Chrysalis

by Kayne Sampson

  Pent had learned much in his time with Master Xuan. He had been able to cross blades with the swordsman effectively and even perfect his own fighting style by adapting all styles he had witnessed. Keta and Max were his allies despite all their foolishness, because the Brotherhood of Shadows were formidable foes.

  Pent settled down to sleep. He was the son of a clan leader. He knew the difference between pride and stupidity. His allies were fools, but they were powerful ones. If he had to suffer their nonsense in order to succeed, then so be it.

  2

  Tianna felt relieved to finally return to Zelrega. The Xegin capital was the height of all technological advancement. After her visit to the small Demon village, she was reminded of how different the two races lived. Their way of life was quaint, peaceful even. But she could never adopt such a lifestyle. After all, she was a Xegin. Her very existence was attributed to technology.

  Zelrega had originally been a military outpost used by the Xegin after they had defected from the Empire. It was expanded into the first city of Teforia following their war.

  As she moved through the city, she felt rejuvenated passing one of the aether posts. She smiled and deactivated her suit’s battery. She would need to recharge it when she got home, but the city’s reactors distributed aether all through Zelrega.

  Aether was the lifeblood of the Xegin people. Most of her kind only needed small amounts to power their new bodies. It was the soldiers who needed the most aether, to enhance their combat suits to peak efficiency. But none required more than the Imperial Generals, who possessed specialized armor.

  Before the war, Humans were welcomed in Zelrega and the other two Xegin settlements, Breg Arcmire and Echo Port. Some had, for a time, resided there. But it always ended the same. The Xegin were technically Human, but they were a new type of Human. One that the originals could never hope to surpass. And so they had returned to their own colonies.

  As she passed by one of the residential areas, the sounds of life warmed her soul after the weeks of travel she had just endured. While she was blind, she had a rare power that let her see things with her mind. As long as she concentrated, she could envision all around her within a certain radius. Though it was tedious, it offered her potentially better sight than those who could use their own eyes. And so she sent out a mental scan to take in her city.

  It was evening now and the children were out playing in the streets, the parents off working or preparing their meals. A few soldiers in uniform were patrolling the streets. There was a young couple taking a stroll hand in hand, talking softly to each other. Beside her, a middle aged Xegin was inspecting a broken aether post, a toolbox at his feet. The war had not yet disturbed the peace here. And it never would, so long as she continued to fight.

  After the incident in Frostclaw Village, she had taken upon herself the task of restoring stability to the small Demon village. She did not need to, of course. But she wanted to. With the death of their leader, the eldest son was next in line to succeed. Had she and Sephiel not arrived in time, things could have been much worse.

  The Demon clans had been living mostly in isolation from one another. They regarded each other as kin, but they respected the might of each individual tribe. Arrogance built out of their pride, but it was tradition. They knew peace only as long as the Empire feared them. A peace built on fear.

  So she had aided them in what little way she could. She had realized that in her extended exodus from the homeland, she was growing dangerously low on aether. Had she been attacked on her way back, her functions would have been severely dampened. Still, she would have helped again if given the choice.

  But it was nice to be home.

  She had been informed when she had checked in at the gates that she was expected for a meeting. No doubt to debrief her about her findings in the message she had sent ahead. It was never a good idea to keep her superiors waiting, so she had decided to head straight to headquarters. As she approached, a familiar face greeted her.

  “Ah, Sephiel! I’m glad to see you again. I trust everything went well?” Tianna said, moving towards her comrade. She was the young warrior’s commanding officer and guardian. She had looked after Sephiel ever since the infant had been found on the outskirts of the city years ago. Sephiel had shown exceptional combat ability and, out of loyalty to Tianna, joined the military to be of assistance. As a team, most of the other soldiers considered them second only to the Imperial Generals.

  “Tianna, it’s good to see you well,” Sephiel said, saluting. The small soldier was official as ever, but only Tianna could detect the hidden warmth in an otherwise standard greeting. That was the type of person Sephiel was. “I arrived a few days before you and handed over the prisoner to our superiors. I told them you would be arriving soon after to be able to give a more detailed report.”

  The journey home had been tedious. She had been forced to move through the Shadowlands to return to Teforia from the sea, since the mountain borders were on the opposing side of the Imperial Gate. The Xegin still held the fortification, but those forces were isolated. She had debated going through the mountains to reinforce those soldiers, but it was too important to return to give her report.

  So much had happened in the past few weeks. The vision that Tianna had seen in her dreams had been dire. In spite of the war, her commanding officer had trusted her judgement and allowed her to act on it. General Gamma had always valued her combat prowess, so to allow her to leave the front lines was a grand show of respect.

  In her visions, she had seen dark clouds that fell over a Demon village. They had engulfed the village and floated into Teforia. When the clouds had parted, the nation had been destroyed. Tianna was no seer, but something about those dreams had affected her. And sure enough, she had seen that the Brotherhood of Shadows had been targeting Frostclaw Village. She had dealt with that issue, but now she needed to focus on the homeland. She could not let her nation be annihilated.

  And then there was the issue of Keta Night. That young man was the last remaining member of Sanction. It was terrible the fate that befell them. Tianna had felt a certain kinship with him and she had hoped that the swordsman would have come with her. They were after the same thing in the end, to stop the fighting. But Keta had his own path to walk, and so did she.

  “Tianna? Are you okay?” Sephiel’s words brought her back to reality. Tianna realized that she had gone traipsing into her own thoughts. It was a bad habit and she needed to work on it. It was not befitting a Xegin soldier.

  “I’m fine. I’m just glad we’re together again,” Tianna said, smiling at her young ward. “But we can catch up later. Let’s go and deliver my report.” Sephiel nodded and the two entered headquarters. After checking in, she was given the order to report to the briefing room. Why she wouldn’t just report to Gamma’s office was beyond her. But when she opened the door, it all made sense.

  Her commanding officer Gamma sat at the table in the room. But she was surprised to see that the other Imperial Generals were present as well. Flustered, she quickly saluted and Sephiel did the same.

  She looked around the room to get a better look at everyone, heroes of the Xegin. Gamma, the youngest of the Imperial Generals was only eighteen years old. She had not been one of the original Xegin who had revolted and formed Teforia. Gamma had been part of the Xegin program the Empire had kept hidden, even from their leader Tyrannes. Years after the forming of the land of peace, they had sent these Xegin to destroy the betrayers of the Empire. In the end, only Tyrannes had managed to save them.

  Tyrannes had not killed them, as they had been puppets of the Empire, their minds warped. Instead, he worked hard to find a way to help them regain their humanity. Some had been too far gone, and they lived in the nation, a husk of their former shells. But many had become normal citizens of Teforia. Gamma had been an especially difficult case, but Tyrannes had never given up on her, and when she recovered, she had joined the army, advancing to Imperial General with her impressive sword skil
ls in no time.

  Then there was Alpha, the first Imperial General. She had been with Tyrannes since the beginning. She was his most stalwart ally. Beta sat next to her, a giant of a man and the muscle behind the Xegin rebellion back in the day. He was easily the most approachable of the Imperial Generals, always smiling and speaking with the soldiers.

  Delta was at the head of the table, the eldest of the generals, even older than Tyrannes himself. Tyrannes may have been the most powerful Xegin, but Delta had been a military commander within the Empire. He had been forced to become a Xegin, with the Grand Commander wanting military strategists as well as soldiers to become technological instruments of death. When Tyrannes had revolted, Delta joined on instantly, having lost faith in humanity. With the new power and functions of a Xegin body, his capabilities were increased immensely. It was due to his strategies that the Xegin rebellion had been able to outwit the Empire’s vastly superior numbers.

  Tyrannes himself was missing, as were two other generals. General Epsilon had been killed at the onset of the civil war with the Humans in Teforia, a shock that sent tremors of sadness through the Xegin ranks. The last of the generals, Zeta, was also not present.

  These were the cornerstones of the Xegin world, the most elite of soldiers. The Imperial Generals who upheld order in all of Teforia. In their presence, Tianna felt small.

  “Forgive me, everyone. I was not aware that you would all be here. I have just returned and have not even had a chance to return home,” Tianna said. Her armor was unkempt and her hair was a mess. She didn’t care too much about appearance, due to being blind, but it was probably not proper etiquette to meet with one’s superiors in such a state.

  Gamma stood up. “Don’t let it worry you, I must apologize for asking you into a meeting so soon after your return. Please, come join us.” She turned to Sephiel and added, “I am sorry Sephiel, but this meeting is to be only with Tianna.”

  Tianna was a little shocked, but Sephiel merely saluted and turned to walk out. The young soldier was not one for conversation and took orders very well. In fact, the Xegin helmet seldom left Sephiel’s head, revealing no emotion. Tianna sighed, as Sephiel had not even said goodbye.

  Beta was the first to respond. “Sephiel is always an enigma to me…” he said with a humorous smile. Alpha and Gamma laughed, but Delta remained silent. “Anyways, I’m sorry about that, but we have some things that are for your ears only. We’ve already received Sephiel’s report. You can add what you’d like later, but we brought you here for a different reason.”

  Tianna had thought for sure that she had been brought here for a report. Now, she was curious. “Of course. Whatever you need of me, I shall try my best.”

  Gamma laughed. “Well, for starters, you could join us. Come take a seat,” she said, gesturing to the empty chair at the table and everyone else nodded.

  Tianna only now realized that they were all seated around the table and there was one vacant seat. To be asked to share a table with the other Imperial Generals was a great honor. She quickly took a seat.

  “That’s better. Now, where to begin? I suppose it’s best to get right to it. But you must understand this is a matter of utmost security. This knowledge does not leave the room, understand?” Gamma said, and Tianna acknowledged with a nod. The young general seemed satisfied. “Very well then, you’re up, General Delta.”

  At this, Delta got to his feet. “As General Gamma mentioned, right to the point. The death of General Epsilon, our comrade of old, weighs heavily on us. And it also leaves a hole within our hierarchy. The Epsilon platoon is left without a commander and the south western region lacks a protector. That is why we’ve called you here today. We would like you to take his place as Imperial General.”

  The thought had occurred to Tianna. It was actually the most logical one. However, it was one she was not prepared for. “What do you mean? Why would you ask me to become an Imperial General? To become one of you?”

  “Don’t play coy, Tianna. Everyone in this room knows how skilled you are. General Gamma frequently reports on your progress. We also know that your name was offered to be put up for the position of General Zeta, years ago, but you declined,” Beta remarked.

  “Everybody knows why you declined that offer, and we’re not here to judge you for it.” It was Alpha’s turn to speak now. “But...things are different now. We are in a state of war, and more than ever we’ll need capable soldiers and commanders. This is...an unprecedented event within Teforia.” At this, all the others nodded. Tianna didn’t know what to say yet.

  “Tianna, I know you are hesitant to accept this position and you rejected my offer to put your name forward years ago. With the type of trauma you experienced, it’s only natural But...I am not the only one who knows that you are every bit the equal of an Imperial General,” Gamma pointed out and the others all focused on Tianna.

  Tianna sighed. She had always been fine as a soldier. She had no ambitions to be part of the upper chains of command. Her skills were best put to use by those who were used to leading. After all, the time she had been in charge had ended in disaster. She never wanted to experience something like that again.

  When she didn’t speak, it was Delta who broke the silence. “Tianna, you are highly regarded for your abilities and dedication to the Xegin. That is why we can trust you with this. In truth, the situation is much more dire than we’ve led on. You see, Commander Tyrannes is...dead.”

  Tianna let out a gasp, her mouth hanging open. The ruler of Teforia...Tyrannes…why had there had been no announcement? It didn’t take her long to come to a conclusion. The generals were manipulating information.

  She needed to confront them about this. When she found her voice, she tried to keep the anger out of it. “Why have you not released this information to the public? Our leader is dead and we have no knowledge of it? The people have a right to know.”

  Alpha and Beta looked to the side. Gamma said nothing. But Delta was not so meek. “Hmph, spoken like a true novice. You may have skill, but you know nothing of tact. Think, what would happen if you found out that, at the onset of a civil war, one of the nation’s most powerful generals was killed in action, as was their leader? There would be mass panic amongst the populace. Morale would plummet, and the people would become scattered. We’d have lost before we had even begun.”

  Tianna’s mind began to struggle with the information presented to her. The Xegin logic, augmented by their enhanced capacity of thought due to their mechanical bodies, aided their decisions. The words made sense to Tianna to an extent. “But still…”

  “There is no room for debate, Tianna. General Epsilon’s death was released to the public to fire up the people. But we cannot allow word that Commander Tyrannes, the strongest of our people, the Xegin savior, has fallen in combat. We are on our own. We will uphold his ideals and keep the nation safe in his absence. That is what it means to be an Imperial General,” Delta said, with such authority in his voice that Tianna recoiled.

  “Do try to not frighten her, General Delta,” Alpha said, shaking her head. “But he is correct. There is a certain...finesse to leadership. Every action, every word can have a ripple effect amongst the soldiers. There is a delicate balance between dedication and desperation. General Delta has taken emergency command as he has the most experience running an army. We are not invincible. We need our army running at maximum efficiency in order to prevail. You would do well to remember that.”

  Tianna did her best to repress the emotions she felt. She understood what they were saying. She really did. But she resented being lied to all the same. Instead, she began to think about what else they had just explained. And it frightened her. It meant that somewhere out there, amongst the Humans, there was someone powerful enough to take on not only Epsilon, but Tyrannes himself.

  “Forgive my rashness,” Tianna said finally, bowing her head. “However, may I ask that I have time to think this over? This is all very sudden for me, and I have not had a chance to re
st since my return.” Tianna was tired all of a sudden, and she wished for Sephiel’s company.

  Gamma was the one who responded. “But of course. As we mentioned, we are sorry for forcing you into a meeting so soon. Please, think on it, and let me know in the morning. You are dismissed.”

  Tianna left headquarters soon after and as she was walking, she realized that everything felt a little different. She was still seeing the same sights, the same smells, the same signs of life. But now she knew that it was peace based on a lie. A necessary lie, to be sure, but a lie all the same. As a Xegin, she knew that she had to think about the greater good. She had to trust in the wisdom of the Imperial Generals.

  The war with the Humans had caused all this. Tyrannes was dead because of this, as well as Epsilon. She had known Epsilon back when he had been known as Victor. She had trained at the academy with him, and they had been fast friends. She had been overjoyed when he had been promoted to Imperial General.

  The Humans had taken her friend from her. She needed to make them pay for their crimes and restore peace to Teforia. The question was, would she better serve that purpose where she was now, or if she accepted the offer?

  The Xegin always prided themselves on carefully calculating the odds and making decisions based on logic. So why was it that Tianna always felt she fell short on that matter?

  It’s because of my power, Tianna concluded to herself. The others were more calculated because their augments allowed them to be. She had always been reliant on her abilities. It was somehow dampening her ability to think like a Xegin.

  That upset her. She had been one of the elites to be chosen as a Xegin candidate. Granted, she had been little more than a child at the time, and it was at the behest of a tyrannical madman. But still, she had become more than Human.

  The world was changing, and it would be the Xegin who would usher in a new age. And yet, Keta’s words still nagged at her. The last remaining member of Sanction. He had the same goals as the Xegin. Why was he being so stubborn?