???: How many years have it been?
Arc: I'm not quite sure anymore. But I don't think my body is going to last any longer.
???: You can keep going. I believe in you! The Arc family symbol is easy. Just channel everything in your being into the first shape you can think of.
Arc: But what if I can't see the shape?
???: You will. I know you can.
Arc: I'll keep trying!
???: Good boy. Be sure to have fun in the academy okay?
Arc: I will! But will I see you again?
???: Maybe. Just try your best not to forget, okay [????]?
...
Arc: I'll never forget.
Nitra: Forget what Arc?
Arc: Hm?! Nothing.
Nitra: Were you having a bad dream?
Arc: I don't think so. I could barely remember anything from my dreams. Just a faint memory I guess.
Nitra: You look so gloomy though. Nightmares can be scary.
Arc: It really isn't anything. Has Terra made any progress finding this so-called "mother".
Nitra: Nothing yet. Though I'm not worried about her. I'm a bit worried about the Ev3 unit at the entrance. Did you really mean what you said back there?
Arc: Kind of wished you would forget that.
Nitra: Well, I think it was sweet of you to try anyway.
Arc: Nitra, it's been three days and we still haven't found a hint of where it could be. We've searched the western side and the center side. But with the rate of construction in Talos, it'll just keep growing to sides we've never searched yet.
Nitra: I know. Hey, why don't we have some fun tonight? Just something to help blow off some steam.
Arc: What could possibly help blow off steam in this place? This place feels like a giant tool box.
Nitra: I saw there was a bathhouse around the area! We haven't taken a shower since we arrived in Talos. Wouldn't it be great to take one! All squeaky clean and oil free!
Arc: I hate to break it to you but a golem bath house would mean something completely different.
Nitra: No! It's completely fine! I checked it out. It actually had water that was filtered from the mountain. That's where some golems get their gunks cleaned out.
Arc: Sounds disgusting. But it does sound like fun. Maybe it was time to blow off a bit of steam.
Nitra: Great!
Her face lit up for the first time in a long time. I stood up to see the great metal city of Talos below us. This place was beyond anything I've seen. We've been to countless systems but this one definitely piqued my interest the most. A living mechanical city. This city just doesn't stop growing. From the looks of it, it's not stopping anytime soon.
The mechanical winds pump out more smoke and more gas. It was a steampunk wonderland that would've been much more interesting if it were an exhibit. We were at the top of the highest skyscraper of the city looking down but I wasn't afraid. Nitra held out her arm, I accepted it. We both leapy to enter free fall. Something like a symbol of trust between teammates during the training. Those who usually had arial magic capabilities would have to do this with everyone in the academy. However, this one felt a bit special as Nitra kept staring into my eyes while we dropped. The buildings were much stranger upside down. After a quick second, her eyes glowed a bright blue pushing us into an air current allowing us to glide around the city.
We could spot Talos' golem citizens working effortlessly in every job they were given. Everything felt strange, Talos was programmed to be like a perfect city. A city where it's citizens were always following orders without a thought. No fighting, no contradictory thoughts, and breakouts. Something of a hive mind, though it would make sense then that the hive leader would be aptly named mother. These were the perfect citizens that any city could ask for. Maybe even the perfect soldiers.
Nitra: Something on your mind? Is the current a bit too strong?
Arc: Oh! No, that's not it. I was just thinking about everything. Something that could give us a clue.
Nitra slowed down for a bit till we reached a lower altitude to see the citizens even clearer. Her expressions turned a bit sour. I didn't have a clue as to why but it doesn't bother me either. Though I think she could just be stressed from all the fruitless investigating we've done.
Arc: What about you?
Nitra: Huh?
Arc: Something is bothering you. I can tell from your expression.
Nitra: I guess you could say that.
Arc: Out with it already.
Nitra: Always so serious… Well you could say that I still have my doubts on my placement of the team. Those are just my honest thoughts I guess.
Arc: What do you mean?
Nitra: It does seem that everyone has their roles and I still feel like I'm trying too hard to fit in.
Arc: Nitra, we're not some kind of backwards squad. We take our roles seriously.
Nitra: That's exactly what I mean, Arc.
Arc: Elaborate.
Nitra: I feel like I'm not taking this seriously. You, Terra, and Nex all seem to know what to do and how to handle it. But I just feel lost, like I'm the one that isn't taking things at the same level as you all. It's hard to explain…
Arc: You also talk a lot don't you.
Nitra: That's a bit rude…
Arc: Though that's not a bad thing, Nitra.
Nitra: What do you mean?
Arc: I think having someone that has their innocence with them is fine. It's something that we need.
Nitra: Thanks… That helps…
Arc: It's a breath of fresh air even. In fact, it even reminds me of her…
Nitra: Oh… I'm
Arc: Don't apologize. I was the one who brought it up. We should just remember that we're soldiers. She died for the glory of the Platform. Nothing to mourn about. She wouldn't want that anyway.
Nitra: Were you two close?
Arc: It was a bit more complicated than that…
Nitra: I see… You can rely on me, y'know. I just want you to know that. Even if I might seem a bit childish, I'm still pretty strong. I'm a vanguard class after all.
Arc: I already do. Soldiers have to rely on each other.
Nitra: That's not what I meant. I mean as a friend.
Arc: A friend… I'm sorry but I'm just following orders… I'm sorry, that came out too cold.
Nitra: No, it's quite alright. I shouldn't force anything. I'll take it slower…
Arc: I'm not good at this…
Nitra: It's alright, I think it's quite cute.
Arc: Huh!?
Nitra: I'm sorry, maybe that was too soon. I should've phrased that better. You're just not the person that I made you out to be hahaha.
Following orders huh, wonder what made me say that. Nitra deactivated the air tunnel then dropped us slowly to the ground. She let go of my hand and placed her arms on my shoulders. As we landed, she still didn't want to let go. Her eyes were shining but not glowing. However, there were other things pressing on my mind to pay attention to her. A perfect city? A being that gives these golems life and purposes? This thing also calls itself mother. Don't these things sound like something like a child playing house? Mindless drones but only one thing that stands out and it was that original Ev3 unit we met. Was it rejected?
Arc: You can let go now.
Nitra: Why? Does it bother you?
Arc: No, because we're here.
Nitra: I know.
Arc: Then let's go.
Nitra: Geez, you don't get it do you?
Arc; What are you talking about?
Nitra: Hmph! Nothing!
She let go in a sour mood but I think she was just having an airhead moment. If I can place one and two together then I should have a good guess on where the main source is coming from. These golems come from factories obviously but they're programmed elsewhere. Usually prime directives come from one master control.
Nitra: Well shall we get in? From what I know there's only one mixed bath since there's no genders for golems. I don't mind getting into the mix shower with -
Arc: I know where mother is. We need to leave.
Nitra: Huh?! What?! But we just got here!
Arc: Mission comes first. Let's alert the rest of the team.
Nitra: Boys are the worst hmph!
We alerted the other two on the scouting missions then regrouped at the skyscraper. Nex looked exhausted while Terra was still in fine condition as always. Even with a bad leg she was still pressing on with the mission. Her face was still beaming with determination to figure this class out. Nitra was still in a bad mood, though it was probably about not taking a bath. She'll be fine though. I dropped a holo schematic of the surveyed area of Talos on the surface. This will give us a better understanding on how to track what to do. Luckily, the map fills up from our combined input of our contact lenses.
Terra: What was it that you needed to report? We were just patrolling the rest of the undiscovered locations.
Nex: You could've slowed down a bit. I don't have any mobility magic besides teleporting in place!
Terra: It's our job that we stay in shape. You clearly need a bit more training if you get exhausted from that small trek.
Nex: Small trek!? We surveyed the area for four hours straight. I'm not out of shape, you're just too fit.
Arc: Anyway… This here. The center part of the map is a bit strange don't you think? Usually when it comes to living cities, they'd normally want the center to be the main axis of construction. Build around like a circle enclosing it's layers. But Talos is much different, it's building it's sides. It's expanding horizontally.
Nex: I don't get it.
Arc: The central hub is hiding itself. It's making it harder to find by constructing it sideways so the center can't be found.
Terra: Now that you've mentioned it. It would be much harder to find a place of origin that way. But me and Nex have found something distressing to report too.
Nitra: What?
Terra: These golems are much more aware than we thought. They've just been programmed to ignore our movements but they've kept surveillance. They let us in. We thought we were sneaky but that wasn't the case. I knew it was getting too easy.
Arc: What confirmed your suspicions?
Terra: The security outpost. I went on a recon mission there to check if there were any clues to where this mother would be. As I went through the tapes, they documented our every moment. From the moment we stepped through the teleporter, till our mindless search through the city.
Arc: Clever plan.
Nitra: Quite the smart one too. They intentionally let our guard down, slowing our attempts to find her.
Arc: Well it was only a matter of time that we would find out. Seems like mother isn't a stranger to visitors. Does she know where we are?
Terra: I don't think so. She only has eyes where there are golems.
Arc: I think I've also found out where she might be hiding.
Terra: Interesting. Where?
Arc: A school building or anything related to information. Something with a storage of knowledge. There has to be a port of sorts or else these things wouldn't be active in the first place. They aren't like that unit we met at the surface. These ones need a source. Though I'm not one hundred percent sure if my assumptions are correct. It's solely based on the idea that everything we're led to believe about mother is that she is indeed a mother.
Terra: That's a bit anticlimactic. Are you sure she'd hide in a school or something? I was thinking of the lines of an arena.
Arc: From what I've understood, it would make sense that she would be hiding in these kinds of buildings. Golems don't need to go to school, yet this place has almost everything correct to a normal city including a school. I think this might be where we need to find her.
Terra: We could certainly try your idea. This current search is getting us nowhere anyway. I've never thought I'd miss the sun. These artificial lights aren't cutting it.
Arc: Try to make your distance subtle too. We wouldn't want the guardians to start being active. Let's step towards the first few locations that we do know. It's best that we stick together for now.
Terra: Splitting up would only use our resources thin.
Nitra: Where are we heading first?
Terra: Let's start with the biggest location then make towards the smallest. The school, radio station, and then the library. These should landmark our strategies too.
Terra pointed out the buildings creating a mark on the holo map. Everyone started to synchronize their watches and GPS. As we jumped out of the skyscraper one by one, all I could think of were the possibilities of finding new clues. This time we had a proper direction, something we didn't have. Nitra's eyes surged, pushing us towards our location at a quicker pace than last time.
Landing on the school's roof, the golems still chose not to do anything. No alarms, no security, and nothing stopping us from entering. Terra didn't hesitate, she surged up as well! With a not so subtle sound, Terra blasted the roof down making us fall down into the structure directly! I managed to land on my feet then rolling to minimize the force of the impact. Though that was completely unnecessary. Terra must be on edge from not fighting something. That girl is always so frisky. Nitra didn't expect and needed Nex help to get up a bit. Seconds after the rubble from the entry subsided, golems appeared to fix the roof almost instantly! Those things were quick!
Arc: Unnecessary, Terra.
Terra: It's fine! Don't worry about it! I'm just excited because we finally have something to do. Maybe we'll get to fight something too.
Arc: I knew you were being a bit frisky.
Terra: If you knew then don't bother asking!
Arc: I'm just saying that was unnecessary. You could've injured someone.
Terra: But no one did, so it's fine. Besides, aren't we all supposed to be good soldiers? A good soldier has to be prepared for these things. Read my movements, Arc. You always did before.
Arc: This isn't about me. It's about the team. I'm not part of the vanguard remember. Synchronize with the rest of the team already.
Terra: Whatever. Get moving already. Nitra, take point along with Nex.
Arc: Shouldn't you have Nex? He has a lot more capabilities to take you in and out in a fight.
Terra: What are you scared you can't do your job?
Arc: That's not what I meant.
Nitra: Calm down, you two. I'll go ahead with Nex, you two try not to bring the whole place down okay?
Arc: Noted.
Terra: Let's get going already.
Moving along the lightless corridors, I turned to see the different classrooms of the facility. All of them were just filled with golems standing at attention while being fed information through visors. I guess in someone's perfect world this would be the most optimal way to create perfect citizens. A bit cold but this is how it is. Each room we passed, nothing gave a hint to what we needed. However, we were going towards the direction of what looked like to be where the information was being sourced from. Terra was ahead of me looking a bit happy. Her smile never ceased to make me feel uncomfortable. Though I've also gotten used to the fact that she had a strange sense of excitement.
Terra: This does take me back, sort of.
Arc: To some of the classes?
Terra: The Academy.
Arc: I guess it does have some kind of semblance to the place.
Terra: A bit peaceful for my tastes. There's always been people running around the halls, every single one of them excited to be deployed.
Arc: Who'd thought that they'd be placed in these kinds of missions right after huh.
Terra: Not entirely true, some other missions are better than most.
Arc: That is true. It's just us that picks these insanely hard ones.
Terra: Always remember that promise.
Arc: I never did.
Terra: Though I'm most surprised that the higher ups were fine with keeping these memories.
Arc: I'm sure that they knew that it didn't matter. It's a memory that keeps us stronger.
Terra: Strangely, now that I think about it, I don't remember much of my time in the academy. Though I'm sure it's because I've chosen to forget about it already.
Arc: That's strange. Base command wouldn't want you to forget their training.
Terra: That is true but I remember all of my classes. Mostly just the fighting courses though. That's where I remember the most.
Arc: Of course that's something that you'd remember. You took a lot of pleasure kicking everyone around. You knew that you were a natural learner when it comes to fighting.
Terra: It's not my fault that they were a bunch of weaklings. They just needed to keep up a lot more.
Arc: That's not how the training works. You're supposed to help them understand fighting a lot better so you could have better opponents.
Terra: I did, I made sure that I was always one step ahead of them.
Arc: Still not getting it.
Terra: I don't understand what you're trying to say, Arc. Besides, you were the only one that managed to keep up with me during training. In fact, it still pisses me off sometimes remembering the times that you've beat me. I still remember the score, do you?
Arc: I've forgotten that stuff a long time ago. I have no interest in fighting you anymore.
Terra: That's a shame. You're wasting so much of your talents. It should be an honor already for you that I'm acknowledging you as being a fighter fitting my stature.
Arc: I don't know how I feel about that.
Terra: I have the ability to kill and fight like no one has ever done in the Platform. The only one that could take me down is you. I've never lost to anyone else, Arc. Hold yourself better as a warrior.
Arc: I'm not into that kind of thing, Terra. I'm just a soldier. I've even lost to a bunch of people already. So that should be an indication that I'm not the person you think I am.
Terra: That's because you never take anything seriously besides our fight!
Arc: That's because you don't hold anything back!
Terra: Why would I be? I'm in the presence of someone that could beat me. Come on, Arc.
Arc: Come on what?
Terra: Be part of the vanguard again. You're the one that I want fighting beside me. Just like the previous classes.
A large shock hit me in the stomach. It felt like I was nauseated as I looked at my hands. I could barely hear any of what Terra was saying already. All I could do was try to hold in the sudden pain in my head. Terra still hadn't noticed or felt anything so it might just be me. Just like the previous classes. Something about that made me sick to my stomach. Almost as if my brain was trying to force a reset. Hammers were pounding my head but after a second or two, it had vanished. Terra looked back to see that I was completely fine. I sighed that the pain subsided but that was strange…
Terra: So? What do you say? Fight alongside me again. You're the one that I trust the most in a fight. Nitra knows how to carry the backlines with her magic along with Nex. But it's a big waste to have you there knowing that we had demolished planets together.
Arc: I'm sorry. No…
Terra: Fine. Whatever you do is your choice but you're wasting so much potential.
After what felt like an eternity with Terra, we managed to find the source of the information feeding. It was a small broom closet with just a single mechanical computer. This thing was quite ancient. I've seen these on other planets but yet here it is again. Luckily, Terra knew a thing or two on how to operate these things. She walked towards it to investigate further.
Terra: Another mechanical one huh. These planets sure are primitive. They still don't have holo fusion or arance circuits yet. They have to materialize their circuits with these primitive ores. Not even close to modern models.
Arc: I don't blame them considering they're just a bunch of golems.
Terra: Though we should be able to access a few things from this port. Though I'm not sure how much information it has in actuality. It should give us a bit more hints.
Arc: I'll signal the rest then.
Seconds later, the rest arrived with their hands to their head. They didn't seem to have anything either. Nex just shrugged as he noticed Terra by the computer.
Nitra: Amazing. You two didn't break down the entire structure yet.
Nex: I was half convinced you both killed each other in a fiery battle.
Arc: We're still squadmates y'know. We have some professionality when it comes to fighting. Soldiers have to be calm.
Nex: It would've been pretty exciting to see a fight between you two. I could only imagine the action.
Nitra: Please don't talk about fighting. It's not something I'd like to think about between squad members.
Nex: Sorry, it's just been pretty slow.
Nitra: Though I'm sure a fight between those two would probably be pretty scary. I just don't want to think about people going AWOL or rogue.
Nex: Sorry then, I didn't think about that.
Terra: Could y'all be a bit quiet. I can't focus on this. It's taking forever to process. It's just far too ancient.
Nitra: What is in that thing anyway?
Terra: A hint. So far, all I could dig up was the fact that mother is indeed a person. Whoever programmed these were definitely a person or a sentient being. They named the protocols "This thing makes them learn" and "This makes them bark". Strange way of naming initializations but that's how they did it.
Arc: Could you trace it?
Terra: That's not how it works. I'm just reading their code. Knowing where the code came from is a different story. Whoever coded must have a lot of time on their hands or is a natural at messing with people who can't read.
Nitra: So we have nothing?
Terra: Not entirely, we do have a single source to where we could look next. A library or radio station. Both have libraries that originate there. Reaching those places could give us an idea on where to find the creator of the code.
Arc: Why would they separate the libraries of the code to different outposts?
Terra: They probably had a device with them that had it. I'm just judging this from reading the properties and where it was last used or where the libraries are being sourced from. Though I did stumble upon something peculiar.
Arc: What is it?
Terra: They all have the same protocol.
Arc: It could be a security protocol.
Terra: It could be but if that's the case then all the golems would try to defend a spot. And that spot would probably be the place where the originator of this code from.
Nex You want to purposefully trigger the alarm?!
Terra: We could definitely handle them. It's just a matter of how strong any of you are. I'm pretty confident.
Nitra: That's a bit out of the question. It's far too dangerous.
Terra: Not for this class.
Arc: Certainly isn't something that we haven't done before.
Nitra: Doesn't that also mean-
Terra: Yes, we're going to have to split up. Nex go with Arc. NItra you're with me. It's best that they have the ability to stay mobile while we draw attention if a proper fight breaks out.
Nitra: I don't like this at all.
Terra: This isn't optional. This is part of the mission, Nitra. Take a big breath, we're going in deep for this one.
Arc: At least we're not fighting against people, just a bunch of mindless drone golems.
Nex: Weighs easier on the conscience too hahaha.
Arc: I guess…
Terra: One last thing, whoever wrote these were here quite recently. The date mounted was close to our synchronized watches. That means there's someone else here. Be cautioned, if that person is hostile, we can't take any chances of capture. Take them down and find the originator of the code.
Nitra: Two mothers?
Arc: Probably an intruder from Plaux itself, don't lower your guards.
However, as soon as I said that a giant crash came out of nowhere! Looks like the alarms still work! What I could assume are the giant mechanical guardians, smacking it's giant mechanical hand on the platforms. We all jumped to see the windows, most of them were moving and crushing everything in their paths to look for us. We managed to disperse right before it got closer. These guardians were much different than the one in the graveyard. This model wasn't running in a remote motion sense. It had a prime directive. Kill! A massive crash could be heard from the skyscraper as rubble and metals were falling from the structure. Golems on the ground were being hit by the debris. Though that didn't stop any of the mindless ones from continuing their day of working. None of its citizens even cared to look at what was happening above or around.
The guardians on the city walls started to slowly crawl towards our location. Their eyes moving like geckos looking down on the area below. We were now in free fall. The guardian didn't seem to notice that it had missed us by a few seconds. Terra had an expression of anger when she saw the guardian. She wanted a rematch with one of those things while Nitra kept her face forward to focus on our way out. We made our way out into the busy streets then onto the roofs of this great metal city. Nitra waved her hands over all of our boots as we ran to modify our boots with air magic.
Terra: Alright, let's get out of here. I'm feeling better anyways. Besides, the only thing we actually have to worry about are the guardians. Avoid them at all costs. I'll send the coordinates if my side finds the originator's location. Nitra you're with me now.
Nitra: We'll see you two later then.
Arc: Adam be with you.
Nitra: Adam be with us.
Nitra created another tunnel then sped off with Terra. The tunnel had split it two different directions. We aimed right towards our tunnel, Nex held on tight because this tunnel would be much stronger without Nitra's control. It shot us towards the giant clock tower that was supposedly the library that our Ev3 unit said. As it got closer, we prepared for landing. With a strong crash, our bodies broke through the window of the top floor.
Nex managed to do a good roll lessening the impact but I had hit the wall trying to roll. My back was in some serious pain. However, there was no time to feel weak. Gritting my teeth, I just needed to keep going. This was some next level stuff. I could tell that my back throbbing was a bad thing. The room we were in was completely empty! Every portion of the floor was so dusty that it looked as if the floor had a new layer on it. As I made my way towards my squadmate, I kept stumbling trying to gain my balance. Nex patted the dust off of him while I tried to get my footing. Strange to see a room completely empty. Buildings we would survey on earlier days of Talos indicated a disturbing amount of efficiency of their room usage. This was an odd one out.
Nex: Hey, let's get going.
My body was aching but Nex was completely right. There were some stairs by the left of the room that we motioned towards. I kept my steps quiet because the whole city was now on high alert. Hopefully Nitra and Terra found a safe place to land on. Though I wouldn't be so worried about Terra if she didn't have that injury. All I can do is just trust Nitra's support. Nex led the way downstairs as I kept my hands on the pained area. Upon heading down, the entire lower floor was completely dark. There were no lights or golem citizens. The place was completely empty. We've had our contact lenses on to make sure that there weren't anything suspicious lingering in the dark. Nex looked around a bit confused.
Nex: This place… is it a library?
I adjusted the darkness settings once more of my contacts and it was a library! There were bookshelves that were covered in dust. This place wasn't just any other library but the library of the old world! This was before the arcane magicians discovered digital magic. Now everything we can want to read would be inscribed through eye modifications like contacts or on tablets. These things were made with real paper too! Quite the rare sight for something to be written on paper, these have to be some kind of artifacts. Nex was also quite amazed seeing physical books with actual pages. His eyes glued to every shelf. There's definitely some kind of appeal to these kinds of books. Coming closer to these shelves, there were some interesting titles written on their spines. Though some of the volumes were missing. Some books even skipped volumes. "History of Plaux", "Politics of Polarity", "Exodus of Eden" and "Earth". What was this one? A new planet perhaps? I don't recall this planet being part of my information banks back at the platform. What system does it belong to? Earth...
Nex: Did you see something interesting?
Arc: Have you ever heard of a planet called Earth?
Nex: Why would there be a planet just named after dirt? It's probably some kind of construction planet that some private company uses.
Arc: Then why would it be in the history section of the library?
Nex: It could've just been a mistake.
Arc: That would be strange. Golems don't make mistakes when it comes to sorting things. It doesn't appear to have any volumes either.
All Nex could do was shrug and walk away. I guess it isn't something that would naturally interest someone like Nex. From what I remember, he was more of a fantasy person. Stories that have something to do with things like the creatures of Eden or legends. Quite fitting for someone so young. There wasn't a way for me to take the book without having to carry it with me. Maybe I can come back for it some other time. I made my way towards the desk of where a librarian would be. As I stepped over, there was a card that had some kind of writing on it. I recovered it then blew the dust off. It was a verification card that had a name. "Able", Ev3 unit, Librarian. I knew that this was the same Ev3 unit instantly because unlike the other verification cards we've seen, this one had an Ev3 unit waving to the camera just like the one we met. So this was where it misplaced its card. So it's name was Able. Maybe I should keep this just in case. Strange that Able would work as a librarian. I thought for sure that it would've been something else that required less processing.
Nex: Did you find something else?
Arc: Well I found that Ev3 unit's verification card. It even had a name. Able.
Nex: A golem with a name?! This city just surprises me with how thorough it can be. Hey! Look there are books about the origins of Adam!
Arc: You're always so keen to learn about the history of magic but nothing else.
Nex: That's cause it's so interesting! The stories of old are a lot better to hear in legend form.
Arc: Cosmic geography, herbology, and magic theory. Those books are pretty interesting.
Nex: Ew! That's all the stuff the academy gives us. I can't believe you actually thought those were interesting.
Arc: That's because they are. It also helps in classes.
Nex: I'm talking about stuff that's actually cool. Magic theory is fun to read, I admit but what about other famous magicians? Ones that fought armies, or that tamed mythic extinct magical beasts. The heroes that the platform always talks about.
Arc: There's only one that I actually care about. Besides, we're kind of living their lives anyway.
Nex: I know but still. Adam this and Adam that. Actually speaking of magic, how come you never use air elements like in our other classes? Are you afraid that you're going to be one upped by Nitra?
Arc: It's not like that. Nitra just has a better affinity for them. Besides, her mastery is much higher than mine. She only uses one element after all. It's only natural she's better at it than me. I only use air mods if we need it but it's definitely not like hers. I'd have to attach my symbols everywhere to do the same stuff as her. There are things that I can't do too like her passive air filtration or her multi direction air tunnels.
Nex: Sometimes, you're such a nerd.
Arc: Well it's true. I can only make tunnels that go upwards and modifications. Everything else I'm sure you know.
Nex: Honestly, this is the laxest I've seen you've been over the other classes we've been in. Are you scared to fight like a real second in command?
Arc: It's best that this mission is stealth based. We don't need to fight.
Nex: We're going to have to fight eventually.
Arc: That's what I'm afraid of.
Nex: But you're so cool when you and Terra fight! It's like some kind of dance sometimes. When you used that lighter to become a flamethrower then Terra pushed it forward with a force push to become even bigger. Those hunters were instantly fried into a crisp! Or maybe that time when you created that tsunami trap to drown that entire locust rebellion army! They didn't even stand a chance. You just stood there looking cool while they rushed into their deaths. I wished I had cooler powers like you two.
Arc: I kind of wished I could forget about those to be honest.
Nex: They were just bugs. Plus it was part of our prime directive.
Arc: Just bugs huh…
Nex: Sometimes I feel like a deadweight. I'm not a front liner like you two. I can tell even Nitra has fighting capabilities far superior than mine. So it's just me for backup again…
Arc: Hey! Don't say that. You're probably the most important part of this team. Without you, we would've died a hundred times over.
Nex: I know! But it just feels different when you're in a fight and the only thing you can do is just watch your friends getting hurt!
Arc: Nex…
Nex: I'm sorry… You guys just don't understand because you have cooler powers than me...
Arc: Let's take a rest... This place should be safe for now. The area is too hot to move right now. Guardians could be staking places out.
Nex: Alright…
Nex went to a corner to sit on while I planted some hexes to filter the air better. The morale in this team had just dropped back to it's usual state. This amount of Foxphite in the air would normally suffocate someone if Nitra hadn't been around. However, there was just more than Foxphite in the air. It would make sense that Golems didn't have to care about air conditions. As I looked through the window, I could see the skyscraper being rebuilt already at an alarming rate. It almost looked completely fine despite the guardian fist almost crushing the entire roof just moments ago. All we could hear now were the security Golems searching for us. Our watches still didn't have any locations so that meant Terra and Nitra haven't found any place to land safely. I walked back to Nex in the corner, he was taking a look at the books nearby. Some of them, he could barely reach. His mood still hadn't improved.
Arc: Anything interesting?
Nex: They all look interesting but I don't think I'll be able to read the old language.
Arc: I can read old language.
Nex: How?
Arc: I can't… recall? But I know, I can read the language of Eden.
Nex: Tell me a story from the Eden language then!
Arc: Do you know the story of "Adam through the eyes of the people of Eden"?
Nex: No, the platform said that it's not something we should know about. All we know is that he was the great saviour of our race.
Arc: That's no surprise. They're always so adamant in keeping the history of Eden tucked away. Even Polarity was heavily censored.
Nex: You sure love your history. You big nerd.
Arc: It's best that we learn from it. Besides, they're interesting no doubt. The facts of the past are almost stranger than fiction.
Nex: Tell the story of Adam then please. I need to take my mind off of things. Sitting here waiting for the girls isn't helping me.
Arc: Alright, then. So a long time ago, there were the ancient magicians. These magicians were the first magic born. Made by the creator himself. Everyone else on the planet of Eden were normal beings, born without a single ounce of magic in them like animals or rather beasts. But the creator eventually fell scared of his creations, it made him want to scheme. He would eventually set up something known to all as the "Punishment". Scared of what they could be, their creator set a trap for them to consume food that would hinder their power from moving forward. That's how non magics were born. However, those who were denied the food kept the power. Those were the magic born. Though this isn't where the story of Eden ends. A long time into the future, after there were years of prosecution that magic borns weren't human. Then even more years into their future, eventually it became widespread to use magic or at least to those who kept their lineage safe. They were strange eras filled with regrets. Some even best should never be recorded. Then came Adam, a bright young magician. He was an explorer that had a dream. A dream to release this punishment from humans. So with the help of his companions he went out on his mission, to find the source of the punishment. He rode for many years searching for the answer with his companions but the more they searched the deadlier it became. But that only made Adam even more powerful. The creator had noticed this and wanted to stop him. It came to the point where even the humans turned against Adam. The same humans that he wanted to help. They said that he had brought down the creator's wrath because of his self righteous dreams. Everything would've been fine without Adam's pesterance. But Adam knew better, he knew that humans were so much more than just sheep in a pen. Humans were capable of reaching the stars and beyond! To heights that even the creator would never reach! Eventually time would come when the creator himself would come to intervene personally to Adam's actions. A mighty battle soon came against a man versus his creator. This would've sounded like an instant loss for man if it wasn't for something that Adam had found out. The creator had actually created us in his perfect image. So whatever he could do, Adam could do the same! Their magic clashed! Their fight was so intense that it broke the cycle itself. Adam's companions did their best to help evacuate the remaining humans out of the world that their creator was ready to destroy. Right as the battle was shifting towards the creator's favor, Adam found the source of the punishment. He released the chains of the humans. Thus, all humans were able to use magic once again! When the non magics were reborn they felt Adam's strength in them. A new resolve was given to the humans. Magic was our right that they took away. The humans combined their strength in a last ditch effort to help Adam overpower their creator. But it wasn't enough. Adam at his last breath, decided that he would use his magic to save the humans that have condemned him many times before. When his last moments came, he created a teleportation portal for his companions that allowed the people to escape. He wanted us to live to continue on his legacy. There were those who stayed perished, while those who had escaped lived on to create Polarity. Adam's sacrifice is a reminder to everyone in the human race that we're destined for great things. Things that could even rival a creator's might. Even if he had died many leagues ago, we still use his name to help give us strength into the new world. That's why we continue on to say "Adam be with us".
Nex: Adam be with us…
Arc: Was that interesting enough for you?
Nex: It definitely made me appreciate the saying more. But who knew, you could tell a great story Arc!
Arc: Wish I could tell you more but there's only so much they tell us about Eden or Polarity.
Nex: Have you ever thought if Adam actually died?
Arc: What do you mean?
Nex: I mean that the story was clearly written by the people who survived. But have you wondered if Adam had actually survived instead? The people never actually saw what happened after all.
Arc: Even if he did then what would be the point? He would've died ages ago by old age anyway.
Nex: Strange to think that even after all that. Humans are almost extinct now. We're still doing our best.
Arc: It's definitely not something I'd want to think about...
Nex: All those years being hunted. Maybe the creator did have a reason to keep us where we were.
Arc: But we'd end up just like cattle then. The only difference now is that we're wild game. Those with only truly strong magic can join the academy and protect humanity. It's funny how we call our own siblings non magic borns now because of it.
Nex: Just the sad world we live in huh. Thanks for the story. It was interesting though! I'm sorry if I killed the atmosphere.
Arc: It's alright. I'll take the first watch. Just get some rest.
Another thing that bothered me about this story was what was the source of the punishment? What kept us from using magic in the first place? And how did Adam find it? Actually, I shouldn't be even thinking about these kinds of stuff. Focus on the class at hand. There's no time for fairy tales. Nex tucked himself in a pile of books while I made my way back. The only thing I should be thinking about right now is humanity. I went over to the desk once more to take a seat on the chair. This makes me curious on how much Able had in his memory banks. He should have knowledge on some stuff here. More importantly he could tell us about mother. The pain from earlier was finally subsiding as I leaned back on the dusty chair. My eyes were about to drop but I knew better. Someone had to keep watch of the area. I shot back up to my feet to where that book about Earth was. If I was going to stay up then I was going to make sure I did something. Removing it from it's shelf kicked out a lot of dust that made me think that Able didn't do his job at all. Getting back on the chair, I opened up the book. However, there was another problem… It was in another language.