Chapter 6: A Break Out of Qurrentine
Jaden opened her eyes and found herself inside a black realm with virtually nothing in sight. The ground that she was sitting on vanished; replaced by a black floor which blends with the surroundings. Strangely, the darkness resembled the alley where she meditated, especially since she could still feel the wind which was blowing pass her physical body. Not willing to waste too much time, she stood up and began to call out her two Magical Energies.
“Light! Dark! You two still here?”
Seconds later, two separate beams of light, blue and red, burst from the black ground a few feet in front of Jaden. Despite appearing fiery, Jaden barely felt any amount of heat even though she was rather close to it. The beams eventually faded and a familiar pair of men, one who was blue while the other was red, stood where the beam was. “You called human?” the blue man asked. “What brings you back here?”
“I merely want a question answered. Did I use my Energies recently?” Jaden asked. Suddenly, a huge screen, showing what appears to be a holographic image, appeared next to Jaden, startling her with its noise. It showed a part of Jaden’s fight with Dark Viper in which she unleashed a few unknown spells on him before he was knocked unconscious. It then struck her that that screen was her memories, since she was in her own mind after all. “Hmm yes I do remember you fighting that powerful human.” the red man commented as he and the blue man watched.
The screen vanished and the duo turned their attention back to Jaden. “We happened to be responsible for that.” the blue man added. Jaden, somewhat surprised to hear their words, asked, “But why? Wasn’t I supposed to learn how to cast spells, instead of my powers casting on their own?”
“We learn through your memories that your Master was slain in battle. You saw that screen? That’s how we knew.” the red man explained. The blue man then said, “By right, your Master was supposed to teach you how to cast spells using our Energies.” “But since she was slain, we went out of our ways to assist you.”
“Assist me?” Jaden asked with awe. “Well, we did swear allegiance to you. Why are you surprised?” the blue man asked. “I don’t want to sound so distrustful but, my Master told me that Magical Energies should be forced into usage. She then added that Magical Energies will never assist us willingly. But, why you two?” “To be honest, we don’t really know why?” the red man answered. “We have this…compulsion to help you out even though Iblisan’s voices told us not to.” the blue man added.
“See, we Magical Energies are a product created by the Angel of Harmony Iblisan Alkaidus. Whatever he wants us to do, we oblige for he is our god. If he wants us to overcome the will of the humans who possess us, we will do it at the opportunistic moment. His voice is like a hypnotic signal, ordering us around, but we came to realize that we can do whatever we want despite his voices. We…just can’t go and overcome your will even though we had many opportunities to do it during your fight with that other human. Instead, we felt the need to help you out, though we don’t really know why. It makes me wonder how things will be different if we killed you on your Proving.” the blue man explained.
Jaden listened as the blue man explained, somewhat amazed at how his explanation of Magical Energies has a slight difference from Kiyara’s. However, what truly astounded her was him referring to Iblisan, the Fallen Angel who enslaved the Salvagers, as the “Angel of Harmony”. The last she heard, he was the Angel of Temptations.
“Does that mean that we have freewill?” the red man asked his counterpart. The blue man shrugged and replied, “I really don’t know. All I know is that our will is cut off from Iblisan’s voices. Though we hear him, our actions are our own, not his. I’m sorry human but we can’t explain ourselves.”
“Well, I guess I should thank you two for the assistance. But, now that my Master is dead, I can’t learn how to cast spells. I intend on leaving Qurrentine and I have no idea what dangers lurk on other planets.” Jaden said. “We’ll teach you.” the blue man told her. “You would?” Jaden asked with surprise and slight joy. “Yes and once again, I don’t know why I even considered teaching you despite Iblisan’s voices. I guess Dark Energy here was right.”
“We do have freewill.”
* * *
The ship dock workers fled from their workplace, chased out of it by the Cult of Iblisan. Members of the cult, armed with rifles, patrolled the area with Iblisan’s dreaded insignias on their leather uniforms. Fearful citizens watched as they pondered on why Iblisan’s followers were guarding the docks even though Dark Viper had already left with his ship. In fact, his ship did not dock there; rather it landed on the outskirts.
Jaden observed the patrols while hidden behind a nearby building. Through the teachings that her Energies gave her, she listened to their thoughts, hoping to hear their intentions. She went from one mind after another and eventually heard from a disgruntled guard’s mind his orders, “That lazy Angel can sometimes really piss me off. Guard the docks and kill the Energy Bladesman he said. Do I look like some assassin to him? If I never made the vow to follow all his orders, I would have shot him by now.”
“Iblisan himself wants me dead? Humph, must be Viper’s doing. I guess I intimidated Viper enough for him to see me as a huge threat.” Jaden spoke to herself.
“What could you have done to tick Dark Viper off?”
Jaden jumped with shock upon hearing that voice so close to her ear. She gripped her chest as she felt her heart beating swiftly. She turned to see a young man smiling at her with both his hands at his back. “Whoa, sorry to startle you my lady.” he apologized. “I wouldn’t have been startled if you didn’t sneak up on me like that. Who are you and what do you want?” Jaden asked while struggling to speak through her heavy breathes.
“My, what a cute Qurrentine accent you have there. Too bad you’re blind.”
“I’m not blind!”
“Then what’s with the blindfold, and the way you’re holding that sword? It is almost like you’re treating it like a walking stick.”
“I am an expert in the Reverse Grip fighting style and my blindfold, it’s…it’s…you know what, I don’t have the time to explain! I need to get out of this planet and the last thing I need is to be annoyed by some stranger.”
“Ah so you’re planning to get out of here too? You know, I happen to not like living here so, perhaps we could work something out? You and me could work together to get past those guards.”
“And how are we supposed to do that? You sneak up on every guard and scare them to death?”
“No, not really. I happen to be good at shooting so if you could provide me a rifle, I could fight alongside you. And, I know how to fly a ship. So, what do you say? We work together?” The stranger let out his hand, offering to shake his hand with hers.
Jaden sighed as she thought about his proposition. The foreign stranger was clearly not as serious as he should be considering their current situation. His convenient appearance also made her suspicious of him. Still, she realized that she could not escape alone, especially since she did not know how to fly a ship. Thinking that she had no choice, she gripped his hand and said, “Well I guess I don’t have much of a choice.”
“I am so glad to see that this war is bringing people together.” the stranger said with obvious sarcasm. “I’m Reed Robinson. Just call me Reed if you want. I am Salvager-born and glad to meet a Qurrentine woman, even a blind one.” “I’m not blind!” Jaden bellowed. “Alright alright I get it. I’m sorry. Do you have a name?” Jaden sighed and replied, “Jaden Highland. Qurrentine Energy Bladesman.” “Ah an Energy Bladesman. You’re much powerful than you look I guess. So, Jaden, I’m sure fetching a rifle from a nearby guard isn’t too tough for you.”
The outskirts of the docks were seemingly clear of life. Its silence resembled graveyards and the whistling of the wind sent chills up a lonely patrol who was unlucky enough to be ordered to guard that area. He walked down the street and further away from his superiors, looking out for the Energy Bladesman they were ordered to kill. He walked past a dark alley and still found no one. Suddenly, he felt a stinging pain coming from behind him before it came from his stomach. He looked down to see the bloody sharp end of a blue glowing katana pierced through his abdomen.
Jaden pulled back her sword off him and the patrol fell to the ground, dead. She looted his rifle and Reed, overjoyed to finally have a weapon, ran to her side from the alley and took the rifle from Jaden. “Finally I have a weapon. For months I have been hiding. Now it is time to take the fight to them.” “You have been hiding from Iblisan’s men? What for?” Jaden asked. Reed appeared surprised for a moment and stuttered on his words before becoming calm and explained, “I happened to be a wanted man, for the smallest and the righteous of all crimes. Don’t worry. I won’t murder you. I don’t murder nice young ladies. Now let us get out of this planet.”
As Reed marched to the docks, Jaden’s suspicion of him grew. She knew he was hiding something but considering their situation, she refused to read his mind of it. She followed him and hoped that they could get out of the planet alive.
As they walked towards the docks, Reed saw a pair of guards, conversing with each other while guarding one of the entrances to the docks. Jaden, lighting her sword with a blue glow, was about to charge at them before Reed stopped. “Wait, let me have some fun with these guys.” he told her. He walked towards the guards while Jaden reluctantly followed.
“Halt! Who goes there?” the guard asked upon hearing Reed’s footsteps. “Hi there fellows. Bright day isn’t it? I’ve been wondering if you two have the map to a place called heaven.” Jaden nudged Reed and asked, “Reed, what the hell are you doing?” “It’s the Energy Bladesman! Open fire!” Before the guards could shoot however, Reed blasted holes into their heads. He looked down, smiled and taunted, “Well never mind. You can thank me for sending you there later.”
Jaden sighed at the seeming lack of maturity in the young man. Suddenly, she saw guards running out of a corner from a distant building. They fired at her and Reed, prompting them to take cover behind a metal support. “These must be the welcoming committee. Perhaps we should give back the welcome.” Reed said before leaning out and firing at them, killing two of the guards. They then focused fire on Reed, forcing him back into cover and Jaden take advantage of the opportunity. She jumped out of her cover, light her sword with a blue glow, and sprinted at the group.
Several guards saw her and shot at her. However, thanks to a spell she learned, her movements were as fast as the wind and her reaction was swift enough to deflect some of the bullets away. Using her Energies, she jumped high up in the air, landing right in the middle of the group. Swinging her Energy-infused blade about, she cut through their bodies and even some of the guard’s armor. Eventually, she fell most of the guards with her physical body intact.
“Wow, you must’ve been training to fight for years. You’re pretty good.” Reed said as he ran to Jaden’s side. “Thanks, though I’m still an amateur in using spells as you can see.” “As long as you know how to fight, everything will be fine I suppose. Come; let us find a ship before more of the patrols arrive.”
Reed and Jaden entered the docks and saw a long line of parked ships, most of which were military transport ships. They eventually discovered why the docks has so many military transport ships as a large battalion of cultist soldiers were also inside, falling in line. Upon seeing the duo, they raised their rifles and aimed at them. With all their rifles pointed at the duo, Jaden knew that her chances of survival are low if she tried to fight back. Silently, she cursed, “Damn it.” “Well, one hell of a welcoming committee this is.” Reed said with seeming bravery. “Hey stop talking! Drop your weapons and put your hands behind your head.” one of the soldiers ordered. Having no choice, the duo complied.
As two of the soldiers moved in to bind them, Jaden saw a ship docking on one of the empty docking slot. Though it was another military transport ship, it was rather distinct in that it was crimson in color. The docking ship caught some of the soldier’s attention and for reasons unknown to her; they seemed rather suspicious of the ship’s arrival. One of the soldiers was ordered to check if the ship was truly one of the cults.
As a soldier was binding Jaden’s wrists, the ship finally docked and gunfire was heard. Every soldier turned to the gunfire and Jaden, using the distraction, pushed away her binds, grabbed her sword, enlightened it with a red glow, and slashed the soldier behind her. She then killed the soldier binding Reed and he quickly picked up his rifle. Their death screams caused the soldiers to turn their attention back at them and the duo quickly ran behind nearby crates while the soldiers opened fire on them.
Suddenly, Jaden heard some of the soldiers shouting in seeming pain and the gunfire directed at them lessened, almost as if someone was killing them and some of the soldiers were shooting at that someone. As more soldiers were killed, the battalion was forced to direct all fire on their assailant and the duo took advantage of it. Reed threw an active grenade he looted at the battalion. The group dispersed but the explosion killed a large number of the soldiers while injuring a few others. Reed then opened fire on the surviving soldiers while Jaden ran in and killed several patrols reinforcing the battalion.
As she was fighting, she heard a soldier shouting in pain behind her and saw that the soldier, who was trying to ambush her with his rifle, was shot by someone. She assumed it was Reed but he happened to be busy shooting at other soldiers. As she looked around, she saw her savior near the crimson transport ship and was amazed to see that it was not a human, or anything she had seen before. She was astounded enough to ignore her surroundings, which was a battlefield.
A humanoid figure, crouched and armed with a distinct rifle, stared at Jaden and was not trying to shoot her at all. Eventually, the figure stood up with both its arm on its side, allowing her to see figure’s full features. The figure was clad in metal, resembling most machines Jaden had seen in her life. It had four metallic figures and a rather large build. Large wires were seen all over its body and under its metallic skin. Its feet only had two long toes and were also metal. Its head, which is not circular like humans, was long and cocoon-like in terms of shape. It was bent forward, almost as if it was the being’s neck, and its face was at the tip of the cocoon shape. Its face had nothing but a pair of flashlights as seeming eyes. Many of its other features cannot be described further for her. No skins, hair or flesh was seen and clearly, this thing is not a living thing.
“Jaden Highland. I have arrived. You are safe for now.” the figure spoke with a masculine, monotonous and distorted voice. “You know my name?” Jaden asked. The figure nodded and replied, “I know a lot about you Jaden.” The gunfire eventually ceased as Reed killed the last soldier. He ran to Jaden’s side and said, “Jaden, where the hell were you? I had to fight most of the soldiers.” She replied, “Sorry but, that thing over there caught my attention.”
As Reed turned to look at the thing, he almost recoiled with surprised. His expression change to seeming fear and he told Jaden, “Oh crap. Out of all that we had to fight, why must it be a VX Synthetic?” “A VX…what?” Jaden asked. “A VX Synthetic. You’re Qurrentine and you don’t know of these robots? They are every Qurrentine’s favorite enemy. I’m guessing you never heard of their story.” Reed retorted. “I come here to get Jaden Highland and her allies off this planet.” the robot said. Reed, not willing to believe him, joked, “Yeah and my pants are on fire.” “Your pants are not on fire and I don’t lie.” the robot replied.
“Reed, I think he really wants to help us.” Jaden told him. “Yeah? What makes you believe him so quickly?” Reed asked. “He saved me from one of the soldiers. In fact, his arrival saved us both. I think he really means it.” Jaden answered. He began to see Jaden’s point but still felt suspicious over the robot’s convenient appearance. He told the VX Synthetic, “Hey, thanks for the help but I think I would rather fly out of here on one of these other ships.” “Human’s wish cannot be complied. Other human ships are rigged to self-destruct in a few minutes.” the robot replied. “What? There is no self-destruct button on…wait. Did you code them to self-destruct?” Reed asked.
“Yes.”
“But why?”
“Cult of Iblisan soldiers will pursuit. Without their ships, soldiers will be trapped here.”
“Great. Just what we need: Only one ship out of this shit hole.” Reed exclaimed. “Jaden Highland, I am not your enemy. Come with me if you wish to leave this planet.” the robot requested. Jaden nodded and told Reed, “Come on Reed, we don’t really have much of a choice.” However, he shook his head and replied, “I don’t trust robots and…” Reed was interrupted when gunfire was heard and a bullet flew past his head. More patrols had return and Reed quickly changed his mind. He and Jaden ran into the robot’s crimson ship while the robot covered them. It then retreated into its ship and locked the door behind it.
Reed rushed to the cockpit and began to swiftly press a large number of buttons. The ship began to power up and he gripped the joystick before pulling it backwards to reverse the ship. As the ship was far enough away from the docking slot, he turned the ship to the right to face it at open space. Suddenly, several soldiers shot at the ship, though its armor prevented any bullets from penetrating. However, any holes in the ship will prevent space travelling from being safe, thus Reed turned the ship’s engine to full-throttle and it accelerated forward. The force caused Jaden and the VX Synthetic to fall to the floor while Reed continued to maintain control of the ship.
Realizing that Reed was going to fly up into space, Jaden stood up and ran for the other cockpit seat to put on the seatbelt. The VX Synthetic simply held on to a nearby wall. Reed pulled the joystick and the ship went up through the skies and into space. Now that they are no longer in danger, Reed turned off the engines to have a nice, long sigh of relief.
“Finally out of that planet and into sweet old space.”
“Your men tried and failed Iblisan. I’m still alive and coming for Dark Viper.”
“Part one mission accomplished. Jaden Highland…is safe.”
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