a minute. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Reva answered. ¡°Before the war, I was a student. I was studying at a university when talk of a war began. We were angry enough about that; we protested day and night in an effort to collapse any support for the war, but¡­¡± Reva fell quiet. ¡°But what?¡± Shiso asked. ¡°But eventually the war-supporters started taking us out. One-by-one until none were left; I was one of the few who didn¡¯t die. Most of my friends¡­ aren¡¯t here because I was too busy trying to defend what didn¡¯t need protection. I took up the shield and armor before I even knew what it was to defend. I paid the price for it in blood.¡± All three of them thought about Reva¡¯s story; about her losses. Selicy sniffled a bit then cleared her throat. ¡°Before the war broke out,¡± she said shakily. ¡°I worked in the Anima division of The Company. Its building was stationed in my city. I worked on trying to change people to let them be able to control ice without the use of magic.¡± ¡°Did you do it?¡± Shiso asked. ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked harshly, making frost climb a bit closer to the campfire. ¡°A friend and I decided to work together to try and stop some criminals. We dove further down than either of us expected to. He died for it; I killed someone with my bare hands for it.¡± Out of her pocket, she took a compass and an mp3 player. ¡°What¡¯re those?¡± Reva asked. ¡°I got the compass from a crocked old man after I killed a guy. Took the mp3 player from a kid a while back.¡± The compass¡¯ needle was slowly spinning in circles, as if it had forgotten which way was north. ¡°The compass looks broken to me.¡± Shiso said, pointing from across the campfire. ¡°Probably is.¡± she groaned, putting them back in her pockets. ¡°What about you?¡± she then asked with a heavy attitude. ¡°What¡¯s your story, Mr. Eastwood?¡± ¡°I¡¯m no cowboy.¡± Shiso chuckled. He looked up at the stars and sighed. ¡°You wanna know my story, huh? Gotta warn you then, it¡¯s not for the faint of heart.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hazel handed Saffron her apron and threw Violette her own. Vio¡¯s read This Meal Begs for an Encore! in purple letters. ¡°Where do you pull these from?¡± Saffron asked, peering at Hazel¡¯s pouch. ¡°I just kinda pull stuff that I need out.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Yeah, but why does that work?¡± ¡°You wanna keep going in circles or do you wanna eat tonight?¡± Hazel asked, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°Fine.¡± she grumbled, taking a package of meat to season. ¡°You both look like you know each other quite well.¡± Violette praised. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve known each other for a while.¡± Hazel flaunted. ¡°I taught her everything she knows about machines.¡± ¡°Which isn¡¯t much.¡± Saff interjected. ¡°When did you meet each other?¡± Vio asked. ¡°School.¡± they both shuddered. ¡°Man, I wish the stupid war never happened.¡± Hazel resented. ¡°What does the world gain from war? I¡¯d rather just build and shoot at robots for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we all?¡± Saffron sighed. ¡°You can shoot all the robots you want in Eden.¡± ¡°You bet I will!¡± the mechanic roared. ¡°Nothing I love better than building a good robot. Then, I get to smash someone else¡¯s bad robot. Before the war, I was the best engineer in the entire world! Even when my factory was invaded, not a single one of those guys made it out without a taste from a turret!¡± ¡°Riveting.¡± Saff said sarcastically. ¡°Vio, what¡¯re you going to do when you get to Eden?¡± ¡°Oh, you know¡­¡± she said, twirling her hair. ¡°The same stuff I did before the war.¡± ¡°Which was¡­?¡± Saffron inquired. ¡°You serious?¡± Hazel asked, raising an eyebrow at Saff and trying not to laugh. ¡°What do you think she did?¡± ¡°No need to tease.¡± Violette laughed. ¡°Before the war I played music all over the word for all kinds of people. It was so great back when I wasn¡¯t even that big because I was able to really live the show life and have my friends. When I started out, I was in a small trio with a couple people that took a chance with me and grew to be my closest friends. A few years after I went for a solo career, my concert was interrupted in the middle of it by an attack on the town where I was playing¡­¡± Violette looked down and fell silent. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Saffron somberly consoled. She patted Vio on her back. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who made it out alive.¡± the songstress lamented tearfully, looking towards the stars. ¡°It was the first time I ever used my music to hurt people. I couldn¡¯t even protect any of them. I just watched as they died and died and died¡­¡± Saffron and Hazel looked at each other with concern. ¡°Yo Vio, you know you can tell us anything, right?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°Of course.¡± she said, wiping her eyes. ¡°You guys are my new family, right? And families always have each other¡¯s backs. No matter what, we¡¯ll be together, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Saffron said, giving Violette a huge hug. Vio smiled and hugged her back. Hazel gave them both a surprise hug from the back. ¡°Even I¡¯d have a hard time building better friends than you guys.¡± Hazel joked. ¡°We¡¯re gonna make it to Eden, beat that gate guardian, then we¡¯ll all live together and we¡¯ll never have to worry about anything ever again!¡± Saffron and Vio cried together as Hazel patted both of their heads. ¡°Don¡¯t go crying the whole night away.¡± she said, taking spices and oil of her magic bag. ¡°We¡¯ve still got a meal to make.¡± Vio laughed. ¡°Hey Saff, what did you do before the war?¡± she asked. Saffron looked a bit uncomfortable and started fiddling with her clothing. ¡°I mean¡­ it¡¯s a long story¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m more than happy to hear it.¡± Violette cheered. Hazel was chopping onions like the conversation behind her wasn¡¯t happening. Saffron sighed. ¡°Alright then¡­ It¡¯s not really a happy one though¡­¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°How¡¯re the burgers?¡± Hazel asked Selicy between bites of her food. ¡°Not bad.¡± she complimented. ¡°Haven¡¯t had real food like this in a while. Takes me back¡± ¡°Takes me farther back.¡± Shiso laughed, voracious devouring his food. ¡°I¡¯ve been in that jungle longer than any of you¡¯ve probably been alive!¡± The group silently stared at him. ¡°How old are you?¡± Reva asked. ¡°I dunno.¡± he said, finishing his burger. ¡°I stopped counting after 93. This place doesn¡¯t let you not age, so I¡¯ve been stuck in a purgatory for the last dozen or so decades.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rough, buddy.¡± Hazel smiled. ¡°Pretty sure the rest of us have only been here for like a couple years at max.¡± ¡°Still sounds like a long time though.¡± Saffron countered. ¡°I mean, who wants to spend two years alone?¡± ¡°Nobody wants to be alone for that long.¡± Reva reasoned. ¡°Except maybe the blue hermit crab.¡± Hazel joked. ¡°So heartless¡­¡± said Violette. ¡°It¡¯s just her way of making friends.¡± Saffron reasoned. ¡°It gets boring when every visitor just dies in a minute and a half, you know?¡± Shiso asked. Everyone except Selicy shook their heads. ¡°You¡¯re the only one.¡± they said in sync. ¡°I mean, I get where you¡¯re coming from.¡± Selicy reasoned. ¡°It¡¯s boring to fight someone and just instantly win. The struggle is what¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± he said, pointing at Selicy. ¡°Hey Hazel, does your magic pouch-thing have any drinks in it?¡± ¡°What do I look like; a minifridge?¡± ¡°What if I said please?¡± Hazel reached into her pouch beside her and pulled out what looked like a glass bottle. She threw it at Shiso, who swiftly caught it by the neck. He held it up to the fire¡¯s light and frowned in annoyance. ¡°This isn¡¯t what I wanted.¡± he complained. ¡°Who the hell puts water in a glass bottle anyway?!¡± The entire group laughed at Shiso¡¯s prominent disappointment. Violette turned to face Selicy. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah¡­. I think I do!¡± the ice queen said confidently. ¡°I think I¡¯m finally ready to move forward!¡± Everyone clapped at her motivation. Reva gave her a giant hug. ¡°Good! Because we¡¯re all one big family now, and you couldn¡¯t get rid of us even if you tried your damndest!¡± she roared. Everyone laughed as Reva buried Selicy under her body and armor. Violette put down her food and picked up her instrument in pure joy. As the music flowed out, the group sang the lyrics to a song that none of them had heard before. It didn¡¯t matter though, as the lyrics were made from the bonds they shared. To them, it was the sweetest music that had ever graced their ears. Chapter 14: The Start of the End Violette was strumming away at her violin, experimenting on a new song that she was writing. Occasionally, she would stop and tune a string or note whether something worked or didn¡¯t. For the first time in a while, the entire group was walking together, with nobody being carried or dragged. Violette finished her song and cheered in her own happiness. ¡°Does anyone have any song requests?¡± she asked the group. ¡°Something classical.¡± Shiso requested. ¡°Anything more specific?¡± ¡°Scherzo di Notte.¡± Selicy butted in. ¡°Is that classical?¡± the gunslinger inquired. ¡°If it¡¯s in Italian, it¡¯s classical.¡± Hazel said with certainty. ¡°Not really.¡± Reva countered. ¡°A few of the modern songs were in Italian.¡± ¡°She asked; I requested.¡± Selicy sneered. ¡°Now play.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not a jukebox.¡± Shiso growled. ¡°She¡¯s a person; better treat her like one.¡± Violette smiled and blushed in the back of the group. ¡°Whatever¡­¡± Selicy sulked. Violette was about to start playing again, but then they all heard a strange sound. It was like a horde of snakes in the distance hissing all at once. Though it was faint, it was prominent over the horizon. ¡°Is that¡­ some kind of steam engine I hear?¡± Saffron asked. They walked to the source of the noise and found that Saffron¡¯s guess wasn¡¯t actually that far off. Where the snowy, icy tundra abruptly ended, there started a giant biome ahead that looked like a volcano range. The ground was cracked in various places, with what looked like magma underneath. There were sort of jagged stalagmite-like formations sprouting up from all around the plain, with cracks all along them as well. It was as though some sort of hell had risen to the surface. Along the very prominent border on the firelands and the tundra, snow was melting and evaporating, creating a curtain of steam between the two biomes. Even just on the border, they could all feel the intense change in heat that the firelands emitted. ¡°Do we have to go through there?¡± Selicy whined. ¡°Have you tried to get to the center of a circle by just going around the perimeter?¡± Shiso asked, holding his hand to his ear. ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°It looks like just stepping in there could melt a person.¡± said Saffron with dread. ¡°Why can nobody just move on without complaining?¡± Shiso complained. ¡°I¡¯ll just go through and meet you all there.¡± Shiso walked to step directly through the steam curtain. Reva reached a hand out and was about to stop him, but Hazel put her hands down and signaled her not to. The threat of the steam curtain didn¡¯t break Shiso¡¯s stride at all, walking with complete confidence as he approached it. It was apparent he didn¡¯t know that steam was hot. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡± Shiso yelled, accumulating steam burns all over his body. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selicy and Hazel were laughing hysterically at the sight of Shiso with completely red skin and damp clothing. Reva had just put down her shield for the group to walk over to block the steam. He didn¡¯t look too happy. ¡°You look like a blue dumpling.¡± Saffron chuckled, not being able to help herself. Shiso didn¡¯t bother saying anything back. The steam had already made him hot and the literal magma under their feet wasn¡¯t making it any better. Although, Selicy seemed to still be the one most affected by the heat. ¡°You doin¡¯ alright there?¡± Hazel asked, pointing at her. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve got a¡­ situation there.¡± Steam was escaping out from underneath Selicy¡¯s clothes, making it look like she was trying to smuggle a fog machine under her shirt. Her hoodie was also getting progressively more damp as well. She was also breathing a bit deep. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± she lightly panted. ¡°I¡¯m just not doing too hot. Or maybe it¡¯s that I am too hot. Haven¡¯t been this heated in a while.¡± She wiped sweat from her brow as she yanked off her jacket so as not to end up baking from the inside out. As she tied her hoodie around her waist, the entire group saw her slightly large sleeveless shirt that had a picture of Violette on a stage with blue hair, ripped jeans, and a guitar. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were a fan!¡± Violette said, excited. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Selicy bluntly replied, breaking Violette¡¯s spirit. Selicy definitely looked less like her body was baking, but thin wisps of steam were still trailing from her shoulders and exposed skin. ¡°What¡¯re you all staring at?¡± she hissed. ¡°I don¡¯t really know¡­¡± Saffron pondered. ¡°I guess you looked like you probably just wore the jacket or something.¡± ¡°Well, I have a body. See it for yourself, folkes.¡± Selicy joked. ¡°Now, let¡¯s just get out of here before our gunman cooks well done.¡± she said sarcastically. All of their bodies were a bit shocked from the heat, especially after exiting the frigid tundra. From freezing to blazing, the group trudged on surprisingly silently. It seems that the heat had just made them all a bit more anti-social and unwilling to talk than usual. That is, until they managed to find something. ¡°Haze, this is your area of expertise.¡± Saffron said to her. Before them was an impossibly wide minefield that stretched as far as the eye could see to their left and right. ¡°Looks like a minefield to me.¡± Hazel yawned. ¡°We can all see that.¡± Saffron frowned. ¡°Can you get rid of them or something?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, sure.¡± she replied, stretching. ¡°Just go grab whatever mine you wanna start with and give it to me to disarm. You know, if you wanna get your fingers blown off while nabbing them.¡± ¡°Can we just throw a rock in the middle of the field and blow it up?¡± asked Reva. ¡°Like what you did with Hazel¡¯s minefield?¡± ¡°Hazel¡¯s minefield was a lot smaller¡­¡± Saffron contemplated. ¡°This one¡¯s so big¡­ Who had the time or patience to set this all up?¡± ¡°Must be a dedicated man.¡± Shiso said. ¡°A strong soldier who¡¯d work night and day to see his position completely safe.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not rush to conclusions.¡± Reva reasoned. ¡°Maybe they just like big explosions.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who set them up or what for right now.¡± Saffron said. ¡°We¡¯ve just got to find a way to overcome this minefield. Any suggestions?¡± Shiso put his hands together. ¡°Can we shoot the mines to disarm them?¡± Hazel put her hands together the same way and faced Shiso. ¡°Do you have a sniper rifle or something with a scope?¡± she asked. ¡°Because anything short of that would activate the mines and blow us along with the next few miles of land sky-high.¡± ¡°Can you build one of those bunkers and hide us all in it?¡± Reva asked. Hazel put her hand on her chin for a minute. ¡°Sure. Just give me a bit.¡± she said, pulling out various tools and materials from her pouch. ¡°Saff, give me a hand.¡± she asked.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Sure thing!¡± the scientist cheered, bouncing along to help Hazel as the others wandered off to generally do their own things. Shiso and Violette casually talked while Selicy tried to form some ice-platforms to measure up to Reva¡¯s height, but they were rapidly melting in the heat. Hazel already had various piles of metal, nuts, bolts, and tools thrown around. She was still throwing more out from her seemingly endless pouch. When Hazel was finally satisfied, she put the pouch down and began to assemble various tools and materials. It was a bit mesmerizing for Saffron. ¡°Can you hand me the monkey wrench, Saff?¡± Hazel asked, snapping her back into reality. She shook her head. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± she responded. The only problem was that Hazel had a ton of monkey wrenches in a lot of shapes, sizes, and colors. Saffron was a bit overwhelmed. ¡°Uh, which wrench did you want?¡± she asked. ¡°Gimme the red one over there.¡± she ordered. Saffron grabbed the only red one in the bunch, holding the heavy wrench firmly in her hand. The slightly chipped paint over it had a red sheen that reflected the sunlight. Along each side, Kaylie Corp. was embedded into it. ¡°What¡¯s keepin¡¯ ya?¡± Hazel asked impatiently. Saffron held up the wrench. ¡°This was the first tool I got you, remember?¡± she asked. Hazel smiled as she took the tool and continued her work. ¡°Of course. It was the first birthday present you gave me that had to do with my actual main interest.¡± Hazel recounted. ¡°I was surprised you didn¡¯t give me a painted pinecone or some spell or, God forbid, another pair of socks.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get you that many pairs of socks.¡± Saffron pouted. Hazel reached into her pouch and pulled out a handful of unopened socks and tossed them at Saffron. She counted a total of eight pairs of socks in varying patterns, including nuts and bolts, wrenches, gears, and lightning bolts. They were all in sizes varying from a teenager¡¯s to an adult¡¯s size, but Saffron recognised them all. ¡°I have enough socks to outfit an army.¡± Hazel joked. ¡°Well, I needed a new pair anyway.¡± Saffron pouted, opening a pair that was patterned with drops of oil. She took off her shoes and tossed her socks into Hazel¡¯s pouch, much to her disdain. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t just throw them in!¡± Hazel complained. ¡°It¡¯s not a laundry basket.¡± ¡°You keep plenty of machine parts and tools in there.¡± Saffron pointed out. ¡°I doubt my dirty socks would be the worst WMD in there.¡± She slipped on the socks and her shoes, glad that they were no longer baking. ¡°Hey Saff,¡± Hazel said suddenly and seriously, stopping her work. ¡°What do you want to do when we get to Eden?¡± Saffron was taken off guard by the sudden question. ¡°I-I uh-¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re pretty confident about your ability to help humanity recover and all, but I want you thinking realistically instead of optimistically. Just in case it really can¡¯t be done.¡± ¡°...Do you think i can¡¯t do it¡­?¡± Saffron whispered. The female mechanic sighed, trying her best to not look Saffron in the eyes.. ¡°Saff, you know I¡¯m just looking out for you, right?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna see you throw yourself into something that can¡¯t be done.¡± They both stayed silent for a few moments. Hazel started to get back to work, but Saffron put a hand on hers. ¡°Then help me.¡± she asked, gazing into Hazel¡¯s eyes with her shining ones. ¡°We can rebuild the world together. Bigger and better.¡± ¡°You really think that you can do that?¡± Hazel asked skeptically, growing uncomfortable.. ¡°I know that we can do that.¡± Saffron declared, giving Hazel an unexpected tight hug. Hazel¡¯s face formed some slight blush before returning the hug and letting go. ¡°I guess if you think so¡­ it couldn''t hurt to give this world-reviving thing a try. After all, we can¡¯t hold up Eden forever. There¡¯s probably too many taxes or something.¡± ¡°I knew I could count on you.¡± Saffron said with joy. They both worked hard on assembling a suitable bunker that would hopefully protect them from the sea of landmines that they had to face. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Take a look at this baby!¡± Hazel shouted, slapping the side of the bunker she built. ¡°This little tyke could survive an entire rain of those landmines!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Shiso said, grumpily climbing into the cramped bunker. It barely had enough room to fit them all, but the bunker was better than getting shredded by shrapnel. Saffron used a spell and summoned a small bomb in Reva¡¯s hand, which she promptly threw as high into the sky as she could. Quickly, Hazel shut and tightly locked the door, then held on to the wall as much as she could afterwards. ¡°Hey guys,¡± Selicy said. ¡°Geology wasn¡¯t my field of study, but I just thought of something. Is causing a giant explosion around a volcanic region really a good ide-¡± Suddenly, a giant chain of explosions sounded, which also promptly shook the bunker to hell and back. They heard the Plink! of shrapnel scraping against the bunker, which rattled everyone inside. When the commotion finally calmed down, they all slowly climbed out. Where the mines were lined up, there was a small trench that stretched for miles. It was almost deep enough to reach the magma underneath. The bunker itself was intensely scorched and dented. ¡°Someone¡¯s probably gonna be pissed that we blew up their favorite landmine collection.¡± Selicy joked. ¡°They can take it to court.¡± Shiso groaned, loading up his gun. ¡°Why do you load your gun so much?¡± Hazel asked, narrowing her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t exactly see you firing it a whole lot.¡± ¡°I reload when the gun tells me to.¡± he said. Nobody knew what that could have meant, but none of them really cared. ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s get going before Shiso makes out with his guns or something.¡± the engineer joked. ¡°You gotta treat your gun like you would a woman. Love her and treat her with respect.¡± Shiso countered. They all stared awkwardly at him as he realized the mistake of what he said. ¡°Let¡¯s just go.¡± he pouted, sulking as they all crossed the small casm. ¡°Reva, aren¡¯t you hot under there, honey?¡± Violette asked. ¡°Of course.¡± Reva replied. ¡°Isn¡¯t it uncomfortable?¡± ¡°Immensely.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you take your armor off then?¡± the songstress asked, concerned as she saw Reva sweating bullets down her forehead. ¡°Nope!¡± she said enthusiastically. ¡°I gotta keep this on just in case anyone needs defending!¡± ¡°Even the toughest paladins need their breaks.¡± Vio chuckled. ¡°Then I¡¯m beyond the paladin!¡± she declared eccentrically. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°A walking tank.¡± Shiso finished while walking by. ¡°Yeah!¡± she cheered. ¡°That¡¯s not exactly a compliment.¡± Shiso smiled. They all shared a laugh; it would take more than that to offend Reva. ¡°They¡¯re in my sights. I see six of them.¡± All of them suddenly surveyed the land as quickly as they could. A voice had come from somewhere; it had been over a radio receiver too. ¡°Four women, one man, one child.¡± ¡°One¡¯s got a shield; others likely have indeterminate weapons.¡± The same voice was coming from multiple sources all around them. They all started slowly drawing their weapons. ¡°Continue scoping out for information. Taking the shot if I see one, over and out.¡± Shiso turned around and shot a jagged stone stalagmite, which ricocheted and hit something with a Crunch! When they inspected it, there was only a lone radio with a bullet in it. ¡°I think we¡¯re being played.¡± Shiso suspected. ¡°I think it¡¯s just one very clever soldier.¡± ¡°Get down!¡± Reva shouted, jumping in front of Selicy. Reva recoiled from the sniper round that collided with her shield. It burst in multiple directions upon impact, but still didn¡¯t even dent Eschaton. ¡°Look for where it came from!¡± Saffron shouted. In the distance, they saw what looked like a small figure laying stomach-down on some elevated ground, using a sniper rifle. The scope glinted in the afternoon sun. ¡°Nobody¡¯s survived my first shot here before.¡± the radio nearest to them said. ¡°Congrats on being the first lucky ones.¡± ¡°Who are you?!¡± Shiso shouted into the radio after grabbing it. ¡°I don¡¯t have a name.¡± it said. ¡°I was given Gunner 492-6Y4.¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Saffron said, grabbing the radio and smashing it. ¡°What was that for?¡± Shiso complained. ¡°That¡¯s a Gunner!¡± Saffron panicked. ¡°They were a notorious military division that trained anyone of any age to be killing machines with a gun. Toddler, adult, elderly; it didn¡¯t matter as long as they could be trained.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing these guys shoot first and talk later.¡± Selicy grumbled. ¡°More like shoot first and dig our graves later.¡± Hazel said, attempting to build some kind of defense. ¡°Is there only one?¡± Reva panicked. ¡°Can we beat them?¡± Violette asked, uncertainly. Another radio sounded near them. ¡°Watch out guys. I never miss the first time. I¡¯ve been waiting for quite a while for the next person to show up, but imagine my surprise when I get a whole squad to myself. Welcome to Hell, guys. I¡¯ve been waiting. Your end¡¯s just started.¡± Chapter 15: Bullet-Hell They had all been pinned behind a giant rock formation that made a fairly great place to take cover. Whenever anything poked out from their cover, a bullet shot out to hit it dead on, even if it was a mere lock of hair. Sometimes, he even shot out a round just to rattle them. All in the sky, ash obstructed most sunlight from peering through. Shiso was trying to make up a plan to get out of the current situation, talking with Saffron and Hazel about how to do so. Violette had her back against the wall, crying her eyes out while Reva had her arm around her and assured that they were all going to be alright. Selicy had her eyes closed and was breathing heavily, trying to stay calm. Frost was forming around her body, spreading out from her chest but melting if going too far. Steam was still rising up from her skin. When night had fallen, the firelands were taken by a layer of darkness only illuminated by the light of the magma peaking through the ground. It gave midnight an eerie glow. ¡°Haze, are you seeing anything?¡± Saffron asked. Hazel was peering over their cover with a periscope. Another shot rang out, causing Hazel to scream and drop her device. Its glass was shattered and a light blue sniper round was embedded in it. ¡°Not much.¡± Hazel lamented. ¡°Can¡¯t even get a good look at the guy.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ve gotta get away somehow.¡± Shiso said. ¡°Let¡¯s each at least have an idea.¡± ¡°What if Hazel built some kind of machine to distract him while we all escaped?¡± Saffron suggested. ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t buy it?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°We¡¯ll all be dead. I think that we should try and make a weapon to hit him from here. That way we don¡¯t have to worry about looking behind us or getting picked off while we run.¡± ¡°But how¡¯re we gonna fire off with him watching us so closely?¡± Shiso asked. ¡°Hazel, did you see anyone else around?¡± ¡°Anyone else?¡± Hazel pondered. ¡°Um¡­ I didn¡¯t see anyone besides him.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ most of the time, snipers have someone to spot for them¡­¡± ¡°These guys are the one man band of killing.¡± Saffron reminded. ¡°They probably don¡¯t need anyone to spot for them. If anything, we need someone to spot for us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a simple solution.¡± Shiso said. ¡°It¡¯s still hella risky, but I think it¡¯ll be worth it if we can pull it off.¡± Shiso eagerly explained it to them. Hazel gave a small chuckle. ¡°Damn. That¡¯s terribly simple. And you criticized my plan?¡± ¡°Well, how about it?¡± he asked. ¡°I think we¡¯ve got a while until we can pull it off.¡± Saffron judged. ¡°Then let¡¯s get started.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reva helped Hazel assemble a machine¡¯s engine. Carefully and delicately, Hazel assembled a basic mana-powered engine with what parts she had in her pouch. Meanwhile, Saffron was connecting multiple semi-hollow cylinders together with a device with a tiny telescope on top. Meanwhile, Shiso was stuck making precise spirals on tiny solid metal cylinders with a special tool. ¡°Why am I the one doing this?¡± he asked. ¡°Because you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to use this.¡± Saffron answered, growling in frustration as one of her cylinders formed a slight bend from too much force. ¡°My end of this job isn¡¯t exactly the easiest either. I wish I could just make a mana one.¡± ¡°We gotta work with what we get, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± Violette, Reva, and Selicy were all discussing the plan one more time with each other. Reva seemed a bit upset and disturbed about it, but she agreed nonetheless. Selicy sighed and smiled when she heard the plan, looking as though she was going to someone¡¯s birthday party. Violette on the other hand was completely quiet the whole time. ¡°You got a problem?¡± Selicy asked Vio. ¡°I would¡¯ve thought you¡¯d at least been playing some music again by now.¡± Violette stayed quiet as she curled up on the ground with her violin. Selicy gave a slightly more cheery smile. ¡°Hey, watch this.¡± she said. Selicy took a rock and threw it up into the air; as soon as she did, a long bullet came out of nowhere and decimated it. The shot made everyone jump. ¡°Damn girl, try not to give us a heart attack!¡± Hazel complained. The four of them gave her an angry glare before going back to work. ¡°Psh. Whatever.¡± Selicy disregarded. She looked back over at Violette, who looked considerably more rattled than everyone else. Vio¡¯s small hat rested on the ground as her hair stuck out in random places and her eyes and hands slightly twitched in irregular intervals. ¡°Hey, say something!¡± Selicy commanded. ¡°Guns¡­ smoke¡­ rubble¡­ burning¡­¡± Violette whispered. Selicy recoiled a bit when she realized that Vio probably needed a therapist before she could help. ¡°You just¡­ stay there.¡± Selicy said, backing away. She maneuvered her way over to Hazel and Reva. ¡°What do you want?¡± Hazel asked, annoyed. ¡°Anything I can do to speed this process up?¡± the sassy ice woman asked. ¡°Yeah, you can build this.¡± Hazel pulled a blueprint out of her pocket, which had a very detailed roadmap of how to build her wanted mechanism. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t build this. My degree wasn¡¯t in mechanical engineering.¡± ¡°Have you ever put together furniture using the instructions from Ikea?¡± ¡°Yeah. A few times.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re certified enough. Just do it and I¡¯ll help you where you need it.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gunner laid in his sniping spot, looking straight at the six people hiding out behind their cover of rocks. He took another sip of water from his canteen, but didn¡¯t take his eye out of the scope. He stared like an eagle. Suddenly, movement stirred from the side of the rock pile. Something quickly emerged that was giving off blue vapors into the air. Even if Gunner couldn¡¯t see it well, he could recognise that it was probably the blue woman, who had been giving off vapor the whole time. He guessed that she was having enough of staying put or something. Either way, it was a stupid decision. He quickly aimed without even thinking and pulled the trigger without hesitation. He watched as the mana bullet traveled extensively fast and hit its target, which caused a scream to ring out. Suddenly, the field that he was looking on was obscured from a massive blue fog that erupted from the woman he shot.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ The group wasted no time as their cover erupted into blue smoke. Reva ran away from the rocks with Hazel and Violette behind her shield while the rest stayed behind. Saffron felt a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You alright?¡± Selicy asked, fanning some of the smoke away. ¡°Yeah. You?¡± ¡°Never better.¡± As the smoke slowly began to clear, the two could see Hazel¡¯s mana-powered machine which was still sputtering out as much blue exhaust as possible. The bullet had hit it dead in its fusion chamber, causing the mana to go everywhere. ¡°You ready to get his attention?¡± Saffron asked. Selicy smiled and nodded. ¡°Whenever you are.¡± Saffron peaked her head above the cover and jumped onto the top of the rocks, still being able to hide behind the smoke. She held out a spell card and readied to cast it. In her hands, a giant green bow and arrow was summoned. She struggled to keep it straight though, as the spell was very powerful and unstable. Unexpectedly, Selicy saw Saffron¡¯s struggle and jumped up on the rocks with her. ¡°If you needed help, you could¡¯ve just asked.¡± Selicy laughed. She grabbed the bow and arrow on the opposite side of Saffron, holding it still with her. Suddenly, the weapon in their hands began to freeze over until the entire thing was a meld of green energy that was frozen completely over. ¡°Frigid Snipe!¡± they both shouted, releasing the arrow and falling backwards from the recoil. The giant green and blue arrow pierced a hole in the smoke. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Gunner began to calm down as the vision-obscuring haze started to dissipate. There was still plenty of it, but he was starting to gain some visibility back. From the corner of his eye, he saw something green move. Before he could check it out, the haze immediately in front of him began to clear at a single point. His eyes widened and he only managed to barely roll both him and his weapon out of the way of the giant icy arrow that totally cleaved the spot where he was staying. He wiped melting ice shards and rubble from his hair. ¡°Nice one, guys.¡± he said to himself with a laugh and smile. ¡°Killer firepower, I¡¯m not going to lose today.¡± Gunner shoved a spell card into a small slot in his sniper-rifle and shot a round. As the bullet traveled above the rocks, a giant gust swept away all of the smoke, revealing the broken down machine. ¡°Damn, guys. You really got me with that one.¡± He took aim at the rocks and waited once again. He carefully took aim. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ ¡°You think we¡¯ve got his attention?¡± Selicy asked. Suddenly, a bullet fired overhead and all of the blue smoke was swept away, leaving them completely vulnerable again. ¡°I¡¯d say so.¡± Saffron said. ¡°At least, it looks like he forgot about Reva and the Runaways.¡± ¡°What now?¡± Selicy asked. She was exuding even more steam now than before. ¡°We start the real battle.¡± the scientist replied with a grin. She took a small radio out of her pocket and flipped it on. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Suddenly, Gunner¡¯s static-silence radio jumped to life as it got its first transmission in years. It surprised even Gunner. ¡°You there, Gunner 492-6Y4?¡± said a woman¡¯s voice. ¡°You¡¯re not my crew or my operator.¡± Gunner blandly replied. He heard a light gasp on the other side before the radio shut off again. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ The radio that Saffron made was exponentially clearer than the ones that were placed around by that Gunner. Both her and Selicy gasped before Saffron cut the transmission. They now knew what he really was. ¡°Was that¡­¡± Selicy said in disbelief. Saffron nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± She clicked the earpiece and told all her friends at once. ¡°Everyone, the plan just got more complicated.¡± ¡°Complicated?¡± Hazel rang back. ¡°Complicated how?¡± ¡°That soldier¡­¡± Saffron said grimly. ¡°He¡¯s a child soldier.¡± /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ ¡°Gunner 492-6Y4, do you copy?¡± rang out his radio again. ¡°I told you, you¡¯re not my crew or-¡± ¡°Stop the fighting, kid.¡± growled the sudden deep voice of a man. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it. I think even after so many supposed years of fighting, you don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just saying that because I¡¯ve got you all pinned!¡± Gunner gloated, putting the radio down and peering back through the sniper-rifle¡¯s scope. ¡°Oh, do you now?¡± the man asked skeptically. Before Gunner could question what the man meant, he heard a very loud explosion. It wasn¡¯t like one of the modern mana-fire guns. It was a gunpowder explosion. An impact hit his weapon and threw him off of his vantage point, now leaving him behind a hill of rocks. His radio fell with him. ¡°This is war, kid. Turn a blind eye for one second and the enemy gets the jump on you. In this sniper v. sniper fight, you were three steps too far behind.¡± Gunner examined his rifle, which was now damaged too much to use. He pulled out one long bullet that he stared at in wonder. It was a bullet in the style from before Gunner was even born. It had a spiral pattern on it. ¡°Give the enemy an inch and they¡¯ll take your life. Wave the white flag whenever you want. We¡¯ll be waiting.¡± /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Shiso was laying down on his stomach peering through the small telescope put on top of Saffron¡¯s hastily made sniper rifle. He sounded as tough as possible to try and intimidate the kid, but in reality he was in extreme pain. Saffron didn¡¯t have enough time to ensure that firing the gun wouldn''t feel like getting a brick to the shoulder. ¡°Did you shoot the kid?!¡± Saffron gasped at him over the radio. ¡°No, I only took out his weapon. The kid can¡¯t fight us if he¡¯s got nothing to use.¡± ¡°Good.¡± she sighed. ¡°Are we going to wait him out?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to move in on foot. You guys should do the same.¡± ¡°Copy. We¡¯re going to move in too.¡± ¡°See you there.¡± /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Shiso, Saffron, and Selicy met up in front of the rock formation that Gunner was behind. They all nodded at each other. ¡°Are the other three safe?¡± Shiso asked. ¡°They should still be running on their way.¡± Saffron said. ¡°So, the kid¡¯s just behind there?¡± Selicy asked. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Shiso said grimly. ¡°Let¡¯s just kick his ass and get it over with. Even I can agree that nobody needs to die this time.¡± As the three of them walked up on the rock, a low hum could be heard from the other side. They all barely had time to get down as a blue laser pierced through the landscape. The Gunner was running right at them with a gigantic gun on his shoulder. ¡°What was it you said?¡± Gunner laughed. ¡°Give them a mile and they¡¯ll take your life?!¡± He charged his gun to fire another blast, but Shiso quickly lept into action. Shiso quickly ran at Gunner and raised his leg and kicked his massive gun right off his shoulders. Then just as quickly, Saffron and Selicy ran up to the kid. Selicy swept his legs out from under him while Saffron took a metal wrist-cuff out of her pocket. Saffron slapped the wrist-cuff onto Gunner¡¯s right hand. Suddenly, the cuff shot a rope of energy out that wrapped around Gunner¡¯s other arm and both of his legs, binding him to the ground. He struggled profusely. ¡°Sorry kid,¡± Shiso said. ¡°If your goal was to get the jump on us, you started a couple years too late.¡± Chapter 16: Starlit Showtime Reva, Violette, and Hazel walked down the rocky road together. They had all walked out of the firelands a while ago; now, they were back in a craggy, desolate stretch of land full of ruined structures, and long forgotten cities. Violette was, as usual, playing her signature instrument lively. Hazel was reading a book that she had randomly pulled out of her pouch. Reva was left to walk with nothing to really do. She leaned over to Hazel. ¡°What¡¯re you reading there?¡± she asked. Hazel looked at the cover, as if she wasn¡¯t sure what she was reading herself. ¡°Becoming America¡¯s National Treasure: The Memoir of Nicholas Cage.¡± Hazel read. Reva scratched her head. ¡°Who¡¯s that guy?¡± ¡°Some dude named Nicholas Cage, apparently. ¡°I meant maybe what he did for a living.¡± ¡°It looks like he was an American actor back in the 2000s.¡± ¡°Cool. What was he in?¡± Hazel put on a blank face. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten that far yet.¡± ¡°Oh, well tell me about it when you finish.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Reva twiddled her thumbs around for a bit. ¡°Could you pull me out a book to read?¡± she asked. ¡°Just to pass the walking time.¡± Hazel sighed and shoved a hand into the pouch only to pull out a car jack. ¡°Can you read this?¡± Hazel asked, giving it to Reva. ¡°Shorter Inc. Made in the U.S.A. Please do not feed to babies.¡± she read. ¡°Why read a car jack when you can buy a world-class book to read?!¡± asked an eccentric voice off to the left. All three stopped and turned; seeing someone who they had all just started to forget. ¡°What do you want?¡± Hazel groaned, shoving her face further into her book in an attempt to look occupied. ¡°What do I ever want?¡± Shopkeeper asked innocently. ¡°I just want to exchange some of my premium goods at a reasonable price in order to get the green that makes the world spin.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Violette asked, tilting her head. ¡°It means she wants to scam us by making everything seem like a good deal.¡± Hazel growled. ¡°Go bug someone else.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say, but you all are my best customers!¡± Shopkeeper cheered. ¡°At least in this dimension.¡± ¡°This dimension¡­?¡± Reva questioned. Shopkeeper waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. This one¡¯s just fine. There¡¯s no one-eyed chessmen or blindfolded women in green.¡± she said, shuddering. The saleswoman looked around. ¡°Say, where¡¯s the rest of your little club? Did they finally die? Can you tell me where their bodies are?¡± ¡°Woah, chill out there, babe.¡± Hazel said, putting her hands up. ¡°They¡¯re back in the firelands. They¡¯ll catch up with us soon; they just wanted us to walk ahead.¡± ¡°Then why not wait for a bit?¡± she asked, giving the smile of a devil as she put down her giant backpack. ¡°Give them some time to¡­ catch up.¡± Hazel narrowed her eyes. ¡°Let me say this up front: you don¡¯t have anything we need.¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re probably going to try to shyster something out of poor Reva here.¡± Reva gave a look of surprise as Hazel patted her on the back. ¡°Why would I fall for something?¡± she asked defensively. ¡°Because you¡¯ve got a giant heart, but are as sharp as a marble.¡± Hazel said bluntly. Reva looked to the ground, dejected. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re still everyone¡¯s favorite in battle.¡± Hazel assured. ¡°Are you going to shop or not?¡± Shopkeeper interjected impatiently. ¡°You selling anything we want?¡± Hazel asked with a raised eyebrow. Suddenly, Reva¡¯s, Hazel¡¯s, and Violette¡¯s stomachs all growled at once. ¡°I¡¯ve got food in the back.¡± Shopkeeper said. ¡°How much?¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°You know,¡± Hazel said, trying to fit the meatball sub in her mouth. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry so much about looking good.¡± She pointed a finger at Violette. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± the songstress asked, calmly eating her salad. ¡°Well, ¡®cause beauty is only skin deep.¡± ¡°Well, I know it¡¯s all about the personality, but you have to present yourself-¡° ¡°No, no!¡± Hazel exclaimed. ¡°I don¡¯t mean metaphorically. I mean literally.¡± ¡°¡­Literally?¡± Violette asked, slightly worried. ¡°Yeah, literally.¡± Hazel confirmed. ¡°Think about it for a second. A man may look as beautiful as humanly possible, but as soon as you skin him, nobody wants to even be around him! If that doesn¡¯t prove it, nothing will!¡± ¡°Skin him¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah! Take the skin off of him and the beauty¡¯s gone!¡± Violette was confused and concerned. ¡°Well, I technically can¡¯t refute that¡­¡± ¡°Damn right you can¡¯t.¡± she smirked, swallowing the rest of her sandwich. ¡°Hey, have you seen Reva?¡± Violette asked, taking another bite of salad. ¡°Hm¡­ nope.¡± Hazel said, yawning. She curled up in her soft chair. ¡°You can go looking for her if you want.¡± Violette finished the rest of her salad and got up to do that exact thing. As she swerved and weaved through Shopkeeper¡¯s bazar, there seemed to be no trace of Reva. In the distance, Violette began to hear humming. As she approached closer to the source, the humidity started to spike and steam was in the air. ¡°I¡¯d stop right there if I were you.¡± Shopkeeper said behind her. Violette jumped and turned around. ¡°Sorry, I was just looking for my friend, Reva.¡± she explained. ¡°Yeah, I see that.¡± the merchant said. ¡°She asked for a service and I just happened to be able to provide it. I wouldn¡¯t interrupt someone in the shower, if I were you.¡± Shopkeeper pointed to the pile of green armor and a giant shield on her left. ¡°Oh.¡± Violette realized, blushing. ¡°Well, at least I didn¡¯t intrude on anything.¡± ¡°Well, is there anything I can find for you in the meantime?¡± Shopkeeper asked. Violette thought for a second. ¡°Do you have anything musical?¡± Violette was led into a music section of Shopkeeper¡¯s bazar. There were instruments ranging from violin, to saxophone, to guitar, to theremin. Violette picked up an electric guitar and gazed at it in remembrance. ¡°Something catch your eye?¡± Shopkeeper eagerly asked over her shoulder. ¡°No¡­ I just remembered something.¡± she said fondly. ¡°Back before the Final War¡­ I played with one of these for a while.¡± ¡°Well, what would you say to one last concert?¡± Shopkeeper whispered in her ear. Vio¡¯s eyes lit up in delight. ¡°You would let me do that?¡± she asked. ¡°If you make it an enjoyable one.¡± Shopkeeper walked away from Violette. ¡°Anything you¡¯d need for a concert is here.¡± Before Shopkeeper disappeared, Violette thought of something. ¡°Wait!¡± she shouted. ¡°I need some different clothes for this.¡± She told Shopkeeper an assortment of clothes she wanted and thought for a second. ¡°And I¡¯ll need a boxcutter.¡± ¡°For what?¡± the saleswoman asked skeptically. ¡°It¡¯s not rock without ripped clothes.¡± Violette said simply. ¡°Normally, I¡¯d slide on my knees until holes ripped in them, but I don¡¯t have the time. Oh, and some hair-dye too!¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°The concert better be good, or you¡¯re paying for all of this.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Hey, watch this.¡± Selicy said. She put a hand over Gunner¡¯s mouth, freezing his lips. He looked unamused as she did it again, making the ice disappear. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Gunner asked impatiently. ¡°These handcuffs are really chafing my wrists. It¡¯s killing me.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a no.¡± Shiso said. ¡°If you want softer handcuffs, that¡¯s a totally different hardware store to go to.¡± The man groaned and held his shoulder again; it started to throb again. ¡°Does your shoulder feel any better?¡± Saffron asked. Though Shiso was able to fire off her homemade sniper rifle, there wasn¡¯t much to dampen the recoil on the thing. Even the gun suffered damage after firing just once. And well, Shiso ended up with a shoulder injury. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine after a while.¡± he sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve broken bones more serious than this.¡± ¡°Can we do something about this feral child?¡± Selicy asked to the side, trying to keep Gunner under control. Shiso sighed. ¡°Kid, you wanna come to Eden with us?¡± he asked. ¡°No.¡± Gunner spat. Saffron looked confused. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because my job is to guard that spot, not invade Eden. The rest of my squad might¡¯ve bailed, but I won¡¯t. Not until I get orders from my government.¡± All three of them looked at each other, then erupted into cynical laughter. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?!¡± he demanded. ¡°Sorry kid, but there¡¯s no ¡®government¡¯ left to give orders. They¡¯re all gone!¡± ¡°What?¡± he said in disbelief. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re all gone.¡± Saffron said sheepishly. ¡°They all blew each other to smithereens. We¡¯re a good majority of what¡¯s left.¡± ¡°You mean¡­ no more orders?¡± the boy asked. ¡°Yep.¡± Saffron responded. ¡°You¡¯re as free as a bird.¡± Gunner looked into the distance, despondent from what they were saying. ¡°I think he¡¯s broken.¡± Selicy said, waving her hands in front of his eyes with no reaction. ¡°I¡¯ve got this.¡± Shiso said. He took the handcuffs off of Gunner and pulled him to the back of the group to have a long chat. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Violette jumped out from behind the folding screen to show Reva her new look. Instead of a nice green, her hair was dyed a dark aquamarine. She had purple socks on inside of her white tennis shoes. Her loose white t-shirt flowed over the ripped blue jeans that she prominently sported. ¡°What do you think?¡± Violette asked. Reva smiled; instead of her usual armor, she wore a large white and green sweater with a gold trim. ¡°I think you look like a real rock star!¡± Reva said supportively, holding up a giant thumbs-up. ¡°Thanks!¡± Violette exclaimed, giving her a giant hug. She picked up a bright red guitar and put it across her back. ¡°Although, some more people to play with me wouldn¡¯t be bad though.¡± ¡°Sorry, I only play piano and maracas. Neither of which you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± Violette sighed. ¡°Vio, what happened to you?¡± asked a voice behind them both. Saffron, Shiso, Selicy, and Gunner walked into the music section of Shopkeeper¡¯s bazar. ¡°I¡¯m gonna put on a rock performance!¡± she said, excited. ¡°Good to hear I get to rest then.¡± Shiso grunted, putting himself down into a chair. ¡°Is he alright?¡± Vio asked. ¡°The old man threw out his back lifting some boxes.¡± Selicy said, putting her hoodie back on. Saffron rolled her eyes. ¡°Just a shoulder injury. He¡¯ll get over it soon.¡± Saffron examined Violette. ¡°So, is it just you, or¡­?¡± ¡°Neither Hazel or Reva can really play what I¡¯m looking for.¡± she said in despair. ¡°If only I had more people.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡± Selicy said casually to the side. She walked over, picked up a bass, and played some cords on it. ¡°I played for a while. Learned to move my fingers when some annoying guy invited me over to play Guitar Hero every other night.¡± ¡°Ok then.¡± Violette said, tilting her head. ¡°Do any of you play the drums?¡± she asked. ¡°I can.¡± said Gunner, raising his hand. ¡°Oh!¡± Violette said in surprise. She hadn¡¯t actually noticed him. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the guy who almost blew your head off.¡± Everyone stayed silent for a few moments. ¡°Are you going to do it again?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Can you play drums good?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in.¡± With that, Violette, Selicy, and Gunner disappeared into a maze of music and instruments. They weren¡¯t seen for many hours. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About an hour before the event, Violette had everyone give her one song they wanted to hear. Well, everyone except for Shopkeeper; for once, she couldn¡¯t be found in her own shop. As the stars set out in the sky, everyone else sat in folding chairs in front of a big stage that Shopkeeper somehow had fit in her backpack. ¡°How does she fit all of this junk in there?¡± Shiso asked, gesturing around to the merchandise that stretched for miles. ¡°I¡¯m guessing magitech.¡± Saffron said confidently. ¡°What if she just shrinks it all?¡± Shiso thought aloud. ¡°Like Merlin in that film, The Sword in the Stone.¡± ¡°Nobody¡¯s watched your old man films.¡± Hazel said, sitting beside them with popcorn. ¡°Where¡¯ve you been?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°We looked for you, but we haven¡¯t seen you since we got here.¡± ¡°I took a nap.¡± the engineer responded. ¡°And not jury-rigging some mechanical monster together again?¡± Shiso asked skeptically. Hazel put her hands up. ¡°I promise not.¡± ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait to see what they¡¯ve put together!¡± Reva said in the back. None of them let her sit in front of them because of her height. ¡°Vio sounded so excited!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see how it is.¡± Shiso said as the band members walked out onto the stage, making their way to the instruments. Violette picked up her bright red guitar that she had even signed herself. Selicy, wearing a pair of sunglasses, took her bright blue bass that had jagged spikes at the end of its head, making it look like ice. Gunner, wearing a bandana around his forehead, took a seat in front of his drum set; the center of each drum had a carton bomb explosion designed onto it. Violette tapped the mic before clearing her throat and shouting. ¡°ARE YOU READY FOR VIOLETTE AND THE ICE-BOMBS?!¡± she said with the intensity of an atomic warhead. ¡°WOO! YEAH!¡± Reva shouted back, as if trying to match the intensity. Violette saw Shiso cover his ears and groan. ¡°Now that you¡¯re hyped, let¡¯s get started.¡± she said at a more normal volume. ¡°We¡¯re starting with an original song tonight. It¡¯s called ¡®One More Step¡¯ and it was written by me.¡± Violette took a deep breath and stepped away from the mic. She nodded to Gunner; he spun his drumsticks around and slammed them together. ¡°1! 2! 1-2-3-4!¡± Gunner started drumming away and made a sound that could be compared to lightning striking a few sticks of dynamite. Selicy was busy giving a nice bassline while occasionally intersecting with Violette, who was set on playing the melody. Nobody dared talking as Violette approached the mic and started singing. The allies we¡¯ve made, The foes we¡¯ve felled; Experience shared, Friendships we weld. Far beyond the starlight, We run, and we run. Closer to our destination, Where our journey will be done¡­! One more step and we¡¯re already there! One more step, if you dare. One more step through any weather! One more step if we do it together. As all three of the band members rocked out as hard they could on stage, the four audience members got up and began cheering. Up in the catwalk above the stage, Shopkeeper was frantically rushing around to set lights right and do other stage effects. As she pressed a button, a light fog settled over the stage. She tossed several glow-sticks down; one of which landed in Shiso¡¯s open mouth. They all twirled around the glow-sticks while the three performed on stage and soon neared the end of the song. In the end, we¡¯ll all find tomorrow, Lying one step ahead in its wait. Together we stand, side by side, To write the world again from its cleanly-pressed-slate! One more step, and it¡¯s time to leave. To heaven¡¯s shackles, we will all cleave! We¡¯ll all be here, no matter the endeavor, Each step of the way, we¡¯ll do it all together¡­! As the song ended, Violette, along with the other two on stage, were panting and sweating profusely from their heated performance. Saffron, Reva, and Hazel were standing up, cheering, and giving as much praise as possible. Vio and Shiso locked eyes with each other; he smiled and gave a thumbs-up. ¡°Thank you!¡± Violette shouted, fanning herself. ¡°Now, let¡¯s take five!¡± Violette hopped down to the seats while Gunner and Selicy just lied down on stage. Saffron and Hazel went to Selicy¡¯s side while Reva went to try and lift Gunner. Shiso stood up and faced Violette. ¡°That was one hell of a performance.¡± Shiso complimented. ¡°Sure had me impressed.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Violette blushed, brushing her hair aside. ¡°Listen, I-¡± Before Shiso finished, Violette rushed in and kissed him. He was taken totally by surprise, but closed his eyes until it was over. Violette¡¯s face was now even more red. She tried to find the right words. ¡°I, uh¡­ well-¡± Shiso put a hand on her shoulder and pointed back on stage. ¡°Your bandmates are waiting for you.¡± he said. Selicy and Gunner were drinking water and getting back into their positions to play. ¡°You¡¯d better get back up there quick.¡± ¡°So¡­ we-¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk after the concert. Go, enjoy yourself again.¡± Violette smiled as she bounded back on stage and drank a few massive gulps of water. ¡°WHO¡¯S READY TO KEEP GOING?!¡± she shouted. The four of them cheered and Violette pointed to Gunner. ¡°HIT IT!¡± ¡°1! 2! 1-2-3-4!¡± You show is everything you¡¯ve got! You keep on dancin¡¯ and the room gets hot! You drive us wild, we¡¯ll drive you crazy¡­! Violette and the Ice-Bombs gave their first and last concert by performing all night. As the twinkling stars faded, the morning sun rose in the sky and a new dawn shone down on them all. Chapter 17: Stone-Cold Heart Violette slowly opened her eyes and began to stretch her arms. She was laying down on the hard wooden stage, looking at the blue sky above her. Her eyes felt heavy and she blinked hard in an attempt to recover from her first full night of playing music in a while. Violette was resting on a pillow with a blanket draped over herself. She drowsily looked around to see a few turned over chairs, many dead glow-sticks, and a couple drum-sticks snapped in half. The whole stage and surrounding area was devoid of people, branching off into the maze of Shopkeeper¡¯s merchandise. ¡°Get back here you little thief!¡± shouted the voice of the owner, as if on command. The green-clad woman was floating above her domain chasing something. Through one of the stalls, a hooded man burst onto the stage area. His hooded robe was all white except for some golden trim on the edges. His face was completely obscured by shadow, but Violette could see the object he had in hand. It was an elaborately chiseled idol of a woman made out of polished granite. ¡°Don¡¯t just lay there; do something!¡± Shopkeeper shouted at Vio. In a quick panic as the man ran in her direction, she rolled to get up. Unfortunately, she rolled right off the stage. In the process of trying to not fall, her frantic hands unintentionally strummed over her guitar. To the fleeing man¡¯s surprise, he was tripped by seemingly nothing and began to hurdle off the stage. Before hitting the ground though, the man¡¯s cloak wrapped around him and took a sharp left in the air. It was like the hood had a mind of its own. Shopkeeper didn¡¯t even stop to greet Violette; she just kept chasing the man, hurling high-velocity Sera as her weapons. Getting up and giving another morning stretch, Violette attempted to straighten her hair while she recalled last night. She hadn¡¯t had a gig like that in a long time. She sat there, recalling in a hazy daydream until the memory of Shiso came to mind. She panicked as she remembered what he told her after the kiss. ¡°We¡¯ll talk after the concert. Go, enjoy yourself again.¡± rang Shiso¡¯s voice through her head. She didn¡¯t remember talking with him at all. Violette took off in a flash though Shopkeeper¡¯s market, hoping to find the man somewhere in the maze of products. Before she went too far though, she ran back and grabbed her guitar. After all, she wanted something on her in case that hooded man happened to meet her again. \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ ¡°No, aim with the hips.¡± Shiso insisted. ¡°With the hips.¡± Gunner threw the kunai and it soared above the target. The boy groaned in frustration and kicked a pile of CD¡¯s over. ¡°What did I say about the hips?¡± Shiso asked judgmentally. ¡°Shut up, man! You can¡¯t tell me that you can do this garbage!¡± Gunner said in defeat. Shiso grabbed a knife from Gunner¡¯s hand and hurled it at the target. In a blur of his hands, Shiso had scored a bullseye. ¡°Yes, I can say that I can do it. So can you. Just focus.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this even for?¡± the boy asked, continuing his tantrum after an hour of failure. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna use these knives!¡± ¡°You know what? That¡¯s what I thought when I was your age too.¡± Shiso said, retrieving his kunais. ¡°But now I use them all the time.¡± ¡°Is it because that antique¡¯ll fall apart if you shoot it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve kept this thing in prime condition for decades.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look decades old.¡± Gunner observed. ¡°I moisturize.¡± Shiso joked. Gunner began looking around the place like he was on some kind of treasure hunt. ¡°Where are the guns in this place?¡± he asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you pick up one of these knives instead, kid?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t give a damn about those stupid knives.¡± Gunner spat. ¡°I¡¯m trying to teach you something useful.¡± Shiso snapped. ¡°Be grateful and learn it.¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯re not my dad.¡± Gunner retorted, continuing his search. ¡°Who the hell taught you stuff like that?¡± ¡°My mother did¡­¡± Shiso¡¯s sentence trailed off as he stared off into the distance. He rubbed his temples and sat on the ground. Gunner walked over, a bit concerned about the man supervising him. ¡°Yo, you okay?¡± he asked. Shiso looked up at the familiar young boy standing above him. He threw his head back and stared into the infinite blue sky. It tantalized him with the knowledge of irony. ¡°God, I¡¯m turning into my mother.¡± he grumbled. ¡°Your mom threw knives at targets with you?¡± Gunner joked. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Gunner meekly paused, embarrassed. ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t get to really meet my mom.¡± Shiso sighed and closed his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re not all that they¡¯re talked up to be.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± ¡°My mother¡­¡± Shiso mumbled. ¡°Never liked to talk about growing up. ¡®Nuff said about that, I think.¡± he said, getting up. ¡°You¡¯re just dropping it at that?¡± Gunner asked, disappointed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s enough for now.¡± the gunslinger said with finality. He took a kunai and tucked it into one of Gunner¡¯s pockets. ¡°Why do you insist on giving children knives?¡± the boy asked. ¡°Everyone could use one.¡± Shiso patted Gunner on the back. ¡°Let¡¯s go get you a gun. It ought to make you happy.¡± ¡°Well, ¡®bout time.¡± Gunner remarked, walking through the bazaar with Shiso. \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Selicy and Reva made their way through the Shopkeeper¡¯s shop, weaving through various stalls, bookshelves, and display cases of merchandise. ¡°Have you always done that?¡± Reva asked, pointing to Selicy¡¯s ice skates riding across the thin layer of sleet under them. ¡°It wasn¡¯t exactly the easiest thing to get at first.¡± Selicy sighed. ¡°Many falls.¡± ¡°It looks cool though.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± It was quite the awkward company for the both of them. Selicy wasn¡¯t one to keep up a conversation and Reva wasn¡¯t acquainted enough with Selicy to know what was and wasn¡¯t alright to talk about with her. ¡°Where are we heading?¡± Reva asked. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the comic book section.¡± Selicy said plainly. ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for the comic book type.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something I occasionally glance at. Makes me feel nostalgic.¡± ¡°Of times before the war?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Selicy said uncertainly. Shopkeeper¡¯s comic section consisted of a small quadrant of a bookshelf crammed with as many of the small books as possible. ¡°Not quite the impressive collection, is it?¡± Reva joked. Selicy took one out of the shelf, holding it fondly. ¡°Whatcha¡¯ got there, Sel?¡± the knight asked. ¡°It¡¯s just a little something.¡± she mumbled. Reva bent down to read the title of the comic book. It read ¡®The Adventures of Lady Decibel¡¯ in red and yellow text across the front. ¡°Are you thinking about buying that one, ma¡¯am?¡± asked a sweet voice behind them both. Shopkeeper was standing there, hands behind her back. ¡°Goodness, how did you get here so fast?!¡± Reva yelped. ¡°A gal¡¯s gotta be fast to run this kind of business.¡± Shopkeeper winked with a rosy smile. ¡°But a little doppelganger spell makes things easier too.¡± ¡°Then are we talking to the original?¡± Reva inquired. ¡°Unfortunately, she¡¯s unavailable right now.¡± Shopkeeper apologized. ¡°I will have to serve you instead.¡± ¡°Getting a clone to run your establishment with you?¡± Reva asked, shaking her head. ¡°What won¡¯t you do to save money¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯d do anything for some green!¡± Shopkeeper exclaimed, determined. ¡°Glad to see she¡¯s a chip off the old block.¡± Selicy said, unamused. ¡°Money is my mistress, and I live to serve!¡± Shopkeeper insisted. ¡°Good. Shut up and get me to check-out.¡± Selicy sassed, throwing the comic book into Shopkeeper¡¯s hands. ¡°I wanna make this quick.¡± ¡°35 Serra.¡± Shopkeeper said, holding her hand out. As soon as Selicy dropped the gems into the lady¡¯s hands, she disappeared into a cloud of purple smoke. Both Selicy and Reva got a good mouthful of the smog. ¡°Damn¡­ magicians¡­¡± Selicy coughed. They worked their best to fan the hazardous smoke away. The two of them found a place to sit, where Reva tried her best to stop her eyes from watering while Selicy opened the comic book she bought. ¡°Say, why did you buy that book in particular?¡± Reva inquired. ¡°I liked the cover the most.¡± Selicy said. You know, like a liar. Before Reva could actually question her any further, the stall behind them came crashing down and a howling cry pierced through the air. ¡°Get back here, you little business killers!¡± raged a familiar green store owner. From the dust of the destroyed stalls, a figure darted out. She had an all white hooded robe with golden trim on the edges. Her face was completely obscured by the shadow of the ominous hood. In her hands was a sphere that was slightly blue tinted and almost clear, but refracted light near the center of it. ¡°Get her!¡± yelled Shopkeeper, hovering off the ground. Selicy was quick on the command. She outstretched an arm and several spikes of ice shot from her fingertips. Only one of them hit, but it impaled itself though the woman¡¯s calf; she yelped and fell down. The woman¡¯s coak yanked her backwards, carrying her through the air and around another corner.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°What the hell was that?!¡± Shopkeeper furiously exclaimed, pointing at Reva. ¡°Did you even try to stop her?!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt her.¡± Reva said. ¡°You could¡¯ve at least blocked her!¡± Shopkeeper darted her eyes around. ¡°Those damn things are like rats!¡± Shopkeeper grumbled, frustrated. She flew off to the other side of her market. Reva and Selicy stared at each other. ¡°What do you think that was about?¡± Selicy asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Reva shrugged. ¡°But I think she¡¯s got it handled.¡± \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ ¡°This place gets bigger each time we¡¯re here.¡± Saffron remarked, peering into every nook and cranny of Shopkeeper¡¯s market. ¡°How do you think she gets and sells all this junk?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°Clearly not just from us.¡± Saffron scratched her chin. ¡°Maybe she raids junk piles for the stuff still intact?¡± ¡°Then how does she get rid of the stuff? She doesn¡¯t look like the type to just throw stuff away without selling it.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Time travel?¡± ¡°Saff, you¡¯re losing me.¡± Hazel laughed. ¡°Maybe she travels through dimensions.¡± the scientist suggested. ¡°Get goods from across the multiverse.¡± ¡°Yeah, and how does she do that?¡± Hazel asked smugly. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± Saffron admitted with a giggle. ¡°Some of these even look like personal things!¡± Hazel noticed, picking up a photograph. It had on it five figures: 4 adults and one child standing on top of a blue wall. One had an eye missing while another wore a giant brown coat. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you all!¡± exclaimed Violette ahead of them. Hazel set the photo back down before she got a better look at it. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°Shiso. I need to find him.¡± Vio asked in a panicked voice. ¡°I never talked to him after last night!¡± ¡°Maybe you did and you thought you dreamed it.¡± Hazel suggested. ¡°I didn¡¯t dream of him though!¡± Violette lamented. ¡°What did you dream of?¡± Saff asked curiously. ¡°David Bowie vampires; but that¡¯s not the-¡± ¡°Hold the phone.¡± Hazel interrupted seriously. ¡°You dreamed of David Bowie as a vampire?¡± ¡°Multiple of them.¡± Violette corrected. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Hazel wondered. ¡°Maybe it suggests-¡± ¡°Zel, you¡¯re not a psychologist.¡± Saffron pointed out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Vio, we¡¯ll help you find Shiso. The guy¡¯s around here somewhere.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± the musician sighed in relief. ¡°One more thing¡­¡± she asked quietly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Can you, uh¡­ help me find my regular clothes.¡± she asked. Violette was still wearing her rock stage clothes, but had forgotten where she left her casual wear. ¡°Let¡¯s get that settled first.¡± Saffron laughed, patting Vio on the back. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Ah¡­ That feels comfier.¡± Vio remarked, talking out from the folding screen with her regular dress on. She gripped the familiar violin in her hand, feeling like it was an extension of her that was missing. ¡°Stylish as always!¡± Saffron cheered. ¡°Now we can look for that old man.¡± Hazel sighed. ¡°The shop¡¯s so big though.¡± Saffron said. ¡°It¡¯ll take forever to find Shiso.¡± ¡°Good thing I¡¯m here then.¡± yawned the gunslinger, walking into the room from behind them. He walked with Gunner by his side, who was examining his new Manafire as closely as possible. Violette blushed. ¡°Oh¡­ I- Well¡­ if you¡­ we should-¡± Violette¡¯s articulation had hit an all time low with trying to convey her feelings. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk somewhere else.¡± Shiso suggested, walking over and taking her hand. Y-yeah.¡± Violette stammered, flustered. They both walked out of the group¡¯s vision. Saff and Hazel looked down at Gunner. ¡°Hey kid, what¡¯s up with the old man?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°You¡¯ve been with him for the past hour. What¡¯s up with him?¡± ¡°I dunno.¡± he answered, looking down the muzzle of the gun. ¡°He doesn¡¯t say much.¡± ¡°Ugh. Guys.¡± Hazel complained. Reva and Selicy walked in as well. Selicy was explaining a comic book as she held it up for the knight to see. They were apparently deep in some talk about comic book lore. ¡°Fascinating morals¡­¡± Reva admired. ¡°Such pure intentions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how most superheroes of the era are.¡± Selicy shrugged. ¡°You bought a comic book?¡± Hazel judged. ¡°What?¡± Selicy said defensively. ¡°You had to buy those overalls at some point. I wouldn¡¯t consider that the best purchase of your life.¡± ¡°Saff, hold my belt.¡± Hazel said, shoving her belt into Saffron¡¯s hands and taking out the person-sized wrench. ¡°Perhaps we can not fight here?¡± Reva asked, standing between them both. ¡°Shopkeeper already looks quite occupied and stressed.¡± From out of view, a white hooded figure jumped from the top of a bookshelf. He landed in the middle of the group, leaving them stunned. Before any of them reacted, the hooded man jerked to the ground and sharply darted between Reva¡¯s legs, not stopping his pace. ¡°Follow that thing!¡± Reva and Selicy exclaimed, dashing after it. Hazel took her belt back from Saffron and joined the two in giving chase to the hood. Gunner was too infatuated with his gun, but Saffron scooped him up and carried him on her back as she followed the other three. ¡°Why are we chasing that thing?!¡± Saffron asked when she managed to catch up. ¡°The guy¡¯s been busting through the shop!¡± Selicy said. ¡°He¡¯s pissing me off and he interrupted my day again!¡± ¡°And he¡¯s been stealing Shopkeeper¡¯s products.¡± Reva added. ¡°He¡¯s got something in his hands!¡± Hazel pointed out. Indeed, in the hooded figure¡¯s hands was a cleanly cut purple gem. ¡°He¡¯s got something!¡± Gunner spotted from his high vantage point. Gunner aimed his shaky gun and fired; the hood jerked the figure, making him dodge out of the way. ¡°We need something to weigh him down!¡± Hazel suggested. ¡°He¡¯s too fast.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea!¡± Saffron exclaimed. ¡°Reva, when I hand you something, throw it as hard as you can at the guy.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± the white knight said confidently. ¡°Brace yourself, little guy.¡± Saffron warned Gunner. Before he could question what he was bracing himself for, Saffron lobbed the boy onto the shoulders of Reva, who unquestioningly threw the child at the hooded figure. Gunner himself missed the figure, but he grappled onto the hood, dragging it along the ground. The man was now weighed down by the child and his gun. ¡°Get off me, kid!¡± the gruff voice demanded. ¡°You first!¡± Gunner shot back. ¡°What?¡± the man questioned, not understanding the nonsensical comeback. The white hood finally got to the edge of the Shopkeeper¡¯s bazaar of stuff. The man turned around and kicked Gunner off his hood, dusting it off. From the group¡¯s left and right, 2 more hooded figures flew out; one woman holding a blue-tinted clear sphere and a man holding a granite statue of a woman. ¡°I don¡¯t believe those things belong to you!¡± Reva shouted, raising her shield. ¡°Come and take them back then!¡± spat the young man holding the granite. The figures darted far into the plain of rock faster than any of them could react. ¡°My merchandise¡­¡± Shopkeeper sadly moaned, floating dejectedly behind them. ¡°They took my babies¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Reva comforted, patting Shopkeeper on the back. ¡°We¡¯ll get them back for you.¡± ¡°We will?¡± Hazel asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± Reva insisted. She gave pleading eyes to Saffron. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± sighed Saffron, who gave in to Reva¡¯s begging. ¡°Oh, thank you all!¡± Shopkeeper exclaimed, giving Reva a hug. ¡°Where are the other two of you guys?¡± ¡°Off playing spin the bottle somewhere, probably.¡± Selicy scowled. Shopkeeper took out a card and crushed it between her palms. Suddenly, she split into three separate people with a comic ¡°pop!¡± sound. The left and right Shopkeepers flew off into the shop while the middle one stood there and shook her head, dazed. ¡°Oh, that gets hard when I have to split so many times in one day.¡± she complained. After a few minutes of waiting, the two Shopkeepers came flying back. One was carrying Violette with ease, swinging her around and having fun with her. The other Shopkeeper was struggling to keep Shiso in the air, as he was thrashing about and yelling about how he¡¯d rather walk than be flown. Shopkeeper one gently let Violette down while the other one dumped Shiso onto the hard-packed ground. They both merged back with the original. ¡°Did he make a move on you?¡± Selicy whispered to Violette, causing her to blush. ¡°What did you drag me here for?¡± Shiso groaned. ¡°You all have agreed to get my merchandise back!¡± Shopkeeper cheered. Shiso turned to the group as a whole. ¡°Who drafted us all to do this?¡± he asked. Everyone except Violette pointed to a meekly smiling Reva. ¡°Are we getting paid for this?¡± Shiso asked Shopkeeper. She thought for a second. ¡°Yes.¡± she finally answered. ¡°Good enough for me.¡± Shiso said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s move out.¡± The group said goodbye to Shopkeeper as they set off in the direction of the white-hooded figures. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t let Reva make group decisions.¡± Shiso advised everyone. They all nodded in unison, being at a complete agreement. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°You said you really saw them go in this direction?¡± Shiso inquired. ¡°Yeah, everyone but you and the rock star did.¡± Selicy said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for as far as I can see.¡± Shiso pointed out. ¡°What if they changed direction?¡± Saffron asked. They all stayed silent, for they knew that in that case, they had been walking in the same direction for the last hour all for nothing. ¡°Hey guys, is that normal?¡± Reva asked, pointing at the sky. A flock of birds was passing though, but disappeared for about a football field¡¯s length before reappearing again. ¡°Um¡­ no, it¡¯s not.¡± Hazel pointed out. ¡°What¡¯s up with the birds though?¡± Gunner asked. As they walked closer, the space in front of them seemed to have a kind of wavy effect, as if heat waves were scorching the air. Without warning, Selicy shoved Shiso forward. The man stumbled before disappearing entirely; Violette gasped. They all looked at her. ¡°What? I was gonna go next.¡± she said defensively. To her credit, she did immediately dash through next. Slowly, the entire group carefully moved their way through the barrier of distorted air. ¡°Woah¡­¡± Hazel whispered in awe. In front of them was a massive stone palace that looked too impressive for regular people to make. It was all made of one massive piece of stone; no mortar was in sight; just slight cracks here and there. No glass for windows though; just open roofs or precise holes in the walls to let sunlight in. ¡°Who built this place¡­?¡± Saffron wondered aloud. ¡°Who would build a castle entirely out of rock in this day and age?¡± Gunner asked. ¡°It feels more like a temple to me.¡± Violette said. ¡°Just something about the air it carries.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not gonna wait for the castle to come to me.¡± Hazel said happily. She marveled at the architectural wonder of it. ¡°Must¡¯ve been a pain to carve out.¡± said Shiso. ¡°Maybe they used a special tool?¡± Reva suggested. ¡°Maybe. The cuts look really sharp and precise.¡± They came to the front doors, which consisted literally of two giant stone doors. They tugged on them, but opening them proved pretty difficult. While Reva struggled to open the doors with Selicy trying to pry them open with packed-ice tools, Hazel was giving Saffron a leg up in order to peep through a window. Saffron saw a largely empty room with only a throne at the end of it. Sitting on the throne was a woman wearing a long white dress that covered her past her feet and a golden collar and headband. She had long dark purple twintails that reached down to below her hips. She gripped a staff in her left hand. In front of the woman were the three hooded figures that had stolen things from Shopkeeper. They were bowing down and offering the objects to the woman. ¡°We offer you more stuff of power!¡± the woman in the middle exclaimed excitedly. One man eagerly gave her his granite totem; the woman took it with wonder. Another proudly handed over his moderate sized cut of amethyst to the woman, who admired its purple sheen and shininess. Then the woman approached. ¡°Here you go, Lord Terra.¡± the woman said nervously. She gently gave her blue-tinted sphere over to Terra, who examined it in wonder. ¡°What is it?¡± Terra asked. ¡°It¡¯s a moonstone.¡± the woman answered proudly. ¡°It¡¯s super rare and shiny.¡± Terra was indeed marveling over the stone¡¯s immense luster that it provided. She smiled gleefully and looked back at the woman who offered it. ¡°You outdid yourself with this one.¡± Terra said warmly. She gently pushed the hood back from the woman¡¯s face and gave her a rub on the top of her head, like the kind parents might give to their young child. The woman smiled and put on a face of excitement while she and the two other guys ran off to a different room. The guys looked noticeably grumpier and jealous of their comrade. Hazel finally dropped Saffron, unable to hold her anymore. Saffron rubbed her head. ¡°What¡¯d you see?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°Either a cult or something weirder.¡± Saff answered. ¡°Have you tried knocking?¡± she shouted to Reva and Selicy. They both gave a blank stare to each other before Reva cleared her throat. ¡°Is anyone home?¡± Reva shouted. The stone doors slowly opened, revealing a long room with a woman sitting at a throne on the end. ¡°Who dares knock on my doorstep?¡± boomed a deep voice. ¡°Um¡­ Us.¡± Reva answered. ¡°Then begone, Us, or I will have to use force!¡± ¡°Force this!¡± Gunner shouted, blindly shooting a blast at Terra and pathetically missing his mark. ¡°So be it!¡± Terra shouted. She raised a hand, summoning purple symbols and runes in the air; the symbols began swirling around her arms and staff in a whirlpool motion. Then all at once, the runes stopped moving and arranged themselves into the air in front of you; then they all sank into the ground. The earth below them trembled as the whole palace began to shake uncontrollably. From the ground a giant stone monolith rose and moved towards them at lightning speed. Reva grabbed as many people as possible to hide behind her shield while throwing up giant blue shields for anyone else. The entire group was pushed backwards a hefty distance; miles and miles back. By the time they could all breathe soundly again, the monolith had pushed them all the way back to Shopkeeper¡¯s shop. The woman herself was standing at the entrance. ¡°Did you get my things back?¡± Shopkeeper asked. ¡°I think we need a plan first.¡± Hazel grumbled. Chapter 18: Cragheart Keep Shopkeeper was disappointed, to say the least, when they came back without any of her stolen merchandise. She acted as though she was going through a midlife crisis from simply missing a few gemstones. They were all sitting down in various chairs now, trying to discuss what to do. ¡°My babies are still missing¡­¡± Shopkeeper lamented, eyes red and in her hands. ¡°You¡¯ll see them soon enough.¡± Reva comforted, patting her back. ¡°We¡¯ll get them.¡± ¡°How are we going to do that?¡± Hazel silently mouthed. ¡°I have no idea.¡± Reva mouthed back, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°From what Saffron¡¯s said, they¡¯re pretty much dedicated to this one woman.¡± Selicy reasoned. ¡°So maybe we can impersonate her.¡± ¡°Oh, and you can do that?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°How do you think she got them to worship her?" ¡°That¡¯s¡­ actually a good question.¡± Violette said. ¡°Why do you think they worship her?¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll kill them if they don¡¯t?¡± Gunner proposed. ¡°Actually doesn¡¯t sound like a bad theory.¡± Shiso laughed. ¡°She wasn¡¯t exactly weak.¡± ¡°What do you think, Saff?¡± Reva asked. Saffron had stayed completely silent since telling the group what she¡¯d seen. ¡°She¡­ doesn¡¯t use Spell Cards¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, you told us she didn¡¯t.¡± Selicy said. ¡°I don¡¯t either. What''s your point?¡± ¡°She used magic, like, real magic. Magic from before spell cards were invented. The oldest magic there is, the kind that¡¯s been undocumented and forgotten.¡± ¡°Looks like someone¡¯s remembered your forgotten magic then.¡± Gunner said sarcastically. ¡°Screw her magic; we¡¯ll just blaze through her!¡± ¡°How did that work just an hour ago?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°Even my shield was overwhelmed by her magic.¡± Reva admitted. ¡°Is there a way to stop her from using magic?¡± Violette asked. They all looked over at Saffron for some insight. ¡°Pure magic like that takes more mana because of how much more uncontrolled and powerful it is compared to spell cards.¡± Saffron reasoned. ¡°So maybe if we force her to use enough magic too rapidly, we could force her body into a mana deficiency shock?¡± ¡°Should we figure out her allergies as well so we can force a pack of peanuts down her throat?¡± Selicy sarcastically asked. ¡°Be real; we¡¯ve got to overpower her, not wait for her to level a parking lot first.¡± Saffron reeled back at the hostility. She hadn¡¯t expected anyone to really give a rebuttal to her plan. ¡°I think we all should swarm her.¡± Selicy declared; a stream of cold steam started waterfalling from her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not doing any of this ¡®waiting for her to die¡¯ bullshit!¡± Everyone fell silent. ¡°I agree.¡± Gunner finally said off to the side. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna be a sitting duck until she croaks either.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not going to die.¡± Saffron said sternly. ¡°She¡¯ll just faint. Then we can put some more mana in her or something.¡± ¡°Double stupid!¡± Selicy hissed, now standing. ¡°We¡¯re knocking her out by draining mana so we can put mana back in her? You¡¯re denser than the average black hole!¡± ¡°At least her plan doesn¡¯t involve getting everyone killed.¡± Hazel retorted. ¡°I think Saff¡¯s on the right track.¡± While they were arguing, Shiso and Reva were quietly conversing with each other about something. Meanwhile, Violette sat quietly in her chair as everyone around her either argued loudly or talked in secret. Then, Shiso cleared his throat as loud as humanly possible. ¡°AHEM! Can I get everyone¡¯s attention?¡± he asked, raising a hand. Everyone stopped their shouting and sat back down. ¡°Thanks. Now, I personally think both of your plans are terrible, so me and Reva have made a plan that¡¯s not as terrible.¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± Selicy mumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna hear it.¡± Shiso said, pointing to the girl. He stood up and started walking around them. ¡°We think that some of us can distract the woman while the others sneak around her castle and grab the lady¡¯s things.¡± Gunner raised his hand. ¡°Yeah?¡± Shiso asked. ¡°Can I shoot anyone?¡± the boy asked. Shiso gave it some thought. ¡°On the way out,¡± he said firmly. ¡°Any other questions?¡± ¡°Why should I follow your plan?¡± Selicy asked. ¡°Because it¡¯s better than yours,¡± he said simply. ¡°That¡¯s-¡± ¡°Bullshit?¡± Selicy growled, grumbled some ambiguous words, and sat back down in her chair with folded arms. ¡°Cool your jets.¡± Gunner sighed. ¡°I thought you wanted my plan!¡± Selicy complained. ¡°As long as I get to fire the gun, I don¡¯t care.¡± Gunner said, hugging his gun closer to himself. Selicy rolled her eyes. ¡°What are the teams then?¡± Violette asked. Everyone had forgotten about her. ¡°Anyone who can¡¯t sneak is a distraction.¡± Shiso declared. ¡°But I think three people should be on the retrieval team.¡± ¡°Who here can keep hidden and stay quiet?¡± Reva asked. Everyone looked at Shiso. ¡°Anyone besides me?¡± he asked. ¡°How about me?¡± Violette asked with a small blush. ¡°Don¡¯t you play an instrument?¡± Selicy asked. ¡°I can keep quiet.¡± she whispered. Shiso stopped walking in front of her chair. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked. Violette stood up as tall as possible. Though naturally she would be shorter than the gunslinger, her platform shoes made her surpass him entirely. Shiso sighed at the sight of her platforms; he thought ¡°platform¡± didn¡¯t begin to describe them. She had less of a platform and more the entire stage under her feet. ¡°I can keep up with you boys.¡± she flaunted. Although, her comment fell slightly flat, as Shiso and Gunner were the only two guys there, and Gunner was definitely not going on the covert mission. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Shiso was clearly still a bit skeptical. Violette spread her hand out as wide as possible and placed it over Shiso¡¯s chest. ¡°Please, honey?¡± she begged. Shiso coughed and took a step backwards. ¡°Sure.¡± he quietly said between coughs. He retreated and sat back down in his chair. ¡°Dude, that was weak.¡± Gunner whispered beside him. ¡°Kid, shut it.¡± he shot back. ¡°Who else is coming with us?¡± Shiso asked loudly. ¡°I¡¯ll come.¡± Saffron said. Nobody argued. ¡°So me, Gunner, Selicy, and Hazel will be a distraction?¡± Reva asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How? She¡¯s seen us all.¡± Everyone was indeed stumped at this until Gunner spoke up. ¡°How about disguises?¡± he asked. Everyone went quiet. ¡°From where?¡± Selicy asked. ¡°We¡¯re in a store.¡± Hazel sassed. ¡°Where do you think?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t need the attitude.¡± Selicy hissed. Hazel was about to start another fight, but Saffron held her arm back and shook her head. The engineer rolled her eyes and strolled off to find somewhere that had clothes. Everyone agreed to meet back at the circle of chairs and went their separate ways, preparing for the plan they had formed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shiso, Violette, and Saffron had made it back to the circle of chairs far before any of the others had. The first to make it back though, was Selicy. She looked rather proud in her costume though. Her hood was totally gone, letting her hair flow down the back of her head completely now, and a bit over the top of her eyes too. It was a dark blue dress that reached the floor; the shoulders, dress base, and cuffs were all lined with snow-white fur. In the center of her chest was a bright blue diamond in the dress. A pair of similar, smaller diamonds hung from her ears as her earrings. To top it all off, a circlet rested on her head with another bright blue diamond embedded into it. Though none of them could see them under the dress, Selicy was also wearing clear blue high heels. She strided into her chair. ¡°What¡¯re you all staring at?¡± she asked. ¡°You look like a queen¡­¡± Violette said in wonder. ¡°I always did.¡± Selicy said with a smile. ¡°I am the North Queen after all.¡± ¡°Likely story.¡± Shiso snorted, spinning his revolver¡¯s barrel. Selicy rolled her eyes and sat down. Next came Gunner. The boy had on a dark orange shirt, which was covered by a jet-black leather jacket. The jeans he wore were also black with orange diamonds on the knees; the boots on his feet were also black with an orange outline on the bottom. He had ditched the yellow headband, letting his hair fall down almost to his eyes, which were covered by a pair of sunglasses. ¡°Real incognito, kid.¡± Shiso said with a laugh. ¡°Too anonymous?¡± he asked. ¡°Just right?¡± he winked with a thumbs-up and a smile. From behind his back, Gunner revealed that he had also swiped a bag full of some kind of snack. He popped open the bag and began tossing some blue food into his mouth. ¡°What are those?¡± Selicy asked. Gunner held the bag¡¯s label for the rest of them to see. The entire bag was a deep blue, with the only relief of that being the black nutrition information on the back, which told of the lethal amounts of sugar and mana that it contained, and the label on the front. The bag read ¡°Mana Bites¡± arcing across the top of the picture below it. Arcing under the picture was the phrase: ¡°Get the energy for when it counts¡±. In between them was a picture that Saffron felt was eerily familiar. Printed on it was a woman with long white hair who was wearing a crop top and jean-shorts. She had jet-black horns on her head, small wings on her back, and tail behind her. Her lipstick, eyes, shirt, and shorts were all a light blue hue. The woman had her hands together around her mouth, with her lips pursed and looking like she was in the process of blowing a kiss. At the same time, she was giving a soft wink. Behind her was a simple diamond of light blue as well.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Gunner took out a small, angular blue diamond about the size of a marble and tossed it into his mouth. He bit down on it with a very audible Crunch! and everyone watched as it shattered everywhere. He swallowed what remained in his mouth, but the parts that hit the ground melted into some kind of liquid and evaporated rapidly. ¡°You guys remember these things?¡± Gunner asked, shoving some more into his mouth. ¡°I loved these things before they stopped making them.¡± ¡°Why''d they stop making them?¡± Saffron asked nervously. ¡°I think their sales dropped when they made budget cuts.¡± Violette said, trying to recall. ¡°Nobody bought them when they couldn¡¯t afford to slap that chick on the front of the bag anymore.¡± Selicy retorted. ¡°Oh, that actually makes sense.¡± Saffron pondered. ¡°Whatever.¡± Gunner said, rolling his eyes. ¡°I just love these things.¡± ¡°The killer sugar and mana, or the way the food¡¯s shrapnel lodges into your gums?¡± Shiso asked. ¡°Yeah, both.¡± Gunner said wistfully. ¡°I¡¯m gonna savor these things for as long as I can.¡± Gunner folded up the bag and put it into a pocket on the inside of his jacket. ¡°Here comes the royal guard.¡± Selicy said sarcastically, pointing to the woman walking up to them. None of them had easily recognized Reva without her bulky armor and mammoth shield. She was instead wearing much more compact armor that she carried like it weighed nothing. It was silver armor with some green edges here and there; underneath, she wore some simple chainmail. It looked like a good set of armor for something like a Renaissance Festival, but this one was actually functioning. Reva had refused to wear the helmet though; her hair was also tied up in a bun on the back of her head. The fans in her hair were the only part that really stayed from her old look. ¡°Ooh, you look so cute!¡± Violette chirped, running up and hugging the knight. ¡°Thank you.¡± Reva blushed. ¡°Shopkeeper suggested wearing something smaller. That way I¡¯d be less recognisable.¡± She scratched the back of her head. ¡°It was also one of the cheaper armors.¡± ¡°She shoved the cheapest thing onto you?¡± Saffron asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°It wasn¡¯t the cheapest one.¡± Reva reasoned. ¡°What was the cheapest?¡± Gunner asked, trying to line up the chairs to bounce in a straight line across them. ¡°Very little.¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°Little money?¡± ¡°Little clothing.¡± ¡°What about a weapon?¡± Shiso asked. ¡°Unless you want to fight with bare-knuckle fistifuffs if push comes to shove.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± Saffron said. She reached into Reva¡¯s pockets and took out a card: Tyrfing. The large sword materialized in Reva¡¯s hands. ¡°That seems fine to me!¡± Reva said jollily. She looked to her sides and scratched her head. ¡°Where do I put it?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Saffron said in thought. ¡°Let me just¡­¡± Saffron took the card again and slapped it on the side of Reva¡¯s hips. It disappeared and turned into a sheath for the blade. ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡± Reva shrugged, putting the blade in its place. Almost immediately, the weight nearly sent her to the ground. She struggled to keep up. ¡°Anyone got a counterweight for her?¡± Shiso asked while Violette tried to keep the knight up. Gunner and Selicy were too busy jumping on chairs and trying to knock each other off like children. Only one of them had an excuse. ¡°I think I might have something else¡­¡± Saffron said, looking through her spells for something. Card after card came out of her Field Bracer one at a time until she got to what she needed. ¡°This is a prototype for one of my personal spells. Maybe it can help you.¡± Saffron took the card and slapped it on the other side of Reva¡¯s waist; a sheath materialized with a red sword inside of it, perfectly sized to counter Tyrfing¡¯s weight. ¡°Oof, what is it?¡± Reva wondered, pulling out the large blade. The blade itself was the size of Tryfing, no question about that. It was entirely red, the surface moving and flowing as if it was running water. The pommel was shaped like a diamond, with a golden diamond in the middle of it. The hilt was spiked in multiple places, making it quite dangerous to the user¡¯s wrists if not careful. Designed in the center of the hilt and descending about a fifth of the way down the blade was a black teardrop with a smaller golden one inside of it. They all stared at the sword, as none of them had seen Saffron use it before. ¡°Saff¡­ what is that thing?¡± Selicy asked. They couldn¡¯t quite place it, but everyone in the immediate area, even Reva, could sense something odd about it. As if the sword itself was trying to tell them something. ¡°It¡¯s an experimental spell I made.¡± Saffron said meekly. ¡°It was never meant to really be causally used with your hands, but I figured Reva¡¯s strong enough to carry it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡± Gunner asked eagerly. Saffron took a deep breath. ¡°Ragnar?kkr.¡± Saffron whispered. ¡°Just some prototype magic. Not even as strong as the real thing¡­¡± Reva took out Tyrfing and crossed the swords above her head. Sunlight glinted off the section where they crossed. She put them back in their respective sheathes, feeling pretty comfortable with them by her sides. ¡°Welcome to the dual wield club.¡± Shiso said with a laugh. He took out a set of revolvers and did fancy twirls with his hands, even throwing them over his shoulder and catching them without even a glance. ¡°Can¡¯t really see the tactical advantage in spinning guns.¡± sassed a voice from behind them. Hazel waltzed onto the scene, with Shopkeeper not far behind her. She might be the most unrecognisable one. To start with, the giant poofy hair that Hazel had carried up until them was gone. Instead, her hair had been meticulously and painstakingly put into a french braid, which fell down her back. Looking down, Saffron could see that Hazel didn¡¯t part with her regular boots at all though. Over her usual clothing, Hazel had thrown on a heavy brown trench coat that covered everything below her neck. Over the left breast of the coat, Hazel had thrown on her own custom patch: An H, with the line through the middle being a wrench. On her head was a typical Russian fur hat, which sat quite loosely and idley. A pair of metal-rimmed goggles were also placed over it. Her hands were buried deep in the coat¡¯s pockets. ¡°Quite the look.¡± Saffron said sarcastically. ¡°This was the compromise.¡± Hazel grumbled. ¡°She didn¡¯t have a ton of clothing in my size and I wasn¡¯t dressing as either a maid or an orphan.¡± ¡°So you settled on being Russian?¡± Shiso asked. ¡°I said it was a compromise.¡± Hazel repeated. She took out her hands, revealing the thick gloves on them. ¡°What about the gloves?¡± the gunman asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think you really need those.¡± ¡°Of course I need them.¡± Hazel said defensively. ¡°They complete the look.¡± ¡°Guys, huddle together.¡± Saffron requested. ¡°I just want to see something.¡± In a single-file line, they stood shoulder-to-shoulder and peered at Shiso, Saff, and Violette. They were lined up in the order of Hazel, Gunner, Selicy, then Reva. ¡°So we have a dual-wielding knight in armor,¡± Shiso said, pointing at Reva. ¡°A queen of ice,¡± Violette continued, pointing at Selicy. ¡°Some kind of modern day Danny Zuko,¡± Saffron said, pointing at Gunner. ¡°And a Russian woman.¡± they unanimously said, staring at Hazel. ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll let them in?¡± Violette asked. Shiso took another glance at the four of them. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. ¡°If I die any time soon, it¡¯s because of you guys.¡± he groaned. ¡°Drama queen.¡± Selicy muttered. ¡°You¡¯re the ones who look like a high school drama club.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The group was right outside Terra¡¯s stone castle. There still wasn¡¯t anyone keeping watch, which made walking up to the castle doors as easy as walking down to a local church. If a local church was in the middle of a barren wasteland. ¡°Do we have a name for this mission?¡± Gunner asked at the doors. Everyone stared back at him. ¡°You wait until now to ask that?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°Well, do we have one?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just have to be in and out.¡± Saffron interjected. ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°But I want it to be named.¡± Gunner pleaded. ¡°Fine.¡± Saffron sighed. It¡¯ll be called Operation Intrude N313. Happy?¡± ¡°Very.¡± the boy said, satisfied. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go over the plan.¡± Shiso said. He pointed to the four costumed comrades. ¡°You guys will enter through the front doors while we sneak around. While you put on some sort of Tom and Jerry routine for her, we¡¯ll find the shit and split. Got it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Hazel replied. ¡°What are we actually supposed to do?¡± ¡°Distract her.¡± the gunman said simply. ¡°By doing what?¡± ¡°Hell if I know! Put on a play, polish her shoes, make her a pie; I don¡¯t care!¡± ¡°Can I shoot her?¡± Gunner asked patiently. ¡°Nobody engages her unless she tries to kill you. Understand?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± the four of them said, with Reva sounding like the only happy voice. ¡°Then let¡¯s ride.¡± The four costumed crusaders stood in front of the door while Reva gave it a sturdy and solid knock. The sound reverberated throughout the entire castle. ¡°Who goes there?!¡± boomed Terra¡¯s voice. ¡°Travelers looking for shelter!¡± Reva yelled back. Shiso already thought that Reva¡¯s improvisation would end in failure, but the door slowly grinded open to his surprise. ¡°See ya!¡± Saffron said as they ran from the doors to find a window to hop through. The three of them peeped through the lowest one they could get to. There was a single guy in a room who was trying to light a candle by snapping his fingers. ¡°Gotta be quiet.¡± Shiso whispered to them. Like a cat, he jumped through the window without a sound; the man hadn¡¯t even noticed the intruder. Shiso snuck around until he was right behind the cultist, then he put an arm around the man¡¯s throat and held on tight. ¡°Sleep¡­¡± Shiso whispered in the man¡¯s ear. After a minute of struggling, the cultist fell unconscious. The two women crawled through the window and dusted themselves off. The room was small, but poorly lit. It held many shadows for little things to hide in. Shiso took a quick glance outside the room before signaling to the others and darting out the door. Violette followed the man, and Saffron was getting ready to follow before something brushed against her ankle. She jumped before looking down and freezing in her tracks. ¡°Saffron!¡± Vio said in a hushed shout in the doorway. She had noticed that Saffron hadn¡¯t been following them. ¡°Why are you still here? ¡°Vio!¡± Saffron said in a quiet squeal. ¡°Come here; look what I found!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Violette inquired. Saffron was holding something masked in shadows. Saffron held up a small and rather plump orange dog with a white stomach. It had a simple blue collar around its neck and stuck out its red tongue. ¡°Doggo.¡± Saffron said with a squeal. ¡°Aww.¡± Vio admired. ¡°He¡¯s so adorable!¡± She took the dog and hugged it over her shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s keep him.¡± Saffron decided. ¡°He¡¯ll be better with us.¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± Violette sincerely agreed. She held the dog out in front of her. ¡°I¡¯ll name you Sargent Pepper. You won¡¯t be lonely anymore.¡± The dog gave an excited little bark, which made them both swoon. Shiso peaked his head into the room from around the corner. ¡°What happened to staying together?¡± he asked. Saffron held up the dog. ¡°Doggo.¡± she answered. ¡°We¡¯ve already got one.¡± Shiso said, pointing down at Gunner. ¡°I want to take him with us.¡± Saffron insisted. ¡°Leave him here.¡± he said firmly. ¡°But I already named him and I¡¯m very attached.¡± Violette declared, holding the dog close to her face to cuddle. Shiso groaned. ¡°Fine, but keep it quiet. This is a sneaking job.¡± Violette and Saffron exclaimed happily as they tiptoed out of the room. Violette held Sgt. Pepper firmly under one arm as he panted excitedly and wagged his tail. They weaved through the complex, searching for Shopkeeper¡¯s three stolen rocks. Along the way, Shiso choked many guards and left a solid trail of unconscious bodies behind them. ¡°I think this is the place.¡± Saffron signaled, peeking into a room. The place had piles of gold, money, gems, stones, relics, and artifacts piled on top of each other haphazardly. Near the top were the three stones that they were looking for: a granite statue, a smooth moonstone, and a cleanly-cut amethyst. ¡°That was quite easy.¡± Violette chuckled. She took the amethyst and put it in a pocket. It still obviously stuck out through the pocket. Saffron carried the moonstone while Shiso snagged the granity statue. ¡°Let¡¯s split.¡± Shiso said. ¡°Thieves!¡± yelled a voice behind them. They turned to see a man in a white hood pointing at them in accusation. A cultist had followed their body trail and found them in the act. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Just before he could go down a flight of stairs, Shiso pulled out his gun in a last-ditch effort to stop him. The sound reverberated throughout the entire castle and the cultist took a tumble face- first down the stone stairs. Sgt. Pepper let out a howl. They all stood waiting, with deep, labored, dreading breathing. All they could do was wait for something to happen. Shiso¡¯s gun was still smoking. ¡°Let¡¯s go, now.¡± Shiso commanded, not wasting more time. As they ran down the halls, retracing their steps, the entire structure began to shake and quake, as if the foundation itself was shifting. ¡°Is it an earthquake?!¡± Violette asked. ¡°That might be the best case scenario.¡± Saffron said wearily. Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet grew soft and unstable. Mid-run, the three of them and the dog fell through the floor and onto another stone ground. ¡°Aw shit.¡± Shiso complained, rubbing his back and neck. Saffron let loose a Kinetic Wave at the ground to dampen her¡¯s and Violette¡¯s impact. Vio had allowed the small dog to land on her to keep him safe. ¡°Thieves¡­¡± Terra growled in anger. They turned to see that beside the woman was a man with a crimson-stained white hood. ¡°How are thieves dealt with?¡± she asked loudly. ¡°Swiftly!¡± yelled a chorus of voices from every corner of the castle. Every door was occupied by a cultist; they populated the windows from the second floor; they lay in wait on a catwalk above the group. ¡°Hey, guys.¡± Hazel said. The three of them saw the other four disguised comrades. They, too, stood ready for combat. Although, Selicy looked particularly annoyed. ¡°Man, what did you guys do? We had her distracted until you guys fell from the sky.¡± ¡°The elevator was out of order.¡± Shiso said sarcastically, being helped up by Gunner. ¡°So you¡¯re all conspirators?!¡± Terra asked, sounding betrayed. ¡°Yeah, we are.¡± Hazel said with a grin. ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally¡­¡± Hazel opened her giant coat to reveal multiple small turrets she had installed across the inside of it. They all pointed at Terra and gave a low hum. She dragged the goggles from her hat over her eyes. ¡°But if you take shit, you¡¯re getting hit.¡± Violette sat down Sgt. Pepper, Reva drew her swords, Saffron loaded spell cards into her bracer, Hazel tossed Violette a violin, Shiso reloaded his gun, Gunner drew his weapon from Hazel¡¯s pouch, and the breath from Selicy¡¯s mouth began to chill into mist. Shiso, Violette, and Saffron tossed Hazel Shopkeeper¡¯s merchandise for safekeeping. ¡°I was damn tired of waiting for you guys anyways, old man.¡± Gunner laughed, taking aim at Terra. ¡°I prefer this way.¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you¡­¡± Terra looked as though she was about to pop a blood vessel; she was angry enough to boil water at a touch. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you end up six feet under! ATTACK!!!¡± Then all at once, every magical cultist ran, jumped, and flung themselves at the team. Chapter 19: Unbreakable Before the cultists reached them, Saffron pulled up a card named ¡°Ring of Fire¡±, which she casted as soon as possible. A burning light emitted from her hand before the land surrounding the group erupted into a fiery wall. Behind them, they could hear the giant stone doors scrapping shut, closing off any convenient form of escape. ¡°Nice cover, almost cooked me medium rare.¡± Hazel joked. ¡°You can¡¯t hide forever!¡± Terra screeched. ¡°Can we take them all?¡± Violette asked, doubtful. Already, the fire was dying down and they could see into the mob of cultists. Their eyes all gleamed with the same anger. ¡°Well,¡± Shiso said. ¡°It might get tough if one more shows up.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be the one I take care of.¡± Reva said, placing a hand on Shiso¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I detest having to fight in the dozens, but I¡¯ll do what it takes. You¡¯re all worth protecting.¡± Sargent Pepper ran in circles and barked excitingly. His tail wagged back and forth like a hyperactive metronome. The fire started to subdue. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Saffron shouted, pulling out a spell right as the flames died away, surprising and blasting away the first wave of cultists with a bolt of lightning, cracking the ground all around them. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Selicy wasted no time beelining straight for Terra, who was sitting motionless and judgemental in her chair. The minions who tried to stop her were deemed as unimportant wastes of time and got subsequently evaded. Selicy grew long, sharp, thick icicles along the tips of her fingers, converting them from lethal weapons into dangers to the general human race. She used them as emergency brakes, steering, or a warning to cultists who got too close. ¡°You wasted my day because of a pile of damn rocks! Rocks!¡± Selicy spat furiously at Terra. ¡°You¡¯re beyond my mercy now.¡± ¡°Funny,¡± Terra said, menacingly rising from her throne. ¡°I was about to say the exact same thing.¡± Selicy slashed at Terra, but only scraped the woman¡¯s staff, letting Terra attempt to put space between the two. The speed of Selicy¡¯s masterful skating was matched by Terra¡¯s close gliding across the ground. The cultists were kept back by the pure rage and malice emanating between the two women. ¡°Rip my clothes, I can buy more.¡± Selicy started. ¡°Ruin my food, I can find more. Waste me time though? I can¡¯t get that back!¡± ¡°Be lucky to stand before me!¡± Terra shouted, preparing a flaming ball of orange runes. ¡°If you kneel now, you can be a devoted member of my worship!¡± From behind her, Terra felt a hard, sharp bite painfully clamp down on her forearm. The spell dropped out of her hand and the runes dissipated like a pile of dust into the air. Sgt. Pepper let go and ran to Selicy¡¯s side before growling at his victim. Terra shook as she tried to wipe away blood that was seeping out of the wound. In her absent attempt to erase the blood, she stopped floating and gently came to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m only devoted to myself!¡± Selicy shouted, pounding her fists into the ground. ¡°Nobody else deserves it.¡± Ice from Selicy¡¯s slam crawled across the ground at alarming speeds and wrapped itself around Terra¡¯s legs under her dress. With the cultist leader grounded, Selicy went in for a decisive blow. A white and gold robed man jumped from behind Selicy, a purple-tipped knife in hand. The ice-cold woman quickly dodged and clenched her frost-clad hands around his neck. ¡°How much brainwashing do you need to follow a woman like that?¡± she asked, nodding a head towards Terra. She held her icy claws dangerously close to the man¡¯s eye. ¡°Maybe I can just snap you out of it right n-¡± Before Selicy could do anything else, she was launched and carried away by a giant stream of earth that popped out of the ground and hit her square in the chest. Sgt. Pepper barked and frantically chased after Selicy¡¯s airborn body. The flow of earth stopped when Terra got free of Selicy¡¯s icy snare. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Terra asked, helping her follower up. ¡°I think so,¡± he said, clearly still rattled. ¡°I think I need a second.¡± ¡°Stay safe out there.¡± she said softly. ¡°You¡¯re all precious.¡± She then glided away, looking for somewhere to rest and regain some mana. Her blood had small mixtures of blue in it. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ ¡°Saff, I need another one over here!¡± Hazel shouted. Saffron rushed over and used a spell to summon another row of turrets. She had been rushing around while Hazel built things to keep the mob of cultists at bay. Hazel had placed down a couple dozen turrets scattered about and shooting at the nearest moving object. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough.¡± Saffron said, counting the structures around the field. ¡°Take a shot from Sidewinder!¡± All of Hazel¡¯s turrets started to stutter and give off light mechanical screeching. The cultists took a few steps back from the machines; one poor cultist was on top of a turret, vainly pounding her fists into the metal when Saffron¡¯s surprise attack came out. A bright, large beam came rocketing out of all the machines, each one personally punching a cultist in the gut and taking them out the nearest window. The ones left backed away from the turrets, which were now smoking and non-operational. Hazel looked devastated at her work immediately dying. ¡°I thought that was a finisher¡­¡± Hazel winned. ¡°It was.¡± Saffron said, catching her breath. ¡°It finished them.¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Hazel pouted, pushing Saffron aside and bashing her wrench into a cultist¡¯s stomach, making humm double over in pain. ¡°I feel like something¡¯s changed between us.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, straight punching another cultist in the face. ¡°Well, I just don¡¯t think we¡¯ve got that spark like we did before. I just don¡¯t want us to lose the friendship we had.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re crazy.¡± Saffron said, shoving the idea aside. She cast a spell and an entire cohort of cultists were painfully swept away in a swarm of green energy. ¡°I¡¯m being serious!¡± Hazel protested, blindly throwing a bomb into the distance. ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re disregarding me whenever you can.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Saffron insisted. ¡°You¡¯re just not my only friend anymore. Our time in college has been over for a while.¡± Hazel fell silent. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a bit different since the last time you saw me,¡± Saff continued, firing a spell in the direction of a cultist cluster. Golden sparkles rained down from the sky and painfully hit them like golden stones. ¡°Sorry Zel, but it sounds like you¡¯ve just gotta get over that things are different now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Saff¡­'''' Saffron threw down a barrier spell, which left plenty of men and women pounding on the green bubble around them and casting miniscule amounts of miscellaneous magic. ¡°Listen, say it now.¡± Saffron said urgently. ¡°Whatever you don¡¯t want to say, just say it.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to leave me when this is all done.¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you think that?!¡± Saff asked aggressively. She suddenly looked a bit bashful. ¡°If anything, you¡¯d leave me.¡± ¡°Why do you think I¡¯d leave you?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m the worst of us all¡­¡± she mumbled. ¡°No you¡¯re not!¡± Hazel protested. ¡°At least you can make actual plans.¡± ¡°At least you can make something with your bare hands.¡± Saffron countered. ¡°At least everyone actually likes you.¡± ¡°At least you make useful things!¡± Hazel yelled. ¡°At least you can make things without fainting!¡± ¡°At least you didn¡¯t run away from everyone when the world ended!¡± ¡°At least you didn¡¯t cause the end of the Earth!!!¡± the scientist shrieked. Saffron and Hazel were breathing heavily and staring each other in the eyes. They fell silent after their shouting session, listening to the vain attempts from the cultists to reach them. ¡°You know that wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± Hazel whispered. ¡°If I never created them, they wouldn¡¯t have-¡± ¡°NO!¡± Hazel interjected with a shout. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault! All you did was make the spells; they¡¯re the ones who killed the world with them!¡± ¡°If you made the weapon, you killed all victims of it¡­ that¡¯s how it works¡­¡± ¡°Cut the bullshit! That¡¯s stupid!¡± Hazel looked fuming at Saffron¡¯s assertions. ¡°Saff, you¡¯re the kindest, most compassionate person who has ever been on this planet! You wanted to make magic to help people and that¡¯s what you did. You didn¡¯t destroy the world, they did! If you can¡¯t see that, then get a prescription!¡± Without realizing it, Hazel had shoved Saffron over. The engineer was now looking down at her friend.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°You really think that?¡± she asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what I think,¡± Hazel said, shaking her head. ¡°Because it¡¯s the objective facts. It¡¯s just my job as your best friend to tell ¡®em to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s silly.¡± Saffron chuckled. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re my friend. Machines are easy to fix, but fixin¡¯ a person¡¯s a lot harder. I wanna make sure you don¡¯t break.¡± Hazel held a hand out to help Saffron up. She smiled and took it, keeping the hand held even after she was up. In the palm of their hands, a blue glow burst and shined. Saffron and Hazel felt themselves get light headed as the glowing subsided. Hazel was surprised and scared to see the veins on her forearm glow a dull blue; Saffron took her hand back. In her hand was a spell card, shiny and gleaming. Hazel held one as well. Saffron¡¯s had a pinkish purple border and depicted a red-hot fiery wrench on it. Across the top, it read Resonate. Hazel¡¯s was a blue-bordered card that had a wrench that was blue with fire. It¡¯s name read as Salvage. They stared at them for a while and Saffron smiled. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve got much time left.¡± she said, pointing at the fading barrier. ¡°I think we¡¯d better finish our thing here quickly.¡± ¡°Well, I-¡± Just as Hazel was about to speak, the green bubble popped. Saffron lunged forward and put her arms around Hazel¡¯s neck into a hug, taking aim and blasting an ember spell at the cultist who ran to stab her in the back. ¡°I¡¯ve got ya.¡± Saffron winked. ¡°Same here.¡± ¡°I think I wanna wrap this up.¡± Saffron said with a yawn, holding up her Resonate card. Suddenly, the smoking turrets that were lost in the cultists began smoking and glowing white-hot. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Gunner rolled to the side, giving a small laugh before blasting another cultist in the stomach with some mana beams. It rarely killed people on the first shot, but he felt the surge of energy as mana drained from the cultist and into his body. The woman dropped from exhaustion. Only a few feet away, most of the cultists locked in battle with Reva were trying to stay outside of the warrior woman¡¯s range, not wanting to fall victim to either Tyrfang nor Ragnar?kkr. Deflecting and slicing right through all of their magic, Reva tried her best to only injure them; killing wasn¡¯t one thing she liked. Reva hooked Gunner by the back of his clothing and scooped him out of danger right as a woman threw a frosted spear. The boy was scooped into the air and laughed as he took a shot mid-decent. He hit the ground with a hard Thud before popping back up with vigor. ¡°I wanna do that again!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°Battle isn¡¯t for such enjoyment.¡± Reva said sternly, arcing an attack that wiped a whole row of cultists away. ¡°Just focus on what¡¯s in front of you.¡± ¡°Just the one?¡± Gunner whined. ¡°As many as you need.¡± Gunner frowned as he went back to shooting everything in sight (which included an unappreciated stray shot at Shiso). He quickly aimed a shot over his shoulder, which didn¡¯t quite work out as intended. As the mana beam bolted for Reva, she quickly put her blades up and it simply bounded off of them, hitting a cultist and throwing her back out. ¡°Hey, that was pretty cool.¡± Gunner said, impressed. He fired another shot at Reva, who angrily swiped it aside with a sword, redirecting it into a man. ¡°Stop that!¡± Reva commanded. Gunner ignored her, preferring to have fun. ¡°This way¡¯s more fun.¡± Gunner said, solidifying his decision. And so, Gunner fired as many shots from his gun that he could get, which Reva deflected into the direction of a cultist; that was on top of her already swiping at the people who got too close. If the cultists weren¡¯t afraid before, many of them were deterred from approaching the pair. A handful of them put their hands up in surrender. ¡°Give up and you will be spared!¡± Reva shouted to the group. At the sound of that, several dozen more put their hands up. ¡°Pssh. No you won¡¯t.¡± Gunner laughed, holding up his gun. Reva knocked it out of his hand in a flash. ¡°Fine,¡± Gunner sighed. ¡°You will. Giant buzzkill¡­¡± /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ ¡°On your right!¡± Shiso warned. Violette took a small leap to the left, letting Shiso¡¯s bullet fly into a guy¡¯s chest. Violette painfully sliced through an opponent¡¯s skin and tendons with each sharp strum of her strings. ¡°Excellent shot, love!¡± Violette complimented. The bow in her hand already only had a few strings left. She took another twirl as she wacked a cultist on the head, knocking him out and breaking the rest of the bow. She pulled another one out from seemingly nowhere. ¡°Where do you keep those things?¡± Shiso asked, rolling and shooting people in the knees. Violette put a finger over her lips. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± she giggled. The crowd of cultists was thinning around them. Less and less came after them; a good lot of the unscathed ones were trying to help out the ones that were injured and helpless. ¡°I think that we¡¯re just about done here.¡± Shiso sighed. He popped his neck and stretched for a minute. ¡°I do hope so.¡± Violette said, looking around. She gently reached over and grabbed Shiso¡¯s hand, bringing it up and covering it with hers. From a few yards away, a stray blue beam of mana hit true at Shiso¡¯s back, sending him toppling on top of the songstress. He quickly scrambled off of her, but her violin bow got caught in his left arm. Violette plucked the bow from his arm while Shiso pulled his cowl further up to try and hide his red face. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± he coughed. ¡°No problem here.¡± she blushed with a smile. ¡°Hey, you guys!¡± Saffron shouted, waving over with Hazel. Gunner, Reva, Selicy, and Sgt. Pepper made their way over as well. ¡°Where¡¯d the party go?¡± Gunner asked. That was quite a good question, as every member of Terra¡¯s cult, including Terra herself, was completely gone. The stone throne room lay dormant and vacant, leaving the wind to sweep away pebbles, stone shards, and singed cloth. ¡°That was quite the ordeal.¡± Reva said, wiping away sweat. ¡°How did she get so many people to join her cause?¡± ¡°I dunno.¡± Hazel shrugged, throwing Sgt. Pepper a mechanical bone that threw itself. ¡°Probably the same way they got so many people to be Christian.¡± ¡°How?¡± Vio asked. ¡°Make it the dominant belief in a collapsing world.¡± she grumbled. ¡°Their leader ran off with them.¡± Selicy reported, catching her breath. ¡°Where do you think they went?¡± ¡°I think they scattered like rats in a basement.¡± Shiso grumbled, checking to make sure both of his guns were fully loaded. ¡°Let¡¯s just smoke them out.¡± ¡°I can do that in a literal sense.¡± Saffron said, pulling out a purple card with the image of a jackal printed on the front. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that.¡± Shiso said with a shoulder shrug. Everyone else cynically agreed, wanting to just get this over with and get on with their lives. Under their feet, the castle¡¯s floor rumbled and trembled. The ceilings shook and dust and pebbles tumbled down. Just in the next room, Saffron saw the stone walls move to block the door. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Are you alright?¡± Terra asked, propping a woman against the wall. Her follower had blood trailing down her chest and dripping a red trail onto the ground. Many others were left in the same condition as her. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± the woman staggered. Terra had led them all away from the attackers and jumbled the interior of the fortress to keep them away. Terra held a hand on top of the woman¡¯s wound and it closed up slightly, although not enough to stop bleeding. One of the others came over and escorted her away to a group with dozens of other injured people. The leader knew that she had to get the intruders out, no matter what. She rolled up her sleeves and marched through the crowd. The blood on her arm was now showing a more prominent blue hue. Waving her golden scepter, Terra savored one last gaze at her people as she erected a wall between them and her. With her will reinforced, she shifted a wall and marched towards the seven interlopers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°I hate this stupid place!¡± Shiso complained, jumping back from another rock gollum around the corner. He kicked the animated rock pile into the wall corner, causing its body to be strewn all along the hallway. The castle had been changing its paths to lead them in circles for a few dozen minutes. ¡°The interior design is a bit drab.¡± Violette commented, running her hand along the brown and gray stone walls. Sgt. Pepper was firm in her other arm. ¡°As savage as it sounds, can we not just break the walls down?¡± Reva asked, carrying Gunner on her shoulders. ¡°Sounds like a good way to bring the whole place down on us.¡± Hazel said with a heavy eye roll. ¡°The choice is yours.¡± ¡°Maybe if I had my shield with me.¡± the knight sighed. ¡°I think there¡¯s an end to the hallway up ahead.¡± Saffron pointed out. ¡°If it¡¯s that damn throne room again, I¡¯m gonna do something.¡± Selicy growled. ¡°What will you do?¡± Hazel asked curiously. ¡°I¡¯ll- you¡¯ll- I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ do SOMETHING!¡± Selicy roared in the anger of not being able to find neither words nor an exit. They stepped out of the hallway and into the throne room. ¡°AAAAAAAH!¡± Selicy screamed, nearly ripping her hair out. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Sel.¡± Violette comforted, giving Selicy a hug and patting her on the back and letting Pepper down. ¡°You¡¯ve trespassed on these sacred grounds for long enough.¡± boomed a familiar female voice from the throne of the room. ¡°Sacred grounds?¡± Hazel asked, lifting her shoe and looking beneath it. ¡°You mean this is holy dirt?¡± ¡°DON¡¯T MOCK ME!¡± Terra shouted, bolting up from her throne. ¡°I AM A GOD!¡± Pepper let out a deep growl and Shiso laughed. ¡°Unlikely.¡± Shiso grunted. ¡°I would hope gods aren¡¯t this whiny. Besides,¡± he looked over at Violette. ¡°I would hope a goddess would at least be as beautiful as the prettiest human.¡± ¡°FOOLISH MORTAL! YOUR HUMRIS-¡± Terra stopped shouting for a second, stuttering on her words, trying to find the correct one. ¡°YOUR HUBRAS- humtras¡­ hibrus¡­¡± ¡°Hubris?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Terra thanked. ¡°YOUR HUBRIS WILL BE YOUR FINAL ACT!¡± Terra began to hover far off of the ground, swirling waves of purple runes around her. The golden pieces on her head and neck began to bend and warp. Her staff began to detach into several small golden pieces as well. The veins on Terra¡¯s arms began to glow a blue so bright that it actually illuminated the ceiling of the wide room. The blue began to crawl up her arm and slithered up her neck until the group was staring at the glowing image of the cult leader¡¯s cardiovascular system, even outlining her heart. ¡°What¡¯s she doing?!¡± Reva asked. ¡°Stop it!¡± Saffron shouted. Sharp winds were ripping through the air, tossing their hair up every which way. ¡°You¡¯re gonna kill yourself!¡± ¡°DO NOT TELL ME MY LIMITS!¡± Terra shouted, a purple light rippling through her iris. The runes around her began to bind themselves to her flesh, but all at once they disappeared. The runes faded, the wind instantly died down, Terra¡¯s clothing and accessories returned to their respective shapes. Terra looked as though she couldn¡¯t breathe as she fell to the ground, motionless. ¡°Come on,¡± Saffron urged, rushing over to Terra. She had a blue liquid leaking from her mouth, foaming slightly. ¡°We need to give her mana!¡± Saffron urged, looking around. ¡°We don¡¯t exactly have a transfusing kit.¡± Hazel soothed. ¡°Does anyone have anything?¡± Saffron urgently asked again. Reva stared two bullet-shaped holes into Gunner¡¯s head. ¡°What?!¡± he finally asked. ¡°Give them up.¡± Reva commanded. ¡°No!¡± Gunner pouted. ¡°Look at her!¡± Reva shouted, pointing to Terra. The woman on the ground gave a small moan and pitifully turned over onto her face. ¡°Ugh, fine¡­¡± Gunner gave in, looking quite unhappy. He took the Mana Bites? out of his pocket and begrudgingly tossed them to Saffron, who forced a few of them down Terra¡¯s throat. ¡°Psst, Saff.¡± Hazel whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s beat it before the angry mob arrives for their leader.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Saffron wearily agreed. ¡°Reva, carry Terra.¡± she commanded. ¡°Gunner, you¡¯ll have to just walk on foot.¡± ¡°This blows¡­¡± Gunner mumbled. ¡°Why are we taking this one?¡± Shiso asked, as if Terra was a stray dog. At that point, Sgt. Pepper was sniffing Terra¡¯s unconscious body. ¡°She¡¯s absolutely wicked.¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s hurt and needs our help?¡± Saffron asked nicely. Shiso narrowed his eyes. ¡°Because she¡¯ll be a bigger pain in the ass later if we leave her here.¡± Selicy retorted as she passed by. ¡°Yeah.¡± Saffron agreed. ¡°Whatever,¡± Shiso sighed, turning away. ¡°Just break down the doors, will you?¡± In one quick motion, Reva drew both of her swords, rushed forward, and broke down the stonework doors in a flash. She then put the blades back and grabbed Terra. ¡°Shiso is right, that woman is wicked.¡± Violette said quietly. ¡°Absolutely terrible.¡± Chapter 20: Breaking New Ground Reva was tired of repeatedly wiping Terra¡¯s blue drool from flowing down her shoulders. They were almost back to Shopkeeper¡¯s store, so Shiso insisted that they should just speed up. Violette and Saffron were taking turns throwing a magic-made bone for Sgt. Pepper to fetch. ¡°Can you stop playing with the feral dog?¡± Shiso grumbled. ¡°We¡¯ve already got one.¡± he said, pointing a thumb at Gunner. ¡°I¡¯ve got more brains than the mutt.¡± Gunner growled. He was examining the insides of his gun with Hazel, who was explaining the machinery step-by-step. They continued their evaluation of the weapon. ¡°He¡¯s not feral, Shiso.¡± Saffron defended, cuddling the dog close to her face. ¡°I still don¡¯t like it.¡± he candidly huffed. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re a cat person, isn¡¯t it?¡± Violette teased. ¡°They¡¯re more adorable than dogs!¡± he said defensively. ¡°How can you say that to this poor guy?!¡± Saffron gasped, holding the dog up. ¡°With my mouth and words.¡± Shiso said coldly. ¡°Dude, just suck it up and deal with it.¡± Selicy groaned, slowly gliding by. ¡°She¡¯s just going to stick the poor animal in your face until you love it.¡± ¡°And this worked on you?¡± he asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°No,¡± she stated, emotionless. ¡°I don¡¯t love. I just hate less than others.¡± ¡°Uuugh.¡± Shiso said in one long groan. ¡°Why do the last few people on the planet have to be the most maddening of the batch?!¡± ¡°Owch.¡± Selicy said, still not showing emotion. ¡°That cut deep.¡± She drifted to ice skate across the ground in the back of the group. ¡°We¡¯re finally here.¡± Reva sighed, trying to reposition Terra on her shoulders again. To the group¡¯s surprise, Shopkeeper didn¡¯t appear as usual when entering the store. Everything was eerily quiet for a few minutes, like the store was abandoned. Before long, the group was scared out of their skin as Violette gave off the most blood-curdling shriek from the back of the group. Apparently Shopkeeper had decided to scare them by soundlessly sneaking up on them and grabbing their shoulders from behind. ¡°Wow, you couldn¡¯t be funner.¡± Shiso patronizingly said as Shopkeeper was bent over laughing. ¡°Your comedy award will come in the mail. Keep an eye out for it.¡± ¡°Oh loosen up, you stiff.¡± Shopkeeper said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Learn how to take a joke.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think she took it very well.¡± the gunman said, pointing to Violette, who was still shaking. ¡°Some aren¡¯t built to take my comedy.¡± Shopkeeper shrugged. ¡°Anyways, do you have my merchandise?¡± ¡°Right to the point, aren¡¯t you?¡± Selicy laughed. ¡°Always!¡± the merchant passionately insisted. ¡°They¡¯ve got that,¡± Shiso said to Reva. ¡°Let¡¯s go find somewhere to put Sleeping Beauty there on your shoulders.¡± Reva nodded and they both disappeared. ¡°Is she the one who stole my products?¡± Shopkeeper asked, pointing at Terra on the knight¡¯s shoulders. ¡°What if it is?¡± Violette asked. ¡°Oh, well, you know,¡± Shopkeeper said in an excessively giddy chuckle. ¡°I¡¯d have to kill her in her sleep.¡± Everyone went awkwardly silent; even Hazel and Gunner looked up from the boy¡¯s weapon to react to that statement. Violette and Saffron started to sweat a bit and Selicy silently crawled away from the situation. ¡°So, is it?¡± Shopkeeper asked with pure malice in her voice. ¡°No.¡± Saffron squeaked. ¡°Ok!¡± Shopkeeper cheerily said, completely changing her demeanor and clasping her hands together. ¡°I¡¯m still going to need my stuff though!¡± ¡°Haze, the stones.¡± Saffron asked with a snap. ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Hazel mumbled, haphazardly taking out Shopkeeper¡¯s stones while showing Gunner a delicate part of his gun. She tossed them one-by-one to Saffron, but Shopkeeper dashed in front of her and snatched them all mid-air. She huddled the rocks together and rubbed her face against them like they were her own babies. ¡°You polish those with rags, not your face.¡± Gunner joked. ¡°Oh, let her have her fun.¡± Violette insisted. ¡°Well, she can have it out of my sight.¡± Hazel scoffed. She and Gunner walked away to the spare parts section of the shop, probably looking to modify Gunner¡¯s weapon to be even more dangerous. ¡°Tell me when you¡¯re ready to leave,¡± Shopkeeper told Saffron and Violette while not taking her eyes off of her newly returned merchandise. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to give you all.¡± Before either of them could ask Shopkeeper to elaborate on that, the woman disappeared in a flash of green. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll understand her.¡± Violette sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to understand her.¡± Saffron laughed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ¡°Let me go, you insolent blockheads!¡± Terra screeched. ¡°Please tell me there¡¯s a gag or something around here.¡± Shiso groaned. ¡°I am not going to listen to this for another half-hour.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll calm down.¡± Reva chirped, sipping down a bottled soda. She had slipped back into her regular shielded armor. Everyone had by this point. As soon as they found someplace to put Terra, they strapped the crazy woman to one of those beds they had in mental wards. For the past dozen minutes, Terra had been kicking and screaming like a child, trying to get free of her restraints. ¡°I will murder you all when I get free!¡± she shouted. ¡°This sounds like a lively party.¡± Saffron said sarcastically.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°If this is a party, I¡¯m Bruce Lee.¡± Shiso sighed. ¡°This wacko won¡¯t shut up about how she¡¯s going to kill us all. I¡¯m tired of it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help but agree.¡± Reva nodded. ¡°Talk is cheap.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I-¡± Shiso gave up on his sentence and just layed down in a chair. ¡°Why did you strap her down to a bed like an insane person?¡± Violette asked. ¡°Because there¡¯s no asylums left on the planet.¡± Shiso snorted. ¡°Let me go and give me my staff!¡± Terra continued to shout. ¡°Right now!¡± ¡°Oh, this thing?¡± Selicy asked, breezing into the area and picking up the golden scepter. ¡°What if I just¡­¡± She took the staff and started to aimlessly wave it around. ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± Terra shouted, kicking and flailing even more against the restraints. ¡°If I find even one dent in that staff, you¡¯re all going six feet under!¡± ¡°Yikes.¡± Selicy laughed. ¡°Too bad I only know the metric system.¡± She took the scepter and used it as a golf club to hit some large purple and red decahedron through the air. ¡°You¡¯re dead!¡± Terra shrieked. ¡°No, I¡¯m Selicy.¡± ¡°Aaaagh!¡± she screeched. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°So you connect this wire here?¡± Gunner asked. ¡°No.¡± Hazel said, shaking her head. ¡°That¡¯d be like plugging a battery¡¯s plus into its minus.¡± Gunner tilted his head in ignorance. ¡°Explosion. One that¡¯d hurt.¡± ¡°Oooh.¡± Gunner admired. ¡°That sounds destructive, though.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll teach you about that when we do bomb-making.¡± ¡°Hell yeah.¡± Gunner reached over and grabbed a few parts, stitching them together and putting them inside the gun. After connecting a few wires, he pulled the trigger and a stream of fire poured out of the weapons. ¡°Napalm,¡± Hazel commented, seeing the scorched ground. ¡°Nice.¡± ¡°Where¡¯d you learn to do this stuff?¡± the boy asked, taking some components out of his gun again. ¡°I dunno. I guess I just liked putting stuff together until it did something.¡± she grumbled, leaning her chair back. ¡°Well, you¡¯re pretty brilliant at it.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve been building longer than you¡¯ve been alive.¡± ¡°Yeah, but even-¡± ¡°That mana converter¡¯s backwards.¡± Hazel warned. Gunner blinked, as if in a daze, then turned it around. ¡°But even you¡¯re better than Saffron.¡± ¡°Saffron worked in magical development.¡± Hazel sighed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t involve too many mechanical activities, sadly.¡± ¡°What¡¯d you do before¡­ the thing?¡± he asked. ¡°Made weapons.¡± she answered simply. ¡°Turrets, bombs, guns, whatever the government commissioned out of me.¡± ¡°You worked in R&D?¡± ¡°Kid, I was R&D.¡± ¡°Woah.¡± Gunner admired in awe. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re going to do when you get to Eden?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± she shrugged. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Mercenary for hire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a profession in a world without war.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find a way.¡± he mumbled. Hazel smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You know what? Maybe you can work with me.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Making weapons, computers, cars, whatever. You ever wanted to do anything cool?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Gunner thought for a second. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to fly in a plane.¡± ¡°An airplane?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°One of those really old biplanes. They looked so fun to fly in, even if they were way worse than any fighter jet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± she said, wrapping an arm around the boy and extending her hand out to the sky, as if painting the future herself. ¡°When we¡¯re in Eden, I¡¯ll teach you how to build your very own biplane. Then, you can fly away to your heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°Really?¡± he asked, excited. ¡°You betcha.¡± she gartuneed, with a wink and a thumbs-up. She pushed her chair aside and stretched her legs. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go see how those guys are doing with the crazy lady.¡± ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°I SAID LET ME GO!¡± screeched Terra. Gunner and Hazel heard it from the other side of the store. ¡°You didn¡¯t even say please.¡± Selicy taunted. ¡°NOW!¡± ¡°If this goes on for any longer, I¡¯m taking matters into my own hands.¡± Shiso growled, setting a hand on one of his guns on his hip. ¡°Quite the extreme, isn¡¯t that?¡± Reva asked. ¡°I don¡¯t care who gets the bullet; I¡¯m not listening to any more whining no matter what though.¡± ¡°Have you tried just feeding her?¡± Gunner asked. ¡°I get pretty quiet when I eat. It¡¯s science, I¡¯m telling you.¡± Gunner took a familiar bag from his vest pockets and took out a small bright blue candy. He tossed one in his mouth, then tossed another into Terra¡¯s. She was quite surprised, but chewed and swallowed it. She stayed silent. ¡°Huh, you were right.¡± Violette said, surprised. ¡°Boom, science.¡± the boy said, tossing another Mana Bite into his mouth. ¡°Not science.¡± Saffron judged. She noticed that Terra started breathing very heavily. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± she asked. ¡°Give me my staff¡­¡± Terra whispered. Selicy sighed. ¡°How many times do I have to-¡± ¡°GIVE ME MY STAFF NOW!¡± Terra wailed. Under her fingers, the bed she was strapped to quickly started to smoke before exploding into purple flames below her. They all backed up and watched Terra¡¯s silhouette rise from the burning purple flames. It chilled them all, but it got worse when they looked at her. The woman¡¯s neck and wrists were outlined in burning purple veins, similar to those that come with mana deficiency. ¡°Woooah, my God!¡± Gunner jumped back. He looked at the package of Mana Bites in his hand and threw it away like it was on fire. ¡°It didn¡¯t say that on the nutrition label!¡± ¡°Give me¡­ the staff¡­¡± Terra said zombily. All of them beamed their eyes at Selicy, who had been using the staff for a limbo stick. ¡°I-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even try it.¡± Shiso barked. ¡°Just give the woman her damn stick!¡± Selicy groaned and threw the staff right at Terra like a javelin. She caught the scepter and yelped a bit when it shocked her in her hands. The purple veins receded back until there were none to be seen. Terra was breathing heavily again and fell to one knee. She looked around at all 7 of them. ¡°Who are you all?¡± she finally asked. ¡°What do you want?¡± Saffron slowly walked up to the woman on the ground and held out a hand. ¡°We¡¯re all regular people on our way to Eden.¡± she said compassionately. ¡°We¡¯re going to defeat the Gate Guardian, and claim Eden as a sanctuary for all that¡¯s left.¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t care¡­ about sanctuary¡­¡± Terra weased. ¡°Well, until today, I wasn¡¯t sure about our chances of getting in.¡± Saffron admitted. ¡°But after seeing you, I think the Gate Guardian¡¯s got another thing coming.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯d help you with the kindness in my heart?¡± Terra laughed. ¡°No,¡± Saffron said, shaking her head. She extended her hand out to Terra further. ¡°But I¡¯ve seen what you can do. How would you feel about getting the chance to kill something immortal? The most powerful thing on earth.¡± ¡°The most powerful thing on earth, huh?¡± she asked. Terra¡¯s hand shot out and clasped with Saffron¡¯s as she got up. ¡°Killing a god sounds fun as hell.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s make it that way.¡± Saffron winked. ¡°I¡¯m glad to welcome you to the team.¡± ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°You said you had something for us before we went away?¡± Violette asked. Shopkeeper had put everything into the backpack of hers and was ready to go. ¡°Oh yes, I do have something!¡± the merchant exclaimed. She snapped and out of her giant bag flew a spell card, which took its place in Saffron¡¯s hands. She gasped and nearly dropped it. ¡°Heard you were looking for them.¡± Shopkeeper winked. ¡°But that¡¯s the only one I¡¯ve got, so consider us square.¡± The group peered over Saffron to take a look at the card. It depicted a woman with blue skin with light trailing from her eyes; she looked to be shouting. At the top, the words Overload was branded in rainbow letters. ¡°How did you know I was looking for these?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°You always are.¡± Shopkeeper answered cryptically. Sgt. Pepper happily peaked out from the top of Shopkeeper¡¯s backpack; Violette cried a bit, as she was told that he couldn¡¯t come with them to battle. The saleswoman saluted the group and, in a flash of blue, disappeared before them. ¡°I hate her.¡± Terra complained. ¡°I second that one.¡± Shiso said, raising his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know what her deal is.¡± Gunner complained. ¡°None of us really do, sadly.¡± Reva sighed. ¡°So, what now?¡± Violette asked. ¡°Is that even a question anymore?¡± Hazel laughed, motioning to Saffron. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± the scientist girl giggled. ¡°We take another step towards Eden.¡± Chapter 21: Whispers Behind Closed Gates All eight of them had been walking for a couple days straight through the forest without even coming across a single monster, which didn¡¯t help lighten the dark cloud over Shiso¡¯s head. While Terra ranted to Saffron about how much more powerful her magic was, Hazel and Gunner were building some kind of explosive at the same time that Selicy and Reva were loudly talking about what makes a hero great. The blue gunman didn¡¯t like so much activity as he walked in the front of the group on his own. ¡°How¡¯re you feeling?¡± Violette asked, sliding next to Shiso and taking his hand. ¡°Like I¡¯m the leader of six feral children.¡± he sighed. ¡°Oh boy, I am tired of this. Traveling just isn¡¯t my style.¡± ¡°Anything I can help with?¡± she asked. ¡°Make sure they don¡¯t kill each other when my back¡¯s turned.¡± ¡°You¡­ got it, honey.¡± Violette said awkwardly, slowing to be at the back of the group, out of the gunman¡¯s earshot. She walked with a stare akin to a deer in headlights. ¡°Hey, you there?¡± Saffron asked, snapping her fingers in front of the songstress¡¯ face. ¡°Earth to Vio?¡± ¡°Saff, have you ever been in a relationship?¡± Violette asked. ¡°Can¡¯t say I have.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so confusing¡­¡± Violette said wistfully. ¡°I think he¡¯s sending mixed signals.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s just his personality.¡± Saffron said playfully. ¡°Whatever he tells you, I¡¯d take it at the most basic of face value.¡± ¡°But why?¡± ¡°Because not once in this whole crusade to Eden have I known him to be¡­¡± Saffron looked to be struggling to find the right words. ¡°Well, let¡¯s say the man¡¯s not quite so ¡®fluent with emotions¡¯ as you might be trying to hold him to.¡± ¡°Hm? Really?¡± the woman asked, not quite believing Saffron. ¡°Reva, can you back me up here?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°About what?¡± the knight asked. ¡°Does Shiso have emotions?¡± the scientist asked. ¡°I believe everyone has emotions.¡± Reva said sincerely. ¡°He seems to keep his more close to his chest than most though.¡± ¡°What do you think would open him up?¡± Violette asked with a slight hint of desperation. ¡°Everyone likes food.¡± Reva said with a shrug. Saffron gave a shrug too. ¡°I guess they say the best way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach.¡± Saffron said. ¡°Nah, you got it all backwards.¡± Selicy interjected, ending her conversation with Terra. ¡°The best way to a man¡¯s heart is right through his chest.¡± She made a motion of cutting open someone¡¯s chest and ripping out their heart. Saff, Vio, and Reva rolled their eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have any relationship advice?¡± Violette asked, gesturing to Terra. ¡°Put him in his place.¡± the earthen idol commanded. ¡°Keep an iron grip on his soul so tight that he can barely breathe. Then pull him back if he even thinks about wanting to escape. That way, he can¡¯t leave your possession until he or you dies.¡± The four of them were speechless while Terra had such a proud look. ¡°Is that advice¡­ for partners or prisoners?¡± Reva asked. ¡°As a girl, I was told marriage is its own prison.¡± Terra said. ¡°Whatcha guys talking about?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°Relationship problems.¡± Terra said. ¡°More like relationship confusion.¡± Violette corrected. ¡°Where¡¯s the little gremlin?¡± Selicy asked, not spying Gunner. ¡°I let him play with Eastwood over there.¡± Hazel said, pointing a thumb in front of them. Gunner had filched Shiso¡¯s guns off of him and began to fire the two revolvers into the sky like it was some kind of game. This was all the while Shiso was chasing the boy and trying to take his weapons back. ¡°A gremlin indeed.¡± Reva agreed. ¡°So, food?¡± Violette asked. ¡°Yeah, I could eat.¡± Hazel said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the boys we¡¯re pitching up tent for today.¡± She ran ahead and yanked the guns out of Gunner¡¯s hands, instead throwing them at Shiso¡¯s head and telling them about their plans to stop. She pulled out various pieces of camping equipment and shoved them into the boys¡¯ hands before coming back to the group of women. ¡°That¡¯s sure not going to improve his mood.¡± Vio grumbled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you can.¡± Selicy said, shaking her eyebrows and elbowing the woman in the ribs. ¡°What do you think we should cook?¡± Reva asked. Everyone fell silent. ¡°...What¡¯ve you got, Haze?¡± Saffron asked. Hazel put her arm shoulder-deep in the pouch on her hip to find anything. ¡°I¡¯ve got¡­ at least a loaf of bread.¡± she reported. ¡°It¡¯ll have to be a start.¡± Vio sighed. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll need help?¡± Reva assumed. ¡°I shall make my world famous jambalaya!¡± Terra exclaimed. ¡°I think I¡¯ll do this on my own.¡± Violette said confidently. ¡°My man, my cooking.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re only cooking for your man, then we¡¯re all your man tonight.¡± Selicy said, starting a walk over to torment the boys. ¡°You¡¯d better make enough for everyone!¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hazel had just finished setting up their makeshift kitchen area with a stove, oven, sink, pots, pans, and plenty other devices that she had either already had in her pouch or she jury-rigged together in a flash. Violette grabbed her violin and bow, ready to make a musical mealtime. Hazel grinned as she prepared to be Violette¡¯s only assistance. Vio was already wearing an apron that read ¡°Mistress of Music¡± in a smooth purple cursive. Violette rosined up her bow and gave Hazel a ferocious nod. ¡°Let¡¯s start the show.¡± she said. Hazel took an old wooden metronome out of her bag and set it to a somewhat faster tempo. It was enough to make Violette start dancing around the kitchen like she was at home and back on stage. The rest of the group (excluding Shiso and Gunner, who were still trying to set up the four tents) watched as Hazel whipped out an onion and threw it at the songstress like a baseball pitcher. With a flurry of executed notes, the onion burst into small chopped bits and gathered themselves into a small bowl. She did the same routine with a few more onions, a couple cloves of garlic, and some cheese. Hazel laid out all the ingredients for Violette¡¯s meal and sat back to let her cook. As the woman began to sing and play a chipper tune, the food and utensils around her began to stir amok. The thyme began to cut itself, the wine poured a glass all on its own, the beef broth got its own spoonful. ¡°No tasting before dinner!¡± Violette chastised as Terra tried to get a spoonful of what the musician was cooking up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°It¡¯s about time!¡± Gunner exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m starving!¡± Violette had just finished her cooking performance and announced that dinner was done. Everyone flocked to a table that Hazel had built in a hurry. Served in steaming bowls, everyone got a serving of Violette¡¯s French Onion Soup. ¡°I hope it¡¯s worth the wait.¡± Selicy said, digging in. ¡°Thank you.¡± Reva said before eating.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Thanks.¡± Saffron said. ¡°I appreciate it.¡± Hazel said. ¡°Let us see if it measures up to my jambalaya.¡± Terra judged before ignoring the spoon altogether and just drinking straight from the bowl. ¡°It has the potential.¡± she decided. ¡°Thank you all.¡± Violette said with a small bow. ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked Shiso with a voice near a whisper. The man took a large and prolonged spoonful of soup and took his time to let the taste settle in. ¡°You did a good job,¡± he decided. ¡°I like it a lot, for soup.¡± Violette put on an embarrassed smile and began to blush. She lunged forward and caught him in a hug, startling him and dropping his spoon. ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so.¡± she said softly. Everyone at the table was staring at Violette keeping Shiso to her chest in a forceful vice grip. Everyone except Gunner, that is. He was too busy already getting thirds to notice. Shiso cleared his throat and removed Violette away from himself. Before she went to sit down and eat, he whispered something into her ear. She looked visibly surprised from whatever he said and wore a bashful grin. ¡°What is this, by the way?¡± Reva wondered. ¡°French Onion Soup.¡± Vio answered. ¡°Are there real French people in this?¡± Terra asked. ¡°Um¡­ no.¡± she uncomfortably said. ¡°I was¡­ a bit short on that¡­¡± ¡°Unfortunate.¡± Terra judged, still chugging down the soup. ¡°I¡¯m sure it would¡¯ve completed the meal.¡± ¡°You tell her.¡± Selicy chuckled. ¡°I would just say that it needs more broth.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± Saffron, Hazel, Shiso, and Gunner ate in relative silence while Vio, Reva, Terra, and Selicy chattered. They finished the whole meal, with Gunner and Terra eating about half of the soup in total. The night went on with the group playing some games after the dinner. Monopoly prompted Terra¡¯s wrath as she landed on Hazel¡¯s boardwalk. Pictionary let Violette show off her drawing skills, and for Selicy to show her cheating skills. Gunner and Shiso complained that there was no option for a gun in Clue. And of course, nobody won at Trivial Pursuit because Hazel only had the Genius Edition. Then the night ended with everyone pairing up in tents to get some shut-eye. Nobody had too many complaints except for Terra, who wanted her own tent. But she surrendered when Terra didn¡¯t want to sleep outside. ======================================================================== ¡°Rise and shine.¡± Shiso grumbled to the entire camp. He had Gunner, who decided to wake him up early, in a struggling headlock. Saffron and Violette poked their heads out of their tent, eyes heavy and wishing they had more sleep. Reva stepped out of their tent, dragging a drowsy Selicy by the feet. Terra popped her head out of the tent and took a giant breath before getting a twintail yanked backwards by Hazel, who stumbled out with a giant wave of hair covering her face; she was blindly reaching around for something to tie it back with. ¡°Why are we up?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°Because this gremlin decided to wake me up.¡± Shiso said, letting Gunner go. ¡°Boo.¡± Terra said, throwing a pillow at an unmoving Shiso¡¯s face. ¡°Go back to bed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already light out though¡­¡± Reva lamented. ¡°No way I can go to bed now.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± Selicy mumbled. ¡°Ruin my morning. See if I care¡­¡± All eight of them, quite dysfunctionally, started to wake up and get ready to take off. Hazel finally got a hair tie in the form of a small one made of stone that Terra formed for her. It was immensely uncomfortable, but she would have to deal with it. Within about an hour, they were all on the road again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Hey guys¡­¡± Hazel said in awe as they all looked up at it. ¡°Are we¡­ finally here¡­?¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Saffron whispered. ¡°We actually made it¡­¡± Before them was a giant wall, stretching up for several yards, farther than even China¡¯s great wall. It was made majorly of a blue alloy, fortified in places with a dark gray one. Bright blue lines were designed on the wall as well, connecting to the top of the wall where there was a giant mana crystal. These crystals were mounted on top the wall about every 20 meters. The face of the wall looked like a blue circuit board, periodically glowing in areas and radiating heat like a small kiln. In the noontime light, it looked like a daunting challenge for them all to overcome. ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a welcoming message,¡± said Shiso. ¡°Is this Eden?¡± Gunner asked. ¡°Or do we still have further to go?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s behind the wall.¡± Violette said. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ How do we get over that?¡± Selicy asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can¡­¡± Reva said. ¡°That¡¯s one big fence.¡± ¡°Fences only keep honest people out,¡± Terra said proudly. ¡°And I¡¯ve never been kept out by a mere fence.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty tall fence.¡± Shiso retorted. ¡°Hey, watch this.¡± Hazel chuckled, picking up a rock and throwing it at the wall. Before it could reach it, the rock was reduced to dust. From inside the wall, turrets were revealed and deployed. Turrets along the wall began to scan the area for more threats. A giant cannon-like gun materialized in the middle of the wall. It looked like the thing was built on quite the military budget. ¡°If this is the guardian they talk about, I¡¯m not impressed!¡± Terra cackled. ¡°I¡¯d attach more weapons than that!¡± ¡°I, uh, don¡¯t think we should screw with that wall.¡± Hazel suggested. ¡°I think it¡¯s gonna kill us on sight.¡± ¡°Hmph! Well, so will I!¡± Terra announced. ¡°Here, hold this.¡± she said, tossing her staff to Shiso, who caught it with a stumble. ¡°Child,¡± she boomed, pointing at Gunner. ¡°I require sustenance!¡± ¡°Eh, just take the rest.¡± Gunner said, throwing her the remaining bag of Mana Bites. ¡°They were getting stale anyway.¡± Terra tilted the bag upwards and guzzled down whatever was left in the bag. A giant shake reverberated through her whole body and she began to mildly twitch everywhere. ¡°Hey, uh, what¡¯re we waiting for?¡± asked Saffron. ¡°I¡¯m not waiting for you to pass out from a sugar high.¡± Terra popped her neck and closed her eyes tightly. From under her dress, a light purple steam began to emerge. The golden collar she wore began to bend and warp, slithering up her head to make lustrous horns. All around her, purple runes begin to manifest and orbit around the woman. They started to collectively form a sphere of purple scrawling around her until she was completely obscured. From the grip of Gunner¡¯s hands, Terra¡¯s staff was yanked out and flew directly into the sphere, causing a blinding flash of purple light. When the light faded, what was left was no longer Terra. Over her white dress, she had on a small darker one. On her head were golden horns that made her look like a demon. The golden diamond that hovered behind her glowed with a bright radiance. She hovered in the sky while holding a flaming purple rune in each hand. ¡°Terra?¡± Violette asked, confused. ¡°Damn, Terra got a real good glow-up.¡± Selicy admired. ¡°I¡¯m not Terra anymore!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m more than just her! I¡¯m Terrable!¡± ¡°Maybe work a bit on that name later.¡± Reva suggested. ¡°Now I can show you all why I was outlawed in the entire Middle East!¡± she said giddily. Terrable chanted some sort of incantation and forced a swarm of runes to fly up into the sky, out of sight of any of them on the ground. Then all at once, a powerful amethyst beam crashed into the gate at such a velocity that they only barely saw it before a wave of rubble overtook them. When the dust settled, they saw a massive hole where there was a strong and proud wall only moments before. Terrable cheered and did some small pirouettes in the air. The other seven of them were silent in awe, marveling at the real power of Terrable and the glimpse of Eden before them. They finally were there, at the doorstep of Eden, with the door wide open. ¡°That was the feared guardian of Eden?¡± Terrable laughed with a snort. ¡°I expected a bigger challenge than an overgrown roadblock!¡± ¡°Well, I guess fences do only keep honest people out¡­¡± Saffron said with a light laugh. ¡°I¡¯m on top of the world!¡± Terrable shouted at the top of her lungs. ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to bring me do-¡± From beyond the hole in the gate, for only a fraction of a second, the seven of them saw something emerge as Terrable ignorantly cheered mid-air. She never even saw the flaming white-hot sword that cleaved right through her chest. As Terrable tried to grasp the blade, it burned her hands beyond recognition and she let loose a blood-curdling shriek as the flames began to spread and eat her body away from the chest outwards. By the time the mortified group could come to their senses, a giant flaming sword and a steaming golden diamond smashed against the ground, marking all that was left of their once powerful ally. ¡°Be put to rest now,¡± said a soothing female voice from beyond the gate. ¡°Your time in this world is over.¡± Weapons were instantly drawn from the entire group, shakily taking aim at the giant hole in the wall. A woman¡¯s figure emerged from the shadows, tranquil and emotionless. Her mere presence carried an air of heavy power. She had burning orange and red eyes, like that of a bonfire. On her back were six snow-white wings, like that of a dove. Loosely draped across her figure was a set of angelic robes that rippled through the air. Her hair was more golden than dozens of fields packed with wheat. In one hand she held a giant sword that perfectly matched the one that had flown through the chest of their friend. The woman reached out her hand and the sword that had cleaved the ground flew back into her hand, completing the set of inferno blades. The angel looked down on the seven weapon-drawn figures with a look of unrelenting contempt. ¡°Put your weapons down.¡± she commanded. ¡°I, Serif, am the guardian of Eden. Turn around or forfeit your life. Those are your only options.¡± Selicy was the first to speak. ¡°I think your life is the only one forfeited here!¡± she shouted, dropping the temperature around her enough to form frost on her allies¡¯ clothing. Her fingers were now sharpened icicles, ready to find a victim. ¡°Yeah, no, you¡¯re not getting away from us now.¡± Shiso growled. ¡°If you¡¯re taking our lives, I¡¯m gonna give you hell first!¡± He spun the barrels of both his revolvers and brandished them before her. ¡°The lives of you and your comrades are not worth endangering Eden.¡± Serif said judgmentally. ¡°When you put a hole in the Gate, you made a mistake. I only seek to defend the great city and the lives of those in it.¡± ¡°Well, your mistake was coming here yourself!¡± Gunner squeaked. ¡°How could you claim to be a guardian of anything?!¡± Reva passionately hollered. ¡°You took her life without a second thought! Without even giving her a choice! You didn¡¯t consider her life at all! How can you claim to be a guardian of anything if you¡¯re not one for everything?!¡± ¡°Such mortal words of yours.¡± Serif chastised. ¡°But enough talk. I have insects to exterminate.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try!¡± Hazel shouted, taking out a homemade gun that measured to be her own height. ¡°We¡¯re not leaving until this marks your final cord!¡± Violette cried. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± Saffron whispered, staring into Serif¡¯s fiery eyes, which were staring deep into hers. ¡°This is our final step!¡± As Saffron sprinted forward, she shoved one last card into her Field Bracer. The blood-red blade in the picture of the spell was etched into the scientist¡¯s mind. After all, what better spell to fight with than that one? Chapter 22: Sonata of the Void Angel The dusking sunlight glinted off the card that Saffron held high in the sky. She eyed down Serif as the spell in her hand disappeared, materializing a massive crimson sword above her head. ¡°I suppose you want me to step aside and let you all in or perish?¡± Serif asked condescendingly. ¡°No,¡± Saffron said, words ringing hollowly through the air. ¡°We¡¯re past letting you walk away alive!¡± Saffron commanded the sword to cleave down, striking Serif through the chest the same way the angel did to Terra. Shiso, Reva, and Violette were too stunned at Saffron¡¯s actions to move for a second; it was like someone flipped a switch in her. ¡°What¡¯re you three standing around for?¡± Selicy asked, spears of ice forming around her. Hazel was building something frantically behind her while Gunner took a precise aim. ¡°We¡¯ve got an angel to kill!¡± Serif was floating stationarily in the air since Saffron¡¯s spell had pierced her, but Selicy went in for a hit anyway. Two icy blades in hand, she leaped to Serif¡¯s height and made as deep of lacerations as she could on the angel¡¯s stomach before falling back to the ground. At the same time, Gunner blasted a shot from his oversized mana gun right into Serif¡¯s face. When they looked back up, Serif had no visible injuries from Selicy or Gunner at all. Saffron¡¯s spell dematerialized and there wasn¡¯t a single cut on the archangel¡¯s body. ¡°Is it settling in? The futile fight you put up only wastes time.¡± Serif raised a hand and about a hundred swords made of pure light appeared all around the group, targeting random people. All at once, the swords came down and everyone scattered. ¡°Kid, what¡¯s the battle plan?¡± Shiso asked over her earpiece. ¡°How do you kill an immortal?¡± she asked. ¡°Make them mortal!¡± Reva interjected, with a gasp of insight. ¡°Try again.¡± Saffron said. ¡°Because immortality isn¡¯t a concept I¡¯m unraveling in ten minutes or less.¡± ¡°Can we just shoot her until she drops?¡± Gunner asked. ¡°She¡¯s a big bird, right?¡± ¡°A big bird that murdered our friend in less than five seconds.¡± Saffron said grimly. ¡°I¡¯m not letting her just get away with killing Terra!¡± A huge ball of fire, shot from Saffron¡¯s hand, white-hot and hurtling towards Serif. The angel made no effort to dodge the attack, letting it meet her head-on. All at once, she exploded into a ball of fire and started burning. Flames licked across her bare skin, and danced along her thin clothing. Even so, her skin did now flay, and her clothing did not burn. The torrent of golden swords did stop though. ¡°Huh, and I thought that fire would make her an angel fajita.¡± Gunner said. ¡°Can someone ground her?¡± Reva asked. ¡°I got it.¡± Shiso responded. The gunman threw down a trap onto the barren ground and took a spell out from up his sleeve. He shoved it into a slot on the bottom of his revolver and took aim. With a BANG!, he struck right where the heart would be on a normal person. Serif had a moment to recover before her entire body was moved to a new location. Her body glowed a hot green and she disappeared before reappearing on top of Shiso¡¯s trap. His trap sprung up like a bear trap around Serif¡¯s leg. It kept her tethered very close to the ground. Flying from the sky, Reva came down and gave the angel the full force of her shield, which made a gong-like sound when it made impact with her. Close behind her, Gunner fired a mana charge from his gun so powerful that he was launched backwards. Violette lept into a flurry of trills, slicing and dicing at Serif¡¯s skin with every note. ¡°Finally done with this baby!¡± Hazel cheered as she patted a giant turret next to her. ¡°I¡¯ll call this baby¡­ Fenrir!¡± The turret charged up for only a moment before blasting a gratuitous, over the top, oversized, and lethal shot at Serif. The ground erupted and everyone shielded their faces. When the dust settled, the angelic figure was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Did we win?¡± Selicy asked. Suddenly, a dozen blades of light materialized above Selicy. She only had time to gasp and watch as each of them thrusted forward and ripped through her body. Her snow-white jacket was stained red, and her crimson scarf fluttered in the wind. Everyone watched their friend, who was making not one sound anymore. ¡°Selicy!¡± Violette cried, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Monster! Monster!¡± ¡°How do you see me for the monster?¡± Serif asked. She was flying above a giant cloud of dust. All six of her wings made a small vortex with their rapid flapping. ¡°Did she not attempt to kill you at your first encounter?¡± ¡°Maybe she did,¡± Violette admitted. ¡°But-¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°If she had killed one of you, would she have been the monster? What about you, Violette, the world¡¯s greatest musician? What if you had murdered one of your so-called friends when you met on that day not so long ago? Would you be the monster?¡± ¡°I-¡± Violette¡¯s voice faltered. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter anymore!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it?¡± Serif asked, surprised. ¡°The woman who would have killed for one last show.¡± She glanced at Gunner. ¡°The boy who¡¯s claimed hundreds of lives at only 16.¡± She pointed to Hazel. ¡°You, who have made mechanical monstrosities to automate death and destruction.¡± She narrowed her eyes at Shiso. ¡°A man whose soul runs red with the blood of those around him.¡± She looked at Saffron with a mocking smile. ¡°And you, how are you not the monster of us all?¡± ¡°Saffron hasn¡¯t done anything but try and help us!¡± Reva shouted. ¡°You wouldn''t know anything about that!¡± ¡°Lies! Blasphemy to the truth!¡± Serif shouted. ¡°You know that she is the woman who killed the world! The woman who created the Calamity Spells and watched as the world tore itself apart! Who watched the world burn with the smile on her face that you seem to admire so much!¡± Serif aggressively waved her hand, summoning a giant torrid sword glowing with intense heat. Its yellow sheen was like that of the sun and so was its heat; the blade itself was the length of a school bus. Saffron stared in horrific awe as Serif¡¯s summoned sword hurtled towards her. She knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge in time, so Saffron pulled out the strongest shielding spell she had. The weak blue shield conjured in front of the scientist, but she knew it couldn¡¯t take the hit. Saffron closed her eyes and braced herself as she came to terms with her death. ¡°Clash!¡± The sword was stopped by something protecting Saffron. She opened her eyes enough to see Reva¡¯s smiling face looking down on her. ¡°Reva¡­¡± Saffron whispered. Reva was holding Saffron close in her arms while she wore Eschaton on her back to shield them from the giant blade. The two weapons sizzled, hissed, and groaned trying to break the other. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll always have your back, even if you can¡¯t cover mine!¡± Reva comforted warmly. She gave Saffron a kiss on the forehead, like a mother. ¡°Now, go.¡± Reva shoved Saffron away, smiling somberly as she waved. The white knight¡¯s shield cracked and groaned before the sword shattered a hole in Eschaton and tore through Reva¡¯s body. Saffron cried as Reva¡¯s still-smiling body coughed up blood and dropped to the ground. Their impenetrable wall had fallen. ¡°Kid, we¡¯re getting out of here.¡± Shiso said in the panic, yanking Saffron away by the wrist. She fought against him as hard as she could. ¡°Let me go!¡± she cried. ¡°I¡¯m going to make that six-winged bitch pay!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to-¡± Before Shiso could finish his sentence, a laser of pure white light flew from behind Saffron and pierced his throat. Eyes wide, he fell to the ground, crushing his glasses and bleeding out in an instant. Saffron felt paralyzed by everything around her. Violette sobbed as she hugged Shiso¡¯s body to her chest. Gunner was lying on the ground next to his human-sized gun, unmoving. She couldn¡¯t see Hazel anymore, just the giant flaming remains of an oversized turret. She turned towards the angel, who overlooked the Saffron with a looming shadow. Before she could say anything, Violette let loose a blood-curdling scream before becoming abruptly taciturn. The broken scientist couldn¡¯t bear to look behind herself. ¡°You¡¯re not an angel,¡± Saffron said with a choked voice. ¡°You¡¯re a devil.¡± ¡°How interesting you choose those exact words.¡± Serif said wistfully. ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard them before, but from someone else. Like a memory I can¡¯t quite place¡­¡± ¡°What do you want with me?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°You killed all my friends! You killed them all without a second thought! If you say I¡¯m such a monster, kill me instead!¡± Saffron got down on her knees, tears steamrolling down her face. ¡°Kill me, kill me!¡± Serif gently floated down and looked at Saffron with a surprising look of compassion. She put her hand on Saffron¡¯s face and gently lifted it, like a mother would. She soothingly caressed the scientist¡¯s face, as if attempting to soothe her. ¡°Child, you do not get to die. Not yet.¡± Saffron looked the angel in the eyes. ¡°Why?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ve already watched everyone I love die. Who¡¯s left to watch burn because of what I did?¡± ¡°You have no idea.¡± Serif waved her hand and rested it on Saffron¡¯s forehead. The world around them began to fade away, blurring and becoming more and more out of focus. Saffron herself began to feel tired, dizzy, and fatigued. The last thing she remembered was Serif mouthing the words, ¡°Do it better next time.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saffron woke up with a jolt and a shriek in the middle of the night. She wildly began to look around to see where she was until her eyes settled on something. Next to her, Violette laid with a pale face. ¡°Saffron, honey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. Saffron reached out a shaking hand and touched the songstress¡¯ face, as if to confirm that she wasn¡¯t just an apparition. She cried tears of joy and hugged her as tight as possible. Violette squirmed around and was getting crushed by the hug. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± she asked with a lightheaded laugh. Before Saffron could answer, Hazel ripped off the top of the tent that the two were under. She had some crazed eyes and was holding a shotgun quickly summoned from one of her spells in her hand. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked in a panic. Saffron said nothing and tackled her best friend instead. She was still crying as she buried her face into the engineer¡¯s overalls. She looked up and saw the rest of her friends staring down at her on top of Hazel¡¯s body. The sky was dark and tents were pitched up in a small circle. It was exactly as they had it last night. Chapter 23: Soli ¡°Hey Saff, could you let go?¡± Hazel asked with a nervous laugh. The engineer was blushing a bit. ¡°You¡¯re, uh, going to break a rib or something on me. Lighten up, I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± They all looked down at her, giving light laughs at what they thought was her attempt at making some kind of comedy out of the situation. At least, watching Hazel struggle under Saffron was funny enough to watch. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s enough Hazel to go around.¡± Reva assured, prying the scientist off of the gasping woman. ¡°What¡¯s wrong anyway? We all heard that scream.¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°It was¡­ a nightmare. But¡­ it felt so real, like I really lived it. ¡± Saffron recounted, chillingly. ¡°We- We made it to Eden, but there was this angel there¡­¡± When she had finished her story, everyone looked at each other, unsure of how to take it. Shiso put a sympathetic and worried hand on her shoulder. ¡°Kid, we all have bad dreams. You gotta ignore them.¡± he advised. ¡°You¡¯re stressing too hard about Eden. Come morning, we¡¯ll take off for the place again.¡± ¡°But what if it wasn¡¯t a dream?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°What if the angel is there? What if we are all going to di-¡± ¡°Silence, you blockheads!¡± shouted a shrill voice from inside a tent. Out came Terra in a set of white robes, completed with a black sleeping mask decorated with deep purple diamonds. ¡°I need my beauty sleep to maintain my perfect face. This is all natural; no makeup!¡± ¡°Go back to sleep!¡± roared Shiso. ¡°We have enough of you during the day. Shut it until morning.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wake me again!¡± she complained. ¡°I have ears everywhere.¡± She ducked back down to get in the tent, but hit her head on one of the bars giving the tent structure. ¡°Can we go back to bed?¡± Gunner asked, sleepily rubbing his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going back.¡± Selicy said, diving back into her tent. Everyone slowly slumped back into their sleeping bags, drowsy and restless by Saffron¡¯s incitement in the night. Violette set their tent back up and ducked inside. ¡°Are you coming?¡± she asked, beckoning Saffron to follow her into the tent. ¡°No thanks.¡± Saffron politely declined. ¡°I want to clear my head after the¡­ nightmare.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Vio smiled brightly. ¡°Make sure to at least get 40 winks before the sun comes up. Can¡¯t have you with those bags under your eyes.¡± ¡°Do I have bags under my eyes?¡± Saffron asked, self-consciously touching around the bottom of her eyes. ¡°Not yet, but get back soon!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± the scientist said quietly with a wink. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saffron drifted quietly through the forest, focusing on the full moon that shone down on her. Why do full moons always come before horrible events? Such a pretty thing, but its bright light was almost like a warning. Something poked from the breast pocket on her shirt, and she took it out. Saffron had completely forgotten about it. She twirled and fumbled the card around in her hand. The front was stark white with a green Sera pattern drawn all over it. It read ¡°Shopkeeper¡± in fancy gold cursive, faintly glowing in the darkness. The back was the exact same white and Sera pattern, only it instead read ¡°I¡¯m ready to make a bargain¡± in the same gold cursive. ¡°Just rip that card and say that line and I will warp to your location to do some business.¡± echoed the words of Shopkeeper through her head. She shook her head and stared back at the card. She thought about using it for just a moment before disregarded it. Whatever Shopkeeper wanted her to buy, the price probably wasn¡¯t worth it. Saffron tossed the card aside, turning her back as she heard it gently drift into some bush. She walked away, thinking about what to do, when something got thrown at the back of her head, surprising her. She turned around in a flash only to find nothing but the still night. The scientist reached into her hair and removed whatever was thrown when her back was turned. It was Shopkeeper¡¯s business card. Saffron didn¡¯t like that one bit. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± she asked into the darkness. Everything was dead silent and not even a leaf fluttered in the night. The unnerving eeriness of it all made Saffron¡¯s skin crawl. The text on the business card shined brighter than before. She dropped the card at her feet and moved on. She hadn¡¯t even gone five steps before turning around and catching a projectile. It was the same business card. Shopkeeper gave her a pouty face just a couple feet away. ¡°You wanted to throw away my precious gift?¡± the merchant asked with contempt. ¡°I thought we had something!¡± ¡°No, we don¡¯t.¡± Saffron said, rubbing her eyes and turning away. ¡°I thought about it, but there¡¯s no good reason to do any business with you again.¡± She trotted away, but Shopkeeper trailed behind her. ¡°What¡¯ve I ever done?¡± ¡°Pretty sure you took like two pints of blood from me while I slept.¡± ¡°It was only one.¡± she said defensively. ¡°I¡¯m a changed woman.¡± ¡°Fat chance.¡± Saffron said with an eye roll and a dismissive hand gesture. ¡°Go find someone else to scam.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not a scam!¡± ¡°I had a man tell that to me about my extended car warranty once.¡± She stopped and turned around skeptically. ¡°What makes you think I need something anyway?¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s looking to buy something,¡± Shopkeeper said, smiling brightly. ¡°But only a few have the guts to pay the price.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have the guts to spare. I¡¯ll keep both my kidneys. Now go away, I¡¯ll handle my problems without whatever ¡®help¡¯ you can give.¡± ¡°You know how to find me.¡± she echoed. Saffron turned back to see only the empty trees, leaves and appendages waving in the wind. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Rise and shine.¡± Shiso loudly grumbled to the entire camp. Shiso held Gunner in a struggling headlock for waking him up early. Violette poked her head out of their tent, yawning and stretching to the sky. Reva emerged from her tent, dragging a still-sleeping Selicy by her feet. Terra peaked her head out of the tent and let out a giant yawn before getting yanked backwards by her twintails, courtesy of Hazel, who stumbled out with her face completely obscured by hair; she was blindly reaching around for something to tie it back with. ¡°Why¡¯d you have to get us up so early?¡± Selicy moaned. ¡°Because this gremlin decided to wake me up.¡± Shiso said, letting Gunner go. ¡°Boo.¡± Terra said, throwing a pillow at Shiso¡¯s static face. ¡°Go back to bed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already light out though¡­¡± Reva lamented. ¡°No way I can go to bed now.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± Selicy mumbled. ¡°Ruin my morning. See if I care¡­¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The scene was all pretty uncanny to Saffron. It was almost exactly how she remembered waking up before. The d¨¦j¨¤ vu was hitting her pretty hard right about now. While everyone packed up and got ready to leave, Terra braided Hazel¡¯s hair back with multiple small stone clasps to hold her hair back. It made her look a bit like a modern-day cavewoman. Hazel liked it quite a lot. Saffron counted her spell cards, trying to distract herself. She wondered what it was that she was going to do about what was going to happen. It was all so confusing to her. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Was Eden under threat by the Mongols?¡± Hazel asked, looking up at the giant blue wall obstructing them. ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t like visitors?¡± Violette asked. ¡°Let¡¯s knock on their door then.¡± Gunner said, readying his giant gun. ¡°How are we supposed to get over that?¡± Selicy asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can. It¡¯s so tall.¡± Reva pointed out. ¡°Maybe we can dig under it?¡± ¡°Or maybe we could not use a Loony Toons plan?¡± Shiso sighed. ¡°Can we just blast a giant hole in it or something?¡± ¡°Yeah, Saffron¡¯s got all sorts of spells for that!¡± Hazel said optimistically. ¡°Doesn¡¯t really look like anyone¡¯s watching.¡± ¡°There doesn¡¯t need to be.¡± Saffron warned. She picked a card from her Field Bracer and used it towards the wall. A wide green arrow-shaped wave sped towards the wall and dissipated on the surface, like it was made of air. All of the wall¡¯s turrets and cannons popped out from its blue circuit-looking surface. Red dots populated the barren ground as they looked for any target. The only victims of the advanced weaponry were the occasional birds soaring peacefully through the sky, and geckos pattering across the ground. ¡°If this is the guardian you¡¯ve been talking about, I¡¯m not impressed!¡± Terra cackled. ¡°I¡¯d attach hundreds more weapons than that!¡± ¡°That thing already looks like it could kill anything on sight.¡± Shiso pointed out. ¡°I don¡¯t think you could put any more guns on one thing.¡± ¡°No, no. I think you could.¡± Hazel said, angling her head around as if she was looking for more places to cram a gun into a wall. ¡°I¡¯ll make quick work of this overbuilt fence!¡± Terra announced. ¡°Here, hold this.¡± she said, tossing her staff to Shiso. Saffron snatched it from midair and threw it back to Terra, who angrily caught it with an outstretched arm. ¡°I think there¡¯s another way.¡± Saffron insisted. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll try it ¡®your way¡¯ this time.¡± Terra grumbled. ¡°But I¡¯m going nuclear as soon as I see we¡¯re losing.¡± ¡°What should we do though?¡± Violette asked. ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t we just talk about how unclimbable and dangerous that thing is?¡± Selicy pointed out. ¡°If we take out the weapons, isn¡¯t it just a wall?¡± Gunner asked from the back of the group. They all wanted to point out how dumb that sounded, but he had a point. ¡°So all we have to do is break the guns and waltz in!¡± Reva cheered. ¡°Is it really that easy?¡± Saffron asked nervously. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s a lot of guns to break anyway, so¡­¡± ¡°I was made for this!¡± laughed Terra, rolling up her sleeves. ¡°You know, they called me ¡®Breaker¡¯ in college.¡± ¡°No way you went to college.¡± Selicy said. ¡°Your reading is worse than Gunner¡¯s.¡± ¡°I did go to college!¡± the cultist screeched. ¡°I graduated top of my class in Hearth Tech. and got a master¡¯s degree in Destructive Magic!¡± ¡°Was your minor in losing brain cells?¡± Selicy grumbled. ¡°It was in exotic cooking!¡± she said proudly. ¡°And I¡¯m going to cook up destruction!¡± Terra started marching towards the Gate. Gunner busted into laughter, thinking it was a joke. ¡°I don¡¯t think-¡± Then he realized that she wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°Hey, stop it!¡± the boy yelled. ¡°Are you trying to get yourself killed?!¡± Shiso asked, dashing towards the cult leader. A turret took aim at Shiso while completely disregarding the presence of Terra. He swiftly rolled out of the way of a laser, and had to dance around the Gate¡¯s defense systems. ¡°Hey rock magician, why won¡¯t they shoot you?!¡± yelled Gunner from afar. ¡°Lower machines know their place.¡± she responded menacingly. ¡°I think it¡¯s magic.¡± Reva whispered, pointing out Terra¡¯s staff glowing purple. From atop the wall, something jumped down and landed with a large tremor and sending a giant wave of dust cascading. The lasers on the Gate stopped firing when the hulking mass landed, switching off and slumping down like a set of security cameras. Machinery clicked and whirled as the settling dust revealed a colossal white and black robot. It held a sledgehammer about the length of a couple small cars back-to-back. Its shape was humanoid enough, with the only thing keeping it from a true human shape being the missing head. Nonetheless, it pivoted around as if searching for something. It locked on to Terra and raised its hammer at her. She looked back at the rest. ¡°Hazel, is this one of your children?¡± she asked before the automaton made it¡¯s attempt to putt her halfway to Timbuktu. The cult leader soared through the air and was out of their sight before she hit the ground. ¡°Is she alright?¡± Violette asked, covering her mouth. ¡°Nah, she always needs the last laugh.¡± Gunner said. ¡°She¡¯ll probably be back with a nuke or something.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡± the songstress said. ¡°KNOW YOUR PLACE, AUTOMATION!¡± roared Terra in the distance. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s the one who needs the prayer.¡± Reva remarked, seeing Terra charge up a spell. ¡°Holy Ground!¡± she shouted, casting a giant wave of magic at the robot. The ground around it started to shake as cracks and fissures appeared. Reva grabbed Shiso as one appeared under him. The robot stuttered as it sank into the ground, flailing it¡¯s limbs as it dropped it¡¯s hammer and got stuck from the waist-down in a crack. ¡°Inferior being!¡± Terra laughed, flying over and kicking the machine¡¯s body. Yo, can you give me a lift?¡± Hazel asked Terra. The engineer grabbed the bottom of her white dress as Terra flew overhead, and gently landed next to the wall. ¡°You¡¯re paying for that taxi service later.¡± Terra demanded. ¡°Bill it to Saff.¡± Hazel landed next to the Gate and scanned along its smooth surface before yanking at a panel off and peering underneath. It was a mess of interfaces and wires, which not even Hazel would quickly make sense of. ¡°Hey, Zel, you found what you¡¯re looking for?¡± Saffron shouted. ¡°I probably would¡¯ve if I could understand it!¡± she fussed. The interface said that it apparently ran on ¡®Eden Vista¡¯. It was horribly ugly and not very straightforward; Hazel¡¯s worst enemy. She turned to Terra. ¡°Can you just bust the thing down?¡± she asked. Terra¡¯s eyes looked like she had just walked downstairs on Christmas morning. By the time Saffron had turned around and noticed Terrable, it was too late. She demolished a hole in the side of the gate, leaving everyone star-struck. Then before they knew it, a divine light shined from inside the city. Saffron knew what it was. Who it was. She knew how it was fated to end. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saffron woke up with a jolt in the middle of the night, but was careful to not make a noise. She controlled her breathing and looked at Violette next to her. She was sleeping soundly, her chest heaving up and down in her slumber. Saff slowly crawled out of the tent, careful not to disturb the songstress in her exit. She looked back just in time to see her hugging her pillow. She shakily exited the little campsite and went deep into some foliage. When she was sure she was far enough, Saffron puked into a bush. That was twice that she had to watch all her friends die in front of her. Twice that she had failed the one thing she set out to do. ¡°You¡¯ve looked better.¡± Behind her hunched-over figure, Shopkeeper was picking at her nails while staring condescendingly at Saffron. ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking.¡± ¡°Come on, you know you need to take my hand.¡± she said, stretching out her hand again. Saffron swatted it away. ¡°Go find someone else to scam.¡± ¡°Yeah, you told me that last time.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Saffron asked. ¡°You remember last time?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t really seem surprised.¡± ¡°Is anything supposed to surprise me anymore?¡± Saffron asked, laughing. ¡°I live in a world where I can use this,¡± She took out her Explosion spell. ¡°And I can just level a city! It¡¯s a world where angels can guard cities with futuristic walls! A world where I can end the world again if I so wished! So I ask again, is anything supposed to surprise me anymore? And I can¡¯t even make it into one city to save what¡¯s left of the world!¡± ¡°Is that a no?¡± Saffron stormed off, and Shopkeeper didn¡¯t even bother following. She was angry and frustrated and scared and sad and everything all rolled up into one. By the time she got back to their campsite, she didn¡¯t even see Shiso leaning against the tree. She didn¡¯t know why she felt so much anger, but it was suffocating. ¡°Where were you, kid?¡± he asked. ¡°None of your business.¡± she snapped. Shiso narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yeah, no. What¡¯s that about?¡± ¡°What¡¯s what about?¡± she asked, the edge in her voice growing. ¡°You know what.¡± ¡°Leave me alone.¡± she warned. She walked up right beside him to pass by. She was mere inches away from him. ¡°Kid, I know this mission¡¯s stressful and all, but you gotta calm down and-¡± Quicker than Shiso could react, Saffron reached down and pulled his gun from its holster. She didn¡¯t even think twice about it. She was willing to try anything but what that woman--what those women--wanted her to do. Saff was about to save what remained of the Earth, even if she had to go through what was left to save it. She had lost it.