by Riker Kane
“Not bad. That thing looks solid enough for a few good whacks.”
“Harbingers only whack their targets as a last resort when they’re too close. No… Harbingers fight from a distance, channeling the power of Mana.”
I had no idea how Omegas fought, so everything Jade told me was gibberish. She must’ve sensed my confusion because she held her staff up with both hands like a pool stick and pointed it toward the grassy area a few meters away from us to the side.
“Watch this.” Her eyes narrowed. Her entire body became still. I looked closely, searching for any sign of something to happen. Then I saw it. A small pulse of energy like smoke began to come from her hand. It flowed from her palms, engulfing the rod and gathering at the tip. Suddenly, the gathered energy shot forward in a fireball, warm enough I could feel the heat from it. It landed on the grass with an explosion. Green flames burned the soil, sending dirt up into the sky along with the smoke. The small crater she made in the grass continued to burn until slowly dissipating.
I looked over at her and nodded. “Whoa… Not bad.”
She smiled back at me. “Solo Spark. Omegas train battle tactics. When you’re in a raid with hundreds of Omegas, things get a little tricky. But when we’re in squads, the jobs are already self-explanatory.”
“Things are a little different with a Slayer. I’ll take the lead. You… do whatever the hell that was.”
“I’ll watch your back. Being a Harbinger can be demanding on one’s endurance, especially when things get thick.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, eh?”
She winked and looked down at the touchscreen. “This is the Viridian Vale. The first zone of our journey. Your level is still low but so are the threats here. Redgrave estimated it’ll be about thirty miles or so until we get to our destination.”
“And what is our destination exactly?”
“We both have the map downloaded on our display. Whenever we hit an Obelisk, we’ll use it as an end zone marker and hopefully the next zone will open up. Every zone is tethered to one another. But we don’t have to do it all at once. Redgrave has set optimal checkpoints for us with less Shadow activity. We keep moving forward, step by step—”
“Then we’ll get to Anarchy.” I swiped through my touchscreen display and saw the route mapped out for me. “Look at that. A fancy GPS.” I turned back down the grassy valley and noticed the dirt trail in front of me. It didn’t seem to end anywhere, going all the way to the horizon. “Thirty miles…”
“It’s thirty miles for the entire zone. We won’t be covering all in one night. Take your time. Rest when you need to. You’ll only set yourself back if you push yourself when you’re tired.”
“Ha,” I scoffed. “You’re talking to me like you’re a teacher. You got any homework for me, too?”
The corner of her lips was cocked into a smirk but her eyes weren’t in the good mood she was pretending to be in. “This is serious, Enzo.”
I looked around at my surroundings and shook my head. “It’s still weird to me. Doesn’t make me feel any better I’m doing the same thing Omegas do. But I haven’t forgotten why I’m doing this.” I raised my gauntlets and clapped them together. “Let’s go.”
Jade nodded and followed my lead.
The walk along the dirt path in the grass was as peaceful as could be. The soft howl of the wind kept me company. The breeze blowing against my cheeks kept me cool despite the warm sun. I knew it wouldn’t be quiet for long though.
My hands gripped the insides of my gauntlets tight, waiting for any sign. I got it faster than I expected to.
Light thunder cracked in the sky. Lines of white energy began appearing like lightning in the middle of the air right in front of me.
Jade stepped back with her staff pointed at the opening while I put up my fists. Three green goblins burst out from the white circle of energy and landed on the grass. They raised their hands, pointing their clawed fingers at me.
“Three goblins,” Jade started. “Getting the same readings as the last time—”
“No problem.” I charged forward before she could say anything more.
“Ahhhh!” Screams from the goblins all echoed in unison as they charged forward.
I didn’t know what kinda training the goblins had, if they had any at all. But when someone didn’t know how to fight, it was obvious. They were aggressive. All offense. Attacks with no regard to maximize them.
Sure enough, the creatures were trying to overwhelm me with numbers and feral will.
That might’ve worked if I didn’t have the gauntlets.
I closed the distance quickly, catching one of the goblins in the stomach with a right cross to send it flying back. “Argh!” Loud screams filled the sky as it tumbled across the grass before exploding into Mana orbs.
I didn’t have any time to admire my kill, putting up my left fist to block the slashes from the other creatures.
Spinning backfist. I spun around after blocking their attacks and managed to hammer both of the remaining goblins with the back of my hand. The gauntlets made my whole body move faster than usual. The combined weight of the metal along with my momentum sent both of them sailing through the sky. They turned into Mana in mid-air, showering the grass in a colorful display.
I looked over at Jade, who was still standing in the same position I last saw her in.
“I think I got this,” I said. “These goblins aren’t any trouble—”
CRACK!
Thunder crackled in the sky again. I looked all around me and saw the swirls of white energy forming in every direction.
Jade ran up next to me and readied herself. “I told you it won’t get any easier.”
I intertwined my fingers and tried to crack my knuckles even though I was wearing my gauntlets. “Cannon fodder. Let’s see what these assholes got.”
“Gaaaah!” Simultaneous high-pitched screams came from the energy as more goblins poured out from all directions. Dozens of them appeared, forming a circle around us and standing just a few meters away.
The scaly creatures were all the same. Fangs. Claws. Empty looks in their yellow eyes. Flat noses like their faces were already punched in.
But there was one that stood out. It was a foot taller than the rest of them. And a lot wider, too. Its belly looked like it was about to burst. Flexing its muscular arms, it took a step toward me to get my attention.
“This one…” I moved my head back in confusion, squinting to make sure I was seeing it right. “It’s bigger. You think it might be the leader or something?”
“Could be the guardian. Does that make a difference to you?” Jade’s grin said more than any words could.
“Not really. Follow my lead.”
“I got your back.” Jade began channeling more of the green Mana around her staff.
The goblins all began digging their feet into the dirt, ready to all charge at once. The larger goblin moved back, its eyes still locked on me.
“Screw this,” I muttered as I ran forward.
“Raaaah!” The goblins all screamed in unison as I moved to meet them.
I was on top of one of them fast, slamming a right hand into the side of its head. It burst into Mana and before it landed, I was already turning around and hammering another goblin with a backfist.
“Ahhhh!” More of their screams filled my ears as I stood among them. They came from every direction, dozens of goblins swarming on me. Even with how fast I was able to move, they were still able to get through to me. They slashed at my shirt and drew blood. The denim of my jeans was cut. But they didn’t get deep enough to slow me down.
“Watch your back, Slayer!”
I spun around just as Jade shot a fireball that knocked a goblin onto its back. I ran forward and hopped into the air before pounding its head into the grass.
More goblins pounced. Their attacks were relentless. They didn’t care about getting hit. All of them had the same singular focus of trying to take me down.
Jade kept the others at bay, preventing them from pouncing from behind.
I ignored how tired I was getting, not realizing how many goblins I’d taken down. Suddenly, only four of them remained with just the larger one still watching.
Jade took the number down to three with another Solo Spark. She charged again but I didn’t wait for her to do the work.
“I got this.”
The last three goblins all charged at the same time. They leaped into the air. I slammed my fists together and blocked their slashes as they landed in front of me.
“Wait for it…” It only took a few seconds before I got my opening. I reared back when one of the goblins lowered its hands, cracking it right on the jaw and turning its head sideways. It collapsed into an explosion of Mana.
The last two tried to slash but I stopped them in their tracks, spinning with a backfist that went through one goblin’s head and kept going through the other’s. The dark-green blood sprayed against my face, filling my nostrils with its noxious smell before suddenly fading.
There were no remains of the goblins except for the Mana they’d left behind. I was sweating. I was bleeding, too. But all things considered, I was still in good shape. That was more than enough for the last asshole I had to deal with.
Jade moved by my side as she eyed the larger goblin standing there. “How do you want to handle this?”
I looked at her and shrugged. “I mean… It’s a little bigger than the others but it shouldn’t be a problem for the gauntlets… Right?”
“Unless they decided to give you a boss early in the Junction.”
The larger goblin stood there just a few meters away like it was waiting for something.
“Only one way to find out.” I slammed my fists together and ran forward.
Suddenly, the goblin moved to meet me. It raised its claws to slash but I knocked them away with my left fist. My right fist followed up, slugging the goblin on the underside of its jaw. Its head moved back but its momentum sent the rest of its body in the wrong direction. I listened to the loud snap of its neck before its lifeless body fell to the grass. I turned and watched as it remains turned into colorful orbs of Mana.
I sighed a deep breath of satisfaction and smiled at Jade. “If that was a boss, I hope they’re all this easy.”
“It wasn’t that easy. You’re bleeding.” I looked down at the injury she pointed at.
There were slashes along my shirt and jeans. Lines of red against my skin stung slightly. But none of my injuries were dripping enough.
“I’ve been in fights before,” I said. “I’ve been cut so bad I needed stitches. This is all just superficial.”
“It all adds up though. Don’t push yourself, Enzo.”
I looked down the dirt path then down at my map on my display. “There’s a checkpoint not too far from here. The goblins aren’t giving us much trouble. Let’s find it then head back to Redgrave.”
9: More Than A Fight
The small tool looked like some sorta high-tech glue gun. It had a silvery shine to it, resonating with a soft buzz and a glowing blue light at the tip. Redgrave leaned forward with the tool, his eyes focused as he ran the light over the red slash on my arm.
Right before my eyes, I watched the scratch the goblin gave me disappear. My skin formed like he was erasing something drawn on me. He went to work on all of my other superficial wounds while I ran my hand over the line that just disappeared and I didn’t feel a thing.
“Crazy… Could’ve used one of those things when I was a fighter.”
“Dermal regenerators are sophisticated machinery despite its apparent simplicity,” Redgrave said. “LOD technology is restricted strictly to LOD facilities.”
“That’s funny, considering we’re in a storage warehouse on the docks surrounded by LOD technology.”
Redgrave tended to my latest wound and straightened up. “We may not be at a District but what we’re doing is as important as everything that’s being accomplished at one now.”
“I haven’t forgotten,” I sighed.
I sat in the warehouse garage after reaching the first checkpoint in Pandora. More goblins tried to take us down but Jade and I were never in any serious danger. Even though I didn’t have any trouble, the goblins put up enough of a fight to get their claws on me.
Jade held up the tattered remains of my shirt as evidence. “Maybe you should think about wearing something besides a t-shirt when we head into Pandora.”
“T-shirt’s comfortable,” I replied. “Don’t like getting my shirt torn up though. I could go shirtless. That’d be great, wouldn’t it?”
I shot Jade a look. The raven-haired woman arched an eyebrow at me. For a second, it seemed like her lips were twitching into a smile. But she remained silent, shifting her eyes back to my ripped-up shirt.
“It’s a shame we weren’t able to get any armor off the District,” she said. “It would have given you a little more leeway when you’re in battle.”
“I have limited access,” Redgrave said. “There’s only so much I can procure before drawing Legion attention.”
“That’s all right, Doc,” I said. “We’ll make do.”
Redgrave finished patching up the last of my wounds. “How are you feeling?”
I stretched my arms up over my head and sighed. “Good as new. I’m a little tired though.”
He walked over to the display where our path was mapped out. A blinking blue light indicated how much we’d moved from the start of the journey. “You’ve covered a significant distance in the Viridian Vale. You’ll reach the end of the zone sooner than I anticipated. You’re ahead of your father’s pace.”
“I’m guessing my dad didn’t have anybody with him though.”
“Oliver was a Prime as capable as any other Omega. But even with Jade’s assistance, you’ve done well.” Redgrave looked at me. The old man always seemed friendly. He was so nice, a part of me wondered if he was up to something. “I see your father in you.”
“Well, it won’t be much longer until you can see him for yourself. We’ll keep up our progress and get to Anarchy.”
“Indeed. Your efforts are done for the night though.”
“I’ve still got some energy though. Might as well put everything in place for next time.”
With my injuries healed, I put the gauntlets back on, sinking my fingers into the malleable material wrapping itself around my hands. I stood in front of the display tablet where my stats were and saw what was available.
Enzo Drake
Level 2 Slayer
(4 levels available)
Hit Points 100
Endurance 50
Strength 10 (+1)
Speed 8
Durability 8
Control 5
“Four levels.” Redgrave peered over my shoulder at my stats. “You said you encountered only goblins on your journey? To gain that many levels off such low-level creatures means you defeated…”
“I lost count. About a hundred or so. Jade was nice enough to let me have all of the Mana though.” I gave her a wink. She smirked and bowed her head to me, calmly watching me from the side of the room.
I authorized all four levels and a sudden rush of energy flowed into my arms. A sigh escaped me as the Mana pulsed in my veins, spreading through the rest of my body. My muscles began to tighten. My feet began to feel lighter. The gauntlets suddenly weighed less in my grip.
Strength 11 (+1)
Speed 9 (+1)
Durability 10 (+2)
Control 5
“Strength. Speed. Durability. This feels like cheating. No wonder they ban this stuff from competition. It’s a better workout than anything I’ve ever done.”
“Red Mana is indeed powerful,” Redgrave s
aid. “Take every advantage you can get.”
“Seems like we accomplished something. Feels like it, too. Kinda tired. What time is it?”
I looked over at Jade and she glanced at her phone. “Shit. It’s already past midnight. I… I gotta get home.” Jade was upset in a way I’d never seen before. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was actually flustered.
“Call me when you wanna head back into Pandora.” She grabbed her jacket and went through the exit without waiting for a response.
“Yeah… Hey, Doc. What’s her deal?”
Redgrave was at his workbench, going over something on his display tablet. “I beg your pardon?”
“Jade. What’s up with her? I mean, I know she was an Omega and she decided to help you. She leave anything out?”
The old man didn’t respond immediately. He just kept his head down as he tapped and swiped the tablet. “I put out an ad searching for an Omega. I said there was an opportunity to make some extra cash. I got a few responses.”
“What happened to the other Omegas?”
“They did what any rational person would do. They learned about who I was and what I was trying to do. They scoffed at the thought.”
“None of them tried to turn you in?”
Redgrave shook his head. “I suppose they viewed me as just a crazy old man who wasn’t worth the time. Everything involved with Pandora goes directly through the Legion. We don’t know exactly how Pandora works. Even just a single person defeating Shadows on their own could upset the balance of Mana. The penalties are quite severe. An Omega doing this could jeopardize their status.”
“Never thought of it that way…” I set the gauntlets down on a table to the side. “We’re kinda doing our own thing out here. You know, I’ve got a reason for doing this. I’m trying to save my dad. But Jade… Her just trying to do what’s right and risking a lot… Seems like there’s more to it than that.”
“Is it so strange a person wants to do their part for the good of humanity? Is there any better reason than that?” He looked up from his tablet, staring at me like he wanted me to think about it.
