AnriuSB said Ariela~~*Snap*The sound of her hipbone breaking under the weight of a sudden form was all Ariela could recall before entering a world of unconsciousness. Her malnutrition and high adrenaline had contributed to both her sudden unconsciousness, and the easily broken bone. As it usually was, Ariela dreamed, she dreamed of better times, of the beauties of the colored world that every other human had taken for granted...The leaves of a fresh autumn graced the floor of the world with a beauty Ariela held most precious in her heart. It was her favorite time of year, and her favorite picnicking spot to boot. Ariela glanced up at her mothers face and tried to tell her that she loved her, and tried to tell her how happy she was to be with her again. Ariela found herself unable to speak however, and found her mother unwilling to look at her.She turned left, hoping to see her father's smiling face their, greeting her. She felt his soft hands in hers, but when she looked up to him, the world grew dark. No longer was it the beautiful autumn's of her past, nay, now it was horrible fires of her nightmares. Her fathers dead body lay on the floor at her feet. Ariela tried to get him to wake up, but he wouldn't. He just lay there, the comfort of his beating heart absent when she held her ear against it. "Papa!" she cried, unable to accept the facts.Then she looked up, only to see her mother, dieing of a horrible disease, yet still refusing to eat her portion of the rations. Ariela pleaded with her, but she instead simply shook her head. "You grow strong my dear, you live to see tomorrow, find a man, and find a life... of love..." Her mother breathed out her final breath and Ariela cried into her cold bosom. Her Mother's final wish unheard, and the last of her childhood innocence ripped from her in a single moment.Then it was dark again, and there were sounds, and there were hands, and then.. There was nothing..

Thanar muttered another curse.

"Damn. Broken hip."

After talking to the police, and then being taken to a hospital (presumably along with Ariela), he sat in his hospital bed awaiting a phone call. The damnable idiots insisted on keeping him to do a full checkup. The confrontation with the Council could wait, he supposed, but the appointment couldn't.

((Sorry for the short post. I don't have access to my computer at the moment.))

Kisheto

Kisheto looked back, having hidden behind an unattended fruit vendor's shop. Strange... seems the cops stopped their pursuit in the middle of the road...

He had been spotted and was forced to run along the main streets of Sector B's marketplace, but eventually felt his fatigue getting the best of him. Turning towards the streets, he continued to walk casually, and did so for a good fifteen minutes. I gotta stop cutting it so close... he thought to himself as he finally blended in with the crowd. Looking down the road he was on, he grinned and added a bit of confidence to his step while slowly moving his hand to rest upon the hilt of his new dagger. Who should I sell this baby too? He had no use for the thing, as he had never ever had the intention of killing anyone, but he knew it would prove a useful tool, so he didn't want to leave out the option of keeping it either. Before he could continue to drift off into his thoughts, he heard the sounds of lowered sirens, indicating that an alert patrol was on duty nearby. Without thinking, he increased his pace to a jog, as he had let his nerve get to him. But this action simply drew the attention of the civilians, who began shouting at his "disrespectful actions." While he continued to bump shoulders with pedestrians, he could begin to make out the increasing tone of the siren. They had found him.

Although, under normal circumstances, he would have broken into a sprint, his day had been filled with oddities, and for some strange reason, he turned around. It was too late, the sound of a stun round pierced through the air and hit him square in the chest, sending him flying through the roads and onto the boundary of Sector B and Sector C. He trembled in pain as the shocking sensation burned through his spine, but forced himself to tense his muscles, suppressing the electrical impulses. As he grit his teeth and propped up on one knee in a position to begin dashing off, another taser round hit him on his lower back, and he flew a bit further, this time hitting a parked carriage head on. He rolled to the side and began trembling once more, but this time, as he forced every muscle to strain and move in one motion, he felt his strength give in and hit the ground with a thump and groan. It wasn't soon before he felt the last taser round hit him, knocking him out only mere seconds after he felt the cold steel of handcuffs latch onto both wrists.

---

Ishigo and Hector Esteves

Ishigo had seen off the man and the girl before they departed for the hospital, and began patrolling the streets of his home once more. His mind often flashed back to his encounter with the strange young girl, and he wondered what kind of pain could have brought her into such a hopeless state. However, such dark thoughts did not suit him and he shook it off as he heard his holopad go off. He unclipped the rectangular device from his belt and split the two halves to reveal a holographic screen, on which he answered the call.

"Hector... wow, I must say, I'm surprised," Ishigo said calmly.

Hector was aboard the Golden Primary shuttle, a decently sized shuttle that was made to be the main transportation for the most elite squad in the Golden Mercs - the Golden Primaries. He had called Ishigo over the internal comm relay in the shuttle, and smiled at the sound of his voice. "Aye, amigo. Been quite a while. Listen, I'm coming back to Sovereign. Vic sent me, actually."

Ishigo chuckled and continued to walk, "Ah, sucks to be the younger brother, huh?" he said, "What business do you have back in the mainland?" Hector sighed, "Well... we recently lost some good men in one of those blasted core accidents. We were so sure we could retrieve them, too, amigo." Ishigo shook his head and then spoke, "Hector, damn, I'm sorry to hear. You're coming to recruit then?"

"Exactly, amigo, I'm gonna be sticking around, too. Vic gave me training command," he said, smacking his lips at the end of his sentence.
Ishigo laughed, "That's great, Hector. I'll be around, y'know. In fact, here, you know how you were telling me about the community service nonsense that the council was bothering you with?"

"Yeah, what about it, Ish?"
Ishigo looked up at the large city guard complex that he approached. "Well, according to the protocol of services, allowing inmates to serve off their sentence counts. I'm actually headed to one of the newer prisons right now, gonna check out what kind of guys they got locked up. You don't mind having a ruffian in the mercs, right?"
Hector chuckled, "Always so proactive, amigo. And, uh, no, actually that'd be fine. Discipline isn't an issue, y'know. Victor can beat it into them."
Ishigo nodded and then spoke, "Right, right. Well, I'll see you soon then."
Hector chuckled, "Yup. Stay safe, amigo."

As the shuttle hummed onward and the men populating it chattered on, Weston hung his head in contemplation, feeling more and more uneasy as time went on. Eventually the chatter faded completely into the back of his mind as he thought about the colonel's words before, as if he had known something. The worry ate at the corners of the captains mind until a shoulder nudged him back into reality. He looked over to see one of his lieutenants, Ramir looking doubtfully at him. "What's the damage cap'n?" he asked only half-sarcastically.

Joey Ramir had been the more laid-back of Weston's officers, and also one of the best fighters. Despite his nonchalant demeanor though, Ramir knew how to motivate men and fight through a tough situation. In some ways he was almost a role model for Weston. Straightening his posture, he replied as confidently as he could muster, "Nothing Joey, just getting my head back into field work." True, Weston hadn't been in the field for over a year, but his head had no problems adjusting. He knew showing his doubts about the mission would weaken his team, and if what the colonel said should be taken to heart that would be a bad move.

Finally all the conversation ceased as the shuttle's intercom made a subtle beep and a woman's voice followed: "Now approaching mission objective. Opening all viewports." Suddenly, dozens of slats of metal slid apart on the shuttle doors, revealing large screens that became virtual windows into the outside. The skyline of the city immediately came into view, coaxing several 'ooh's and 'aah's from the men. Weston himself couldn't help but be humbled by the magnificent sight, for his trips to the capital were few and far-between. However, something was off in the picture: everything was normal. The beautiful, massive city was going about business as usual while an entire battalion--maybe more--soared into town like they owned the place.

Son, he could feel his momentum being slowed as the shuttle began decelerating, prompting several moans from the other soldiers. Often times shuttle transport causes sickness from the sudden change in speed during landing. As if on cue, the intercom sounded again, and with it the same voice: "Destination in less than one minute. All passengers recover any belongings and fasten all equipment." Following the voice's orders, the upwards of twenty men all stood up and double-checked every strap and compartment on their gear and threw their longrifles back over their shoulders.

Weston did the same, then grabbed onto the safety rail above his head before speaking to his crew. "Okay boys," he began, yelling over the increasingly loud hum of the shuttle as it slowed for landing "You and the rest of the 104th will assemble as instructed in Fort Readon's courtyard and Brigadier General Masshu will begin briefing us on the state of the situation here in the capital." That was basically the gist of what every company leader had been told: To waltz into the capital in massive force, then stand in a line and wait for someone to tell them why.

Just as Weston finished, the shuttle lowered to a stop, quieting the humming once more. The doors slid open as the panels realigned and the men began hopping off one-by-one. Seated right next to the door, Weston was one of the first off and immediately began helping his men off the craft. "C'mon boys," he called after letting Ramir off the shuttle, "align with your platoon leader and the rest of the company, then fall on me." Then, he turned around to see several more shuttles lowering onto the paved landing strip--far more than what had left Maxwell. How many troops do we need here? he thought worriedly before turning his gaze to the skyline over the fort's metal wall.

Vates - Turborg Heights, Sovereign

Vates strolled purposely through the wide and spacious pearl lobby of his apartment complex to the front desk, where three rather sheepish looking guards awaited. They were the triplets Marko, Dominique, and Tuco. Marko was both the eldest and the odd one out, being slightly larger and being bald whilst the other two housed short black crops – he was also the smartest and the leader in a way. Dom and Tuco averted their gazes as Vates placed his hands firmly on the counter and lent forwards, “Marko, what’s the problem?” he asked in a firm but concerned voice. The three of them, whilst they were cautious of their employer, did not fear him like this; there was something else going on.

“I’m sorry Mr. Smith but there has been a break in to your apartment.” said Marko as he stared into his own eyes in the reflection of Vates glasses.
Vates left eyebrow was raised and he raised his hands in confusion, “How? And why aren't you dealing with it then? Isn't that what I pay you for?”

“We would sir, of course, but they entered from the roof. We think it might be that friend of yours, and after the last time we tried to deal with her…” Said Marko, unsure of how his employer would react. “Besides, you said if she turns up again to call you and no one else.” He quickly added before Vates could speak.

“Ah…” exhaled Vates who made his way to the elevator without uttering another word to the staff. Vates stepped into the sterile white elevator and used the hand scanner, causing the elevator to greet him and begin the ascent. Once the doors had shut the LED walls shifted from white into a pleasant view of Sovereign. The complex had smartly positioned cameras on the outside of the building so that those in the elevator would appear to be looking out of a window and over the city landscape. He gazed upon the grand Capitol building in the distance as he tried to think of what he would say to his visitor. They had only met a few times, and despite how deadly she was Vates was enchanted by her.

Stepping into his apartment he found his guest lounged on one his three chesterfield sofas with the fireplace roaring. The long pixie-haired vixen gracefully rose from her seat as she heard her host approach. She was of tall height for a woman, standing at around 5ft9 and had a very nice physique, boasting some alluring curves even under her sleek black armour. “Hello Vates, hope you don’t mind that I made myself at home?” she said with a cheeky grin.

“Not at all Sierra” he replied with what was perhaps the first sincere smile had given all day. He gestured her to sit down as he found his own sitting on the adjacent sofa. “New rifle?” he asked gazing at the rifle and helmet she left on the floor.

“It’s my new pride and joy: Variable scope; carbon fibre frame and bipod; core heat sink allowing me to fire more frequently; and best of all a very expensive plasma core allowing me to shoot through almost anything.” bragged Sierra. In truth Vates was not interested in the rifle, but he knew that she would not be staying and he enjoyed the opportunity to stare into her big violet-blue eyes. Her smirked caught him off guard, “So are you going to just sit there staring at me under those mysterious shades? Or are you going to give me what I want?”

He nervously cleared his throat, ‘give her want she wants?’ he puzzled excitedly. ‘The information of course’ he quickly realised, shattering his puppy love. “Of course! I've kept it close at hand as I didn't know when you would be in contact again” he explained pulling the flash drive from one of his many discrete inside pockets, “You’re target isn't a man most would like to get of the wrong side of. I get the feeling the military’s paying you for this?”

Sierra playfully tapped her nose with her index finger and received the drive, “Thank you. I would love to stay by the fire with you but I've got some things that need to be done”

Vates escorted her to the roof terrace where she put on her light weight extendable glider. As the wings shot out of the sides dim blue veins could be seen flowing through them, powering the smart kinetic gadgets which aided her descent. She stood up upon the ledge and turned back to Vates. “See you around Vates- I mean- Mr.Smith” she gave a wink and blew a kiss before falling backwards, swiveling round as she did so. Vates heart sunk as he watched he glide away at speed, but chuckled as he wondered what his snob neighbours would think had they witnessed the spectacle. Turning round to head back indoors Vates caught sight of another unexpected spectacle: a fleet of military shuttles flying into the city. How did he not know this?

Kisheto and Ishigo

...

"...ugh... My head..." Kisheto sighed as his eyes gradually opened, revealing the dark cell he was in. He could tell he was in a bed, which comforted him, but the sight of the bars that caged him in unnerved him slightly. After laying for a few minutes to get his head together, he got up and stretched. Turning to the bars, he walked up to them and looked around at the hallway. There was a single guard turned away from him, speaking to someone that Kisheto couldn't see. Kisheto raised a brow and tried to peer further into the hallway, but stopped as the guard turned around, pointed to his cell, and began walking towards him.

"Back off the bars, kid," he said, hitting the prison door with his night sticks. Kisheto sighed and walked back to sit on his bed, still facing the outside.

Ishigo stepped towards the prison cell and examined the boy sitting on the bed. He lifted an eyebrow at the sight of the inmate, first wondering what he had done, and second, wondering who he was. The guard chuckled at Ishigo's reaction, "Petty thief. Actually, he shouldn't be here long, depends on the verdict of whether or not it was his or his pursuer's fault for hitting a girl and breaking her hip." The guard looked back down the hallway, "Well, that's all we got in Bay 1, so... You two have fun." With a grunt, he walked back to his post, leaving Ishigo and Kisheto alone.

Ishigo crossed his arms, and tilted his head to the side a bit, still surveying the boy in the cell. This frustrated Kisheto and he frowned and looked at the man, "Damn, will you stop starin at me like that? It's creepy, yo."
Ishigo shook his head, "Why?"

Kisheto snickered, "Why? Because you look like some serial ki-"
"No," Ishigo said in a firm voice, "Why do you steal? Is that what your life has fallen you? Is that your purpose?"
Kisheto scoffed, "Look, yo, I'm not one for personality quizzes, so how about you just get to the point. What do ya want?"
Ishigo looked down, and then back at the boy. "You heard of the golden mercs?" Kisheto chuckled at the words, "Hell yeah, I have. Used to be my heros back when I lived in Valira."
Ishigo raised a brow and proceeded, "Uh huh. Well, they're recruiting. They could use any able hand, and you seem to be pretty fit and young. You'd make a great addition. You'd also be wise to take the offer. Get out of the slums and out of people's pockets, right into a faction and cause you can fight for."

Kisheto's eyes widen, "Wait, it's that easy?! That's it?!"
Ishigo chuckled, "Of course there'll be an eval. Shouldn't be something you can't handle, I would assume. You might wanna fix that attitude of yours, though."
Kisheto snickered, "Yeah, yeah..."
Ishigo smiled, "Sector A, Capitol Road. Walk past the Council Hall and all the museums until you find their HQ. You can tell em' that Ishigo sent you."
Kisheto nodded, "Sure, sure. Whenever I get out, that is."

Ishigo smiled again and nodded before waving him off and departing from the building. The second he entered the streets, he noticed a plethora of military shuttles zipping past overhead. It was definitely a strange sight, but it really made him uncomfortable when the third and then fourth wave of shuttles flew past. What the hell is going on today? he thought as he continued to head into the heart of the city.

---

Julian Drake

*flick*

Julian's palm tree lighter flipped open, the canopy of the tree moving to the side to reveal a small, red flame. He held it up to his mouth, igniting the joint that he had so diligently rolled, and slowly, watched as the flame burned the end of the paper-cased herb. "Right, right... make it bun' righ' thea'," he said in his calm, low voice. He was leaning against the wall of a cafe he had just exited, waiting for his friend to pay the bill and meet him outside. A small, tan Lutar leaned against his right leg, calling for him to play it. He placed his lighter back into his pouch, and took a nice, long, breathe in, closing his eyes to swallow the calm he was introducing to his bloodstream. Using two fingers, he removed the joint from his mouth and picked up his Lutar, beginning to pick out a few notes to test the tuning.

He looked around at everyone rushing about, but to him, they were moving much slower. He smiled, his eyes closed, and his head tilted downward. He placed the joint back in his mouth and began playing a soft, calming tune. As his fingers began plucking at the strings, he escaped the realm. He was back home, back at Caliosa, the island he barely had the time to indulge in. The waves crashed against the soft sands, and the wind blew away his worries, of which he had very few in the first place.

Jus' slow down... why rush? Hm? he thought to himself. He had been visiting this cafe alot with his friend, Eddy, who he had been living with for almost 4 years now. It was a place for him to try to make sense of the life that this city offered. He was always the odd one out - refusing to let the flow of the city rush him through the years he loved living, the years he wished to make the best out of.

As he played, people who chose to sit outside on the cafe's exterior tables turned and listened. They had the same reaction that everyone always had - they smiled. They relaxed. They decided, 'Hey, fuck it, today I'm gonna do it my way. Today, I choose how fast or slow I'm going to go. Today is MY day.' Julian continued to play, and without realizing, he began to a sway a bit, a puff of smoke emitting from his mouth and escaping into the sky above.

Slowly and surely, the many others in the cafe began swaying as well, and any troubles they had began to fade away into the wind. They were entranced in the moment, the moment that Julian owned and conducted, his happiness serving as his baton. The others... well... they simply followed him into his joy-filled escape.

Eddy chuckled inside the cafe, hearing the music and recognizing the sudden quiet that would fill the air as people refused to talk, argue, or bicker once the music embraced their souls. He paid and walked outside, shaking his head with a smile at Julian, who seemed so detached from the world. He, too, leaned against the wall, and reached into Julian's pouch to get a lighter and a joint, doing so without disturbing the musician.

Soon, Julian slowly faded into a silence that only brought about a serenity that the cafe-goers appreciated. An applause filled the air, and Julian smiled and nodded. He strapped his Lutar to his back and took his final inhale before putting out his joint and tossing it into the trashcan. Eddy smiled, "Every time, Jules, every time." Julian smiled, "Aye. 'Till I pass, Eddy, this is my duty." He looked around and felt the positive vibes coming from those around him. He waved to them and began walking out of the cafe's fenced area, and into the streets of Sovereign with Eddy following close.

Zachary had been busily working on the output regulators for his prototype when he managed to catch a glimpse of the time. He almost dropped the part he was working on in shock. He had lost track of time and he was about to miss an important appointment. Scooping up his machine he hurried off to find somewhere quiet with a table he could sit at. Finding such a place, he placed his engine down on the table and pulled out his holopad. He set it up so the camera would be able to see him then made his video call.

The next few moments were nerve-wracking. It was a few moments of uncertainty, where anything could go wrong. When the call was answered he released his breath, which he hadn't been aware he was holding. "Mr Zey, this is Zachary Mason, calling for that interview. May I say that it is an honour to be granted this time in what must be a busy schedule."

There was the exchange of pleasantries. When Zachary heard that Thanar was in hospital due to a broken arm, he said "Oh, that is a shame to hear. I hope they fix it up quickly."

Soon they were able to get onto the business of Zachary's engine. Zachary pointed his holopad at his engine prototype so Thanar would be able to see. "This here is a prototype of my engine. I'm yet to make it fully functional. I'm working on the output regulators at the moment, and there's still the ECU to program, but the engine itself works a treat. The goal of my project is to create a far more efficient shuttle engine, since as we know the shuttle engines at present are rather crude and costly to run. My engine uses not only a kinetic core but a wind core and polarity core too. The wind core is to manipulate air around the shuttle so to reduce drag to almost nothing. The polarity core is to provide additional lift. Polarity cores may be more expensive than kinetic cores, but their extremely prolonged lifespan outweighs the extra cost." Zachary continued on, giving more precise details on its function, pointing at bits and pieces on his engine as appropriate. He concentrated his explanation on how the power from the cores are harnessed and distributed, as this was Thanar's field of expertise and where he would be able to receive the most advice.

In the middle of this explanation the low rumble of a fleet of shuttles punctuated his speech. Zachary peered up, although he couldn't see anything as he was indoors. He was about to continue when another shuttle fleet droned over his voice. He waited impatiently as two more waves passed by, then once he was confident they were all gone he picked up where he had left it.

Eventually Zachary reached the end of his explanation. Taking a breath, fearing the possibility of total rejection, he asked, "So, what do you think? How would you suggest improving the efficiency? As I said, the goal of this engine is to achieve the highest efficiency possible. I know you are the right person to go for about this, as you have an unparalleled knowledge of cores and how to get the most out of them."

Samuel~

Just as it would seem that the dramatic scene had been wrapping up, a black hover limousine pulled up beside Samuel. "What impeccable timing my dear!" He announced to Julie, his driver, before climbing into the sleek and out of place vehicle. Within he was greeted by beautiful leather seating, and a selection of the finest wines known to man. He reached for his favorite Jea'un De Ploure. It meant 'Summer's Vein' in some of country language that he had little time to care about. All he knew is that they produced some of the finest wines, and he looked only to them when his stocks were running low. Samuel frowned at the pill bottle that was quite obviously placed next to his drink. He quickly swallow the thing and took a swig of the wine to wash it down. The crimson liquid flowed through his throat like a mountain river. The clarity of its tastes unmatched by any that had graced his lips previous.

Before long his Estate was within eye view. The Baxter Estate was an impenetrable fortress, guarded by a plethora of hired mercenaries. Samuel frowned at the military transports that flew overhead. It seemed he had arrived home just in time to avoid whatever the hell the government was planning to do this time...

BBeast said
Zachary had been busily working on the output regulators for his prototype when he managed to catch a glimpse of the time. He almost dropped the part he was working on in shock. He had lost track of time and he was about to miss an important appointment. Scooping up his machine he hurried off to find somewhere quiet with a table he could sit at. Finding such a place, he placed his engine down on the table and pulled out his holopad. He set it up so the camera would be able to see him then made his video call.The next few moments were nerve-wracking. It was a few moments of uncertainty, where anything could go wrong. When the call was answered he released his breath, which he hadn't been aware he was holding. "Mr Zey, this is Zachary Mason, calling for that interview. May I say that it is an honour to be granted this time in what must be a busy schedule."There was the exchange of pleasantries. When Zachary heard that Thanar was in hospital due to a broken arm, he said "Oh, that is a shame to hear. I hope they fix it up quickly."Soon they were able to get onto the business of Zachary's engine. Zachary pointed his holopad at his engine prototype so Thanar would be able to see. "This here is a prototype of my engine. I'm yet to make it fully functional. I'm working on the output regulators at the moment, and there's still the ECU to program, but the engine itself works a treat. The goal of my project is to create a far more efficient shuttle engine, since as we know the shuttle engines at present are rather crude and costly to run. My engine uses not only a kinetic core but a wind core and polarity core too. The wind core is to manipulate air around the shuttle so to reduce drag to almost nothing. The polarity core is to provide additional lift. Polarity cores may be more expensive than kinetic cores, but their extremely prolonged lifespan outweighs the extra cost." Zachary continued on, giving more precise details on its function, pointing at bits and pieces on his engine as appropriate. He concentrated his explanation on how the power from the cores are harnessed and distributed, as this was Thanar's field of expertise and where he would be able to receive the most advice.In the middle of this explanation the low rumble of a fleet of shuttles punctuated his speech. Zachary peered up, although he couldn't see anything as he was indoors. He was about to continue when another shuttle fleet droned over his voice. He waited impatiently as two more waves passed by, then once he was confident they were all gone he picked up where he had left it.Eventually Zachary reached the end of his explanation. Taking a breath, fearing the possibility of total rejection, he asked, "So, what do you think? How would you suggest improving the efficiency? As I said, the goal of this engine is to achieve the highest efficiency possible. I know you are the right person to go for about this, as you have an unparalleled knowledge of cores and how to get the most out of them."

Thanar listens attentively to his explanation. When Zachary's finished talking, he thinks for a few seconds.

"If you want them to run efficiently, you need to align them so that they resonate properly. Eh... how do I explain this? Cores give out energy, you know that. But they also have a vibration... a resonant frequency, if you like. Get all the cores aligned right, and their resonances will amplify each other. The reason most multiple-core technologies are inefficient is because nobody knows how to align a core. I have the ability to sense it, but you'll need an instrument of some kind; I have the plans here."

He holds up a blueprint to his holopad, takes a quick screenshot and sends it over the connection.

"That should measure resonance to a fair degree of accuracy. Full instructions are included. Ah, thank you."

The last is to a nurse who appears with a mug of tea. Sipping it slowly, Thanar sits silently for a little while, then suddenly starts talking again.

"There's a lot of potential in your design. Once I'm out of hospital, I'd like to come and examine it personally. I can't do much over a remote connection. If I like what I see, I may be willing to fund production on an industrial level. There's an old warehouse I own that could easily be converted into a manufacturing complex, and I remain on good terms with the heads of what used to be Zey Cores. I'm sure I could set you up with a good deal. Perhaps even a military contract, if I can get them interested. I'll talk to people."

Chapter 1 - The Void Unleashed

Inside every person, inside every ling being, there is an innate fear of the end. No matter how much it chooses to surpress this fear, it is impossible to erase it. An end to life, an end to existence - the essence of mortality in the human realm often refuses to distinguish the two. The end. It isn't something someone can get used to, even though people often refuse to think about it on a day to day basis. It only happens once, whether through a long, painful deterioration, or a quick, liberating escape. But one thing that's for sure - the end hits hard, and the end hits without warning.

---

They were all preoccupied with their lives. Each day another chapter in their book, another Laurel in the bank, another scar on their frame, another smile on their face. "The City of Dreams": Sovereign. Everyone dreamed about it, looking to the sky for some God or stroke of luck to get them there. But once they were there, they had no reason to look up. No reason to see the flash of light that screamed: "the End."

It started as a tremor. One quake to startle many, confuse most, but scare all. Some brushed it off as a natural occurence, others contemplated a connection to the project that was continuously being progressed beyond their knowing. A couple fallen bookshelves, a jarred streetlight - nothing to warrant cries of disaster.

The second tremor enforced the fear that should have been coursing through every living being's veins at that moment. Overturned carriages, collapsed ceilings, injured civillians, etc. But Sovereign would survive, because Sovereign was strong.

The third tremor signaled that the god that they had forgotten had chosen to leave them. It was the siren of apocalypse just as it was the funeral of hope. The land shattered beneath them and the sky blackened to let down the screeching bolts of lightning which only tore through skyscrapers, bringing them to a destructive and painful end. Rains fell at strengths unknown to man, flooding streets and killing those unlucky enough to flow into the path of the collapsing structures that once stood as the symbol of advancement this city held so dear.



And then, death reigned. A single flash of light filled every living organism's eyes for a brief second, blinding the already-frightened beings as all sound seemed to stop existing. In this moment, in which everything seemed lost, the Void Gate tore through the capitol building.

It started from the seemingly endless fault that tore open the land below and met with with the strike from the sky above. A glowing tear in the dimension, the white beam slowly widened to resemble the eye of a feline. As the two beams met, all sound was void; the screams of the dying and dead alike were muted in the moment in which sanity slipped away from the few minds that remained alive. But Sovereign would survive, because Sovereign was strong.

It was every being for itself. As the void gate formed, the final tremor shook the life out of the land, except this time, it tore the land beyond Sovereign, into the entire continent. Floods devestated the coasts of Leginia. Storms and floods destroyed towns and cities. Quakes struck down buildings and lightning ignited fires that swallowed establishments. No, it wasn't just Sovereign - all of Leginia was shaken by the catastrophic awakening. But Sovereign would survive, because Sovereign was strong.

Out of the haunting silence... as the whispers of the dead replaced the screams of the dying... they fell.

~To the lands below we descend,
our Might to never cease~

Like a shower of shooting stars, the various orbs of light shot out of the pillar that had pierced the planet. They soared through the black sky like meteors, some large and bright, others small and dark. Some tore through buildings, others plummeted to the ground. They began as pure spheres of energy, wreaking the final wave of havoc upon the unsuspecting city. As they neared the ground, they began their hunt.

No one was safe. They searched, seeked, and preyed upon the souls of those who felt death was merely a regretful breathe away. While the lives flashed before their eyes, the men and women of Sovereign met their fate - the spirits of another realm invaded and assaulted the vulnerable few who survived. But Sovereign would survive, because Sovereign was strong.

~Upon the realm which beckons so,
the time which He shall sieze~

More and more entities burst out of the Void Gate, targetting the humans, each with a different intention. It was here where the new tremor shook the ground beneath Sovereign, and before it was seen, it was felt rising from the ground.

Humanity's last line of defense against the intruding spirits - both fallen and risen: the wall.

It broke through the ground at Sovereign's most outer edges, rising at a pace that was sure to destroy anything near it. It continued to rise and rise, the titanic cage that uttered its name as it grinded against the walls of the crust of Aeros. As it stopped it's descent, moments before the last few emergency shuttles either escaped or crashed to their doom, the land vibrated. The sky flashed a bright blue, signaling the activation of the aerial barrier that sealed all life in, and kept all life out. It was a last ditch effort to quarantine the city. But Sovereign would survive, because Sovereign was strong.

~Sounds of legend, life, and lore,
his name the flag, his hand our blade~

It happened too fast for the victims to contemplate what had bombarded them. They were warned, but they did not heed. As each unsuspecting host was met with a powerful kage, the bonding ritual commenced. In that moment, the host experienced the most gruesome, intolerable pain known to humanity. It wasn't the pain of a cut, break, sting, burn, no. It was a spiritual pain, leaving the victim desiring nothing but the end. The end of it all.

But Sovereign would survive, because Sovereign... was strong.

~For when the knights of tomorrow reign,
He shall be their grace~

When the dust had settled, the fires fatigued and the quakes quenched of their thirst for destruction, life itself seemed to weep at the devestation. The rains continued to pour, but nothing was reborn. No, the exact opposite plagued the land. News spread as fast as the fires had, and the quarantine of Sovereign quickly became the primary issue of every controversial discussion.

To those outside, there was no sign of what in the name of Sin was happening within the walls of the once-sacred sanctuary. To those inside, thoughts of the world beyond the walls were either dark or depressing. Was there a world to escape to? Was there a world at all? Desperation forced people to either turn to Aeritus or spit upon his name.

With no word from the Council, and the military quickly taking up reigns of the rubble-filled lands, people even turned to anarchy and violence. The new era approached and whispered the songs of war - songs that had been forgotten.

But Sovereign....

Sovereign would be forgotten, because Sovereign was destroyed.

Zachary smiled as he saw Thanar's resonance detector and received his offer to fund him should he design a successful engine. Zachary was over the moon with joy. Everything was going so well.

"Thank you very, very much, Mr Zey. Your input will be very valuable and I will remember your offer," Zachary replied, barely able to contain his elation. He had something else to ask. His curiosity would not allow him to have a meeting with someone like Thanar Zey and not probe a bit about him. "Now, I just have one small question, out of personal interest. What -"

He was cut off by a small tremor. This was actually the second tremor, as the grand towers of Sovereign are designed with earthquakes in mind so the initial tremor was not felt where Zachary was. He paused in thought, and remembered what he knew about earthquakes. They come in waves. There is rarely just one earthquake. With a touch of fear in his face, he said, "I must go now, Mr Zey. Thank you again."

Zachary had barely had time to close his holopad when the next tremor struck, throwing him to the floor. He scooped up his engine and bag and thought of the best place to shelter as plaster rained down around him. Through the fear which thickly shrouded his mind he managed to consider the safest place to be would be next to a major structural pylon. But as he staggered in that direction a flash of light and an explosion knocked him backwards. An unearthly bolt of lightning had struck the university, shattering its windows and setting it ablaze. He could hear the cries of those suffering, but the sound did not connect with his mind, which was overloaded and confused at this sudden disaster. If he had ever contemplated being in such a scenario, he would have thought he would have been clever and inventive, perhaps using his engine to get himself safely to firmer ground. But he would have been wrong. As the fires of hell rained down on Sovereign, he had no cleverness, no thought. All he had left was fear and instinct, and he was not equipped to use them.

As he crawled away from the centre of the building where the fires were burning, light washed out his vision and his senses went dull. When sight returned, he was able to see out into Sovereign, or what was left of it. Buildings were burning everywhere, the skyways had failed, the streets were flooded, and a giant tear in space itself dominated the centre of the city. If he had been in the slightest religious and not deeply sceptical of all things supernatural, the word 'apocalypse' would have come to mind. Caught between the fires of the building and a lethal drop into the flooded streets below, he found his life racing before his eyes. The happy childhood, the factories of Wintra, the tinkering, the trip to Argos, the time at university, the development of a new skyway, the PhD work on the shuttle engine, the supremely successful interview with Thanar Zey. It had all been going so well! How could it end like this?

As the fear of death dominated Zachary's mind, he saw a glowing orb skirt around the ruined, smoke-filled rooms of the university. It then reversed, turned sharply and slowly approached Zachary. He was sure that the thing was going to kill him. Later, he would not be able to justify why, other than the fact that everything else had been trying to kill him in that moment too. Staring at the glowing being, he saw that it was not just an orb of light but an orb of twisting, floating, silvery cables. It seemed to be staring at him too, and after what felt to be an age it spoke in a voice like a thunder-stick. "Yes, you will do."

The orb suddenly lurched forwards into Zachary, merging with him. His eyes were blinded by the light and an incomprehensible pain filled him. He could not describe it properly. It might be comparable to every cell in his body catching on fire and then stuffing his mind full of the torment and anguish that filled the entire apocalypse-ridden city, but he was in no state to make comparisons. The only thing in his world at this time was pain. Then, there was nothing.

Vates - Tuborg Heights
’What the fucks happening?’ Vates asked himself as he regained his feet from the chaos. He had held onto the vaults hand wheel when the third tremor hit but still managed to knock his head. His vision was slightly dazed and he could feel a warm trickle of blood running down through his hair and around his ear. With a big heave he spun the handle and stood back as it slowly opened up into his apartment.

Before him out of the shattered window wall of his apartment and over a field of fire and destruction laid the monstrous white gate in all its horrific splendour, a ghastly reincarnation of the Capitol building and the world it had represented. His mouth quivered at the sight and he began to aimlessly wander towards it. As Vates’ dizziness slightly faded, the screams and moans of the city begun to fill his ears, it was a chorus of hundreds of buildings collapsing, of thousands of fires roaring out of control… of millions of people dying in agony. He stood on the edge of the apartment now, a massive drop before him like the way into hell.

“Aeritus?” he begged, unable to find any words for what he saw. The building buckled slightly then, as if angry at the name he whispered. The jolt sent him forwards out of the window but his hand found the closest window frame, its fractured remnants of glass dug viciously into his hand as he pivoted round and hung desperately to it. He cried out in pain, another voice in the sympathy of destruction. He heaved himself in and slumped to the ground. The building buckled again and Vates began to whimper, an unconscious realisation that he was going to die, that the building would fall beneath him.

His last thoughts were not of his family, they were of Sierra and the regret he felt for not telling her how he felt. He remembered the sight of her only hours before as she glided away from him, how majestic and free she had looked. The building buckled again sending him sliding back this time, away from the window. He looked out at sky ahead and the storm of light that had begun. He did not wish to see the end of it, he could not bear to. Vates winced through the pain as he tried to climb to his feet, but was knocked down by another small buckle. Again he rose but with more determination, and began to run as fast as his legs could manage towards the window, the pain of each step causing him to roar in defiance. He reached the ledge and leaped out, eyes closed, picturing Sierra as she flew away. He wished to feel that freedom once before he died.

It should have ended then. He could have escaped the pain, the suffering, the chain of possible events that would follow over the next year. But it would not end for him there, not in this life; he would be ‘saved’…

Samuel~

The first tremor knocked them off of the road, the strike was not large, but extremely unexpected. Samuel wondered at the fragility of his life as the vehicle was launched into the artificial forests that surrounded his estate. Dazed, and extremely confused, Samuel managed to stumble out of the vehicle before the second tremor struck. When it did he fell too his knees. He vomited, the half dissolved medicinal pill fall to the forest floor, and a true instinct of fear over taking him. He ran, lost in a daze, unable to get his bearings. He did not get far before the third tremor sent him flying face first into a tree...

When he awoke all he could feel was a numb pain in his left leg. For a moment all was white, everything had dissolved into nothing and Samuel panicked. His adrenaline rose and he broke out into cold sweats. When his senses did return the first thing he was greeted with was his deceased sister. She was staring right through him. He tried to move his body too see what it was she was looking at, but he could not. Samuel then noticed the fallen tree that had crushed his leg. The true pain off it hit him and he screamed. The scream was a banshees wail of torment, but it was miniscule compared to the cry that would follow.

At first Samuel was unable to tell the source of the pain that then shook his frame. Nor was he able to guess at why it seemed to come from every where. in fact Samuel's mind had ceased completely. every orifice of his body was racked with the feeling of it. all he could help to do was cry for help. the cry rang out through the forest, but fell on dead ears. Samuel was alone, and nothing was coming to rescue him. The pain dragged on for what seemed like a millennium, every moment was stretched to its maximum and Samuel was finding himself unable to catch his own breath. Suddenly Samuel's body began to kick into overdrive, his pain receptors so overloaded that they triggered an automatic shutdown. Samuel was unconscious for the second time this day, and never before had the bliss of nothingness tasted so sweet..

Sleep my child.... for in the morrow we have much we must do...

Ariela~

Ariela had not been woken by the first tremor, nor the second, even the third had not ripped her from the bliss of her unconscious state. No, the thing that had jolted her, the event that had caused her to spring up from the operating table was the pain of the merger. Suddenly her body was on fire, the only thing her senses could pick up from within the torment was a distant laughter. The pain was so great that she found herself unable to scream. blood ran out of her ears and eyes. She choked on her own tongue. Her body lurched forward on its own accord. Suddenly her eyes shot open and an inhuman wale escaped from her lips. Her eyes had become, unnerving. A dark crimson that remembered this moment for an eternity. Everything was red. The walls of the room, the deceased nurses that lay beside her head. Then it was black. Everything was black. Then white, a blinding and unyielding white that scorched her very soul. Then the three shades mixed and she was given sight. When the pain finally subsided she found herself in a daze, finally blessed with the gift of sight, yet in such a strange fashion? What did it mean? And where was that laughter coming from? It was maddening, she had to find the source..

Ariela stumbled forward out of the operating room, and into the dark hallway in search of the distant cackle that racked her mind...

Arianna smiled softly to herself, feeling excitement bubbling inside her. She was closer than she had ever been to finding him in the past five years. She would find Iktomi just a few more blocks ahead.

When the first tremor hit, Arianna was forced to a stop as the ground shook, making her legs wobble like jell-o. She furrowed her brows, wondering if Sovereign regularly had earthquakes. It didn’t seem to be over any fault lines, or near any. She looked up at the sky and around her, her gut telling her that there was more to come.

Suddenly the ground shook violently, knocking the poor, unathletic girl onto her backside. Carriages crashed into buildings around her and buildings began to tremble and fall. She shrieked and covered her head as a light pole crashed into the building above her. If the building hadn’t been there, she surely would have been crushed underneath it. Bits of glass rained down upon her, slicing into her skin. Arianna felt her heart rate increasing in fear, adrenaline pumping through her rapidly. She looked up and around as pained screams began assaulting her ears. The frightened girl scrambled to her feet, shaking from the shock of it all.

Then, all hell broke loose. The road next to her cracked and split apart, swallowing overturned carriages and unfortunate pedestrians whole. She backed away towards the building, but turned in shock as she heard it groan and buckle under the violent tremors of the earth underneath it. Arianna desperately searched for something to hold onto, but found nothing and was knocked to the ground once more. All hope of running faded, and she began to quickly crawl towards the alley. The buildings on either side of the alley roared like lions. As one collapsed, the other buckled completely and fell onto the only remaining wall of the other building left. Arianna covered her head and the back of her neck, dust and fragments of the building raining down upon her.

The light pole slipped from where it was being held by the building and fell down, crashing towards her. She gasped and barely managed to roll away, but the light pole was faster than she was. It crashed down onto her ankle, making her howl in pain. Desperately, she tried to move the heavy pole from her ankle, but it was just too heavy. She tugged against it, trying to slip her ankle out from under it, but the tugging was in vain. It only caused her more pain. Panic began to set in as rain began to pour down and lighting struck nearby light poles that hadn’t fallen yet. She pushed her sodden hair away from her face and tried to pull her ankle free once more, but it was useless. Water began to flood past her, draining into the vast space that had been created when the road split. Anyone who had survived the fall would have drowned in little to no time at all. More buildings fell around her. Only the strongest ones remained standing, but even those buildings were damaged by the others crashing into them. Arianna flinched as screams assaulted her ears. Horror struck her as she realized it wasn’t just the screams from around her; it seemed to be the screams from all of Sovereign.

All at once, Arianna heard no more. A bright light flooded her retina, temporarily blinding her with its whiteness. She felt the ground underneath her trembling in an earthquake that would break any seismometer’s scales. Her ears rang as the light faded, revealing a large rip in the fabric of their world. The rip was large and loomed over her. Its eye seemed to stare directly into her soul, as it towered above her. She couldn’t tell where it began in the sky, and the end of it was hidden by the building in front of her. Her mind raced to comprehend it all, but fear gripped her as no logical answer came to mind. What was going on was beyond her knowledge, and it frightened her.

Arianna’s hopes of reaching Iktomi shattered as bright lights resembling falling stars poured down upon the shaken city. Surely this was the end of everything; the apocalypse all those crazed homeless men had been screaming about on the news. She suddenly felt alone and terrified. Iktomi felt further from her reach than he had ever been, and her parents were in Argos. Arianna was all alone and trapped in Sovereign as the destructive lights continued to rain down upon the city. As the pain and desolation began to hit her core, she felt tears pricking in her eyes.

Suddenly, a light nearby focused its attention on the soaked and trapped body and dangerously sped towards it. Arianna felt her heart beat increasing quickly as it drew closer and closer. She flinched and braced her arms in front of her when it connected with the ground in front of her, but no pain was felt or crash was heard. Tentatively, she turned to look at the orb of light. Arianna’s eyes slowly began to glow bright as the orb of light took form. A blue hue emanated from the figure in front of her, which closely resembled a human. The only differences were the seven wings stretched or folded about him. His eyes were kind and gentle, but had seen many troubles. His face was wise, but also grim. Arianna flinched as he extended his arm, but couldn’t look away from his angelic-like form. He gently pressed to fingers to her forehead and Arianna froze. All pain and weariness disappeared, and she found herself finding peace under his touch. His soft, gentle, but gruff voice was the only thing she heard. It spoke many things to her that comforted, relaxed, and soothed her. At the end, he asked her one simple question.

“Will you let me in?” The being who called himself Castiel asked.

“Yes,” Arianna whispered.

Arianna felt Castiel’s wings wrap around her, completely covering her entire body. She felt warm and safe inside them, as if she was encased in soft blankets. Relief spread throughout her, and she completely forgot the pain in her ankle. It all ended as quickly as it began, though. Searing hot pain coursed throughout her body, engulfing all her senses. On the outside, her body writhed and glowed a bright blue as her vocal chords continued to vibrate in a shriek, but on the inside, her molecules were being all rearranged. She could feel every atom in her body ripping apart and fusing with Castiel’s spirit. Her body burned as hot as a blue giant star as she and Castiel became one.

As the binding finished, Arianna regained consciousness, though it wasn’t much. Her body was twitching from the pain and trauma that had been done to it. Her breathing came in rapid, erratic wheezes. Her vision swam in and out of clarity. She wearily watched as her arm lifted by itself and her hand clenched around an invisible object. Suddenly, the weight of the pole disappeared and she heard a thunk. She could only whimper as the pain shot up her leg, to her spine, and to her brain. Her body jerked and laid, trembling, on the ground. Her arm flopped back to her side as exhaustion took over. The last thing Arianna saw was the large, ominous wall ascending around the city and the invisible barrier shining across the sky. Then, everything faded into darkness.

"Stupid people and their politicking."

Indeed, she had been stuck here for some time now, mostly due to her father ordering guards to keep her locked in her room. Something about soldiers running about like idiots, and its dangerous outside. Hayami was willing to bet all of those was just excuses to keep her inside so all those suitors her father had his eye on could have a chance at wooing her.

How ridiculous.

She closed the curtains, and sat back on the sofa, a look of slight annoyance on her face. She reached over for the TV remote, just as a tremor shook the building. Hayami looked around for a moment, and grabbed the remote. Earthquakes were hardly a problem for her father's hotel. In fact he had boasted that it could withstand almost everything nature threw at it. She was still as calm as ever when the second tremor hit the building, thus was rather surprised when her maid, wearing a rather uncharacteristic frown grabbed her and started to drag her away from the room.

"Hilda, wh... what is the meaning of this!?"

"There is a shuttle on the roof, no?"

"..shutt.. why?"

"Just answer the question!"

"Y..Yes! Father keeps a personal shuttle there for whenever he feels like going out somewhere. But why?"

One of her fathers guards came running in the hall, motioning for them to follow him as soon as he saw them. By then Hayami finally noticed the faint sounds of people screaming, and the sight of some frightened people running about exiting the building. She tightened her hand around Hilda's, trying hard to keep up with her maid. Once they got on the roof's private landing pad however, the sheer magnitude of what was happening hit her even if all she got was a glimpse before she was bundled up in a safety jacket and almost thrown into the shuttle. It seemed as if everything was crumbling down around them, and her father's new building would soon be crumbling after.

"..whoah..." Hayami collapsed on the back seat. "Whoah... I... we... we just ran off a crumbling building...we survived a bad earthquake."

"Mistress, I..."

She was cut short however, by a large yellow orb crashing through the front of the ship, the pilot and the wall behind him, and straight into Hayami. Fortunately, it didn't transform her into a blob of steaming red mush as it did to the upper half of the pilot, but unfortunately, it seemed to have replaced every nerve in her body into red hot barbed wire, the military grade barbed wire with razor edges. Her screams filled the whole shuttle, almost drowning out the shuttle's alarms as it plummeted. The last surviving guard, the one who had came back for them, held down her hands as she started to spasm.

After what seemed like an eternity of pain, she passed out, her last sight was of Hilda holding her hand, silhouetted against the sky.

Ishigo

"I got a four carriage pile up on 75, pedestrians trapped beneath a freighter that went haywire, and multiple reports of caged fires."

Ishigo remained focused and calm as he listened to the reports via an ear piece he was wearing, as he would need his hands to help him maneuver the rooftops of Soveriegn, upon which he was swiftly dashing to help those hurt by the second tremor.

"14 Civies trapped in -" *static*
"Shuttle traffic is fucking goin cr-" *static*
"THE WHOLE BUILDIN FELL! SERIOUSLY, THE-" *static*
"And it looks like 100 wounded with 40 dead-" *static*

Every emergency channel was filled with disastrous news, and Ishigo was already fatigued from toiling to get civilians out of trapped cars, off of stranded heights, and into safety. Before he was able to pinpoint one channel to focus on, the third tremor shook the building in which he was free running, causing him to loose his balance and slip over the railing and towards the street below.

"Damn!" He landed with a hard thud, managing to cushion a bit of the impact with a roll and sweep. He forced himself to stand, his eyes widening at the horrid sight before him. He stood a mere fifty feet from the Capitol building, and watched as a huge pillar of light speared through it, forcing it to crumble into the giant trench that appeared in the ground. The force of the impact caused him to fly back, moments after he witnessed at least a hundred civilians perish in whatever flew their way. Ishigo got up and froze at the titanic sight of the Void Gate - so close, he could hear the eerie hum of whatever lay on the other side. He took a step towards it, entranced by its ominous beauty, but hook his head as the ground began to crack, and a huge crevice began forming in the land towards his body. He turned and began sprinting the other way, unable to turn to the buildings on his side as they had already began to churn under the weakened ground below. He strained as hard as possible, but in futility as he felt the crevice approach him faster than he could run. However, before he fell into the seemingly endless depth below, he felt an unbelievable amount of force drive into his back, as if a train had hit him at full speed. Except the force that impaled his back shot him upwards and continued to fly at a blinding speed. Ishigo grit his teeth in pain, a dark purple aura forming around him as he soared through the sky like a rag doll. He felt his body lose all cohesion, as if every atom in his body simply fell apart, and then quickly rejoined. He wanted to scream but couldn't - he had no throat. He wanted to flail, but couldn't - he had no limbs. Finally, he slammed down onto the ventilation systems of one of the few surviving buildings, rolling until he hit a wall. He groaned in pain, realizing he wouldn't be conscious for long.

Damnit... What in the name of Sin is happening...

---

Julian Drake

"Whoa... You felt that, right, Jules?" Eddy said to his friend who stood still, gazing at the empty road in front of him. "Aye, I thought it was tha' herb settlin' in, yeh know?" he said softly. Eddy chuckled and continued to walk. "Never ever experienced a quake in Sovereign, really. First time for everything, I gue-"

The second tremor caused Eddy to lose his footing and slam into the carriage he was about to unlock and enter. It was the only one on the quiet, suburban road located in the outskirts of Sector B. The carriage toppled over and the shattering of its windows caused Eddy to wince and cuss under his breathe.

Julian raised a brow and looked around, "Nah, this isn't normal, brothah'. I don' like the vibe, really." Eddy held his head in his hands cussing as he stopped attempting to turn his carriage right side up. The third tremor caused the carriage to flip the other way and slam into Eddy, the two entities flying towards a wall and crashing through it. Julian was flung in the same direction, but hit the wall without penetrating it.

"By Sin, brothah', you good?!" he yelled out as he got to his feet, ducking into the hole made by the carriage. Eddy was trapped underneath the vehicle, bleeding quite profusely from his arm, which had been crushed under the weight of the vehicle. His entire right side was pinned by the carriage and Eddy was in the verge of death. Julian froze for a second - partly in fear and partly in hopelessness. Eddy was much stronger than him, and if he couldn't get the carriage to budge, then Julian might as well have called his death. But out of instinct, he tried anyway. The building around them began screeching as walls began cracking and the story above began threatening to collapse.

Suddenly, a storm of lightning de estates the entire street, sending metal and debris everywhere. Julian flinched as he was blinded by the violent strikes of lightning, and opened his eyes to realize the building he was in had caught fire, which began spreading at frightening speeds. Eddy coughed and began drifting away, which made Julian cry out as he put all his effort into lifting the carriage.

"HANG ON THEA' BROTHAH'! I SAY HANG ON!!!" He strained and yelled as he pushed with all his might, but the carriage refused to give an inch. The fire began burning the room that the two were in, and Julian began coughing violently, feeling the heat burn into his eyes. The story finally collapsed, causing a huge steel wiring to impale Julian from the back of his chest, cutting clean through and into the ground. Julian cried out, his hands falling limp and his body growing weak. Eddy screamed in pain as the fire's heat began to sear through the flesh in his left arm. Julian yelled once more, and pushed off the ground with his remaining strength. He managed to remove the debris from his body, or rather, remove himself from the debris that had lodged into the ground. Julian fell towards the carriage, and again, attempted to push it off.

The fire finally reached the engine of the carriage and the whole thing exploded in a burst of kinetic energy and scorching hot flames. Julian flew out of the building and into the near-flooded street outside. He coughed up blood and shivered as his body went into shock, but, using the last ounce of strength he had, he got up and ran. He ran as far as he could from the street, past collapsing houses and falling streetlights. He eventually found the man made park that had been used to compliment the suburban lifestyle of the neighborhood that had just been decimated. Fortunately for Julian, the park remained minimally damaged, as it was on an incline, preventing it from flooding. The quakes had shaken up most trees, but Julian found once to rest against as the tremors died out. He then caught sight of the Void Gate, and gasped as the meteor shower erupted from its depths. The city before him was crumbling, and he simply sat there, watching, in pain and shame.

Eddy was dead.

Julian began sobbing, his head face down and his right resting upon a knee as he say with the other leg stretched before him. His ears rang sharply, muffling the screams of the architecture and humans that continue to perish in the depths of Sovereign.

Julian knew he was going to die. There was no doubt about it, so he did the one thing he could think of. He reached into his belt pouch and pulled out his lighter and a joint. As his shivering began to fade, he propped the joint in between his lips, lit it up, and took a nice, deep inhale.

He was going to smoke his life away - in peace, comfort, and detachment. As his eyes began to flicker and his vision began to darken, an orb of black smoke flew right past him. He stirred in his relaxation, dropping his joint and shuffling to see what had nearly collided with him. Suddenly, the orb zipped to Julian's side and Julian froze. He sat there frightened as he observed the orb slowly contort and twist until it took the shape of a young boy, with no features as the figure was made entirely of a black and red smoke. The figure sat next to Julian and picked up the joint he had dropped, fiddling with it in his hands before raising it to his mouth. Julian was now confused and frightened at once.

"Y-y-you.... You're smoke..... Smoke... Sm-smoke is smoking..."

The figure let out a puff of smoke and then slowly turned it's head to Julian, a gesture which creeped him out. It then handed the joint back to Julian, who simply took it and placed it in his mouth, choosing to ignore the anomaly before him. However, as he inhaled, the smoke figure slipped into his mouth and invaded his lungs, causing Julian to clutch his throat and gag. He fell onto his back and seized, his eyes rolling back into his head. The pain began as unbearable, but eventually slipped into nothingness as he became completely numb.

"Well... It's nice and comfy in here..." came a young voice, from inside Julian. Julian simply shivered before passing out, his last sight being the joint rolling down the hill upon which he lay.

---

Lying in his hospital bed, Thanar listened to the response. It was going well... with luck, he'd have a military contract secured and his next few years' research costs covered. Then the ground shook, and he tumbled from his bed, landing on his broken wrist. Even as he screamed in agony, he lifted a trembling hand and felt the reassuring solidity of the Corestaff slapping into his palm. Lifting himself to his feet with his windcore ring, he staggered to the window.

The ground shook again, and the wall cracked, shattering the window. Glancing back at the quickly disintegrating floor, he closed his eyes, blocking out the throbbing in his wrist. He took a single step forwards, and plummeted towards the ground. As he fell, his eyes remained closed, and the Corestaff began to glow, softly at first, but quickly building to a blinding intensity. Suddenly, his eyes snapping open, Thanar thrust the staff forwards, and a screaming tornado formed with him at the eye. Flying through the air, he wove and dodged through rubble as he sought to exit the city.

Then the ground shook for a third time, and black lighting shot from the sky. With a scream, Thanar drew on depths he never knew he had, and the tornado tripled in size, slapping away the rubble and propelling him ever faster through the streets. Behind him, a pulse of energy nearly knocked him from the sky as the very fabric of reality tore asunder. Orbs of burning light flew through the streets. Now was not the time to stop.

Blood began to seep from his eyes, his nose, his mouth and ears as he pushed himself past his limit, tearing through the skies so fast he could barely be seen. As he neared the edge of the city, he saw the rising wall and knew he was lost. As his vision blurred, and blackness began to seep in around the edges, he dropped slowly from the air, skidding to a stop in a park across several meters of mud.

Everything became darker, and darker, and then suddenly a blinding light rose in his eyes. A voice, female and young, filled his ears.

"You're a tough one, aren't you? I like you. You don't give up."

And then there was pain, and red, and blood.

And everything stopped.

"Boss its time." Mathias nodded to his messenger, taking one final breathe he rose out of his ornate wing-back chair, placed his glass of Scotch on the side-table and left the study. "Poppa, Poppa" Little Isabella ran up to him, Mathias lifted her and held her tight "Ay Bambino, look at you, you grow more beautiful everyday. Daddy loves you Princess. Go on why don't you go find your brother and play in the garden ey?". He put her down and with a smile she skipped off. "Must you go darling? Its almost time for dinner." The ever radiant Mrs Winters spoke, she waited by the door for her husband, wearing an elegant blue dress that outlined her figure gorgeously. "Darling, if i could stay then i surely would, i`ll be home in time to put the kids to bed, I promise." He held her hand and kissed her, then he left.

Sitting in the carriage he pictured the events of the upcoming hour. They would meet the dealer at the docks, money would be exchanged for new tech, they would leave. A simple "meet and swap"...so why did Mathias feel so suspicious? Perhaps it was talk of a military approved contract on his head, maybe it was the scotch, either way, trouble was brewing.

The carriage pulled up, Hank, the driver, opened the door and Mathias stepped out. Hank, Mathias, Johnny, Vito, Ray and Tony walked forward into the docks. Six pairs of eyes scanned the area, Six watches were checked and double checked. They were in the right place, at the right time, but only six stood at the docks, not seven, not the dealer.
"He should be here?" Tony commented. "I don't like this boss, think we should go?" Vito nervously spurted. They looked around once more to be sure, they tried their contact via holo-com,with no response. "Come on boys, he`s a no show, we came, we tried, lets go home, iv`e got bedtime stories to read." Mathias cooly ordered as the gang walked to the carriage, Hank ran up ahead to start the engine, nervous as always.

It was then that Hank disappeared, as did the carriage, engulfed in a cloud of fire and black smoke following a rapturous explosion. "What the- Hank!" Gun shots followed, Mathias looked around, catching a glimpse of a figure atop a warehouse roof. "Snipers! Get to cover, Tony call the house, get some more guys here, tell the-".

Mathias awoke on a bed of gravel, mud and ash. Heavy thoughts spinning through his aching head; GUNFIRE!, BLOOD!, DEATH. These thoughts rang true in his head, he had been ambushed, his men were dead and he was dying...until...the sky tore. Tha-poom! The echoing explosion naturally caught his attention, horror spread across his face as he witnessed the City of Sovereign ablaze; his grey eyes now seeped in dark reds and glowing amber`s.

"Fire. Such a vulgar thing." An unseen person stated. Startled, Mathias began to stand, frantically looking around for the owner of the voice. As he did so a pain roared between his chest and shoulder and his right leg gave way, letting gravity do the rest. "Steady now Mathias, You`re not fully healed." The voice spoke calmly, yet Mathias was confronted by hidden undertones that made him uneasy."Where are you? What have you done to me?" Mathias demanded.

"You deserve a name i suppose. Very well, I am Boreas, the devouring one, bringer of the Northern Winds. You Mathias are my host."Mathias stopped searching for the voice, he believed the voice, he believed that the voice was in his head and he believed that this voice was Boreas. He did not know why he believed this, he just did. Perhaps when surrounded by such chaos one finds comfort in the unknown. "So Boreas..." Mathias mused " I take it you can hear my thoughts?" Mathias Inquired."Correct." A short answer, progress was hardly being made. "And you healed me you say?" Mathias grew impatient of Boreas` uncooperative responses, "Correct." another short response. "Well you didn't do a very good job." Mathias sniggered before coughing up ruby droplets that fell onto the dark gravel floor,

"I didn't have much time, I did what i could to repair the vessel, you will heal eventually. Now however, we need to find somewhere safe." Such tremendous pain filled every fiber, yet it only served to fuel his determination. Mathias rose to his feet slowly, surrounding him were the corpses of his fallen soldiers, his brothers, his family. The strongest pain he felt at that moment was grief. Using the wall as an aid he traversed the baron docks for several minutes before reaching a high street. The window of an antiquities shop caught his eye. Laying on the front display was a pristine White-Gold cane, the head of which was encrusted with a fine onyx.

"I think that's just what we need...take it Mathias", Bemused by the request, Mathias at first tried to hold back, but was met with a wave of strong malicious urges, he had to oblige. Mathias threw heavy fists at the glass, blood dripping down his knuckles, pain building in his veins, before the glass came crashing down like waterfall. With a shaking, dripping hand the cane was firmly in his grasp.
"Now, let us rest Mathias." The bewildered kingpin hobbled through the desolate streets of a once vibrant city, to find safety, to find a meaning, to find his family, to find revenge.

Kisheto



3,532......

3,533.....

"Huh?" Kisheto stumbled out of his bed as his cell shook. He shook his head to erase the drowsiness that was overcoming him. "Damnit, yo, I was so close to falling asle- FUCK!"

This time, not only did the room shake, but a loud, echoing "boom" was heard outside the wall, followed by screams of civilians and sirens. The guard that had been patrolling Kisheto's hall left in a hurry, leaving Kisheto to sit in the cell alone, pondering what could have caused such a commotion. Damn feds - can't even take care of their own city. Man, if it were up to me, I would have this place on POINT! Kisheto smiled, as he sat on his bed, looking up at the empty celing. I would be the hero that Sovereign deserves. Yeah, yeah, I can see it now - "KISHETO! KISHETO!" Oh, man, they all chantin' my name. Oh, man, and the best way to end it off: My dad hands me the hand of some beautiful dame and then we all live happily ever aft-

"SHIT!"

Another tremor caused a lot of the interior piping systems to rupture, quickly flooding the hall with water. The lights in the prison went out, leaving only the dim sunlight entering from a small square-shaped window at the back of the cell to light the room.

And then, a stray shuttle tore through the wall and blasted through the hallway, destroying half the structure in it's path and stopping mere feet away from Kisheto's cell. Kisheto felt a tremble under his feet and before he knew it, he was thrown against the prison bars, which managed to cause a decent bleeding in his mouth. He felt his weight shove against the bars - the building was falling, and he was on the third or fourth floor. Suddenly, an unimaginably forceful impact caused him to be flung towards the back wall of the cell, and he heard a few of his ribs crack as he coughed up blood. The building had slammed right against another tower, and now leaned against it, moments away from tearing through and flattening on the streets below. Suddenly, all Kisheto could hear were screams and sirens. Screams and sirens - the surefire way to ignite one's fight or flight response.

"FUCKING WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Kisheto yelled, crawling towards the square window that was now above him, facing the sky. Kisheto hung on to the bars that caged the small window in, and his legs dangled downwards towards the prison door. Soon, he felt a sudden gush of water push him up, slamming him back against the wall as he gagged at the water entering his mouth.

The entire prison was sinking, slowly, into the flooded street below.

And Kisheto was trapped inside.

FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! He swam to the bars and tried tugging on them with all his might, but they would not budge. He tried kicking them, biting them, elbowing them - but nothing. It simply would not work. Eventually, he felt his lungs burning for air, and his strength seemed to be fading due to his lack of oxygen. His body slowly began sinking, inch by inch, towards the prison that held him below.

Suddenly, another shuttle crashed right through the wall in which the window was located, also managing to slam directly into Kisheto and sending him right towards the prison door and pinning him down painfully. He screamed, letting go of the breathe that could have given him a few more seconds. I CAN'T FUCKING DIE NOW HELL NAH AERITUS YOU BITCH ASS MOTHAHFU-" In his fit of anger, he managed to pull of the shuttle, which was now completely submerged. In a last-ditch effort to survive, Kisheto pushed with all his might to swim to the top.

The gulp of air that he took in felt like heaven on Aeros. However, now, he was being thrown around in a raging flood, unable to control his body in the furious river that decimated the streets.

=================================
[i]I must... return to the Void Gate....

The golden orb vibrated as it pushed up off the ground, and inched towards the massive Void Gate that seemed to push it in the other direction.

I must... I CANNOT FAIL! As the golden orb fell towards the ground once more, the Void Gate let out a final wave of energy, sending the orb shooting in the opposite direction at unfathomable speed after being only inches away from its goal.

The orb shot through the streets, dodging debris and survivors alike.
I CAN'T GET TRAPPED HERE! NO, DAMNIT! The golden orb used every ounce of it's maneuverability to evade the human beings' whose spirit called to his. Finally, there was a clear path to a shelter, although the orb's light began growing dim ever so slightly.

It lowered the height of its flight, nearly touching the raging river that was flowing in the opposite direction, when suddenly -
=================================

*GASP* Kisheto's head shout of the water as he once again tried to gain a breathe of oxygen before slipping back into the deadly stream. The second his head shot out of the water unexpectedly, he was hit with a force that should have removed his head in a clean blow. The golden orb slammed into his face, quickly lighting up his skull, a golden light flaring out of his mouth, eyes, nostrils, and ears.

Then, the golden light began swirling around his body, spiraling around him as every vein in Kisheto was glowing the same tint of golden-orange.

DAMNIT AERITUS! DAMNIT IT ALL TO SIN!

Kisheto screamed in pain - a scream that seemed to increase in volume until finally, his entire body erupted into a bright golden explosion. The entire street he was on lit up in a golden flash, and just like that, the floodwater, the corpses, the rubble - anything touched by the golden aura - was gone.

Not a fucking kid...

“Leo I want a report right now! What the hell is going on out there?” Iktomi paced quickly within the main chamber of his lair, one hand on the head piece in his right ear, a deep frown creasing his face. Two tremors had just struck Sovereign, which due to its distance from a fault line, should not have occurred to the degree they had. He had lost communication with over half of his men. For a moment fear attempted to claw into him as all he got from Leo’s frequency was static, before finally he got a reply.

“We don’t know sir, it came out of no where. One moment we were transporting the documents, the next the carriage is on its side. We lost three men, another one is unconscious.” Despite the circumstances, Leo’s voice remained collected.

Iktomi on the other hand was a bit frantic, concerned not about the welfare of his men, but the status of the documents. “Leo are you still in possession of the package? Burn it if you are, we can not risk that information leaving us again. Do you understand me?”

“I followed protocols already sir, as soon as I pulled myself from the wreckage I blew the carriage up. There is no trace of the documents, nor of the men we lost. We will not be linked to this. What are your orders?”

A sigh of relief parted Iktomi’s lips, his voice regaining it’s icy edge. “Report back here at once. Check the perimeter upon your arrival, burn any that are dead, kill any that are too injured to be of use, bring the rest inside.”

With a quick click Iktomi switched frequencies. “Hali report back to base as soon as you are capable. Check the safehouses along your way, anyone that can still be of use bring them back with you. Execute the rest on the spot and dispose of them. This will be the last radio transmission for the time. You will receive your next orders when you return.”

As he removed his hand from the headset Iktomi resumed pacing, carefully avoiding the chunks of the ceiling that had collapsed during the initial two tremors. Out of nowhere the third tremor struck, it threw Iktomi off balance causing him to tumble backwards, his head slamming against a piece of stone with a hard thunk. Despite how hard he tried, he could not remain conscious for very long, and soon his eyelids flickered downwards as blackness engulfed him.

He awoke several minutes later, his body suspended thirty feet above his throne like chair, water pouring onto him via the multitude of holes in the ceiling. Slowly Iktomi attempted to move his arm, but found it stuck fast to whatever was keeping him in the air. He tried moving every body part, and found them all equally fixated. After a couple of moments of struggle, and clearing of his hazy mind, he finally realized that he was not alone. Someone, or something, was moving just outside of his range of vision rapidly approaching his side, before slinking back into the shadows.

This continued for what seemed like several minutes, but in reality was only a few heartbeats worth of time. The only conclusion that Iktomi could make, was that whatever this entity was it wanted to him to be thoroughly terrified before it made its move. He was determined to not allow that to happen. He had felt more than enough fear with the documents, he would not allow his life to come to an end with even more fear engulfing him. Finding his voice he spoke, his tone void of emotion. “I know you are there whatever you may be. There is no point in hiding yourself any longer. I do not fear you, nor what you plan on doing with me. If you are going to end me, do so and end this pathetic game of yours.”

A series of clicks is all he received in response to his statement originally, and as they continued and grew louder it dawned on him that this was the sound of his captor laughing, maniacally by the sound of it. As the clicking finally died, the voice that replaced it almost made Iktomi wish it had continued. ”Foolish little mortal, I am not going to end you that would be counterproductive for me given the circumstances. No what I have planned for you will be much worse than death.”

Iktomi’s vision is obstructed by a large head, eight eyes staring straight through him impassively. Lowering his gaze he quickly took in the rest of the large arachnids body. At the top of its abdomen it stood nearly as tall as a large horse, just as thick around as well. The eight legs surrounded his frame like a cage, its mandible’s hovering inches over his mouth. Taking a deep breathe, Iktomi steadied his resolve, before meeting the gargantuan creature’s gaze once again. “What do you want then? What is your name? You are sentient so I presume you have a name.”

Raising one leg the spider trailed it along Iktomi’s cheek, causing a shallow gash to form, blood seeping out slowly rather than flow like a river. Placing the blood-tipped appendage in it’s mouth it swishes the crimson liquid within it mouth before swallowing it, eyes fixating on Iktomi was more as it finished. ”I am a Onikage, I suppose you deserve to know that much before the end of your free will. As for my name, you can call me Archania. Now open wide fool, it is time for us to join.” Without waiting for Iktomi to comply, Archania forced his mouth open with two of it’s legs.

Without warning she plunged her head straight into Iktomi’s mouth and down his throat, the legs that had been holding his mouth open sliding inside with her. Even as Archania shrunk in size, he could still feel her stretching his throat beyond it’s limit, blood lubricating her descent as he attempted to gag without the ability to do so. Two more legs joined her head within his throat, and using them she resumed crawling down into his center, leaving long and deep gashes within the muscle of his throat.

One by one Archania’s legs slid into his body, which continued to feel the searing pain of having razors slicing it up from the inside, until all that remained outside was the massive abdomen. Rather than having it all shrink at once, it shrank in small increments filling Iktomi’s mouth to the brim with tough exoskeleton for over three minutes, before the last bit of the spider disappeared into his body. Without the pressure of Archania holding his head up, it slumps forward large globs of blood dropping from his mouth to the ground below. The web holding him up soon faded into nothing, dropping his broken and battered body into a pool of his own blood. All the while Archania made herself busy healing the injuries that she had given him, wanting to make sure her new host was capable of containing her.

One Year Has Passed





~Sovereign, barely standing, still quivers at the damage dealt to its glorious structure. The once-idolized, man-made heaven now lay crumbling into an endless cloud of dust, soot, and debris. The only sign of any stability or fortitude whatsoever resonated from the wall that tormented all captured within. It stood high enough to where, on cloudy days, the top could not be seen. At first, people concentrated along the edges of the city, hoping to escape the quarantine. But every amount of effort was a waste - the wall would not budge.

Now, the survivors lay scattered about the dying metropolis, hoping and praying that their saviors would come. They looked to the sky, asking for a divine intervention, but no such intervention would come. No, the saviors had arrived. They had been here the entire time. They simply needed to awaken~

---

The hosts. Most forgot the excruciating bonding that either forced them into servitude or granted them a new life. Regardless, these men and women had hidden potential, locked away in the fabric of their soul. Some refused to acknowledge it, burying away the memories of the ritual. Others toiled day and night to pique the demons that had manifested within them.

Some had awakened, others had perished trying to do so. For the bonding ritual was simply the prologue of the birth of the new entitiy.

Conduits. Guardians.

Both alike in their endeavor to birth their augmented spirits into the world that so desperately and unknowingly called their name. Their souls were the key to the wall, the pillars that supported all life that remained within Sovereign. They were tomorrow, or rather, the hope of it ever arriving. They simply needed to wake up.

Many mourned, others wandered. The inhabitants of the ghost land hung onto their weak lives simply waiting. Waiting for the hosts. Because the hosts were the answer. They were the warriors of Aeritus. They were the few chosen ones to lead the world in its new era. They simply needed TO WAKE UP.

It had been a long, year. Nearly 30% of the survivors died off in their patience, because patience was all they had. The smart few scavenged, looted, pillaged, assaulted... It was every man for himself within the walls. Some banded together to change that, to mirror society as it once was. But they were not strong enough, no, but the hosts were. They simply NEEDED TO WAKE UP!

The military had forced its authority over Sovwakeupereign. Over the past year, they had been the ones callwakeuping the shots and making the moves. No one understood why or how, but the military could leave and enter the quarantine at wakeup will. They were, in fact, hording resources and keeping the survivors trapped inwakeupside. People could tolerate at first, but then they began forcing wakeup the survivors to do their bidding, and things turned violent. Anwakeuparchy broke out, and not just in Sovereign.

In fwakeupact, beyond the walls of Sovereign, there was no sign of government anywhere. The council had disappeared, and the military had taken over. Corruption begwakeupan taking root in whatever authority remained. New gangs, new factions, and new organizations were born - all attempting to take reigns of the new wowakeuprld.

Simply put, the world was knee deYOU NEED TO WAKE UPep in shit. Any cities that weren't destroyed by the catastrophe a year ago were either dying or dead, due to the horrifying influx of banPLEASEWAKEUPdits. As if that weren't enough, the moWHYWON'TYOUWAKEUPnsters of the land seemed to grow in size, strength, and number. New, horrifying beasts awakened in the lands. Beasts that had either been deep in hibernation and finally awoken by the tremors, or even worse, demonic entities rumored to have risen from the tears in the realm. It was saiWAKE UP NOW!d that the Void Gate was the biggest tear out of many, as gates to the Void had sprung up across Leginia, allowing even stranger non-kage entities to ravage the lanWAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UPds.

The world was in shambles, and soon, it would be dead. But tales of a new prophecy were already being sung. Bards spoke of heros that would break through the walls of the cursed city and save mankind.

But first, they needed to-

---