Soul commander, p.15
Soul Commander, page 15
"I know I am. The fortress took years to perfect but with God on our side; and you know he is after all the people we've helped, we can do it again. I mean there are two other moons orbiting this world besides Deximen. That's a lot of building space and it’s not like you're that old. There's plenty of time. You just have to keep moving forward.I can't imagine what you're going through so I can't empathize. And I know this sounds cliché but have faith. Faith that Cavlov will be alright. Faith that we can move past this point. How far you fall isn't important. What is important is how you pick yourself up after the fall. Even though it seems like the end of the world, it's not. So keep fighting until it is"
Beneram stares down at his bandages and takes Raphael's words into account.
"Raphael," Beneram says.
"Yeah?"
"If you're considering going after that cyborg, don't. I know you want to get revenge but that metal thing is far too great for you to handle."
Raphael realizes that Beneram has no idea that Cavlov was behind Choronus.
He decides to keep it that way.
"I'm not alone. I have a real chance in making things right. And that's exactly what I intend to do."
"Don't you see the condition I'm in? I was one of the lucky ones. If you recall, most of the soldiers took that first step on the divine stairway and didn't have a chance to turn around.
I don't want to have to say a speech at your funeral because you didn't listen to me."
Raphael turns and takes three steps toward the doorway.
"I'm leaving to check on Naphaul. It was good seeing you," says Raphael.
Raphael steps out of the door and leaves Beneram concerned for his safety. Beneram presses the call button on his bed. A few moments later a nurse comes in to check on him. "Ready for lunch, Mr. Galtren?"
"Not quite Sabrina. I actually need you to call my daughter for me."
"Give me one second to finish passing out food to the rest of the patients and
I'll be right back with a phone, okay?"
"Take your time."
Raphael and Akai travel back through the city at a calmer pace than before. The sky darkens to a grizzly shade of blue and clouds of damp cotton embroidery act as announcing trumpets, warning of an eventual downpour. Akai carries his remaining snacks and final drink container. Crumbs cover the sides of his mouth. They arrive at Beneram’s mansion where Naphaul is expected to be. The house has the appearance of a beige modern day castle. Bullet proof windows guard the superficial appearance that outsiders may be accustomed to. A well-furnished garden resides on both sides of a stone pathway which leads to the front porch. No welcome mat awaits arrival at the peak of the stairs. A railed ramp remains adjacent to the crimson front door for those who lack the ability to amble. Sprinklers douse the evergreen, ostensibly false grass but are considerate in avoiding the pathway.
"Are you going to be a while?" asks Akai.
"Nah. Only a few minutes."
"I’ll stay out here then."
"Alright. Be right out."
Raphael walks through the front door and sees Naphaul listening to an audiobook while sprawled out on a sofa She instinctively thinks that Cavlov came by to visit but reminds herself of Beneram calling and telling her to expect Raphael. She sits up.
"Why'd you come to visit me?" She asks.
"Well, I have all these memories of you. A part of me feels like we grew up together. I know it's strange but I had to come see you after that whole fiasco.
How are you?"Raphael asks.
"I'm alright. Not dead yet. What about you?"
"Just visited Beneram in the hospital."
"So I've heard he called me right after you left," she tells him.
"For what, exactly?"
"He wanted me to convince you to stay here."
"He's afraid that you might get hurt."
"He already expressed his concerns I'd rather not hear them twice if that's alright with you."
"It's not actually. He cares a lot about you. We were soldiers it was great while it lasted but it's over. I'm not the one to give up easily but that robot is beyond us. You saw what it did."
"You sound just like him," he says.
"I sound rational, unlike you."
"Say I did stay here. Then what? It continues to kill innocent people while I sit back and do nothing? I can't let that happen
"And what if you do go? Chances are you're going to die alongside all those innocent people. Leave it to the Epillion Union to take him down," Naphaul heavily suggests.
"The government isn't going to do anything about him. Too busy with political means and the 'What-ifs' to expend their resources. They'd rather wait until the planet itself comes to harm. I'm not willing to wait around for the government to decide to do what’s necessary,"
"You need to listen to reason,"
"I'm listening to my own reason. You and Beneram are being irrational,"
"And how's that?"
"Because Cavlov is missing, that cyborg is out there on a warpath, and you want me to sit back and relax. I can't let things continue to get out of hand. The Silver Sun fortress didn't make me the soldier I am today. That was just a place. I'm a soldier because when life throws a stone, I retaliate with a boulder. And that's how I'll always be"
"If that's how you feel, I can't stop you. I'll tell my father I tried. Feel free for a glass of nebula wine. It doesn't get you drunk but it will lift your serotonin levels. You look like you could use it"
"Thanks but I'm good. Take care."
"I will. You too."
Raphael steps outside and rejoins Akai.
"All set?" asks Akai.
"Yep."
Akai uses telepathy to call his father. Omero opens a wormhole for them which they enter almost instantly. Against their expectations, they are taken to Talor a quarter of a mile outside the kingdom. Omero and Nophra watch them as they make an entrance. "How is your family?" Omero asks.
"Alive. That’s the most I could ask for, right?"
"Thank the stars. Come now, we have much to do."
Raphael can sense Omero’s desire for swift retribution. Even his walk is aggressive which is a habit that lies on the edge of his character. Nophra remains silent. Raphael assumes he’d taken his mind off the destruction of his home for a short period but being on Talor has brought the fresh and foul memories back to the surface.
Chapter 16
The four of them arrive outside the walls of Athenaton. Akai is worried about how the sight of the Kingdom will make them feel. Akai peers into the gaping hole in the wall that Choronus had made. The glance is enough to refresh his melancholy which had otherwise been tapered down by subsequent distractions. They approach the main gate. Akai and Nophra make eye contact as they prepare themselves. Omero opens the gate and surrounds the four of them in a barrier to keep the toxin from making contact with them. They enter into the kingdom and look around. There are no longer any clouds covering the area. However, the kingdom's former beauty finds no resolve amongst discord's misdemeanor. The ground, buildings, clothing covering both the living as well as the dead, and scattered stones had all been shaded red. Only a handful of structures remain standing. Athenaton is nearly unrecognizable. Many civilians and paladins lay inanimate. Various beasts from outside roam the place. Those who continue to live either hide in withered shelter or practice functioning with all logical thought depleted. The arrival of the emperor and prince evokes no change in the misery of the atmosphere. They might as well be invisible. Omero exits his own barrier and takes a few steps to ensure that its safe. Once he is convinced the environmental conditions are at least sub-par in relation to well, he releases the barrier and waves for the others to follow.
Akai gathers Raphael’s attention.
"This was my home. It used to be the most beautiful place in all of Talor" Akai is confident in this biased and emotionally driven opinion even though he'd seen little of Talor behind his painted portrait akin horizons. "I can only imagine. I wish I there to witness its previous condition" "None of this should have happened. You should’ve seen how it was when the red clouds were first spreading. It was a nightmare."
"I'm sure it was awful. And I'm sorry to say this but we should stay away from the afflicted. They might be dangerous"
"Yeah, I know..."
Akai's gaze wallows in the details of the ground.
"Why God?" he mumbles.
They find the palace in shambles. The walls are tattooed with the marks of the deconstructive plague yet it stands in rebellion. Omero distances his eyes with a lingering blink before attempting to accept what has not gone unnoticed. He pushes forward and opens the royal doors. Akai expects servants to remain in the positions which he abandoned them in. They do, but not in the same form of health. Silence carries much weight. The walk through their former humble abode is a toiling one. Melancholy glorifies time as cruelly everlasting as infinity separates itself into one pace after another. Contrary to the feeling of longevity, they arrive at the royal arsenal which awaits two corner turns away from the bunker Akai hid in, The security door resides ajar at the extent of its hinges. A fair selection of war tools remain but the majority leave their slots vacant in their absence. Raphael enters, he immediately becomes enthralled. He hadn’t seen such weaponry. "Is everything in here enchanted?" "For the most part," Omero answers.
The walls are covered with blades of wide variety, full body armor, bows, arrows, and other mystical items.
"Glad this place is intact," Raphael says.
"Gather as much as you can carry," Omero instructs.
Raphael is indecisive. He feels that no matter which weapons he chooses, he could be missing out on something more useful. He thinks about his own weapons. He is willing to replace his twin blades but could never leave behind his desert eagles. He pulls both of them from their holsters.
"Could these be enchanted?"
"Not interested in anything we have to offer?" Nophra asks.
"No, it's not that. These were my first weapons. I have grown quite attached to them"
"Hand them over."
Raphael gives Nophra his pistols. Nophra examines them and fires a single shot at the door. The draco breaks into pieces upon impact. He grips the pistols and begins manipulating the mechanics. Athenaton lacks guns but that doesn't keep Nophra from commiting the pistols' mannerisms to surgery. It's only a few minutes before he returns them.
"They should work much better now."
Before Raphael can thank him, he accidently pulls the trigger on one of the eagles and five shards are rapidly released from the nozzle. Fortunately, they do not hit anyone.
"Be careful with those. You might’ve killed me," Akai blurts.
"Sorry. Hair pull trigger."
"Consider yourself lucky no one is hurt. I gave the other a different effect.
But don’t fire it until we are around enemies," Nophra says.
"I won't. Thank you."
Raphael examines his eagles once more before putting them away. Foremost, he searches the storages for armor in his size. He requests Akai’s assistance. Akai provides details on many full body suits and describes what form of enchantment they're under. Some sound very compelling but when Raphael tries them on, the bottoms are too tight or the torso is too loose or his feet are too small. After going through four armored suits, he comes across a marble white suit. Akai informs him that the armor is absorbent of impact. When the armor does absorb impact, it temporarily give the wearer increased strength. The more it absorbs, the more strength is granted. Akai issues a warning. "Many have worn this suit and allowed themselves to come to mortal harm for the sake of strength in exchange"
"This one goes well with my cloak. I could see myself going for the whole, 'White Knight' look."
"If you choose that one, you need to be aware of injuries. Don't put yourself in danger like the men before you."
"What if I lay it down and beat on it before I put it on?" asks Raphael. "You're not the first to have that idea. It doesn't work that way. You have to be wearing it."
Akai has all that he needs. Omero and Nophra wait patiently for him to finish gathering his tools for battle. Akai wears bronze armor with a helmet to match that has five horns on its crown and three ovular holes on the face plate. He wears a black gladiator's cape that drapes down his back.
He carries a bow with a bag of emerald arrows and a long curved sword that has a black blade. Raphael takes interest in a blade that is nearly identical to his twin blades. The only difference is that the handle has a square cross-guard and black cloth wrapped around the grip while his twins had a circular cross-guard and blue cloth. The blade is unbreakable, so Akai tells him. Raphael only wishes there were two so that he would not need to change his stance but it is the only one available. He can’t make a pair with one old sword and the new as the weight difference would be inconvenient for him.
"Quite finished?" asks Omero.
"Quite," Raphael replies.. "Good. We make our leave" Akai speaks to his sword.
"I think I’ll name you, ‘Hope Breaker’."
They continue outside. Raphael spots a ship in the distance that looks to be from the Silver Sun fortress
"That must be the ship Cavlov came in. Think it works?" Raphael asks.
Nophra answers swiftly.
"No. I ordered it to be decommissioned once he was taken captive. Despite its appearance, it doesn't fly anymore"
"That’s a shame. We could've used it to find him. To be honest, I'm surprised he didn't destroy it himself"
"I still have power left. I will take us to him faster than any ship can," Omero assures.
Raphael vocalizes another concern.
"We still need to find his location. That could take forever"
"It won't. You can put your trust in me. I'm not called the greatest living sage for nothing"
"You have an answer for everything.. I’m starting to think you’re actually some sort of demigod"
"I am no god. When my power flees from me, your opinion will change. In my old age, it takes longer for me to regain it than it used to," Omero confirms.
"That’s concerning," Raphael exclaims.
"Not to worry. Nophra and Akai are young. They regenerate in minutes" "Nophra, young? He’s like forty, isn’t he?" Raphael asks.
"I am 422 years old. In comparison, he is but a babe."
"Point taken."
Omero looks at the sky. His pupils expand until they cover the entirety of his eyes. His vision travels through space, fixed on a certain location. He finds Cavlov still inside Choronus. His vision lingers as he scouts the area. When he feels that he has seen enough, his pupils contract and his focus returns to him.
"He's on a moon near a violet and blue planet," Omero states.
"Deximen. What’s he doing back there?" Raphael asks, surprised.
"He has an army and many ships prepared."
"Impossible. How was he able to gather them so quickly?" asks Nophra. "I'm not sure"
"His army, what was the number of soldiers, lord emperor?"
"More than three thousand."
"An army of men or titans?"
"Neither. Alien creatures with several faces. Their kind doesn't strike me as familiar. They are quite large but thank the stars they aren't Oleraun" "How are we supposed to fight an army of that size?" Akai asks, worried.
"Together," Raphael replies.
Romasu speaks to Nophra in his mind.
"I can't be beaten so we can't be beaten" Nophra feels more hopeful of their outcome.
"If the using Anarite wasn't a forbidden practice, I would dive into the hole and search for some."
Omero responds, "My father forbade it for a reason. It corrupts and weakens the soul."
"We don't need anything but ourselves to beat him. We are beyond prepared," Nophra says.
"You have a plan then?" Akai asks.
"Yes. The divine beast inside me. He will help bring us to triumph."
"I think we need an army. One beast may not be enough."
"It may. Divine beasts are more might than any ordinary creature. But during battle, I will not be able to help keep him under control, if you accept his power. Once I run out of power completely, you will need to find a way to tame him yourself," Omero tells Nophra.
Nophra hesitates.
"For the sake of the kingdom, I will not fail."
"I'm confident you will prevail, my friend. In the meantime, I have a more detailed strategy."
Omero begins to detail with the group a strategy he’d been mulling over. This isn't the first time he'd gone to war in his life so it didn't take long for him to conduct a feasible operation.
"We will need to bring down his fleet of ships before anything else. Nophra, you and I will appearin the sky and snatch their attention. I’m sure he’d been waiting for us so he surely will see us coming. In the meantime, Raphael, you and Akai will be on the ground, sabotaging his defenses. You need not to be caught until we come down and meet with you. Then, we will take his army. That is all for now. Depending on how the battle goes, I will give more commands. For now, we make our leave. Everyone understand?" The group nods synonymously. Omero opens two final potholes in the midst of reality’s fabric. He has used much of his stamina in creating so many wormholes but he loses no confidence in his abilities. He offers another command to Akai and Raphael.
"The portal on the right leads to ground level. There are warriors waiting and I want you to take as many as you can in stealth before engaging directly. There are ships orbiting the moon. Nophra and I will meet you after we rid his army of its fleet."
Raphael agrees quickly. Akai pauses.
"It will be alright, son. You are a sage. You can handle yourself. And if you find difficulty, stay with Raphael. He won’t abandon you in a time of need,
I’m sure"
Raphael doesn't say anything, assuming the statement was rhetorical.
"Yes, father," says Akai.
"I shall see you on the other side. Good luck to you both," says Nophra. Omero waits for Akai and Raphael to enter their portal before closing it and following Nophra into their own. Nophra feels he’s waited long enough. Retribution reaches out to him as he reaches back.
