Runa's eye snapped open when an infuriating racket carried throughout the weapons shop. At first, she tried to drown out the noise by having her face covered with a pillow. That didn't work. The soft fabric of the pillow stood no chance against the commotion.
Left with no other options, Runa moaned and groaned throughout the whole ordeal of getting out of bed. After last night's events, why'd there have to be such a problem so early in the morning?
Sarra's eyes slowly cracked open. She yawned and asked, "Runa? What's going on?" The little girl rubbed her eyes.
"Not sure. But, I'm sure as hell gonna find out," Runa grabbed her spear and headed for the door.
"That's a swear," Sarra noted before she turned over and went back to sleep. Runa clicked her tongue and left the room, taking another mental note to watch her language when around her partner.
Runa climbed down the stairs and spotted the source of the disturbance. An angry mob of townspeople crowded the inside of the weapon shop. All their voices of complaints and glances of frustration targeted the only man behind the counter--Kyros. The military man kept a calm disposition and tried to settle the matter with his words.
Runa, on the other hand, went with another approach. She lodged her spear into the floor and shouted, "Shut up!!!" Her voice of authority silenced everyone in the shop. Once all eyes moved to her, she continued to speak, "Someone wanna tell me what's going on here?"
The first person that braved to answer the question was a townsperson. The man stepped forward and replied, "We want some weapons! But, the military refuses to let us have them!" He pointed over at Kyros.
Before Kyros could open his mouth, another townsperson decided to speak.
"We're trying to protect ourselves from another Varvara attack! Who knows when those vile creatures will appear again!"
"Is money the issue?! We'll pay you!"
More and more complaints mixed with desperate pleas flooded the ears of the Huntress. The more the seconds passed, the more irritated she felt in having left her bed. The situation was beyond her control since she wasn't the owner of the shop.
All she wanted was peace and quiet.
"Money isn't the issue," Kyros started once he was finally able to get a word into the crowd. "As I've tried explaining, none of you have enough battle experience to fight the Varvara. None of you have undergone any training to unlock your Praus. You can't hope to harm the monsters without it."
Runa nodded her head in agreement. Those were the facts. Unless a person had their Praus unlocked, they could forget about trying to fight the Varvara.
Even when presented with the cold, hard truth, the faces of the townspeople contorted in rage.
"Please calm down. I know you're all angry. But, you can rest easy knowing the military's here to protect you." Kyros proudly announced.
Disapproving grunts and scoffs came from the mob and nearly Runa as well. One of the townspeople stepped forward and spoke, "Yeah, and what a good job you did to protect us last night! One hundred and thirty people died!"
"Adding that to the number of people that died in the other towns, it exceeds three hundred!"
"We can't trust the military to keep us safe! We can only rely on ourselves!"
"If the army cared about our safety, they would've taught us how to use our Praus a long time ago!"
"And if the military wanted those terrorists captured, they would've sent the General's to deal with them!"
"You officers are worthless! We're going to die if we leave our safety in your hands! Hurry up and request the higher-ups to come and protect us!"
More words of discontent with the military flooded the shop. The townspeople grew more and more restless as the seconds passed.
All roars of agreement from the townspeople ceased when Kyros' fist slammed against the counter. Seconds later, a steam-like substance projected from his body and flared around violently towards the angry mob, frightening them.
It was his Praus.
Runa watched in amusement as the townspeople backed away from the substance that approached them.
"How dare you call the officers that risked their lives to protect you worthless! That's how you repay them?!" Kyros came out from around the corner, glaring daggers at the townspeople. His Praus continued to pour out and intimidate the others. "You're all correct that we could've done a better job at protecting you! But, don't besmirch those that died doing their jobs to the best of their abilities! They were human! There's only so much that they could do!"
Suddenly, applause erupted in the shop. But, it didn't come from anyone in the mob. Instead, it came from behind the crowd. Everyone's attention shifted to the entrance of the store, where four individuals dressed in different colored suits proudly stood.
Standing in front was a young man with slicked-back blonde hair and green eyes in a rose-colored suit. Behind him were three women.
"That was very well-spoken, Mr. Aleister; very well spoken indeed. I could not have said it any better myself." The man and his followers walked to the front of the shop. The townspeople quickly moved out of his way.
Kyros' eyes narrowed his eyes and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Is it not obvious? The people of this town need assistance. I am here to provide just that." The man answered without skipping a beat.
"And how do you plan on doing that exactly?" Kyros crossed his arms over his chest.
"First thing's first, I shall assist in the reconstruction of the towns that have been attacked by the Varvara. We cannot afford to relocate the people any longer." The man answered. Afterward, he turned toward the townspeople and flashed a bright smile. "Also, I shall provide weapons for these defenseless people."
Roars and excitement erupted from the crowd. However, Kyros was quick to squash that last statement.
"Giving them weapons is pointless. They can't hurt the Varvara." He reminded, ignoring the glares of contempt from the mob.
The man smiled and raised his index finger as he countered, "That will not be a problem. The weapons provided are infused with the power of the Vitalis."
The faces of the crowd instantly brightened. His words lifted them. The Vitalis are a natural source of energy found around the planet. Luckily, the country had mines nearby outside the walls. However, it was strictly forbidden for ordinary people to possess those items without a permit and formal training.
After all, having the power to control the elements couldn't be left in the hands of amateurs.
"That doesn't matter. These people don't have their Praus unlocked. You can't harness the power of the Vitalis if you don't have your Praus unlocked." Kyros desperately stated. He couldn't believe that the people allowed themselves to get easily swayed by the man in front of him. He'd be damned if he let the man have his way.
That hard fact hit the crowd like a ton of bricks. The lights of hope in their eyes turned dim. Their heads lowered, and silence befell the room. Kyros didn't like having to be the bad guy, but that was just the reality of the situation.
The man brought his hand up to his mouth and scoffed. His followers mimicked his actions. The townspeople raised their heads and watched intently as the man rummaged through his pocket. Eventually, he pulled a small device. The device was tossed over to one of the townspeople.
"Please, squeeze that device in your hand." The man calmly instructed.
While reluctant at first, the man did as he was told and squeezed the device. Seconds later, a bright flash came from the instrument. Those unprepared looked away from the light, shielding their eyes with their hands. Once the flash was over, everyone looked at the man and gasped.
All eyes went wide at the sight of the man's body coated in a faint glow of light.
Kyros and Runa narrowed their eyes. That light. It couldn't be mistaken for anything else than Praus.
The man walked over and patted the shocked townsman on his back. "Congratulations young man, you have now unlocked your Praus. With this you will be able to defend yourself should the Varvara return to attack the town again."
Overwhelmed by his sudden awakening in power, the townsman embraced the man, shedding tears of joy.
The man's female companions prepared to step forward to remove the townsman, but they stopped once the man signaled that he was okay.
After witnessing the incredible spectacle, the other members of the mob crowded around the device, each of them wanting a chance to awaken their Praus. Kyros stood there, dumbfounded. His eyes were wide open. His mouth left ajar. It took a few moments, but his puzzled expression switched to frustration.
He stepped forward to put a stop to the madness, but his path got blocked by the female companions.
"Get out of the way," Kyros demanded.
"Stand. Down." Said the tallest woman out of the three in a red suit.
"I won't! I have to stop this before he makes the situation worse!" Kyros said. "You don't understand how dangerous it is to unlock someone's Praus this way!"
"Don't underestimate, Rodi," The shortest woman out of the three wearing a white suit said as she shook her head. Her ponytail swayed with each movement. She leaned forward and stuck her tongue out at the military man. "He's a genius. Unlike you idiots."
"Malvasia, Amarantha, do not show such unsightly behavior while in the presence of Mr. Roditis." The third woman in a black suit demanded as she readjusted her glasses. The other two women quickly obeyed her orders with swift nods of their heads and straightened their posture.
Kyros looked at the woman in the glasses and nodded his head. "Thank you. Now, can you tell them to stand aside? These people will die if he doesn't stop."
The woman in the glasses shook her head. "Do not misunderstand my intentions here, Mr. Aleister. I have no obligation to help you."
"Will. Not. Falter." Malvasia said.
"You heard Malvy. We're not gonna move from this spot until Rodi's done. If you wanna get through, you'll have to fight us." Amarantha suggested. She placed her hands on her hips and pushed her chest out, exuding tremendous confidence.
The woman in glasses swiped her hand across the air and smacked Amarantha's head, leaving a noticeable bump. Amarantha cried and squatted down, rubbing the bump as tears filled her eyes.
"Do not suggest violence, Amarantha. I will strike you." Retsina warned.
"You already did, Retsy!" Amarantha complained. She found herself on the receiving end of another strike from the woman in glasses.
"Retsina." The woman corrected.
By the time the act of the women finished, Roditis had finished unlocking the Praus of every townsperson in the shop.
"Now, was that everyone?" Roditis looked around the shop and smiled at the faces of gratitude on the faces of the townspeople. Everyone showered him with praise while faint glows emanated from their bodies. "I am happy that I could have been of some service to you. Now onto the issue of the weapons. Before you can purchase them, make sure that you receive proper guidance and training from the military officers. You may have achieved a new level of power, but you must learn how to properly use it so that you may defend yourselves in the future."
The townspeople reluctantly turned their heads and glanced at Kyros. Apparent animosity shone in their eyes.
"Now, I know that you are all hesitant to be trained by the military, but they are professionals when it comes to Praus training." Roditis continued.
"But our town nearly got destroyed due to their incompetence. Many people died last night."
Roditis lowered his hand, closed his eyes, and placed his hand over his heart. "And that is very unfortunate. However, now is not the time to be blaming the military. The blame should go to the ones responsible for these appalling attacks. The military did their very best to protect you. They proved that fact by ensuring that this town did not fall and neither did all of its people."
The townspeople traded glances. They knew that Roditis was right. Even though so many of their friends and family members died last night, the military still tried to prevent as many casualties as they could. With that in mind, the crowd complied with Roditis' request and headed outside to search for other military officers to assist them in their training.
After they left, Roditis turned to face Kyros with a bright smile. "No need to thank me for my services. I was only doing my job."
Despite his "service," Kyros continued to glare at the man. Thanking him was the farthest thing in his mind at that moment. "I could've handled that situation on my own. If you didn't convince those people to seek training from the War Dogs, I would've beaten you to a bloody pulp."
Taking his words to heart, Amarantha, Malvasia, and Retsina stepped forward. They stopped when Roditis held his arm out.
"I doubt you would have accomplished such a feat; especially with Amarantha, Malvasia, and Retsina around to protect me." Roditis dismissed the threat with a scoff.
"Praise. Accepted." Malvasia said, cracking a small smile afterward.
"That's right! We won't let you harm Rodi!" declared Amarantha.
"Thank you so much for your kind words, Mr. Roditis. I will commit them to my memory forever." Retsina said.
"Now, I do not doubt that you could have handled the townspeople, Mr. Aleister. A man of your position and stature would have done well without my interference." Roditis nodded his head. "However, I believe that my method was much more satisfying." He looked down to the piece of technology in his hand and smiled.
"What is that anyway?" Kyros pointed to the device. After watching it in action, he couldn't help but allow his curiosity to take over.
"The future, Mr. Aleister. My corporation has been working on this piece of technology for some time now. I always found it infuriating that human beings lived their lives having such convenient abilities lying dormant in their bodies and yet having such difficulty awakening it. And then one day I thought, what if I invented a piece of technology that immediately awakened our dormant abilities?"
"I say that building that thing was a huge waste of time. Awakening Praus shouldn't be done through means of technology, but through hard work and determination."
"Times are changing, Mr. Aleister. We cannot rely on archaic ways of doing things forever."
"I understand that. But, you should also know the dangers of carelessly awakening a person's Praus like that."
"I am well aware of the dangers. But, there cannot be change without risk. My device only unlocked the first limiter within their bodies. Any more would have left them incapacitated."
"Or worse."
"Yes, or worse." Roditis agreed. "I did not come here to argue with you. If you do not like my methods of assisting in the evolution of humanity, then so be it. You trained hard to awaken your Praus; I can respect that."
"If that's the case, then why have you--"
"However, there are those that live their lives being completely oblivious to the fact that they wield such incredible power. And some cannot seem to grasp the means to awaken their Praus no matter how hard they try."
Kyros clicked his tongue and looked away from Roditis. It was a sound argument, after all. To unlock one's Praus, one must first open the limiters in the body. Doing so was a difficult task.
"Despite what you may think, I am just trying to lend a helping hand by any means necessary. We are at a time of war, you see. The Varvara are harming our people, and we must stop them. To do that we must grow stronger." Roditis clenched his hand into a fist.
"I understand that. Thank you for your help." Kyros finally expressed his gratitude, albeit in a monotone.
"Ah, so you are capable of swallowing your pride." Retsina's snide remark earned her a glance from Roditis. However, Roditis did not attempt to reprimand her on the comment.
"Now if you will excuse me, I must head over to the other towns to lend a helping hand. A construction crew will be coming by later today to help rebuild the village. Come along now, Amarantha, Malvasia, Retsina."
"Returning." Malvasia joined the man at his side.
"Sir, yes, sir!" Amarantha eagerly did the same.
"As you wish." Retsina walked over to him.
"I wish you all good luck with your endeavors." Roditis bid everyone farewell before he and his companions left the weapon shop.
"Whoa. Who was that guy?" Sarra ecstatically glanced between Kyros and Runa.
"Sarra?! When did you get out of bed?!" Runa exclaimed.
"A while ago," The little girl revealed as she came down the stairs. "You took too long to come back."
The blue-haired Huntress sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"
"So, who was that guy?" Sarra ignored her partner and stared at Kryos with those big, round eyes of innocence.
"His name is Roditis Lambros. The president of the Lambros Corporation." Kyros answered as he rubbed his temples. Dealing with the townspeople and Roditis proved to be more taxing than he expected.
"Lambros Corporation? Didn't Aion mention something about it last night?" Runa inquired.
"Yes. The Lambros Corporation in the largest conglomerate company in the country. Perhaps the world even if the rumors are to be believed." Kyros said.
"You seem to have a bit of animosity towards him. Any reason for that?"
"He's just a bit...suspicious..."
"Suspicious?" asked Sarra, tilting her head to the side.
"His company, his employees, his methods...they're all suspicious to me," Kyros revealed.
"Yeah, I can see why," Runa noted as she thought back to the encounter with the women of the Lambrose Corporation. Besides their tacky sense of fashion, Runa found two things odd about them. One, their eye color.
All of them had silver eyes.
She'd never encountered anyone in her life that had that eye color. It was rare enough to come across a single person with that eye color, but three? Runa couldn't believe the number of unbelievable things she encountered throughout her stay in Soteria.
The other thing that caught her attention about them was the fact that she couldn't sense their presence at all. Even when they stood a mere five feet away from her; she couldn't pick up a shred of life from them. Usually, she would've been alarmed. However, there were several explanations for that.
The main conclusion Runa came to was that they kept their limiters closed off so that they couldn't be sensed in the first place.
"That device he used on the townspeople also bothers me. How did he make that thing? How does it work?" Kyros pondered.
"Does it matter? The townspeople can fight now the next time the Varvara show up," Runa stated with a shrug of her shoulders. She couldn't find a single downside to the situation. "Shouldn't you be happy?"
"I'm glad that people can defend themselves. But, it's the way that everything happened that worries me," Kyros voiced his concerns. "I had to go through months of training and meditation to awaken my Praus. I've trained for over twenty years, and I've opened three of my limiters. So, seeing inexperienced people get their Praus awakened so quickly is humiliating."
Runa nodded her head in understanding and smirked. She mentally complimented the man on his honesty. Most people wouldn't have explained that to anyone.
"Don't worry about that. They're still inexperienced. I'm sure they'll go through as much training as you did." Runa assumed.
Kyros smiled. "Was that your way of trying to cheer me up?"
"Shut up."
"I wonder if I ask nicely enough, he'll consider unlocking my Praus as well," Sarra wondered.
When her words reached Runa's ears, the Huntress was quick to decline the suggestion. "No way, you're not cheating your way through it."
Sarra immediately looked up at her partner with a pout. "How's it cheating?! The townspeople got to unlock their Praus! Why can't I do the same?!"
"Because you're better than them. You'll do things the traditional way." Runa put her foot down.
"So, you agree with me that you don't like the method Roditis used as well." Kyros folded his arms across his chest and smirked.
"It's not a matter of liking it or not. I do believe if that device gets mass-produced; the safety of humanity's assured."
"Yeah, I agree. But, I've already foreseen a huge drawback to that device." Kyros stated.
"You used your powers?"
"No."
"Then, spill it. What are they?"
"The device only opened one limiter within the townspeople. But, who's to say that later models won't open two or three, and so forth? Opening multiple limiters at once is extremely dangerous. Plus, if it becomes easier to unlock Praus, then it completely does away with training. No one would see the point in properly training to use and control it."
Runa continuously nodded her head in agreement. The man made several clear points. If it became easier to unlock one's Praus, then no one would feel the need to train—to hone their skills. People would proudly go through their lives; ignorantly flaunting their power until it killed them.
What most people didn't know about their Praus was that it's the life force of all living beings. And as such, overuse of it would kill anyone.
"Do you understand the downsides of their actions, Sarra?" Runa questioned and shot a glance at her partner.
"Y-Yeah." Sarra nodded. "I'm sorry. I'll work hard to unlock my Praus the traditional way."
"Good girl." Runa patted Sarra on the head. The little girl swatted the woman's hand away and backed up.
"If the Lambros Corporation has been working on that for some time now, I can only imagine what else they've created for the future," Kyros commented as he brought his hand up to his chin.
"Why're you making it sound like a bad thing? You got something against that corporation?" Runa asked.
"Not personally, however, on the day the Last King took over the country and assassinated the queen; it was thanks to the Lambros family that it happened," Kyros revealed. The eyes of the Huntresses' widened as the man continued with the story. "They created high-tech weapons and performed inhumane experiments on people. The family grew in power the longer the Last King sat on the throne."
"Hold on a second," Runa threw her arms up in the air. "If that's true, then how come the corporation's still around? It doesn't make sense to keep a dangerous organization like that around."
Oh, how Kyros wanted to agree with her. Anyone with a right mind would've eliminated the corporation and its members the moment their ringleader got executed. However, that wasn't how things turned out. Not by a long shot.
"Well, unfortunately, even though the Lambros Corporation helped the Last King take over Soteria; it was thanks to their technology that we managed to survive the gruesome battles and wars that followed afterward. Therefore, the Council pardoned the corporation's crimes and granted them special privileges."
Runa shook her head and heaved a sigh. The idiocy shown by the country people weighed on her mind too much. She made a mental note to hurry and finish the mission as soon as possible so that she could collect her money and leave.
"Just goes to show that I can't begin to understand politics."
"So, that Roditis man is a bad guy?" Sarra asked.
"I'm...not sure..." Kyros felt hesitant to respond. Casting aside his issues with the man; he couldn't come to a concrete answer. "Roditis was just a child when the former president of the company helped the Last King. He merely took over when his father got executed. So, it's wrong to judge him for the actions of the previous presidents."
"You're right." Sarra nodded. "He seems nice."
"Enough about him," Runa demanded. "We got other things to talk about. Any sightings of Melanie anywhere?"
Kyros shook his head. "None. I've been keeping in touch with the War Dogs here. No one's seen her."
"She couldn't have just vanished without a trace," Runa stated as she pondered her options. She couldn't just leave the hunt for the acolytes to the military.
That was for sure.
She figured she'd return to the town square and search for clues. Perhaps the acolyte left a hint or something that would set the Huntress on her trail.
"Okay, then we'll start with searching the town square," Runa suggested. "No matter how good that acolyte thinks she is, there's no way she didn't leave a traceback there. If she left something behind, I'd find it."
"Runa's pumped," Sarra commented.
"I'll come along too. I've called a subordinate of mine up here to help with the investigation." Kyros stated. With their goals set, the group left the weapon shop and headed for the town square.