Chapter 28: The
Second World War
The Crimson
Spinner decelerated as it neared an opening in the forest. Reed slowly lowered
the ship, landing it on the open ground. Before he made any announcements of
leaving the ship, he turned on a wide area motion detector, intending to find
out of there were any movements around the ship. He wanted to ensure that the
site was safe from any hostilities, most notably the dinosaurs.
After
several seconds of checking without detecting any movements, he gave the green
light for Jaden and her party, comprising of Vader, Gavin, Tareshah and her
brothers, to leave. Before she left, she asked, “Are you sure you want to stay
behind?”
“Jaden,
there are big hulking monsters walking around the woods and some of those
idiots may think that the Crimson Spinner is a massive plant or hard meat ripe
for the taking. If any of those beasties come close, I will man the big guns to
keep this big girl safe. Besides, I hate politicians and the summit will
involve a lot of them.”
“Well, if
you insist. Just be careful and keep Kida out of trouble.”
“Oh trust
me. I won’t take my eyes off her once she’s in view.”
“Right…well,
wish me luck Reed.”
“Yeah well,
I hope they’re just as submissive as Gavin, Sierra, Mason and Tareshah.
Otherwise, you’ve got your work cut out for you.”
Jaden
patted Reed’s shoulders before leaving him alone. She then left the Crimson
Spinner with her party and questioned them, “Alright, Mason said that the
summit will take place in an abandoned bunker within the planet. Problem is
that we don’t rightly know where it is and how far we are from it.”
“Mason provided
this unit the coordinates of the bunker prior to leaving Qurrentine. The
coordinates provided are accurate and guided Reed to this landing spot. The
bunker is south of here, close to a kilometer of traveling.” Vader answered.
“Very well.
Before we head out, let us review the leaders we will be meeting. According to
Mason, Mistress Sierra of the Snow Mannihilators and Lady Nora of the
Mannihilators will attend to represent their people.”
“And then
there’s King Zian Prime of the aliens.” Gavin answered.
“Anything I
should know about him?”
“Zian is
popular amongst his people. He’s known for ruling with a fair hand and he is
especially friendly to foreigners. He’s married, though I am not sure to whom.
He has a son but I doubt he will be accompanying his father. He’s also the one
who negotiated the trade policies between the aliens and the Snow
Mannihilators. He should be more open to an alliance than the other leaders.”
Gavin replied.
“Alright.
Aside from him, there’s Elder Darkcaller Vael’Luas of the elves, Grand Shaman
Yoren Windcaller of the orcs, Chieftain Magariela of the minotaurs, King Zavron
of the dragonites and an unknown representative of the sirens. Quite a handful
of people with titles we’re dealing with here. In addition, the orcs, minotaurs
and dragonites are united under one banner called the United Herd. The orcs are
the dominant race so convince the orcs and the other two will follow.”
“And unlike
Zian, all those people you mentioned have a problem with our race and are far
less forgiving.” Tareshah pointed out.
“Any of you
all know what our ancestors did that made them so mad?” Jaden asked.
“I only
know about the elves. Half of their people were enslaved by the humans before
the VX Synthetics were created.” Lucas answered. “Aside from that, I think you
ought to ask the leaders themselves.”
“Vader?
Anything to add to this?” Jaden questioned the robot.
“This unit
only contains information of the Elven Revolt which took place ten years prior
to our creation. The information was provided by our creator, Lisa
Hickenbottom. Aside from that, we have no information on the history of
possible hostilities between humans and other races as this unit has been in
isolation along with the rest of the VX Synthetics after the Metal Magic
Uprising.”
“Sometimes
I wonder who came up with all the names for those conflicts. I swear, some of
them sounded cheesy and ridiculous.” Markus said.
“And anyone
knows why the sirens sent a representative rather than their leader?” Jaden
asked.
“The sirens
are a very reclusive bunch. We know little about them, aside from the fact that
they’re an all female race and that they’re our closest cousins genetic wise. Most
cannot tell the difference between a female human and a siren. It is possible that
they lack a leader and that the representative they sent temporarily serves as
one. Only a few of them were ever seen outside of their home planet, Sarnyr, and
they normally hide amongst the human populace.” Tareshah explained.
“Are they
like Mason? As in, their capabilities.” Jaden asked.
“Mason’s
technically not a full siren. He’s closer to a half-siren but exhibited most of
a full siren’s traits. According to what we already know, sirens are highly
resistant to cold, able to live in a snowy climate even if stripped naked.
However, in turn, they’re very vulnerable to heat, hence why they are often
seen wearing revealing apparel. They’re also invincible, making them impossible
to kill conventionally. This invincibility is more magical than genetic.
They’re also able to control Magical Energies, capable of weakening or
amplifying one’s Magical Energy level. Finally, they’re immortals.” Tareshah
answered.
“And Mason
only has a siren’s immortality, invincibility and control over Magical
Energies. Other than that, he’s half human.” Markus added.
“And if
you’re curious, there are only three ways to kill a siren. One, we dehydrate
them severely. They’re vulnerable to heat after all. Or two, we impregnate
them. Apparently, they were not made to survive child birth so they die after
giving birth to a child. And three, we bypass their invincibility shield somehow.”
Lucas said.
“Somehow?”
Jaden queried.
“It was
never done before.” Lucas replied.
“And as you
can see, Mason cannot be killed because he’s invincible, he’s a male and he
does not have a siren’s weakness to heat. Kida was right not to follow up with
the plan you mentioned.” Markus added.
“Regardless,
I don’t want to resort to killing them. This summit is to unite everyone, not
to reignite old hatreds. Come on. We need to go now before we’re late.” Jaden
requested. The rest nodded and they followed her and she head south for the
abandoned bunker.
Minutes
flew and the party continued trudging through the thick forest, cutting away
branches and bushes that blocked their path. They never encountered any of the
dinosaurs Vader mentioned, although subtle roars and loud stomps were
occasionally heard. Even then, such things were rather uncommon, implying that
the dinosaurs on Nibelheim were not as numerous as Jaden previously assumed, or
the sounds they have been hearing were from herbivores rather than carnivores.
Eventually,
Jaden saw a concrete building in the distance behind several bushes. It
appeared small due to the distance but she can only imagine how big the bunker
may be once she reached it. Surrounding the bunker was ships of varying size
and design, flying around in circles, implying that the attendees of the summit
had arrived. Believing that they were indeed late, Jaden rushed forward while
encouraging her party to catch up and move faster.
Jumping out
of the forest and into the opening in which the bunker was built, Jaden and her
party had finally arrived. Jaden looked up to see the ships swirling around the
air above the bunker, wondering why the ships were not landed. Gavin approached
her and told her, “I’m guessing the non-humans are expecting danger. I’m not
surprised, considering how much they hated us.”
“So those
ships up there are ready to attack us if we are considered a threat?”
“Maybe. They
could be up there for other reasons but my guess is as good as yours.”
Jaden then
looked down at the bunker and saw the familiar faces of Lady Nora and Mistress
Sierra, both of who were flanked by bodyguards. The two representatives
approached Jaden with a beaming smile on their faces.
“Jaden!
Good to see you again. Took your sweet time to come.” Lady Nora exclaimed while
shaking hands with Jaden.
“Blame Reed
for that. He’s flying that ship way too slowly. Still, good to see you again.
And you too Mistress Sierra.”
“You’ve
been very busy. I heard a lot about what happened on Qurrentine.”
“Hey. You
two ladies forget about me?” Gavin queried.
“Oh we
can’t forget you Gavin. You were the reason why I am leading the Mannihilators
now.” Nora said.
“So, how is
the situation with the non-human leaders?”
“I have to
admit, they were quite an intimidating bunch. As if the ships flying around
were bad enough, they had guards patrolling the perimeter or following them
around. They could teach us a lot about paranoia.” Sierra answered.
“Well, I
guess they have every reason to be paranoid. Today, however, we’ll give them
reason not to.” Jaden replied.
“If you’re
ready to convince them, you and your crew are free to go in. The summit will
start once we’re all inside.” Nora said.
Jaden
nodded and head into the bunker with his party while Nora and Sierra followed.
Once inside, Jaden was able to see what Sierra meant by the non-human leaders
being paranoid as a large number of soldiers, all of varying races, were
patrolling the interior. All of them were well-armed and gave hostile glares at
Jaden and her party. A notable few were friendlier, however, and helped guide
her to where the summit would take place.
“You know,
for a bunker, this place is rather grand. Why would a bunker need to be so
huge?” Jaden queried.
“If you
haven’t realized by now, this planet is infested with dinosaurs. Those
magnificent beasts are massive in scale and having an average sized bunker is
unwise. Heck, this isn’t even big enough, hence why it was abandoned. For now,
the guards around the perimeter would ward them away.” Nora explained.
Eventually,
the party reached the briefing hall, where the summit will take place. All the
non-human leaders had been waiting for Jaden, Lady Nora and Mistress Sierra’s
arrival. As she went in, all the leaders, aside from Zian, ceased their
conversation and stared at the young human Energy Bladesman with a sharp glare.
Even without reading their thoughts, Jaden knew they were angry and disgusted
by her appearance. Her confidence shrunk and her bravery diminished. She began
to hope that nothing goes wrong in the summit.
Jaden went
to the seat reserved for her with her party accompanying her. Once seated, she
announced, “Alright. Now that we’re all here, we can begin.”
“Pardon me
Ms. Highland but there is one more attendee missing.” Zian retorted.
“Oh? Who is
it?” she asked.
Suddenly,
the entrance door opened.
“Am I
late?” a familiar voice said.
A figure
walked into the hall and all heads turned to the figure. As Jaden stared at the
figure, she found the person hauntingly familiar.
“Dark
Viper? Isn’t Iblisan supposed to attend?” Zian queried.
“He will
attend. Just, not personally.” Viper replied.
“Viper!”
Jaden shouted before pulling out her katana and charging her free hand with
Dark Energies.
“Hold your
blade. I’m not here to kill you.” Viper requested.
“Not until
you tell me what you’re doing here.”
“I’m here
to attend the summit alongside Iblisan. What other reason do I have to come
here?”
“Don’t try
to be funny with me. You’re here to assassinate us, aren’t you?”
“Hmph, even
if that is true, I’m not the one who pulled out a weapon and expect everyone to
listen to a peace offering.” Viper retorted.
Upon
hearing Viper’s words, Jaden began to notice that the non-human leaders were
all staring at her. Their expressions said it all; they were surprised to see
her pulling out her weapon in what seemed to be a summit requesting for an
alliance. Whispered were heard amongst the guards, some of which she heard as,
“Don’t these humans ever understand that violence cannot solve everything?”
Realizing
the error of her ways, and not to mention her embarrassment, she sheathed her
katana and seated quietly. Viper smirked, amused by the situation.
“Perhaps
one of you ought to explain why I’m here.” Viper requested.
“Dark Viper
and Iblisan are here to represent the Cult of Iblisan. It is, after all,
recognized as an organization of note and thus, must attend this summit.” Vael,
the elven leader, answered. “But, where is Iblisan?”
To answer
his question, Viper raised a hand and released dark red energies from his
fingers. It gathered into a circular form above Viper and expanded slowly.
Eventually, the expansion ceased and a pair of eyes formed in the mass of
energy.
“I am here
mortals. The Angel of Temptations has arrived.” an echoing voiced sounded.
“Iblisan.
Why aren’t you here personally?” Vael queried.
“For safety
reasons, considering who started the summit. Viper here serves both as a vessel
for me to communicate with you all and as my hand. Make me angry and he’ll make
short work of all of you.”
“Very well.
So, now we can begin. Ms. Jaden Highland, why have you started this summit?”
Vael asked.
In
response, Jaden stood up and answered, “I call for this summit to ask for the
aid of all of you in our war against the Cult of Iblisan. I know Mason was the
one who contacted all of you. While he is not here, know that he and his bounty
hunters have joined my rebellion, the Liberator Alliance. All I ask is your
support in this war.”
“War? There
is no war. You Salvagers have lost the war and your Liberator Alliance barely has
the manpower to even call this a proper rebellion.” Iblisan retorted. “Do not
support this fool girl’s cause. You all know well enough what the humans will
do once they are given power. They abuse it and will treat you all like dirt.
Do not submit to her blasphemy.”
“I agree.
We elves were once allied to the humans. We were thriving together, never taking
blows and solving matters diplomatically, until the human government blamed us
for the kidnapping of some of their civilians. We had no knowledge of such
kidnappings, neither are we even aware of such elves committing such an act. We
were driven out of Dissidia and those who were forced to be left behind were
subsequently enslaved for generations. I say, we let the Liberator Alliance
fall in this rebellion. The humans are not worth our time.” Vael argued.
“And I
support Vael and Iblisan. One of our clans was utterly wiped out while on a
mission on Dissidia twenty one years ago, a year before the Grand Betrayal. It
didn’t take long for us to learn that the Salvagers were responsible for the
massacre. We lost a lot of good men, including a Master Shaman. The humans are
aggressive and power-hungry.” Yoren, the orcish leader, added.
“And us
minotaurs and the dragonites were well aware of the act. In honor of our
alliance, the United Herd, we support Yoren.” Magariela, the minotaur
chieftain, said while the dragonite king, Zavron, nodded.
“We lost a
lot of our sisters to the humans throughout our history, especially to lustful
young human males. Many of us agree that siding with Iblisan is wise.” the
siren representative added.
“And I
can’t believe I’m saying this but I have to agree with the rest. We aliens
often argued with the Salvager government over our territories and you humans
don’t seem to mind resorting to violence even when diplomacy is still an
option. If you want us to help you, we need a very good reason to do so because
I know our dead won’t be happy to see us helping their enemies.” Zian said.
“I see.
Honestly, I have no idea what my ancestors did that made you all so angry. I’m
only twenty years of age and I spent most of my life in Qurrentine rather than
Dissidia.” Jaden answered.
“Thus
brings up another question: Why should they join forces with a group led by a
young, inexperienced, female human? I doubt you lead an army before starting
this rebellion of yours. A much wiser choice would be to make peace with a
powerful Angel, namely myself.” Iblisan pointed out.
Chatter
erupted amongst the leaders, apparently agreeing with Iblisan’s words. In her
defense, Jaden exclaimed, “People please, do not listen to the Angel of
Temptations! He’s given that title for a reason. He’s trying to sway your
actions, to turn you against a group dedicated to bringing justice to those who
suffered under his tyranny.”
“Tyranny?
You know nothing of tyranny girl! Half of my people were mistreated, tortured,
brutalized longer than you have lived! You humans are a blight to the universe
and a mistake of the God of Creation! Everything that Iblisan did to your
people is nothing compared to the damage done to mine!” Vael reacted.
“But those
sins were committed by humans long dead. You can’t blame us all for what has
happened.” Lady Nora said, defending Jaden.
“Yet the
effects still lingers. Understand that my people live a far longer lifespan
than you weaklings. Many of my people are still scarred by the actions of your
ancestors.”
“Perhaps I
should also point out that Jaden’s blindfold is hiding a dark little secret.
She has glowing eyes. Ever heard of Magical Overflow?” Iblisan said.
“What?
Glowing eyes? That was what led to Dark Viper’s betrayal of the Salvagers. That
makes her dangerous then.” Yoren reacted.
“Wait,
weren’t you the one that created Magical Overflow? If Jaden is indeed suffering
from Magical Overflow, then she should be under your control.” Tareshah pointed
out.
“Perhaps,
but her eyes are still glowing.” Iblisan persisted.
“Iblisan’s
right. A pair of glowing eyes was what led to a lot of betrayals among the
humans. I do not want to risk being backstabbed by the humans like how they are
always backstabbing each other.” Zavron said.
“Jaden
Highland’s condition had been verified numerous times by our scanners. She is
fully conscious and in full control of her hardware.” Vader defended Jaden.
“And I’m
guessing the VX Synthetic is here for a reason.” Magariela said.
Jaden
turned to Vader and explained, “He’s here as proof to show that we humans are
willing to set aside our past differences. My ancestors created and enslaved
the VX Synthetics, not unlike what we did to the elves. They revolted and we
lost the war that followed. But now, it doesn’t matter anymore. Vader has
decided to help us free our brethren. He’s not just an ally. He’s my friend.”
“Hmm, I can
see that well enough. You’re referring to that piece of machinery as ‘he’.”
Zian said. “Do you have anything to add to this, Vader?”
“Jaden
Highland has been a kind and effective host. She welcomed my assistance with
open arms and with little questions. This unit would resort to self termination
if it would mean preserving the lifespan of Jaden’s hardware and software.” Vader
added.
“And you
know what they say. Robots can’t lie.” Markus joked.
Vader’s
words caused the leaders to begin reconsidering their thoughts on the matter.
Jaden, very curious, read Yoren’s mind, “A machine does not understand emotions
like we organics do. They prioritize logic over morality and if this Vader
thinks siding with the Liberator Alliance is logical, it probably wasn’t a bad
idea.”
“Are you
all buying that what that piece of crap said? It is a machine! It could have
been reprogrammed by Jaden to make it say those words.” Vael responded.
“Besides, it doesn’t excuse what the humans did in the past. The VX Synthetics are
made for servitude right from the beginning, to replace the elven slaves the
humans lost! They do not understand justice like we do and the humans are the
main cause of injustice in this world.”
“Vael, the
past doesn’t matter anymore. You ought to let go of it, lest it clouds your
judgment.” Zian reacted.
“What the
hell do you know? You married a human so I’m not surprised why you are more
sympathetic of Jaden’s rambling.”
“What? You
married a human?” Jaden asked, shocked by the revelation.
“You didn’t
know? I thought the whole world know of our marriage.”
“Regardless
Vael, Zian’s marital status is in no way involved in this summit. Now, just
calm down and let us all talk like civilized people.” Yoren told Vael.
Not willing
to argue with the elder orc, Vael heaved a deep sigh and leaned back on his
seat, attempting to calm himself down.
“Still
Yoren, Vael has every reason to be angry. Everything that the humans did to us
is nothing compared to what they have done to the elves.” Zavron added.
“But the
humans still did something horrible to all of you, didn’t they? Precisely why
we should just call off this summit and spare your people from a meaningless
death in a meaningless war. Let the humans die out. Let me wipe them off the
face of the world.” Iblisan intercepted.
“And what
will you do once you’re done? Turn to the non-humans?” Lucas argued.
“I have
little reason to attack them. They’re not the ones who angered the God of
Creation enough to send me down here to correct his mistakes.” Iblisan
retorted.
“Do not
digress Angel. The God of Creation is in no way involved in this.”
“Oh you
have no idea human lad.”
“Please, a
lot of innocent humans are living in constant fear and paranoia. If it was your
people suffering like this, you would do as I do. If you hate my people, so be
it. But, do not let your hatred cloud of judgment over the right and wrong. There
is nothing right about letting unarmed civilians die in anguish.” Jaden
exclaimed.
“Girl,
you’re barely keeping track of human history, aren’t you? Back when we were
allies, you humans pulled away all of your soldiers from an elven Dissidian
village just before an invasion by Dark Angels occurred. It was a slaughter and
those who survived have been paranoid and traumatized for the rest of their
lives. What’s keeping you from doing the same should we decide to join forces
with you?” Vael responded.
“To hell
with this. This summit is pointless. Heed my words non-humans. The Cult of
Iblisan is willing to broker peace with you all but if you wish to get your
revenge on the humans, I welcome you to join my ranks. The gods know that I
could use all the manpower to crush these human upstarts. For too long the
humans have made your people suffer. Now is your chance to fight back.” Iblisan
exclaimed.
“Done.
Prepare for war Ms. Highland. You’ll see the full might of the elven military
once you cross our true home planet, Dissidia.” Vael replied.
“Whoa hold
on there Vael. What are you doing? You talked about how much your people have
suffered, yet you’re sending them to war? Do you even realize how much
suffering war would bring to your people?” Zian protested.
“It is a
final suffering I am willing to risk if it would bring peace to those who have
suffered. And besides, I can guarantee half of my people would agree to this.”
Vael reacted.
“No please!
I do not want to hurt your people.” Jaden shouted.
“It is done
Ms. Highland! I have no qualms with you but the sins of your people are too
much to ignore.”
“Vael, do
you seriously believe revenge would bring peace to your people?” Zian protested
once again.
“Zian,
please respect Vael’s choice. Same goes to you Ms.Highland.” Yoren retorted.
“I…yes
Yoren.” Zian deferred.
Jaden
remained silent, shocked to see her summit backfiring right in front of her.
Rather than gaining more help, she’s giving Iblisan a powerful ally. Both
sadness and anger enveloped her being and it intensified as Vael stood up and
prepared to leave while Viper grinned at her. Her anger was obvious to the
others; her eye glow became bright enough to penetrate her blindfold.
“Vael.” she
said, halting the elf in his tracks. “Alright. I guess we humans do deserve to
be wiped off this planet, considering everything that we did to your people.”
“What was
mentioned here by all of us pales in comparison to the full extent of damage
and suffering your ancestors did.” Vael replied.
“Yes I know.
I respect your opinion of our people. But, I want to tell you
something…something which I believe you are unaware of. It is true, the sins of
my ancestors are too big to ignore and Iblisan’s appearance may actually mean
that the God of Creation have finally decided to punish us for our wrongdoings.
But please, look at what you are doing. You…wait no…all of you, branded us
tyrants, warmongers, traitors, power-hungry opportunists. Yet, by letting our
people die out, how are you all any different?”
“What do
you mean? What are you talking about Ms. Highland?” Yoren asked.
“You accuse
my ancestors of the atrocities that they committed, something which I never
deny, yet you all persist on pointing it out. You then expect their descendants
to pay for their crimes, regardless of whether or not they are truly the ones
to be punished. Do you not see? You are doing exactly what my warmongering
ancestors did.
Yoren,
you’re angry that we humans openly assaulted one of your clan and wiped them
out. Yet, you intend on leaving us to our fate, wiping us out, an entire race,
in return. That makes you the same, if not worse, than our ancestors. Do you
want that? Do you want future surviving humans to brand you the tyrant, the
monster? I expected the venerable orcs to be better than that.
Vael, my
ancestors have never been kind to you and your people. I can see that very
clearly. And now, you’re joining up with our enemies to complete our
extinction. My ancestors probably intended to do the same thing; wiping out your
numbers, your cultures and perverting your heroes. Do you want to become
similar to my ancestors? Do you want your soldiers to curse you in their final
breaths for sending them to their deaths over petty revenge?”
“Yet
according to what we’re aware of, you started this rebellion for revenge. Dark
Viper killed your family; you wanted him dead.” Vael retorted.
“True but
this is bigger than personal grudges. I’ve seen how the humans around me live
and all I can say is that I am far more fortunate than them. Iblisan has
already destroyed our spirit; all it takes is for him to destroy us physically.
Our people are dying and you all happily come in here, throw in all your
complaints and expect us to compensate you when the true criminals are already
dead! I’m far from home and countless times I faced death! I earned the right
to have a say in this summit and the right to have everyone listen to my plea!”
Her anger
infused words silenced everyone in the room and wiped out all forms of
expressions on their faces, including Dark Viper. Not even Iblisan was able to
counter her words.
“All I ever
wanted is to be free of death and conflict that had plagued my people for
generations. As long as Iblisan and his cult exist, there can never be peace
for my people. I’m opening up possibilities for a compromise, peace to you all
and I also wish to redeem my people. I do not know if we humans are truly
deserving of a second chance, but are you all going to deny us the chance for
redemption? Or do you intend to send us back to oblivion without any chances?
And besides, you all are still standing. All of our previous leaders are dead.
How is this fair for my people? Who’s the one suffering now? And if you
consider yourself a great, selfless leader, why are you doing nothing about it?
And Vael, why are you adding in to the suffering? You tell me that!” Jaden
lectured.
“And if you
all should know, throughout Jaden’s childhood, she was never permitted to leave
her home unless guided by a senior. She never attended any form of school and
received all her training from members of her household. Before her family was
murdered, she witnessed approximately fifty deaths, three-quarter of it was
murder committed by Iblisan’s cultist. That’s how life threatening the
situation is for the humans.” Vader added.
Markus and
Lucas reacted with mild surprise, unsure on how he knew of such a thing. Jaden,
however, was too teary and consumed by her anger and sadness to care. Markus
nudged the robot and whispered, “How did you know all that?”
“Memory
scanner. Very effective when the subject is emotionally distraught. Jaden
Highland’s current mental state made it an opportunistic moment to check for
supportive information.” Vader replied.
The
non-humans, including Vael, remained silent, deep into their thoughts and
possibly reconsidering their stance towards the inevitable war. Iblisan and
Viper looked at them all, worried that Jaden may actually change their minds.
In an attempt
to make them rethink their choice, Iblisan told them, “Now hold on. Before you
go about siding with that female trash, you all need to think for a minute.
What if she’s saying all this just to throw all you lot into a war that would
wipe out not just the humans but your people? Don’t feel sad for the girl just
because a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Are you going to throw the lives of
your soldiers into the fire just to do what you feel was right?”
“That’s
precisely what you’re doing, aren’t you Iblisan?” Jaden retorted.
“Watch your
tongue mortal.” Iblisan retaliated.
“No you
watch my tongue! You send hundreds or thousands of cultists against me, all of
them human. Heck, you brainwashed half of us humans and treat them like cannon
fodder! You send them directly to their deaths rather than sending your Dark Angel
followers. Iblisan cared not for your people, for he will do the same to yours,
just like how he did to mine.”
“Silence!”
Iblisan shouted while sending a mild tremor surging across the area, knocking
Jaden, who was standing, slightly off balance. “It is time to make a decision.
The Liberator Alliance wants war and the Cult of Iblisan is willing to give it
to them. The rest of you, either pick a side or stay out of this.”
In
response, the leaders began to discuss with their advisors and their guards,
debating over whether or not they should assist the seemingly helpless humans,
exact revenge upon the humans by assisting Iblisan, or stay out of the war.
While they
were discussing, Mistress Sierra poked Jaden and said, “I must say Jaden, I
have never seen Iblisan talked down by a mortal like that. You’re showing a lot
potential as a leader and looking at how the Liberator Alliance may include
other races, we could use a leader who would represent us as one.”
“Sierra, I
appreciate the compliment but I don’t believe that I would make a good leader.
I’m still young, inexperienced.”
“Yet people
listen to you when you speak. Your youth adds on to your capabilities. Trust me;
you have a leader inside you.”
“Well…thanks.”
Jaden said, feeling warm within.
“Alright, I
have made a decision.” Zian started. “It is very clear to me that we have allowed
our old hatreds to get in the way of our judgment over what is right and what
is wrong. The humans, though sinful they may be, are still living things and it
will be a bigger sin for us not to save their lives when they need us most. I, King
Zian Prime of the aliens, throw in our lot with the Liberator Alliance.”
“And so does
the United Herd. We value honor above all and it would be a huge dishonor to not
help the helpless. Never again shall old hatreds blind us to our sense of
morality.” Yoren declared.
“And the sirens?”
Magariela asked, noticing that the siren representative have been silent for a
long while.
In
response, the siren spoke out, “We believe the humans deserve a second chance.
We would support the Liberator Alliance but we require approval from our
goddess.”
“Tch,
blasphemy. They kept mentioning a goddess but there has been no proof of such
an existence unlike the God of Creation.” Tareshah retorted.
“What makes
you so certain?” Lucas asked.
“Some of
our scholars have contacted the God of Creation directly. This goddess they
mentioned has never appeared in any way.”
“So, this
is how it’s going to be is it? You all embrace war rather than avoid it. So be
it. On this age, the humans will not be the only race facing extinction. Come
Vael, we have a war to prepare.” Iblisan said.
“No.” Vael
retorted.
“Excuse me?”
“No! I
vowed never to become like the humans that caused so much suffering to my
people. I grew up hearing stories of villainous humans and it wasn’t until now
that I realize that I’m slowly becoming just like them. My apologies Angel of
Temptation. We elves are staying out of the war.”
Iblisan’s
eyes widened, shocked to see a potential ally turn down his offer like that.
Jaden’s face formed a beaming smile, glad to see that the elven leader has
finally seen reason.
“Your people
have always been a cowardly bunch. During the First World War, when the human
Ariel was alive, your people refused to stand aside when my target had always
been the humans. Now I’m giving you the chance to repent and you throw it back
in my face! For that, you die! Viper!” Iblisan ordered.
In a split instant,
Viper pulled out his katana with his free hand and attempted to kill Vael. The
elf jumped back, barely dodging the slash but Viper advanced forward and
attempted again. This time, however, his attack was blocked by Jaden, who
jumped between them and parried the strike. She used all her strength to push
back Viper, causing him to stagger backwards.
“Vael, you
alright?”
“The gall
of that Angel! I owe you one Jaden.”
“Kill them
all! They want war, I’ll give them war. The Second World War has begun!”
Iblisan declared before his avatar was dismissed by Viper.
Jaden looked
at Viper and noticed him placing his index and middle finger onto his ear,
speaking to an earpiece radio. “Destroy the bunker.”
Moments
later, a barrage of explosions was heard. The ground shook and debris from the ceiling
began to fall from the ceiling. Parts of the ceiling fell off, creating a hole
that revealed the sky. Through it, Jaden saw familiar looking dreadnoughts,
similar to the Havoc Dreadnoughts that destroyed her makeshift playground,
assaulting the bunker.
“We’re
under attack! All guards open fire!” Zavron shouted. In response, the guards
inside the room began to open fire upon Viper, though he deflected all of their
shots with his katana. He advanced upon them and began killing them with
powerful slashes. His killing spree was halted once again when Jaden tackled him
from behind. The ships that circled the bunker fought back against the
dreadnought fleet. A full scale battle has begun.
Jaden
turned to her party and ordered, “Evacuate the leaders out of the bunker! I’ll
try to hold Viper off!”
Markus
nodded and shouted, “Everyone, out of the bunker! We need to evacuate!” He then
threw a flaming projectile towards Jaden, hitting her katana and enchanting it
with flames. “She’s gonna need that.” he told himself.
Jaden
stared at her katana, surprised to see it burning. Regardless, she turned her
mind to Viper, who stood calmly in front of her, barely reacting to the
crumbling structure of the bunker.
“Congratulations
Jaden. You’ve just convinced the non-human leaders to send more targets for me
to slaughter. I’d love to see the look on their faces once they realized what a
mistake this alliance is.”
“Don’t
bother Viper. I’ll make sure you die before I let that happen.”
“Hmph, and
I want to see you try. Come, daughter of Glacier Highland. Show me the anger
you have bottled within you!”
* *
*
“Crimson
Spinner to shore party. Crimson Spinner to shore party! Do you copy?”
“Reed. I
copy. What’s you status?” Lucas answered.
“It was
quiet but then it got noisy. What’s going on? I heard explosions coming from
the south and then a few ships flew by, a few dogfights in the air. I’ve been
unable to reach Jaden.”
“Reed, we
need the Crimson Spinner here now! We’re evacuating the non-human leaders and
we need the ship!”
“What? Why?
Can’t they evacuate themselves?”
“Those
ships in the dogfight are their transport ships! They can’t evacuate their
leaders! We’ll be doing the evacuating! Hurry! We’re under cultist fire!” Lucas
said as he ducked behind rubble from cultist bullets.
“Alright. I’m
coming. Hold on.” Reed replied before ending the transmission.
Now able to
focus, Lucas dashed into the fire zone and began deflecting bullets with his massive
sword. He slashed the cultists to pieces while the others provided suppressive
fire. Once the cultists were dealt with, Vael commented, “If I have a gun, I
would’ve supported you. Nonetheless, thanks. The nerve of that Angel,
attempting assassination when he promised peace to those who stayed out of the war!”
“You owe
our sister one.” Markus reminded Vael.
“I know. I
will pay back my debt. For now, let us leave this cursed place.”
“Come on!
We need to get into the opening! The Crimson Spinner will be here soon.” Lucas
said
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