5. Blackadder
Snow continued to fall as Lenny and Iris made their way into town from the pier. Both of them had put on their sweater as they ambled across the small town. Valletta was the only town on Gerona Island, a sleepy town with a population of just over three thousand. "It was once a safe haven for refugees running from religious persecutions. It still is." Iris read from her hand-held tablet. "I can't believe a place with such advancement in science were still deeply rooted in superstitions. Everyone should be free to believe in whatever they want, it's not like it matters." Lenny was never a person of faith, he had always been a man of science. He didn't like to be affiliated with the supernatural or occults. "It was only through education in your world that I came to realize how different science advanced between our worlds." Iris put away the tablet. "What do you meant by that?" Lenny asked. "Because of our powers, the laws of physics and other scientific theories that were proposed on Nirvana differed greatly between our worlds. While science on Earth advanced solely due to the wits of the human brain, our technologies evolved around our powers. We grew so accustomed to our powers that technology only serve to complement our powers. Unlike Earthlings who rely solely on their technology. Therefore, if our powers were to suddenly disappear one day, Earth's technology would overtake ours." Iris explained. "I see where you're going with that. Back to the religious persecutions, who were they running from exactly?" Lenny asked. They took a right turn and headed along a steep path towards a small hill at the outskirt of town. "The Light and the Darkness. Before the Great War, there were three major factions of Light element power users. They were later united to form the Council of Light that we know today. Although all of them believed in the same deity known simply as The Light, their approach varied greatly. Of the three factions, two of them were particularly extreme in proselytism. In places where their worshippers were a majority, they would ostracize the religious followers of the minority through various means; some of them even gone as far as killing. And in places where they were a minority, they would go to the extreme to expand their religion. The Darkness adopted a similar approach but they were less successful comparatively. There were too many factions among them and all of them did not always worship the same deity or deities." The pavement road ended and a gravel road took its place. It seemed to be the only route to the top of the hill.
"What happened after that?" Lenny asked. The two of them began their journey through the unpaved road, covered in snow. "Due to their aggressive proselytism, an estimated sixty percent of the inhabitants of Nirvana believe in The Light. Of the many misfortunes the Great War brought upon this world, it did contribute one good deed to Nirvana. The freedom of religion. Part of the reason that brought Narakiya to power was the aggressive religious persecutions. Narakiya was a patron of science and he saw religion as the major obstacle to the advancement of science. Before he came to power, he was a victim of religious persecution. His entire village was butchered in a religious cleansing. Because of that, he harbored a deep loath for religion of all kinds. Soon, many that shared his view gathered under his guidance. One thing led to another and ended with the Great War. The formation of the Council of Light and Freedom Clan prohibited all forms of extreme proselytization. And religious persecutions were no longer justify. Following that, everyone on Nirvana was allowed to believe in whatever religion or cult they like as long as it doesn't break the rules of their country or clan. The war brought a form of religious stability to Nirvana." Iris explained. "I can see why he would go to such extreme as to start a war. He lost his entire village to zealots." Lenny said. "I think we're here." Iris pointed at a wooden hut sitting on the side of the hill. "Finally," Lenny uttered. An elderly man was seen practicing with his sword as they approached the hut. The man sheathed his sword and approached Lenny and Iris. "Err, Mr. Long?" Lenny said hesitantly, he couldn't remember the old geezer's face from three years ago. "That's me. What can I do for you two?" Mr. Long replied. "I'm Lenny and she's Iris. We met before three, no I meant nine years back in Freedom Fortress." Lenny explained. "Yes, you do look familiar." Mr. Long examined Lenny's face closely, he seemed to have also forgotten about Lenny. "I'm Master Jian's grandson," Lenny added. "My brother's grandson? So that makes me your granduncle." There was a smile on Mr. Long's expressionless face. "What does Jian wants then?" Mr. Long said. Lenny took the sword casing from his backpack and opened it. He then proffered Mr. Long the Han Bing inside. "Grandpa wants you to have it. He said it's a waste for such a fine sword to be just lying idling." Lenny said. "Another job, I see. Probably the last one." Mr. Long replied. "Excuse me?" Lenny asked, confused. "Why don't you two come inside? I'll explain it over tea." Mr. Long invited them into his house.
Mr. Long examined the Han Bing as the three of them gathered around the fireplace. It was also the first time Lenny actually saw how the sword looked like. The sword was still in its sheath and was sealed shut with red strings. Mr. Long didn't untie the strings to unsheathe the blade. "Right after the Great War ended, all the Elemental Knights were killed in action except your grandpa. I was appointed as the overseer to scout and appoint the next generation of Elemental Knights. Previously, each knight chose their own successor but the seventh generation died before they got the chance to do so." Mr. Long explained. "How come they chose you, of all people?" Iris asked. "Back in the days, I was renowned for my swordsmanship. Not to toot my own horn but I was among the top fifteen best swordsman on Nirvana. I even taught your father how to use a sword when he was still a kid." Mr. Long pointed at Iris. "You knew my father? Do you know where he is now?" Iris asked. Mr. Long had a puzzled look on his face. "Of course, I do. I meant who don't know where Emperor Shin is? He's the head of the Water Clan since the past two years! Where have you been, dear?" Mr. Long replied. "What?" Iris was overwhelmed by the news. "My father is the new head of the Water Clan?" "She hasn't exactly been on Nirvana this entire time," Lenny gave Mr. Long a summary of the things that happened after their last encounter. "I see. That explains it. I'll go search for a swordsman worthy of the Han Bing after I leave the island. But are you sure you don't want to have a trial? My brother seems to want you to have it." Mr. Long said. "I don't think I'll be touching a sword anytime soon, Mr. Long." Lenny replied. "That's a shame but I'll respect your decision. What's your next plan, Lenny? You came here to experience Nirvana, right? I know it doesn't seem like much, here on Gerona Island. But you're welcome to stay at my hut for one night before you depart. The wilderness here is spectacular. However, I must warn you two not to interfere with the local cult. They can be pretty violent sometimes. But if you mind your own business, they usually won't bother you." Mr. Long said. "What do you think?" Lenny asked. "It doesn't sound like a bad idea." Iris replied. "You can leave for Miri Harbor tomorrow and find your father in the capital of Zui." Mr. Long suggested.
Lenny and Iris left their backpacks in Mr. Long's hut and went into the woods with a digital map from Mr. Long. The map highlighted a few spectacular tourist spots. Their first destination was The Fisherman's Cape. It was a narrow land mass extending out into the Northern Sea; a famous fishing spot during low tide. After that, they travelled deeper into the woods to reach the foot of Wyvern's Peak. Wyvern's Peak is a small mountain range on Gerona Island that was home to the snow wyvern; an elusive creature that inhabits the northern part of Nirvana. As they reached the foot of the mountain, they heard a high pitch cry that resonated from the mountain. The cry was followed by a pitiful screech that would give chills to anyone that heard it. "What was that?" Lenny asked. "A wyvern? But I heard they are pretty rare in these parts since they started hunting them." Iris replied. "Wanna go check it out? I have never seen a wyvern before." Lenny said. "I don't think that's a good idea…" Before Iris could finish, Lenny already went ahead. "Hey, don't leave me!" Iris chased after him. The two of them were able to locate the source after a short hike. Only one of the two distinct cries remained when they finally found the creature. There were five youngsters surrounding a large creature. The creature seemed to be dead. It resembled a fire dragon but had only two hind limbs without forelimbs. It had a much wider wing span than the fire dragon and its tail was barbed. Other than that, the creature also had three claws on its wing digits. "Is that what I think it is?" Lenny asked. "It's a snow wyvern," One of the youngster answered. "You guys killed it?" Iris asked after she caught up with Lenny. "That would be red-hair over there. He's the one who dealt the finishing blow." One of the youngster pointed at their red-hair friend. Lenny knelt beside the carcass to take a closer look at the beast. That was when he noticed where the weaker cry came from. There was a baby wyvern underneath the carcass. The larger wyvern was probably trying to protect its young. One of the youngsters bent forward and picked up the small creature with one quick swipe. "What are you guys planning to do with it?" Lenny asked. "This little guy was our target from the very beginning. It's just hard to snatch the youngling with the mama still around." One of the youngsters with spiky hair said. "You're not answering his question, dumb ass! We're using it as a religious sacrifice." The red-hair guy said. "What?" Both Lenny and Iris said in unison.
"Religious sacrifice. We're gonna skin the little guy alive and then tear it apart limb by limb. Its scream would please the dark lord, Visage." The red-hair guy explained with a wicked smile on his face. "That is sick! What kind of people would do such a thing?" Iris utterly disgusted. "Yeah, what kind of religion still do these barbaric act in this time and day." Lenny added. "Watch your mouth! It's one thing to insult us, it's another to insult our dark lord! You'll be hanged for blasphemy if the High Priest heard you talk like that." The bald guy said. "I can say whatever I want. And I certainly don't need to hold back when talking about a savage cult such as yours!" Lenny fumed. "It seems they need to be taught a lesson." The red-hair dude tightened his grip on his sword. "That's what savages do, resort to violence!" Lenny yelled. "Ra-a-ah! You're dead, boy!" The bald guy charged towards Lenny. With a quick swing of his forearm, a giant fist made of ice burst forth from the snowy ground. It caught the bald man right in the face, knocking him out in a single hit. Two of the youngsters surrounded Iris in a pincer attack but they were too inexperience in combat. Iris saw through their moves and took them out with the hilt of her sword before they could inflict any damage. Only the red-hair and spiky hair remained. "You two will pay for this!" Flame engulfed the red-hair's sword. Snow gathered around Lenny's right hand and formed a spear. With a battle cry, the red-hair charged towards Lenny while his companion faced Iris. Lenny feinted a strike to the left which caused his opponent to slow down and dodged to the right. He then suddenly swung the spear around, catching the guy in the gut. The red-hair dropped his sword and stumbled backwards, both his hands clutching his stomach. Lenny finished him off with a powerful swing to the back of his neck. Lenny turned to see how Iris was doing once he made sure his opponent was down for the count. Iris glanced back at him, smile on her face. All five of the youngsters were knocked out by Lenny and Iris without breaking a sweat. They then approached the baby wyvern that managed to crawl its way back to its mother's carcass during the fight. It was a pitiful sight to behold. The defenseless little guy desperately clung onto the dead carcass while emitting a weak cry. "Poor thing, I doubt it will survive in the wilderness on its own." Iris said. "You're right." Lenny replied.
As Lenny lifted the small creature from behind, he felt a sudden stung to the back of his hand. The pain made his grasp loosen and dropped the creature. "Ouch! What was that for?" Lenny yelped. He turned to examine the back of his left hand, there was a mark on it. But there was no visible break in skin or any wound. The mark was too perfect to be made from the wyvern's bite or its claws. "What the hell?��� Lenny said to himself as he examine the mark. Iris was puzzled by it too but they eventually brushed it off as nothing serious. "Do you know how to take care of a baby wyvern?" Lenny approached the creature once again, more cautiously. He gently grabbed the little guy by the side and lifted it to his chest. It didn't seem frightened or tried to attack Lenny. In fact, it seemed to have calmed down and stopped crying. "This is the first time I've seen a live wyvern before. But I bet Mr. Long knows how to take care of it." Iris replied. "Huh, it does seems kinda cute up close." Lenny said as he watched the baby wyvern clung onto his shirt. "Let's get out of here before more of them shows up." Lenny said and headed down the mountain path. The two of them then took the same route they took back to Mr. Long's hut. The old man was still inside the house when they returned. "Coming back so soon?" Mr. Long asked as the couple made their way inside. "Yeah, something happened…" Lenny stopped mid-sentence and showed Mr. Long the baby wyvern. "A dragonling? No, it's a snow wyvern. Where did you pick it up?" Mr. Long asked while taking a closer look at the creature. "We got it from a bunch of youngsters that killed its mom. They wanna religiously sacrifice this little guy. I couldn't just stand and watch after I heard how brutally savage the ceremony was." Lenny answered. "No…" Color drained from Mr. Long's already pale face. "Don't tell me you two just snatched a sacrifice from the Blackadder!" "Who's the Blackadder? We rescued it from some cult that worship a dark lord named Visage." Lenny said. "That's the Blackadder, you fool! They are the largest cult on the island. And they are very prone to violence. That's exactly why I told you not to mess with the local cult!" Mr. Long said, frustrated. "What was I supposed to do, just let this defenseless guy die?" Lenny raised his voice in protest. "It even has a contract mark on you." Mr. Long pointed at the mark behind Lenny's left hand. "What's a contract mark? I was wondering what this is, I can't seem to get it off." Lenny asked.
"A contract mark is a contract between a familiar and its potential master. In the combat terms, we called familiars as summon units. A contact is usually made artificially but in your case, this wyvern seems to offer itself to you voluntarily. That's a pretty rare occurrence in nature. It must have really liked you." Mr. Long explained. "Oh, so that's what this is. Wait, what will happen if I were to accept it? And how do I accept or deny the contract?" Lenny asked. "You are hopeless, haiz." Mr. Long shook his head and sighed. He then began explaining the procedure to Lenny. Surprisingly, that lesson was new to Iris as well. "By doing this, it means I accepted this little guy as my pet?" Lenny made a small incision on the mark using Mr. Long's knife. He winced as the blade cut through his skin. "You're not even going to consider it?" Mr. Long was astonished by how spontaneous Lenny's decision was. "If I don't take it in, it's not gonna make it in the wilderness." Lenny gave an earnest reply. The mark on the back of his left hand shimmered and changed shape. "It's done." Mr. Long said. "But I don't feel any difference." Lenny replied. "That's because the wyvern is still young, you can't communicate with it yet. Normally after a contract is formed, you can communicate with your familiar via telepathy." Mr. Long explained. "Cool!" Lenny commended. Suddenly, there was a knock on Mr. Long's door. As he answered the door, Lenny and Iris could hear a crowd gathering outside. "What's going on?" Iris asked and headed towards the window. The scene outside gave them a heart attack! There was an angry mob gathering outside Mr. Long's wooden hut, with pitch forks, flaming torches, swords and other weapons. "God, he wasn't kidding when he said they were prone to violence." Lenny said with a cracked voice, cold sweats rolled down his face. "Evening, High Priest Brook. What brings you all the way here?" Mr. Long started the conversation with a casual tone despite the mob. "I'm sure you know that very well yourself, Mr. Long. Where's the wyvern?" The high priest demanded. "I don't know what you're talking about." Mr. Long shrugged. "Playing dumb won't get you anywhere. Search the house." High Priest Brook ordered two of his men. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Mr. Long stood between the two men and the door.
"You dare oppose the Blackadder?" The high priest threatened. "You don't want to do this." Mr. Long gave a menacing look. The high priest hesitated, his men waited for his further orders. A stalemate ensured, the atmosphere suddenly quieted down. Suddenly, the wooden door burst open and out came Lenny and Iris. "You fools!" Mr. Long barked. "That's them, high priest! Those two were the ones who attacked us!" A bald guy among the crowd shouted, his face was covered in bruises. "Get them!" Brook ordered. Suddenly, the ground shook as the snow dispersed into the air, causing a massive smokescreen. The shroud of snow caused the scene to become chaotic, filled with shouts and battle cries. Lenny created a staff made of ice and clobbered everyone that came at him. Visual was extremely poor in the man-made snowstorm. Those that came at him were amateurs like those he faced earlier but they were much larger in numbers. Lenny was outnumbered twenty-five to one. Despite his martial arts skills, Lenny was still weak at using his powers after such a long time staying dormant. As a result, he took multiple blows to his back and his sides during the fight. However, he managed to take down all twenty-five novices thanks to the smokescreen. Lenny then turned around to try and search for Iris. The snow that filled the air was beginning to turn into a blizzard. The blizzard put Iris in a huge disadvantage as a Fire element user. Lenny tried to recall Iris's position before they were separated by the snowstorm. But he could hardly see anything a few feet ahead of him. He tried calling out to her but the strong gale drowned his voice. Luckily, Lenny picked up Iris's battle roar during his blind search through the thick snow. As he approached the direction of her voice, he could barely make up her silhouette behind the grey-white debris. She seemed to be in a pinch; she was surrounded by seven to eight opponents. Lenny doubled his effort to wade through the knee-deep snow but ran into a bulky guy. "I don't have time for this," Lenny thought to himself. Lightning sparked on both the big guy's fists as he slowly marched towards Lenny for a fist fight. Lenny tried to clear the snow around his feet to get better maneuverability. However, the snow regathered back the moment he tried removing them. Some very powerful forces were behind that unusual blizzard.
Lenny gathered up the snow and form a shield to block the incoming fist. When the two collided, Lenny's shield exploded, creating a shockwave that pushed both of them apart. His opponent looked tough; with his injuries and a long time away from his powers, it would definitely be a challenge. "I need to get to Iris," Lenny thought to himself. From her silhouette, he could tell she too was struggling. The lack of practice naturally means you might lose some of your old touch. That was Iris's case as she tried desperately to hold back her adversaries. She could no longer execute her old moves as well as before. To make matter worse, the blizzard severely weakened her Fire element attacks. She had already suffered injuries from the battle and she was at her limit. Luck simply wasn't on her side as her opponents were much more skilled than Lenny's. She also noted that there was something peculiar about the heavy snowstorm. It seemed to weaken anyone who stayed inside of it. It didn't just apply to herself, all her opponents looked more drained than they were supposed to. Lenny felt a tug at his torn shirt when he was getting up. It was the baby wyvern! It somehow managed to navigate through the blizzard to get to Lenny. As he glanced at the wyvern's direction, he noted the Han Bing lying beside it. The sword was still sheathed and bound by red strings. "Ah, what the hell!" Lenny picked up the sword and undone the strings. He hesitated when pulling the sword out of its sheath, causing him a heavy blow to the cheek. That hit knocked all doubts and fear out of him, replacing them with wraith. As the Han Bing left its sheath, the blizzard changed. "I don't have time for this shit!" Lenny roared. Lenny swung the blade at his opponent but he managed to dodge it. However, it didn't matter. What happened next took everyone by surprise. The blizzard halted immediately and everyone around Lenny was imprisoned in a prism of ice. All of them were incarcerated in ice from shoulders downwards. "What the heck…" Lenny's mouth remained wide open as he stared at the unbelievable sight.
6. A Meeting with The Prince
Kelvin and Julee landed safely at Faulcon Vert International Airport, in the capital of Gaea – Eden. The two experienced zero turbulence in the supersonic jet despite the rough weather when they crossed the South Atlantic Ocean. The journey took them around four hours. After they gathered their luggage at the carousel, they hired a cab to take them to Little Cannes, a residential area for the wealthy. The cab was driverless, it was piloted entirely by a centralized computer system. The artificial intelligence network on Gaea was so advanced that pretty much all the manual labor and donkey work were done by robots. Even the patrol duties on the streets were carried out by drones. The cab brought them right in front of the address Kelvin received from Max. They arrived in front of a manor of 20th century design, its marble-white façade looked beautiful under the evening sky. However, the mansion was much smaller than Kelvin had expected. Compared to the other manors in the neighborhood, his grandpa's mansion actually seemed modest. The security drones guarding the mansion had been disabled along with the other robot servants just like Max told them. It was done to facilitate the work of the police in the investigation of his grandpa's murder. However, the security system that locked the manor was still active. Kelvin approached the monitor beside the front gate and inserted the card-key that Max gave him. The small door beside the front gate slid open. He collected the card-key and walked towards the manor. They walked along a cobblestone pavement that cut across the perfectly tended shrubbery, flower beds and clipped lawns. "Fancy place," Julee commended as they strolled along. "He was a rich man, that's as much as I know about him. Makes me feel kinda bad, getting all his inheritance but knowing nothing about him." Kelvin replied. "Is that why you're here?" Julee asked. "Partly. Another reason was that I felt your uncle was hiding something. He seemed to be holding back on information regarding my grandpa." Kelvin answered. "Oh c'mon! You sure you're not just being paranoid?" Julee teased. "He wiped my memories! How can I not feel paranoid?" Kelvin snapped. "Right…" Julee fell silent. "Let's just forget about it. Sorry I yelled at you." Kelvin scanned the card-key and entered the manor.
The inside of the mansion looked ordinary. There was no sign of the murder that happened a few days ago. No trail of the investigation work that was carried out was found at the scene. The entire interior of the manor was spotless and as tidy as it could possibly get. The couple toured the manor together from one section to another. Like a modern mansion, it was equipped with a library, a swimming pool, a miniature theater, a gym and also a laboratory. The manor also had multiple guest rooms on its first floor. The top floor which was the second floor housed the laboratory. As the two of them wandered around the passageway that cut across the guest room area, Kelvin was drawn towards a painting in one of the guest rooms. The painting was nothing out of the ordinary, a picture of the countryside. What intrigued Kelvin was the feeling he felt when he first approached the painting. The feeling was entirely new to him, a new sense that he had never felt before. The wall that held the painting gave off a similar vibe. "Hey, Julee. What do you think of this painting?" He tried to find out whether it was only him who felt it. "It's lovely," Julee commended. "That's all? Do you feel anything weird coming from it? Or this wall?" Kelvin felt the sensation again as he brushed his fingers across the wall. "What are you talking about?" Julee repeated the same gesture as Kelvin. "I don't feel anything." She replied. "That's odd." Kelvin said. The two then moved to the next room. Between the two rooms were flights of stairs that connected the first floor to the ground floor. However, the placement of the stairs seemed kind of out of place. They caused a break in continuity of the hallway connecting the guest rooms. There were better places to place the stairs. Kelvin paid close attention to the walls around him as he descended the stairs before ascending it again to get to the next guest room. The moment he entered the room, he felt the same sensation again. It grew stronger as he approached the wall that supposedly divided the guest room he was in and the one he just left.
"You seriously don't feel this?" Kelvin grabbed his girlfriend's right hand and placed it onto the wall. "Feel what?" Julee gave him a puzzled look. "I could have sworn there was something wrong with the wall." Kelvin said. "Are you alright?" Julee touched Kelvin's forehead to feel for his temperature. "I'm not sick, alright!" Feeling frustrated, Kelvin slammed his fist at the wall. "What did you just do?" Julee asked while pointing at the wall. "What are you talking about?" Kelvin raised his head and saw that the entire wall changed. The patterns painted onto it were suddenly replaced by a new set of patterns. "Let's try that again." Kelvin slammed his fist against the wall again, harder. The wall flickered like a faulty monitor. The color on the wall changed along with its design. "What the heck?" Kelvin scratched his head, trying to make sense of things. Julee too was baffled by the discovery. "What's going on here?" Julee asked. "That's not all. I think there's something behind this wall." Kelvin said. "How can you tell?" Julee asked. "This room and the one before seemed smaller than they look from the outside." Kelvin answered. The two of them went back outside the guest room to prove his point. "The staircases, I think they were deliberately built to hide the hidden room." Kelvin pointed out. "Wow, I didn't even notice it." Julee made a mental picture of the wall and compared it to the guest room. "If I just use my eyes, they don't really look that different. But this room sure feels smaller than it looks." Julee said after making the comparison. "I have the same feeling. It was as if the walls were deceiving us. Making us believe the room is bigger than it really is." The two of them then searched the two rooms thoroughly, hoping to discover a hidden switch or security panel to access the hidden room. After searching high and low including the floor above and below the supposedly hidden room, they turned up empty handed. "Nothing!" Kelvin blew his cheeks. "I'm as convinced as you're regarding the existence of the hidden room. But we can't find any sort of access way into it." Julee opened the fridge to look for something edible. "What are you looking for?" Kelvin drawled. "Dinner. It's almost time you know. Or do you prefer we eat outside?" Julee replied. "Is there anything edible inside?" Kelvin spoke in the same lazy tone. "Surprisingly, it's packed." Julee opened the double-door refrigerator to show Kelvin the interior. "So we're cooking?" Kelvin asked. "Let's just leave it to the robot servants. Remember the last time we tried cooking?" Julee replied. "Right…" Kelvin gave a weak chuckle. "I think they kept them in the garage, that's the only place we didn't search yet." Julee said. "You meant the hidden switch?" Kelvin replied. "No, the robots!" Julee corrected. "Right…" Kelvin rose from his stool and joined Julee to the garage.
Kelvin's grandpa's garage was rather empty. There was only two sedans inside, both their brands unrecognizable to Kelvin. Other than the two cars inside, there were roughly ten to twelve robots and security drones inside. All of them were inactivated. "Do you even know how to on these things?" Kelvin asked as he watched Julee fumbled around the controls on the back of the robots. "How hard can it be?" Julee replied casually. Moments later, one of the robot servant came to life. Its eyes glowed in deep blue and its body started moving. "Evening, Monsieur, Madame. How can I be of your service?" The robot servant asked. "Can you make dinner?" Kelvin ordered. "I'll give you a menu after browsing the available ingredients." The robot left the garage and headed for the kitchen. "It works," Julee murmured. "Let's see how well it can cook." The two closed the garage door and headed for the kitchen. "Today's menus are as follows." The robot projected a list of dishes onto the wall. "I'll have a seafood lasagna, please." Julee said. "Give me the pan-roasted pork chop please." Kelvin said. "Your food will be served in thirty minutes." The robot replied and began cooking. The food turned out to be delicious, tastier than most restaurants the two had been to. "You sure can cook, robot. What did Mr. Howard called you?" Kelvin asked. "Master didn't give us any names. I'm simply know by my serial number as G031810." The robot answered. "I see. Do they simply obey request from strangers?" Kelvin turned to Julee. "I don't know, this is my first time interacting with one." Julee shook her head. "Anyway, thanks for the meal." Kelvin said. "You're welcome." The robot replied and began cleaning the table. "I'm really curious about what's behind those walls." Kelvin said. "We couldn't even find the switch for it. How're we supposed to get in?" Julee replied. "There's one more way we haven't try. The direct approach." Kelvin said. "You're not seriously thinking to wreck the wall down! Are you out of your mind?" Julee raised her voice. "Relax, no one's gonna be staying here anyway. Besides, the house is technically mine. We can fix the hole later. What I'm more concern about right now is what's inside." Kelvin tried to convince his girlfriend. "If you say so," Julee sighed and went along with Kelvin's plan. They made their way back to the guest room and cleared the furniture beside the wall. After that, Kelvin gathered his strength in his right fist, recalling the technique Max taught him years ago. He then released the stored energy in one quick go; twisting his hip and slamming his right fist onto the wall. "No way!" Julee stared at the wall in disbelief.
Kelvin's fist did nothing to the wall, it didn't even leave a dent on it. "That's a surprise. I thought I was hitting too hard. Guess I shouldn't have hold back." Kelvin repeated the same method he used before with added force. But the result was the same, nothing changed. After bashing the wall continuously for the fifteenth time, Kelvin leant against the wall, exhausted. "What the hell is this wall even made of!" He uttered between pants. "We could try asking some expert on this." Julee pointed at Kelvin's new watch. "It's worth a shot." Kelvin searched his contacts for Calvin's number and dialed it. There was a short pause before someone picked up on the other end. "Hello, who's this and how did you get this number?" A deep voice answered at the other end. Although his voice might have deepened, there was still a hint of the old Calvin in it. "It's me, Calvin. How are you doing?" Kelvin said. "Howard? How? Where are you now?" Calvin sounded surprised and happy at the same time. "Kenneth gave me your contact. I'm actually on an errand here in Eden. Can we talk about this when we meet?" Kelvin replied. "Of course! I can't believe you're actually here! It's been years since I last saw you. You sound the same as last time, Kelvin. We'll meet at the palace tomorrow, I'll have Alia escort you inside. Is that alright?" Calvin said. "See you tomorrow then, Prince Gaea." Kelvin said. "Ah-ha, so he told you. See you tomorrow, old friend." Calvin hung up. "Guess we're going to the palace tomorrow. Is there any dress code for meeting the crown prince?" Kelvin asked Julee. "Let me check," Julee browsed the net using the computer in the guest room.
Kelvin and Julee waited at the front gate of Gaea Palace at nine in the morning. They told the guard on duty regarding their appointment with the prince and was instructed to wait at the guard post. A few minutes later, a young lady probably in her twenties approached the two of them. Her lusty green hair was the thing that made her stood out the most. Her eyes were that of deep emerald, a drastic contrast to the red and black uniform she was wearing. "Alia?" Julee was the one who called out first. She couldn't believe her eyes at how much Alia had changed over the years. She looked much more feminine compared to her child self and she walked with the grace of an elegant lady. "Julee," Alia hugged Julee and gave her a peck on the cheek. "It's been so long." She then offered Kelvin a handshake. "Yeah," Kelvin took her hand with slight embarrassment. He couldn't believe the sexy chick in front of him was the same Alia he had known three years back. "The prince is very excited to meet both of you. Right this way, please." Alia led the couple into the palace. After a few twists and turns inside the palace, they reached a large room at the periphery of the palace. "Prince Gaea, your guests have arrived." Alia knocked on the door. "Come in," A familiar voice came from the inside. Alia opened the door and invited the two of them inside. "You're not joining us?" Julee asked when she saw Alia turned to leave. "I have some official business to attend to. I'll catch up with you guys later." She gave them a parting smile and left. "Have a seat." Calvin said. His face didn't seem to have changed much but his body did. At first glance, Calvin seemed to have put on some weight. His tummy was slightly bulging. He used to be of average built three years back, the life of a royalty must have changed him. "You seemed to have put on some weight, your highness. Bua-hah-hah-hah!" Kelvin teased. "Oh, drop the royalty crap. To you, I should be just plain old Calvin. You know, jokes like that would probably get you twenty years in prison if someone else hears them. Better just keep those jokes of yours between us." Calvin advised. "Seriously?" Kelvin asked, his voice cracked. "No shit! My aunt is especially particular about these stuff. Better not goof off about the Gaea family in front of her. Anyway, have a seat. What would you guys like to drink?" Calvin invited them over a small round table near the corner of the room. A maid brought in their drinks and the three of them began exchanging stories. After fifteen minutes of catching up, Kelvin began to talk about his grandpa's murder and the hidden room he found in the old man's mansion.
"Hold on, guys. Can we just take a moment to take a photo?" Calvin suddenly suggested. "What gives? Why the sudden photo session?" Kelvin asked. Julee felt odd at the out of the blue suggestion as well. "Just play along," Calvin murmured in a low tone. A robot servant moved from a corner of the room and positioned the camera for the photo shoot. "Where did he come from?" Kelvin asked. Both Kelvin and Julee didn't notice the robot's presence in the room until Calvin summoned it. "Alright, smile!" Calvin said and pointed at the camera. The moment the camera flashed, an invisible barrier surrounded the three of them. "Hey, what's this about?" Kelvin asked, feeling more confused than before. "This is an upgraded Arc Net. It'll prevent any spyware or people from eavesdropping on our conversation." Calvin explained. "What's with all the secrecy?" Julee asked. "You guys might not have noticed but this palace is under extremely heavy camera surveillance and also listening spywares. One is for the safety of the royal family, the second reason is to catch traitors. Dad had been obsessed with rooting out traitors after my mother's assassination. He hated my uncle, Brandon Gaea because he believe him to be the mastermind behind the assassination. My uncle was exiled and will be executed if he ever set foot on Gaea again. But I have reasons to believe my uncle was innocent. Anyway, the real reason I activated the Arc Net was because the topic of our discussion is highly classified." Calvin said. "You meant my grandpa's murder?" Kelvin asked. "That's right. Your grandpa was involved in Project MICON right?" Calvin replied. "How did you know that?" Kelvin tried to hide his surprise. "I was investigating my mother's assassination when I came across that name. Although the project had been declassified but much of its connections with its other sister projects were still kept a secret. Not even I were granted the access to those files." Calvin explained. "You think all of these is part of a big conspiracy?" Kelvin began to get excited. "I can't say for sure but I'll bet that hidden room you discovered could shed some light on things. Can you tell me again the specifics regarding the hidden room?" Calvin replied. Kelvin and Julee described the wall they encountered in the finest details, not leaving out anything. "From what the two of you described, it seems like a pretty advanced security system. I guess I have to take a look myself." Calvin said. "Are you sure they'll just let you get out of here?" Kelvin asked. "Don't sweat it, there are ways for us to sneak out of here." Calvin winked.
Calvin deactivated the Arc Net and led the couple to the kitchen at the back of the palace. "Why are we here?" Kelvin asked. "Today is the day the kitchen restock its supplies. Which means Nate is gonna be here." Calvin answered while searching around for someone. "Who's Nate?" Julee asked. "Our ride out of here." Moments later, Calvin called out to an orange-hair boy around Kelvin's age. "Yo, Prince Gaea." Nate raised his hand as Calvin approached him. "Nate, these are my friends, Kelvin and Julee." "Is he your double or something?" Nate asked. "Nah, we just happened to have the same name." Calvin answered. "So what's up?" Nate stacked the crate he was carrying on top of another crate. "I got a job for you." Calvin whispered. "The usual?" Nate asked in an equally soft voice. Calvin winked in response. Nate raised his voice to normal level and pretended that he was showing them around. All of them end up inside the refrigerator cold room. "What are we doing in here?" Julee asked, her voice shaking. "This is the only place without video surveillance." Calvin answered while proffering a hundred Zenny bill to Nate. "Where are we going?" Nate pocketed the cash and said. "Kelvin, will you give Nate the exact address, please." After Kelvin told Nate his grandpa's address, the four of them vanished and reappeared in front of Kelvin's grandpa's mansion. "You're a teleporter?" Kelvin asked when they arrived. "That's right. Is this the correct address?" Nate replied. "Yes. Thanks." Kelvin said. "Pleasure doing business with you." Nate lifted his cap slightly and disappeared. "Let's get going before Alia finds out we're gone." Calvin placed a few metal spheres beside the front gate before they entered. The spheres turned invisible after a few minutes. "What were those?" Kelvin asked while leading them inside. "Surveillance."
The three of them stood before the same wall that Kelvin tried to bring down a day ago. "This is some piece of work." Calvin said after examining the wall. "It would put my entire palace security system to shame." "Do you know how to open it?" Julee asked. "Before that, do you remember the peculiar feeling that you felt when you were near the wall?" Calvin asked. "Yeah, what about it?" "It's electromagnetic field. This thing emits a heavy electromagnetic energy." Calvin explained. "Electromagnet?" Kelvin was clueless as to what his friend had just said. "All elemental power users have an affinity for their own elements, remember? For example, a Fire element power user can sense a fire source nearby without even looking. It's like a sixth sense." Calvin explained. "So you're saying I can feel electromagnetic field? But previously when I was training with Max, I wasn't able to use the Electric or Metal element." Kelvin said. "Your powers don't stop growing even after you have left Nirvana and forget about them. You might not be capable of them three years back, that doesn't mean you can't now. Your senses for those elements are especially strong when you're capable of sensing them for the very first time." Calvin added. "Hmm, that make sense." Kelvin nodded. Calvin then began making hand gestures before the wall. The colors on the wall faded to reveal a metallic façade. "What did you do?" Kelvin asked, astonished by the sudden change. "This is the real deal. The wall you saw just now was a camouflage." Calvin explained. "But still, there doesn't appear to have any switch to it." Julee said. "It does. It's just not visible to the naked eye. If you take a very close look at the wall, you can see very fine electrical circuits running across it. That's the switch you were looking for." Calvin pointed at the thread-like circuits that ran the entire length of the wall. "But how is this a switch?" Kelvin asked. "It's a gauge switch. By running different voltage and ampere of electricity through each of these thread-like circuits, the circuits function like a multi-digits lock. The only difference being each digit can be any combinations of voltage and ampere, making the possibility near infinite." Calvin explained. "Can you open it?" Kelvin asked. "Who do you think you're talking to?" Calvin replied with a smirk.
The wall lid up like a Christmas tree after Calvin ran electricity through the circuits. He made five clones of himself, each handling a different circuit while he himself tried cracking the remaining one. After just fifteen minutes of trying, he managed to crack three of the six codes. "Three more to go," Calvin told his friends. Another fifteen minutes later, two more codes were cracked. "Last one. But I gotta say, Kelvin. Your grandpa was hell of a paranoid person." It took another half an hour before the final code was cracked. The center of the wall slid open, revealing a narrow passageway inside. "Phew! That was the hardest security code I've ever cracked." Calvin wiped off the sweat from his forehead. "Let's see what's inside." Kelvin said and stepped inside. The hidden chamber was surprisingly small, containing only a wooden desk and cupboard. Both the desk and cupboard were filled with stacks of papers and folders. There wasn't a single electronic device inside the chamber. Kelvin quickly glanced through the nearest stack of papers. Julee and Calvin did likewise. "These are all classified documents." Calvin pointed out. "Here's the folder on Project MICON," Julee said. "What are all these documents doing here?" Kelvin asked as he flipped through another stacks of paper. "Your grandpa was a smart man, he must've kept everything in hardcopy to prevent them from cyber theft. Many of these secret projects that were recently declassified were heavily falsified by the Gaea CIA." Calvin said. "I tried getting my hands on these information through various channels in the past but none were as detailed as these." He added. "Where do we start?" Julee asked. "Let's try with Project MICON first, see if we've missed anything." Kelvin replied. They split the folder into three, each of them browsed through a different part. "This confirms the information I got from my source." Calvin showed them one of the papers. On it was the list of people involved in the project. And the name next to the project director was Brandon Gaea. "You think your uncle has something to do with my grandpa's death?" Kelvin asked. "I highly doubt that it was him who murdered your grandfather. Because if he were to even land one step on Gaea soil, dad would've known. But I bet he knows who did it." Calvin replied. "But how do we find him? I thought you said he was exiled." "I already tracked him down a year ago. I just didn't have the cover story needed to find him. But I do now." Calvin looked at the two of them and grinned.
7. Jolyu Empire
Lenny felt a sudden dull pain on his right cheek. The Han Bing was seized from his grip. "You're in no condition to wield that sword, Lenny!" Mr. Long sounded very angry. "You'll kill all of them!" With a backward swing of the legendary sword, the ice thawed. The angry mob that swarmed Mr. Long's hut were freed from their icy confinement. However, they looked nothing like they did before. They seemed more like a sorry bunch than an angry mob. Most of they were shivering and some even suffered from hypothermia. None of them seemed eager to continue the fight. Lenny's hand was on his right cheek, the pain was still lingering on his reddened cheek. Mr. Long rushed into the hut and came out with a metal container in one hand. He then tossed all the stacks of firewood beside his hut and lit them up with the liquid inside the container. A bonfire was created, bringing heat to the chilly place. "Don't just stand there, go help your friend!" Mr. Long yelled. It didn't take long for Lenny to spot Iris. She was lying alone in a corner. Her assailants had all moved towards the bonfire to warm themselves up. When Lenny got beside her, he found her breathing shallow, her lips were cyanosed and her face ashen. "Mr. Long!" Lenny called out. "What's wrong?" Mr. Long approached them. "This is bad," Mr. Long said after assessing her condition. Mr. Long carried Iris into the hut and wrapped a blanket around her body before feeding her some greenish fluid. She regurgitated most of the fluid. "Carry her," Mr. Long ordered. "And the baby wyvern as well!" He added. "Where are we going?" Lenny lifted Iris in a bridal carry. "Outside," Mr. Long replied without turning back. "What now?" Lenny asked once he was outside. "Stand still!" Mr. Long ordered. Fog gathered around their feet and before they knew it, they were up in the air. And when Lenny looked down, they were standing on a cloud! "Wow! How did you do that?" Lenny asked. "It's just like walking on water. Only this takes more practice. Can you direct the wind and take us to that white building over there?" Mr. Long replied. Lenny manipulated the air with his fingers and the three of them drifted towards the white structure pointed by Mr. Long.
"What is this place?" Lenny asked when they landed at the front door. "Isn't it obvious? It's a hospital! I'm no doctor, we need a real physician to treat your friend. Get in, before they have to chop off her fingers!" Mr. Long replied. Mr. Long's remarks made Lenny nervous and sped up his pace into the casualty department. "Lenny?" Someone called out to him the moment he crossed the automated doors. "Dr. Lesley! What are you … No time for that, please save her!" Desperation in Lenny's voice. "What happened to her?" Dr. Lesley asked while examining Iris. "Lost in the wilderness," behind came Mr. Long's voice. Dr. Lesley nodded and brought Iris into the treatment room. "She's gonna be alright," Dr. Lesley reassured and closed the door. "Stay here, Lenny. I'm gonna check on the Blackadder members." Mr. Long said. "You're going back alone?" Lenny asked. "It would've ended peacefully if you fools didn't show your faces. Now stay put! And take this." Mr. Long handed Lenny a canned fish. "What am I …" Before Lenny could finish, Mr. Long interrupted. "For the wyvern, it looks like it is starving." Mr. Long left the hospital without another word. Lenny carried the wyvern to a small garden outside the hospital and opened the can of fish to feed it. "Come here, boy … Are you a male or a female?" Lenny pondered over the question as he watched the little creature gobbled down the fish. "Come to think of it, I should probably give you a name." Lenny thought to himself. His mind couldn't stop wondering how Iris was doing while waiting for his pet to finish eating. He then cleaned up the place and went to check on Iris. Lenny was relieved to see that cheerful face of Iris again. The color had returned to her face and her breathing became normal. He couldn't help wrapping himself around her, shedding a few tears of relief. "What's this all about?" Iris said, feeling awkward. "No reason," Lenny replied casually while sneaking a glance at Iris's hand. All her fingers were intact. Mr. Long returned not long after Iris was allowed to be discharged. He paid for the fee and led the two of them to the pier. "All your stuff are inside. We're setting sail for Miri Harbor tonight." Mr. Long said.
"You own this ship?" Lenny asked when they got inside a fancy looking yacht. "Of course, I do. How else would I get here?" Mr. Long replied. After a few strokes on the keyboard, the yacht moved on its own and sailed into the Northern Sea. "Get some sleep, it'll be another twelve hours before we reach." Mr. Long said. Lenny looked through his belongings, it seemed Mr. Long brought everything. "Thanks," Lenny said. "What for?" "For everything." The three of them tucked in for the night as the yacht sailed further into the ocean. A distance explosion rocked the vessel and woke Lenny up. He hurried to the deck to see what was going on. A port was visible ahead of them and it was on fire! "That's Miri Harbor. It seemed to be under attack." Mr. Long said and went to the bridge of the yacht. "Hold on tight, we're speeding up." Mr. Long advised. Lenny began to feel the strong wind coming at him as the vessel began to speed up. Pillars of black smoke rose from the pillaged port. The damage to the port was more severe than they thought when looking at it from the distance. There were no signs of the assailants responsible for the arson, only the victims remained. Mr. Long stopped his yacht a distance from the port to prevent his vessel from catching fire. "We gotta help them." Iris said. "I'm on it." Lenny answered and manipulated the sea water to form a wave. The wave clashed into the ships that were on fire. It did put out some of the flame but most of the ships were still burning. "They are lid by crude oil. Your method won't work. Try this." Mr. Long demonstrated. Thick fog began to manifest around part of the harbor. The fog continued to thicken and the fire was smoldered. Lenny tried attempting the same thing but was less successful. When most of the fire were put out, Mr. Long steered the ship into the burnt port. A group of men waved at them with welcoming smiles on their faces as they disembarked. "Thanks for the help." One of the man said, his hand outstretched. Mr. Long took his hand and replied. "Glad to be of help." "What happened here?" Iris asked.
The man who called himself Mr. Cheng invited them to a coffee shop that was spared from the fire. "It all began two years ago, when the first raid occurred in Yun Xi, the western district. The downfall of the Barbosa Monarchy caused the Kingdom of Bashara to go into total anarchy. Pirates and bandit soon overran the kingdom and began to raid its neighboring cities. The first port they raided was Port Fushi in Yun Xi. Many subsequent raids occurred, plundering one city port to another. Emperor Shin decided to take action and remove the root cause – Bashara. And so the campaign to invade Bashara was approved by the senate. The raids grew less frequent once the campaign begun. That's basically the gist of things." Mr. Cheng explained. "The down side of things is since majority of the army was deployed to Bashara, little were left to defend the empire. Luckily, me and a few other veterans managed to hold them off but not without casualties." He added, trying hard to hide the sorrow from showing on his face. "You were an army man?" Lenny asked. "Yup, I was Captain Cheng of the 3rd Royal Fleet of Jolyu." Mr. Cheng saluted. "I see." Mr. Long said while fiddling with his beard. "Where are you three heading?" Mr. Cheng asked. "The capital," Iris answered. "You can take the Northern Express to the capital, it'll take you about two hours or so. The entire continent of Zui is connected by railroads. You can get anywhere on the continent once you find a railway station." Mr. Cheng replied. "Thank you. We'll be on our way then," Mr. Long extended his arm for a parting handshake. The three of them took their belongings from the yacht and headed towards the nearest railway station. The journey was just as Mr. Cheng said, around two hours. Lenny's wyvern was very obedient on their entire journey, clinging onto his shirt and not causing any trouble. They arrived in a metropolis with the perfect blend of human engineering and Mother Nature. Skyscrapers were interlace with gardens, parks and other greeneries. Among the most noticing features of the metropolis was its amount of bodies of water. Lakes, rivers, fountains and waterfalls were seen everywhere. The Grand Palace was just within walking distance from the railway station. The palace seemed like an ancient relic surrounded by modern architectures. Its design probably dating back centuries ago. The three of them were screened at a guard post and were quarantined after they found out that they were armed. The guards didn't seize their weapons but ordered them to wait in a room beside the guard post. They complied obediently. "Just tell them, Master Long require an audience with the emperor. He'll know." Mr. Long said.
A good ten minutes passed before another security officer approached them. He was dressed in a different uniform than the ones who screened them earlier. He walked with an air of authority. "The emperor will see you now. I apologize for any mistreatment from my subordinates, Master Long." The man's tone was full of respect. "No harm done," Mr. Long waved dismissively. "This way please," the man extended his arm and led them into the palace complex. Despite the ancient façade, the interior of the palace had undergone extreme makeover, bringing the centuries-old structure into the modern era. They were brought in front of a lacquered wooden double-door. Despite the excellent restoration work, there are still subtle differences in age of the material used for the doors, lintels and pillars. One of the doors was opened after two knocks. They were greeted by Emperor Shin's secretary, an energetic young man. The 'Emperor' was only a title for the head of state of the Jolyu Empire, it didn't represent the head of a monarchy. The actual monarchy of the Jolyu Empire ended some two hundred years ago. It was replaced by a republican government system. However, the head of state was known by the title 'Emperor' instead of 'President' or 'Prime Minister'. The same thing could be said for the country. The new government preferred the country to be known as 'Jolyu Empire' instead of 'The Republic of Jolyu'. The office of the emperor was once the throne room of the palace. After the heavy modification, the room left almost no traces of its former glory. There was a bright smile on Emperor Shin's face when he greeted them. "Master Long," Emperor Shin extended his hand. "You came a long way, Shin." Mr. Long shook his hand. "Papa!" Iris embraced her father. He patted her on the back and said, "How was Earth?" Emperor Shin's expression remained the same, with the same politician's smile on his face. He seemed indifferent, meeting her own daughter for the first time after such a long time. "Lenny. Have you regained all your memories? Nice pet you got there." Emperor Shin's question halted Lenny's thought on his old mentor. "I did. I just got this little guy yesterday. It's good to see you again, master." Lenny shook Emperor Shin's hand. "Glad to see you're doing okay. Sit down, I'll have Derick bring us some refreshments." The emperor invited the three of them over the part of the office meant for reception, equipped with expensive-looking sofa and a glass table.
The emperor listened to their stories on Gerona Island while adding a few of his own from time to time. From their conversation, Lenny found his old mentor to be much friendlier than the last time they met. Emperor Shin's secretary came back a few minutes later with desserts and drinks. He placed the refreshments on the table and left the room. "When will you be leaving to find the next heir of the Han Bing, Master Long?" Emperor Shin asked. "Right after this." Mr. Long answered. "Dedicated as always. Best of luck to you." He replied. "What about you, Lenny? Where do you plan to go next? My secretary can recommend a few good tourist spots on Zui." "I'll check with him then. Thanks." Lenny said. "Iris, what's your plan for the future? Do you wish to resume your studies in Magma High?" The emperor asked. "I'm still not sure." Iris averted her gaze from her father's. "Think about it then. But do give me your reply soon." He said. A knock on the door broke their conversation. A young man dressed in military attire entered the room. "Iris…" The man stopped dead in his track when he saw Iris. "Kazuya…" She turned her head when her name was called. However, she didn't look particularly happy to see him. "Kazuya, this is my mentor, Master Long. That's Lenny Lim, one of my pupils back in Freedom Fortress." Emperor Shin introduced. "And who might this young lad be?" Mr. Long asked. "He's Kazuya Yamato, my eldest son." Emperor Shin replied. "I thought you were the only child," Lenny whispered. Emperor Shin then began a series of small talks with Mr. Long and Kazuya. "He's my half-brother. From dad's first wife." Iris replied in an equally soft tone. "Kazuya, why don't you show your sister and Lenny to the guest house. I've a meeting to attend to. We'll chat another time." Emperor Shin left his office with his secretary. "I'll be leaving as well. Call me if you need anything, Lenny." Mr. Long said before they parted ways. "How have you been all these years?" Kazuya tried to strike a conversation. The three of them had left the palace and were heading to a suburban area on the outskirt of the capital. They rode in an MPV driven by Kazuya. "Cold as always, I see." Kazuya muttered after Iris remained silent, completely ignoring her brother. Kazuya steered his conversation towards Lenny who was at the shotgun seat. Lenny patted the wyvern while telling Kazuya stories from Earth. Kazuya responded with interesting places on Zui that he should visit. Their lively conversation broke the awkward silence between the two siblings. Lenny couldn't help but wonder what actually happened between the two.
Iris left the vehicle the moment they arrived without waiting for the others. She loped across the lawn moodily and entered the guest house. A maid greeted her at the door and led her inside. Lenny wanted to chase after her but Kazuya stopped him. "Leave her be, she has always been like that when she sees me." "What happened between you two?" Lenny asked. Both of them remained inside the vehicle. "Family issues. If I tell you, would you promise me that you'll not talk about it with Iris? Don't let her know I was the one who told you." Kazuya said. Lenny hesitated. Kazuya sighed and said, "Just try your best to keep it a secret. She seemed to trust you a lot. Even from nine years back." "Okay." Lenny nodded. "Father was having an affair with Iris's mom a few years after I was born. Mom soon found out and there was a big fight between them. But a proper divorce was never done. He then married Iris's mom and she was born." Kazuya explained. "Is polygamy even allowed on Nirvana?" Lenny interrupted. "It wasn't uncommon for the royal and noble of Jolyu to have many wives and concubines. We've left that era centuries ago but the custom remained and was incorporated into the constitution. The law applied on one condition that is with the approval of the elder wife or wives. So a Jolyu citizen can have as many wives as they can afford if the condition is met." Kazuya explained. "Okay, that sounds kind of absurd." Lenny commended. "I know right, like how many women would be willing to accept it. But apparently there are. Anyway, there are loopholes in the system and my father eventually got married with Iris's mom without my mother's approval." "What happened next?" Lenny asked. "Mom wasn't exactly the easy going type or the friendly kind. She constantly harassed Iris's mom and even assaulted her on a few occasions, more so after Iris was born. One day, the woman couldn't take it anymore and committed suicide. She slit her own throat in front of her five-year-old daughter. You can imagine the trauma that followed. My mother then left me and father and disappeared. I was still young at that time, so I didn't really know what was going on.��� Kazuya said. "I honestly never expected things were this bad." Lenny pointed out. "There's more."
"All those while when those fights were going on, father did nothing about the situation. He acted as if nothing ever happened, abandoning Iris and her mother, letting them suffer alone. That was probably the final straw that drove her over the edge. My father met and hooked up with another woman soon after the incident. He got the job as master swordsman at the Freedom Clan and the three of us started living there. I don't quite remember who that woman was but she too was descendant of nobility like my mom and Iris's mom. We've only met once or twice, my memories from those years were hazy. But I do remember that me and Iris used to get along very well until the moment she learn the truth. She moved to a boarding school in the Fire Clan while a relative from my mother's side took me in. My father on the other hand didn't really give a shit about us." Kazuya said, there was rage in his eyes. "I never knew Master Shin was that much of a playboy." Lenny said. "There's hell a lot more you don't know about that man. He is a lot more sinister than he portrayed. But do keep your thoughts to yourself. Iris still has feelings and respect for that man. Plus, he's the head of state now, it's not wise to badmouth him in public." Kazuya added. "Thanks. For sharing those private matter with me." Lenny's hand reached for the door. "Please try not to mention those things we've talked about in front of her. She might not acknowledge me as her older brother, she might even hate me for life. But I still think of her as my little sister. Please take care of her in my stead. You're her boyfriend, right?" Kazuya said. "We're not really in that kind of relationship. But I'll do my best to keep her safe." Lenny averted his gaze, feeling embarrassed. "That's all I need to hear." Kazuya killed the engine and followed after Lenny into the guest house.
"What did you two talked about in the car?" Iris interrogated Lenny in the hallway. "Nothing much. Kazuya was just telling me the interesting places to visit in the capital." Lenny lied. His charming looks and experience with girls in the past turned him into a pretty convincing liar, especially to women. "I see," Iris said, she was clearly depressed. After learning her past, he knew why. "Are you alright?" Lenny asked despite knowing. "I'm just tired." Iris replied with a forced grin. Lenny thought of giving her a few words of comfort but nothing came to mind. He only managed to stand still as Iris walked towards her room. Both of them napped since they didn't exactly had good sleep on the yacht. The wyvern slept on the bed beside its master. More awkward silence followed when they gathered for dinner with Kazuya. Even Lenny found it challenging to keep the conversation going. He couldn't help feeling sorry for Iris who had to go through the experience of seeing her own mother die. Lenny's pet on the other hand was enjoying its meal at the corner of the room. "Thanks for the dinner." Kazuya said to the butler. He proffered a few pamphlets when the two of them were alone. "Here are some of the interesting places you can visit. But I do advise you to leave Zui as soon as possible." Kazuya said. "Why?" Lenny asked. "It's not safe here." He answered and left in a hurry. Hidden inside the pamphlets were a piece of paper containing Kazuya's contact details. Lenny didn't manage to clarify what Kazuya meant by 'not safe'. He saved the details into his contacts and discarded the paper. "Where did he go?" Iris returned from the washroom. "He left in a hurry. Didn't really say where he was going." Lenny answered. "Good riddance!" Iris replied. "Mind telling me about it? Why are you so upset with Kazuya?" Lenny asked, even though he already knew the reason. "It's none of your business!" She stomped away.
8. Betrayal
"I seriously can't believe he coaxed us into this." Kelvin said. "Look on the bright side, you did say you always wanted to see a desert. Now's your chance." Julee replied while putting her stuff in the overhead compartment. The two of them sat down on the window seats, awaiting the owner of the private jet to arrive. "I can't believe she said yes. How could she allow you to go to such a dangerous place?" Alia's voice was heard coming from the front of the plane. "Relax, babe. It's nothing official, we're just going sight-seeing with my friends." Calvin said. "Don't call me that!" Alia replied in a much lower tone. "But you said it's alright to call you that when we're alone." Calvin said. "Argh-h-h! I can't believe this!" Alia stomped towards Kelvin and Julee, frustration clearly shown on her face. "Is something the matter?" Julee asked. "Why don't you ask the boss, humph!" Alia sat down forcefully on the seat beside Julee. "What is she talking about?" Kelvin asked when Calvin sat down beside him. "There are some minor details that I forgot to tell you guys." Calvin admitted. "Or deliberately left out," Alia pointed out. "Don't make me sound like a bad guy, baby." Calvin replied. Alia responded with an angry leer. "The thing is, Gaea is not on very good political terms with the Earth Clan at the moment. For any Gaea royal family member to visit a foreign nation, they need to announce their presence beforehand. Since we're not really on friendly terms with them, I doubt they'll let us in that easily. So…" Kelvin interrupted while Calvin was explaining. "So, we're sneaking into the country? Illegally?" "That's not exactly right. Because the place we're heading, the Six Dunes is located at the boarder of the Earth Clan's territory. Therefore, we don't really need their permission to…" Alia interrupted before Calvin could finish. "That's your excuse? What if we get caught? I seriously can't believe Lady Christina approved of this!" "That, uh-h…" "No…" Alia furrowed her brows. "Don't tell me," "I was getting there," Calvin raised his hands in defense. "You lied! I should've check with her!" Alia fumed. "Stop this plane now!" Despite her protest, the plane was already airborne. "Relax, babe. We can tell her after we get back, okay?" Calvin tried to calm her down. "No! I'm calling her now!" Alia reached for her watch. Calvin immediately grabbed her wrist and stopped her. "Please, Alia. You know she'll definitely ban us from going there. If I don't do this now, I might never get the chance to do so." Calvin mustered his most sincere look. "I'll take all the blame for it." He added. Alia acquiesced in his decision after a long pause that ended with a sigh. "Thanks, babe." Calvin squeezed her shoulder lightly.
"How long before we get there?" Kelvin asked. Calvin and Alia had taken the seats opposite the aisle on the right side of the fuselage. They were seated next to each other, speaking in soft tone and giggling from time to time. "Around eight hours, that's why we need to depart at night." Calvin replied. "The Lost Continent, it's quite far away from Gaea. Get some sleep, we'll be there by sun rise." "Right," Kelvin looked out the window. Eden looked spectacular under the night sky. The organized city blocks brightly lit by colorful lights. The colorful cities soon faded as the plane crossed into the South Atlantic Ocean. The view was replaced by the pitch black seawater, with occasional tiny bright spots from seafaring vessels. Kelvin lowered the convertible seat into a bed and lay down staring at the ceiling of the plane. Julee was already sleeping soundly on the seat behind of him. Calvin and Alia on the other hand were still engaged in small talks. Kelvin's mind slowly drifted into semi-consciousness as he envisioned what the Six Dunes would look like. Growing up in the equator, he had never seen a desert before. He experienced snow after moving to Australia but had yet visited a dry desert. Kelvin was unsure how long he had slept. He woke up with warm sunlight shining on his face. "We're here. You should go wash up. We'll be landing soon." Calvin told him. Kelvin later joined Calvin in the cockpit. He was surprised to find that Calvin was the only one at the pilot seat. "What happened to the pilot?" He asked. "What pilot? There's only four of us on this plane." Calvin replied. "Then who was the one flying the plane yesterday?" "No body. This plane practically flew by itself." Calvin explained. "You might wanna sit down, we'll be landing now." Calvin's voice was broadcasted over the speaker.
The plane landed vertically on flat sand plain. "Alright, let's go." Calvin switched off the engine and headed back to the fuselage. Arid wind of the desert blew into the plane as Alia opened the door. "Welcome to the Yellow Dune, one of the Six Dunes." Calvin said as he walked down the ladder. Golden sand dunes stretched as far as the eye could see. Just some distance from where they landed, Kelvin could see a settlement of sort. "What's that?" Julee pointed at the building to her left. "That's where we're heading. It's a gem mine ran by the Brans Corp." Calvin said. They trudged their way across the loose sand and made it to the mining site. A bulky black man stood before them at the entrance. "Morning, I'm here to see Mr. G." Calvin said. "What business do you have with the boss?" The man asked, his tone studiously neutral. "I'm his nephew and I have private matters to discuss with him." Calvin answered. "The boss is the only child. Don't lie." The man said, again his tone was flat. "I want to see my uncle!" Calvin withdrew the Gaea royal crest and shoved it in the man's face. The man fell silent. "What's all the ruckus, Kassim?" A middle-aged man in a casual T and blue jeans approached the guard from behind the fence. "Boss, he said he's your nephew and had some important matter to discuss with you." Kassim's voice took on a friendlier tone and there was a smile on his face. The man glanced at the crest Calvin was holding and beaconed them to enter. "We'll talk inside, it's hot out here." The man led them inside a makeshift office made from cargo containers. The air-conditioned interior brought comfort to the four that were drenched in sweat after crossing the hot desert. "Have a seat," The man invited them over a reception area of the office. "What can I do for you, Prince Gaea?" "Are you really Mr. Brandon Gaea?" Calvin asked. "Why? Do I look any different?" The man chuckled. "Yeah, you look much more tanned than the picture I had of you." Calvin pointed out. "You'll look the same if you spend as much time as I do in the desert." Mr. Brandon replied. "So, what can I do for you?" Calvin gestured for Kelvin to begin. "Mr. Brandon, I'm Kelvin Howard, Stanley Howard's grandson." Kelvin began. "I don't know whether you've heard the news but he was murdered in his home a few days back. I was wondering if you can tell me anything about it."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Kelvin. My condolence to you and your family. However, I'm afraid I can't help you with that. It's been a long time since I last saw him." Brandon said. "How about Project MICON? Can you tell me more about it? I heard his death was related to the secret projects he conducted in the past." Kelvin said. "If you know about the project then you probably know that your grandpa wasn't exactly a good person to begin with. There are a lot of people who want him dead. He probably saw it coming." Brandon replied. "What do you mean by that?" Kelvin asked. "Mr. Stanley dealt in a lot of shady deals with the criminal underworld of Macquinol." "Macquinol?" "The continent where Gaea is on," Calvin interrupted. "After Project MICON ended, I was asked by your grandpa to join the Second Chance project." Brandon continued. "You meant the one where they experiment in cloning human organs?" Alia asked. "That was only part of the project, a cover story. Their real objective was to perfect the cloning technique of humans." Brandon explained. "But that's illegal." Calvin pointed out. "There're a lot more illegal experiments being carried out under your nose, Calvin. That's also part of the reason why I refused his offer. He then came to me again with another project which he refused to tell me the details unless I decide to join. I didn't. That was probably the last time I saw him." Brandon said. "I see." Kelvin nodded. "Sorry, I couldn't be more of a help." "No, your information is very helpful. Thanks." Kelvin said. "Pardon me but I didn't exactly get your names," Brandon turned towards Julee. "Oh, sorry. I'm Julee Simmons, from the Freedom Fortress." Julee introduced. "How about you, young lady?" "I'm Alia Faure, Calvin's…" Before Alia could finish, Calvin interrupted. "Girlfriend. She's my fiancé." "Cut it out!" Alia smacked Calvin on the back. "I'm actually the prince's personal bodyguard." Mr. Brandon's face darkened the moment he heard Alia's answer. He quickly averted his gaze and said. "Calvin, I'm sure you have something important to ask me as well. Do you mind if we talk in private? Just the two of us?" Brandon said. Alia wanted to protest but Calvin stretched his arm and silenced her. "Please," "Follow me, then." Mr. Brandon left his seat and headed for the door. Calvin followed after him while the rest stayed inside the comfort of the air-conditioned container.
The two of them walked into the underground mine. There was another smaller office built inside the mine. It was a lot cooler once they ventured deeper into the mine. They passed by a few miners who greeted their boss with friendly gestures. Mr. Brandon responded likewise. He led them to a small cavern and withdrew a small device from his pocket. He dropped it to the ground and it activated to create a soundproof Arc Net. "Were you the one who killed my mother?" Calvin asked after the Arc Net completely covered the two of them. "I'm sure you know the answer by now." Brandon replied calmly. "Then tell me the reason why." "There're a lot of whys, which one do you want to know?" Brandon replied. "Why was she assassinated?" Calvin asked. "Because she failed to complete her mission and threatened to expose the true master mind behind it all." Brandon explained. "Mission?" "Your mother was an operative on a mission to convince your father to abdicate as the King of Gaea. Not only did she fail her mission, she fell in love with his target. She came to me for help when her boss threatened to expose her secret." "Couldn't she just tell my father the truth? I'm sure he'll believe her." Calvin pointed out. "That would be the case if her boss is anybody else. But you see, Calvin. The mastermind behind it all was none other than my sister, Lady Christina. How do you think your mother's words would weigh against your aunt's?" Brandon explained. "No way." Calvin couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Yes. Before she was the Chief of Defense, she was a spymaster at the Gaea CIA. She had a lot of spies under her command. That's why your mother came to me for help. I tried my best to protect her from my sister but I failed. Knowing that I know her secrets, she framed me for the murder and that's basically it. I'm curious though, how come she fail to convince you I am the culprit?" Brandon said. "The evidences, they are just too prefect and convenient." Calvin replied. "I see. At least someone in the family isn't clouded by familiar bonds. Your father loves his sister too much to see who she really is. She was clearly after the throne but there is a more personal reason for the assassination. She refuses to accept the marriage between a royalty and a commoner. She loathes your mother for marrying the king. As for what she wants with that power, I don't really know. I imagine it can't be anything good." Mr. Brandon turned his body all of a sudden and fired a bolt of lightning into the distance. "You felt that?" "Yeah," Calvin turned his attention to the same direction. For only a brief moment, he felt the presence of somebody watching them. "Whatever it was it's gone now."
"You should watch your back around that lady. My sister was the one who assigned her to you wasn't she?" Brandon retrieved the device from the ground. "Yeah…" Calvin understood very well what his uncle meant, he just couldn't bring his heart to believe him. "She has a way with people's feelings and uses them to her advantage. Don't make the same mistake your father did." Brandon grabbed Calvin's hand, leaving a note in it. "It's Kassim's contact. Call him if you want to talk to me. Or if you need any help when you're outside of Gaea. Good luck, kid!" Brandon gave Calvin a pat on the back. The two of them walked back to the office on the surface, silent the entire time. Calvin's mind couldn't stop ruminating about Alia. From the time they first met in Yume Summit to the multiple adventures they had been through, were all of those part of an act? Calvin snapped back to reality as they neared the makeshift office. He was determined to find out the truth. Mr. Brandon returned to the office and offered them a tour of the mine. "Did you find out what you seek?" Alia whispered. "Yeah, sort of." Calvin nodded dismissively, his mind was still wondering on how he should confront Alia and his aunt. He felt like clearing things out with Alia then and there. But another look at her face changed his mind. He trusted her, she had never let him down before. The four of them returned to the plane after lunch. They then flew across the Six Dunes before returning back to Eden. All the six dunes had different colored sands. White, yellow, orange, red, purple and black. From high up, the sand dunes looked like sand boxes in a playground. Their distinct colors really made them stand out in the landscape. "Wow, I've never seen such amazing colors before." Kelvin gazed in awe. "They're one of a kind. Beautiful, aren't they?" "Yeah." "What's your plan after this, Kelvin?" Calvin asked. "I'm still not sure myself. I'll probably look into Project Second Chance in grandpa's secret archive. I didn't really think finding the culprit was easy. Maybe I'll just leave it to the police when it's time to go home. And get the news from them when the case is solved. If I ever return that is." Kelvin answered. "I think you should have a serious talk with Julee before you leave. She was born and raised here, she might have second thoughts about going back to Earth with you. Going to Earth is like riding a time machine. Remember how the six of us used to be of the same age? Now look at us. Maybe the next time you return, I might have already married and have children of my own." Despite the same look he had on his face, Calvin's thoughts were that of a mature adult. "Yeah, I probably should." Kelvin stared out the window from the cockpit. He had not given much thought on the matter until Calvin pointed it out.
"Don't look so down, I'm sure the two of you will figure something out." Calvin handed Kelvin a glass. "You old enough to drink?" Calvin took a bottle of red wine from the cabinet. "Just try some, it's the finest in all of Gaea." He poured the wine without waiting for Kelvin's reply. "That amount won't get you drunk. But keep this between us, Alia don't like me drinking." Calvin closed the door to the cockpit. Kelvin nodded and took a sip. Despite it was his first time tasting wine, the aroma and flavor of the exquisite wine was beyond his expectation. "This is good stuff." Kelvin said. "Told ya," "How are things between you and Alia? You two seems like a lovely couple." Kelvin asked. "It might seem that way to you but the truth is she isn't exactly someone who readily open up to others. Despite the time we spent together, I didn't really receive an honest reply on how she thinks or feels about me. Even though I always tell her how much I like her. Another think would be my aunt, she doesn't really approve our relationship." Calvin said. "Why won't she?" "Because Alia is not of nobility and royalty by birth. She's very conscious about the status quo. She doesn't approve me marrying a commoner." Calvin explained. "I think if the feeling is mutual, there shouldn't be any problem." Kelvin pointed out. "I feel the same but I don't know about Alia though. She doesn't really talk about these things with me. She is always so focus on her job that she loses sight of everything else. She is also reluctant to share with me about herself and her past. Every time I bring it up, she just brushes it away or ignore it." "That's a lot of issues to settle. By the way, would your aunt really be okay about this?" Kelvin said. "If Alia never inform her about it, I'm sure she didn't. We can fake a cover story like I told you before. She'll never know." Their desultory conversation soon faded as they dozed off in the pilot seats. The earlier desert heat and the alcohol eased their mind into sub-consciousness.
Kelvin was awakened by a gentle shook on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see that night had already fallen. They had safely landed on Faulcon Vert International Airport. Before they parted ways, Calvin handed Kelvin a suitcase. "Inside it is the device along with the combination for the secret chamber. The device will convert your energy into electricity, there's a manual along with it." "Thanks. We'll meet up once more with Lenny, Kenneth and Chen before I go back to Earth. You'll come, right?" Kelvin suggested. "That sounds wonderful. I'll definitely be there. Till then," Calvin waved at the cab that Kelvin and Julee boarded. "It's time to go back, my prince." Alia said. Calvin turned to face Alia and sighed. "Get in," he pointed at the car. "What did I always tell you?" Calvin said once both of them got into the luxurious four-seater. "But we were in public!" Alia protested. "Now we're not," Calvin parted the tuft of hair that covered her cheek and kissed her. "It's been a while since we get to be alone like this." Alia said, she sounded happy. "Yeah, just like that time when the two of us sneak out for our secret date." Calvin added. "Lady Christina was furious back then." "I'm sure she won't be any happier this time." Alia pointed out and leant her head over Calvin's shoulder. He stroked her hair passionately. "You're probably right." The driverless sedan took them back to the palace and the night ended uneventfully. Calvin was summoned to meet his father, early the next morning. He knew he would be in trouble for leaving without permission but he never realized his secret was out.
"Before we begin, do you have something you would like to confess?" King Timothy questioned his son. "I'm sorry I went to the Six Dunes with my friends without prior notice." Calvin admitted. "Is that all?" His father pushed. "Yes," Calvin feinted ignorant. "Care to explain this?" A holographic photo of him and Brandon Gaea was projected before his eyes. Calvin tried his best not to look surprise, but it astonished and confounded him that his father was able to get photographic evidence of the meeting. His chain of thought drifted back to the time when his uncle fired a lightning bolt at random. He was certain that he covered his tracks perfectly, where did it went wrong? As he was pondering on the subject, a new voice joined in the conversation. "The photo was taken by Alia if you were wondering. Or else your father won't believe me." Calvin turned towards the direction of the voice. He didn't notice Lady Christina was in the room as well until then. "How could you go see this man? He murdered your mother!" His father hissed. "No, he didn't! He's innocent!" Calvin defended his uncle, he wasn't thinking straight any more. His mind was occupied with thoughts of Alia and his heart ached just thinking about her. "See Timothy, I told you the boy would side with his uncle. They're planning something." Lady Christina said. "No, we weren't!" Calvin protested. "I'm so disappointed in you, Calvin. You betray me, your mother, your family. How could you?" The king said. "I-I…" Calvin was lost for words. "He's after the throne, Timothy." Calvin finally realized the reason why her aunt never tried to track him down when he went mission, like she did many times before. "You're right, Christina. I should have listened to you years ago. Just like Victoria said, I'm not really suited to be king." "No, dad! You mustn't listen to her!" Calvin sounded desperate. "Silence! As of today, Calvin Gaea. You're no longer the crown prince of Gaea. I'm giving the throne to Lady Christina. Should have done so years ago." Calvin could not believe what his father had just said. "You're just too kind and soft, Timothy." Lady Christina said. Knowing that any further argument would only worsen the situation, Calvin bowed his head in defeat and said. "Yes, father. I'm sorry." His father sighed and replied. "Go finish your degree and be of some use to the society. Now, leave!" Calvin nodded and left the room.
Calvin had failed. Meeting his uncle was a mistake all along. As he shuffled along the passageway back to his room, frustrated, he ran into Alia. Or rather, she was waiting for him in the hallway. "Are you happy now? Your boss finally gets what she wanted. A mission well done!" Calvin clapped his hand with a wry smile. "It wasn't supposed to be…" Calvin silenced her and said. "I thought there was something special between the two of us. I trusted you! But it turns out everything was a lie. My uncle was right. Those hugs and kisses were just to get me to lower my guard around you. They were never real." "I was doing it for us!" Tears started to roll down her cheeks. "She said she would approve of our relationship if I do it." "Who are you kidding? I like you, I really do, Alia. But I can't love someone who would stab me in the back." Calvin's eyes reddened, his voice heavy with disappointment. "I didn't know it would turn out like this. I swear…" Alia broke down crying. "Drop the act. You're not going to fool me again. You can go back to my aunt now. I'm relieving you of your duty, Alia Faure. I never want see your face ever again!" Alia dropped to the floor and groveled at Calvin's feet, pulling his sleeve at the same time. "Please, Calvin… Forgive me…" Calvin yanked his hand free and left without another word, leaving the young lady crying by herself. While walking back to his room, he couldn't help stopping his tears from running. He had never felt so heart broken in his life.