by Riker Kane
Jade and I trudged through the sand, following the blinking line on our displays. If it wasn’t for the map, we would’ve been completely lost. Outside of the Junction Gate we’d left behind, only a flock of vultures circled in the sky provided any scenery.
“Buzzards waiting for a meal,” Jade said.
“They’re gonna be waiting for a long time. It looks like we should be able to set a checkpoint not too far from here.”
I kept my eyes locked on the horizon. The barren flats all looked the same. I searched for any change. Something to keep me occupied.
Of course, just when I was about to let an inkling of frustration get to me, white energy began to swirl in the sky. Bursts of light flashed and goblins appeared, landing on the sand. They didn’t look much different from their Vale counterparts. Their scaly skin had a yellowish hue with a dull shine that reflected the sunlight. In their hands, they wielded crude wooden clubs and bone hatchets. But their empty yellow eyes were just as menacing as before.
“Looks like these ones have brought weapons with them,” Jade said.
“Good thing we’ve got weapons of our own.” I slammed my fists together and ran forward. I couldn’t move as fast as I could with the dirt constantly breaking underneath my feet. But the goblins did me a favor by rushing to meet me.
Six of them in total all raised their weapons as they charged. One of them took a Solo Spark right to its chest, Jade’s fireball as accurate as usual. The rest of them all leaped up in unison, high enough to block out some of the sun rays.
“I wonder…”
Now was as good a time as any.
“Revolver Drill!” I called it out and immediately the gauntlets had a mind of their own. My arms extended out to my sides and I immediately began spinning like a top. A green aura formed around my fists like flames. Everything around me turned into a blur of green energy with how fast I spun.
“Gaaah!” The screams of the goblins were clear. Listening to the metal thunk against their scales joined the chorus of them wailing in pain. I stayed focused, watching them go sailing into the distance.
I slowly stopped spinning and I regained control of the gauntlets. But there wasn’t much else for me to punch, seeing as how all of the goblins were replaced with orbs of Mana.
Jade walked up to me, a half-smile of approval twisting her lips. “Not bad. Dizzy?”
“Not dizzy but it’s kinda tiring.” I stared at my open palms. I’d been wearing the silver gloves for a while now but still wasn’t completely used to them. “These things really are powerful.”
Another crackle in the sky and more swirls of light formed above us. More weapon-wielding goblins appeared from the bursts of white energy. But along with them, the ground started to crack.
“What’s that?” I kept watching as sinkholes began to appear in the dirt. The sand fell as creatures slowly started climbing up onto the ground. Three-clawed paws reached out and pulled out the rest of the bodies they were attached. Three-foot long lizards let their red tongues fall onto the dirt. Their empty white eyes were just as menacing as the goblins next to them. Same for their thick, scaly bodies. But what was probably more disturbing was how sharp their rows of fangs were as they opened their mouths to screech.
“Let’s see how strong those gauntlets really are.” Jade readied her staff at her hip.
I took note of the goblins and lizards. “Six each. I think these things are strong enough.”
“You know, you’re not the only one with new abilities.”
Before I could say anything, Jade twirled her staff in her hands then pointed it forward. A blast of blue and white energy shot out in a straight line. A concentrated beam that looked like ice hit one of the lizards. It was cold enough I could feel the frost against my skin blowing by me.
Jade gritted her teeth, focusing the blast on the lizard until it was frozen solid. The yellow-scaled creature turned into an ice sculpture, stuck in its pose.
“Zero Blast,” she said.
“That could be useful.”
“Only when I get a chance to concentrate it. How about giving me some space, Slayer?” She gave me a wink and readied her staff to fire.
Having Jade by my side filled me with more confidence I didn’t need. With the Harbinger watching my back, I charged forward to meet the goblins and lizards coming toward me. The beasts showed no signs of slowing down. Just before we collided, the goblins leaped into the air. The lizards dived forward at my legs.
“Revolver Drill!”
I spun again, rotating both gauntlets at my sides with the same flowing blue energy. The lizards and goblins who got in my path all squealed as they went flying back. I stayed in my position until I regained control.
Two of the goblins managed to avoid getting hit. But one of them was quickly hit by a fireball from Jade.
I eyed the last goblin with my dukes up. “You wanna do this, huh?”
“Aaaaah!” The goblin ran at me with its hatchet up. I raised my left fist to parry the swing. The bone thudded against the steel of my gauntlet, scratching but not able to break through. I had a split-second to counterattack. A right cross found its mark on the goblin’s jaw. Its head shifted and its teeth crunched as it went stumbling back. I moved to finished but it faded into Mana like everything else we’d beaten.
The only thing remaining was the lizard Jade had frozen in place. I walked up and shattered it with a backfist to collect its Mana as well.
I sighed a deep breath as I looked up the vultures continuing to circle above me. “Wasting your time, assholes. I’m not going down in the Flats.”
18: Shades Of Jade
“Water. Lots of ice. And you got any fruit?”
Ruthie raised her eyebrows at me. As much as her old face could, anyway.
“I can make you a fruit bowl,” she said.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “That’ll work.”
I grabbed the glass of ice water and chugged it down. Then I reached across the counter and poured myself another glass from the pitcher.
“I bet she’s wondering what happened.” Jade sat next to me, gulping on a glass of water herself.
“You think she’ll believe us if we tell her we just got back from a scorching desert?”
“Crazier things have happened. Footage of the First Event is on YouTube.”
“The First Event was decades ago. These days, people don’t even remember what happened last week before they’ve already moved on.”
“I guess you’ve got a point.” Jade laughed softly and took another gulp.
Ruthie returned and placed a bowl of chopped up melons, apples, and orange slices in front of us.
“What happened to you two?” she asked. “Look like you just finished wandering through a scorching desert.”
Jade and I looked at one another while the old waitress leaned across the front of the counter. “Weather in Newmire is tough but it ain’t that bad.”
“We’re working on a personal project,” I said. “Gym work. Physical labor.”
“Hey, whatever you kids call it these days. That’s your business. Stay hydrated.” Ruthie winked and shuffled over to a group of security guards who were on their break.
I picked up a slice of cantaloupe, sucking on it as much as I chewed on it. The juices wet my throat enough to make me almost forget about how dehydrated I was back in the Flats.
“You went through Junctions with the Legion,” I said to Jade. “You must be used to this shit.”
Jade played with a piece of watermelon before popping it into her mouth. “I’ve been to a few different worlds. Grassy plains. Warm deserts. Even some seaside landscapes with a view that rivaled the Pacific. But you stop thinking about it once you’ve got a Shadow in front of you.”
“I figure you’ve taken down more than just goblins and lizards and turtles.”
She nodded. “This mission is a little different. We’re traveling farther than I’m used to. Most Junctions are short. You go in, break the Obelisk, then come back. It’s th
e World Boss that gets everybody excited.”
“World Boss? What’s that like?”
Jade’s green eyes narrowed slightly, staring into the distance as she calmly chewed on another piece of apple. “There were about a hundred Omegas at my District. Some of them were on standby. But even a few Omegas short, it was still a sight to see so many people organized for a raid. Imagine the terrapin we fought but ten times bigger. They’re a lot more intimidating than anything else. We win every time. But it takes everybody’s effort.”
“A World Boss… Takes the efforts of an entire raid party. I’m trying not to think about something like that.”
“You might not have to think about it. We get close enough to Anarchy, we’ll see just how powerful some of these Shadows can get. So much Mana concentrated into one thing…”
Jade wasn’t trying to scare me. She always spoke like everything was the most serious thing on the planet. But even if she was warning me, all I had to do was think about why I was doing all of this in the first place.
“I’ll level up enough,” I said. “The gauntlets will get stronger. The goblins and lizards don’t pose much of a threat to me. The heat is more annoying than anything else.”
“It might get hot in Anarchy.”
“I can handle it.” I gave her a wink and picked up another piece of cantaloupe.
Sharing a late-night fruit bowl at an all-night diner with Jade was as strange as everything else I’d done. Most days, I’d probably be sleeping right now. But the progress we made and parched throats were enough reason to ‘celebrate’ what we’d accomplished.
Everybody else in the diner was quiet, just wanting to get away from whatever bullshit they had to go back to eventually. It was the perfect spot to get a moment and do… nothing.
Jade calmly kept picking at the bowl of fruit, her hand clutching her cell phone tight. My eyes shifted toward the communicator on my wrist. I swiped through the display and looked over the distance we’d covered.
“The Arid Flats are shorter than the Vale,” I said. “I think if we stick around long enough, we might be able to get all the way to the next zone. That’ll save us a lot of time.”
“We’re not in the warehouse.” She stared at the bowl of fruit as she continued picking at it.
“What?”
“We’re not in the warehouse,” she repeated then turned to me. “I know how important this is to you. But I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be wearing yourself out, thinking about this constantly.”
“…I don’t have anything else to think about.”
“That’s not true. You’ve got the gym. Training all of those younger guys. It must be a lot of fun. You have some interesting stories?”
“The younger guys and gals are all talented. I teach them the basics but it’s their enthusiasm that helps ‘em get through it.” I laughed at the thought of them practicing. “Most of them are just training to get ready for the Legion. It seems like everybody is applying these days.”
“How can they resist? ‘Choose your class. Wield your weapon. Level up. Save the world.’ That’s more appealing than anything college has to offer.”
“Right…” I glanced at Jade’s cell phone. “How about you? Why’d you decide to become an Omega?”
Her eyes shifted. She shook her head, shrugging as she nonchalantly popped another piece of fruit between her lips. “Why wouldn’t I? A chance to do what’s right and improve myself. That’s everything a person could ask for.”
Again she wasn’t looking at me. Even when I kept staring at her, she didn’t seem to mind. There was something about her. And the fact that I couldn’t place it annoyed me like nothing else.
“Enzo?”
I slowly turned around in my seat when I heard my name. I scrunched my face in confusion when I saw the blond in shorts and a tank-top standing in front of me.
“Alisa?”
“Hey!” She walked over with a bounce in her step, her eyes wide like she was actually excited to see me. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m, uh, just having a break.”
She looked over at Jade. The blond’s eyes narrowed, a sly smile forming on the corner of her lips. “I remember you from the gym,” she said. “Jade.”
“Good to see you again, Alisa.” Jade gave her a polite smile.
Alisa took a step back and looked both of us up and down. “You two, uh… You just get out of a tanning booth or something?”
“Uh…” I looked over at Jade but she just stared at me, waiting for me to come up with an excuse. “Late night session at the gym. You tend to get a little darker when you sweat a lot.”
“Huh? If you say so.” Alisa scratched the side of her head in confusion. Jade turned away to avoid rolling her eyes, hiding her smile behind another bite of fruit.
“What about you?” I asked. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh… Well, I needed some money. Your lessons are expensive. Ruthie over there said I can work a few late-night shifts.”
“Late shift, huh? Don’t overdo it now.”
“That won’t be a problem. I can come and go as I please.” She leaned in close to me and started talking out of the side of her mouth. “I don’t know if you noticed, but business isn’t exactly booming this time of night. Let’s just hope they tip well.”
I chuckled at the big, fake smile she gave me.
“The food’s pretty good here, too,” she said. “I think I’ll have a little something before I start my shift. Maybe I can join you two.”
Jade’s phone buzzed in her hand suddenly. She looked at the display and sighed softly through her nose.
“Maybe another time,” Jade said as she got out of her seat. “I… I have to go. But you’re free to stay, Enzo.”
I narrowed my eyes at her, staring at the slight frown on her lips.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
Jade shrugged. “It’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I nodded and she left the diner as briskly as she could. Alisa quickly hopped into her seat at the counter and began probing the bowl of fruit for a piece she liked.
“You see that?” Alisa said.
“See what?”
Alisa rolled her eyes and sighed. “I forgot I was talking to a boy… That look she had before she left. That’s relationship trouble.”
“…What?”
“You heard me, Champ. She’s having trouble with her man. Or woman. Whatever it is, her relationship is on the rocks.”
“Ha!” Even though she was talking about Jade’s personal life, Alisa’s smug, all-knowing attitude made me scoff.
“Don’t laugh,” Alisa said.
“I’m not laughing. I’m just wondering how you can tell all that from a look.”
“I don’t know the specifics. Spending too much time at work. Families don’t approve. Unexpected pregnancy. Maybe somebody’s cheating.” Alisa winked at me with her right eye, pointing her head to make it as obvious as possible.
“It’s not like that.”
“Of course not. You’re a fine, upstanding gentleman. You wouldn’t mess around with a girl who’s with somebody. But… if she’s already in a relationship that’s on the rocks, all bets are off. You might as well start looking for a new job when you know you’re about to get fired.”
“Whatever,” I sighed, not wanting to read too much into it. “It’s not any of my business anyway.”
“Well, she’s your friend, isn’t she? Don’t you care?”
“I haven’t known Jade for very long but she’s a strong enough woman to stand up for herself. And that’s if your assumptions are right.”
“They’re not assumptions if they’re right. You don’t peel the band-aid off slowly. You rip it off! Something’s going on with her.”
Alisa was nonchalant about the whole conversation despite how serious it was. She kept bobbing her head left and right to imaginary music as she plopped more fruit into her mouth.
“You think
I should do something, huh?”
“You don’t have to do anything. But you can at least talk to her.”
“If I ask her she’ll just say nothing is wrong. Like every woman does.”
“We only do that to see if you really care.” She chewed on some watermelon with a tight-lipped smile.
I sighed and pressed my fist against my cheek while I took another sip of water. “Whatever. I’ve had a long night. It’s too late for this kinda conversation.”
“What other reason is there to come to the Fancy Diner this late?”
“Speaking of which, I should probably head home and get some rest. You gonna be at the gym tomorrow?”
“You’ll see me around. Thanks for the fruit.” Alisa winked and spun herself out of her seat to talk to Ruthie.
I watched her for a moment then sighed, too tired to go over everything that happened.
“What a night…”
19: Two’s Company, Three’s A Crowd, But Four…
Enzo Drake
Level 15 Slayer
(3 levels available)
Hit Points 100
Endurance 50
Strength 14
Speed 10
Durability 15
Control 8
I didn’t waste a second as I approved the levels on the display. With the communicator Redgrave gave me, I didn’t need to wear the gauntlets to see my stat bonuses. But the rush of Red Mana flowing through my veins was still as strong as it had ever been. I sighed a deep breath of satisfaction as I looked down at my new stats.
Strength 15 (+1)
Speed 11 (+1)
Durability 15
Control 9 (+1)
The day was the same as the previous ones. I’d wake up, later than usual, then go through a normal day at the gym. I’d unwind a little then head over to the docks. Leveling up and preparing to head through Pandora. Getting to the next Obelisk so Jade could set a checkpoint. Then I’d relax before getting ready for the next day. It was all habit at this point.
Every checkpoint I crossed. Every level I gained. Every punch I threw. It was all getting me one step closer to Anarchy. And neither Jade or Redgrave seemed like they were losing any steam either.
