Traitor's Legacy: The Claughter Chapter 39

Chapter 39: The Heart of Hell

            “So, now that the matters in the lab have been dealt with….what now?” Reed asked as the party trudged towards the castle’s entrance behind Zian.

            “Jaden, I’ve been receiving reports from the dock workers and according to what they are seeing through your ship’s cameras, you were all literally living in the ship. Is that true?” Zian asked.

            “Hey! Nobody asked you aliens to poke through my ship!” Reed exclaimed.

            “Relax Reed. This is standard procedure. Our dock workers are to ensure that the ship is in good condition so they have to watch the camera feeds to know how things are during flight.” Xiara reacted.

            “Anyway Zian, yes. The ship has been my home since my old one was destroyed and I guess all these people I dragged along are living with me.” Jaden answered. Gavin replied, “Well, that’s a blunt way to put it.”

            “I see. There’s nothing wrong with that but that ship is old. I don’t think it is a good idea to be staying in a ship that can just about wreck or break apart at any time.” Zian commented. “Thing is Jaden, the rest of the leaders agreed to use my castle as a headquarters and a meeting place for the coming war. They are all coming here once they are done preparing their army so; I personally think it is best if you and your crew stay in my castle while waiting.”

            “What? Wait, hold on there. You want us…to stay in that grand castle of yours?” Kida asked, her tone implying that she could not believe what she just heard.

            “Yup, that’s what I just said.” Zian confirmed. “It is better than a ship right?”

            “Even better! I always wanted to stay in a castle…even an alien one. Oh this is getting exciting!” Kida reacted with glee, hopping and clenching her hands together.

            “Hehe, don’t mind her. She has a thing for royalty.” Jaden said as she nudged Zian.

            “Alright. Now, Xiara, would you mind escorting her to the guest quarters. I need to prepare for the arrival of the Qurrentine representative.”

            “Yes Zian.”

            “Wait, Qurrentine representative?” Tareshah asked.

            “Yes. A fella named Blake Mason. You all know him? Because I do.” Zian answered.

            “Tch, we know that cocky old siren alright.” Tareshah answered with a slight sneer.

            “I’ll tell him that you all are already here then. He’d probably want to meet up with you. Now, make yourselves at home. This castle is yours now.” Zian said before walking away but not before waving at the crew. As he left, the crew turned their attention to Xiara, who asked them to follow her as she brought them to the guest rooms.

            Upon opening the grand doors leading to the castle, the crew watched with awe at the sight of the massive hall that was before them. The hall was so open that Reed thought the Crimson Spinners could fit inside, assuming the wonderfully designed pillars were not there of course. The ceiling was so high that it felt like the very skies that surrounded the planet. The floors were littered with designs that seemed unusual to the group, making them assume that it was alien. Xiara led the group through the hall and up a flight of stairs at the opposite end.

            “Enjoying the sights so far?” Xiara asked.

            “Hell yes!” Kida replied.

            “I’ll say. This place is grand.” Jaina answered.

           

            “This hall is like five times the size of our old house!” Markus reacted.

            “This hall is unnecessarily spacey. We VX Synthetics do not require space as much as organics do but this unit believes that the excess space would be better suited for other purposes.” Vader commented.

            “Ah shut up Vader. What the heck do you know of royalty?” Kida protested.

            “This unit is merely reviewing the structure based on stored knowledge of structures made for war. As a war is approaching, it is best that we prepare as much as time permits.” Vader replied. “If I am to review this place based on its design, then here is my output: This building is extremely grand and clearly shows the significance of its inhabitants.”

            “Now that’s much better.” Kida told him.

            “The guest quarters aren’t far now. Just keep following me.” Xiara told the rest before walking into a hallway. Like the hall, the area was heavily designed. Bright colors fill the walls, illuminated by the lightings. They walked past many doors, none of it opened.

            “Who lives in these rooms?” Jaden questioned.

            “Servants, cooks, employees in general.” Xiara answered.

            “Does Zian have many people working for him?” Lucas queried.

            “He’s the king. What do you think?” Kida replied with a nudge.

            “Your quarters will look more or less the same so don’t worry. We try to keep our guests as happy as our workers.” Xiara said.

*     *     *

            Jaden opened the door and was met with a large room that made her Crimson Spinner quarters look like a dump. The room was painted with a lot of yellow, the lightings were functional and the bed was kempt and large enough to fit two people. Next to the bed was a cabinet that held several clothes, reminding her that she never changed her apparel for weeks. The floor was carpeted and the soft, cold wind that brushed through her skin cooled her sweating arms. She looked up to see an air conditioner and while the Crimson Spinner has one, it was not as strong as the room’s.

            “Well, this is yours. Have a rest Jaden. I think you earn it.” Xiara said while patting Jaden’s shoulder. “Now, I need to see to Zian. Treat this place like you would your home. As long as you don’t disturb anyone, you can do whatever you want.” Xiara then left her, though Jaden was too amazed by the sight of the room to notice her leaving.

            Jaden walked in and tossed her katana to the floor. She took out her single left glove and threw it onto the floor. She jumped towards the bed and laid on it. The cold cloth touched her warm body and a huge feeling of relief shift throughout her body. She sighed and could barely keep her eyes open.

            “It has been a while since I lay on a bed this comfortable. I…man I feel homesick.” Jaden muttered out. “The things missing are the arguments between Lily and Raydon, Dementius’s muttering of Magical words, Kiyara and Alinda’s noisy sparring and mom’s nagging whenever Lucas and Markus do something wrong.” As the faces of her deceased friends flashed in her mind, she sighed and whispered, “I miss them.”

            Still, Jaden was not done trying to enjoy the room she was in. She opened the cabinet and was met with a large selection of clothes. She sifted through it and stopped when she saw a bathing robe. Realizing that she has not showered yet, she looked around to find the bathroom, only to find it being right next to the cabinet.

            She was about to undress herself but halted as she looked down at her clothes. Though dirty and unkempt, she has worn those clothes for so long that she suddenly felt attached to it. Despite everything that she has been through, it was a miracle that her clothes were still in one piece. As she thought it through, she decided to shower while simultaneously cleaning her current apparel so that she can wear them again when she leaves the castle for the war.

            She grabbed the bathing robe, walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

*     *     *

            “Kida? You in there?” Jaden asked as she knocked the door to Kida’s room. The door opened seconds later and Kida poked her head out to see who was knocking on her door.

            “Hey there good-looking! Nice clothes.” Kida commented as she pointed at Jaden’s new choice of clothes. Jaden looked down at her apparel and replied, “Yeah, well, this isn’t technically mine. I’ll wear that old strapless top and jeans once we’re leaving.”

            “So, what you doing here?” Kida asked.

            “I was about to ask Hathgrave that question.” Jaden retorted when she saw the massive demon standing behind Kida. “Why is he summoned?”

            “Well, it is getting a bit boring so I called him and we talked a bit.” Kida answered. “Is that why you’re here? You getting bored?”

            “You can say that I guess. It has been a while since I walked to your place just to have a chat.”

            “Yeah. All this is so nostalgic. Peace was great while it lasted.” Kida said as she walked in and sat on her bed with Jaden following her. She then sat on the floor opposite of Kida, right next to Hathgrave.

            “Kida, I gotta ask…how was it like suffering from Magical Overflow?” Jaden asked, recalling that Kida was a victim of Magical Overflow moments before being reunited with her.

            Kida scratched her hair, appearing hesitant to answer. She shrugged and told Jaden, “It is a bit hard to describe. The main symptom is, you know, glowing eyes, so the only color I can see is the color of my glow. Since my eyes are purple, all I see was purple while under Magical Overflow.”

            “That means my eyes are blue then, since my glow is blue.”

            “Hmm, I never did saw your real eyes so yeah; they should be blue, assuming that you are having Magical Overflow. Is that why you asked? You’re afraid that you might be suffering from Magical Overflow?”

            “That and also because I want to know what a sufferer goes through.”

            “Well, just a reminder, when you suffer from Magical Overflow, your Magical Energies will attempt to take control of your body and use it to serve their creator, Fallen Angel of Temptation, Iblisan. Normally, they would twist your personalities. For instance, I became downright ruthless when I am usually very careful of who I attack.”

            “Why would our Magical Energies do that?”

            “We are enemies of Iblisan so they will take every advantage they can. Magical Overflow amplifies their strength so it makes them powerful enough to take over us, which is why users of Magical Energies are very strict over emotional control. Otherwise, our Magical Energies are normally under our control.”

            “So, we completely lose ourselves to our Magical Energies then?”

            “Not necessarily. Traits and personalities that are prevalent within us remain intact. My love for my late brother, Damien, remained so my twisted self usually tries to protect him. My friendship with Hathgrave is another.”

            “That means a person suffering from Magical Overflow can still be saved?”

            “Yes.”

            “Do you remain conscious when controlled by your Magical Energies?”

            “Well, yes. You see, when your Magical Energies take control of your body, you begin losing control over your limbs and your thoughts. You became more compelled to do what you would otherwise never do and if you attempt to resist, your Magical Energies would press their control even more, controlling your limbs directly if need be. Eventually, once they have gained full control of your limbs, all you could do is watch as your twisted self do things which you otherwise would never do. You remain conscious but powerless to stop yourself. You could remember everything your twisted self did but you can’t do anything about it. You become a prisoner within your own body.”

            “That’s…that’s terrible. I cannot imagine myself seeing as my own body do terrible things.”

            “I don’t even want to go through Magical Overflow anymore, even if it makes me more powerful than I am. Losing myself and being forced to watch my body do atrocities is too much to bear. Still, it benefitted me in some way. I became a warlock, I befriended my minion and now, I can use all that Viper taught my twisted self against him.”

            Jaden remained silent and looked down, thinking about what Kida just shared. “You alright Jaden?” Kida asked.

            “Sometimes I wonder if…I am even the real…Jaden Highland.” she replied. “When I met Rex, he mentioned that I am suffering from Magical Overflow. What if, this whole time, I am just a twisted version of my real self?”

            “If that’s true, your real self is one hell of a jerk.”

            “Dementius used to make a big deal out of my glowing eyes. He was afraid that I could succumb to my own Magical Energies. However, what really awed me is why does my Magical Energies refrain from taking over my body when they are clearly able to do it at any time after my Proving?”

            “Ah, that explains it, doesn’t it?”

            “Explains what?”

            “You may be suffering from Magical Overflow but your Magical Energies are not trying to take over you. That means you are not a twisted version of yourself. You are the real you.”

            “Hmm, I guess you’re right. I am not living through a fake personality after all. Still, I really want to know why I am so special. Besides, why the hell are my eyes glowing in the first place?”

            “Did you ever ask your Magical Energies?”

            “I did and they are just as clueless as I am. They say that they don’t feel compelled to obey their creator and they are more loyal to me than Iblisan. Kiyara even says that Light and Dark Energies cannot coexist so why are mine able to?”

            “Hmm, strange. Still, it is a good thing right?”

            “Yeah I guess.”

            “Magical Energies are, by nature, very unusual so all that you’ve mentioned may indicate a possibility of Magical Energies going through evolution.” Hathgrave added.

            “Perhaps. Suddenly, I was reminded of our trip to the labs. The equipment there, along with Lucky, seem to think that I am a clone.”

            “What if you are? I mean, the Lazarus Machine twists the personalities of its clones so maybe your Magical Energies were twisted too.”

            “I don’t even want to start thinking that I am a clone after all this time.”

            “Regardless, cloning always has a profound effect on the spirit of the individual. We demons can only hope that the Lazarus Machine won’t do as much damage as any of the past cloning machines.” Hathgrave said.

            “You know Hathgrave, I know absolutely nothing about your people. The first demon I met, a Kle’to Maniark, wasn’t exactly a good first impression. The crazy shifter demon tried to steal my sword.”

            “We demons are, like all of you, a creation of the God of Creation. We are immortals that currently live in the spiritual realm of Spiritus. We were created with the sole purpose of heralding extinction events but, something happened and now, the dark angels have that role alongside their angel brethren.”

            “Does that ‘something happened’ have anything to do with why the Cult of Iblisan seems to hate demons? I mean, Father Heyman, one of Iblisan’s lieutenants, seems to hate you.”

            “Indeed. You see Jaden, we once walked the mortal realm but the actions of our own god angered the God of Creation enough to send us to Spiritus, the realm where all the deceased would go once their spirits left their bodies. It can be said that we were banished.”

            “What did your own god do?”

            “We do not know. He refused to tell us. Regardless, we all trust that his actions are for a reason so we remain by his side. The Goddess of Life and Death, Asura, felt that we do not deserve to be punished for the actions of our god, so she devised a way to free us from Spiritus. She succeeded through the creation of the warlock class but, it requires a mortal willing enough to summon us. Even then, we can only walk this realm for a time. Eventually, we will simply dissipate back to Spiritus. When you humans came and discovered the teachings of the warlock class, Bastion tried very hard to ban warlocks. They succeeded.”

            “But the original Cult of Iblisan during Ariel’s time had warlocks.” Jaden queried.

            “That was before the ban. Regardless, at that time, Iblisan accepted us demons as potential servants and cannon fodder. Now, he sees us as nothing more than villains to be purged.”

            “Indoctrination at its best. Now, almost everyone sees demons as the bad guys.” Kida added.

            “Sometimes, we demons tried to dissuade potential apostates amongst Bastion from continuing down their religious path so that more human can free us from Spiritus, even if it is temporary. We would telepathically communicate with such humans and try to push them to turn away from Bastion teachings. Sometimes, we succeed. Sometimes, we fail, Sometimes, the human died trying to leave their religion.”

            “It never seem right to me though. I mean, your god is the one who pissed off the God of Creation. Why punish your entire race then? Aren’t you all technically innocent?” Kida questioned.

            “Seems like the God of Creation is far more malevolent than most people say he is.” Jaden commented.

            “If there is one good thing I can say about religion is how effective it is. It blinds people from the truth and forces people to accept what is otherwise morally wrong. Like I said: indoctrination at its best.” Kida replied.

            “So now, we’re confined to Spiritus and only occasionally are we summoned to this realm. Even then, it is only for a short time. Understand, though, that the other races, such as the orcs and sirens, also have warlocks amongst them. Asura isn’t picky over who learns what she wants to teach.”

            “Do you demons worship Asura like the sirens do? I saw you kneeling down before her while fighting Father Heyman.” Jadne queried.

            “Not necessarily worship. We merely have a great deal of respect for the only goddess aside from our own who feels that we were wronged. She is never one to follow the God of Creation’s ideals so that comes with no surprise.”

            “Who is your god Hathgrave? Why don’t you refer to him by his name like you did Asura?” Jaden asked.

            “Why don’t you refer to the God of Creation by his name?” Hathgrave retorted.

            “We do not know his name. I’m sure you know your god’s.”

            “Well, we try to avoid using his name considering how the God of Creation has branded him as the villain. I’m sorry but I cannot speak of him.”

            “Well, thanks for everything that you’ve shared with us. I am glad that I get to talk to a demon before anyone else makes me believe that you’re evil.” Jaden said.

            “Do not worry. We are used to all the negativity you mortals throw at us. After all, I am personally grateful for the human master that summoned me. Even under the influence of Magical Overflow, she has been a close human friend of mine.”

            “The pleasure is all mine big guy.” Kida said as she stroked his muscular bicep with her hand.

            “However Jaden, you must understand that whenever an angel appears, he or she serves as the God of Creation’s eyes and hands. Considering everything that has happened with Iblisan around, including the First World War, you must not ignore the possibility that an extinction event is impending, especially now that the other races are getting involved. Be prepared for anything.”

            “I will….I hope. Asura said that I have the attention of the gods.”

            “Indeed. You are unusual amongst humans.”

            “Ok Hathgrave, I’m afraid it is time you return to Spiritus. I doubt you can stay any longer and I need to rest before I can summon you again.”

            “I understand Kida. Farewell humans.” Hathgrave said with bow. Suddenly, a black portal opened up above him with dark purple energies leaking from it. He jumped into portal and it closed behind him.

            “Man, I really hope his people are free from Spiritus one day.” Kida commented. “Come on. Let’s see what the others are doing.”

*     *     *

            “So, you’re telling me that you are actually trained to resist pain? Is that why you seem to be able to remain standing even after being beaten close to death?” Reed asked as he lay on his bed.

            “Yes but my trainer, Dementius, is only willing to train those whom he believe can live through the training.” Jaden replied.

            “But why would he pick you over us?” Lucas asked with Markus nodding after him.

            “He said that he saw me getting physically attacked by my old bully, Francis, numerous times and noticed that I always tried to keep standing. He thinks I have the resolve to go through with it. When he made the offer, I accepted. And, honestly, after going through the training itself, I was able to see why he was so picky over whom he trains.” Jaden explained.

            “What did you go through?” Kida asked.

            “Turns out, there was an abandoned building not far from our house. Inside is a room filled with torture devices.” Jaden said as the rest remained silent and listened. “The first thing he did was to tie my wrists together with a rope. He then attached it to a pulley and had me suspended by my wrists. He then proceeds to tie my ankles.”

            “Whoa, what? He tied you up?” Lucas asked with seeming surprise.

            “Indeed he did. He explained that it was to ensure that I won’t be able to fight back.” Jaden replied. “After having me suspended like that, he picked up a plank on the floor. He pulled up a part of my shirt, revealing my back and began to smack me with it.”

            The others recoiled upon hearing her words, their eyes half-closed and their teeth bore in disgust.

            “He continued smacking me with the plank until I could no longer scream. He then asked if I was awake and I replied with a nod. I was all sweating and limp. My back was bruised in dark blue and a hint of red. He smacked me one more time, smiled and smugly muttered, ‘Not bad.’ He then untied me and I struggled very hard to continue standing. If you want me to describe the pain, I don’t think I can.”

            “What kind of training is that lass? It sounds more like torture!” Tareshah exclaimed.

            “If you think that was bad enough, he had more planned for me.” Jaden added. “He carried me to the torture rack and chained my wrists and ankles. He asked me if I was ready and all I could do was nod. He then pulled some kind of lever and well, my limbs were stretched far beyond my every morning stretching sessions. All I could do was to scream in pain and he only stopped when a loud crack was heard. My shoulder almost got dislocated. Once he was done with the torture rack, he used other torture devices that involve stretching and beating. He did not use any of the bladed devices like the iron maiden however.”

            “Geez that guy is a loco!” Reed reacted.

            “And Dementius never told anyone about this?” Markus asked.

            “Nope. He and I agreed to keep it between us. When mom asked why I was so beaten up, he said that Francis caused it all, which my mom was willing to believe.”

            “I’m amazed I didn’t feel any of your pain when it all happened.” Lucas asked, referencing his Sibling Bond with Jaden.

            “Me too. I’m guessing it hasn’t fully developed yet. We were just fifteen when it all happened.” Jaden replied.

            “Well, it kind of worked out, didn’t it? Almost nothing can kill Jaden now. She survived through crap that would’ve killed weaklings like us.” Reed said, complimenting Jaden but insulting himself and others with subtlety.

            Jaden sighed and said, “I guess so. Though his actions may seem questionable, everything he did was for the best.”

            “Jaden…who was this Dementius exactly?” Gavin questioned.

            “He’s a friend of my mother’s and a very powerful wizard. He was, along with the rest of my household, former elite members of the Salvager military.”

            “Did you ask where he got such a gruesome pain resistance training from?” Gavin queried further.

            “He said his father trained him in a similar manner. He claimed that his father used to be a member of an organization called the Angelus Venator.”

            “Ah, that explains the gruesome nature of the training.” Gavin replied.

            “How so?” Jaden asked, surprised to see his reaction.

            “Angelus Venator was an organization of powerful warriors well-known for their battle prowess and their undying resolve. Few were able to match the strength of the Angelus Venator members. Some claimed that it was their initiation pain resistance training that made them extremely durable. According to old history books, they were trained primarily to combat dark angels and zombies.” Gavin explained.

            “Wow. They sound powerful. Where are they now?” Jaden asked.

            “No one knows if the organization still exists. The Angelus Venator was banished by the Salvager government when the group assisted an elven member in freeing the elves from slavery during the Elven Revolt. The said elf was captured, crucified and subsequently hanged weeks later by the Salvagers.”

            Jaden gasped and expressed, “What? That’s terrible.”

            “Despite the elf’s fate and that of the organization, she was decorated as a war hero amongst the elven people, though humans branded her a villainess in storybooks and history books. Angelus Venator members who were seeking refuge were then welcomed by the elves regardless of their race. The current Elder Darkcaller, Vael’Luas, was just a young teen when he witnessed all this. He revered the elf who sacrificed herself to save his people, though also at the cost of the Angelus Venator’s existence.”

            “Who is this elf? She sounded so much like Ariel…”

            “The elf’s name is Zora Ginger, sometimes referred to as The Black Knight. She frequents full body black armor and weapons.” Vader said, interrupting Jaden.

            “You know of her?” Jaden questioned the machine.

            “Yes. Our host, Rex, revered her and considers her one of the greatest organics of her time alongside Ariel Silver. In turn, we followed Rex’s ideals and hence, we idolize the fallen elf.” Vader replied.

            “Why would a bag of bolts like you idolize someone who died long before you were even created?” Reed retorted.

            “Her actions freed the elven slaves and in turn, gave the humans reason to replace their loss. This lead to our creation and thus, Zora was the catalyst behind our existence. Without her and her actions, the elves would still be enslaved by the humans.” Vader explained.

            “I can almost see why Vael has so much hatred for my people.” Jaden said. “The one who saved his people is now hated and spat upon by my people.”

            “If there are indeed Angelus Venator members still around, you would probably expect them to treat Zora like some goddess.” Jaina told Jaden.

            “I really hope there are Angelus Venator members still around. We need dark angel hunters now more than ever. Still, after everything I heard, I want to ensure that Zora’s name will no longer be smothered by the Salvagers if we win this war. Enough hatred is enough.” Jaden expressed.

            “You got no arguments from me lass. A lot of humans in my days hated this elf a lot.” Tareshah replied.

            “Quite a tragic story, wasn’t it? If I remembered, Zora was quite the looker too.” a voice said, coming from the entrance to the room. Everyone turned to the voice to see the male siren, Blake Mason, standing before them with a smirk on his face.

            “Mason! You’re here!” Jaden said with glee.

            “What are you so happy about lass? He just left behind his bounty hunters and my Veraslag!” Tareshah retorted.

            “Relax little girl. I left your lieutenant in charge. He’s quite capable, especially since he helped in reclaiming the docks from the Cult of Iblisan.” Mason replied. “And yes, that means we have control over Qurrentine…for now.”

            “There’s good news. Now we can land there without worrying about being shot at randomly.” Reed jested.

            “I heard that Zian and the rest of the leaders will be coming here to plan for the war so, I decided to show up early. It was getting dull back in that planet.” Mason explained.

            “And how the hell did you get here so quickly?” Kida questioned.

            “He borrowed an alien teleportation device we left hidden within the planet.” another voice said. Mason looked back to see Xiara walking towards him.

            “Ah the fine alien lady who greeted me from the teleporter. I hope Zian isn’t disappointed that I didn’t arrive by ship. He said he wanted to celebrate my arrival with his people.”

            “He actually expected you to use the teleporter but went to the docks nonetheless. He always knew you were hard to predict.”

            “Now, Jaden, I need to speak to you and your brothers in private. May the rest of you leave us for now?” Mason requested.

            Complying with his request, the rest of the party stood up and left the room, except for Reed. “Wait! This is my room! You can’t kick me out!” he exclaimed.

            Suddenly, he felt a thud hitting his butt, pushing him a step in front. He rubbed his butt in pain and turned to see Jaden smiling at him. “Maybe he can’t but I can.” she jested.

            “Fine. Just make this quick alright? I was planning to shower.” Reed said as he stomped his way out.

            “You can borrow my shower.” Gavin said with a giggle.

            “With Mannihilator dirt all over it? You know what, good idea. Perhaps ladies would appreciate me more if I smell like you.” Reed reacted. Once he was out, Mason closed the door behind him.

            “Now, I hope you three remembered the vision I mentioned back when I held your sister hostage.” Mason asked. The triplet siblings nodded as their answer.

            “Once again, I won’t tell you precisely what the vision is to avoid upsetting space time continuum but you three must understand one thing: Iblisan must die first before Dark Viper.”

            “What? Why?” Jaden asked.

            “I do not know why, neither did Dementius himself. He said that if Viper died first, Iblisan would never be defeated. It seems to suggest that Viper himself will be involved in Iblisan’s defeat, though he never said that Viper will be helping you three in any way.”

            “How exactly would Viper be instrumental in Iblisan’s defeat? Are their lives connected somehow?” Lucas questioned.

            “Like I said, I don’t know.”

            “Maybe’s it is because they don’t get along.” Jaden suggested, causing Mason to turn his attention to her. “According to things I’ve been hearing about both of them, they merely tolerated each other, knowing that they can defeat their common enemies together. However, by heart, they never liked each other. And, according to Asura, Viper may know a powerful spell that can disable a magical invincibility shield. Iblisan himself may have taught him that spell since he’s a lieutenant.”

            “What are you suggesting may happen?” Mason asked.

            “Perhaps, Viper may decide to turn against Iblisan once we have weakened him enough. He would probably use the spell to destroy his invincibility shield, allowing us to strike the killing blow.”

            “You think he would aid us?” Markus asked.

            “For his selfish reasons of course. Knowing him, he would probably turn against us once Iblisan is dead. If he died first, there goes our chance of penetrating Iblisan’s shield.”

            “You may be right Jaden. Iblisan’s lieutenants are a powerful lot and that spell you mentioned may be the reason why. Still, that doesn’t mean we must not try to find alternatives in case Viper himself failed to do so. We must try to find another way to penetrate Iblisan’s magical shields so that we may not have to rely on Viper to do that.” Mason explained.

            “But then…that means…” Jaden said, her sentence trailed as she looked at her own hands.

            “Revenge can come after the war ends Jaden. For now, we may need Viper alive.” Mason said as he placed a hand on Jaden’s shoulder. She looked up to Mason and, with her eyes glared with anger, she replied, “If you’re asking me to spare him when I have the chance to kill him, don’t expect me to promise anything. Death is nothing more than he deserve. But, once we found another way to kill Iblisan, Viper will die first.”

            “Very well. For the time being, the three of you should take a very long break. It could take about a month for the others to arrive.”

            “What? You want us to slack around this castle for a month?” Lucas asked.

            “That doesn’t mean you have nothing to do.” Mason retorted. “The castle has several rooms tailored to train people for war. You can go ahead and ask Zian. He may allow you to use the flight simulators to train you in the use of their alien star fighters.”

            “Flight simulators? Are you joking?” Lucas questioned, unwilling to believe the castle had flight simulators.

            “What makes you think I am?” Mason replied.

            “Dude, that’s awesome! Come on Lucas! We should use it now!” Markus said before grabbing the hand of a startled Lucas and running out of the room with him in excitement.

            “And as for you, you’ve got a horse to look after.”

            “I know. Zian finds it odd that the horse was seemingly attracted to me on first sight.”

            “Perhaps it is destiny that you have the privilege to keep a cloned member of an extinct species. I hope you don’t waste this opportunity. That horse is a warhorse.”

            “I know. I’ll spend some time with it whenever I can. Otherwise, I may join Lucas and Markus in the flight simulators.”

            “Good. For now, I need to see Zian. Have fun Jaden.” Mason said with a wave before leaving the room.

            As he walked down the hallway, he said under his breath, “He told me Jaden’s a clone. I didn’t believe it at first but after what she said…Glacier’s real daughter died after all. I see they have been keeping secrets from her.”