_{D A R K Z O N E ┤├ June 6 ┤├ Heralds of Pasha}

---

The beasts are all over the dark lands. Everyone falls prey to them sooner or later. These are the domains wherein men turn to ash. The nightmare stretches from the Far East to the hope of West. Only the laws of nature can save a soul from death, lest they are cursed to wander the earth a hollow corpse, a husk. Nothing can prevent the Stigma. It devours all as the antithesis to life. Yet, there are some whom persist in the Hellscape among madmen and murderers.

“I can hear them. They’re coming.” One of the masked men said.

The thunder of artillery fire echoed in the distance. A humble group of men were scouring the outer reaches of the zone for supplies. Survival in the dark realm consisted of scavenging and preying upon the weak. A constant search was fundamental. The men had been probing for metals to maintain their weapons and armor, wires and power cores to grant life to their transportation, and any source of food or water. One of the men had been searching for something else in addition.

“We will be long gone before they get here. Focus on those barbed wires over there.” Another masked man said.

He was preoccupied with satisfying his need for essence. The few spirits of a lonesome wanderer had to suffice. The masked man’s palm was tightly pressed against the chest of his victim; finger nails puncturing the skin and bleeding it. Hues of greenish glow leaving the deceased body could be witnessed by the plain eye. The spirits within were reluctant to leave their sanctuary, but such a trivial matter had never stopped the man before.

“Oakridge will be with them.” Yet another man of the group said.

The Aggressor left the drained body where it was. There was no sympathy for the meek within his frame. He had once shared the morals of his Guardian brethren, alas no more. The dark lands had opened his eyes to something greater. A vision of a splendid Paradise had been bestowed upon him by a magnificent force. It titled him and his followers its heralds.

“They are no threat to us-” The Aggressor said.
“What about her…” The other masked man interjected.
“…She means nothing to me.”


_{T H E F I E L D S ┤├ June 6 ┤├ Hammer of the Army}

---

The armored vehicles had been on the road for an hour. Most of the inexperienced students of the academy would by now fully appreciate the danger of the situation at hand. The operation was unlike any field mission supervised by instructors and other safety nets. No, this was the gritty reality wherein people died. It was also the first time a military effort had pushed this far into the Dark Zone. At full speed and without resistance, it would take them about two weeks to reach their destination. But, nothing ever went according to plan or sailed that smoothly.

The mood was tense and silent within the personnel carriers. Olivia was usually calm in most weathers, but these circumstances made her uneasy. The artillery fire from the frontline tanks and the two Mobile Operations Vehicles became increasingly louder. The storm that had been brooding in the distance from the academy had now invaded completely. Day had turned into night, rain and wind smashed against the integrity of the vehicle.

Before departure, Olivia’s focus had remained with those who had showed up at the information boards. Something had distracted Nicholas during their exchange of words, but the brunette did not know him well enough to probe or speculate any further. She had returned Thael’s embrace and kissed him on the cheek for good luck, during which Olivia’s gaze had lingered upon a man of ashen and anxious ebonies. She was usually a verbal individual, but her crystal cerulean eyes had contained a wealth of fervor otherwise unheard. Eric’s return to the group and hearty greeting still lingered within Olivia’s mind—he was a good friend, a genius of men. Rogart’s comment about Monika had lightened up the little trek to the garage, where Olivia had given Jaina a nod as appreciation for her guard duties and seen to it that Graham joined them in the correct vehicle.

“Ten minutes.” The driver announced.

They were headed for one of the Mobile Operations Vehicles wherein High Command had established their forward base. The thunder of the sky and the frontlines was close. At this time, the convoy had increased its speed to the standard of high risk deployments. The carrier bounced around slightly, and the tense mood among its habitants escalated. Olivia shouldered her gunblade holster across her back, ready to disembark at any moment. Her breath was deep and steady. Once they were out there, anything could happen.

“Heads up, incoming plasma.” The driver suddenly uttered and initiated evasive maneuvers with the vehicle. Olivia reached for the nearest railing and held tight.

Some of the Mordrem creatures were capable of producing a form of natural plasma within their mechanisms. It was presumably digested Gaia, which had been infected with Stigma and other lethal properties. The plasma was capable of disintegrating most armor that the army was able to produce, which is why it was so dangerous. The air force was usually swift to repel the creatures. However, the masses of plasma were hurled from far away, which is why the army always had to suffer some manner of barrage before the creatures could be bombarded.



The hit propelled their vehicle into a violent roll across the ground. It was only a partial hit, as they had not instantly melted away from exposure to the plasma. Because of the high speed at which the personnel carrier was traveling, the tumble lasted for an eternity. Both soldiers in the front seats lost their lives. Luckily, the only other passengers were Guardians. There was a general misconception in the world about Guardians not feeling physical pain. Even if they cannot die from injuries that a normal person would, they can feel everything about those wounds. When something sudden happens that can potentially kill a Guardian, his or her spirits quickly strengthen their flesh and bones, and swirl around their bodies to deflect whatever they can. As the vehicle was full of Guardians, the interior became massed with all spectrums of colors from the protective spirits within.

Silence ensued once the tumble finally came to a halt.


_{S I D I O V I L L A G E ┤├ June 6 ┤├ The Mt. Kinabalu Eidolon}

---

“We should get going then.” Selene said, referring to Roxie's comment.

Her of bitter fixtures trod past the others with determined steps. Subira was capable enough to lead this endeavor, but Selene had never admitted to being a team player. Nobody would describe her as the opposite, just blunt in her ways of adhering to commands. It was a good team, however. Selene could never in a hundred years deny its composition to be excellent, but they were about to deal with an Eidolon. They had to be a capable team for that kind of danger. There was practically no prior information other than a rumor, so they could be walking into anything. If the Eidolon was one of the alive, known ones, they would know a little bit about it and how to deal with it. However, if it were anything else, something they had never heard of, their fate was in the hands of anything but their own. This is why Selene chose this mission; she was ready for the eternal slumber.

Sidio was a rather sleepy village. It appeared to consist of fishermen and miners, considering the nearby ocean and mountain. Because of its solitary location, it was not prone to a lot of traffic, let alone army aircrafts and Guardians. The residents were rather perplexed when the team approached the center of the village. There was not much to be found in terms of anything besides living quarters. However, there was some manner of pawnshop, grocery store, and Town Hall; if one could call it that.

“I will check the shop… see if they know anything about what is going on here.” Selene said to the others.

The interior of the pawnshop was cramped, full of various equipment and items. There was a distinct smell of metal and burning wood. An old man stood behind the counter, barely aware of the team's arrival at all.

“Excuse me.” Selene said.
“Yes?” The man harked, rather stunned by the girl’s blunt appearance.
“How are things around here this morning?”
The elderly man was silent for a moment, recollecting his thoughts.
“A storm’s brooding and the mountain is uneasy, but that’s about it.”
“What does that mean… the mountain is uneasy.”
“Well…-” The man hesitated.
“I’m a Guardian, here on army business. You can tell me.” Selene added.
“The spirit of the mountain has been displeased with us for some time, but we don’t know why… we think… we think that there might be something else living there.”
“Like what?”
“An Eidolon… Miss.”
“Which one?”
“Oh, I couldn’t tell you. Nobody has been up there since the mine shut down a few weeks ago.”
“It shut down because of the Eidolon?”
“That’s right… or, that’s what we think.”
“You think? You people didn’t shut it down?”
“No, the mine is owned by Nexus. They decide what happens. When some of the miners went missing and others returned with severe burns, they shut it down.”
“Severe burns? There is only one Eidolon capable of fire; you think that one lives here?”
“Like I said, we’re not sure.”
“Great, thank you.”

Selene exited the shop as swiftly as she had entered. The man remained bewildered about the sudden exchange. From what he had described, it sounded as if it was an Eidolon named Ifrit that was rumored to dwell in the mountains.

_{OAKRIDGE ACADEMY◆Eliza Galloway◆}

Eliza's eyes shot open, finding that rather than sleep in her bed, she'd chosen the uncomfortable floor of her and Charlie's apartment as her resting place, particularly the living room floor. She crawled to her feet, her hair a tangled mess and her breath still smelling of liquor, courtesy of the party she'd helped Jack throw. She figured that he'd gotten her home. She'd have to thank him before they all went out on missions. She groaned and shuffled her way to the shower.

Post shower, she wolfed down a bowl of oatmeal and a nutrition bar, the last food that she and Charlie had in the old loft that they'd been lucky to score on campus. She'd dressed herself in some black skinny jeans, a white tank top with a black leather jacket, and some combat boots. She took a moment admiring herself in the mirror, smirking at her reflection. If my looks don't kill them, then my killer skills will she thought as she sauntered out of the apartment.

Charlie had left early that morning to train with his Fanatic charity case, she already knew that. She didn't much improved, but he'd been asked to do it by some higher ups, so really, he hadn't had a whole lot of a choice. She'd gotten to say goodbye to him last night though, before she'd gotten too drunk. He'd said he'd be following Morganna to her mission, but she figured that wouldn't be to the Nexus Reactor. Probably Doral where she could recruit some low life's to her nut job religion.

When she made it to the sign up boards, she quickly signed up for the Reactor, without a second thought. She heard a group mention the Reactor and she moved over to them. She only recognized Serenity, a girl she'd met a few times. She seemed nice enough, very cheery. "You guys headed for the reactor too? I'm Eliza, Eliza Galloway."

---

_{OAKRIDGE ACADEMY◆Charles Arcan◆}

Charlie turned around to face the voice. It was a boy with long hair and pale skin that he'd never actually met. He smiled at him, in his usual Charlie fashion, never one to leave someone out. It was a trait that Eliza was often bothered by. He in turn commented on the copious amounts of alcohol that she drank which often shut her up.

He slowed his pace down until he and Morganna were walking side by side with the newcomer and began to talk. "That we are. I'm guessing you are as well? Should be fun enough, although I expect just enough danger to keep it interesting," he said the last sentence with a grin. He hadn't trained all this time for just diplomacy. No, he wanted a slight hint of danger, just enough to make all this training worth while.

Eventually, the trio reached the Dislocator. Their weapons had all been brought down already, which was a pleasant surprise since Charlie had forgotten to grab his. He went over and picked up his staff, twirling it around. He loved the feel of it, and his heartbeat was acclerating as the time for deployment drew closer. He was excited. "Well, I'm ready when you guys are."

---

The serious reply Subira gave made Jack pout as always looked forward to their snarky conversations, little battles waged through snide comments and flippant remarks.

It would have been safe to say that Subira and Jack's entire relationship was built around and solidified through conflict since they first found each other as sparring partners (though Jack often felt more akin to a punching bag than an actual opponent) before turning into competitive gym rivals. Their personalities often clashed, their ideologies were radically different, and when words could not suffice between them their spars turned into near death matches. Still, both held a deep respect for each other and knew that no matter their differences, they would always be there to support each other when the time came for it.

Although looking at some of his other unlikely friendships, he supposed he had a habit of attracting opposites.

All this in mind, Jack honestly wasn't too broken up over her reply. At her promise, he shrugged, knowing her general dislike of crowds and told her not to worry about it.

He raised an eyebrow when Selene spoke, unaccustomed as he was to hearing her saying anything. He watched her leave to board the aircraft, wondering what happened in her life to make her the way she was before returning his attention back to Subira only to find that Thael had somehow sneaked up on both of them.

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed, wrapping the handsome man in a friendly hug. "Guess all we're missing now is Rogart. Honestly surprised to see you though, Goldie. Then again, I guess the same could be said for the rest of our party." Or maybe they were just the right team to put down a raging Eidolon, but Jack decided that was better left unsaid. After all, it could have been argued that out of all the Guardians heading toward Kinabalu, Jack was only one remotely interested in even trying to communicate with the Eidolon. While Jack initially changed his mind from restoring the Nexus Reactor to subduing the Eidolon in response to try and balance out Subira's viewpoint of seeing spirits only as tools, he didn't know if he could temper out an entire team. A brief notification in his HUD popped up as it updated the Kinabalu squad's roster, adding in Thael and surprisingly one other student that he didn't know much about. Still, from what little he had heard of her, his hopes of a peaceful encounter with the Eidolon dropped even further.

Still, with a smile on his face and a skip in his step, he boarded the aircraft alongside the rest of the crew.

---

---

With his helmet closed and the festivities of the night finally catching up to him, Jack quickly fell asleep once he found a comfortable enough position in his seat. Unfortunately, nightmares plagued him the entire trip. Visions of a great shining city, burning down again and again as a terrible beast made of flame and fury rampaged through its streets. It tore through hospitals, houses, factories, apartments, burning everything in its path.

And yet, there no screams in his dreams, no cry for help, no sign of life anywhere in the broken city. No sound anywhere, save only the pitiful wails of the terrible beast.

As the aircraft landed, Jack awoke with a start, shivering, sweating, and reminded all too much of home.

---

---

The moment the aircraft door opened and the first waves of the ocean air breezed in to the craft, Jack was hit with an immediate sense of wrong. While he followed the rest of the Guardians and listened idly as they conversed, Jack was doing his best to hide his shaking hands by holding a death grip onto his backpack filled with his gear.

Then Subira called him, and he snapped his attention toward her. Something about staying in the town center, keep the peace, all that jazz. It was odd, but he never really saw her as a team leader, considering how abrasive her personality usually was. Still, it was good to see her take responsibility and actually work with others. He gave her an easy smile and a mocking two-fingered salute. "Can do, boss lady."

He quickly turned around, breathing deeply to calm his nerves. Shaky, uneven gasps slowly turned into cool, measured breaths, circulating and soothing his entire body as he slowly regained control of his body. Ready for the task at hand, he pushed toward the center of the crowd that was slowly growing around the Guardians. Staring with equal parts of fear and awe, they cowered under Selene and Roxelana's gaze, entranced by Subira's words as she issued her orders, and ogled at Thael with his glowing frame and impressive physique. Despite being fresh-faced graduates, they exuded power and everyone could sense it.

The crowd finally turned their attention toward Jack only after all the other Guardians left. Lacking the primal aura his team had exuded, most looked at him with disappointment. He had no fearful attitude, no commanding aura, no spirits waiting to burst from his body. Nothing that fit their images of what a Guardian should be. Still, he felt every piercing gaze boring down on him from every angle, studying his every move as they began their hushed gossip. Still, as he stood in the very center of the plaza, they knew he too, was a Guardian.

Jack looked one way, and those that met his eyes fell silent. He looked at another way, and they too fell silent. Then he removed his helmet, and all fell silent. Just as they studied him, he studied them all, looking at every person in the crowd with an impassive face. The tension was palpable as each side merely stared at each other, unsure of what would happen.

And then all tension was broken as Jack broke into a boyish grin and gave an exaggerated, almost comical bow. The crowd seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Some even laughed. "Hello, hello fair citizens! First things first, yes me and my colleagues are Guardians, no bad things don't always happen right after GUardians arrive somewhere, and yes, we are all single." He winked toward no one in particular and a gaggle of giggles broke out amongst the crowd as some of the younger members of the crowd looked toward Selene, Roxie, Subira, or Thael.

"We would appreciate your full cooperation with us as we conduct our business. We are particularly looking for any information on strange events that may have happened recently in the mountains or nearby mines." Many among the crowd immediately stiffened, and the mood grew more grim and foreboding than before. Jack didn't let it falter his speech. "Any and all information is greatly appreciated to us or at the army base set up just outside your village. Otherwise, please go about your day as normal. Thank you!" With that, Jack gave a flourish and the crowd slowly dispersed. Many stood and hesitated for a bit, often taking a half step toward him before thinking better and moving with the rest of the crowd.

Jack stood in the plaza center for a little while longer, offering encouraging smiles at all those who hesitated, but still no one approached. It seemed like whatever it was, the people in this village didn't particularly want to talk about unless pushed. Still, he knew there was always one area in a place like this where one could learn about all things spiritual and after asking for directions, he began walking toward the other side of town, toward the shrines nestled at the base of the mountain.

---

---

As he walked, he fished out a pack of cigarettes hiding in one his pockets. It took him a few tries to get one cigarette out and shove it into his mouth, his body shivering with equal anxiety and revulsion as it always did whenever he indulged his smoking habit. It took even longer to light it as his fingers refused to cooperate with the ligher, and the whipping wind of the storm flew about everywhere (it was with some displeasure that he noticed the wind was blowing toward the mountains), but he eventually did it.

He took his first drag, letting the smoke collect in his mouth before blowing it out in a blue, oily mist.

Though he didn't often smoke, he blew through half of his remaining amount before he reached one of the local shrines. It was decorated in the typical Etrosim fashion: spartan and bare, save what was necessary for worship. Still, the familiar trappings of it all helped calm Jack down, his spirits responding in a similar fashion as they ebbed and flowed from his body, washing him in an array of gentle colors. A Caretaker of the shrine materialized in front of Jack, the Elder Caretaker it looked like if his extensive tattoos were any indication. Sadness tinged his eyes, but otherwise his face betrayed nothing, his voice was cool and calm as it shifted and lilted with an unfamiliar accent, like a gentle ocean wave.

"Greetings, Guardian. I would ask if you had come to pay your respects, but I think the overwhelming military presence suggests otherwise."

Jack gave an apologetic smile and nodded. "Unfortunately so, Caretaker."

"The Eidolon in the mountains, I presume?"

Jack said nothing. The pair stood in quiet understanding for a while as the Caretaker saw what little hope Jack had in having a peaceful and meaningful intercourse with the Eidolon.

"Tell me, Guardian, what are you feeling?"

It took a moment for Jack to answer. "Lost."

"A vague answer."

"A complex question."

The Caretaker shrugged. "Only if you make it so."

They stood in silence once more, each regarding the other. The Caretaker looked to be in his mid 50's, yet still solidly built despite his age. Though the man wore a thick white garb in preparation for the storm, Jack knew the Etroan tattoos that peeked out from his clothes covered every inch of his skin. The tattoos themselves faintly shimmered and glowed, much in the same way Jack was right now. "The winds rush toward the mountains, Caretaker. I feel my spirits being pulled toward the mountains. I feel myself being pulled toward those mountains. Spirits are gathering within that storm and even if there is no Eidolon, one will form soon."

"Or maybe it is a simple storm, and there is no Eidolon. That recent events happened because of the usual unpredictable weather and a series of bad luck. Even if there is an Eidolon, or even if one is forming, is that a bad thing? That an Avatar of Etro comes to protect Etro and Gaia? To keep sacred what is most holy?"

"And should this village be in its path? Should all of mankind get swept aside in the fires and floods of Etro's wrath?"

"And I ask again, is that such a bad thing? Ultimately we all return to Etro, only to return again refreshed and renewed. Perhaps it is time for us to start anew. To rebuild our connection with Gaia and Etro."

Jack stood, perturbed, and said nothing.

"Well, I suppose that is a debate best left to the scientists and philosophs. What I can tell you is that the trails leading up to the summits of Kinabalu have all become incredibly dangerous to traverse. Snow has been steadily melting from the top of the mountains, causing flash floods and sudden rock slides all throughout. The frequent storms that have been happening as of late have not helped matters, either. If you plan to traverse up there, be careful. There have also purportedly been some Mordrem sighting but again, with the harsh weather conditions as of late, it has been difficult to confirm anything. That is all I know. Etro be with you, Guardian."

"And spirits guide you, Caretaker," Jack muttered, completing the phrase. He stood contemplating a while longer before sending the data to the rest of his squad. He himself, however, would take a while before he rendezvous'd back with the rest of the Guardians.

---

_{S I D I O V I L L A G E ◆ Subira Arendse ◆ The Mt. Kinabalu Eidolon}

---

The village of Sidio was quaint and homely. It smelt of the sea and had spacious dirt paths that were worn from small vehicles and wagons. Small shacks and white stone houses dotted the base of the mountain side while the sleepy village stretched out to the beaches of the sea. If the weather wasn't so cloudy Subira knew the white houses would glimmer with light in reflection to the sun. She made a mental note to come here again when things weren't so tense, adding it to her growing bucket list she had begun building after graduation.

As they walked into the heart of the town she was quick to notice the attention her team was gathering. Villagers coming to a halt as they eyed Subira and the other Guardians with concern and worry. Narrowed eyes stayed hidden behind sunglasses as the group came to a stop in the center plaza. "I will check the shop… see if they know anything about what is going on here." Before Subira could even throw Selene a nod the other girl was already heading off to the Pawnshop. "Well, I guess we're splitting up."

Sighing quietly she threw a glance at the other key locations at the center of the village before turning her attention back to the rest of her team, "I'll hit the grocery store and see what I can find out among the crowd. Roxelana, and Thael. Head to the Townhall and see if you can find anyone with information there, and if you can, try to get in contact with any town officials. See if they know anything on the rumor or what might have stirred up an Eidolon. Jack -- There's bound to be someone among this crowd that knows something, get what you can and keep things calm. Don't be afraid to stray off either." With those words, Subira gave a small nod to each of her teammates before taking small steps backwards towards the grocery store, "Gather what you can and we'll meet back in the center of town to regroup and share intel in 30." Giving another small nod to make sure everyone understood their directions, she finally broke away from the group and headed straight for the store entrance.

The soft ding of the door sensor went off as Subira stepped into the air conditioned building. While small, the store was packed with shoppers. Men, women, and children walking down each aisle while everyone gathered supplies for the oncoming storm about to hit. All four cash registers were open while lines of people waited to have their items scanned and put in bags. Looking over to the clerk at the first register, she was a short round woman with a healthy head of curly red hair, and as Subira walked up she glanced down at the woman's name tag before speaking up. "Hello, Iris. I'm sorry to interrupt you but I have a few questions I need to ask."

"Hi there, sweetheart." Iris replied, pulling on a strained smile a she continued to scan items while also carrying on a conversation, "What can I help you with?"

Never the one to sugar coat things or waste any time, Subira came off strong and straightforward as she got right to the point, "I'm a Guardian currently conduction an investigation with the army, could you tell me if anything strange or unusual has happened within the past few weeks?"

The question had stunned the stores clerk, eyebrows knitting together in concern as she came to a halt behind the register. Subira's question had caught the attention of a small group of shoppers waiting their turn in line, and it wasn't long before whispers began to pass around the store. Catching on to this, another small sigh slipped from her lips as she realized she had come off a little too strong. Removing the sunglasses from her face and fixing her approach, Subira made eye contact with those around her as she broke the awkward silence, "Please, I'm here to help. Any kind of information is good information, so please don't hesitate to come forward." Tense glances were thrown about the store now as a small crowd had gathered. It wasn't until an older woman standing within the line finally stepped out, her foot still behind the woman in her front of her as to not lose her place in line. "Are.. are you really a Guardian?" She asked, looking at Subira with uncertainty.

"Yes ma'am."

Shooting a glance at the other people around her, the older woman finally continued, her voice uneasy and soft, "Two weeks ago Nexus came and shut down the mines. People were disappearing in the caves, and miners were coming out with burns on their bodies." A quiet tension had taken over the building as everyone including Subira listened in, "My son went missing down there. He left behind his wife and daughter, and my sister lost her grandson down there too." She finished. A man behind her placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort while the other villagers gave the old woman a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry for your loss ma'am."

The older woman gave a solemn nod, patting the hand on her shoulder in appreciation. "The Spirit of the Mountain has been displeased with us ever since Nexus started those mines. I'm certain all of this trouble is because of that." As powerful as they were, Subira was certain a single Spirit wouldn't be able to hurt, or kill a human. Then again she had little interaction with them. She knew only what was in her textbooks and what Jack spouted every time he went on a spiritual rant that she more or less ignored. This was unknown territory for her, so while even the smallest bit of information was helpful, she took it with a grain of salt.

"T-There have been small fires, too." A voice from within the crowd caught Subira's attention as a teenage boy pushed through. His clothes were worn and slightly dirty, while an uneven tan and calloused hands told Subira he was a farmer. "Up the mountain on the plateau the trees have been burned down and the grass is all gone. There are other spots too, but they're further up the mountain near the mine entrance."

Small fires up the mountain? Now that was unusual. "Where is the path to the plateau?" She questioned while flicking open her sunglasses and putting them on her face. "I can take you there." Without wasting anytime Subira followed her young guide out of the grocery story leaving the stunned crowd behind her. She had thrown a quick glance back at the center plaza, catching eye contact with Selene she gave a small nod towards the other girl before turning down the street and walking away from the center of town.

_{M O U N T A I N P A T H ◆ Subira Arendse ◆ The Mt. Kinabalu Eidolon}

---

Following behind the teenager for a good minute, the small stone houses at the base of the mountain began to shift into cottages and farm houses as they walked up a dirt path leading up the mountain. From this height Subira could see the center of town perfectly, even making out the figures of Selene and Jack in the plaza. "What's your name?" The question pulled Subira out of her own thoughts, forcing her to look away from the plaza and up at her young guide as they continued to hike up the mountain path.

"Subira, yours?"

"Aaron."

Acknowledging each other with small nods and another minute of hard silence, Subira could feel her excitement and caution rising as the two finally reached their destination. "Incredible." Trees on the plateau were burned at the stump while the once grassy earth was charred and blackened by a thick layer of soot. The area stunk of smoke while burnt and charred wood cracked beneath her shoes as she walked among the debris. It was an incredible sight and as she came to a halt at the center of the plateau, Subira kneeled down and took the charred earth into her hand.

"My father and I found it. The fire had already gone out, but there were still embers on the ground when we got here." She was aware of only one Eidolon capable of this kind of destruction, but there was always the chance of this being something else. An accident caused by locals, a natural wildfire, or in worst case -- an undiscovered Eidolon. If it was the latter Subira knew it wasn't safe to stay in the area for long. Licking her lips anxiously as she let the dust run through her fingers and pile back on the ground, she turned her gaze back at Aaron as he stood near the path, "How long ago did you find this?"

"Yesterday."

"And the Mine entrance is up this path?"

"Yes."

Not wanting to investigate any further without her team, Subira put her curiosity aside and prepared to trek back down the trail. "Alright, I've got the information I needed. Thank you for bringing me up here, Aaron." She finally said, standing from the ground and returning to the side of her guide. However, Instead of heading down the path or replying to her thanks, the teenager stared hard at the charred earth beneath his feet. "My father said it was the Spirit of the Mountain that did this, just like that woman said. But I don't think they're right."

Glancing back at the burned plateau thanks to Aarons words, Subira felt an uneasy feeling swirling in the pit of her stomach as she took in the destruction behind her one last time, "I don't think they're right either. So let's not spend anymore time then we have to up here." Giving the kid a hard pat on the back and a small encouraging smile, Subira began her way down the mountain with slight haste, "Come on, let's head back."

---

The sound of some blaring klaxon, the rumble of the ground around them as fiery judgment still rained down from above, pain racing through the body like a live current. A moment ago he was in the garage giving greetings and small jokes to the other Guardians as they arrived. Now he was in hell. Eyes opened for a moment, a pale face looking down framed by hair long and the color of sunshine. Darkness followed again soon after. His eyes would not open again for some measure of time was it seconds, minutes, whatever it was it felt like an eternity. This time though the old familiar face was nowhere to be seen only the view of a world turned on its side. The others were starting to awake or had already started to move again, spirits having shielded them from the brunt of the blast. He looked down at his own arms skin a combination of fiery red and pitch black like hardening magma fading away upon sight back to it’s normal pale constancy.

He reached backward bruised and battered body yelling outwards in mute protest as he grabbed one of the daggers and pulled it free. Moments before he had casted a prayer upwards into the unforgiving expanse; his wish was simple release from the iron coffin. He didn’t think that he would get a response so quickly. Nevertheless the time for contemplation had long since departed. He brought the dagger up to the heavy harness that held him suspended in the air. He had just managed to strap into the chair when the blast went off. He was thankful for that considering if he hadn’t he would've been thrown about the cabin like a forgotten child’s toy in the wash. Problem was now that he was stuck suspended in the air as the locking mechanism had jammed from the trauma. So he went to work sawing away the straps cutting at the thick fibers until he had enough slack to slip out of them and onto the ‘floor’ with a light thud.

He felt the pain in his legs even form the slight force of the fall. Lesalo had prevented any major damage from occurring no broken bones or anything major but he was certainly going to be sore. He looked about the overturned transport to his left the others lead by Monika were crawling out of the broken down corpse and to his right deeper inside lead the door to the cockpit. He looked between the two for a moment but his gaze brought him back to the cockpit once more and he knew he had to do something. Rising his hand in a single to wait a moment he disappeared deeper into the wreckage taking deep breaths. In and out. In and out.

The cockpit was a hellscape of blood and metal. The force even from only partial contact with the plasma had caved in the armor like a finger pressing into an egg shell sending fragments of metal and glass at high speeds into the pilot and copilot. He moved quickly the constant rumble as more artillery and plasma fell around them reminding him of the urgency of the situation. The two were soon cut free from the bonds that held them to their chairs and laid down on the floor. Graham checked the pilot first feeling for a pulse but he received only silence instead. So he reached his hand down to grab at the small glittering object dangling about the man’s neck. It was a small clear crystallin object that when activated by Graham on body heat activated like some miniature display. The display showed a picture of the man with his name smiling, his date of birth, a blood type and place of origin. They were standard issue military dog tags, the military did it’s best to remember its own. He looked once more from the picture of the smiling man to his battered corpse before he sighed and stashed the small crystal away in a pocket.
He moved on to the copilot next but as he reached for the crystal that dangled about his neck, a hand slick with blood grasped his arm tightly. He looked down at the soldier a boy maybe about eighteen with a few bare spots of facial hair dotting his face. Unlike the pilot though his eyes were alive if glazed over with pain and shock. Graham starred at him as the boy spoke through the blood forming up in his mouth.



The boy pushed forward with all his quickly vanishing might and as he did Graham pushed hard on the piece driving it the last few inches it needed into the boy’s chest. The boy gasped and his grab on Graham’s arm tightened like a great python but a moment later it loosened and the gasping sounds vanished leaving only the sound of Graham’s heavy breathing and the rumble as artillery continued to explode about them. Graham sighed and reached for the small crystal about the boy’s neck pulling it free with minimal effort. He didn’t look at the smiling face in the picture but rather just stuffed it into his pocket with the other one hard. Without another word he made his way out of the cockpit and back up through the dead carcass of the transport towards the others.

He pushed away the hand that was offered to him as he clambered his way out of the wreck and back into the open sky above. Despite what he had just had to do his voice carried the small bright and playful cadence to it. He was good at doing that.

“Let’s move kids. We don’t want to be late to the party!"

---

---

Roxelana, and Thael. Head to the Townhall and see if you can find anyone with information there, and if you can, try to get in contact with any town officials

Roxie given a slight nod towards Subria about as good as a gesture of consent that one could expected to receive from the girl as the group became to split up to go searching for information. She turned towards Thael and give the tall blonde something akin to a light shrug before she moved further into the town without another word. Sidio was quaint if anything else a small mountain village that had the general impression about it that not a lot happened around there, an impression that was shattered by the almost constant charge in the air as spirits from over seemed to be slowly drifting towards the mountain that hung high above them.

A brisk walk managed to lead her to the steps of the town hall. Outside atop of a ladder a groundskeeper a handsome tanned skin man of a muscular frame was trimming a tree. She needed to lose Thael and quickly as she unfairly believed that her fellow guardian would only become a nuisance in their current situation. Upon looking at the ground’s keeper she came up with an idea, well she came up with a plausible excuse if any to get the towering frame of muscle off of her back.

“Blondie I’m going to go inside and see if anybody is in. Try talking to the groundskeeper over there. The help always overhears things that shouldn't be heard.” She called backwards not even sure if Thael had followed behind before she moved up the stairs off the town hall building and pushed the heavy doors open disappearing inside.

The inside was almost exactly as she expected it to be faux-wood floors and clean white walls adorned with some simple paintings. A women at a desk looked up at Roxie but quickly thought against speaking when she noticed the blade strapped to her hip. The women instead choose to simply nod towards the Guardian letting her enter the building. Roxelana approached a small directory nothing more than a small glass case with some labels within and read. Each one had a simple title and what floor number said person was located on all written in impeccably neat and delicate hand writing, so soft as that the ink had not bled through the thin white strip of paper. The piece of paper she was looking for was at the bottom on a slightly large piece of paper the words were simple but all she needed. Mayor’s office. Third Floor.

She found a stairwell rather quickly and ascended the small rectangular passageway upwards going up stairs stained by heavy footfalls over the years and splashes of coffee having fallen from stray cups. She came out of the stairwell and into a small receptionist area another woman much younger was at a desk short red hair kept in a tight ponytail soft green eyes were framed behind a small pair of glasses. Behind the desk was a large set of wooden doors that reached up to the ceiling. Roxelana stepped forward her feet clacking against the floor drawing the women’s attention as she looked up.



The office was a fairly nice affair the walls taking up by large windows giving a superb view of the surrounding area while letting in plenty of light. The mayor himself sat behind a desk deep mahogany in color in a large high back chair. He was mid-conversation talking to somebody on his earpiece but upon seeing Roxie his eyes widened and he whispered something before he stood up smoothing the creases of his suit. He was a reasonable young man in good enough shape in his late thirties maybe with well trimmed brown hair and a pencil thin mustache, his suit was black and upon his breast pocket was a pin with the logo of Nexus Industries upon it. He smiled as Roxie approached even as his eyes threw daggers at her.



Crimbell explained as he escorted Roxelana to the door before slamming it behind her. Roxelana sighed as she exited the reception area and headed down the stairwell back towards the ground floor. The Mayor was definitely lying to her about the mine and about whatever Nexus was really doing down there. She figured her next best move would to be go investigate the mine itself and see what had actually happened. First though as tiring as it was she needed to regroup with her squad. Shaking her head the guardian walked out the door and back into the fresh mountain air.

_{T H E F I E L D S -{}- Nicholas Vanceon -{}- H a m m e r O f T h e A r m y}

---

Preparation is the foundation an organized and proper military force is built upon. It precedes nearly every action taken and it dictates the curriculum and flow of training to such a degree that one could almost say an army's sole reason for being rests in the laurels of efficient preparedness. The Oakridge Academy training exercises and routines certainly hammered this point home. Operation Downfall itself lent credence to the notion and further expanded upon it by blossoming into what the top brass surely hoped to be a flawless execution of all the time spent preparing for the worst scenarios. Even the existence of Guardians was largely due to the fact that some group of like-minded individuals came together and decided that bodies harboring large concentrations of spiritual entities needed to be militarized - in order to be properly prepared for what could, and did, happen. In the end, preparation is the foundation an organized force of any kind is built upon almost exclusively.

And even with the years of preparation Oakridge instilled in him, Niko was not ready for the impact.

He had heard the pilot shout something about an incoming plasma, but thoughts of the mission to come consumed his awareness and enveloped him completely in their embrace. When the giant hunk of metal was struck with a loud boom there had not been enough time for a proper reaction. Strapped into his seat and lost to his mentality, Niko had already failed the first basic lesson of being out in the field: always be aware of your surroundings. The violent rolling seemed to last a millennium. Metal smashed against earth and even though the young Guardian could feel the heat of his restless spirits rushing to his aid, he could also feel the restraining belts against his chest barely holding him in place. When everything finally settled and the pitch dark slowly gave way to equally slowly clearing vision, Niko took a moment to accept this reality before quickly pulling his short-sword from its waist-mounted sheath and cutting himself free from his seat. Somehow, the boy had remained strapped in though his chair was now suspended from wreckage and the resulting freedom he gave himself also forced him to suffer a slight fall to the ground below.

A few heaved breaths sucked in and pushed out before suddenly aware eyes darted back forth and ultimately landed on a nice-sized hole where the hatch should have been. Niko sheathed his blade and crawled along the interior of the overturned vehicle before grabbing Monika's outstretched hand - just for a moment - and pulling himself into the light of the day outside. The first thing he felt was a multitude of smaller, isolated throbs and stings of minor pains throughout his whole body, but he was also spared of having anything broken or seriously injured. The worst pain he felt was the indention across his torso from the restraining belt he had buckled across himself during the ride - so much for fucking seat belts. He breathed deeply a few more times in an effort to get back to a more steady pace before spotting the others who were also free - Graham and Monika namely.

"I'm guessing you two are okay considering you're standing and all, " Niko said as he made his way over to the duo. "Welcome to the Dark Zone, I guess." Even if they had been attacked immediately, it had not taken long for excitement to well up once more. This was still the infamous Dark Zone and also the first real mission he was part of and the ebony-haired boy scanned his companions a bit as his mind raced with all kinds of cautionary thoughts. The heft of the blunderbuss on his back and the blade at his waist suddenly became more apparent as he settled into the sentiment that this was actually happening. Graham seemed to be fine and in good spirits, but Monika looked a bit stern than before. It was to be expected of course, but Niko still got an odd feeling when he noticed.

"So... I guess we're walking?" Niko posed to the group. It came off sounding like a joke, but he was completely serious. Preparation may have been held in the utmost importance back at the academy, but he doubted anyone had been prepared to lose the only vehicle they had in the middle of the Dark Zone.

---

Ezra stood before these two, opposite in gender, appearance, and in mindset. The pair were to be his companions in his mission inside Doral. He knew neither of them at all, but at least a bit of their character had been emitted from the little they had said to him so far. The three of them were now companions, who could be counted on to relieve each other of the dangers of the fatal through mutual cooperation and coordination, which would be buttressed by the bonds of friendship. Ezra, however, scoffed at such a notion. He had no expectations from them on that front, and the only reliance he sought fit to give was that which was passed unto to himself, and not to others. Others tended to be lacking in reliability.

“It sounds like you got hemmed into the wrong place,” Ezra said to Morganna. “Although I think it would be good for you to calm down.”

Ezra didn’t think of Morganna’s of choice words as anything than mere talk. She might say that might makes right, and maybe even believe it, and it would have no effect on how he viewed her and, for that matter, how he thought. He had heard that type of doctrine before, and, realizing that it simply was wrong, and there was no more reason to think on it, and certainly not to debate it. It was actually more interesting to Ezra that she thought there would be some danger here, but Ezra didn’t think there would be. Perhaps her appeal to force might be useful in squeezing out a few more recruits. It might also be a bit entertaining if she really did burn down the leadership. Ezra knew enough about Doral to realize he didn’t want to sympathize with whoever that den of wretchedness. However, Ezra had a reason for going to Doral, and he could not help but think that it would sound a little dull to those who weren’t.

As Ezra was walking alongside his new companions towards the Dislocater as the pair were brought to them their weapons. It was certainly an odd thing to forget, and forgetting it would be the thing which would make this mission dangerous. Luckily, Ezra had made sure to bring his, his gunblade safe inside his sheath that was slung behind his back. Ezra did not took a look back at his Academy, his planted firmly towards the Dislocater, an open machine of metal, its power emitting from it. He took only a glance at his two companions as he walked into it, and let him envelop him until he was in a place far, far away from everything he had known.



Jaina Madison gave a salute to the guardians who had gathered around, a varied bunch as much as Jaina could tell. She was friends with none of them as much as she could recall, which was good in its own way. This mission would be completely serious, and she would behave accordingly as far as he conscious allowed her, but she hoped she might be able to make a few friends here, and she hoped that they would give her the opportunity. It would certainly make a much better atmosphere.

“Well, hello” Jaina said with a smile. “I don’t think I need to tell you where you’re going or why, you already know. That just leaves who I am. I’m not a guardian like the rest of you. The army thought it was fit to send one of their new elites, and that just so happened to be me, for any support that you may need.”

And then it was said. Jaina was the last to enter the carrier, which held more than enough room to carry all the Guardians plus herself. Sitting at the far end of left, she hoped she didn’t cause too much of a sensation amongst the Guardians. Soon enough the driver pushed down his foot upon the peddle, and the carrier left the Academy. Inside, none of them could even see it, but they had left their long-term home.

And soon they arrived at a new area, grim and Modrem-infested, and a place with an atmosphere that reek of dread. Jaina held onto her gun, and checked for her weapons. Everything seemed to have been going as planned. Yet as she left, and gazed outside it was clear that the threat of the Mordrem was there. No matter their strength, Jaina had never been involved in real combat, let alone in a battle against the dreaded Mordem. She held on to her resolve, and her strength remained. She looked on towards the dilapidated figure of the Nexus Reactor waiting in the distance. That was to be their destination. Inside there, power apparently worth more than all of their lives was waiting to be tapped into.

“Well, I suppose there’s no point in waiting here then,” Jaina said.

_{O A K R I D G E    A C A D E M Y -[]- Rogart Hendrickson -[]-}

---

An explosion.

Scattered gunfire.

Screaming.

Chaos.

Rogart awoke to a horrifying ensemble. A symphony of sirens. Buried under a pile of metal that had once been their transport vehicle, he was alive merely by the fact that he was a Guardian. Geb, his stone spirit, had formed instinctively around him as soon as the transport took the plunge, but even it couldn't protect him from being knocked out cold from the countless times his head had slammed into something solid. His entire body ached, his vision was swimming and he had a stream of blood down his head.

But he was alive. And that's all that mattered.

With a grunt he freed himself from his predicament, brute strength and sheer force more than enough to lift heavy steel panel off of him. Nearby, his other companions were in various states, all okay but some slightly injured. He couldn't see Olivia or Nicholas, but he immediately spotted Graham and Monika. The latter had a trail of crimson down the side of her face, and the former stood, hands drenched in blood from a corpse.

In his heart he knew the two to be alright. It was their missing companions he was worried about.

His bright brown eyes scanned the wreckage of their transport, even as other soldiers milled around him, firing back at the Mordrem he knew were close by.

Then he spotted something. A pulse of bright light amidst the carnage. Rogart moved with purpose, and as he lifted the crate above the light, he found his friend's friend, Olivia. Her limp body was covered by a bright white glow, which dissipated as he hoisted her into his arms and onto his shoulder. She'd be safe for now.

Then he heard talking, and as he turned he saw Nicholas with the other two. He too was safe.

With Olivia cradled in his arms, he approached the group.

"Friend Olivia, she is still unconscious. We must find safe place first. Then we move on."

---

_{O A K R I D G E    A C A D E M Y -[]- Eric Wormwood -[]-}

---

"So. Here we are then."

Eric followed the young man called Ollie out of the transport. The silence was tense, only punctuated by brisk commands from the other soldiers in the area, and the sounds of gunfire in the distance. His rapier hung in its scabbard on his hip, and it bumped gently against him as he walked forward.

The Reactor complex laid ahead. Vast and looming on the horizon. He could sense Mordrem in the area; what else would the soldiers be shooting at that didn't sound human?

Eric felt a twinge run through him and a shiver travelled up his spine. For a moment...it was like something bad had happened, but he was no witness to it. On edge, he slowly drew his rapier. The metal sang a soft song as it left its sheath and he tested its weight. Much, much lighter than the practice batons in Oakridge. But deadlier.

He stood with Ollie, unsure of what to do, but ready to move at a moment's notice.

"Yes, we should get moving soon. Lest those Mordrem come our way and we have to get dirty. I don't think we'd hide very well if we stunk of dead Mordrem."

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y -[]- Serenity Danvers -[]- The Nexus Reactor}

---

On the way over, Serenity took note of the few that traveled with her. It was a different bunch, but each had their own unique strengths. It would prove interesting to see how they handled this mission with each other.

Ollie seemed to be the most intent on this mission. Dedicated, she imagined. She couldn't get a read on him, which concerned her as she often felt she was a good judge of character. She imagined he would be a good Guardian to have at the back, with his bow, picking off the enemy at a distance. That wasn't all, she couldn't help but feel that he was better in the back outside of battle too. His kind exterior couldn't mask an interior that didn't want to be analyzed. She made a mental note of that.

Eric appears cool and calculated, but he is not without his charm. His weapon choice, the rapier, shows he is precise and detail oriented. An up close fighter, but one who needs to be quick and agile, definitely someone worth having with you. He seemed genuine and sincere when they first met, Serenity felt like they could get along great outside of the mission.

Jaina wasn't a tough one to read, but Serenity imagined that was on purpose. She wasn't a Guardian, which only concerned Serenity for a moment. Having someone with a different set of skills could prove useful in any mission. Spirits were a great asset, but one shouldn't rely on them wholly. Jaina seemed kind and that was a benefit.

Eliza was another light in the group. Serenity felt out of everyone, Eliza would be the one she could connect to the most. Although the two shared similar weaponry, they used it differently and that was very useful in battle. Eliza seemed like a fun girl to be around, and on a potentially deadly mission, having someone to help lighten the mood was extremely handy.

---

As they touched down, she followed the others out. Her chakrams at her side she glanced around her. Her first mission, she was nervous, she could admit it. She took a deep breath and followed Ollie, her hands near her weapons in case the enemy showed.

_{Air Transport Saturday June 6 Cameron Thael Conrad}

---

The flight to Mt. Kinabalu was perfectly uneventful. Thael tried to talk to Jack for a minute before realizing that the other Guardian was actually asleep beneath his helmet. Subira burst out laughing when she noticed, and Thael strapped his own helmet on to conceal his embarassment. With Subira still chortling, and Roxelena and Selene stoically silent, Thael decided to join Jack in a quick nap.

Half forgotten memories twisted and played in his mind as he drifted off, merging fantasy and reality until he could no longer be sure which was which. He was walking down dark and empty streets, quiet and alone in a part of New Atrias that should be teeming with life. He was graduating from Oakridge again, except he’d forgotten to wear pants. He was standing over a marble altar, his three brothers lying side by side, too still for life, while Olivia wept blood at their feet.

Suddenly, a dazzling light shone, burning away the barrage of confusion. Thael dreamed of an old oak tree on a sunny hill, and nothing more. The descent of the aircraft woke him some time later, and he felt refreshed and well rested.

_{Sidio Village Saturday June 6 Cameron Thael Conrad}

---

Thael was not overly fond of Roxelana. He’d tried to get close to a few times over the years, just to be friendly, but found himself consistently pushed away, and eventually he’d given up. If she wanted to be alone so badly, let her. As a result, he was far from thrilled when Subira suggested the two of them go to the town hall to check things out. Also, who had placed Subira in charge? They’d both completed their Advanced Command courses with top marks, but Thael had been expecting to receive a dispatch outlining a clear command structure. Thael wasn’t about to contradict her in front of everyone; that would be disastrous for the squad’s discipline, but he and Subira were going to have to have a chat about that.

While he’d been preoccupied with that dilemma, Roxelana had said something he didn’t quite catch. When Thael looked up, she’d gone ahead and pushed her way into the mayor’s office. Thael groaned quietly. He had exactly zero confidence in the girl’s ability to be delicate. Mayors liked to be the kings of their little castles, and this one was probably not an exception. He would not take kindly to an arrogant Guardian stomping into his office. Too late now though; they’d have to smooth things over with the mayor later.

In the meantime, Thael decided he might as well talk to the groundskeeper. He approached the bronze skinned man at a steady pace and gave a wave, removing his helmet as he did so. “Good morning!” he called out.
“Morning,” the groundskeeper replied. He eyed Thael’s armour nervously. “I’m not keen on volunteering for service.”
“What? Oh, I’m with the military, but we’re not here for recruits. I just have some questions.”
The groundskeeper seemed reassured. “Well, I have work to do, but give me a hand and we can talk while we work. I’m Ted,” he offered a hand.
“Thael,” the blonde Guardian replied, shaking the proffered hand firmly.

As it turned out, Ted needed some fence posts put in, and without access to a modern post driver, it was a two man job. Ted steadied the posts while Thael pounded them into the ground with a sledgehammer. With a single swing, Thael buried the first post deep into the ground, practically knocking Ted off his feet. The groundskeeper gave Thael a startled look.
“Does that mean you’re one of them Guardians?” he asked
“Yep,” Thael replied simply.
“Well, you’re a useful guy to have around Thael. Now, I guess I owe you some answers.”
“Thanks. It’s about those rumours of an Eidolon, have you heard anything?”
Ted scoffed as they moved to the next fence post. “There’s no Eidolon here. It’s Nexus, I’d bet anything on it. They show up, open a ‘mine’, suddenly people start getting burned, disappearing, it’s horseshit. Nexus took those poor souls for their experiments, and now they’re doing spirits only know what to them up there.”
“That’s quite an accusation,” Thael said carefully. “Have you tried going to the police?”
“Course not. The police answer to the mayor, and the mayor’s in Nexus’ pocket. I’m just trying to keep my head down and not get ‘disappeared’ myself.”

Thael asked a few more questions as they worked, but didn’t turn up anything else useful. Soon enough the fence posts were all securely in place. Thael said goodbye and headed back towards the centre of town to meet up with everyone else. Ted’s theory was...somewhat viable; Nexus was not the most ethical corporation, but Thael got the impression he’d been talking to something of a conspiracy nut. A pinging sound from his helmet prompted Thael to put it on again and review incoming data from Jack; the paths up the mountain would be extremely treacherous it seemed. Good to know. Once they’d met up and shared intel, the mountain would likely be the next place the Guardians investigated.

_{OAKRIDGE ACADEMY◆Charles Arcan◆}

Charlie watched as Ezra stepped into the teleporter and disappeared. He smirked and turned to Morganna. "See you on the other side I guess," he said, before stepping into the dislocator. There was a flash and he disappeared, only to reappear in a dark room, save the light given off by the teleporter. He spotted Ezra in the dark and moved over, waiting for Morganna to join them.

He could hear noise coming from above, and based on the smell of cheap liquor, he deduced that they were in some sort of bar. It made sense. Doral wasn't exactly an extremely friendly place, and so the dislocator would have to be in a rather inconspicuous place. He stood there, arms crossed, already trying to figure out where they could start. He figured some people in the bar might know more about any deserters around, or some people who were looking to get out of the city. That seemed like as good a place as any to start.

---

---

_{OAKRIDGE ACADEMY◆Eliza Galloway◆}

Eliza had spent much of the journey to the reactor thinking about her companions. They all seemed fine enough, although she definitely had her preferences. Serenity was her personal favorite, and she found her the easiest to get along with. Add on that they used the same weapon, which Eliza respected. Chakrams weren't exactly easy weapons to master.

Eric was next on her list. He reminded her of Charlie, his cool and collected personality. He seemed like he could hold his own, although she figured that she'd have to see for herself before she made any final decisions. His lanky form however, seemed like it would lend itself to quick fighting, a style that Eliza herself found to be her favorite.

Ollie appeared to be the most focused Guardian on the mission. He hadn't wasted anytime embarking into the Dark Zone, and Eliza respected his gung-ho attitude. He was a stoic one, as far as Eliza could tell, but she couldn't really care less. She was here to kill Mordrem and gain control of this Reactor. Good conversation wasn't really a requirement.

Jaina was an interesting one. Eliza hadn't interacted with very many non-Guardians while she was at Oakridge, however she thought it was humbling to have an average person with them. Showed them that they weren't better than everyone else just because of their high spirit levels. And if Oakridge thought she was skilled enough to go on this mission, then that was good enough for her.

When Ollie, Jaina and Eric exited the ship she followed, taking her chakrams out from their sheaths on her outer thighs. "Oh let those fuckers come. I didn't spend the past 13 years of my life training for nothing," she said, scanning the area for anything she could kill. She had been training for this all of her life, and she was ready. She knew it.

_{T H E D R E A M ●}

---

A mellow breeze washes over her consciousness. It leisurely swirls and caresses her hair as though drowned in the depths of oceans. An expansive tallgrass prairie unfolds within her perception. It dances slowly with the rhythm of her heart. The flowers bloom and raise again within seconds. The sprouting nature around her is green and lush, yet brightly ablaze by radiating light. Nearby stands a shrine devoted to Shiva and its candles burn with an icy flame. At the edge of the prairie stand the brothers of Conrad, mourning the lifeless body of their fourth. On a ridge beyond them is an oaken tree, consumed by starlight and roots of the earth. By its side stands Samuel, observing the galaxies in the sky.

“Sam?” She asks.
“Hey there, beautiful.” He answers with a smirk.
“How… I… We thought you were dead.”
Samuel chuckles heartedly. He slides his fingers to interlock with hers.
“I’m not dead, just lost out there in the dark world.”
“I tried to look for you, but nobody would believe me… that you were alive. I’m so sorry, Sam, that I didn’t find you.”
“Don’t worry about that, Andy. We’ll be together again soon enough, I promise.”
Her cheeks blush with rosen hues. She steps closer to the warmth of his body and holds tight.
“Still calling me by my second name?”
“Your mother would’ve liked it.”
“Maybe… She would’ve liked you, of that I’m sure.”
“She is up there, you know.” He says and casts another glace and the skies.
“I thought everyone returned to the earth when they died, to Gaia.”
“She is with the All Father, beyond the reaches of Gaia.”
They remain silent for a few moments.
“So, what happens now?” She asks.
“Now you have to go back, my dear.”
“But, I want to say here with you.”
“I know you do… but, we will see each other again.” He says and reaches down to press his lips against hers. He walks away further beyond the oaken tree. She is unable to follow.
“Sam… Wait!” She calls.

_{T H E F I E L D S ┆┆ J u n e 6 ┆┆ H a m m e r o f t h e A r m y}

---

“Sam!”
A flash of lighting struck the stormy fields and Olivia awoke with a scream. Her body had bathed in radiating light for the entire duration of being unconscious, but it receded the moment she retained control of her senses. She found herself in the care of the mountain himself, protective as he was of those friends with his own point of reference in life—Eric Wormwood. Olivia instantly remembered the vehicle being hit by the plasma barrage, the violent tumble, and then the crashing halt. She was rather fragile for being a Guardian, so losing consciousness from heavy impacts to her head was not uncommon.

Olivia patted on Rogart’s back as an indication to let her down on the ground. She reassured him that she was fine and that her strength had returned to her in full. The spirits within still held domain of her flesh and bone for the sake of precaution. Olivia’s skin let out a faint glow as a result. Olivia took note that Monika had made it out in one piece, the effects of her spirits lingering in the icy wreckage and remains of snowy glitter surrounding her. Nicholas and Graham were nearby, ready to move out on foot. Everyone was accounted for. Olivia reached for the entrance of the demolished vehicle to retrieve her weapon. The chilly temperature inside did not sit well with her soaked being, but her gunblade was intact.

“Everyone seems to be somewhat okay, except the drivers.” Olivia said and glanced back at the wreckage. "We have reach High Command in that M.O.V., so let's get moving."

The frontline was not far away. They could actually make out the immense Mobile Operations Vehicle in the distance. Several other vehicles were passing them at high speeds. In these conditions, they were not allowed to stop and retrieve stragglers or fallen soldiers. The army was in the middle of a large-scale attack. Everything had to adhere to protocol. The plasma barrage stopped a few moments after Olivia had returned to the others, which meant that the air force had taken care of the creatures for now. However, the ruckus of the tumbling and crashing vehicle had attracted something from the depths of the earth.

The ground before them began to crack and spew specks of dust and stone. Large chunks of ground were folded upside down and violently thrown about. A horrendous Mordrem creature emerged. Its head consisted of a gaping maw clad with sprouting tentacles. Its limbs and body was of hardened rock and moss, fungus and things of nature growing about. This monstrosity had clearly consumed hundreds of thousands of spirits of earth and nature. Convoys of the army began to divert their path around the presence of the threat. The Guardians had to deal with the threat themselves.



Olivia unsheathed her gunblade with a fast, jerking motion that cut falling droplets of water in a spray of specks. They were in the middle of the plains. There was nowhere to run and nobody was going to help them. Fighting was their only way out. This would be Olivia’s first encounter with a Mordrem of considerable threat without anything or anyone to fall back to. Even if the training simulators at the academy did a great job at what they were designed for, nothing could fully replicate the diversity and danger of the Mordrem.

“Okay, don't panic. It looks like this thing is alone, and there are five of us. Observe its movements and call out any weaknesses.” Olivia said, waiting for the monstrosity to make the first move against someone.

_{D O R A L ┆┆ J u n e 6 ┆┆ D o r a l R e c r u i t s ●}

---

“Psst.” A voice sounded in the dark.

A man dressed in civilian clothing approached the Guardians whom had just arrived at the somewhat shabby displacement device. It was a miracle that the thing still worked, let alone teleported the students from Oakridge in one piece.

“You must be the Guardians from the academy, yes? I was a bit worried that you wouldn’t show up. This fucking thing hasn’t worked correctly in ages.” The man said and kicked at the displacement device, some manner of scraps and screws falling to the floor.

“I’m Stevens, Roy Stevens—good to meet you. The army sent me here a few weeks ago to identify some of the key players that need to be… persuaded in order for everyone else to join the operation as well.”

Stevens was a sort of spy for the army. His usual duties involved retrieving sensitive information from city regents and Nexus Industries, among other things of questionable nature. However, because of operation Downfall, his services were needed elsewhere. Doral was an assignment for which he was overqualified, but the cause resonated with his personal beliefs. He was a true devil dog in that sense.

“Everything boils down to three individuals, really. Two of them are Guardians like yourselves, and the third is some kind of former special operations type. All of them are rather violent, so I’m not sure if it matter who you try your luck with first. One of the Guardians, ‘Rick’, seems to influence the other two quite a bit, though—it’s up to you guys.”

---

_{S I D I O V I L L A G E ┤├ J u n e 6 ┤├ Mt. K i n a b a l u}

---

The center of the village was a modest plaza with stone textures. In the middle of the square was a fountain. Its statue depicted some ancient Eidolon or other creature of reverence. The surrounding buildings mostly consisted of the shops and offices that could be found, but a number of private residences were also represented. Children and elderly people peered out of their windows, curious about the military presence. As Selene slowly moved towards the fountain to have a seat and wait for the others, she caught the glimpse of Subira. The dark beauty was probably on to something, having received a lead from the young boy she was with. Selene gave the girl a meek acknowledgement before she disappeared down the street.

Selene rested her weapon against the rounded frame of the fountain and seated herself upon it thereafter. Next to her on the warm pavement lay a rather large dog with gray, white, and marmalade colored fur. It raised its head tiredly and stared at Selene. The girl ran her fingers through the creature’s soft fur and scratched it behind its ear. The dog’s tail began to slightly waggle. What happened next was not the most common thing in the world, but it was not the first time Selene had experienced it. The spirits of the world, when massed in the body of a sentient entity, had many marvelous effects. One of those effects, especially in animals, was to grant a higher state of consciousness and the ability to verbalize given the training.

“Mmm… that feels good.” The dog finally uttered with a deep, rugged tone. Selene stopped for a split second to realize that the dog could talk, but then she continued with a smirk on her lips.

“You can talk. That’s nice.” She said.
“Indeed it is… Words are marvelous things to know, but I’m afraid I don’t get to use them as often as I’d like to.”
“Why is that?”
“Oh, the people around here don’t care for what I have to say.”
“Because you’re a dog?”
“I’m not a dog, missy. I’m what you humans call a timber wolf.” The creature frowned.
“I guess that explains why you’re so big.”
“Hmm… ‘Big’… A peculiar word, relative to each individual being. If I were to stand on two legs I would be taller than you.”
“You got a name?”
“The people around here call me Xander, but that’s not my real name.”
“What’s your real name?”
“Oh, you wouldn’t be able to pronounce it.” Xander chuckled.
“Well then, Xander, do you know anything about the disturbances in the mountains?”
“I might know a thing or two. People tend to talk quite openly when I’m near.”
“Care to tell me?”
“The Eidolon of Fire is up there. I’ve seen him myself, but the townsfolk here blame it all on whoever controls the mine. And… There was a woman who entered the mountains during the night, but I don’t know her name.”
“She hasn’t come out yet?”
“I haven’t seen her, but I can tell you that she is a beacon of spirits. I have never sensed that many of them in a human being.”
“Hmm… we didn’t get any information about that, but we’ll deal with it.”
“Oh, so you aim to go in there?”
“Yes, that’s the plan.”
“Would you mind if I tag along? I’m very curious about that woman.”
“Uhm, okay, I guess.”
“I can take care of myself. The spirits flow inside of me as well, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to speak these words.” Xander chuckled again.
“That much I figured. Come on, let’s go.”

The team gathered moments later and shared what they had learned. It was clear that some kind of threat lingered in the mountain. Some of the townsfolk suggested the rumors of the Eidolon, whereas others blamed Nexus Industries. There was also the possibility of the woman that Xander had seen had something to do with the disturbances. In any case, there was only one way to find out for sure: climb the treacherous mountain path and descend into the depths Kinabalu. At least they had an additional Guardian by their side. The wolf appeared rather amused with the happenings. Seeing as he was rather old, he mostly slept and lazed around the village. This was an exciting change of scenery for him.

_{T H E F I E L D S -{}- Nicholas Vanceon -{}- H a m m e r O f T h e A r m y}

---

It was a distinct memory, one he could feel much more than simply watching a mental rerun of events long transpired. As the ground shook and pulled itself apart and a grotesque, irate, Mordrem rose up from the earth, Niko could not help but feel the reminiscence stabbing at the back of his head. The Dark Zone was a part of the world he had never ventured into, but the scene unfolding before him was very similar to mishaps of the past during his stay at the Cathedral. The long buried feelings eagerly took hold of the young man again and enveloped him in their tightened embrace. The intangible sensation was physically suffocating, his chest constraining from sheer visions of jumbled moments and pieces of a memory that refused to fully reveal itself. Despite this internal struggle however, the outward visage of the suddenly serious Guardian was deathly solid. His eyes narrowed and locked onto the unholy creature in front of the small group and his brow furrowed in the sort of anger that desperately tried to manifest itself into some sort of physical form.

This was the enemy - the enemy.

Nicholas had never seen the world in black or white. It was another teaching of the Cathedral, albeit one that rested on the opposite end of a common lesson. Instead of being taught that one should ignore good and evil because all life is precious, the young boy was indoctrinated with the remembrance that good and evil never mattered, rather one should always hold contempt for the enemy. The enemy was any being that impeded the goals of a Guardian - or in their words, one who possesses an abundance of spiritual presence. Intentions and their tethers to the human condition were meaningless in the face of one who had been - again, in the words of the twisted Cathedral - shown the light of the true reality. With this in mind, a young Nicholas had been systematically desensitized to the feelings of empathy for another's plight. If he were to stand in front of an "enemy", that being would need to be cut down no matter who it may have been before. And as the beast roared with all its might, one thought screamed and shouted in the mind of the Cathedral raised Guardian:

This is the enemy - the enemy.

Instinctively, Niko pulled the blunderbuss from its back holster with his left hand and simultaneously unsheathed his shortsword with his right. Purposefully, however, the shortsword clicked into the barrel of the blunderbuss and the apparatus was extended while the thickened blade unfolded into two additional sections that curved into a vicious, shining crescent moon. There was no point in holding back anything against a monstrosity so big and admittedly strong looking. If this was going to define his first foray into the Dark Zone, the newly graduated Guardian was going to enter battle with everything he had. As a numbing feeling washed over the young man, a vile smirk pulled at the corners of Niko's lips. His two-handed grip tightened on his giant scythe as the beast began its offense. It started with charging towards the group and clawing wildly at them, Monika deftly dodging the swipes and Niko putting his own agility to use with pirouettes and evasive rolls. Muddy earth stained his clothing as he danced and rolled away from swipes, but insignificant things like that did not matter in the heat of the moment.

Niko exhaled sharply as he came up from a roll only to narrowly dive away from the thud of a thrown boulder. The damned thing was resorting to literally throwing a tantrum. Large chunks of earth rained down one by one as the young Guardian dove and rolled to safety each time; agility was one of Niko's biggest assets, but he quickly became tired of playing the defensive game. It seemed like Monika agreed with the unspoken notion as well. As soon as she found herself open, she let loose a flurry of holy endowed offense that ended with her massive claymore gleefully eating into the hide of the weakened beast. In the split-second moment of processed thought, Niko found himself genuinely impressed with Monika and her ability to take control of such a small window of opportunity. Finally finding himself open as well, Niko heeded Monika's battle decree and shot towards the now softened membrane of the Mordrem's hide. A fury of emotion welled up as the boy used his running speed to launch into a slide that took him around Monika and allowed his scythe to violently rise up in a clockwise crescendo that ended with a curved blade piercing the Mordrem's right side and digging deep into the soft tissue and weakened muscle. Not content with just the initial piercing, Niko pushed upwards, carving a deep gash as he went before pulling down hard and ferociously tearing the scythe from the innards of the beast completing a full circle.

Instincts and involuntary body movement distanced the boy and the injured beast immediately with a few hops. The feeling was overwhelming; Niko had not felt this good in the entirety of his life. This was truly what it was to live, indeed.

_{M O U N T A I N P A T H ◆ Subira Arendse ◆ The Mt. Kinabalu Eidolon}

---

With nothing more than a wave, Subira parted with Aaron as she returned to the center of the village with the rest of the Guardians. As the last to show up, they shared information briefly before a joint decision had brought them up the mountain. It was the same path Aaron had showed her and as they scaled up Mt. Kinabalu and walked past the burned plateau, Subira gave the soot covered area a hard glare before continuing up the path. She was almost certain what they were going up against, but something just didn't feel right about all of this. Things were going so smoothly for a first mission that it almost made her worried to press forward, and it may have been her own need for some action that was pushing this uncomfortable feeling, but Subira kept her wits up and an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.

The same flutter of concern from earlier filled her stomach as she walked beside Jack next to the edge of the trail. Eyebrows knitting together, Subira couldn't help but notice that this time around was different. Feelings of concern, worry, and tension were churning her gut and it made the little bruiser walk just a bit slower. Falling to the back of the group beside Xander, Subira gave a small shake of her head as she tried to shoo away whatever was eating at her.

"Uneasy, Guardian?"

The canines sudden voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and without a glance she gave the wolf a firm answer. "No."

"Is that so?" Xander's tail swished behind him as he eyed the Guardian curiously. There was a long pause before the timber wolf finally spoke again, "Then your Spirits are uneasy."

This time Subira gave Xander a look of confusion and irritation. This kind of topic always irked her, and her lack of communication with her own spirits had always been something that troubled her. So for the wolf to speak so easily of it Subira couldn't help but feel embarrassed, and his next set of words only added salt to the wound. "How peculiar, a Guardian who has no relationship with its spirits. It must be very lonely for you."

She had no reply for Xander, and instead of doing something she would later regret, Subira quickened her step and returned to her spot beside Jack at the edge of the path. Fist clenched and jaw tightened, she kept her sights straight ahead and continued forward. She wasn't afraid, or uneasy, or lonely. She was ready for anyone or anything that would come her way, and with or without a relationship with her spirits, she knew they had her back and that alone was all the comfort Subira needed to continue to the mine.

The path began to grow slimmer and more dangerous as they neared their destination. Large rocks and boulders sitting along the mountain side towered above them, threatening to tumble down with a hard enough breeze or the softest rumble within the mountain. Parts of the path had even crumbled away forcing the group to leap one at a time to the other side of the path if they wanted to continue up the trail. Adjusting the gloves on her hands and the cuffs on her wrists, a chill ran down Subira's back as she stared up the path with anticipation, "We're almost there."

---

Ezra felt himself land upon something cold, hard, and damp, a feeling of general discomfort come over him. Worst of all was the great darkness that permeated everywhere, only the dislocator’s vague light giving off any sort of radiance. He took a look around amidst the darkness and realized that he must have been in some kind of bar. His nose took a whiff of the atmosphere, and the smell of cheap spirits was abound, permeating everywhere.

He saw that his companions were there as well. He also saw someone down there who was a stranger to him, who he knew even less of than these two strangers he now was to call his companions. He spoke, and Ezra listened. He apparently worked for the army, and the unpleasant landing here was due to some incompetence about repairs. The important thing, however, was what he wanted. There were three individuals that this spy wanted. Ezra hoped that among them was the individual he wanted.

Ezra wanted to get to work immediately, and he didn’t want any getting in his way if his task did not exactly conform. He had but a single hint, which was only a single letter he had received long ago from an anonymous source. Its vagueness was aggravating, but it had told him to come here, to Doral. Now he was here, and he was going to see this through.

“Well, I’ll be seeing all of you, then,” said Ezra.

And then he left, and no protestations would have stopped him. This place was, just as he had thought, a dive bar, where cheap liquor and spirits were being served. At the bar were men and women sitting upon creaky old dark wooden bar stalls the color of dark chocolate cushioned by a small and thin mattress of a faded white color. Throughout this dive bar were round tables and arm-less chairs of that same color like dark chocolate. The people situated throughout were varied, yet something was in all of them that revealed they belonged there. Many had the look of hardened criminals and convicts and other shady individuals, while others had the look of roving merchants, gunslingers, and drifters and wanderers whose experiences gave them hard eyes.

---

The guardians had headed to the Reactor, and Jaina gladly followed alongside them. She held her gun in her hands, her fingers a safe distance to the trigger. This atmosphere was foreboding indeed, so Jaina kept a close eye on everything around her, even the faintest movement from dead grass. Nearby, there was the army, who could at least provide a much-needed assistant role for her and the guardians, although in truth the bulk of this mission was to be their responsibility.

Out from the shadows jumped a myriad of Mordrem, their figures obscured from within the darkness. Yet their forms were clearly seen, and their numbers even more apparent, although it was fortunate that they were only of the weaker kind. First the army began their assault upon them, and destroyed them thoroughly enough through their firepower that what remained afterwards were only the remnants which the guardians could dispatch.

The first of the Guardians to launch an assault was Ollie with his bow. Jaina decided that she would naturally follow suit. Holding up her assault rifle to aim, she shot at the darkened figures of the Mordrem, her aim that of a sharpshooter’s. Holes from her bullets emerged within them, and then they fell down to the ground. Soon the battle came to a close, as there appeared no more Mordrem to dispose of.

Now they went onwards, into the Reactor itself. Ollie was the one who opened the door and the first to grace his footing upon the steel floor. Inside there was little light, and darkness seemed to permeate every corner, but Jaina knew nonetheless that they would manage. Her companions were guardians after all. It was not Jaina’s decision what happened next, but she would accept whatever it was.