The Phoenix Fallacy_Book II_Norm

by Jon Sourbeer,

Janus, however, wasn’t thinking about the mission during those long nights. He was thinking of Clara. Wondering how and what she was doing, and if she was all right. He knew it must be rough in the slums, suddenly all alone, not knowing whether he was still alive or not. How long had it been now? How many months? He just wasn’t sure anymore.

  A few days ago, Janus had discovered a tiny niche, tucked away near the top of Valhalla, that he now frequented during his nightly wanderings. It was an odd, rounded little alcove jutting from the hall, with two windows and a wide view and, perhaps more importantly, a silence born of its solitude. Only the distant sound of the waterfalls trickling down the Trunk in the great hall could be heard. The alcove was dark, quiet and, tonight, beautiful as well. Janus watched a meteor fly by overhead. Clear, dark skies lit up in brilliant streaks of blue, while bright stars glowed behind them. Janus lay back in the window, wondering what Clara would say, if she knew he could see the stars every night.

  Soft footsteps sounded behind him. He turned, and was surprised to see it was Wouris. She moved across the small alcove and sat back in the window across from him, staring at the meteor shower for several long moments before she asked, “What’s on your mind?”

  Janus returned his gaze to the outside, “Nothing, really.”

  Wouris cocked her head at him, “I see. Then why are you staring into space in the middle of the night, not getting any sleep for the mission in two days?”

  Janus sat bolt upright, “We found it?”

  “Yes. It was lucky, but I’m not going to complain. We accidentally caught a transmission between Cerberus and the facility. Looks like Lightemann’s Ridge is going to have an important visitor in two days. We think we can use that to slip in. We’re completing the scouting of the area surrounding the Cerberus facility right now. Two nights from now, our teams will have a go for the mission.”

  Janus was deep in thought, what else do I need to do to prep?

  Wouris seemed to read his mind, “Let your team rest a bit tomorrow, have some fun. Make sure you are fully recharged for the upcoming mission.”

  Janus paused, unsure whether he would heed her words. Then he shrugged, “I’ll let them take a break tomorrow. There isn’t much more they can do anyway.”

  Wouris got up, taking a few steps away from the window. “Oh and Janus, I think she would tell you that you are being stupid right now for worrying so much, and for putting both yourself and your team at risk by not getting enough rest yourself.”

  Janus could not hide his surprise. He stared at Wouris for a moment, wide eyed. Nodding, he slowly stood up and, giving one last look out the window, went to bed.

  The next morning, after confirming the news with the Praetor, Janus gathered Celes, Marcus, Lyn, and Ramirez in the common area and let them know about their upcoming departure and their day off. Everyone was excited by the news, but more surprised by the day off.

  “Finally realize that everything will be fine?” Celes asked.

  Janus shook his head, “No, but Wouris raised the excellent point that if all of you fell over from exhaustion, you wouldn’t do me much good. Oh, and it would be bad for all of you, too,” he gave them a smirk.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Marcus leaned back against his chair. “Well, I’m going to go see if any of the other squads are on leave. Maybe see if I can get a game of Brigg’s Ball together or something. I think Forrenza’s squad was interested.”

  “Ramirez and I are going to grab some breakfast, if anyone cares to join us?” Lyn asked.

  “I already ate before I met you this morning,” Janus shrugged apologetically.

  Marcus and Celes nodded to show they had done the same. “I was trying to get some food in me so I wouldn’t keel over in the morning training session. Sorry,” Celes smiled reluctantly.

  Lyn pouted, “Well, fine. Ramirez and I didn’t really want you guys, anyway. We’ll have a nice leisurely breakfast with the other, more social Adepts,” she huffed and disappeared around the corner to the mess. Ramirez nodded his head with a smile and followed after, easily catching her with his long strides.

  “Ever notice how Lyn always makes decisions for ‘Ramirez and I’?” Janus asked with a grin.

  Celes giggled, “Yeah, but he never seems to mind, does he?”

  “Well, I’m not sure Ramirez is ever bothered by anything,” Marcus commented, “Anyway, I’m heading down to see if there are any Brigg’s games to watch in the arena; anyone care to join me?”

  Celes shook her head, “Not really, I think I’ll pass for today.”

  Marcus seemed stymied for a moment, “What about you, Janus?”

  Janus glanced at Celes and back again, “Some other time.”

  A brief frown crossed Marcus’ face, “Well, see ya later.” He gave a sort of half-wave and then jogged away, towards the main lifts.

  “Bye, Marcus,” Celes called after him. He turned to smile at her as he left.

  “Well, what should we do?” Celes asked wistfully.

  “We? Why do we have to do anything?” Janus joked.

  Celes gave him an exasperated look, and he quickly cleared his throat, “Err, sorry, habit. I’m just taking it easy. Make sure I’m fully rested for tomorrow. Maybe I’ll review what Valhalla’s computers say about Cerberus, see if something valuable doesn’t turn up.”

  “Good idea. I was thinking of heading up to the Garden,” Celes said.

  “The Garden?” Janus asked incredulously.

  “Yes, the Garden,” Celes said. “It is the perfect place to relax, and you can always bring a portable display to read from Valhalla’s library.”

  Janus shrugged, “I guess so…”

  “You’ve never been up there, have you?” Celes asked in amazement.

  Janus looked away as he mumbled something incoherent, then said, “I‘ve been busy.”

  “But it is so beautiful up there!”

  “Sure…” Janus shrugged.

  “You don’t even know what it is, do you?” She scowled.

  “Uhh.. of cour—“ Janus was jerked forward as Celes grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the lifts.

  “Well, we’re going to change that right now. Come on!”

  Chapter 5: The Garden

  The door to ‘the Garden’ was heavy and solid, made of the same material as the glossy white exterior of Valhalla, designed to seal off the area completely in case of attack. Set into the stone were new runes Janus had never seen before, two small bent lines or ‘L’s angled and wrapped around each other, and a rune shaped like a ‘P’:

  Janus studied the glowing red runes at the door. Celes smiled, “they literally translate to ‘harvest of joy’.”

  Without further ado, she stepped forward, and the gateway slid open.

  Janus gasped.

  “Come on,” Celes pulled him in. They were standing in a field of orange and blue wildflowers.

  Janus had assumed the Garden would have the same bright and rigid greenery of the Cerberus upper levels. This was much more wild. There were no paths – no organization. Things just grew. Simple gardening Daeduluses tended the plants as insects hummed lazily among flowers, grasses, and reeds. A brook bubbled cheerily nearby, flowing over natural stones. It was bright, and Janus looked up at the sky – the sun shone overhead through the clear, domed roof. The Garden wasn’t even a quarter of the mess, but it felt open and free, and out beyond the walls, Janus could see the rolling clouds. It was like standing on an island in the sky.

  Adepts walked among the trees and grasses that made up the ‘Garden’, their black and grey armor a stark contrast to the bright and vibrant landscape. But their faces reflected a simple joy as they walked, and suddenly, it seemed perfectly natural for them to be there.

  It took Janus a moment to realize Celes had let go of his hand, walking towards the brook. Janus looked at his gloved hand – it seemed out of place in the sea of color. Pulling off his glove, he knelt down, grabbing at the stem of a flower. A breeze blew by him, and he hesitated. He l
ooked around, watching as special vents opened along the dome, and as the Daeduluses and insects worked. He pulled his hand away from the stem, and instead rubbed the petals between his fingers. He wasn’t sure how it was supposed to feel. To his right, a small cluster of trees lined the wall, forming a tiny forest. Glistening fruit dragged down their boughs.

  Right in the middle of the Garden, however, was the centerpiece. A giant tree – standing alone, and stretching nearly high enough to brush the top of the dome. Celes sat down on a rock protruding from the ground nearby, the brook babbling happily.

  Janus followed her, feeling the temperature change as he moved into the shadows of the branches. The sun was warm and inviting, but Janus leaned against the tree. He wasn’t sure what type it was, but he liked it. Although his eyes had adjusted to the bright sunlight, he realized his years of skulking in the dark of Cerberus had left a mark on him. He was much more comfortable in the shade.

  “I like to come up here sometimes when I have free time, and let my mind clear. I haven’t been up here since the assault. Now seemed like a good time to do it,” Celes said, her back turned to him.

  Janus stared at her, but said nothing. The soft yellow sun filtered down through the tree’s leaves, cascading down all around her, giving her a heavenly glow, her hair shimmered like gold.

  She turned suddenly to him and laughed, “Don’t you just love it up here? It reminds me of home.”

  Janus averted his gaze, and glanced around, asking, “Really? How so?”

  She blushed, “Never mind.” After a moment she added, “I just think it is important never to forget where you came from and why you’re here. That’s all. You don’t have a place that you go to sort things out?”

  Janus shrugged, “Why would I need to? I just spend as much time as I can learning and training.”

  “What about reflecting?”

  “On what?” he asked cautiously.

  She motioned back towards Valhalla, “On all of this. On what we do – we’re mercenaries, Janus. We wage war for a living.”

  “We fight so that we can have some semblance of freedom. A chance for a real life,” Janus replied, “I told you what Cerberus was like. Because of this, I can live a better life, and someday, help others do the same.”

  “And what about those we fight?”

  “S.T.s? S.T.s are scum – men and women who terrorize the innocent.” He was surprised she would ask the question.

  “Not all of them.”

  “Every one that I’ve met,” Janus retorted.

  “What about Marcus?” she asked.

  Startled, Janus did not respond, and Celes searched for a new topic, “I love that tree. It’s a yew, and it sits right in the middle of the Garden.” Her gaze traced a line up the trunk.

  Janus looked up at the crooked branches.

  “I’ve heard the Praetor planted it himself,” Celes said. She glanced back at Janus suddenly, “Why do you think he favors you so much?”

  Janus was taken aback at the question, and Celes quickly added, “Not that you don’t deserve it. But,” she paused and Janus leaned forward, off the yew, “the Praetor has been keeping his eye on you from the beginning, from the moment you came here.”

  Janus shrugged, “I don’t know. The Praetor did get a feel for my abilities when he shot me, so that might be it.”

  Celes looked at him in surprise, “The Praetor shot you?”

  Janus raised his hands in defense, “It was before he knew me, the first time we met at Cerberus.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  Janus paused, clearing his throat, “He thought he was doing me a favor.”

  Celes seemed repulsed, “How could he possibly think that? Is Cerberus really that bad?”

  Janus shifted uncomfortably.

  Celes did not press further, “Still, I can’t imagine he would show you any favoritism, even if he did feel bad about shooting you.”

  Janus shook his head, “He wouldn’t. Maybe he came from the sl— the same area I did, and he feels that we’re the same.” Janus avoided looking at her, watching the patterns of light filtering through the yew tree.

  Celes considered for a moment and then shook her head, “I don’t think so. The Praetor knows his position. I don’t think he would intentionally show favoritism to anybody, not even his officers. It is something else, I think. It has the officers baffled, frankly.”

  Janus returned his gaze to Celes, and this time, she turned her head away.

  “And why are you here?” he asked.

  After a moment, she returned his gaze, “The same reason you are, to better myself. To experience freedom away from the Corporations. To understand.”

  Janus chuckled, “Maybe I’m just here to prove I’m the best.”

  “I hope not,” Celes said quietly and Janus fell silent. Janus and Celes stared silently at one another. Janus felt strangely twisted, both happy and exposed.

  “Hey, Janus!” The moment shattered, and Janus turned to look at Marcus running up. Janus gave one last hesitant glance at Celes, but she was now watching the brook.

  “Glad I found you,” Marcus said. He was covered in a sheen of sweat, “Captain Rogers is about to start a game of Brigg’s Ball. Now that we’re full Adepts, we can join in. If you play, we can have a three team battle!”

  Janus immediately popped up from the tree, eager to escape the awkwardness of the moment, “Count me in!” Brigg’s Ball was a challenge he could understand.

  “I thought you wanted to take it easy today,” Celes said, her back still turned.

  “I wouldn’t want to pass up my first opportunity to actually play Brigg’s Ball, now, would I?” Janus smiled, but Celes was unable to see it.

  “You’re welcome to come watch, Celes. I wish you could play, but Janus makes six.” Marcus said.

  Celes kept her back turned, staring up through the translucent roof at the sky, “Thanks, but no thanks. I think I will stay here. I’ve seen plenty of battles between the other Adepts.”

  Marcus stared at her a moment before shrugging at Janus. “Come on, Janus, the game is starting in just a couple of minutes.” He ran back to the reinforced door. Janus followed, but stopped after a few steps. He cleared his throat and spoke to Celes’ back, he said, “I bet this place would look beautiful at night.”

  He suddenly felt chill, despite the warmth of his surroundings. Celes turned her head towards Janus and smiled, but only slightly. “I’m sure it would.” She returned her face to the sky, tilting her head back and closing her eyes as she let the sun play on her face.

  Marcus called to Janus, “Come on.”

  Janus hurried after him.

  Chapter 6: The Arena

  Brigg’s Ball was held in the arena, under the Trunk and Great Hall. Two simple runes swept over the entranceway:

  which meant “Challenge and Victory”.

  Janus’ felt his body tense and tingle as he ran inside, jogging swiftly with Marcus down the ramp; he had heard of it many times as a cadet, but tradition stated only full-fledged Adepts were allowed to play. Marcus had attended many of the games in his downtime, and Janus half-listened to him as he soaked in the sight.

  “Brigg’s Ball, as legend has it, was the creation of a particularly mean-tempered Major Brigg, a man who never once lost to his men.” They had descended into a huge room running underneath the great Trunk. Large tendrils crept down from the ceiling, forming the supports for the bubble-like wall of the playing field, as if they had stumbled upon some animal’s lair at the base of a tree.

  Janus had heard the story of Brigg before, but the details were fuzzy, so he tried to focus on Marcus’ words as they jogged towards the dome and the crowd of Adepts already there. “Brigg had many men under his command, but found their attitudes lacking, especially one soldier called Boomer. Boomer was a bright soldier, with great potential. But whenever the Praetor would allow the men leave, Boomer became drunken, and foolhardy. Wasting time with hardly a care.”

&n
bsp; A roar went up from the crowd. A game was already in progress, and the arena was packed with Adepts enjoying their last day before the mission. They filled the levels of bleachers surrounding the round, slightly recessed field. Brigg’s Ball was a brutal game, and a good opportunity for Adepts to get out their bravado before a mission. Despite its risks, the officers preferred the calm soldier over the excited one, and any serious injury could be treated with a trip to the Medical Wing for a Nanyte injection. Janus and Marcus jogged the outside of the dome, towards a small staging area where other Adepts waited to play.

  Marcus voice was a pleasant accent to the energy of the crowd. “One day, while his squad relaxed, he asked them to play a game against himself and some fellow officers. When the men, including Boomer, had gathered, he held up a red ball, and pointed to two sets of trees at opposite sides of a field. The goal was simple: shoot the ball between the other team’s trees. The team with the highest score was the winner, and the game would end at sunset. Boomer was wary, however, and asked if there were any other rules they should know.

  Brigg simply smiled and said, ‘What? Do you think I’ll spring some fancy twist on you after we start?’ The soldiers nodded. They knew better than to think Brigg didn’t have something up his sleeve. But Brigg shook his head and laughed, ‘Nothing that clever, I’m afraid. Just a simple game. I’m a warrior. I like simple games.’

  ‘And so put at ease, the soldiers agreed to play, lining up on the field against Brigg and his fellows. Brigg was even kind enough to give Boomer the first try.”

  The crowd cheered as a new match began, and Janus could almost envision the two teams being replaced by those in the legend.

  ‘But when his men took the ball, and the game began, the unexpected happened. Brigg did nothing. The men passed the ball back and forth, the officers made runs for the ball, and they jostled lightly. The ball changed hands, the scores went up, and the soldiers began to enjoy themselves.

  ‘As the day came to a close, the score was tied. The soldiers were surprised. They could win this game. They could defeat Major Brigg, at his own game, no less. And with the sun falling, Boomer, leading the team, pushed forward, ball in hand to score.