by Riker Kane
“Ahh…” I grunted through gritted teeth from the sting. I immediately began to feel the blood leaking from the wound in my armor.
“Nothing quite like the searing pain of a stab,” Hamilton said. “Get used to it. If you can’t fight without maximum hit points, you’ll never be an Omega.”
I glanced at my communicator and saw my hit points had dropped.
Hit Points 88
I wasn’t about to let it stop me though. I gritted my teeth and pressed my attack. Two hard slashes were parried by the black-haired recruit. I raised my weapon up for a third slash. Paige quickly moved her saber up to parry again but I lowered my saber down and stabbed her in the arm to return the favor.
“Ahh!” Paige stumbled back in pain and grabbed her arm.
“Just as you shouldn’t stop because of a wound, you shouldn’t stop to admire your work until your opponent is defeated,” Hamilton spoke. “Continue.”
“Let’s do it, guys!” Brian shouted. “Keep going!”
Undeterred by her injury, Paige raised her weapon up and screamed as she charged back at me. She swung at me recklessly to the point I was able to see her coming and parry her blows. But she kept attacking so hard and fast, one of them caught me in the side. I winced in pain but stayed on my feet.
“Fight back,” Hamilton said.
His words inspired me in a way I didn’t expect them to. I raised my sword up and slammed it into Paige’s side. The bow was hard enough to cut through the armor. I knew I’d drawn skin when she stumbled back and fell to a knee. I rushed forward and pointed the tip of my saber right at her throat. She responded by moving her blade up and pushed the edge against my neck.
“Stop!” Hamilton walked forward slowly and nodded. “Well done.”
The hard focus in Paige’s eyes disappeared, softening into the friendliness I was used to seeing. I held my hand out and helped her up to her feet. Brian and Douglas walked up and patted us on the back.
“Nice job,” the shaggy-haired blond Brian said.
“Thanks, Brian,” I said. “Maybe you and I will spar.”
“Sparring is intense,” Hamilton said. “I prefer it be that way so you’re not caught by surprise. Jamison. Reynolds. You’re up next.”
~ ~ ~
Though they were able to draw blood, Douglas and Brian fought to a stalemate. Sparring had finished well within the hour but with how tired everybody was, it felt like a lot longer. All four of us stood bloodied and exhausted as Captain Hamilton stood before us.
“You know the basics of your weapon and how to attack. You know the weak points of your armor and thus, the weak points of your opponents. To be a Cavalier, you must be willing to stand on the frontlines and lead by example. You can now head through a Junction and be that example.
“I will be here for you. Acquire Green Mana and learn new abilities. I will teach you how to harness those abilities. But don’t ignore the basics. Slashes and thrusts are the foundation for every successful fight.
“After you complete your first missions, you will be given the chance to become an Omega and be allowed to take the oath. Gain more levels. Acquire more experience. Do not be afraid to visit the Med and Crafting Bays for assistance. When you are ready, see me for your Mastery Examination to increase your rank. I warn you though. Don’t challenge unless you’re truly prepared. There’s nothing less satisfying than the wasted time of a failed challenge… Even I still venture through Junctions to do my part. Now it’s time to do yours.”
~ ~ ~
I sat inside of the Med Bay while one of the doctors worked a dermal regenerator over my arm. The soft electric buzz against my skin was warm but pleasant. He wiped the blood away and there was no injury to be found.
“I guess you must get tired of healing injuries like this,” I said.
The doctor shook his head. “A minor wound. You should see what the Vanguards look like after sparring.”
“Hmm… Poor Quentin…” I chuckled softly as the doctor helped me back to my feet.
“Nothing serious,” the doctor said. “Your arm is fine. Your stomach is, too. You’re cleared to go through a Junction if you like.”
“Thanks.”
I walked over to where Paige sat. Her hair was a little messier than usual and her face was dirty from the sweat on her brow but she was still smiling as the doctor finished taking care of her.
“How are you doing?” I asked.
She gave me a shrug and smirked. “It’s the first time I’ve ever been stabbed but I think I’ll get used to it.”
I raised an eyebrow at her and chuckled.
“It was good sparring with you. We should do it again. It’s… good practice.”
It was strange to think we were trying to kill each other and now we were being friendly. I gave her a nod and sighed. “I’m cool with that.”
Douglas and Brian walked over to us after taking care of their own injuries. Brian’s long, wiry frame was more apparent without his shirt on. Douglas, on the other hand, had an even more noticeable gut sticking out of his shirt.
Douglas rubbed the scruffy hairs of his beard and shrugged. “I guess that’s it, huh? We learn the basics and they send us off.”
“What else do we need?” Brian said. “The best lessons are through a Junction anyway.”
“We won’t really be fighting together though. Squad sizes are limited and bringing more than one Cavalier isn’t optimal.”
I didn’t tell them there was a chance I’d change classes, so the possibility was still on the table.
“We’re still part of the same wave of recruits,” Paige said. “We’re the only Cavaliers. This… It’s something, isn’t it?”
We looked around at one another. I’d only known them for a few days but the camaraderie was undeniable.
“That’s right,” Brian said. “We’re the Cavaliers. You’ll be seeing my name up on that scoreboard, real soon.”
“Sounds like a challenge,” Douglas said.
“I’m up for it,” Paige added.
They all turned to me with smiles growing on their lips. I sighed softly through my nose and nodded. “Good luck, guys.”
14: Junction… Officially
The new recruits gathered in the main hall of the Nerve Center. The large circular room was big enough to house all of us and give space to everybody walking by.
Janice stood next to a small podium at the center of the room where a digital display the size of a computer monitor stood on top of it. The brunette swiped through it with her finger as she spoke to us.
“By now, you’ve seen that these universal displays are located all over campus. Here you’ll find campus time, maps, current world status in the Junction Room, and the abilities shop. The last thing I’ll show you is this.”
She swiped through it and the last display came up. It listed all of the names of the recruits in alphabetical order with a headshot right next to it.
“Squad assignments,” she said. “In order to ease your transition into Pandora, you’ll be going through Junctions in groups of three. There are twenty-four of you, so that’s eight squads total. You’re free to choose who you’d like to be in a squad with. If not, one will be assigned to you. Remember. This isn’t just a matter of selecting who you want to fight alongside with because they’re your friends. Give careful consideration to class composition. After you’ve made a decision, I’ll give you your first mission assignments.”
The recruits all murmured as they spoke to one another. There was some excitement in everybody’s eyes. Understandable, since we were finally getting a chance to officially step through a Junction.
“I always hated group projects in school,” Quentin said to me. “I always hated picking teams in gym class, too. Always last. Nobody ever wanted to deal with me. That and there’s that asshole who never did his share.”
I chuckled. “I know the feeling.”
“This is different though. You know you can count on me out there.”
; “Right. Now all we need is a third—”
“Hey.”
We both turned around and saw Nina standing there. She crossed her arms and shifted her eyes back and forth between Quentin and me. The seemingly emotionless stare made it hard to tell what she was thinking so I stopped trying to figure her out.
“You two,” she said. “And me. That’s three.”
“Uh…” Quentin looked at me, his mouth half-open like the words were stuck in his throat.
“A Cavalier, a Vanguard, and a Strider,” I said. “Good comp.”
I didn’t think twice about it and walked over to Janice. She punched the information into her own tablet and the information updated on the display for me to see.
“I have your information,” she said. “It’s registered on your communicator as well. If for some reason you don’t have it on you, you can check one of the displays all over campus to double-check. There you can find your squad as well as your weekly mission assignments. Check to see if it’ll come up now.”
I swiped the screen on my communicator and the white digital text showed up on the blue backdrop.
CURRENT MISSIONS
Defeat 50 Shadows in Pandora
Reward: $250
Complete 1 Junction
Reward: $100
Increase Your Level
Reward: $50
“You’ll receive a weekly stipend of 500 dollars at the beginning of each week. These missions are extra incentive to perform. Keep in mind, when your level and rank increase, you’ll have the option of accepting more difficult missions for greater rewards. Everything goes toward the efforts of keeping Pandora’s threat level low. Also keep in mind not to push yourself. Missions are never mandatory, always optional.”
Janice’s cheery attitude and pigtails made me smile even though I knew how serious this was. She tilted her head sideways and raised her eyebrows at me.
“Do you have any other questions?”
“It looks like everything is set. But it says here I’m still just a Private. When am I actually an Omega?”
“It’s your first week. Once you get accustomed to things, then you’ll have an opportunity to take the oath. Only then will officially be instated as an Omega. From there, you’ll be able to increase your Star and Omega ranks for your chosen class.”
“Right… This oath you’re talking about. Do people not make it?” I scoffed at the thought.
But the Janice’s usually beaming smile turned into something half-hearted. It was so strange to see the concern in her eyes. For a second, I thought she was joking.
“The first wave of recruits was double what it is now,” she said. “Look around you. There’s a good possibility you won’t see some of these faces again. As the dangers in Pandora increase, the pain only becomes greater. It takes a special person to deal with it.”
Everybody was laughing and chatting like excited college students about to graduate. But this was only the beginning.
“There’s no shame in turning around and leaving,” Janice said. “Not everyone is meant to be an Omega.”
“I guess I’m about to find out.”
~ ~ ~
“What do you think?”
Quentin stomped forward in his armor with his arms out. Every step he took rattled the polished black granite underneath his armored heels. The dark blue armor looked as thick and durable as I expected a Vanguard to wear. The arms and legs were three times the size of his actual limbs. His chest bulged out to make his waist look tapered. His shoulders were as high as his head, which looked smaller in comparison to the rest of him.
“It’s a good thing you’ve still got your hair,” I said. “If you were bald, your head would look like a pebble.”
“No kidding,” he said. “I think that’s why Captain Bell grows his beard out. You know… This armor’s a lot more flexible than I thought it would be.”
“I don’t expect you to stand around when we’re out there.”
“Don’t worry. Check this out.” He held his right hand out. I stared at his forearm and watched the compartment open up. Small sheets of silver metal started to appear, connecting to each other like a steel puzzle. They formed a rectangle nearly as tall as him. He slammed the thick piece of metal on the ground with a thunk.
“Steve Rogers, baby! Just stay behind me while I lead the way.”
“Hmm…” The confident smile on his lips made me chuckle. “All you need is a maul in the other hand to complete the ensemble.”
“That’s the dream, ain’t it? Maybe one day… But first, let’s see if we can do this first Junction together. Do you see her?”
Quentin and I looked around the Junction Room. I didn’t have to search far to notice her. A girl like Nina stood out in a crowd. And with the armor she wore replacing her uniform, I would have to be blind not to see her.
She walked up to us and put her hands on her hips. Quentin shifted his eyes up and down, his jaw lowered. I was waiting for his tongue to roll out like a red carpet. I couldn’t really blame him.
Nina’s armor was a dark violet and nowhere near as bulky as ours. A pair of long heels led up to her thighs, leaving an open space of light skin before her purple shorts. Her armored top pushed her breasts up to make her waist seem even slimmer than I thought. Her stomach was bare, flat and as pale as the rest of her body. Armored gloves up to her elbows completed the ensemble. What she managed to hide underneath her uniform all this time was surprising, to say the least.
Quentin wasn’t shy about gawking at her as she tied her auburn red hair up over her head.
“Are you ready?” She clamped her Recall Box around her neck then eyed the two of us.
“Hey.” I nudged Quentin in the chest to break him out of the daze he was in. “Focus.”
Quentin scratched the top of his head with his armored fingers and shrugged. “I’m ready.”
“You’re the Cavalier,” Nina said to me. “I think you should be squad leader. That way there’s no bickering over what to do.”
We followed Nina over to one of the gates. I read the display next to it.
Pandora Junction
Level 3
Threat Level: Low
Precautions: None
Status: Open
“Hold on a second,” Quentin said. “Level 3? I don’t know about this…”
“The level is only a recommendation,” Nina said. “With proper teamwork, we can complete this. Unless you intend on waiting for another Junction to open up.”
Quentin sighed and looked at me. “I’ll go where you go.”
“Teamwork,” I said. “Let’s do it.”
~ ~ ~
I stepped onto the grassy field and inhaled a deep breath. The fresh soil filled my nostrils and cleared my lungs. The sun was out but the cool breeze whistling by kept my skin from burning up.
“Over there.” Nina quickly pointed toward the hill where the dark purple energy of the Obelisk resonated. “Our target is on that plateau.”
“Be ready for anything,” I said.
Quentin brought out his metal shield and held it against his body as he walked with me. Nina unsheathed her katanas as she strolled right behind us.
“I wonder what they’ve got in store for us…”
Quentin had barely finished when the sky began to flash in front of us. A ball of white light appeared and three large black boars popped out from it, landing on the grass with a thud. They snorted loud together, their squeals screaming through the sky.
“Quentin,” I said. “Shield up. Knock ‘em down. Nina, wait for an opening.”
They both nodded to me and took their positions. Quentin stomped his feet into the ground as the boars charged at him.
“Wait,” I said. “Steady…”
“Any time now, Liam.”
“Now!”
Quentin raised his shield up and dashed forward, slamming his shield into the boars and knocking them on their sides. They squealed on the ground as they struggled to get back u
p to their feet.
Nina sped forward and plunged her blades into one of the beasts to make it scream even louder before it faded into nothing.
I moved next to one of the boars and raised my saber up. My hard slash dug into its neck and spilled black blood everywhere on the grass. I didn’t take the time to admire my attack before quickly dispatching the last one in the same manner.
The beasts all disappeared, replaced by colorful Mana scattered all over the ground.
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Quentin eagerly soaked up the Mana with his communicator. “Is that all they got?”
BOOM!
The sky crackled again as energy formed in front of us. Another shot like thunder boomed behind us. Another flash of white light appeared and two groups of boars spilled out on both sides of us.
“You just had to open your mouth, didn’t you?” I said.
“Stay focused,” Nina said. “What’s the plan, squad leader?”
The boars began rubbing their feet against the grass like they were all ready to charge at once. It was the first time I’d ever found myself in a situation like this. Rather than think about how strange it was, I knew I had to do something. So I did the first thing that came to my mind.
“Quentin, ready for the three in front of us. Nina, stay in position. Both of you, wait for my signal.”
“And what are you going to do?” she asked.
“I’m giving the signal.”
She gave me a skeptical look before nodding and readying her blades.
Quentin slammed his shield into the grass and stood his ground. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Liam…”
“Steady… Wait for it…”
The boars circled around us several meters away. When they charged, it wouldn’t take more than a few seconds for them to reach us.
