Traitor's Legacy: The Claughter Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Dark Viper

            “Kiyara, Dementius, I mentioned that something is amiss.” Glacier said as she approached the duo from her hut. Dementius nodded and turned his attention to the younger Half-Siren. “When Lucas and Markus returned home, they told me that everyone in the city was running back into their houses. A rumor has been flying around that one of Iblisan’s lieutenants is coming to Qurrentine today.”

            Almost instantly, Dark Viper flashed inside Dementius’s mind. Out of all the lieutenants that Iblisan had, Dark Viper was the most powerful and loyal of his followers. He was a traitor to his people, the Salvagers, and the instigator of the holocaust that destroyed the Six Exiles’ former homes. The last battle Dementius had with his ex-comrade-in-arms was probably the most memorable experience he had with him. He remembered the Dark Energies surging around his left arm, the stoic look on his face and the fighting style that earned him his nickname. He remembered Dark Viper leaping around and sinking his magically summoned fangs into Dementius’s neck, hoping to kill him but alas, was not enough.

            However, what traumatized Dementius the most of that memory was how close he was to suffering from Magical Overflow. He allowed his anger to boost his power and almost submit to his jealousy of Dark Viper’s successful life, although such jealousy was no longer justifiable considering the husk of a man Dark Viper has become. If it weren’t for the soft consoling of his friend and secret crush, Glacier Highland, he would probably end up like Dark Viper, a victim of his own powers.

            “I’m going to assume that Dark Viper has found us. We need to prepare for his arrival.” Dementius said. Kiyara’s brow lowered out of confusion. She asked, “How would you know that the lieutenant was Dark Viper?” “I know him just as much as Glacier. He always gets the job done, even if it takes years. I knew that he would find us somehow. Let us prepare for his arrival.” Dementius answered.

            Kiyara nodded and ran into the hut, attempting to warn Alinda, Raydon and Lilian of Dark Viper’s seeming arrival. As she left Dementius’s sights, he turned to Glacier, who was rubbing her left elbow with a worried expression. She appeared to be deep in thought as her eyes were staring at the ground without blinking. Dementius knew what was going through her mind and tried to calm her down, “You’re not looking forward to meeting Dark Viper again aren’t you.”

            Glacier shook her head and heaved a heavy sigh. She replied, “He killed Blaze and he is coming to end us all. I am not afraid of dying if that’s what you’re asking, but I fear that he might harm my children. Out of all times, he just had to arrive after Jaden woke up from her Proving. Some life I have.” Infuriated, Glacier trudged back into the hut as Dementius watched. He remembered that fury in her eyes, the same that he saw when Glacier fought with Dark Viper. He knew that she was not going down without a fight and made a silent promise to her.

            “He will not get them like he got Blaze. I promise you that.”

            The dark clouds opened up, making way as a massive dreadnaught descended from the skies. The familiar appearance of the vessel struck fear into the hearts of Salvagers hiding within Qurrentine. They knew what was coming, the very horror of a man who single-handedly destroyed cities and defeated the loyal followers of the late King Raymundo. Fearing for their lives, everyone ran into their homes while the ship landed onto an open area near the city’s outskirts. The ship’s docking ramp lowered as lights from within the ship poured into the opening.

            A man with a sword held in the Reverse Grip fighting style walked out the ramp, darkened by the light behind him. Following him was a platoon of humans, armed with rifles and a katana sheathed as emergency weapons. The man marched into the light and his identity was revealed by the surrounding light. The grey hooded sweatshirt, the hood covering half of the man’s glowing green eyes, was the immediate indication that the man was the traitor to all Salvagers: Dark Viper.

            Viper and his men marched into the city, his left arm surging with Dark Lightning while his sword glowed red. The fearful people of Qurrentine watched as the lieutenant walked past their homes, apparently having a mission which did not involve slaughtering innocents, something which he was known for. Dark Viper’s march, however, came to a halt when an angry human stood in his way and began rambling about his wrongdoings in the past. Viper’s glowing eyes simply stared as the man continued his lecture. His patience did not last long.

            He pushed his fingers into the man’s abdomen, causing a stinging pain to surge from where his fingers hit. The man wondered how his fingers could cause pain and looked down as he saw blood trickling from the fingers. Viper’s nails, replaced with claws, made five bloody wounds and to finish him off, Viper summoned Dark Energies into his fingers and electrocuted the man where he stood. Other people nearby, including Viper’s own soldiers, watched with awe at the sight as the charred remains fall to the ground as Viper watched.

He shook his hands as blood splattered out of his claws before dismissing them, returning his nails back to normal. No such expression was shown on his face and Viper simply stepped over the corpse before gesturing his men to follow. Few now know Viper’s wrath and would not dare to stand in his way in the future.

“Mom, what’s going on? Why are you all preparing for battle?” Jaden asked as she and her brothers stared at their mother with awe. “Dark Viper’s coming. You three need to hide from him.” Glacier explained. “Hide? He killed our father. We want to kill that bastard ourselves.” Markus retorted. However, Glacier bellowed, “No! He’s too powerful for three apprentices to defeat. You three must hide.” Jaden insisted, “No mom! I agree with Markus. I am not going to hide while he takes you away like he did with dad!” “Jaden please!” Glacier exclaimed as she held her daughter’s shoulders tight. Jaden’s shock froze her as she watched her mother’s furious eyes within a finger’s length. Her mother was clearly serious about hiding.

Glacier heaved a heavy sigh, her expression changing from anger to sadness. She brought her head down and whispered an apology to her children. She began to make sobbing noises, her arms shaking with it, while Jaden attempted to calm her down by caressing her shoulder. Jaden only managed, “Mom.” while her brothers watched silently. Glacier brought her head back up, revealing her face wet with her tears while her eyes were welled up. The pitiful sight gave a feeling of guilt within Jaden as she felt that she was the one who made her mother sad.

Despite the spasm, Glacier choked, “I’ve…lost my husband, my home, my family, my former life and…the last thing that I want to lose now…is you three. I don’t care if Dark Viper’s going to take my life away; I’ve already resented this world! Please…I know I am probably going to die confronting your father’s murderer…so please do one last request before I confront him. I will never die in peace…knowing that you three will suffer.” Jaden knew what her mother was talking about, although she never understood why Glacier was not willing to hide with them. She nodded while Markus said, “Alright. We’ll try to hide.” Glacier smiled through her sadness and said, “Thank you. Stay here while I get prepared. Lucas. Look after your brother and sister for me. If I never come back…” “I know what to do mom.” Lucas interrupted. Glacier nodded and left the room, preparing herself for the confrontation of her life.

“I know mom is just trying to keep us safe but, why is it that she and the rest were so willing to stay and fight instead of escaping? I mean, aren’t there many transport ship docks around here.” Markus asked. Lucas replied, “Seems to me that their issue with Dark Viper is more personal than we know. Now let us keep our voice down. We don’t want to be getting Dark Viper’s attention.” Jaden remained silent, worried about her mother’s well-being and mental state. She was also fearful of what the future has in store for her should her mother not survive the encounter.

Dementius and company stood outside their hut, weapons in hand and ready for anything. Using his Magical Energies, Dementius sensed for Dark Viper’s heartbeat, hoping to sense him should he be around the area. While he was indulged in the spell, the others made use of their sight to look out for anything. Soon enough, battle ensued.

Alinda caught sight of a few soldiers, bearing the insignia of Iblisan’s followers on their uniforms. The soldiers ran in and began to open fire upon the Six Exiles. She brought up her shield in time to protect herself from the bullets while Kiyara rushed in, relying on her powers to effectively dodge the wave of lead. With a huge leap, Kiyara landed upon the soldiers and began slashing the group. A bullet hit the ground close to Lilian and she turned around to see yet another group of soldiers running in. She opened fire upon the group with her dual pistols while Raydon deflected back hostile fire with his greatsword. Amidst the chaos, Dementius continued to sense for Dark Viper with Glacier covering his flank and deflecting enemy fire if possible.

Kiyara continued to pressurize one group of the soldiers while Lilian shredded much of the other group with waves of gunfire. Raydon eventually began to cut through the soldiers like weed while Alinda and Glacier continued to provide support for Dementius. Eventually, the soldiers were all but utterly wiped out and Raydon commented, “So much for the terrifying army of Iblisan’s. That’s way too easy.”

As the exiles attempt to regroup, a gasp from Dementius caught Glacier’s attention. She patted his shoulder and asked, “What is it? Where’s Viper?” Dementius turned to look at Glacier, revealing with worried expression. She somehow knew that no good news is going to be heard. He then turned to the hut and exclaimed, “He’s inside!”

“Jaden! Where are you going?” Lucas shouted as Jaden bolted for the door. She turned to Lucas and said, “I’m just going to get my katana. I don’t know where it is but I want it just in case we need to fight.” “Make it quick Jaden. All that shooting and screaming coming from the outside makes me nervous.” Lucas told her. She nodded with a peculiar smile and left their room to find her katana.

She went to the living room and began scanning the room for her katana. Though large enough to be seen from afar, it is capable of blending with the surrounding. Hence, Jaden took her time to be thorough with her search, going so far as to use her illuminating blue glowing eyes as a flashlight. She checked around the dark corners and the tables and sofas, but her sword was nowhere to be seen. Covering her eyes once again, she then decided to check the backyard but she caught sight of her sword leaning on the wall next to the door leading to the backyard. Filled with glee, she picked it up and rubbed the blade briefly; reminiscing the time her mother presented her the sword that once belonged to her father.

As she turned to return to her room, she recoiled as a man standing right behind her startled her. She observed the man and didn’t remember seeing him before. He was noticeably short for a man, only slightly higher than her. He wore a hooded sweatshirt and the hood covered much of his glowing green eyes. His black fringe added to the coverage and his sword, held in the Reverse Grip with a red glow, invoked an amount of fear to Jaden’s heart. His stoic face added to the fear and his barely moving body sent chill up her spine. Somehow, she knew that whoever this man was, he was powerful.

“Who are you? How did you get in here?” Jaden requested. However, instead of answering, the man moved closer to her, his glowing eyes enlarging. Jaden backed away until she felt the wall behind her and as she was attempting to reach for the nearby door, the man thrust a hand into her neck. He tightened his grip around her neck; strangling her while Jaden struggled to pull his hand off. The man then raised her off the ground, his hand still gripped around her neck while Jaden continued to struggle. She attempted to kick him but her weakening strength did little to hurt him. In a final attempt to free herself, she pulled out her blindfold. The intensifying brightness coming out of her eyes blinded the man, forcing him to release her. She dropped to the ground and took in heavy breaths. She ran past the man while wearing back her blindfold. She watched as the man recovered and slowly turned to her with the same look on his face.

Lucas and Markus walked out of their room, complaining about noises they heard while they were inside. They turned left to see Jaden, already in her Reverse Grip fighting stance and backed away as they turned right to see an armed, hooded man standing near the backyard entrance. They stood by Jaden’s side and Markus asked, “Who’s that guy?” Jaden replied, “I don’t know but he tried to kill me.” Knowing that the man’s not going to be friendly, Lucas unsheathed his greatsword while Markus summoned a ball of flame. They did little to intimidate the man as a grin slowly formed on his face. Dark Energies surged from his left hand and the trio stepped backward to prepare to flee should the need arose.

The Six Exiles ran to the hut, hoping to reach Dark Viper in time before he could harm the triplets. Alinda was just about to reach the door when suddenly; a massive explosion destroyed the house and sent her flying away. She landed next to Glacier, who quickly helped her back onto her feet while the others turned to where their hut once was. As the dust haze cleared out and the wooden debris fell, they saw the very man whom they were expecting to meet: Dark Viper. Glacier’s eyes began to wander about, looking for her sons and daughter. She then caught sight of Markus and Lucas, lying on the floor and groaning in pain. Jaden, however, was nowhere to be seen. She turned back to Dark Viper, who was standing very still amongst the ruins, and a renewed anger formed within her.

“Dark Viper. What have you done with the triplets?” Dementius demanded. Dark Viper trudged through the ruins, walking right past Markus and Lucas. He then answered, “Ah yes. Typical of you Dementius. Caring little for the lives of cannon fodder while worrying so much for the young. Why do they matter to you? Their lives are insignificant and I will gladly deal with them later.”

“If you dare to hurt any of them…”

“Getting angry I see. Not worried about Magical Overflow?”

“Like you? Yeah right. You are so weak to have fallen for the very powers you commanded.”

“True but look at what I accomplished. But, enough of this. For now, I have a direct order from Iblisan: To destroy you all.” The Six Exiles moved closer to Dementius and he retorted, “Unlike before, you don’t have your master to back you up. We stand united against you!” Viper glared at each of them before he taunted.

“Bring it on.”

At a speed comparable with light, Viper rushed towards Raydon and hit him hard on his face, knocking him onto the ground. Turning quickly to Lilian, who was next to Raydon, he kicked her abdomen and surged her briefly with Dark Lightning. Kiyara rushed in and attempted to slash him but he parried the strike and used his summoned claws to puncture five wounds into her side. Alinda ran towards him but before she could reach him, he summoned forth five red tentacles from his left hand, wrapping Alinda, squeezing her and tossing her away. With the same tentacles, he attempted to whip Dementius with it but he dodged it. The tentacles, however, hit Glacier, who happened to be behind Dementius.

As he turned to see Glacier hurt by the attack, anger began to boil within and he used his Dark Energies to send out a wave of electricity at Viper. To counter, Viper dismissed his Dark Tentacles and used his own Dark Energy to attack. A power struggle occurred and the ground trembled as the two powerful force fought against each other. Dementius struggled to maintain his spell while Viper barely flinched.

Before the struggle could ensue in a victory, Raydon stood up and swung his greatsword at Viper. He canceled the spell and parried that attack, surprising Raydon as a katana successfully parried a greatsword’s attack. Dementius's body went limp, fully drained of his energies. He rammed Raydon and stabbed his katana through his chest. Raydon screamed as blood poured out of his wound. Viper pulled out his katana and Raydon fell to the ground. Dementius could not help but watched, barely able to save his friend from the killing blow.

Lilian, stricken by the sight of her best friend dying, cried out his name and the overwhelming anger made her determined to fight despite the pain she was suffering from. She quickly stood up and began shooting at Viper out of pure hatred, crying out with remorse. Viper dropped on all four limbs, adopting the Crawler fighting style with his Reverse Gripped sword still in hand. Leaping about the area, he dodged all of Lilian’s frenzied shots and after seeing an opening, he pounced on Lilian, pinning her while the impact disarmed her. Summoning his claws on both his hands, he began stabbing Lilian’s body relentlessly while she screams in pain. She struggled to push Viper off her but the pain weakened her. When Lilian eventually went limp, Viper ceased his assault and got off her, leaving her to die.

Dementius looked away, unwilling to see Lilian massacred by Viper. In doing so, he caught sight of Lucas and Markus, who were both attempting to get up after waking from unconsciousness. He looked back at Viper, who was engaging in a duel with Kiyara, and used the opportunity to help out Markus and Lucas.

“Markus. Lucas. Are you two alright?” he asked. Lucas replied, “I think so. I’m still hurting though.” “Where’s Jaden?” Markus asked. Lucas, who suddenly became worried, shouted, “Jaden! Where are you?” Viper turned to Lucas upon hearing his bellows. Not willing to let anyone escape, he dashed towards Lucas, marginally evading one of Kiyara’s attacks. In a frantic attempt to protect the duo, Dementius stood between them and Viper. He summoned a force field, causing Viper to collide with the invisible wall and knocking him onto the ground.

“Markus! Lucas! Get out of here, now!” Dementius exclaimed. Markus complied almost immediately and attempted to run while pulling Lucas. However, he pulled back his arm and retorted, “But what about Jaden? I can’t leave her behind!” “There’s no time! Get out now!” Dementius bellowed. “Come on Lucas!” Markus shouted as he attempted to pull Lucas again. Lucas did not fight back again and complied with Dementius’s order.

Dementius watched as the two ran as far away as they could. He was relieved that at least two of them made it out alive, although he was hoping for Jaden’s survival. As he turned back to Viper, he saw Viper charging his sword with Dark Energy while Kiyara was lying on the ground behind him with a large wound on her stomach. Viper pierced his Magic-infused sword through the force field and the blade punctured through Dementius’s abdomen.

Dementius’s pained scream struck Markus’s ears, causing him to stop and turn to look at what happened. He watched as Dementius fell to the ground while blood spurted out of his wound. “Master!” he shouted while Lucas attempted to pull him. The sight was burned into Markus’s memories and as the anger began to boil within, he vowed to avenge his fallen Master.

“Five down…just one to go. And, to think that the last one would be sweet old Glacier herself.” Viper said as he turned around to see Glacier, who just recovered from a previous attack. Held on her arms were her dual swords and she glared at the man who just murdered her friends.

“Viper. You have done so much sin under Iblisan’s influence. I was hoping that you will be forgiven…but this…is the final straw.”

Traitor's Legacy: The Claughter Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Strange Revelations

            “…I swear that I heard screaming in my head. I knew something bad was happening.”

            “You and your senses are quite ridiculous Lucas. I mean no offense but, aren’t you the only one out of us three who has no need for the Proving? How could you be sensing things?”

            “I don’t know Markus. But, it has helped me and Jaden a lot. I always knew when something bad happens to her.”

            “And here I am wondering why I am left out.”

            Jaden heard voices coming from her side, sounding like her brothers. She opened heavy-laden eyes, though her sight was still blurry. As her senses began to function, she felt a palm on her forehead; though she could not tell whose palm it was. Her head was woozy and she groaned slightly with pain.

            “Jaden? Lucas, is she awake?”

            “How am I supposed to know? Her eyes are covered by her blindfold.”

            “Lucas? Is that you I heard?” Jaden queried meekly. As the blur of her sight faded, she could see Lucas smiling down upon her with his hand on her forehead. Sitting not far behind him was Markus, whose raised eyebrows showed his seeming surprise. She observed her surroundings and found herself lying on her bed. The large stack of pillow she used to scare her brothers not long ago were gone, but the humorous memories made her smile briefly.

            “Are you alright Jaden? You sound very weak.” Lucas asked. “I don’t know. How long was I unconscious?” “About five hours. I honestly thought you aren’t waking up Jaden. Tough Proving huh?” Markus answered. “You don’t say. No one told me that I might be fighting.” Jaden replied.

            “Fighting? There wasn’t any fighting in my Proving.” Markus retorted. Jaden’s brow rose with surprise. She remembered fighting two Magical Energies simultaneously and unarmed, and she could have sworn that she was attacked first. “You know, you are really burning up. Touching your forehead feels like I am putting my hand close to a fire.” Lucas commented. “That would explain the headache I am getting. I really exhausted myself in my Proving.” Jaden explained. “Yeah well try to be careful in the future. I don’t enjoy seeing you in this state.” Lucas said. Jaden was not surprised to know that her beloved brother was concern for her well-being but she replied, “I can take care of myself Lucas.”

            “Well that Proving really proved otherwise doesn’t it?” Lucas retorted before chuckling.

            Seconds later, the door opened, startling Markus who was close enough to the door to get hit. As he growled in pain while rubbing his nose, Kiyara peeked in and said, “Oh sorry Markus. I didn’t see you there.” Lucas then said while glaring at Markus, “I told you not to sit there.” “Shut up Lucas.” Markus retorted.

            “Is your sister awake? I sensed her heartbeat accelerating.” Kiyara queried. Lucas answered with a nod and a smile. “Good. Would you two excuse us if I speak to her in private? I have some questions to ask her.” Lucas turned to Markus, who simply shrugged back. They both made their way out of room, closing the door behind. Kiyara turned her attention to Jaden, who struggled but managed to sit up. She sat next to Jaden and asked, “Are you alright? You had me worried there.”

            “Yes I’m fine, I think. Was I supposed to faint after my Proving?” Jaden queried. “Well, that depends. But, what truly worried me was during your Proving. Your physical body was screaming, shouting in pain. It is almost as if you were being hurt during your Proving and that is not supposed to happen, even if you fail. What happened exactly?” Kiyara questioned.

            “I saw two beings, one of Light Energy and another of Dark Energy, dueling with one another.” “What? Both Light and Dark Energies during your Proving?” Kiyara exclaimed. “Yes. Is there something wrong?” Jaden asked. “Remember when I told you about two or more Energies being inherited genetically, about how rare it is? Light and Dark Energies existing inside one person is impossible.” Kiyara answered. Jaden recoiled, shocked to hear her words. She remembered the blue man and the Dark Energies summoned by the red man. She was certain that both Light and Dark Energies were encountered.

            “Impossible? Why is that?” Jaden asked. Kiyara explained, “Light and Dark Energies are polar opposites. They are incapable of existing together as they have a natural hatred for the other. No one understands why but some people theorized that it was due to their nature. Light Energies are used to enhance or help people and are rarely used to hurt others, unlike Dark Energies. Anyone who tries to obtain both will not last long without suffering from Magical Overflow and fall under its corruption due to the constant power struggle within them. Maybe that will explain your glowing eyes but…never mind. What did you do then?” Jaden heard Kiyara mentioning her eyes but she decided not to linger on such a subject.

            “I approached them, asking them to forget their duel and go on with my Proving. The Light Energy got aggressive and attacked me. Right after that, the Dark Energy cast a Dark spell on me. They then started arguing over who should take over my will.” Jaden added. Kiyara’s brow rose while her eyes slowly widen with seeming surprise. “Seems like the constant fighting between the two made them very aggressive. I’m guessing you fought back.” Jaden simply nodded as an answer.

“I defeated them somehow, stealing their weapons and threatening to destroy them. They eventually submitted and said that my Proving was done. They claimed that it was not planned but both were impressed that I maintained my composure even during an unfair fight. They both then mentioned that they are willing to tolerate each other’s presence to serve me.” Jaden continued. Kiyara retorted, “Serve you? And they are willing to tolerate one another’s presence? This is very unlike how Energies are supposed to behave.” “Is that a bad thing?” Jaden asked, suddenly feeling very fearful after looking at how her mentor was reacting to her explanation. “I don’t suppose it is but I need to speak with Dementius about this. This is one of the strangest Provings I ever heard of, no offense.”

“Kiyara wait. Now that I’m done with my Proving, what now? When will I start learning to cast spells?” Jaden queried. “You need to rest first before we get on to that. You will feel different for the next few weeks, trust me on that. Once I feel that you’re ready, I will teach you some of the basics of spell casting. For the time being, I suggest you rest.” Kiyara said.

The door behind Kiyara opened and the heartwarming sight of Jaden’s mother, Glacier Highland, came into the room. “There you are. Kiyara, there’s something going on outside and…Jaden! You’re alright!” Glacier exclaimed upon seeing her daughter awake after five hours of waiting. Jaden smiled warmly at the sight of her relieved mother. Glacier closed in to hug her daughter, whispering to her ears, “I was so worried about you. I thought you won’t survive your Proving,” Tears welled up at her eyes and rolled down to Jaden’s shoulder. “I’m still breathing mom but I am glad to see you after such an experience.” Jaden replied.

Kiyara smiled at the sight, trying to recall the last time she ever saw her childhood friend smile. Forty years felt rather fast to her and Glacier has been through worse times than she had. Thinking that it was right to leave them alone, Kiyara left the room to look for Dementius. Still, she could not help but turn back to look at them one last time before closing the door behind her.

“I must say that I miss the smiles that Glacier shows.” she admitted to herself.

“I’ve been waiting for you to wake up. I sat outside for almost five hours, praying to the Spirits that you will wake up. I am not going to lose you like how I lost your father.” Glacier choked as she caressed her daughter’s cheeks. “You love him didn’t you? How was he like? I want to know.” Jaden questioned out of pure curiosity. Glacier heaved a heavy sigh, hoping that she would never have to dwell in the past but after seeing how much her daughter had grown; she felt that Jaden should know more about her father.

“He was…a handsome, kind young man. He and I had known each other ever since we were kids. He and I even grew up and stayed with each other. His parents were killed defending the city and he stayed with me and your grandfather ever since. He went through his Proving at the age of fifteen, much earlier than you and Markus. He was truly talented and he had caught my eye when I realized how…charming he was. We planned a marriage until the day he saw a vision of a shadowy figure, trying to kill me. I didn’t believe him but he remained persistent. He died, protecting me from his rogue student. I fled with Kiyara but I should’ve…I should’ve…”

“You should’ve believed him.” Jaden helped her weeping mother continue. “I’m sorry for bringing this up.” “No don’t be sorry. You never met your father and you’re curious. You’re old and experienced enough to know after going through your Proving, which is why I decided to tell you here and now.” Glacier said. “You’re very special to me Jaden. You bore your father’s determined spirit and compassion. I can almost see him inside you. Do know, if anything happens in the future, that I will always love you and your brothers.” Jaden nodded, smiled faintly and replied, “I love you too.”

“So Jaden has both Light and Dark Energies within her? And she earned the respect of both Energies? This is unusual indeed. And here I am remembering an old researcher saying that Light and Dark Energies can’t coexist since it causes Magical Overflow.” Dementius said after listening to Kiyara’s words. She nodded and replied, “It surprised me too. Do you think it may have something to do with her being a clone instead of fully human?” “It may be possible. After all, extra DNA of her father was used. We may have forcefully infused Dark Energies into her through the cloning. That may explain her eyes. Glowing eyes is the first symptom of Magical Overflow.” Dementius added.

“Wait a minute. Are you suggesting that Jaden may have been…corrupted from the time she was created? That her current personality was….not her original personality?” Kiyara queried. Dementius rubbed his chin, falling deep into his thoughts. He then answered, “It could be possible. After all, she is the first human clone. We barely know how different a clone can be to a normal human being.”

“I guess we’ll have to trust time to tell us our answers.”

Traitor's Legacy: The Claughter Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Proving

           

            Jaden followed Kiyara as she walked to the back of the hut and exited via the backdoor, leading to the empty backyard. She looked around and was briefly overcome with nostalgia as she remembered that the yard used to be where she and her brothers would play should boredom struck them. A makeshift playground, consisting of large, rusty metal tubes along with a few planks, once lay dormant at the heart of yard, and now only a crater remained at where it once stood. A single stray missile from a Havoc Dreadnaught and the playground was gone. It was from that moment on that Jaden began to despise war. It took away the one thing left in her life that was a part of her childhood.

            How coincidental as the place where she once frequented is now where her life may change forever through one ritual: Her Proving.

            “Alright Jaden. This placed seems suitable. Let us sit here as I explain the Proving to you.” Jaden complied and they both sat on the dusty ground, facing each other.

            “As you’d probably have known by now, the Proving is the ritual that us humans undergo to unlock the Magical Energies that lies dormant and locked within. Not all humans go through this ritual; it is only required by those who wish to take advantage of the power. As Energy Bladesman, Magical Energies plays a large role in our training; hence the Proving is a must for us. However, never neglect the training you received before or you will succumb to Magical Overflow, becoming a thrall to the very power that you once commanded. Remember the last sentence of our motto.”

            “Never let our emotions get the best of us.”

            Jaden listened with her attention fixed upon her mentor. She recalled the stories she heard from her mother about Dark Viper. She remembered her mother mentioning that Magical Overflow led to his fall as he allowed his anger to amplify his Magical Energies, losing his will to his own powers. As Magical Energies are the product of Iblisan himself, they turned evil as quickly as their own creator, and when in control of a weak-willed being, his personality is twisted. Thus, Dark Viper became the very thing he would otherwise swear to destroy, and Jaden vowed never to become like him.

            “Now, let us get to the ritual. First, meditate. You need to use your conscience to speak directly to the Magical Energies within you.” “Speak? What for? Won’t it try to take over me?” Jaden queried. Kiyara nodded and replied, “Yes it will but unlike Iblisan, they are not as aggressive. Instead, they are opportunists. They will use your nightmares against you, trying to force your anger or sadness so that they will be amplified enough to take over your soul. This is where your training comes into use. Prove them that you will not yield and that you can see through the façade. Tell them they have no control over you and they will submit.”

            “What kind of Energies do I have and how will the Magical Energies look like?” Jaden questioned. “That depends. Your mother had Light Energies while your father had Dark Energies.” “Wait. Mom had Magical Energies? I never seen her use it before.” Jaden retorted. Kiyara replied, “Yes she does. However, she never truly unlocked it as she doesn’t really need it. Dementius can sense it inside her though.”

“Anyway, chances are you will get either one. It is rare for one to possess more than one type genetically. Light and Dark together is especially unlikely. I’ll explain why after your Proving.” Kiyara explained. “They can take up any appearances when you meet them but they can’t change their overall color. Light Energies are blue while Dark Energies are red. You should be able to tell once you meet them. So, are you ready?”

Jaden nodded while her heart began to beat faster out of anxiousness. She was going to meet her ally and adversary and hoped that her Proving went smoothly. Still, in case anything was to happen, she gave one last smile to her mentor and cherished the moment. Kiyara returned the smile with her own and reassured Jaden that nothing bad was going to happen. Jaden accepted the confidence that Kiyara had in her student but hoped that it was not false.

She shut her eyes and went into a meditation trance. The surrounding sounds faded away and her once tensed body went cold. The feel of her blindfold disappeared and the ground beneath her seemed to have vanished. All she could hear was her heavy breathing and her body felt like it was suspended in the air. Finally, when her eyes opened, she was no longer in her backyard, but in a different world.

She stood upon a barren wasteland, the grounds beneath her dried up and devoid of plant life. The large, hot sun lit the area with an orange hue and virtually no water was seen. Around her were ruined buildings, all of which were made of concrete. Littered around the area were corpses, most of which were unidentifiable as they were mostly destroyed. A strange sense of familiarity struck Jaden as she felt that she had seen this place before. It eventually hit her that her Magical Energies were using one of her more recent nightmares, though she barely remembered the true horrors of it.

She trudged through the deserted ruins and began to recall parts of the nightmare. The horrid sight of the destroyed buildings and dead people reminded her of her hatred for war and how much lives it destroyed but she frequently reminded herself that her Magical Energies were trying to fool her and that it was just a dream. The whistling wind made her cold and the eerie landscape made her pessimistic over her situation. She then began to hope that the Proving was as simple as Kiyara said it was.

Jaden continued to walk through the ruins until a loud thud halted her movements and nearly stopped her heart. Without any weapon to defend herself, Jaden began to panic. She ran to nearby rubble and hid behind. The noise she heard was followed by metallic clashes, almost as if there were people fighting. She never recalled anyone fighting in her nightmare; hence she began to wonder if that was her Magical Energies. She took a peek and was met with awe.

A pair of Warriors was fighting against each other. Both were clad in heavy armor and armed with a sword and shield. Surrounding them were the corpses of Jaden’s friends, most notably Kiyara and her brothers, and that briefly struck her with fear. She pulled back to regain her composure, once again reminding herself that it was just a nightmare. She then peeked at them again and began to realize something unusual about the Warriors.

One of them was entirely blue in color while the other was red. Their eyes, hair, skin, armor, weapons, everything was blue and red. They battled each other with not only their weapons, but with magic which mirrors their color. The blue man was using Light spells while the red man was throwing in Dark spells. Jaden could not believe what she was seeing. Both Light and Dark Energies resided within her but she could have sworn that she heard Kiyara saying that such a thing was rare. Enthusiastic to get things over with, Jaden jumped out of her hiding place and approached the duo.

As she was within proximity of the two Energies, she spoke to them, trying to grab their attention. However, they continued their fight, ignoring Jaden entirely. They clashed swords and threw spells at one another until Jaden’s patience ran out. She snatched a nearby rock and threw it at the blue Light Energy man, hitting him in the head and getting the attention of both the Energies. Still, the duo stared at her while Jaden waited.

“So? Aren’t you two supposed to be trying to make me sad or angry?” Jaden queried. The red man nudged the blue man and told him, “She’s here for her Proving.” “That is no reason to end our fight. Your Energies are not welcome here you spawn of darkness.” the blue man retorted. “Oh now you’re just asking for my full power.” the red man threatened.

“What’s with all the fighting? Why don’t you two just get along?” Jaden exclaimed. In retaliation, the blue man gave a straight punch to Jaden’s face, forcing her onto the ground. Jaden felt a sting of pain surging from her nose and was amazed at how aggressive her Energies were. “Hey! Her will’s mine for the taking, not yours!” she heard the red man shouting. It became clear to her that they were fighting over who should take over her will. The blue man retorted, “She’s mine!” and kicked Jaden right in the abdomen. Jaden was thrown a few feet ahead as she growled in pain from the Energy-induced kick. The pain was too unbearable for her to overcome and she could not bring herself to stand up.

“That’s pathetic! Try this one for power!” the red man bellowed. With a push of his left hand, he released a strong surge of Dark Lightning towards Jaden, electrocuting her and putting her into a world of hurt. Jaden screamed as hostile Dark Energies surged through her body and in a frantic attempt to prevent his rival from winning; the blue man shoved the red man and began yet another duel. Though she was no longer being electrocuted, the damage was done and being unarmed, she could not help but feel helpless.

Kiyara calmed her mind as she was entering her meditative trance. Thinking that Jaden would take her time with her Proving, she decided to use the time to have a rest. Her meditation was eventually disturbed when she began to hear hyperventilation nearby. She opened her eyes and gasped as she saw Jaden breathing heavily and moaning in seeming pain. It eventual intensifies into occasional screams and Kiyara began to worry for her student’s well-being. She held Jaden’s shoulders and shook her, trying to wake her up but it did not helped at all. She pulled out Jaden’s blindfold and recoiled as twin flashes of blue light surged out. Her eyes were open, yet she was still in her nightmare. The glow was unusually bright and intensified along with her screams.

Glacier and Dementius ran into the backyard seconds later, complaining about Jaden’s screams. Both were equally terrified to see Jaden in the state she was in and ran to Kiyara’s side, hoping to hear any good news from her. Glacier shook her daughter continuously, shouting, “Jaden! Wake up! What’s wrong? Jaden!” Dementius attempted to read Jaden’s mind but the stress that she was suffering from prevented him from entering, causing headaches at every attempt. Glacier slapped Jaden lightly but alas, nothing worked.

After regaining much of her strength, Jaden stood up, fighting against the pain that was crippling her movements. The two men noticed her and using the opportunity, the red man dashed at her, attempting to make another attack. The blue man tailed him, not about to let his rival win the battle. It became clear to Jaden that her Energies were not going to question her or challenge her emotional will; hence she brought all her combat training into focus. As the red man approached her, he brought down his sword upon her, attempting to kill her. Jaden sidestepped, dodging his attack, although the pain she felt caused her to lose her balance briefly.

Taking advantage, the blue man darted towards her and attempted to pummel her with his shield. Realizing the blue man’s actions, Jaden picked up a nearby wood and use it to block the attack. Using it as a makeshift weapon, she swung it hard at the blue man’s head, causing him to stumble. She then turned her attention to the red man and hit his abdomen, forcing him to bend down before hitting his back. She turned back to the blue man in time to see him throwing his shield towards her. She tried to block the shield with the wood but the impact knocked her to the floor. As she sat up, she realized that her wood had snapped in half.

In a brief state of panic, she looked around for any weapons and spotted a katana lying next to a nearby corpse. She darted for the weapon while the red man made a botched attempt to grab her leg from his prone position. Now with a real weapon in her hand, she adopted the Reverse Grip fighting style that she trained herself in and waited for the red man to stand up.

“Foolish human. You should’ve attacked me while I was recovering.” he taunted. He rushed towards her and made a slash but Jaden brought in her sword, parrying the attack and shoving him away. With a graceful flip, she brought her sword down upon the red man, forcing him to block with his shield but still knocking him down. The blue man, now without a shield, sprinted towards her and thrusts his sword at her. Jaden stepped backwards just in time to dodge it and grabbed his wrist with her free hand. She elbowed the blue man right onto his nose and brought down her elbow upon his wrist, forcing him to disarm his blue sword. Suddenly, she heard electricity surging from behind, hinting that the red man was casting yet another spell. Remembering that Light Energy can be used to absorb Dark Energy, she picked up the blue man’s sword and turned around into time to absorb the red man’s Dark Lightning spell.

As the red man persisted, Jaden pushed forward towards him, fighting against his powerful spell. Using all her strength, she pushed the spell back at him. It barely hurt him as he is a being of Dark Energy but it stunned him long enough for Jaden to rush in and stomp his right wrist, forcing him to disarm his sword. Tossing away her katana, she snatched his red sword. The red man stood up and was about to punch her but recoiled as she pointed both swords at both men. They watched as their previously unarmed opponent has stolen both their Energy-infused weapons and are now at her mercy. Jaden panted with exhaustion and choked, “I…tire of this fighting. Stop…or I will cut you both down! I don’t care…if I lose all my Magical Energies in the process.”

Oddly enough, both men smiled upon hearing her words. They began to applaud, causing Jaden to feel rather suspicious of their behavior. “She bested us both…” “…and maintained her composure. I must say that I’m impressed.” the blue and red men said respectively. “She’s unlike most humans who would be quickly overwhelmed by us and their emotions in a situation like this. This is most unexpected.” the blue man added. “I guess it is official then. She passed her Proving.” the red man said, invoking a strange amount of joy in Jaden. Thinking that they may no longer be a threat, she brought down both her swords and said, “I passed? But, you two barely tested my emotional will.”

“We never truly planned this. Dark Energy and I were truly fighting and we were uninterested in doing your Proving. But, not everyone can remain calm after being bullied by two powerful beings…”

 “…or better yet, defeat them. I guess I’ll have to tolerate your presence Light Energy. This human has earned enough of my respect to make me serve her.”

“So am I.”

A smile slowly formed as Jaden began to realize that she not only passed her Proving but earned the respect of her very own Magical Energies. She began to wonder if such respect from these Energies were even supposed to happen. The toll that the fight took eventually came and after losing much of her balance to dizziness, Jaden fell to ground. Her eyes slowly closed as her drowsiness forced it. Before darkness came in, she heard the blue man’s last words.

“We are yours to command.”

Traitor's Legacy: The Claughter Chapter 1

“Power is something which every living being craved for. Many strive to take it at any cost while others will only snatch it at the most opportune time. However, many did not realize the danger that power pose to the untrained mind. Once the eyes start glowing, better start saying your prayers. Believe me young one; I know this almost too well. I will never forget the twin lights that I saw.”

Traitor’s Legacy:

The Claughter

Prologue

            The barren landscape of Qurrentine was all that the planet had which was not destroyed. The skies lost its serene blue visage, replaced by the blood-red color of countless death and suffering. The citizens of the decaying urbanized planet struggled to survive in the harsh environment, while others perish under the overwhelming pressure. Death was a common thing, and so were the screams of the suffering. Yet, even within the dreaded planet, tranquility exists.

            A large hut amongst the tall buildings stood out of all the concrete structures littered all over the planet. It was home to a group of exiled Salvagers and probably the only group of Salvagers to escape the tyranny rule of the returned Fallen Angel, Iblisan Alkaidus. Dubbing themselves, “The Six Exiles”, the group lived peacefully without much trouble from external threats, although it was due to their background as loyal servants of the late King Raymundo. Once Masters of the Salvager Military Academy, few would wish to disturb the peace of the vengeful exiles. Trespassers know well enough to fear the sight of the Six Exiles with their tattered uniforms and intimidating weapons.

            Glacier Highland, a young, and mentally scarred, half-Siren struggled with the pain a mother must endure to give birth to a child. Unlike most mothers, she was granted a gift by the God of Creation: The doctor mentioned that she was holding triplets. As the excruciating amount pain surged through her body, she could not help but let it all out by screaming, disturbing people near the hut. Her friends watched with awe as they have never seen such a sight. It was no wonder why doctors cordoned off the bed when a baby is given birth, and no such thing exists now that Iblisan has conquered Dissidia. The eldest of the exiles, the Dark Wizard Dementius Greaper, was smiling, much to the amazement of his companions. His red eyes were wide with anticipation.

            “She’s giving birth to triplets, as I foresaw in my visions. The three children will liberate us from the oppression of Iblisan.”

            The first two children were born without much complication and as foreseen in the visions of Dementius, they were male. Just as Glacier gave out one last scream while giving birth to her third child, an unexpected outcome followed which froze Dementius with shock.

            The third child, who turned out to be female, did not survive. She died the moment she left her mother’s womb. The doctor held on to the lifeless little corpse while sighing with seeming sadness. He gave the deceased girl to her mother with reluctance, unable to conjure a thought of how would Glacier feel if she discovered her daughter’s fate.

            After going through unimaginable pain to give birth to the triplets, the intense amount of grief felt by Glacier was expected by her friends. The girl’s body was held by her mother’s shaky hands, her hands lost the strength to hold the light body properly. She did not bother to flick away her messy blonde hair which covered much of her face. She looked at the pale baby and was amazed by her daughter’s skin tone resemblance with herself. Her eyes welled up with tears and as she brought the girl closer to hug her, she sobbed while everyone around her had their head down.

            “I’ve lost my future husband, my hometown, my family, most of my friends and now…Could there ever be anything else the world wish to take away from me?”

Chapter 1: The Birth of the Clone Species

            “I do not understand. My visions were never wrong. I foresaw Blaze’s downfall and I also foresaw our eventual fate here. How could it be that my vision of the triplets be wrong since one of them is now deceased?” Dementius exclaimed as he paced back and forth outside the hut. The rest of the exiles, excluding Glacier and her surviving babies, sat on a nearby bench while brainstorming on what could possibly go wrong. Alinda, the sole Defender of the Six Exiles, said, “Perhaps the woman in your vision could be someone else.” Dementius shook his head while flicking his extremely long blue hair of his face.

            “One of the boys called her their sister. It is unlikely that they were not related.”

            Lilian, an expert Marksman of the group, suggested, “Perhaps that vision is outdated if you know what I mean. Didn’t Grand Master Raymondo used to say that visions are fluid and usually changes to adjust to present events?” Right next to her was Kiyara, one of the last Light Energy Bladesmen, who supported Lilian’s suggestion. “She could be right. Maybe you should try to conjure another vision to see if the triplets were meant to exist together.” Dementius heaved a heavy sigh of disappointment as he thought of the fact that his vision, which promised a bright future for the world, was probably wrong. He nodded and said, “Very well.” Just as he was about to leave, Raydon, a strong Warrior of the exiles, raised his hand, catching his attention.

            “Dementius, there might be a solution to the girl’s death. I heard of an abandoned lab not far from here. Inside was a cloning machine used by aliens many years ago to recreate the dinosaurs. It is capable of cloning from a small DNA sample and if it brings dinosaurs back to life, I feel that it could do the same for the girl.”

            “So, you think that cloning the girl’s dead body would create a living, breathing clone?” Dementius asked. Raydon nodded and said, “Yes but from what I heard, additional DNA samples are needed other than the corpse itself. However, there is a slight problem. A group of street thugs took the area as their territory. There might be a possibility that we have to fight our way in.” With his fingers on his chin, Dementius went deep into his thoughts. They have vowed not to fight to avoid attracting unwanted attention, but the situation calls for it. Thus, they had little choices.

“We don’t have much choice in the matter. The girl must live. We are well-trained militants and thugs shouldn’t be a problem. However, the problem I see now is to ask Glacier permission to clone her daughter. Considering everything that happened recently, she may not be as submissive as she used to.”

            “Clone my daughter? What happened to respecting the dead Dementius?” Glacier yelled. The others peeked into the room as Dementius attempted to persuade Glacier. The fury in her eyes was met with sadness and guilt by Dementius, but he resisted against his feelings for the woman he once loved.

“Listen, I totally understand how you are feeling right now. To lose almost everything that you cherished in a short amount of time is devastating. But, you need to understand that your daughter’s survivability is required for the future of all who lives. I’m sorry, but this needs to be done.” Glacier, devastated by the words spoken by Dementius, trudged around the hut, making heavy stomps with her feet before sitting on a nearby chair. She began sobbing, the pitiful sight saddening Dementius even further.

“She’s a beauty isn’t she?” Dementius asked while he sat right next to Glacier. Held on Glacier was the lifeless body of her daughter. Glacier nodded while sobbing lightly, her face wet with tears. Dementius told Glacier, “It would be a huge wonder how she may end up looking like when she grows up. She needs to be alive for that to happen.” Thinking that her feelings were clouding her judgment, she gave the answer which Dementius believed had changed the fate of the world.

            “Alright. I will allow you to clone her.”

            While Glacier tended to her sons, Dementius and the others marched to the lab and braced themselves for any potential conflicts. With weapons at the ready, only a fool would attack them. Dementius, with a snap of his finger, summoned a small torch of flame. Cradled on his other arm was the corpse of Glacier’s daughter and in his pocket was a strand of hair belonging to Glacier’s intended husband, Blaze Hazard. He was unable to recall how she got his hair, though he did remember a bloody fight between the two and the bestial look that Glacier had on her face, unlike her typical innocent look, which is no longer existent. With a smirk on his face, he was confident that the journey will be smooth.

            Just as the group was within proximity of the lab, they were approached by a band of thugs, all dressed in unkempt clothing common amongst bikers. They were armed with makeshift weapons and were ready to attack the group. The largest of the group, a male human whom Dementius believed to be the leader, asked, “What brings you guys into our territory? You should know that no one’s allowed here.” Trying to show that they were not afraid, the group smiled together. Dementius moved closer to the leader, his red eyes focused on him.

            “You want to dance?”

*     *     *

            Glacier caressed the cheeks of her well-behaved sons who were quietly sleeping in her room. She was grateful by the least that she was given the chance to give birth to her own children, though the regret of not being able to share the moment with her intended husband, Blaze Hazard, strikes her heart like a needle. She thought hard and long for their names and was careful to ensure that they were not named in such a way that it reminded her of Blaze – her sanity would erode if that happened. Eventually, she came up with the names, Lucas and Markus Highland. She dropped the surname, Hazard, as she was never married.

            Suddenly, she heard knocking on the front door of the hut. She left her sons alone and went to see who the knocker could be. She opened the door and was immediately greeted by Dementius and her friends. Cradled on his arm and surrounded by a white cloth was a small baby – the clone of her deceased daughter. He passed the girl to Glacier and her heart pounded fast at the anticipation of seeing her little girl alive. She pushed part of the cloth aside to see the innocent face and could not help but smile at the sight. Just like her brothers, the girl was sleeping and the cute, rounded face was enough to calm Glacier’s mind. She looked back up to Dementius and asked, “Where’s my real girl?” He sighed and stood aside while Raydon approached Glacier. Held on his arms was the real girl.

            “I believe we should bury my little girl. She contributed to the creation of this clone, who will take over her intended place in this world. Today, my three children, Lucas, Markus and Jaden Highland, are born.”

*     *     *

            Deep within the afternoon, triplet brothers, Markus and Lucas, met up outside their room. The duo smiled at the thought of scaring the heart out of their triplet sister, Jaden, who was sleeping very soundly in the pitch black room. With the doors closed, all the words muttered out were deaf to the snoozing woman.

            “Alright Mr. Ponytail, you know the plan. We will sneak in and squeeze this horn close to her ear. She will surely jump in surprise.” Lucas whispered. Markus nodded and cautioned, “Better be careful though. We are not small anymore so we will surely make more noise than we used to.” Attempting to double-check, Lucas asked for the horn and Markus took it out of his pocket with a smirk. Prepared and excited, the duo slowly opened the creaking door and snuck inside.

            Tip-toeing their way to the bed, the duo was able to see the hunched bed sheet despite the darkness and their immediate assumption was of their sister sleeping under it. As the anticipation gets overwhelming, Lucas could not help but giggle softly before Markus nudged him and gestured to him to keep quiet. Still, the inevitable creaking noise of the wood was made. Oddly enough, no snores or the slow inhaling of a sleeping person was heard.

            When they were on both sides of the bed, Markus commented, “She sure is a silent sleeper.” Lucas shrugged and replied, “Strange. She usually snores when deep asleep.” He held the tip of the bed sheet while counting down with his fingers towards Markus. The latter respond by taking out his horn. When Lucas finished counting down, he used all his strength to pull out the bed sheet and Markus was just about to sound the horn. Suddenly, they realized that something was not right.

            Jaden was not there, but rather, a large pack of pillows stacked together to form the shape they saw. “She’s not here. She tricked us.” Markus mentioned. Lucas scratched his head and asked, “Where does she get that many pillows from?” The duo looked at their beds on both sides of the room and noticed that they lacked pillows. Markus sighed and said, “These pillows are ours.”

            Out of the sudden, the door behind them slammed shut and overwhelming darkness surrounded the room. Due to the lack of windows or ceiling lights, the duo regretted not bringing in flashlights should the need arose. Their hearts started to pound swiftly as fear struck them. Unlike their sister, they both feared the dark and though they overcame it briefly, it was too much for them to handle. Lucas muttered out, “OK Jaden. You win. Please, open the door. We won’t disturb you again.” However, only silence followed. Markus turned to Lucas to ask for a solution, when he saw two bright blue lights glowing above Lucas’s shoulders. His eyes widen with fear and his heart beat faster. The light resembled eyes and though he wanted to, he was unable to scream.

            When Lucas turned to Markus, he saw the stunned, fearful expression on his face. Sweat trickled down his face and his eyes were so wide opened, it appeared to be bulging out. Slowly, Markus pointed over Lucas’s shoulder, creating an amount of confusion in Lucas’s mind. He asked, “What is it Markus?” However, his question had no replies. When he did turn around towards where Markus pointed, he saw the blue lights.

            Lucas screamed his heart out at the sight. He recoiled swiftly while Markus followed suit. The duo backed themselves onto the closed door while they continued yelling at the blue lights. The twin lights turned to them and this only made them panic. A strong chill went up their spines and in an attempt to escape, Markus quickly turned the doorknob, opened the door and they dived for the brightly lit sanctuary. They stood up and turned to the blue light, hearing soft giggles coming from it which intensified into loud chuckles.

            Slowly emerging from the dark was the slim, smiling figure of their sister, Jaden Highland. Her black hair was tough to see due to the blackness behind her and they were surprised that her nearly pale skin was not seen in the room. Her radiant smile did not fool them as they knew almost too well her mindset inside her heart-shaped head. Of course, those did not matter to them as her eyes – glowing brilliantly with blue light – were the light they saw in the dark.

Panting from exhaustion, Lucas asked, “By the Spirits, why were you not wearing your blindfold?” Jaden shrugged and replied, “Well, you two cowards are afraid of the dark so I thought I should use my glowing eyes to scare you a little. After all, you two were plotting to scare me.” Slightly annoyed, Markus requested, “Please put back your blindfold. Your eyes are so disturbing.” Thinking that enough is enough, Jaden covered her eyes with her blindfold.

"Remind me again how you are able to see through your blindfold again?" Lucas requested. Jaden rubbed her chin, trying to remember the explanation that her mentor, Kiyara, gave her, "Kiyara mentioned that my glowing eyes allowed me to see through the blindfold. "It was an ability granted to those with glowing eyes." she said. It is better this way in my opinion. People need not worry about going blind looking at my glowing eyes all the time."

Dementius, who was sitting on a sofa not far from the scene, watched the whole incident. He sighed and told himself, “Twenty years has passed and they still behave like kids. Though it is heartwarming to see them happy together, unlike us with Blaze, they really need to get a shape of reality before Blaze makes his first move. If only they knew the truth about their father…no. No they shouldn’t know the truth. It could mess with their emotions.”

“I never understand why your eyes are like that. Never before have we seen your eyes without the glow.” Lucas commented. Jaden shrugged and replied, “Kiyara kept telling me that it signifies magical potential within me. That’s why I took Light Energy Bladesman training from her. She knows something about my eyes which I don’t.” “Well I for one am disturbed by your eyes. Not even the wise Wizard, Dementius, knows anything about it. And if he is clueless, then I, as his student, am clueless too.” Markus said. Lucas smiled and added, “Well, if you are looking for answers, don’t look at me. I’m just a Warrior trainee under Raydon. He himself knows little about glowing eyes, even the common, temporary ones”

            Kiyara watched as the trio continued to ramble about random questions from her room. She expected at least some speck of maturity amongst them considering their age but she barely seen any. Still, the sight made her smile as she remembered how much she and her friends have been through and that at least some amount of happiness still exist amongst them. It especially warms her heart as she watched Jaden Highland, the only one of the trio who expressed interest in being an Energy Bladesman, though the nature of her Magical Energies is still a mystery. That mystery, however, was about to be discovered.

            “You three done talking?” Kiyara said as she approached the triplets. Lucas looked up to see the towering and aged Light Energy Bladesman. He replied, “Well, we're just about to go out and buy food. Why? You need something from us?” Kiyara smiled and turned to Jaden. “I only need your sister. I feel that she’s ready for her Proving and it is better done now than later.” Jaden’s blindfold did little to hide the surprise that she had as her eyebrows rose. Markus turned to Jaden with a smirk. “Oh. Your turn to go for your Proving now. I can’t wait to see what Magical Energies you have, well after me and Lucas are done.” he said. He gestured to Lucas and they both made their way out of the hut, not before Lucas wished his sister good luck.

            As Kiyara turned her focus to the younger Energy Bladesman, she could see her stuttering on her words and shaking slightly. She moved towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. “You seem pretty nervous Jaden. Markus barely had trouble with his Proving and he was still an apprentice Wizard. You’re already trained on how to fight against Magical corruption. You shouldn’t have any problems.” Kiyara reassured Jaden. She replied, “I know. It is just that…” Her sentence trailed off but Kiyara knew almost too well what she was about to say.

            “You’re afraid that you might fail and that I would have to slay you if you did.”

Jaden frantic nods gave the answer Kiyara was looking for. She heaved a heavy sigh and told Jaden, “That will only happen if you don’t take into account the training that you received on controlling your emotions. Knowing you, you should be able to overcome your Magical Energies with ease. Even your mother has confidence in your abilities, though she’s also afraid of that possibility. Besides, I know a good student when I see one.”

Jaden looked at her kind master who was trying hard to keep her calm despite the dangers of going through her Proving. She knew her well enough to submit quickly to her words. She went deep into her thoughts and began to recall why she wished to become an Energy Bladesman from the start. She wished to be just like father, Blaze Hazard, whom she heard from her mother to be a very powerful and proud Dark Energy Bladesman. He was also a hero to Dissidia and the Salvagers, though he met his demise when he was betrayed by a fellow Dark Energy Bladesman who goes by the name of Dark Viper. She vowed to avenge her father and end Dark Viper’s reign of terror.

“Alright. Let’s get this started then. I am ready.”

“Very well Jaden. Come with me. We need to find a bit of space and a quiet surrounding.”