by Damon Glatz
"You're kidding." Darius put his palm on his forehead.
"Though, after the rally with the Emperor, I lost him and don't know where he went."
"Yeah, we lost him too." Darius stood eye to eye with Ohitekah.
"Our spies had caught wind of the trap Falko set for you. We heard that the library would be burned to entice the Mythics of Fire and Thunder to come save it. If you made your move, his forces were positioned to take you out."
Red was right, it was a trap.
"However, we identified you first. And fortunately,” Sierra took a deep breath, “you two did not do anything to stop the fire."
Sierra glanced away. "We should have done something—"
"Falko is looking for us too. If he finds our headquarters, then that’s it for us."
"How could we just sit here and watch him destroy the Library?!"
"I know some of your research was in there... But—"
"It wasn't just my research. It was the world’s research. And he destroyed it."
"And that’s why we need to stay focused on the real enemy Sierra. That was just the beginning of what he’s planning."
"I'm sorry," Ohitekah spoke softly. "I wanted to help. I tried. Red stopped me. He said it would give us away to Falko."
She faced him, her eyes were in a tight brow. She looked like she wanted to cry… Or punch something, Ohitekah couldn’t tell.
"Well, he was right... We can't let you fall into the wrong hands." She walked out of the room and turned down the hall.
Darius stood alone with Ohitekah for a brief moment.
"A little fireball, isn't she?" Darius grabbed Ohitekah by the shoulder and pulled him closer.
"Yeah. She’s pretty intense."
Darius laughed. "Well don't get any ideas there kid. She's harder to crack than a vault. And trust me... I've tried cracking both." Darius scratched his chin thoughtfully, he then led Ohitekah out of the room. "Let’s go to a more comfortable place."
They walked together out of the dungeon and up a flight of stairs into the main building. There were several men and women in similar cloaks walking about. As Darius lead him through the building they passed a courtyard with a few people sparring one another. They used wooden weapons, the man leading the fight was a tall black man. Their wooden armory had just about every weapon Ohitekah had ever seen. Spears, throwing knives, axes, and swords. Each cloaked person fought with a unique and personal weapon. Their practice battle was impressive, each of them dancing and jumping around the courtyard. One warrior caught Ohitekah's eye.
Sierra was out there. She fought with dual blades. A sword in each hand. She rushed at the large man in the center. He had a wooden spear. She jumped and slashed at him with her left, it was blocked. She stabbed with her right. He gripped her wrist and stopped the stab. He then punched her in the stomach, she was sent flying back and hit the dirt hard.
Ohitekah flinched, it looked like a solid blow.
Before her impact with the ground came to a stop she flipped to her feet and attacked again. Not missing a beat. Not her or anyone else around could seem to land a hit on the large man. He was untouchable.
"This is our training grounds, obviously," Darius explained. "That’s Marcus there in the middle. He's a Queen." Ohitekah raised an eyebrow. "Oh Yeah. I should explain. Our ranks here are based off playing cards. Our leader, a long time ago, was a big gambler and believed how someone plays the game of poker said a lot of your character. A ‘two’ is our lowest rank, it’s also the lowest card. Basically, for recruits. Our highest is an Ace, there’s only one. We have two kings, a few queens, and etcetera. I'm a ’Nine’ rank, Sierra is a ‘Ten.’ She's trying to move up to ‘Jack’ soon. Face cards are like officers in our order, that would be a big deal for her."
"How do you recruit?" Ohitekah asked, keeping his eyes on Sierra as she fought fiercely.
"We find you, one way or another... If you show a strong will, leadership, fighting skill. We track you down and offer you to join the Order. Most people do. Those who don't are free to decline. Although once you join, you can't leave. Sierra was recruited because she is a genius engineer. A damn good fighter too."
Ohitekah thought about that.
They found me, are they going to ask me to join?
"So, for two hundred years you guys have been training, waiting for Daisuke. So what happens now? What do you want from me?"
Darius motioned for him to follow. "That will be explained in a moment, come along."
Ohitekah looked back at the battle in the courtyard. Sierra was so fast, she never stopped attacking.
She must be blowing off steam, she seemed pretty upset earlier.
They walked into a large room. There were people in grey cloaks sitting around a large round table. All of them armed. One was a large Vatnic man. One was certainly a knight from Ashland. Another was a Ronin. Almost every country was represented here.
No tribesmen...
"Ohitekah! Welcome!" A middle-aged man in a senator's robe sat at the circle, he had silver hair on his face and scalp that made him seem older than he was. "I've been looking forward to meeting you. I hope Sierra wasn't too hard on you, it’s been a rough day for us all."
Darius pulled a chair out for Ohitekah, who sat down. Darius sat next to him.
"Who are you?" Ohitekah asked, his voice was quieter than intended.
"I am... or was... A Senator here in Orbis. My name is Galius. Now I am seated on the, erm, 'Emperor's council'. Let’s just say I am our inside man." He gave a chuckle. "You are probably very confused on what is happening here. Let’s clear that up." The former senator stood up.
"We are an ancient order. The Blood Red Spades. As you may know, we are waiting for the return of Shogun Daisuke. Or at least that is how we got started... Over the past two hundred years, we have evolved and spread across the world. We have a headquarters in almost every nation. We are silent peacekeepers. We protect those in need and keep the kingdoms from falling into global war. Falko has become a threat to the balance of the world. His plans are filled with greed and wrath. He must be stopped. Aside from that, he is also targeting our mutual friend, Daisuke, for extermination. Along with the rest of you Mythics. So, we are here to offer you our assistance, Ohitekah. From what I can tell… we have similar objectives. We want world peace and Daisuke alive, I assume you would like the same."
Ohitekah nodded. "How can we help each other?"
Galius smiled. "Good question. First, let me explain why you need our help. Beyond the fact that Falko wants to kill you for your power, of course." Galius pulled out a long rod and whipped it on the center of the table. Ohitekah looked at it for the first time and realized that the table was, in fact, a large map of the world. The area the rod struck was the Orbis Republic.
"This is Orbis..." He waved the tip of the rod around that area. "Falko's army is here. As you heard today, he plans on ‘Spreading the glory of Orbis to the other Nations’... In other words, he plans on invading the other kingdoms and controlling the world... Now, why is this bad for you?" He slid the tip of the stick to the large empty area in the center of the map and tapped it a few times.
"This is your home, the great plains. In order for Orbis to launch an invasion on the other kingdoms, he will need to set up bases here. He will use your territory as the launching point of his armies. He has no other choice. This would involve the attack and conquering of your entire nation. Seeing how spread out and diverse your forces are... He would have an easy time moving right through and taking control. One by one, he would destroy your disorganized tribes until there were none left. At that point, there would be no one stopping him. He would have under his reign the largest area of the world, and the ability to strike anywhere he wants in an instant. Coupled with that the potential for him to use more than one Mythic ability... He would be Emperor of the World within a few years. Immortal. Invincible."
Ohitekah sat back, attempting to understand the magnitude of Galius’ words.
<
br /> "Falko has also proven to be a tactical mastermind in his own right. He has anticipated all of our movements so far and planned accordingly. Somehow, he also seems to know the whereabouts of the other Mythics... He’s good, too good. We believe he has found himself an Oracle."
"What is an Oracle?"
Galius cleared his throat. "Each nation has a group of unique individuals. These individuals appear to have a heightened awareness of spirituality. Sometimes able to communicate with the Gods themselves. In your nation, for example, they are your Shamans. In the North, they have monks that communicate with the Goddess of the Wind. Etcetera. Here they are Oracles. Usually women. The Dark God chooses them at birth and speaks to them. They have an open communication to the God of the Underworld, similar to you Mythics. In the past, they were used by kings to plan military strategies. It appears that an Oracle is working with Falko, giving him information that would be impossible for him to know otherwise. That is how he has been able to keep up with you. He also has a secret police force. Almost like us... But... Not as nice... They are a network of spies and assassins who do his dirty work and weed out internal resistance. We are constantly playing it safe because we do not know when they may be watching us." He smiled "That is why you were treated so kindly when you arrived."
Ohitekah glanced away.
"Falko has many resources at his disposal. His plan is evident. But now we have you Ohitekah. The Mythic of Thunder. And hopefully soon Daisuke, the Mythic of Fire... We anticipate your assistance will give us the edge we need to make a comeback... So? What do you say?"
He lifted his long stick off the table. The room sat and stared at him. Waiting for an answer.
Ohitekah sat still. This is what his mother was talking about. He was now in a position to make decisions and own up to them. He had to think carefully.
What if they are just using me? Trying to convince me to join their cause just to have me do their dirty work for them? Red would say, ‘no.’ I think he would. He doesn't trust anyone. He would consider this as an offer to be someone else's pawn. But they make sense. They trust me. They want to help me, and they need my help.
But above all of that... Falko needs to be stopped.
"I will help you." He stood up. Galius wore a large grin. The rest of the men at the table stood up and clapped.
"Wonderful, Ohitekah! We're glad to have you with us! Darius. See to it he has his own room, deliver to him his belongings. Your horse is already in our stables. He is being taken good care of... Your training begins tomorrow."
Ohitekah paused. "Training?"
"Darius will explain. I will see you again."
Darius lead Ohitekah out of the room, he heard the doors closed behind them.
Galius turned away and took a deep breath. He paused for a moment to think.
"It’s a risk keeping him here Galius... Are you sure you know what you’re doing?" The man from the Vatnic isles asked in a gruff voice.
"Yes, Leif... I trust him."
"It’s not a matter of trusting him. You said yourself. Their Oracle knows where he is. They can find us if he is here."
"If their Oracle is able to tell exactly where he is, we would have never reached him first. She would have found our base years ago... Our enemy has a better hand than us. They're going all in. I'm just trying to change the odds."
Galius pulled a playing card out of his pocket. It was a Red spade. The King.
"This is a dangerous game you're playing, Galius." Leif stood up.
"Someone has to play." Galius stared out the window and cracked a smile. He slid the card back into his pocket. "The boy is just what we need to start turning things around. He is our only hope until Daisuke makes an appearance."
Chapter Nine
To Trust Someone
Darius escorted him again down the hallways of the headquarters. This time they walked up a staircase and did not pass the training grounds. Which reminded him.
"What was this talk of training?"
Darius nodded.
"When you join the order, training is required, for everyone. We can't afford our secrets to be trusted to someone that can't defend himself."
Ohitekah paused. "But, I'm a Mythic?"
Darius stopped and opened a door. He smiled. "You so sure that will help you?" He unlocked the door and opened it. "Marcus will lead your training. He's a good man." Darius yawned. "I'm hittin’ the hay now, I'm just down the hall if you need anything." Darius dropped the key into Ohitekah's hands and left.
Ohitekah's room was large, he had a big bed to himself. His weapons and clothes were already on the bed as if they had prepared them earlier. Ohitekah gave a smirk.
They were probably betting that I would accept...
He had a large window overlooking the city. A perfect view to see the smoke of the lighthouse in the distance. It was light grey now, thinning. The people must have run out of books to burn.
He did not want to watch the destruction of the library. He was upset he was never able to go inside. All the wisdom of scholars, hundreds of years in the making, now lost. He understood why Red and Sierra were so upset.
Red... Where did you go? He just abandoned me there. Was he captured by the enemy? No, he couldn't be captured like that. He is too smart. If I know anything about Red, he was probably in the shadows, watching me the whole time. It wouldn't be the first time. He probably followed us here. He probably thought that if I was captured by the enemy, I would lead him right to their secret base.
It made sense now. Red must be hiding outside, watching, making sure everything was safe. Ohitekah walked to the window and opened it. He waited a few seconds and waved around. Hopefully, Red would understand the gesture and know it was safe.
"What are you doing?!" A voice came from behind him. He spun around and slammed the window. It was Sierra. "Who were you signaling?" Her voice was commanding.
Ohitekah panicked. "No, no. That’s not... Well Yes... I was signaling, but—"
Without saying a word Sierra drew her sword.
"I was signaling Daisuke!"
She hesitated. "What?"
"Yeah. I figured he was playing it safe and was watching me. I was trying to let him know I'm alright."
"Oh." She lowered her weapon. She could tell he spoke the truth.
"Well, what are you doing here anyway?"
"Making sure you weren't doing anything suspicious. Which I was correct."
"I told you I was signaling my friend Red..."
"Yeah." She smiled. "But it was still suspicious."
Ohitekah rolled his eyes. He noticed her sword again.
"Like my blade?" Sierra asked. She twirled it through the air.
"It looks... Unique."
"Damn right, it’s unique. The only one like it in the world. I engineered it myself. It’s part of the reason I’ve been promoted so high."
"Engineered? A sword?" He stared at it inquisitively.
"Yeah. It’s my Mech-Blade. Check it out." She held it out for him to see. It looked like any other long sword, with the exception of its handle. It had a strange design, it was metallic and had what looked like a sliding switch on it. It also had a groove going down the length of it as if it was cut in half at one point. The handle was also unusually long as if it was a two-handed sword. The base of the hilt was flat with an open slit in it.
"It has three forms. This is sword form. Looks just like a regular sword." She flicked the switch on the handle. A blade shot straight out of the base of the hilt. The sudden motion made Ohitekah jump back a little. Sierra laughed. The sword now had two blades of equal length, one coming out of each end of the hilt, a mirror image of itself on both sides.
Where did the second blade come from? There is no way it could have fit inside the handle, it’s just as long as the other end of the sword.
"This is staff form. The hardest to use. What you didn't notice before was in sword form there are actually two blades. They are side by side, virtually no space betwee
n them. A razor edge between the two, running parallel. When I hit this switch the gears inside release and the blade shoots from the top and out the bottom. Both sides are pointed. Now I hold it in the middle and use it similar to a double-bladed staff. The enemies never see it coming." She held the middle of the sword and spun it around and over her head. Ohitekah stood back.
Incredible...
"And lastly..." She hit another switch. The sword split top to bottom and halved into two symmetrical weapons. "The Dual Blade. My favorite. Handles exactly like any other dual blades." She continued to dance with the two swords. "I have trained and mastered all three forms of this weapon." With a click, she attached the two swords back together and shot the bottom blade back into the top. She sheathed it back to her side.
"Oh, that’s incredible. You made it?"
"Yes. I forged the blades, made the gears, and constructed the entire body. It took several years and a few tries, but this is as close to perfect as I can get. It's saved my life a few times. Each form has a different use in battle. The Staff form is more defensive; it provides a very large shield from attacks. Also, most enemies are not trained in how to fight against one. Most don't know what to do when I pull it out. The Order wants me to make more, but some of my notes were destroyed in the fire and I'm not sure if I can make another as good as this again."
"Can I try it?"
Sierra laughed. "Nah. I don't trust you with it." Ohitekah frowned he started to argue but Sierra raised her hand to silence him. She shook her head. "No no, I mean. You would probably just hurt yourself." She chuckled when his face turned sour. "Don't worry, after some training, I'll let you play with it. Speaking of which, Mythic's don't sleep, right?"
Ohitekah paused.
"Good. We can spar." Sierra grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of his room.
They entered the courtyard Ohitekah had passed by before. The sun was beginning to set. Marcus was alone in the square training with a staff.
"Sir!" Sierra entered the yard and bowed. Marcus bowed as well.
"I am here with the Mythic Sir, we want to spar."
