Chapter 14 – Part 1

[2740 AD; President’s Palace – Outer Courtyard South]

 

A single, thin beam of light appeared before Henry. He tapped Kirk on he arm and pointed at the light.

“Looks like we finally have a way out,” Kirk said. “I was wondering when we were ever going to get out of this sewer.”

“Where do you think it leads?” Henry asked.

“There’s only one way to find out.”

Henry placed his hand above him, feeling the manhole cover above him. He started to move it, lifting it up off of its position and placing it aside. Placing a hand at either side, Henry started to climb out of the sewer.

“One thing,” Kirk said.

“What’s that?”

Kirk sighed. “We don’t know what we’re heading into,” he replied. “Keep your head up.”

“Thank you,” Henry said.

“Don’t think of it as me forgiving you or anything like that.”

“I understand.”

Henry climbed out of the sewer and saw where he was. Kirk jumped up as well, looking around to see all of the trees and flora in the courtyard. It would have been even more beautiful, but the rain was still coming down with no end in sight. In front of them stood a wrecked metal gate.

“They beat us to the palace,” Kirk said. “I’m worried about what’s going to happen next.”

“If Lokke is here, then we have no choice,” Henry said, “We have to keep moving, no matter what the cost.”

“Seems like that’s the plan, then,” Kirk said. “I’m certain that they’ll be heading in soon, anyway.”

Henry and Kirk walked past the mangled gate and into the inner courtyard of the palace. Before them lay several guards, all dead. Henry stepped back as Kirk walked forward to check the bodies.

“These wounds,” Kirk said as he turned over one of the bodies, “They’re not gunshots.”

Henry looked and saw that it was indeed true. A large gash ran across the man’s chest, with blood still pouring out of him. Another man met a similar fate, with a stab wound on both his front and his back. With each consecutive body, it was clear that these guards were stabbed and slashed to death.

“This is the True Thekohnians’s work?” Henry asked.

“I don’t know,” Kirk answered. “I wish could say, but these are all wounds that were created with a blade.”

“I think we have a different problem now, though,” Henry said.

From the front and the back, several True Thekohnians were surrounding them. Lokke was with them, too, as he stepped forward. Kirk took out his sword while Henry took out his knives as they prepared themselves for what would happen next.

“Please,” Lokke said, “You really think you can fight your way out of this? How exactly do you expect to survive?”

“Did you kill those guards?” Henry asked.

“It wasn’t us,” Lokke replied. “Seems like there is another out there…”

“You lie!” Kirk said. “You got here first!”

Lokke shook his head. “That may be the case, but I was not the one who ordered those men dead,” he said. “It might have been that snake Wihll, though.”

He laughed and wiped the water from his forehead. Kirk took one step forward as Henry followed up.

“It doesn’t matter what he’s done, though,” Lokke continued, “I’ll be sure to reprimand him harshly once we’re done here. Right now, however, I think your time is up.”
“You’re not getting away with this!” Kirk exclaimed.

“I’m sorry, but it appears that I am,” Lokke said.

Kirk growled and ran forward as several henchmen came in to defend Lokke. They were all armed with swords as Kirk swung his in defense. Henry ran up, ducking and dodging the swords as he came in close to deliver a few swipes at the henchmen before him. Some of them backed off to collect themselves while others continued to fight the duo.

“Take this!” Henry said.

He threw a left hook at one of the men, knocking him to the ground while with his right he stabbed another in the arm. Henry threw the man to the ground, taking out his knife in the process.

Meanwhile, Kirk knocked away another man’s sword to the side and shoved him to the ground. One of the last few men charged at Kirk, hoping to score a hit on the long haired man. It proved to be effortless as Kirk moved out of the way just in time.

“You just missed me!” Kirk said.

However, it was an unfortunate misstep for Kirk as his foot landed on its side. A sharp pain went through Kirk’s foot as he stumbled to the ground, making him drop his sword. He let out a scream, clutching onto his aching foot.

Henry turned around. “Kirk!”

“Damn it,” Kirk said. “I didn’t expect my leg to fail me now!”

“Too bad for you,” Lokke said. “You put up a good fight, but now is the time for a new era to begin. A new empire, with me as the emperor!”

Henry looked to Kirk, who was still on the ground holding onto his foot. They were cornered, with no possible way to get out. As Lokke laughed once more, a loud howl filled the air, followed by a scream. Some of the True Thekohnians looked around, trying the find the source as a relentless slice cut through a couple of the henchmen.

“What the hell!?” Lokke asked. “Who are you?”

He took a look at the man standing above the two bloodied True Thekohnian henchmen. The messy beard and long hair was enough of a signal for Lokke to realize who he was talking to.

Lokke trembled. “Rysol Wilk,” he said, “But I thought that you were…”

“Funny thing,” Rysol said, “You stab a man in the back, don’t be surprised he stabs back even harder.”

He brandished his blood covered sword, the rain washing off some of it as he moved in on Lokke. With Rysol coming towards him, Lokke attempted to have some of his henchmen guard him, but they proved to be no match as Rysol charged at all of them, slicing and slashing through them. Henry sat Kirk up as the both of them watched as Rysol tore through every last one of the True Thekohnians standing there.

“How!?” Lokke said. “How do you keep going and going!? It’s impossible!”

“It is a redress to the suffering you have caused all these years, Walton Lokke,” Rysol replied. “You are a disease.”

“After all I’ve done for you, you want me dead?” Lokke asked.

“I’m only doing what you claimed to be about,” Rysol said, “This will make everything right, isn’t that so?”

Rysol’s sword pointed at Lokke. “Listen,” Lokke said, “I think you’re making a big mistake…”

His words were interrupted as Rysol ran his blade through Lokke’s neck. Lokke coughed up blood as Rysol removed his sword at an agonizing and slow pace, making sure that Lokke would suffer every second of it. Blood spurted out of Lokke as he fell to the ground on top of one of his henchmen, his body not moving at all.

“The only mistake I’ve made was not killing you sooner,” Rysol said. “Before they decided to lock you up.”

Kirk attempted to stand up, but due to his foot he could not. Henry helped him back up, with Kirk reluctant but doing so anyway.

“Son, you saved us,” Kirk said. “I’ve been looking for you for years…”

Rysol clutched his forehead. “Father… I… I did it, didn’t I?”

“You do recognize me,” Kirk said. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“Why do you follow me?” Rysol asked. “After what I’ve done…”

“Because, Rysol, it has been a long time,” Kirk answered, “A long time since we were a family. That’s why I’m here.”

“Sorin… he’s here,” Rysol said. “He’s here… isn’t he?”

“I don’t know,” Kirk said, “But I would guess he’s figured some of this out by now.”

“What do you have to do with Lokke?” Henry asked.

Rysol coughed, kneeling down as he covered his mouth. “Gah… this rain, it truly won’t let up will it?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Kirk said. “You stopped Lokke.”

“This… this isn’t over,” Rysol said. “There’s a reason why the True Thekohnians wanted to come to the palace, and I intend to find out!”

“Wait!” Kirk said.

He tried to move forward, but his leg hindered him once more. Rysol ran off in the direction of the palace, his sword in hand while Kirk and Henry struggled after him. Rysol sprinted at the doors to the palace and busted them open.

“President Rhodes is in there,” Kirk said. “Past those doors… We need to stop Rysol before he does the unthinkable!”

“Okay,” Henry said. “Let’s keep going.”

“Henry, thank you,” Kirk said. “If you hadn’t tagged along, then I would have met my end back there.”

“Please don’t thank me,” Henry said. “It’s your son you should thank.”

“I still have a lot I want to say to him, you know.”

“Like what?”

“Personal stuff,” Kirk replied. “You should understand.”

Henry nodded. “I won’t ask again.”

They walked up to the steps, looking up at the open doors leading into the palace. Inside they could see the golden walls of the main hall. On the ground lay even more wounded guards, blood splattered on the walls and floor around.

“This was all him,” Kirk said. “I can’t believe it…”

“Are you okay?” Henry asked.

“I’m not,” Kirk replied. “I wasn’t back there, and I certainly am not feeling well now…”

“I don’t know what I can say.”

“Henry, please, he’s not yours to worry about.”

“Damn it, Kirk, let me worry!” Henry said. “I worried about you all those years ago when we were allies for the same reason I am now! Rysol is… He has gone mad.”

“Whatever happens, he’s still my son,” Kirk said. “Even if he has killed a thousand men, women, and children, Rysol is still my son.”

As Henry and Kirk stepped forward, they heard the scream of an older man coming from down the hall. With one look around, Kirk saw Rysol standing in front of another figure.

“Hurry!” Kirk said. “I can still talk sense into him!”

Henry helped Kirk through the hall, moving around the dying men before them. There was no time to check on them, as Kirk had only one goal in mind: stopping Rysol. With each step, the voices grew louder as Kirk recognized the voice of the older man.

“The president,” Kirk said. “Rysol, abstain yourself!”

Rysol turned his head away from President Llywelyn Rhodes. Rhodes placed a hand on his chest and sighed in relief as Henry and Kirk stumbled into the president’s room.

“You don’t understand,” Rysol said. “Rhodes is a ruthless man. He is the real leader of them.”

“The real leader?” Henry asked. “Maeitakohn, yes, but what do you mean?”

“The True Thekohnians… Rhodes is the real leader,” Rysol answered.

Kirk looked over at Rhodes. The man with full, gray hair had his eyes wide open the entire time. His breathing increased as he had his hands out and open in front of Rysol.

“It’s a mistake!” Rhodes exclaimed. “I’ve… It’s a set-up! They’ve set me up to take the fall!”

“You’ve been responsible for the mistreatment of your citizens,” Kirk said. “What makes you think that I would believe that?”

“Do you want the real answer?” Rhodes asked. “It’s complicated.”

“Speak,” Rysol said. “I’ll decide whether or not you’ll get to live after.”

“Thank you,” Rhodes said as he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry… It’s been an agonizing past few months for me. The cancer has been getting much worse.”

Rysol swung his sword at Rhodes. “Don’t you dare try and sell me that sorry excuse of a story!”

“It’s the truth,” Rhodes said, “Just ask my doctors. It’s all been kept a secret for a very good reason.”

“We believe you,” Kirk said. “What I want to know is why you’ve been putting the citizens of Maeitakohn through so much. There are few safe places within Bel, and much of the land is barren.”

“I have no explanation,” Rhodes replied. “I could not care any less about what happens to these people. All I care about is finding a way out of this.”

“What are you talking about?” Henry asked.

“I never wanted any of this,” Rhodes said. “I was only put here by Foundation after the War of the Lands ended. They needed someone to do their bidding, and I was desperate to make some money.”

“Foundation, is it,” Kirk said, “I’ve heard of them before. Seems like you owe us a big explanation.”

Rhodes coughed. “Is that so,” he said. “It’s looking like the end is near, so I might as well before the big guns come running in.”

He walked up to his desk and took a seat. With a weak cough, Rhodes sat up and took a deep breath.

 

To be continued…

 

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Chapter 12 – Part 3

[2740 AD; on the roads – Maeitakohn]

 

The long, narrow road went on, sitting between acres of green land. Kirk drove his car down the road and sitting next to him in the passenger’s seat was Henry, who looked onward out the window.

“I want to make something very clear,” Kirk said, “Just because we both want to stop him doesn’t mean that I’m ready to forgive you.”

Henry sighed. “I know,” he said. “I’m not exactly sure if this was the right thing to do. Tori must be worried sick…”

“After the ten years you were absent, I doubt it,” Kirk replied.

“Excuse me?”

“At least she’s still alive, right?” Kirk asked. “You should be happy.”

“I don’t understand,” Henry said, “Why would you bring that up?”

“Because, Henry, true pain never goes away,” he answered. “No matter how much I tell myself otherwise, I can never get over what Lokke’s men did to April.”

“Perhaps I can’t relate, but I’ve been hurt, too,” Henry said.

“Then tell me why,” Kirk said, “Why did you led your fellow soldiers into a trap? Why did you, of all people, insist upon driving through Bel Dale?”

“It was a mistake.”

“I feel as if that has been the excuse for years now,” Kirk replied.

“It is the truth,” Henry said. “Rohan agrees, too.”

“Then perhaps the general is the one who made the mistake,” Kirk said. “A serious mistake in trusting you. Do you know how many people died because they never received their weapons?”

“You don’t have to remind me,” Henry said.

“It was that mistake that made it harder for the rest of us to make peace with the Maeitakohnian government,” Kirk said. “If you had taken the longer route, then we would not be having this conversation. We would not even be dealing with the True Thekohnians right now!”

“I agree.”

“If that is the case, perhaps you would do me a favor?”

“What favor, Kirk?”

“You will kill him,” Kirk replied. “To strike back at the True Thekohnians, you will kill Lokke.”

“I can’t,” Henry said. “I promised to Tori before we were to get married that I would never kill again. Silly, I know.”

“It’s noble,” Kirk said, “If it were anybody else. But this is you. You have fallen far from grace.”

“And you won’t do it?” Henry asked. “You always talked about how if you were to kill someone who committed atrocities, it would make you no better than them. Now you want me to do something you can’t? Do you even know what the fuck you’re saying!?”

“I never claimed to be perfect,” Kirk said. “I have my own reasons for sparing the guilty, too.”

“I’m just not going to do your dirty work.”

“We’ll see,” Kirk replied. “We’ll see what kind of man you are when we come face to face with Lokke himself. Will you let him walk, or will you break your promise?”

“Is there not another way?” Henry asked. “This is unlike you. By now, you would have had some solution to this dilemma.”

“If you have a solution, then you’re free to offer it,” Kirk said. “Of course, that would require some critical thinking on your part.”

Henry didn’t respond.

The two men didn’t talk for the rest of the drive, opting to look out the window instead as the city limits of Bel approached. Henry was thinking about what was going on in Rezar, especially with Tori. She had to have been worried, perhaps even figured things out by now. He assumed it was the same for Kirk, too, although there was no way Kirk was ever going to tell him. With a sigh, Henry watched as the car slowed down to a gentle halt.

“We’re stopping now?” Henry asked. “We’re not even in the city yet!”

“It would be stupid to drive into the city,” Kirk replied. “Pick up your knives, because we’re walking now.”

Henry followed after Kirk, who tried to maintain a steady pace over him. They were less than a mile away from the city as they heard gunshots.

“As bad as I thought,” Kirk said. “We need to keep ourselves to a low profile if we don’t want to attract any attention to ourselves.”

Kirk walked with his hand by his hip as he was ready to draw his sword at any moment. Henry was ready, too, with both knives hanging at either side of his waist. They strolled into the entrance to the city, going through the large, open gate and into the empty street before them. Looking around, Kirk kept his hand ready as he could hear footsteps coming closer. He turned around, almost ready to go as he saw it was just a small child looking up at him.

“I’m sorry, kid,” Kirk said. “Please get out here right now. Your parents must be worried.”

The child said nothing as she ran off. Kirk continued to look as Henry stepped forward.

“It’s too quiet,” Henry said.

“We must continue to be alert,” Kirk replied. “If he is here, then…”

Kirk shook his head. He began to walk again as another gunshot resonated through the air. It was much closer than the previous ones. Henry looked around, wondering where it came from. That was when he and Kirk saw them. A small group stood, with a familiar man to both of them leading the way.

“You’ve finally stepped in it, haven’t you Kirk?” Lokke asked.

Kirk drew his sword. “Who was it!?”

Lokke’s attention turned to Henry. “Is that who I think it is? You look like you’ve been through hell, Henry Randolph,” he said. “Perhaps I should do you a favor and put you out of your misery.”

“How are you still here?” Henry asked.

“It seems you’ve forgotten about a friend of ours,” Lokke replied. “Do you not remember the great prime minister of Iiayikohn, Iean Sergs?”

“I’m well familiar,” Kirk answered. “The day he left office was the day that Iiayikohn’s people saw his reign of terror come to a satisfying end.”

“It’s unfortunate that he left,” Lokke said, “But understandable. If only that delusional Alan Berry didn’t become prime minister, Sergs could still be in power! After all, it was he who gave the True Thekohnians life!”

“We both know you don’t care about the True Thekohnians,” Kirk said. “You only care about one person: yourself. It’s always been about you.”

“Everything you’ve done was for your benefit,” Henry said. “As long as you made a profit, it didn’t matter who died and who lived.”

“From a man who’s taken lives, that’s rich,” Lokke said. “Sure, I might have influenced people to kill, but could you even say that I bloodied my own hands?”

“What I did doesn’t matter,” Henry said.

“Then perhaps you should tell that to your friend,” Lokke replied. “Of course, you have no chance to prove I even did anything wrong.”

Kirk’s grip tightened. “Just tell us one thing,” he said. “Sergs, where is he? Why did he need you now?”

“I’m afraid you won’t be finding Iean around here anytime soon,” Lokke answered. “As for why he needed me, well, you can see that for yourself, can’t you?”

“I see,” Kirk said. “The attack wasn’t meant as a warning from the True Thekohnians… It was meant to start a war.”

“Then, you’ve yet again caused the deaths of many,” Henry said. “All because of your greed.”

“Oh please,” Lokke said. “You go on and on about my ‘greed,’ but we keep fighting for many different reasons. Why should I be the only one chastised for what everyone is guilty of?”

“You really don’t get it,” Kirk said. “Fine. We will not hesitate to defeat you once again.”

“Let me see,” Lokke said. “It’s the two of you versus five of my men, plus the fact that many more are around here as well. Do you really think that you’ll stop me before the war starts?”

“I’ve been through worse,” Kirk replied. “Henry, now is as good a time as any. You will do it, correct?”

Henry took out his knives and turned to Lokke. “You’ve caused pain for so many,” he said. “I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t want to drive these knives into your skull. However, I’ve made a promise.”

Kirk looked over at Henry. “Henry… I swear to god…”

“I’m not going to give you the satisfaction of killing you, Lokke,” Henry said. “Even if it is a detriment to everyone involved, I just can’t break that promise.”

“I suppose it can’t be helped,” Lokke said. “Looks like you’ve failed, Mr. Wilk. All this talk about wanting to bring peace? It’s laughable.”

“You’re forgetting one thing, Lokke,” Henry said.

Lokke scoffed. “What is that?”

“I never said I wasn’t going to hurt you.”

Henry dashed forward, flipping the knife in his left hand as he drove the handle end into Lokke’s forehead. The force of the blow was enough to knock Lokke to the ground as the other five men tried to take out their weapons. Henry turned to the nearest one and did the same move with his right hand, thrusting the handle into the side of the man’s head.

“You really do surprise, don’t you?” Kirk asked.

“Look out!” Henry exclaimed.

Kirk saw one of the other men run up to him, charging at him with a sword. For Kirk, he dodged the attack and used his free hand to strike the man on the back of his head. With the man dropping to the ground, Kirk turned back to Henry.

“We can’t all of them, Henry,” he said. “Let’s run!”

“Very well,” Henry replied.

Kirk and Henry ran to the left, going further into the city of Bel as Lokke sat up and rubbed his forehead. He was helped up by one of his henchmen as he pointed towards the direction that Kirk and Henry left.

“What the hell are you doing?” Lokke asked. “Follow after them!”

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Chapter

Chapter 10 – Part 1

[2740 AD; Macro Plaza in front of Iiayine Castle – Deca District]

 

Panic filled the streets as people ran throughout. The prime minister’s office had been bombed, with multiple people caught in the explosion. Ayanna led Alan away from the wreckage, while the Ahnlikohn soldiers helped Harring. Fercewend barked orders to his soldiers, telling them to find those responsible.

“Go, go, go!” Fercewend commanded. “You guys secure the area, while the rest of you work with the Iiayikohnians to find out who is behind this! That’s an order!”
“Rohan,” Tori said as she ran up to him, “Have you seen Henry?”

“I haven’t,” he replied. “Hold on, stay with me.”

They followed after Ayanna and Alan, looking for the safe point from the danger. Finally, they ended up at the small tent that was propped up for the prime minister’s protection.

“Has the area been secured?” Alan asked.

Fercewend nodded. “I can trust that you will be able to watch over Tori,” he said.

“Are you going out there?” Tori asked.

“I know it’s unconventional, but I cannot let this destruction happen while I’m around,” Fercewend replied. “My soldiers need me out there right now!”

He picked up a gun and sword and left the tent. Ayanna looked to both Tori and Alan, and followed Fercewend out of the tent with her weapons. She ran out, looking around until she found Gavin directing the last few people out of the area. Law and Mina were also there helping out. Ayanna sprinted up to them, making sure not to trip over any debris.

“Mr. Power,” Ayanna said to Gavin, “I have to thank you for your help.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” he said. “We can talk later after we take care of this.”

“Agreed,” Ayanna said. “Why are you two still out here?”

“I can’t just watch as this goes on,” Law replied.

“We’re going to help Gavin out!” Mina exclaimed. “If any of those True Thekohnians are around, I’m going to show them my new ‘Face Breaker’ move!”

“Well, most of them are going to have a weapon of sorts,” Law said. He grinned. “I don’t think they’re going to see what’s coming.”

“What are you three doing?” Gavin asked. “We have to move! Now!”

The four of them moved along, continuing to help the civilians out of the area. Most of them were already escorted out of the plaza, but there were some still hanging around. Ayanna and Gavin led the charge with Law and Mina not too far behind.

“Keep going!” Ayanna said.

They continued to run down the streets, away from the plaza. There were no more explosions, but the screams of other people still echoed throughout. Ayanna evacuated the people from the plaza with Gavin, away from the action. They both looked behind themselves to find that Law and Mina were nowhere to be seen.

Gavin stomped his foot. “Damn it!”

 

Law had turned back in pursuit of the True Thekohnians. He knew that despite this tragedy, this was his best possible moment to move forward. With the street cleared out, there was little stopping him from dashing towards his enemy.

“Why are we going back?” Mina asked, running right beside him.

Law stopped in his tracks. “Why are you here?”

“I saw you turn around,” she replied. “I thought that you forgot something.”

“No, Mina, I’ve got to do my job here!” Law said. “Although it looks like they’ve decided to greet me a little early.”

They looked ahead as some of the True Thekohnians in Iiayikohnian soldier uniforms stood over. Law counted eight of them, but he was sure that there were more to come unless he did something.

“What do you think we should do, Mina?”

“Why are you asking me?” Mina asked. “We kick their butts, of course!”

“I like the enthusiasm,” Law replied. “But we’re going to have to run first.”

“Why?”

“Just trust me,” he said.

Law and Mina headed into the nearby alleyway as the True Thekohnians pursued them. With the narrow path Law snapped back and eyed the trash can by his side.

“Let me just steal this for a second,” Law said, picking up the metal lid.

Mina backed up behind him as the first assailant charged at Law. Law waved the lid for a moment, and then swung it down onto the man’s head. The man dropped to his knees and rubbed his head, but Mina had other options.

“Take this!” Mina said, delivering the punch to the man’s face. He fell to the ground, knocked out cold from her devastating hit.

The next man yelled, thrusting his arm forward with knife in hand. Law moved to the side and grabbed the man’s arm. His arm locked as Law disarmed him and bashed him over the head with the same lid.

“Thanks for the gift,” Law said as the second man dropped.

He threw the knife at the next man to run in, hitting him in the eye. The third screamed and kneeled down while the fourth began to hesitate and ran away. Law knocked out the man with the wounded eye with a swift kick to the temple. The remaining four looked at one another, with two of them deciding to retreat while the other two stayed.

“Just you two left,” Law commented. “Now we can kick their butts, Mina.”

“You could have left a couple more of them,” Mina said. “But I’ll be glad to show these two my fists.”

She charged at the two remaining members, her fists flying as the two men were caught by surprise. Mina’s first punch hit the first remaining man, sending him flying backwards. The second remaining man was not as lucky as Mina delivered a barrage of punches to his face. He stopped to catch his breath, but Mina had other ideas. She grabbed him by his arm and flung him in the direction of the other man. The force of her throw knocked both of them out, collapsed over one another.

Mina slapped her forehead. “I forgot to say the names of my moves,” she said. “I knew there was something wrong!”

Law stepped out of the alleyway. “Seems like you did right to me,” he said. “Now, where the hell are the rest of them…”

It was then that he spotted Wihll moving down the street with Silvia in his grasp. Law stretched his arms and began to follow after him.

“Wait up!” Mina said.

The pounding footsteps Law produced were enough to catch Wihll’s attention. He turned around, with Silvia jerked around to the side. He saw Law stand before him, Mina right behind him, and cracked open a wide smile.

“Ah, I remember you,” Wihll said. “You swooped in to save that worthless woman the other night. Why does that sound so familiar to me?”

“Law!” Silvia said.

“You mind explaining me what this was for?” Law asked. “Your boys didn’t do a very good job of telling us.”

“Why should I tell anything to some inferior Ameci?” Wihll asked.

“I don’t think I’ve told you anything about me,” Law said. “How would you know that I am Ameci?”

“Call it a hunch,” Wihll replied. “It’s a shame that Ansa isn’t here, especially with this girl here.”

“Certainly a candidate for gentleman of the year,” Law mocked.

“Like I give a shit about your thoughts,” Wihll said, throwing Silvia aside. “I have no use for dead weight at this point, especially when it interferes with my mission.”

Mina growled as her fists shook. “Coward! You caused destruction in my home,” she said, “You are the worst of all villains!”

“I was wondering when you were going to speak up,” Wihll said. “But it seems that you’re sorely mistaken. This is not the work of a villain, but the foundation for a new dawn!”

“Shut up!” Mina said. She stepped closer towards Wihll.

“Go ahead and come at me,” Wihll said. “But if you do, just know that it’ll be her blood on your hands, girl.”

Wihll took his pistol out and pointed it at Silvia. She lay there, frozen on the ground as Mina locked up as well. Laughter erupted from Wihll’s mouth as he withdrew his gun.

“Ah, that’s what I thought,” he said. “You’re just another hypocrite.”

“You’re really going to leave, aren’t you?” Law asked. “That’s a bit of a shame, isn’t it?”

“I already told you I have no time for inferior people like you,” Wihll said. “Besides, I don’t need this woman for my next move. If you really want her so bad, be my guest.”

“Wait, I can’t stay here!” Silvia said.

“Until next time,” Wihll said, “Is what I’d say if I cared about you two, but I don’t intend on coming back here for a while.”

Wihll departed, running away from Law and Mina. Silvia dropped her face into her hands as Ayanna and Gavin arrived.

“Lawrence, would you explain to me the meaning of this?” Gavin asked.

Law rolled his eyes. “Seems like you’re out of the loop,” he said. “Perhaps Mina can tell you.”

“You’re not going anywhere!” Gavin said.

“Well, that’s unfortunate,” Law said. “After what that blond man said, I was going to pursue him.”

“What did Wihll say?” Ayanna asked. She soon spotted Silvia on the ground. “Silvia!”

Silvia looked up at Ayanna, tears in her eyes. “Ayanna…”

“Seems I don’t know what goes on in that man’s head,” Law said. “Looks like we’re fortunate enough to have a reunion, though.”

Ayanna held Silvia close to her, the redhead resting her head on Ayanna’s shoulder. “Do you know where Wihll is going?”

“He didn’t tell me,” Silvia replied.

“I have an idea,” Law said. “Ayanna, take Silvia with you. Mina, try to keep up.”

Law made his way after Wihll as Mina ran with him. Ayanna and Silvia stood up and headed back towards the direction of the safe point in the Deca District. Soon, a group of Iiayikohnian soldiers arrived to apprehend some of the remaining True Thekohnians laying on the ground. As they did, an exhausted Gavin arrived to see that he was already too late.

 

[2740 AD; The Markets of the Deci District]

 

After the scatter, Sorin, Gale, and Eva were searching for Kirk in the back street of the markets. It was uncertain whether or not he would be here, but the three of them had to find out. Kirk had been missing ever since the explosions went off, something that had baffled Sorin.

“You think that he’d be easy to spot,” Eva said. “Just what are you doing, Kirk?”

“It’s surprisingly safe here,” Gale said.

“It looks like most of the commotion has died down, fortunately,” Eva said. “Many of these True Thekohnians have either been arrested or they’ve already left.”

“Are we not concerned about that?” Sorin asked.

“We can’t do much about it,” Eva replied. “I’m just hoping that Alan is safe.”

They moved through the empty market, with no sight or sound of Kirk present. Sorin moved out of the markets and onto the street, and that was when he saw him. His back facing Sorin, the man with long black hair was face to face with a member of the Iiayikohnian army.

“Father?” Sorin asked.

The man drew a long blade with what looked to be a set of saw teeth in the middle. He screamed as he rushed the soldier, who stood unable to move. With a deft swing of the sword, the man cut the soldier down to the floor.

“Sorin, what are you doing?” Eva asked, arriving by his side. “Gale, stand back!”

Gale stood on the sidewalk as the man turned around. Despite his poise, it became obvious to both Sorin and Eva that he was not Kirk. His long hair and an unkempt beard covered his face, while gloves were on his hands. He took one look at Sorin and dropped down to his knee. A rattling wail emitted from him as he clutched his head with his free hand.

“I’ve seen him before,” Eva said. “I just know it.”

The man pulled at his hair. “Go away! I… You don’t…!”

Sorin took out his sword and positioned himself. “Who are you?”

“You… The swordsman,” the man said. “I… I’m the… end…”

“The end?” Sorin asked.

“Kirk… He’s been looking…”

“How do you know my father?”

“You’re… Sorin? No! That’s impossible!”

The man raised his sword. Sorin was uncertain what he was going to do next.

“Look out!” Eva exclaimed.

She moved in front of Sorin, taking out her sword and defending the oncoming assault from the long haired man. He backed off as both Eva and Sorin put up their guards.

“I’ll ask again,” Sorin repeated, “Who are you?”

“…sol… Rysol…”

“No way,” Sorin said.

“Sorin, you don’t believe him, do you?” Gale asked.

“How should I know?” Sorin asked. “I want to know for myself.”

“Believe me… if you want,” Rysol said. “Just know that this is the end…”

“Take this!”

Eva swung her sword at Rysol again, but this time he blocked it with his hand. She tried to move her sword, but he had a good handle on it as he attempted to strike with his sword. Sorin was quick to defend Eva this time, blocking Rysol’s attack.

“I don’t want to fight you!” Sorin said. “Please, put down your sword!”

Rysol gritted his teeth. He let go of Eva’s blade and backed off, withdrawing his sword in the process. Sorin withdrew his own sword, too, as did Eva.

“Have you seen him?” Sorin asked.

“I don’t know… who you’re talking about,” Rysol said.

“Why did you decide to stop attacking us?” Eva asked.

“Gah! Stop asking…!” Rysol exclaimed. “I can’t be here! Not when… they’ll kill everyone…”

“Just tell me one thing,” Sorin said, “You really haven’t seen… my father?”

“No… I have not seen him,” Rysol said. “I have to stop them… The True Thekohnians…”

With that, Rysol turned around and left. His exit left Sorin, Gale, and Eva with more questions than answers. They had no time to react, though, as Ameci soldiers moved through the markets.

“Let’s go, you two,” Eva said. “We have to go back!”

 

[2740 AD; Macro Plaza – Deca District – Safe Point Tent]

 

“You do realize that what you’ve done is unforgivable,” Ayanna said.

“I know,” Silvia replied. “I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

Ayanna sat opposite of Silvia at the small table, while Alan and Tori watched. Outside, things appeared to be calming down as the plaza was secured. Still, the True Thekohnians has made their presence known.

“Start at the beginning,” Ayanna said. “Why did you join them?”

“Because I didn’t know,” Silvia replied. “I heard all of the rumors, but when I joined, they said they wanted to change this world.”

“What do you know about their leader?” Alan asked.

“I’ve never met them,” Silvia said.

Alan groaned. “This is unfortunate,” he said. “Major Ansa, have other members been taken in yet?”

“From what I’ve heard, yes,” Ayanna answered. “We’ll have many more to question after this.”

“I’m going to make this blunt,” Alan said, “I don’t think that Miss Roeik is very reliable. There may be a past connection between you two, but we need to work fast.”

“I’m aware, prime minister,” Ayanna said. “Silvia, I can’t do my job if you don’t tell us information we need to know. Please, if there’s anything, share it with us.”

Silvia sighed. “There is one thing,” she said. “It has to do with Lokke.”

Alan leaned in. “Explain.”

“He and Wihll were talking a couple days ago,” she said. “They said they had a plan that was the be all, end all of the True Thekohnians mission.”

“Surely this can’t be their plan,” Alan said. “Ansa, ask her how Lokke was able to communicate with Wihll.”

“He broke out,” Silvia said, “Or rather, someone helped him out.”

“Who?” Alan asked. “Answer me now, damn it!”

Silvia shook her head. “I can’t answer something I don’t know,” she said. “If I had to guess, maybe it was the leader. They would have to have some influence to help break Lokke out without it being an incident.”

“Alan, maybe we should think about it differently,” Tori said.

“What do you mean?” Alan asked.

“We’re going nowhere with this line of questioning,” Ayanna said. “Let me ask this, then: do you know what they’re planning for Maeitakohn, Silvia?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. Then, she gasped. “This was the distraction! Wihll orchestrated this attack to cause a distraction away from Maeitakohn!”

“I figured as much,” Alan said, “But it seems like they wanted to have us running around while they planned their next move.”

As he finished, in walked Fercewend with Gale, Sorin, and Eva. They were all tired from running and took seats in the tent.

“This has become quite a crowd, it seems,” Alan said. “You certainly arrived at the right time, haven’t you?”

“Did I miss anything?” Fercewend asked.

“I can help you catch up, Rohan,” Tori said.

“Thank you. The area is safe now,” Fercewend said. “Unfortunately, I cannot say the same of the people that were caught in the blast.”

“Let’s move this conversation to the embassy, then,” Alan said. “It’ll beat sitting here in this tent.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Fercewend said. “Let’s go, everyone.”

 

To be continued…

 

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Chapter 9 – Part 2

Fercewend sat across from Henry and Tori in the Questioning Hall, his presence hard to ignore. They had been talking for the past two hours, most of it just small talk. Rohan had even offered water to the both of them, to which Tori accepted while Henry declined. They all knew that there was unresolved tension, however, which Tori attempted to tackle.

“So,” she said, “Has anything changed, Rohan?”

“Like what?” Fercewend asked.

“About Henry’s… accusation,” Tori said.

“Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?” Fercewend asked Henry.

“Henry?”

“It wasn’t the first thing I was thinking of,” Henry replied, “But yes, I wanted to state my case.”

“You should have said so in the first place!” Fercewend said. “There isn’t a day where I think about what happened that day. Every young recruit I’ve spoken to has cited you as their influence, and your work has not gone unnoticed.”

“Then you should be able to do something, shouldn’t you?” Tori asked.

“You know it’s extremely complicated, right?” Fercewend asked back. “We are talking about national secrets here. Somebody had to have leaked them to the True Thekohnians.”

“At that time, I was planning to marry Tori,” Henry said. “Especially after what she told me the night before.”

“What did you tell him, Tori?”

“That I was pregnant with his children,” she replied.

“That’s it?” Fercewend asked. “I was worried that it would be something more sinister. Glad to see that isn’t the case.”

“Anyway, you would say that would be an acceptable alibi, wouldn’t you Rohan?” Tori asked. “I just can’t stand to see this going on for any longer.”

“A bit too much information for me, but I suppose it is good enough,” Fercewend replied. “I will file a report to the president about it and hopefully we can put this entire thing behind us.”

“That’s great to hear,” Tori said. “Henry, do you hear that? We did it!”

“I wish I could say I did, but it was your idea,” he said.

“It does not matter now,” Fercewend said. “What does matter is that I can start helping you get back into the military. It’s been a long time, commander Randolph.”

“Don’t you think that you’re being too careless, Rohan?” Isaac asked.

Isaac walked into the room with Gavin right behind him. Fercewend turned and greeted his cousin while Tori and Henry watched.

“I appreciate the hello, Rohan,” Isaac said, “But what I don’t appreciate is the fact that you’re so willing to throw away a serious case under such flimsy pretenses.”

“Listen, Isaac, we both know that there wasn’t much in the original accusation,” Fercewend said.

“And you’re willing to accept Mr. Randolph’s excuse, even when there isn’t any evidence to suggest that he is innocent?” Isaac asked. “I expected better of you, Rohan Fercewend.”

“I wonder why you feel so strongly about Henry, Isaac,” Fercewend said. “Was it not you who declined to join the military? Was it not you who, afterward, wanted to become chief strategist?”

“Hold your tongue, Rohan.”

“I’m not finished,” Fercewend said. “I’ve entertained you for as long as I could, but now is where I put my foot down.”

Isaac laughed. “So I suppose that this is where you tell me that you have the final say,” he said. “Fine by me. You win.”

“That’s it?” Gavin asked.

“He’s the general, after all,” Isaac said. “You would know first hand, wouldn’t you, soldier?”

Gavin didn’t answer.

“You don’t have to look so sullen, my boy!” Isaac said as he patted Gavin on the back. “Well, I’m going to go now. Business calls, you know?”

“I will see you later, Isaac,” Fercewend said.

“Goodbye,” Isaac said.

With that, Isaac Kunigunde left the Questioning Hall. Gavin stood around for a brief moment until he decided to leave too.

“Now that that’s out of the way,” Fercewend said, “Perhaps you two would want to have dinner? It’ll be my treat.”

“We’d love to,” Tori said.

“Yeah, it wouldn’t be too bad at this point,” Henry added. “I could use after that trip.”

“Then we should go,” Fercewend replied. “I know of a good restaurant around here.”

 

[2740 AD; Number One Bakery in Rezar – Deca District]

 

What had happened before happened again. Law and Ayanna could only watch as Mina began tearing through her meals: a large pizza and whole roasted chicken. She was about halfway through the chicken when she looked up at Law and Ayanna.

“Is something wrong?” Mina asked.

“How… how do you even manage to do that?” Ayanna asked. “With your figure, how do you…?”

“Oh! That’s easy,” Mina said, “I just have tons of fighting spirit!”

“I’m just writing it off as one of the wonders of this world,” Law concluded, “The bottomless pit that is Mina’s stomach.”

“Of all the things I have seen, this is probably the most staggering,” Ayanna said. “I think I’ll elect to eat my food later.”

Gavin stood outside the restaurant and saw the three through the window. He appeared to scream and hurried inside, stumbling his way to the table. He stopped just short of Law, who eyed the exhausted man before him.

“Guess who decided to show up,” Law said. “I’ll give you two ladies three guesses.”

“Weren’t you going to look for the Ameci general?” Ayanna asked.

“Things happened,” Gavin replied. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

“You’d rather not talk?” Law asked. “That’s a first. What is this, a joke?”

Gavin took a seat next to Law. “You want a joke? I’ll give you a joke.”

“This should be good,” Law said.

“Do you know why I am always in top shape?” Gavin asked. Law chuckled to himself. “Because I always Power walk!”

The silence around the table was all Gavin needed to know. He hung his head in shame, as if he had just realized what he had just said. Mina continued to eat as Law burst out laughing.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Law uttered between laughs, “But you really… really shouldn’t quit your day job!”

“I really should get a box for this,” Ayanna said, eyeing her half-finished food. “Where is the waiter?”

“Maybe it is for the best,” Law said. “After all, if that joke were truly funny, Mina would most likely be choking on her food right about now. You just saved her life, bro!”

“Fuck you,” Gavin said.

Law shrugged. “Man, I was only trying to bring the mood around this table up after that let down of a joke.”

“Excuse me,” Ayanna said to the waiter passing by, “Can I have a box, please?”

The waiter nodded and went off the retrieve a box.

“Okay, so anyway, why are you here?” Law asked. “Seriously, I mean.”

“I want to know why you left,” Gavin answered. “You are the only family I have now. Just tell me… please?”

“Man, you honestly could have just written me that letter,” Law said. “Then again, you did come all the way to see me. I do appreciate that.”

“The general said that you went AWOL,” Gavin said. “Do you have any idea what that even means?”

“I know,” Law replied. “If I go back, I’d be committing suicide.”

“Why would you abandon your post?” Ayanna asked.

“Trust me, it wasn’t something I did on a whim,” Law said, “But if you knew what I knew, you would understand.”

Gavin pounded the table. “What’s understandable about desertion!?”

“Gavin, you and I both know what is was like growing up,” he said. “Dead parents… All the mockery we faced… You even had to work three jobs just to hold the roof up over our heads each night.”

“Do you think that excuses what you did?” Gavin asked.

“Of course it doesn’t,” Law replied. “I had no choice, though. I had to pull that trigger, because if I didn’t my luck would have run out.”

“You honestly expect me to believe that crap?”

“I don’t expect you to,” Law said. “I just expected you to listen to what I had to say.”

“Well, I did,” Gavin said, “And I’m just as confused as before.”

“I expected that from you as well,” Law responded. “Are you almost finished there, Mina?”

“Just a little more to go!”

“Good,” he said. “Gavin, look, I know you don’t understand. I get that. Maybe nothing I say will make you do, but I know that I will always support you.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Gavin said, “But I still want to know why you decided to leave.”

“Here’s your box, ma’am,” the waiter said to Ayanna.

“Thank you,” Ayanna replied. “Maybe you should tell him, Law. He’s your family; he deserves to know why, at least.”

“Well, I almost never turn down a request from a pretty woman,” Law said. “Where should I start? Ah, I know…”

Law leaned forward, hands clasped together as he eyed the rest of the table. Gavin prepared himself for what Law said, as did Ayanna.

 

[2740 AD; Executive Hotel – Deca District]

 

Fercewend’s recommendation of the restaurant at Rezar’s Executive Hotel was a delight to Henry. The bright lights and calming music that was being played by the local pianist was welcoming as Henry and Tori took their seats at the table. Again they sat across from Fercewend, but this time it was for a casual dinner between friends instead of supposed enemies.

“How did you like your food, Henry?” Fercewend asked.

“It was good,” he replied.

“Yes, thank you, Rohan,” Tori said.

“You two don’t need to thank me,” Fercewend responded. “This is what friends do, after all?”

“I mean, hasn’t it been eating at you?” Henry asked. “I’ve wasted ten years of my life because of it…”

“Henry, you’re speaking not with Fercewend the general,” he said, “You are speaking with your friend and colleague, Rohan. Tonight’s a night where we can drop the formalities, wouldn’t you agree?”

Henry closed his eyes and gulped. “I agree.”

“That is what I want to hear,” Fercewend said. “Now I know tomorrow I have a speech, but I would love to have you and Tori there watching.”

“Is that okay?” Henry asked. “Are you sure you wouldn’t get in any trouble?”

“I will speak to Alan, but I am sure he would be okay with it.”

“What will you be talking about?” Tori asked. “It seems that I’m in the dark about what is truly happening here.”

“As much as I would love to, I have to refrain from speaking about it,” Fercewend said.  “There was an incident a couple of days ago, and security has been tight ever since.”

He explained about what Alan had told him about the attack on the office a few days prior. Fercewend also mentioned the attacks that have happened in other areas, too.

“I had no idea,” Tori said.

“The True Thekohnians… they really have gotten ruthless, haven’t they?” Henry asked. “Been a real long time since I’ve heard about them, Rohan.”

“It always was quite infuriating to have to deal with them,” Fercewend said. “To think that they’ve been running around causing havoc…”

“Let me guess,” Henry said, “Part of Alan’s speech has to do with them, doesn’t it?”

“Part of it,” Fercewend replied.

“Do you think the True Thekohnians might try to attack during the speech tomorrow?” Tori asked.

“There is a possibility,” Fercewend replied, “But I’ve spoken with Alan and major Ansa.”

“It seems like they’ve got things under control, haven’t they?” Henry asked.

“Indeed,” Fercewend said.

“Anyway, Rohan, I was wondering about something else,” Tori said. “It’s about Henry… Do you know Kirk Wilk?”

“Kirk?”

“Yes,” she said. “We ran into him a few days ago.”

“It was a while since I saw him last,” Fercewend said. “He seemed to be in good spirits. What about him?”

“Well, Henry wouldn’t tell me, so I was wondering if you knew why Kirk doesn’t like him.”

“I did not know this,” Fercewend said. “I thought that you and Kirk were friends, Henry.”

“Something happened,” Henry replied. “Something happened and now we are not on the same level any more. I can’t exactly blame Kirk for hating me.”

“You know that you can tell me, right?” Fercewend asked.

Henry let out a tired sigh. “I suppose I can,” he said. “You remember what happened when we first met Tori, right?”

“I do,” Fercewend answered.

“I never thought I’d have to hear this again,” Tori said.

“Which was why I wanted to avoid talking about it,” Henry explained. “When we were attacked on the way to Rusa Manor, there was another that knew of our route.”

Fercewend rested his hands on the table. “A third party?”

“Kirk was with us earlier that day,” Henry said. “We were going to meet up with him after the delivery, but we both know what happened next.”

“They say that one becomes desensitized to death after being in war,” Fercewend said, “But I can’t just forget that easily. Even now as a proud general, I still dream about what happened.”

“It haunts me, too,” Henry replied. “Anyway, after the mission, Kirk and I… we were talking when we learned about that man’s betrayal. You know who I’m talking about, right?”

“To think that Walton Lokke had been playing both Ameci and Iiayi forces the whole time,” Fercewend said. “Fortunately, that man is rotting away in prison as we speak.”

“I’m glad, too,” Henry said. “However, Kirk felt as if I had something to do with it and to be honest I think he might be right.”

“No one could have expected Lokke to turn on us,” Fercewend said. “How could Kirk believe you to be responsible?”

“Perhaps I was careless,” Henry replied. “Maybe I had trusted Lokke with too much, even with the Ameci army’s delivery routes.”

“It was a mistake,” Fercewend said. “An awful mistake that many of us have been trying to pay off for years now. I do not understand why it is you that he chooses to harbor a grudge with.”

“Maybe he believe you really did commit treason,” Tori said.

“That wouldn’t be out of the question,” Henry said, “But this is Kirk Wilk we’re talking about.”

“Looks like we’ll have to speak with him later,” Fercewend said. He eyed the clock at the right. “It looks like we’ll have to head to sleep soon. I’ll be sure to get you two a room.”

Tori clapped her hands together. “That’s great to hear!”

“I know,” Fercewend said, “So let’s go now.”

 

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Chapter 8 – Part 3

[2740 AD; True Thekohnians hideout – Nano District]

 

“Open up!” Wihll demanded. “It’s Wihll!”

The wooden door creaked open as Wihll walked into the dim room. At the table, Silvia sat reading through a book. He crept up to the table, towering over her as he threw down his fist, the loud thud resonating throughout the room.

“Victor!” Silvia blurted.

“Are you deaf, woman?” Wihll asked. “Your friend was so eager to let me in, the very least you could do is say hello to me.”

“H-hello.”

“That’s more like it,” he said. “You’ve got some explaining to do, Miss Roeik.”

“I do?” Silvia asked. “What could it be?”

Wihll uttered a deep chuckle. “Do you happen to know an Ayanna Ansa?”

“Why-why would you ask that?”

“You don’t need to answer,” he said, “It seems I already know about the sin you’ve committed. You truly are a marvelous woman.”

“I don’t know what you mean…”

“Tell me,” Wihll said, “Why did you decide to join the True Thekohnians?”

“Because I couldn’t stand to watch people getting hurt,” she replied.

“Yes, that’s right,” he said. “Too many of our brothers and sisters have gotten hurt because of the selfishness of the elites. Do you know where I’m going with this?”

“Where?” Silvia asked.

“If you really are devoted to this cause, then you must cut ties with those who pledge allegiance to the elites,” Wihll said. “If we want bloodshed to end, we must first take down the ones responsible.”

“I heard about what happened,” she said. “You… You’ve hurt some people, too.”

“There’s a lot you have yet to learn, Silvia,” Wihll replied. “When you’ve seen the things I have, maybe then you’ll understand why such extreme methods are necessary.”

“If that’s what you believe, then I want out.”

Wihll grinned. He started to laugh again, pounding the table as he did. Once he was finished, he opened his eyes again and brandished his knife.

“Do you fail to understand?” Wihll asked. “You don’t just ‘get out’ of the True Thekohnians. Look at this!”

He opened his coat, revealing the bullet wound he had received from Ayanna a couple of nights ago.

“This is the burden I carry,” he continued. “This is the wound that will stay with me until my death!”

“You mean… the bullet is still inside you?”

“You really are a stupid woman,” Wihll said, closing up his coat. “Why you even were accepted into this group is beyond me. Of course it’s still inside of me!”

Silvia’s hands shook as she tried to reach for a nearby weapon. She spotted a small bottle and picked it up, throwing it at Wihll’s head.

“Was that your attempt to kill me?”

“I just wanted you to be quiet,” she replied.

“You claim to oppose violence, but have no problem with throwing a bottle at me,” Wihll said. “The hypocrisy is rich! You’re as bad as the Iiayikohnians!”

“Just what do you even want!?”

“I just wanted to know if you knew Major Ansa,” Wihll replied.

“Yes I do,” she said. “Are you happy?”

“I’m glowing as bright as a fierce sun,” he answered.

“Please spare her,” Silvia said.

“That is entirely out of the question,” Wihll said. “Our leader has requested that the takedown of the Iiayikohnians must include any and all involved. I would say I’m sorry, but I’m no liar.”

“You are a liar, though!”

“No, I am a hero,” he said. “Though I will admit I do play dirty sometimes. That’s what you have to be when playing a rigged game, Miss Roeik.”

Wihll moved the knife closer to Silvia’s neck, the sharp side being only an inch away from her. Her eyes looked down as he pushed the blade of the knife onto her neck.

“I’m not afraid to cut down anyone in my way,” he said. “If you value your life, you would do your very best to stay out of my way.”

Wihll withdrew his knife, letting Silvia sigh in relief. The door creaked once again as an short, older man with gray and brown hair walked in.

“Victor Wihll! What are you doing?”

“I’m just having a chat with Miss Roeik,” Wihll replied. “What are you doing down here, Mr. Lokke?”

“Have you been paying attention to what’s going on?” Walton Lokke asked.

“Of course I have,” Wihll replied. “You can’t go anywhere with these inferior goons waltzing around!”

“Well, they’re already discussing Maeitakohn,” Lokke said. “Seems like they’re forcing us to play our hand.”

“If that’s the game they want to play, then perhaps we should play it,” Wihll said. “Don’t you think so, Silvia?”

“I… do whatever you want,” she said.

“That’s a vote in my favor,” Wihll said, “So how about it?”

“What do you suggest, then?” Lokke asked.

“If we want to get the head start of Maeitakohn, then we need to hit these assholes where it hurts the most,” Wihll replied.

“Ah, I know what you mean,” Lokke said. “Operation Ablaze.”

“What’s Operation Ablaze?” Silvia asked.

“The grand finale,” Wihll answered. “The be all, end all of the True Thekohnians mission.”

“Clearly put,” Lokke added, “When this plan is enacted, Iiayikohn, and in turn the rest of the Thekohnian Region, will never be the same again.”

“Then I will begin the first course of action,” Wihll said. “It really looks like things are moving much faster than we expected them to.”

“Where are you going?” Lokke asked. “You know that they’ll be looking for you, right?”

“Don’t worry,” Wihll replied. “A couple of soldiers won’t keep me down. I am combat perfected!”

Lokke shook his head. “Whatever,” he said. “Just do what you have to do, and don’t get caught.”

“Believe me,” Wihll said, “Once phase one goes into effect, they will be too busy running around with their heads cut off to try and catch me.”

“Then I will see you later,” Lokke said. “To our leader.”

“To our leader, indeed,” Wihll said.

Wihll left the room, leaving just Silvia and Lokke behind. There was just one place that he had to go to now, and Wihll wanted to get there before the night fell. There would almost certainly be security, but it was a job that Wihll believed he was sent out to accomplish.

 

To be continued…

 

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