Kindles of War

by Nicol Terra

  “Mental Magic.” Yukari cursed to herself. She opened her eyes. Tanyl was about as tall as her with a gold piece of armor wrapped around her body like a cloth.

  Yukari reached for her Holosphere on instinct. “Everyone near my location by a ten-mile square radius, evacuate. Engaging with a Chief Commander right now.” She said, clinking the button on the top.

  She was in for a long fight.

  “Tanyl Meadows. Chief Commander of Mysen.” She said. Yukari rolled her blade to in front of her, ready. “Honored to meet you.”

  “I don’t need your faux sympathy, you and I wanna kill each other.” She said. Tanyl took a pause as she rolled her eyes, letting out a small snicker.

  “You are right.” She said. “Too bad, I wasn’t talking to you. This is just a dream.”

  Yukari felt her body lunge backward, smashing through buildings and the ground, sliding a mile across the now barren field. She heard her ears ring and her vision blurred. Yukari felt her back, and chest bleed slowly out, she rushed Green Aura to protect most of her vitals.

  “What was that?” She asked herself, before bolting backward to avoid Tanyl from above, lunging at the ground. She saw faint spores flood the battlefield. She felt one of them hit her cheek as she felt weaker, her body losing energy as she stumbled on the ground. Yukari eyes narrowed.

  “Spores and Instant attacks,” Yukari said. She threw a rock in front of Tanyl. In an instant, she appeared a few centimeters away. Yukari grabbed her blade harder as she released blasts of red energy, trying to push her back. Tanyl darted from side to side, getting closer and closer to Yukari. Then, Yukari rose her blade up to block Tanyl's sword. Yukari looked at her silver sheen blade as it popped out small, black spores from it. She bolted backward, only to then be kicked across the city. She felt her face and body weaken as her Green Aura could not protect her adequately. She was using magic, and she can’t power through Magic as an Aura user

  Ayatolla swung around to form a portal. Yukari found herself in a small, clear bubble of space floating above Ayatolla and Tanyl. The battlefield was as far as she can see, yet extensive ruins ran down the battlefield where she was, two large crevices in the ground formed. Yukari rolled Ayatolla over to Tanyl, only for him to freeze mid-movement. Yukari smiled, time froze around Ayatolla as Tanyl ran over to her Avatar. In a second, Ayatolla disappeared, and with it Yukari fell down to the ground, lunging her blade through Tanyl, pinning her in the field below.

  “I admit, you got me good. I get how you fight now though.” Yukari said.

  Tanyl tried to stop time again, only for Yukari to dig her blade deeper through her.

  “You use Mind and Time Magick to confuse your opponent. Then you rush in for a kill either with a blade of winter or fungus.” Yukari said. Ayatolla appeared again, just above Yukari and formed a bubble of space. Yukari swung Tanyl inside the bubble. The giant bubble shrunk, constricting her inside.

  “I may have the disadvantage in direct combat, but you were careless.”

  Tanyl tried to break free, only for the bubble to shrink back to place her hands and feet back together. Yukari then coated her blade with Red Aura and slammed it inside the bubble.

  She split in half, her upper half falling first to the ground and then the lower half following with it.

  She then found herself above Tanyl and Ayatolla again. She then raised a brow.

  “Didn’t I just kill her?”

  Ayatolla rushed at her, only for her to freeze time again and instead of killing her Avatar, she pointed her finger directly at Yukari. Then, she saw the battlefield change from a storm to the snowfall. Flakes fell down from the sky, softly powdering the land as Yukari fell from space, head first into the ground below.

  Tanyl formed a sphere of light around her hands. Yukari felt her heart race, her palms grew sweaty, and her eyes narrowed. She gulped, her rage turned into fear.

  Ayatolla disappeared as Yukari felt the blood rush down her back and chest. Her vision grew narrow as the cold flakes rushed down her face.

  She closed her eyes, her eyes flashing Blue. She focused all her attention into blue Aura. She saw Tanyl outline in the darkness. Her slow and careful movements as she waltzed across the battlefield. Her sphere of light around her enveloped her whole. She saw time itself, the flow of particles rushing down to the floor below as Tanyl appeared and disappeared. Yukari ducked, dodging the blade. She then darted to the side, avoiding another slash. Her Blue Aura fell to depletion and then in a second, Yukari dodged one last time and slashed at her.

  Within seconds, she saw time rewind, only for Ayatolla to appear and grab her by the neck, levitating her with Air. She smiled.

  “Got ya.” Yukari smiled. Tanyl eyes widened as Yukari shattered the spell.

  “How-”

  “If I explain this time, you will just rewind and get an advantage on me,” Yukari said, the wind below Tanyl restricted her ability, as she shifted luck to zero for her to activate her ability. Avatars can have one to three abilities, and Ayatolla only had two, Chaos and Spatial Control. Chaos, however, provided her so much. A time mage can stop, slow, rewind, speed up or even travel through time. Chaos Magick was more abstract. All opponents saw was a random assortment of abilities form together. With her ability, she can go anywhere instantly.

  Yukari eyes turned slightly to the right as Ayatolla grew more and more weary as the wind shroud grew more tired and weary. He created a small hole in space with the wind as the storm disappeared over the horizon. Ayatolla threw Tanyl inside the wormhole, a few kilometers northward. Ayatolla then disappeared, and her blue Aura faded with it. She had absolutely no energy left, Yukari fell back first to the ground as she looked at the sky above.

  She stumbled, reaching for her Holosphere with her right arm as she pressed the button again.

  “Medic to my position, I am injured,” Yukari said.

  No response.

  Yukari took a deep breathe as her exasperated breathing and muscle movement made it difficult to even lift herself up.

  “Medic to my position!” Yukari started, taking a few deep breaths. “I am injured.”

  “Yukari?” Ryunsun asked.

  “Oh thank god, I need-”

  “We are retreating can you move?.”

  “I-” Yukari started, then her Holosphere burst into flames. She threw it on the ground. Her hands burnt brown as she took a deep breath, swinging her hand around to snuff out the blaze. Instead, the fire reached further and further up her hand, as it grew more and more black. The black skin became a white-red sign, across colored scarlet surrounded by a white circle. Then, her hand fell off.

  She quickened her breathing as she scanned around. Her eyes saw no one. She was alone. The rubble of the surrounding city clouded much of her vision as something toppled skyscrapers and the wall was unenforced. The long wall stretched for as far as she can see.

  “Mortals, such cruel creatures.” She heard. The tender and yet wise voice filled her head. She saw a large light break the remaining clouds. The perfectly sunny day became enveloped with a vast sea of white light that made Yukari close her eyes with her hand, trying to crawl away. Then, within a few moments, the light disappeared. Her beauty was beyond anything she ever saw. She was seven feet tall, floating in the sky with a red suit of armor and a blade in her right hand. She gulped, she was not Human, Elf, Chisean, Faerie or Maldition. Her white wings gave it away: she was an angel. Her bright, white wings and her golden skin was divine. She had the gaze of someone who lived for millions of years.

  1

  The Angel floated to the barren field below, snapping her fingers. In an instant, everything was destroyed, disappearing within an instant. A sterile field, no buildings, trees, or even the wall. Nothing surrounded her, except the ground beneath her feet.

  She tried to move and flash Red Aura, the only Aura she had left, only for her to grow nauseous and puke out vile.

  “Don’t try that. My Curse will not allow you to use your powers against m
e.” She said, floating softly to the ground as her feet walked over to her. She made no footsteps; instead, she shuffled quietly over to Yukari. She then looked down to herself. She had no arm and no energy. She was sure she would die, something that made her tremble in fear.

  “Speak girl, are you frightened by my power?” The Angel asked. Yukari then looked at her armor as she felt a small trickle run down her leg.

  The Angel sighed. “That says it all.” She pushed her foot down, pinning Yukari’s chest to the ground below. The Angel readied her blade and then lunged it through her heart. She felt her soul leave her body, a formless blue sphere rushed out of her now dead corpse, and the Angel grabbed the Blue Orb. She had no sight, but she felt a strong presence. She felt her power, billions of times stronger than hers. Her strength was worldly, almost as if she was fighting a sentient planet, combined with her Warping, she was a monster that even Yukari started to fear, despite missing her sense of emotions being a disembodied soul. She licked her lips. Their gap in power was a glass of water compared to the ocean. She felt a sense that even the surrounding planet shook at her mere presence.

  “If I was a demon or undead, I could eat your soul right.” She said, only shaking her head as she slammed it back into Yukari. She took a great gasp as her eyes widened to look around her again. She got up an inch, only for the stinging reminder of her blade in her chest stopping her.

  “I am choosing not too though. You are possibly one of the ones after all.” She said a small smile warmed across her face as she rubbed her hand against Yukari’s face. She was numb all over, frozen in both fear and confusion, with her muscles unable to do anything. “You don’t mind if I take this, right?” The Angel said, letting go of her sword as an arm appeared out of nowhere, blackened and with the same symbol she saw before.

  Yukari eyes fierce for a moment, “Hey, I need that!” She said. Then the Angel laughed, letting out a bellowing cackle that made Yukari shrink back further.

  “Need it? Then do something about it.” She said, bowing over Yukari. She felt her gaze turn away, trying to avoid her stinging black eyes. Her face was filled with such beauty and ferocity, Yukari thought she had lived thousands of years. She was too afraid to challenge her.

  “That is what I thought.” She said. Then, she saw blackness. Her mind floated above in her body as she saw a reflection of herself. She had her left arm and her right arm, and her fierce gaze looked back at her like a reflection in the mirror. Then, the reflection of herself lost her right arm. Then that gaze became a twisted smile, forming a whirlpool where the eyes and mouth formed an image in her head. She saw the Angel floated above her, even in her mind. Yukari screamed, her terror-filled shriek echoing in her mind as her reflection faded with the Angel.

  “Before you gain power, you must gain humility.” The Angel said.

  Then, she was gone, and her mind fell asleep. She felt nothing as her life flashed before her eyes.

  Yukari was always a genius. She always got good grades with her private school. She was taught Aura by her father and mother, by the finest of tutors in the family. She had mastered Green, Red, Orange, and White by the time she was ten. By the time she was twelve, she was given her first blade. By 13, she started participating in duels in the Cosmow. She remembered the lights look down at her. Her ponytail was wrapped. The small, white stadium had two entrances for the combatants, surrounded by a theater that can fit a million people. She then looked straight ahead. She saw a black-cloaked figure walk up to her, her hundredth match.

  She took a deep breath and readied her blade with her right hand, holding it tip up at her opponent. This was not much different compared to her first duel. She flashed Red on her sword and swung a small current of red energy at her opponent, who ducked and rushed at her. Yukari jumped to the side, around the black-cloaked figure’s blind spot and lunged her blade. The black-masked woman created two balls on fire of each hand, ducked and socked Yukari in the face. She felt her skin slightly tingle and burn. She couldn’t see anything, as smoke got into her eye, so she flashed Blue and bolted a few dozen feet from her. The shrouded figure punched at her with flames as Yukari opened her eyes once again, she dodged another punch and slapped the spine of her blade into her stomach. She crouched over and held her stomach.

  “And just like that, Yukari Unmei won her hundredth match!” The announcer said. The crowd cheered as they slammed their feet into the ground, shaking the stadium itself. Yukari walked over to the black mask and swung it aside as she looked in horror.

  “Sister?”

  She said nothing, instead of snatching the mask from her hand and fastening back on her face. “Congratulations, now I know who will be in line as an Heir to our branch family.” She said, walking away from her down the dark side of the stadium as light focused on Yukari for her victory. She felt hollow as she held her blade, looking at her reflection in the spine.

  “I am a bad person.” She admitted.

  Tina couldn't sleep. Instead, she took a walk. She was sober, and the night was present with the eight moons shining below. She felt embarrassed for the day, and despite Rose trying to calm her down, she got angry for no reason.

  “I should talk to Erudite, just in case.” She said to herself, flying slowly off her bed, picking up her bag, as if instinct guided her and walked outside. She locked the door behind her and walked up to the second floor. The apartments she was staying at her with the group was divided into two stories, with her room being on the bottom. The top level was for Erudite, who had the most significant room and her new commander, Jay.

  She flew up the floor, only to hear a tough life.

  “Yes!” She heard, it sounded like Commander Jay. She knocked on Erudite’s door next to his, no answer.

  “Why did you do that?” Erudite yelled, she heard a loud slam from Jay’s room. Tina couldn’t help but fly closer to Jay’s room, ready to knock.

  “Tina’s opinion doesn’t matter; we got a hefty sum for this job,” Jay said. Tina snarled, reaching her hand back. She froze time around her except near herself and the room, as she leaned her ear to the door.

  “And you still backstabbed her like that? She is our comrade!” Erudite protested.

  “And she is also a brat,” Jay said. Tina clenched her fist, only to loosen it a few seconds later. She felt her knuckles get hot.

  “That girl will be your downfall; I don’t even expect her to survive tomorrow!’

  “What? Then let's relieve her!”

  “Oh, no!” Jay continued to laugh; his voice wrung and grind at Tina’s ears. “I mean that she is not you! She is poor, and she is to laid back.”

  “Just because she is poor, you expect that to be a factor in loyalty?”

  “The ruling military elites and rich have to keep the lower dregs of society in check. Otherwise, it would be chaos! We live in a fundamentally unequal world.” He stopped, only for Tina to assume he took a drink. “After some prodding, I won’t be surprised if during the mission tomorrow if something happens.”

  “You sound like you expect her to die.”

  “Well, maybe perhaps I can hire a hit on her. I recruited her, but she can barely be controlled! I thought she would break, but she didn’t! She might become a threat.”

  “So you plan to kill her?” Erudite slammed her fist on the wall. Tina nodded in agreement. “I am her commanding officer, I know damn well she is fine where she is.”

  “Plus, it is not like I had high expectations for her. I needed to reach a drafting goal, and she happened to be the last.”

  “Then why did you promise to give her mother a Souldrop for her disease if you expected she wouldn’t survive a year?”

  Tina nodded, Erudite knew her situation well it seemed.

  “Because I never planned on giving it to her. It was a means to control her, but it turns out she is too independent for her own good.”

  Tina froze, her breath rose as her face turned ghost white. Jay lied to her? Just to recruit her?

>   Tina couldn’t find a job at graduation after her marvelous thesis. Not because she was unskilled, nor was she a bad worker or student, but because her mother was getting weaker and weaker. Her new day was no longer school, lunch, study till eight and drink at ten. It was tending to her mother. She was weak, unable to move much. She barely had enough energy to go to the bathroom, she staggered and fell often. Some of these falls, no matter what would leave her with broken bones and bruises. Tina knew what it was. It was Poorman’s disease. They used to call it Aging.

  “Having fun?” A voice came from outside. Tina’s mother was sound asleep as Tina rose herself up, awakened by this new voice. She stumbled and walked to the front door, the dusty wind brushing in fresh leaves and rain inside the falling apart house. The door was open, despite Tina closing it earlier. Tina raised a brow and turned her head, to her left was a man in a black suit, and a golden brown cap greeted her. She snarled.

  “You were the recruiting officer at the University of Agall.” She said.

  He nodded. “Guilty as charged, and I see you have your hands full.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I am here… to make you an offer. A Souldrop, for the most talented fighter and Time Mage I have ever seen.”

  Tina clenched her fists together. She wanted to punch Jay in the face, but she was not stupid enough to try. He was hundreds of times stronger than she was. She listened on.

  “I lied about that part.”

  “What, but the Souldrop isn’t even expensive. My family can afford it for all of us; I have uncles and aunts that are hundreds of years old.”

  “Yes, but do you ever wonder why only the Rich can afford it and while the poor cannot?”

  Erudite said nothing as did Tina.

  “It is because the Poor are the largest group in society by far. If we gave them such power, they would protest such squalor living in the dirt slums. It is the only drug not covered by healthcare, and for a good reason.” He said, he stopped for a moment as it sounded like he took a big gulp.