Chapter 5
Enemies
The emperor stood opposing the burning building. His left fist was clenched tightly, he was angry, once again. News had travelled fast; every member of the 6th Battalion had escaped. A Palace Guard came over to the emperor, the emperor asked for him to contact the technology team beneath the palace. He needed to find Geoffrey, stop the others, and defeat the beast for himself. The emperor removed himself back to his golden throne. His anger had dissipated, he was now overcome with stress. People were not oblivious to the sudden fire at the palace, people were starting to question if something had happened to Matsumoto, and people were beginning to question where the princess was.
His hands choked the arms of his throne, he was not coping well with this recent affair. His only hope currently was his secret technology team. The main doors to the hall were opened by Lead Scientist Sakurada. He was about five-and-a-half-foot tool, bright blonde hair which was shaved all around his head with the top combed back. A long white lab coat concealed the rest of his appearance, his only defining feature was the large red stripe on his left shoulder, signifying his lead role. Like the other scientists, he had a device on his left arm which could produce pictures and files that the scientists worked on. He stopped before the emperor, bowing flamboyantly.
"Is the machine ready?" The emperor began.
"She has been ready for quite some time." Sakurada answered, grinning at his response.
"You did not notify me, how come?" The emperor was losing the patience he had regained.
"I had to do some field tests, notice anything unusual lately?" He chuckled in response.
"No, why do you…" He started but could not finish. The scientist was now laughing, the emperor understood.
"She has been following you for quite some time now. I have seen everything; I have been told everything. She is even here now." From the shadows above them, a large black mass dropped down behind the scientist. "I present to you, Version 2. V2 for short."
The emperor was now staring into the black abyss. The machine was bulky, it was covered entirely in smooth black panels to conceal its inner workings. The machine had no head, it was like she had been beheaded, but with a single red dot in the centre of her chest. Her arms were different from each other, the left was a regular fist which kept its shape, whereas the right was a short thick blade which shined in the light of the throne room. Intrigued, the emperor ascended from his chair, circled the machine, and judged. It was impressive, highly impressive. "What have you upgraded?"
"Everything has been fine-tuned from her previous incarnation. She has advanced in all fields but can be reverted into three main modes. Security, locate, and destroy."
"What are the benefits of locate?"
"Advanced tracking skills, scent-based tracking, agility boosts, faster attacks. A machine more capable than a group of assassins."
The emperor called for his servant, Souma, who swiftly came to his lords side. Sakurada stood next to his greatest creation, a powerhouse to him. Lost in his own admiration, he refocused on reality. The machine was gone, a prisoner of pointless value now deposited by the doors of the main hall. The emperor called Sakurada to his side, he complied, then exclaimed to the prisoner to kill the two powerful men. This prisoner had been arrested for spreading a treasonous belief that the emperor was of no use to the people of Ebisu, now he had the ability to strike the one who took him away from his family and instigate his ruling. It was not that easy, the prisoner barely made it to the midpoint of the two before a black streak dashed across his path, slicing his stomach. He fell to his knees, holding his incision, preventing his guts from spilling onto the rich floors. Onto his back, he collapsed. Looking into the red dot of the emperor's fist. "What is that thing?" He exclaimed.
"She is Akenesia, my most powerful asset." The emperor proclaimed, grinning. His troubles were at ease, there was no stopping what he now possessed. "Finish this treasonous wretch."
The prisoner's ribs shattered under the pressure of the Jasken Blade. This cold-blooded murder made the emperor question what that blade was made of. Sakurada had discovered a completely indestructible alloy which he called Jasken. Not only was the blade Jasken, but the entire machine was plated in the material. As far as the mad scientist was concerned, this contraption of his was indestructible. Akenesia V2 was the ultimate guard, the ultimate assassin, and the ultimate executioner. "Come forth, Akenesia. I have a pressing matter for you to end." The machine stepped towards its master, "Find the 6th Battalion, kill all of them, except from the princess. I want Geoffrey Gold's head."
* * *
Beyond the fabrics of reality, past the depth of Fauxwood, stands the Constituency. A place of balance, no mortals, no corruption. The Constituency was a large mass of rock, floating in the realm of nothing, the void of space and time. The platform of rock was a hand for the five Gods of Fauxwood. Aboard the rock was the Table of Judgement, a large glass table with the ability to oversee anyone or anything. Surrounding the Table were the five chairs where the Gods stayed for the rest of their immortal lives. The chairs each had a symbol, dedicated to its Gods, representing the powers they possessed: a leaf, a clock, a moon, a skull, and a sword.
The five Gods spent all of their time overseeing the affairs and events that occur under there watch, unable to intervene with any of the events. The Gods had sworn an ethereal oath that they cannot dispute the actions or future events that are to come, unless in dire need. All the Gods sat at their desired chairs, staring into the glass, all witnessing different things, different events, different choices. On the seat with a leaf above, sat the God of Life, Izanagi. At that time, he was overseeing the introduction of Akenesia, questioning if this were a threat that the man they admired could overcome. He was much like most of the Gods, human in appearance. Izanagi was a male with long black hair resting just below his shoulders, dark green eyes, a long white cloak with light blue along the edges and had a large spear at his side. His face often held little to no expression, seeing acts of war and decimation no longer affected him, he could not do anything.
To his left was the God of Time, Chronos. He was a very muscular being, brandishing himself with shining armour made of cosmic alloys, but still showing his incredibly muscular arms. Chronos was half human, half watermaid (an aquatic species, rarely seen by people) which caused him to be drenched in a dark blue skin tone. This being could see how time would treat the people who were to make an impact on Fauxwood, often seeing their actions and consequences they would receive from Tezcatlipoca. Chronos, like Izanagi, brandished a specialised weapon, a large scythe which glistened in the cosmos around the hidden rulers of Fauxwood.
Next was Tezcatlipoca. He was unlike the other Gods, due to his abnormal design. He was constructed of fine Patecatl terracotta that varied in a menagerie of bright colours. Tezcatlipoca was humanoid, but had ridges and bumps, clearly showing where the multicoloured parts of terracotta started and ended. The lumps of hardened clay were covered in patterns of Aztec origin with a few large pieces of art to depict significant moments since the creation of Fauxwood. Tezcatlipoca was one of the most important Gods, he was the God of Stars (to the others), but the occupiers of Fauxwood knew him as the one who predicts the future. He foresees events that are soon to come, whereas the others see ongoing affairs. Many people pray to him for a good future and for their biggest wishes to come true.
Sat upon the chair with a sword above, was the God of War, Ares. Ares was the strongest of them all, possessing the power to destroy anything in his wake. He was coated in large golden armour reinforced with cosmic alloys, his face obscured by a large shiny helmet with a large red plume, and a large broadsword submerged into the floating rock below. None of the other four Gods knew what Ares actually looked like, his helmet created a large black shadow making it hidden even in the brightest of lights.
Finally, Anubis, the God of Death. Anubis was very misunderstood by all the Gods, other than Tezcatlipoca, for his ability to cast death upon anyone he so wishes. The jackal-faced warrior had watched many people die, allowing them through into the afterlife that he oversaw. Other than being the one who causes death, he also maintains a pocket universe filled with dangerous beings that caused havoc across Fauxwood. This pocket universe was only accessible to Anubis, he visited his captives on occasion, regretting his role as the saddest God. His only defining features (not like his huge jackal head was not a huge clue) were a large head pieces made of gold and his lower half of his body being covered in a fine cloth. He brandished no weapon; he was powerful enough.
Izanagi and Chronos peered into the glass overseeing Geoffrey's fate, Ares and Anubis oversaw the emperor's release of Akenesia V2, but Tezcatlipoca explored into the future. The God of Stars had already seen most of what the others were seeing, he was now watching Geoffrey and his recent allies in a battle they could not win. This concerned him, if he could not defeat the Firecracker then how could he defeat the unknown Dark Enchantress? He stopped and viewed both the other ongoing events.
"Do you have hope in Geoffrey and his allies?" Tezcatlipoca questioned, all the other Gods nodded in agreement, except for Anubis.
"Does his fate not rest with me?" He queried, tilting his head towards the God of Stars.
"It does, but that Enchantress is growing powerful. I believe he is the only one who could prevent her from being able to challenge us."
"You can see the future, why do you not just see for yourself?" Ares chimed in, glaring at him.
"I can see the current, but one death, one war, one birth, could all alter what I once foresaw. I need to be certain that this future is the one that will continue." The God of Stars explained.
"I can guarantee Geoffrey's survival from this experience, but any other is in Anubis's hands." Izanagi interjected. Anubis accepted.
"Very well if Geoffrey slays the beast, send our disciple, Greyjacket. When the time comes, he must guide Geoffrey to what is to come." Chronos established. Tezcatlipoca was at ease, for now, he knew Anubis would not betray his trust, but what if fate twisted and Geoffrey instead sided with the Enchantress. He could not dwell on such a diabolical thought; he could only watch the current order of events.
* * *
Haru was only a small child when his country fell under siege. Futoro was a small island just beneath the Imperial City but cross the border of the Allah Empire. It was owned by the Ebisu Empire whilst Haru was a small child. He joined his father down in the mines of Futoro, searching for Bittium. Bittium was found on the surrounding islands of the northern territory's, it often sold for a high price due to its durable qualities. Futoro was home to a large Indigenous tribe, disconnected from the Imperial City, the Imperial Army, and the emperor.
Haru awoke to the strong aroma of breakfast, he was tired from all the mining he had been doing the previous day, but the more Bittium meant more money. He sat up. The homes that they lived in were simple. Long branches of willow had been bent and weaved into each other creating perfect shelter for the tribe. Haru and his father both slept on a large pile of leaves, tossed to the floor. Haru came over to his father, looking at the slices of meat he was cooking. His father looked at the investigating child, he spoke in their native dialect, explaining what he was doing. Haru's father turned over the meat, revealing a lightly charred side, his father walked away and changed his cloth shirt to a dusty rag. Haru copied, changing into more appropriate mining clothes. They soon ate.
With a full stomach, the two miners left out of there willow shack. There bare feet marking the orange clay terrain below them. Haru did what he did every day, watching the other tribe members as they passed to the mine. They were all remarkably similar to each other, covered in primitive cloth, speaking their primitive language, doing primitive tasks. Haru was too young to understand the politics, or the trade, of the world he lived apart of, all he could understand was that mining meant food. They had most supplies that any civilisation would need, food, water, and homes, but the chief of their tribe knew how these were only temporary nourishments if they did not mine the Bittium.
Although they were in no way advanced, the people who owned the tribe knew what needed to be done to ensure their survival. The chiefs' did not know much about the cities or the towns beyond their islands, they managed to create a suitable system in which any money made would be split between the people and the leaders to all the tribe to grow. Haru's father knew how much his and his son's work mattered, from the system, as he once did not have a roof to sleep under. Futoro had one singular mountain, when the founders of the tribe first arrived, now the mountain is not as prominent. The first Bittium was found after an earthquake caused part of the summit to collapse. After such a rich discovery, they toppled the summit and dug down into the core of the mountain. Several years on, this is still done, still making money, still surviving.
The duo had been mining for hours, night was soon approaching. Then it all changed…
"Stay here," Haru's father spoke (in their native talk), Haru complied, but was terrified. A loud explosion echoed through the mining tunnels. Then another. Haru tried not to panic, but he was not used to such sounds, explosives had been long since forbidden Haru recalled. Then a third. Something was not right, but Haru stuck to his father's word. A fourth. The ground shook, violently. His father remerged, sweating and panting, "My son, listen to me, we need to run. We need to get to the docks." Haru was Puzzled, never had his father been so desperate, plus he never wanted to leave either. His father took Haru's pickaxe, tossed it aside, he placed the largest chunk of Bittium in his son's hand. "In case we need to buy food, hopefully we can get some from home as we pass."
Then they ran. Haru and his father ran, back through the mining tunnels as more and more explosions occurred. The cave walls shook, dust and pebbles dribbling from the ceiling above. The smell of wet stone became dried clay, they had reached the surface. They overlooked the place they called home, the sky filled with smoke and ash, the roofs of homes burning, people screaming as everything collapses around them. Haru's fear peaks, the terror he felt was now immeasurable. They could not stand around, they needed to leave.
They ran as fast as they could, homes burning and debris flying at them from other homes. Not to their surprise, their home was already gone, nothing remained. All that mattered now was escaping. When they reached the docks that their ancestors had built man years ago, the waters were filled with debris, boats that had already left, and people hoping to escape before their lives were taken. They joined the advance, hoping the same as everyone else. Hoping for survival. Homes were starting to extinguish; the explosions became less frequent. Soon, Haru managed to get onto one of the remaining boats, his father standing over him, finally feeling safe from everything that had been going on. It got worse. Through the ash ridden air, one of the captains shouted out to the people: "Get down!". Along the edge of the docks, an entire platoon of soldiers opposed them. They opened fire, fear appearing once again.
The soldiers with no remorse unloaded the entirety of their muskets on the natives. These warriors wore white turbans, covering everything but their bloodthirsty eyes, a large golden chest plate, a metal skirt to their knees, and sandals on their feet. These were the Allah Empire's soldiers. These were different soldiers, a militia, marked with a large red 'M' on their turbans. Militias were supposed to help the struggling, not destroy the civilisation they had built, but the Empire's leader corrupted the minds of her people. These were just men, men who knew better, but the power that she held over them outweighed anything else. The modified weapons spoke the desires of Empress Safia Bariș, Futoro was to be a part of her Empire, not the Ebisu's.
The remaining boats began to leave the harbour, they could no longer stay. The remaining people on the harbour watched as their last resort faded, their fate sealed with Empress Bariș. Haru shook with fear, terrified of what he had just heard. Before him, a discouraging sight sat, his father. The cloth he mined in now stained with many blotches of deep red. Haru's fear dwindled, tears streamed down him instead. He was now alone, his father dying before him. He looked into his son's eyes, one last time: "My boy, you are brave and mighty. You must survive with what you can get from the Bittium." He placed his hand into his sons, "This was your mother's, before she died." He placed a necklace on his son's palm, then left Fauxwood forever. Haru's eyes widened. Looking at the necklace, he placed it around his neck. Dangling below him was a small shard of cosmic alloy attached to a fine piece of string.
Haru was more alone than he could have possibly been. His destination was the capital of Ebisu, but he was now lost, no way to communicate, nowhere to live, nothing. He could only hope that he could find a way to survive.