by Samuel Small
“Bastard! Tell me what you know!” the boy shouted.
Major Miles didn’t respond. He titled his rapier to the side, allowing a few clumps of dirt to slide off the blade, then raised it once again. The infuriated boy shouted then pointed his arms toward the ground. He let out a burst of energy that sent him soaring toward an apathetic Major Miles. With a single step back he avoided the boy as he landed fist first into the ground. He pressed into Major Miles, who had notable difficulty dodging the blows at close quarters. The boy was so close that Major Miles couldn’t do much damage with his rapier, not that it mattered since the unbroken rain of punches left little openings.
Jake turned to Sara. “We have to help him.”
“Yeah, but he ordered us to stay here.”
“That guy’s attacking relentlessly so the Major isn’t able to counter at all. If we can create an opening…”
“Ugh, fine,” Sara said while rolling her eyes then ran with Jake toward the two. Major Miles was still able to remain on the defense, pivoting on his feet to avoid the absolute maelstrom of punches the orange-haired boy threw at him. But Jake could tell, even from this distance, that the Major was having difficulty. His rapier was gripped tightly in his hand but held at his side, as if he’d forgotten all about it. The boy punched past Major Mile’s head once again, and Jake turned to Sara. “Create an opening. I’ll go in and attack!”
Sara nodded and placed her palms downward. She shouted for Major Miles to get back, which he did by jumping as far away as he could from the confused boy. His mouth slightly agape, the orange-haired boy turned to Sara, just before a large wall of ice sprung up where he was standing. Jake kicked off the wall of ice and swung at the boy but he ducked under. As his body sailed forward Jake winced. The boy was underneath him, rising with his fist clenched in preparation for a devastating uppercut. There was nothing Jake could do but take the blow.
A sharp sound reached Jake ears and when he opened his eyes the boy was a few feet away, glaring at something just past him. Jake hit the ground then turned, and there was Sara. A number of sharp spikes crafted from ice shot out of the ground at his feet. It seemed she had him covered. With the backup, Jake gripped his sword tight in his hands and dropped into a fighting stance. Harsh footfalls also drew closer, stopping at Jake’s side: Major Miles, just then having circumvented the ice wall.
“Fine, you want to get involved, get involved. But back me up. Don’t go in alone, this guy isn’t an opponent you can defeat easily.”
“Yes sir,” Jake and Sara replied.
The boy’s eyes flicked from one to the other as if solving complicated equations. Then he looked all around, factoring in the environment, the ice on the ground a few feet in front of him, and briefly to the forest for a chance to escape. Finally he raised his palm and pointed it at the group. His Sol, Jake thought, as particles of blue light appeared in front of the boy’s hand, gathering into a bright focal point. It swirled and spun there but Jake couldn’t believe his eyes. That ability, it’s…
“Pure Sol, get out of the way!” Major Miles shouted as the ball condensed. A bright beam of energy shot out of it on a direct line for Jake and Major Miles. The trainee could do nothing but stop and stare as it hurtled toward them. He appeared to be in some kind terrified trance, so Major Miles hooked his arms around him and dove to the floor. There was a crack, then splinters of ice rained down in the space in front of them. Jake turned his wide eyes toward the ice wall that Sara had erected, only to see it shattered into pieces. From one attack.
“Trainee Jake, Niflheim, get out of here now!” Major Miles shouted as charged the boy, who raised his fists and punched out. That same blue energy emerged from his knuckles, although much reduced due to the significantly shorter startup and rushed toward Major Miles in an attempt to stop his advance. The Major rolled his shoulder as he ran, avoiding the attack, then jumped to either side as innumerable others headed for him. Jake began to rise to his feet, able to witness the moment the boy tripped Major Miles up. He threw a hook with his lead hand and the energy curved at a similar angle to which it had been thrown. Major Miles had to halt his momentum completely to duck under it, the energy whizzing just over the top of his head.
As Jake caught up to Sara he spared another glance at the fighting between the two. The boy was trying his hardest to keep the Major at bay, throwing jabs, hooks, and crosses as fast as he could, varying the heights and frequency of each, but the Major held true. His feet beat against the hard ground and came upon the boy, this time using his rapier to full effect. He lunged at his foe repeatedly, the stabs so fast that they blurred together into a hazy mass. The boy rolled his shoulder out of the way of the flashing blade but the Major changed his angle to reach him and continued to press forward. The attacks never reached the boy, who brought an arm to parry the blade, surprisingly doing so on its dull side. It took a few seconds but Jake soon realized that he’d stopped running and now only stared at the fight. This level and ferocity of combat, it was something he’d never seen before in his life.
“Who hired them!” the boy shouted as he broke the distance Major Miles’ rapier provided due to an expert parry. His glowing fist rushed toward Major Mile’s head, but the man managed to tilt just in time to avoid the blow. The energy that was contained within the boy’s fist popped so loud that Jake could hear it from several meters away, and he saw the grass surrounding the two lash outward from the force of the shockwave. Before Major Miles could do anything else the boy dropped down and launched two well-placed uppercuts to his ribs. The punches were so powerful that they lifted the wide-eyed officer off his feet. As he was suspended in the air the boy took a full step back and cocked his fist. When Major Miles’ body fell to his level the boy launched his fist forward, which tore into the Major’s gut and sent him flying across the field. He hit the ground once, bounced, then skidded to a stop just where the tree line began, dirt piled up into a mound behind him.
“Major Miles!” Jake shouted and rushed to aid his superior. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to make it in time. The boy had already extended his hand out and was beginning to gather an insane amount of energy there.
“One last time. Who hired them?” he demanded.
Major Miles, grasping his ribs and wincing in pain, brought a single knee up. It seemed that was all he could manage given his injuries. “The Republic has never and will never use mercenaries.”
Jake closed in on the boy now, but it seemed he was too late. Those green eyes narrowed and the ball condensed. Jake had seen it once before, so he knew the energy was only a few seconds from firing. He reached his hand out to grab the boy’s extended arm, but was way too far away and only grabbed empty air.
“Major,” a voice crackled from Major Miles’ hip. The energy in the boy’s hand once again expanded to its original size then faded into particles of light that floated toward the sky. He placed a hand on his hip and looked at Major Miles, apparently allowing him to answer. Jake stopped his mad rush toward the boy and tilted his awestruck head toward the officer.
Still on one knee, he held the comp to his lips and spoke into it. He nodded and listened then brought his wide eyes up to the boy. He mumbled into his comp once again, this time seeming to be in disbelief of what the person on the other end was telling him. He groaned as he rose to a stand, clipping the device back onto his waist. He took a few faltering steps back like he might fall over. After he’d caught himself he tried to stand upright, despite the fact that he had probably cracked a few ribs.
“You just might get the information you want,” Major Miles called across the field. “That was the General of the military and he wants to meet with you.”
Major Miles limped toward Jake and the boy as the trainee looked from one to the other, captivated. There were footsteps crunching in the grass behind him, which had to be those of Sara, but he could only give them passing recognition. The boy, who until then had been the pinnacle of danger, grinned from ear to ear at Major Miles. Sara c
ame to Jake’s side and spared a confused glance at him, in search of some kind of answer, but he could offer none. Instead he turned his head to Major Miles, who just then closed in on them.
“The Republic’s current stance is that you’re an ally,” Major Miles said to the boy, although his eyes were focused on Jake and Sara. “As such, I’m to take you to the administrative building where you’ll meet with General Iroh, the second in command here.”
“Wait, did you say ally?” an incredulous Jake asked.
“Yes, trainee. And that comes straight from the top.”
“But I saw him blow up the welcome center!” Jake shouted.
“And I saw him punch you in the face!” Sara echoed.
“Hey, there was good reason for both of those!” the boy shouted with an accusatory point of his finger at both Jake and Sara. He then brought his eyes up and folded his arms. “Well, at least for punching this asshole.”
“That’s enough,” Major Miles called, which stopped Jake from contesting the point any further. His voice boomed and his eyes burned into Jake, seeming to threaten punishment if the trainee continued any further. “The General of the Republic considers him an ally and that’s all there is to it.” Major Miles tilted his head to the orange-haired boy. “And since you’re going to be considered an ally, we’re going to need a name.”
“Dante,” the boy said with an extended hand, “and I’ll be happy to meet with your high-ranking government officials!”
Chapter 3
Outside the door, Jake sat in a chair and tried to focus on the sounds coming from inside the room. He couldn’t make out anything distinct, just mummers and tones. Major Miles’ even voice was easy to recognize, as was General Iroh’s slightly more gruff one. The boy called Dante was the easiest however. He shouted something, mixing in a few swear words, and Jake exchanged a look with Sara at his side. She seemed as confused as he was.
Dante was the last person anyone should take to a formal meeting, and the shouts coming from behind the door confirmed that. Despite his loud antics, both Major Miles and General Iroh’s voices sounded calm and even. It didn’t make any sense. As he understood it, General Iroh was a no-nonsense person, even more so than Major Miles. But if that was the case, why did he keep hearing shouting coming from that room? You’d think he’d put his gauntlets on and give the boy a good smack round the head.
The shouting increased followed by a few loud crashes. Jake took that as his cue to come in and was out of his chair and opening the door in an instant. Dante was on top of Major Miles’ desk, clawing at a very confused General Iroh. The General’s eyes were wide, despite the fact that Jake thought the scar over his left prevented him from opening it properly. The only thing keeping Dante from grabbing the General was Major Miles, who held him by the waist and desperately tried to pull him to the ground. He glanced over his shoulder and shouted, “Trainee, good timing. I could use some help calming Mr. Dante down!”
Jake ran in and grabbed Dante in a similar manner to Major Miles, and between the two of them they were able to wrestle him off the desk, but not without hitting the floor themselves, the boy falling on top of them. Before Jake could shake himself off Dante was already on his feet and charging at General Iroh again. A wall of ice sprang up in his path and he plowed into it. “Fuck!” he shouted as the whole makeshift structure shook, little chunks of ice raining down. “Which one of you fucks—” he began, before his eyes locked on something and narrowed. Jake, still sprawled out on the floor, followed his gaze to see Sara with her arm outstretched, in no way attempting to hide the fact that it was her.
“Bitch!” he shouted and attempted to lunge for her but seemed to be held back. He glanced down at his foot, which had been encased in ice and was frozen to the floor. Dante flicked his eyes up to Sara. “Da fuck?” he said as if she’d done that for no reason.
“If you keep attacking people it’ll be your whole body next.”
There seemed to be a spark of fear in Dante’s face as he averted his eyes and looked down, mumbling something. Jake exchanged an awestruck glance with Major Miles. For whatever reason it seemed Sara had the ability to control him, at least a little. She could be scary when she got angry, Jake recalled from a few instances in the academy. Sara extended a hand toward the ice wall and the structure quickly melted, turning into water that nearly flooded the room. On the other side of that structure was General Iroh’s burly form, who seemed way calmer than he should have been. He cleared his throat.
“Anyway, we don’t have the resources to do as you’ve requested, Mr. Dante. The first thing we hear about these mysterious ‘Voids,’ as you call them, you’ll be the first to know. Until then, enjoy the Republic. Get to know its people.”
Dante grumbled something about ‘corrupt assholes’ then looked up at Sara. The ice that encompassed his foot melted and he stretched it, seeming to ensure that it still worked. Jake watched him closely, as he wanted to be ready if he went after anybody else. “That shit was cold,” Dante said to Sara.
“Duh!”
“Ah, whatever. I’m outta here,” Dante said, brushing past her in the doorway and continuing down the hall. Sara called for him to hold up but Major Miles placed a hand on her shoulder. His face looked dead serious, like he had something really important to tell her. He turned those eyes to Jake and his heart skipped a beat. Was he going to tell him about what occurred in that meeting? Or the secret origins of those monsters apparently known as Voids? Jake watched in anticipation as Major Miles crossed the room to his desk, just behind which General Iroh waited and took them all in. He grabbed a mass of papers off it then tossed half to Jake and the other to Sara.
“Paperwork. I don’t think I need to tell you that we need to report this incident thoroughly.”
Jake looked at Sara, who was as angry as him. Glaring at the mass of papers in his hands, Jake’s mind drifted to that orange-haired brat. “Dammit, Dante.”
***
It was dark by the time Jake finished all the paperwork and he left the administrative building with a drawn-out sigh. He pulled out his comp and checked the time: past curfew. He should head to his apartment and get some sleep. If he recalled correctly he had patrol early tomorrow as well, but he should check just to be sure.
There was nothing assigned to him. Absolutely nothing was scheduled, despite the fact that he was sure he had work all week. His mind drifted once again to Dante, and he figured this had something to do with him. Major Miles must’ve wanted his schedule open so they could go over his report or question him further. Great. Looks like I’ve got all the tedious work laid out for me, Jake thought as he clicked the comp back onto his belt. If he tried to go to bed now the questions about today’s events would just swirl in his head. There wasn’t much he could think to do but go for a walk in his favorite part of the city despite the curfew, and hopefully clear his head that way. Technically he was a guard, so he could just say he was doing an extra patrol. He doubted he’d get in trouble anyway, Dante had just gotten away with assaulting the General scot-free after all.
Republic Park wasn’t far and the scenery took Jake’s mind off of recent events. It was filled with plant life from all over the world, well-tended shrubbery lining his way as he walked. There were pulsing streetlights that kept the whole area lit up, and the undulating landscaping and topiary made Jake feel secluded, which he liked. It was hard to be alone in a place as densely populated as the Republic but not many people had an appreciation for this park. At least not in the same way Jake did. A visit or two, maybe a date once in a while, but for the most part people were just used to it and took it for granted. As Jake rounded a bend he thought how sad that truly was.
The path grew narrow as Jake came into a clearing. The park was circular with a fountain in the middle that Jake loved to stare at. It wasn’t a simple fountain, it had about three layers that pumped water constantly, with multicolored lights casting it in an otherworldly glow. Jake approached it, drinking in the lights and
sounds before a slight movement caught his eye. He wasn’t alone here, somebody else sat on a bench beside the fountain. A primary education student with neat blonde hair, her nose buried in a book. There was a black duffle bag at her side, where Jake assumed she kept her schoolbooks. What is she doing here at this time of night? he thought.
The girl must’ve noticed Jake’s pace slow as he took her in and she glanced up from her book. Her eyes bore into Jake, and he felt flustered as he tried to come up with some form of an explanation for his presence. Something came out of his mouth, he wasn’t sure what, before his eyes locked on the title of the book she was reading. Changing the subject might just save my ass.
“Reading up on King Arnold? Good call. Those who don’t understand history are doomed to repeat it, am I right?” Jake said, trailing off into a nervous chuckle when the girl continued with her cold stare. It was so intense that he felt paralyzed.
“Right,” the girl said, then flipped her eyes up and down Jake’s body. It would be weird for someone his age to be in a guard uniform so he felt he should explain.
“U-uh, I’m just a trainee,” he said.
“I see,” the girl said and continued to stare, the book open in her hands but ignored. She stared at Jake for a few more seconds then shut her eyes along with the book. With a groan she rose to her feet, bringing her duffle bag up with her. She stomped past Jake without looking at him and faded into the darkness beyond the path. Captivated by the calm beauty of the girl, Jake stared at the place where her figure had faded. The darkness there pulsed and swirled, seeming to call him to follow.
Jake shook his head then took in the area around him. It was still as isolated as he remembered, with flowers of all colors blooming everywhere. But seeing someone else here removed the calming sensation that accompanied the feeling of isolation. Now it felt like just that – isolation. He was alone and that was no longer comforting.
