Chapter 7: Alexander; Shauran 19th, 344SR; 11:40
Dark blue waves crashed against the stone port, carried by the strong winds. Droplets of water splattered over the class of troopers standing by the edge of the harbor. The young recruits were between the ages of seventeen and twenty, they each squinted to keep the rain out of their eyes. 'This is the lot who'll end up fighting the demons?' Alexander sighed as he shook his head.
"Get used to the weight of the leggings, whether you become a drop trooper, a shock trooper, or especially a naval trooper, if you can't lift your legs, you're as good as dead!" Alexander advised. "You're the specialists of the military, plant your feet and keep your weight off your heels!"
"Sir, yes sir!" the group shouted.
Alexander knelt and picked up an orange box, the rain tapped against its metallic surface. Upon opening the box, green light spilled out. 'This core isn't full? It's a new box?! Ugh... This wouldn't happen if House Rael still ran the logorite operation...' He pulled out a three-by-three-inch cube, it glowed green within a glass and steel chamber.
"What you see here in my hand is a logorite core, it's the most advanced housing unit we currently have! The glass is tempered, and the steel won't rust, you can thank our friends from Baltin and Lemen for that. It is still an explosive, handle it with care, or be ready to lose a hand or more..." Alexander gave each of the troopers a metal box containing a logorite core. "Now, I want you all to listen carefully, don't lose the housing unit. You've got about thirty minutes of fuel. Don't use the extra slots on your chest plate, unless you're a naval trooper going under. More power is required underwater. When you run out, leave it in the pack on the rear end of the suit. Do not throw it away! It is extremely expensive to produce one, but they are refillable. Now, load the logorite tank into the suit through the protected hatch on the chest."
The troopers all wore glossy white suits, these ones were designed for use by shock troopers. Shock troopers only wore armor over their legs and body, but not their arms or head. The back of each suit had a part that jutted outwards, the thruster pack. Each suit had four nozzles on it, two connected to the thruster pack and two on the back of the white greaves. Each trooper opened a square hatch on the front of their breastplate and placed a cube of logorite inside. The nozzles started to emit dirty smoke before a small flame shot out. The circular white pack on the back of the suit began to spin and a green light glowed from within gaps of the suit. A humming buzz grew as all the suits activated.
"Jump and take off, hold yourself at a safe altitude," Alexander ordered.
The hum that came from each of their suits grew louder as they began to slowly rise. Two of the trainees at the end of the line tried to over-perform and flew high up. Green flames spewed out of their suits, filling the air with a rotten scent.
"You idiots are going to burn out your fuel without an extended tank. Adjust your speed before you break something from the fall! Efficiency is key! Use your thrusters as minimally as possible, and always start with a jump to conserve fuel. Use enough thrust to hold yourself steady in the air. Stay steady enough to hit the target in the water!" Alexander shouted. "While a direct shot is better, logorite cannons pack a punch, even hitting the area around your target will do damage."
The trainees held up their arm cannons in mid air, and began shooting at orange pylons floating about a yard from the port. The green fireballs whistled as they were released, searing through raindrops and exploding against the surface of the water. Against the violent splashes, a caravan's wheels rolled along the stone, while a horse hooves clicked one after the other. A caravan turned the corner, black horses pulled it toward the harbor. It stopped at the top of a stairwell, Alexander turned to see Vivian exit the vehicle.
She wore all black, holding her hair and squinting as the strong winds flicked it back and forth. Underneath her coat was a white shirt with green decals, her heels clicked against the stone as she took small steps toward the front of the caravan. Vivian looked up to the coachman and handed him a brown pouch, coins lightly rattled on the inside. She turned to Alexander, then took a deep breath before proceeding forward.
"Sir, we've received new orders from the Lightbringers. They want us to position at least one lieutenant at the eastern outpost to defend it," said Vivian.
"Why? Are they that desperate to keep Marberg's twisted research safe..."
"No... This might come as a shock, but... House Rover only now reported that the outpost was breached on the tenth of Shauran," said Vivian. "However, Marberg's research was not affected by this event..."
"Breached? What?" Alexander shook his head. "That was nine days ago? Why did Angela take so long to report that?"
"She said it was important to keep it disclosed, she had to perform background checks on the guards positioned there..."
"Was there a traitor?" Alexander's eyebrows furled.
"She's unsure, but according to accounts of our guards who were present that day, there was a new guard on the premises. However, that guard has been missing since the incident... They can't find any detail on him either... No birth certificate, no family, apparently not a single guard even knew him from training... He's like a ghost..."
"Hm..." Alexander took a deep breath as he considered the information. "The eastern and western outposts only went up during the middle of Grivar... Word of it's existence shouldn't have left Kamino..."
"I think it could be the non-unified resistance..." Vivian suggested.
"I doubt it... We crushed the non-unified resistance years ago... The Hirian resistance though... They do have a straight path via the sea, but the current would likely carry them toward Kirn... They lack the transport to pull that off..."
"Well, it most likely did make it off Kamino, because... Half of the alien object we recovered last year is missing, the scrapped parts we had transported there have been stolen."
"Half... Of the scraps?" Alexander squinted in confusion. "Why half? What about the western outpost?"
"House Rover only reported about the eastern outpost being attacked."
"Then whoever did it was after that technology... And they knew where it was..." Alexander muttered to himself. "I can understand why Angela would have first assumed it was angel... If anything, I'd have assumed it was Arthur given his disapproval of Marberg's research... But if that was unaffected, it probably wasn't him... Vivian, I want you and Bruno at the eastern outpost, make sure we do not lose anymore, each piece is irreplaceable. Have Bruno bury it in stone if he must."
Vivian nodded as she walked to his side. "This would never have happened if House Rael still had control of Logos..."
"That fool Arthur has no idea how to control the slaves, he's too much of a coward to incite fear..."
"Well, at least that'll change soon, right? After all, you've fully recovered," Vivian smiled.
"Yes, I'm sure Lord Lightbringer will see the benefit of giving back what is rightfully mine. Vivian, make sure each of these imbeciles knows how to use the suits effectively, the council meeting will begin soon, I have no time to waste here."
"Yes sir!"
* * *
White stone pillars surrounded the high court at the top of the cliff. Black pigeons lined themselves along the edge of the roof, observing all who approached. The bright afternoon sky was masked with thick grey clouds. Alexander looked back to the port where he stood earlier, the recruits and Vivian looked almost like ants from a distance. The rain had stopped, leaving a humid and earthy scent in the air. He walked up the cracked steps towards the entrance of the hall. The cold breeze pressed against the right side of his face as he continued up the steep steps. Alexander heard a familiar voice behind him, he turned to see Lector and another lieutenant. They both wore white shirts with green decals, Alexander squinted at the other one. They walked along the large, curved stairwell, one shouting at the other as they made their way from inner Helios. Lector was sweating profusely, however the young man behind him seemed fine.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to come!" Lector scolded the young man who followed close behind. "Sir I told Yami not to come like three times but he followed me anyway?!"
Alexander glanced past Lector. The blue-haired recruit named Yami ran forward and bowed his head down. 'House Rael's fourth lieutenant... I haven't had a good chance to speak with him yet...'
"I apologize, Sir! Please let me attend the meeting! You see, I- I want to be the king of the angels one day and council meetings don't happen often!" Yami requested hesitantly, but his eyes had a powerful determination behind them.
Yami was lean and tall, his light blue hair hadn't been cut in some time. Around his neck, a green sash was loosely tied with an odd pattern. On the top half was a straight line, and on the bottom was two wavy lines overlapped with one another. 'He's one of those new recruits sent by Lucifer... He must be gifted if he's already a lieutenant...' Alexander raised an eyebrow at his unbuttoned white shirt. His chest and arms were impressively muscular. 'I heard the new recruits only received military training for about a year... According to Angela, they didn't have to graduate, but were each the top of their classes... It that just his natural physique?'
"You want to be the king of the angels?" Alexander squinted at him.
"Yes!" Yami declared confidently.
"Insolence!" Alexander spat. "You're naïve! Just a boy gazing at a mountain in the distance without appreciating its true size. If you believe yourself worthy of becoming a king, try and strike me down, you pathetic runt!"
"Huh?" Lector groaned. "No! Don't go along with this?!"
Alexander stood still, waiting patiently. Yami blinked several times with his mouth hung open in confusion. A menacing grin spread across his face. He grabbed the sash around his neck and used it as a headband. He tightened it around his forehead, sticking his hair straight up.
"Alright sir, you better be ready cause I am not holding back!" Yami warned the noble.
A blue light appeared on his shoulder, the spirit took the form of a raven. 'His gift takes the form of a spirit? That's rare... Is that why he was given special exception...' Yami inhaled and the hawk took flight upwards, then tucked its wings and dived in a curved path into Yami's chest. The bird phased into him as he exhaled. Bright blue wings of energy sprouted out of his back in an instant, the tips of his feathers resembling blue plates.
"What the?!" Lector shielded his eyes as the wind spread out around Yami.
"Here I come!" Yami roared with an excited grin.
The wings flapped and fallen rain from the steps spread out in all directions. He kicked off and flew up the flight of stairs towards Alexander. A maroon staff materialized in Yami's hand as he flew up, then swung it down towards Alexander. 'Overhead...' Alexander stepped back, effortlessly dodging the strike. Yami landed on his knees with grit teeth, then spun from where he was and swung again. 'A low sweep from the right...' Alexander raised his leg and blocked the staff with the sole of his boot, then stepped down hard. Lector crouched as the impact made him stumble.
Yami was shocked by how easily he was stopped. He was fixed in the air as he tried to pull the staff back but couldn't, he looked up to see Alexander swing his other foot towards him. Yami let go of his staff and quickly raised his arms to block. 'He's predictable, but he reacts well...' A loud smack echoed as Alexander's leg pressed into Yami's guard, breaking right through it. The angel spun through the air and flew several feet down the stairs, his wings fully spread out and he recovered while upside down. Yami winced as he held his chin. 'He's not hurt? Not bad... '
"I'm not done yet!" Yami yelled.
He up righted himself in mid-air and reached forward. The staff dissipated from under Alexander's foot, fading into blue dust before reappearing in the boy's hand. His wings flapped and he charged back in and prepared for the same strike 'Another low sweep?' Alexander raised his foot again to block it, but as he stepped down, Yami jammed the staff against the ground and stopped himself mid-flight. Alexander was slightly surprised as he was left wide open. 'A feint?' Yami flew forward with his momentum and pressed his foot into Alexander's side. Another smack echoed through the air, he felt a slight tickle from the kick. 'Hm... He would have done more damage against a weak opponent...' Alexander used this chance to grab Yami's leg and swing him through the air. Yami yelped just before Alexander slammed him down into the stairs.
"Ahagh!" Yami grunted as his back hit the steps.
There was a large crack in the stone from where he crashed. The blue-haired angel rolled down the steps onto his back. There was a mix of fear and shock in his breath, his eyes quivering as he tried to handle the pain.
"There goes his spine..." Lector cringed. "Don't kill the guy..."
Yami held his head as he stood up, his feet wobbled slightly but he stood tall. Even while he wobbled he held his head up and stared at Alexander with determined eyes. The staff rolled down the steps and off the edge.
"You can still stand? You may have heart, but you've already lost," said Alexander.
Yami clenched his teeth, his wings spread out once more and he stretched out his hand. 'Fool...' Once again, the blue light appeared in Yami's hand and took the form of a maroon staff. His wings flickered, and he looked up with a surprised expression.
"Your inexperience is evident, your gift is that of multiple forms. While you are strong, constantly reconjuring a spirit and its abilities drain you of your energy. If this were a real fight, it immediately becomes one of attrition, your only option left would be to run or die," Alexander explained. "And that... Is the farthest thing from a king."
"Sir... One more chance... I can keep going, trust me!" Yami begged as he breathed heavily.
"I'm sure you can... Fix your hair and button up your shirt. The meeting is starting soon, follow me. Disturb the meeting at all, and you're dead," Alexander said calmly as he turned and continued up the stairs.
"Huh! You're going to let him- Ugh... Bunch of meatheads..." Lector muttered as he shook his head.
Yami's face brightened. "Yes sir! Thank you!"
'Not the first time an angel bent the rules...' Alexander opened the door to the hall and walked in. The front lobby had white tiles that reflected the white light from chandeliers above. The walls were made of marbled white stone. The employee at the front desk was occupied by Arthur Pendragon. 'Speak of the devil...' Alexander grit his teeth at the sight of the younger noble.
"Alexander, how have you be-"
"Shut the fuck up..." Alexander cut Arthur off as he walked by.
In the middle of the room was a red carpet that curved around the corner. The clear white tiled floor was divided by the red carpet, it led around the corner to a large white door at the top of a flight of stairs. 'The last time I was here, was shortly after Shinra's death...'
The room was large and spacious, a circular table surrounded a piece of bedrock in the center. Two banners hung on the walls at both sides of the room. The one on the left showed a flower formed from overlapped circles. The one on right showed a shield wrapped by wings. Alexander looked to the right and saw the noble of House Rover.
"Angela," he glanced over at her and nodded.
She was leaned back in her seat, resting her brown leather heels on the table. Alexander took a seat beside her. Angela moved the icy blonde hair out of her eyes and behind her ear. She scratched her arm through the white dress shirt. Over her bosom was the blue symbol of a mask with three slashes over the left side. Her eyes were wrinkled, she looked exhausted. The woman rubbed her eyes with one hand, barely capable of keeping them open. She curled her legs in and leaned forward, resting her forehead on the table.
"You look like a mess..." said Alexander.
"My new lieutenant is such a pain... He's so clueless and violent," Angela groaned with her face down on the desk. "Stupid, brash... Annoyingly loud..."
Alexander squinted at his new lieutenant. There was a clueless wonder on Yami's face as he observed the sword in the center of the room.
"Sounds familiar..." Lector nodded as he took a seat.
"No Lector, you have to meet him to believe it... Wait, Alexander why'd you bring two of your- Who is that? What is that on his head?" Angela pointed at Yami who analyzed the room with awe, he hadn't taken off his headband yet.
"My new lieutenant... I thought it could be a good experience for him," said Alexander.
Yami stared at the bedrock in the middle of the room. A golden long-sword was buried deep into it. It had a majestic double helix blade, and the etching of an eye on its guard,
"Sir is that the Lightbringer," Yami asked with starry eyes.
"Yes, the sword gifted to Ymir Lightbringer himself, the first king of the angels. That very blade severed the head of Ragnarok, and brought an age of struggle to an end," Alexander answered.
"Can I try to pull it out?" Yami asked.
Alexander and Angela suddenly glared at him. "That sword is sacred, you will not touch it!"
"Why is it in a rock? I really want to see if I can pull it out..."
"What? Do you think it's difficult to pull it out? It's not, in fact, I probably could, but that is a weapon bestowed from the Celestial. And it was bestowed to a man as powerful as Ymir Lightbringer, it would destroy anyone who isn't its owner. Only the king may take hold of that sword..."
"Oh... Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," Yami apologized.
"Wow... You can... Sit still, listen, and be respectful. Alexander, can we please trade lieutenants? I think ours got mixed up..." Angela asked as Arthur entered the room.
Behind Arthur was a woman just slightly shorter than him, she had black hair down to her neck. Around her left arm was a band, matching the color of the red insignia on her chest. 'Freiya Kagami... The spy of House Pendragon...' Alexander glared at Arthur, but the young noble didn't seem to notice. They walked by Alexander and Angela to the next available seats.
"Good morning Arthur, you're as stylish as ever Freiya," Angela greeted them.
Arthur turned his head but was met with Alexander's hateful glare. He looked away as he pursed his lips. Freiya looked at her clothes as she contemplated something to herself with a confused expression.
"Good morning Angela, Alexander, Lector, and... Who is this?" Arthur asked.
"Y-Yami... Sir," the lieutenant answered.
"Yami... You must be one of the new lieutenants I've heard about..." Arthur nodded.
The door opened once more and Arid Lightbringer entered. His blue coat covered his body down to the knees, and he wore a white shirt with yellow decals underneath. He had short black hair with the front spiked upward, narrow eyes, and a deadpan expression. The noble of House Lightbringer held the door open as Lucifer Lightbringer entered the room with Vala Grehilia, the queen of the Hirians.
Vala wore silver silk with white floral patterns embroidered along it in a spiral. Her long black hair bounced with every step, it fell past her waist despite her being six and half feet tall. The silks separated above her breasts, exposing her neck and shoulders. Her light toned skin glistened in the light. Her purple eyes were captivating, upon looking close enough, you could even see the symbol of Hiria within them.
"Okay-" Lector skipped a breath as he looked down and shut his eyes as he whispered. "She is pretty... Too pretty... Don't look, don't look..."
Alexander squinted at Lector's reaction, but he locked eyes with Vala as she looked toward him. She smiled brightly and hurried over. 'Here she comes... As careless as ever...' Lucifer walked along the other side of the room, he had worn loose white robes decorated with gold streaks. On his back was the symbol of a golden blade that denoted his house. His slicked-back blonde hair glimmered as he pulled a chair out for the queen. As he noticed that she walked in the opposite side of the room where most of the nobles sat, he smiled awkwardly.
"It's been too long Alexander, you look stressed," Vala greeted with a smirk.
The nobles and their lieutenant's all stood and bowed their heads. Yami was the only one who didn't, but promptly followed as Lector kicked his leg.
"Don't be so formal, stay seated, it's alright!" Vala eased their tension.
"Someone of your status and power should be more formal... It's been a long time, we're honored to have you, Vala," Alexander replied.
"Oh come now Alexander, relax a little, it'll be good for your wrinkles," she teased.
"Shut up..."
"Haha! You're the same as ever, always grumpy!" Vala poked Alexander.
'It's astonishing to see her act this innocently, especially after witnessing her on the battlefield... She's a monster disguised as a flower.'
"Angela, my apologies for not seeing you when you were in Dorad recently," said Vala. "I was out of the country at the time."
"It's not a problem my Queen," Angela lowered her head. "I'll take one of those dresses as an apology though... You look gorgeous!"
"Yeah, very..." Lector added as he looked in the opposite direction with a dumb smile on his face.
"Haha, you two are too kind... I'll keep it in mind though Angela," Vala smiled, but tilted her head at Yami. "You're a new face, what's your name?"
"Uh, Yami, miss... I mean... Uh..." Yami stammered over his words.
"I almost thought one of my royal guard snuck away, you look like you're from Dorad."
"He kind of does, doesn't he..." Arthur smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Vala."
"You must be Arthur, I've heard much about you. You look just like your father when he was young... I know it's inappropriately late, but I haven't been able to give you my condolences..." Vala put her hand on Arthur's shoulder, his eyes widened. "I was heartbroken to hear about what had happened to your father. Shinra was a great man, the people of Hiria are grateful for how much he has given to this world. I'm sure he'd be proud of the fine man you've become," said Vala.
"Uh... Thanks..." Arthur looked down.
At the entrance, a group that accompanied Vala glared at the nobles. 'The Hirian clan leaders, Vala isn't serious but at least they are...' Four of the six clan leaders stood at the other side of the room. Alexander stood up as a large man who was at least seven feet tall took off his helmet and approached him.
"Greetings Alexander, it's an honor to be here my friend," the man spoke with a very deep voice.
"The honor is ours, Oberon," Alexander replied.
Alexander shook his hand, but he was met with some resistance, he looked up towards Oberon. He wore a dark green robe over black steel battle armor, his figure looked wide due to a large shield on his back. Oberon had a black scruffy beard and the rest of his hair was slicked back. Scars decorated his hardened face. Oberon released his hand and turned. There were two greyish-white antlers extended out of the black helmet he held at his side.
"Now that were all here, let us begin this council meeting," Lucifer announced as he took a seat between both parties.
Vala took a seat at the opposite side of the room directly across from Alexander, the clan leaders sat around her. Arid closed the doors and took a seat. 'Lawrence isn't here? Odd...' Alexander observed the faces around the room 'Rolo Kivan, Avery Sun, Oberon Jestault, Carala Nefuk... Raum Septirion isn't here and neither is Shina Iohan, but that girl with blue hair and robes must be a descendant of Ginpa... Is she here in place of Shina?' Each of the members of the hybrid clan except for Vala wore a robe over their left shoulder. It was traditional clothing for people from Hiria, the color denoted their clan. Blue for Dorad's royal guard. Brown for the monks of Welis. Grey for the scholars of Andurill. Dark green for Baltin's military, and purple for the traders of Lemen.
"The last time we held a council gathering of this size, was years ago, after Arken's crusade... The long struggle in which Shinra Pendragon gave his life to end... Since then, we've worked closely with the Hydronians, and established a treaty with queen Yuria to prevent another incident where a radical pursues Abaddon for his strength," Lucifer's tone became serious.
Alexander glanced at Arthur who didn't flinch at the mention of his father's death. Vala's smile faded, she looked down for a moment.
"That event was... Horrible... And it reminded us why we need to continue holding back Abaddon's growing forces. Thus, my first decision will be to redirect House Pendragon from governing Logos. They will reallocate their resources to patrol in the north, protecting the borders and trade routes, while providing medical assistance on the field."
Arthur tilted his head. "I don't believe that's necessary. House Rael is better suited to defend against potential attacks from the demons," Arthur interjected.
"Please allow me to finish. You may raise concerns after I have fully explained the decision," Lucifer looked down at Arthur with a blank stare.
"House Rael will return to Logos now that Alexander has recovered from his injuries. Your position as warden was always temporary. House Pendragon's skill in medical science and healthcare is imperative on the front lines, and due to the decrease in logorite supply, we now have a very pressing issue. Any objections?" Lucifer paused this time and glanced at Arthur.
"No... I understand the decision," Arthur stated.
'You should've expected this brat... It was only a matter of time...' Carala stood up at the other end of the table, she was a tall woman wearing a white full-sleeved coat underneath her purple robe. Her hair was tied back, and her sharp eyes looked down on Arthur. Her clothes were fancier compared to the other Hirians, appearing more dignified and sleeker.
"Do you understand!?" Carala asked with a condescending tone. "This event which took place last year was no excuse for such a brash decision. I request that the members of House Pendragon never make such a decision without further discussion with the rest of the alliance!"
'Brash is putting it lightly...'
"Due to your decision, the supply of logorite has seen a significant decrease. Let me remind you that the resistance isn't going to allow something like this slip by without taking full advantage of it!" Carala slammed her fist on the table.
Arthur raised an eyebrow as she lashed out at him. He just stared back at her fiery gaze, it seemed to annoy her more. Alexander raised an eyebrow as he noticed Arthur's fist clenched under the table.
"Sorry... I'll consider my decisions next time," Arthur apologized and nodded.
"I don't think you are, it's not like Geral Murdok wanders your cities while you try to sleep-"
"Cara. That's enough," Oberon stopped her, he stood up and bowed towards Arthur. "I apologize for her rude remarks," said Oberon.
Carala sat down, crossed her arms, and turned her head away.
"Carala," Vala called her name in a cold tone. "Apologize. This is no place to conduct yourself in such a way."
"I'm sorry Sir Arthur, I apologize for my conduct," Carala said with a sincere tone, but still looked angry.
Arthurs lieutenant Freiya scribbled something down in a small notebook with a black leather cover. She turned the page and dipped the tip of a feather in a small glass jar of ink.
"Lector, why aren't you writing anything?" Alexander whispered to his lieutenant.
"Don't worry, I'm listening," Lector assured.
Freiya stood up. "We apologize for any issues this may have caused, but I believe we can propose a remedy. In an angel's report yesterday, a large quantity of logorite was found yesterday, he said he had mined it and it should be collected today."
"Hm? How much logorite was found?" Lucifer asked with a curious smile.
"In the report, he said it was too much to count, but he claims it's enough for three monthly quotas," she explained.
"Three monthly quotas? Well, that's more than enough, we can offer to the hybrids to make up for their recent shortage," Lucifer smiled.
"Lieutenant Freiya," Arid suddenly raised his hand, "Please show me that report after the meeting. I'd like to see it."
Freiya nodded and sat down, she shivered slightly in her seat.
"Now that that's taken care of," Lucifer slid a sheet of paper to the side, picked up the sheet under it.
"The logorite was an issue, but not the primary reason why we called this meeting. The reason we called this meeting revolves around Geral Murdok's escape... I hate to see the infamous criminal released... But it is true, the man who is the head of Hiria's black market is back," Lucifer explained.
"Riva, please provide your report," Vala asked.
"Understood," the woman in blue robes stood up.
Riva was just as tall as Vala, but she was much younger than the rest of the clan leaders. 'Considering she was allowed to attend this meeting in place of Shina... They seem to have a lot of faith in her.' Her blue hair was tied back in a ponytail that reached down past her neck. She had blue eyes and a calm expression. There was a sheathed sword at her waist, it had a silver hilt and handle wrapped in white fabric. The whole sword was at least six feet in length. 'That's a fang of Ginpa but judging from the size, she holds one of Ginpa's two front teeth. Someone like her can use that blade? It's obvious why they trust her then...'
"On Shauran fourteenth, we received notice from the warden of Libra Prison, Jira Bagat. He informed us that Geral began chanting something in his cell. 'He is coming, he is coming,' was what Geral apparently stated, over and over," Riva explained.
Angela leaned forward, intrigued by the report. 'Even though he was wise to never try and fight me... Geral was psychotic... I heard stories about the horrors he committed...'
"He continued to say this for several hours according to the prison guards, until during the night when he concluded his chant by saying the name... Jack," she added.
Alexander jumped in his seat. "What?!"
Arthur, Alexander, and Lector's expressions all changed to shock the moment they heard that name.
"He ended his chant with the name Jack, the guards were alarmed by this but the next message we received was not from Jira, but from Raum. Half the prison was destroyed that night. Jira Bagat was found dead with unidentifiable wounds, but it seemed most likely that he was... Burned to death," Riva looked down.
"Destroyed? What do you mean?" Arid repeated.
"It may be hard to believe, but I saw it myself. Half the prison is gone, reduced to rubble. Geral's cell, as well as many renowned hybrid criminals, were in the part of the prison which had been demolished. But, all the prisoners were released. Raum and Shina could not attend todays meeting as they are pursuing them."
Alexander squinted at Arthur, his eyes were just as wide.
"Jack... Jack who?" Lector asked curiously. "Did they say a last name?"
"He only said Jack according to the guards," Riva replied. "We don't know who this... Jack is, but major the problem is that the resistance commanders are now roaming freely on Hiria. They have yet to make a move, but, we anticipate they'll waste no time, especially if Geral is in command. That is all I have to report," she concluded and sat down.
"Thank you, Riva," Vala nodded.
"Didn't you say something about someone named Jack?" Lector whispered to Alexander but he remained frozen as he stared into space.
'Jack... Why did Geral say Jack...' Alexander started to breathe heavily. 'This can't be a coincidence...' Freiya stood up and walked over to Arid, she handed the report to him and he analyzed it, his eyes went wide and the paper crumpled slightly as he gripped it. 'What if that dream did mean something... I need to get back to Logos!'
"We will dispatch House Rael and Pendragon to assist with apprehending Geral. If the situation demands it, Houses Rover and Lightbringer will also assist," Lucifer explained and turned to his last page, he looked at it with a blank stare for a few seconds before he took a deep breath.
"The final matter I would like to bring up is the object House Rover recovered a year ago, Angela if you would be so kind," Lucifer gestured to the noble of House Rover, she stood up with her hands in her pocket.
"After analyzing the object for some time, there was a lack of ether material present and we concluded that it wasn't bestowed by the Celestial. We've never seen anything like it," Angela picked up a picture and slid it down the table. "In Arthur's report he described that there had been tracks which led from the object to Logos, however, no one was ever found."
Alexander picked up the picture and analyzed it. It was an extremely detailed sketch of the object's interior, it resembled the exact scene. 'This must be lieutenant Leo's work...' Alexander passed the paper down to Lector who analyzed it quickly as he stood. Instead of passing it to Yami, he walked over to Arid and handed it to him.
"What Arthur said matches the scene, if you look at the picture there is a dried blood stain across the interior, whatever was inside this thing was injured, and it has escaped somewhere into the continent of Kamino. We don't know where this thing could be, and we haven't heard anything about it either," Angela explained.
The paper made its way around to Rolo. He wore a grey robe over a black vest, and his collar covered the lower half of his face. Only his red eyes were visible under his messy black hair. Judging from his messy hair, and the lack of energy in his posture, he seemed like a lazy person.
"You checked Logos?" Rolo asked, his quiet voice was hard to hear.
"Yes, an interesting trait of the blood was that it produced a similar substance to logorite... But with an energy yield at least twice as large. We followed the tracks back to Logos, however, the trail went dry in the town," Angela added.
Vala squinted upon hearing that, she turned to Oberon who looked equally concerned. Carala leaned over and looked at the picture as well.
"This... This happened the day Sir Alexander suffered an injury? Did you find anything?" Carala asked Arthur.
"No, I was assisting House Rael and Rover in the search, after searching Logos, we found nothing," Arthur replied.
Carala's eyebrows furled as she heard Arthur's response. She handed the paper to Oberon, Vala leaned over and looked at it as well. The queen sighed before Oberon handed it to Avery.
Avery had short brown hair that didn't go further than her neck, her robe was brown. Underneath the robe, black fabric was wrapped over her forearms and breasts, accentuating her muscles. Her eccentric bracelets, necklace, and large earrings were all made of shiny gold. Her skin was slightly tanned and her muscles were well defined despite her slim appearance. Her round green eyes were like emeralds. Avery put her hand to her chin while she analyzed the picture, she tilted her head while turning the page in the opposite direction.
"This is well drawn... What happened to it? Did you leave it there or did you move it?" Avery questioned.
"We concluded that this object had to have come from another world. However, the object was labeled 'Imperial Dragoon', the lettering was identical to what we use... We are unsure of what this may imply," Angela concluded.
"The fact it's from another world is fascinating enough... But whatever was inside has been on the loose for a year..." Oberon shook his head. "We could be far too late for all we know... It's roaming out there as we speak..."
"And unfortunately, that brings me to what happened recently... The eastern outpost where we had stored the unidentified object, was breached nine days ago..."
"What?!" Oberon's head whipped toward Angela.
"We are still investigating. Two of my lieutenants were present when it happened... According to them, and many of the guards, the perpetrator possessed an unknown gift... One not resembling anything we know of... It was even capable of flight, and at high speed... Whoever it is that attacked, was gone within minutes..."
"Noble of House Rover, if I may ask... Why was it that you took so long to report this..."
"We had reason to suspect that an angel may have been the culprit behind the attack..." said Angela.
"How did you reach that conclusion?"
"There are normally eight guards positioned in the day, eight in the night... However, the day before, one of our guards reported that a new guard had showed up to work... None of the guards questioned it at the time, apparently he was a funny guy, very charismatic. He quickly earned their trust... Of course the guard captain positioned there was to verify his status, but... By the time he did... The outpost was breached. Interestingly... That guard went missing, the last time he was seen was before he went to use the out house... No corpse was found, so we assumed he survived, and he may have been responsible..."
"Did he give a name? How did he blend in so easily?"
"According to the guards, he called himself Willy Cooper... We immediately checked all our records but found nothing... After checking with our private council, there isn't even a non-unified who has the name... His identity was clearly a lie... It took some time to thoroughly search the records... But I sincerely apologize for how slow I was... Given the time frame, and the fact he had a gift allowing flight at extreme speeds... I feel like whoever this was, may have assisted in Geral's escape as well... That is all I know for now."
The room went silent, and the severity of this situation became clear. Rolo leaned over to Oberon and whispered about something. Vala's gaze was locked on Lucifer, the king of the angel pursed his lips as he looked down. 'They must be upset that we didn't reveal this to them sooner... And if it did contribute to Geral and the resistance being freed... It's a very bad look for us...'
"We should check Logos again," Lector broke the silence.
Lector leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk, he had a determined and stern. 'I only see him like this when he's really sure of something...' Everyone in the room turned to the spy of House Rael, but he didn't flinch.
"Logos has been secure for a year, there's no reason to check it," Arthur replied.
"Why do you think Logos should be checked again?" Carala asked curiously.
"House Rael was still responsible for replacing the workforce in Logos, of course, we take any newborn children to keep the population stable. A mother was giving us a hard time while we were there, but that's not what I'm getting at. What I am getting at, is that the house across from hers is inhabited by an individual named Jack," Lector pointed out.
Heads turned around the room.
"Jack Eldritch, his family was executed for treason over a year ago. I'm not saying it's the same Jack that Murdok is chanting about, I don't know that for sure," Lector added.
Carala turned to Vala before she turned back to Lector. "There could be multiple people with the name Jack, how are you so sure?"
"I'm not sure, but I think it's worth looking into," Lector added as he stood up to stretch, he turned away from the others and walked towards a table in the corner. "His parents were executed for destroying the entrance to the mines, then he was transferred to Logos in Vagril last year. Not too long after that, the entrance to the mines was found destroyed... Again..."
The table Lector approached had multiple upside-down cups, and a glass jug of water neatly assorted on it. The white tablecloth had curving patterns. He picked up the jug and poured himself a cup. Lucifer raised an eyebrow at him, the sound of water splashing into the cup filled the room.
"Why was Jack not apprehended, lieutenant?" Oberon asked.
"My name's Lector... And, we don't actually know if it was him," the spy filled a glass with clear water. "Anyone else want some water, it's really dry in here," he faced everyone while he nonchalantly sipped the cup.
"We know who the perpetrator was... Alexander already executed the criminal responsible for the mines," Arthur interjected.
"Ok... And?" Lector asked.
Arthur glared at Lector intensely, but Lector didn't phase. His eyes stayed locked on Arthur. Alexander glanced between the two of them, it was as if a conversation was going on between them that no one else could hear.
"It'd be a waste of resources-"
"That we have to spare..." Lector cut Arthur off while looking at Lucifer. "I'm just saying... If the trail ended in Logos, and nothing has been reported anywhere else... It's worth a second check..."
"Lord Lightbringer, I will lead the search in Logos tomorrow, it won't be a problem," Alexander nodded toward Lucifer.
"Very well..." Lucifer approved.
"Rolo, Avery, and Riva, I want you three to assist Alexander in the search tomorrow," Vala instructed.
"Huh?!" Rolo scoffed as he leaned forward.
"Rolo, while we're here we will assist them, on the off chance what came out of the object is in Logos, we don't know what we're dealing with," Vala explained.
"Wait, hang on I don't wanna miss the festival prep-"
"That is an order," Vala said coldly.
Rolo slumped in his seat. "Understood..."
"Oh come on Rolo it'll be fun!" Avery tried to comfort the sad clan leader.
"Not nearly as fun as prepping for the festival..." he mumbled.
"Very well, I will rejoin the guard in Andurill afterwards," Riva confirmed she'd assist.
"Well, that was most of the topics I wanted to cover but I think what we have going is good. How about we get out of this stuffy room shall we," Lucifer concluded the meeting.
"Please join us in the dining hall at Castle Patheon, we've prepared a feast suited just for you," Arid offered as he stood up and opened the doors.
"We welcome your hospitality," Vala accepted the offer.
Arthur remained in his seat, contemplating something to himself. Alexander looked down in thought. Lector and Yami waited for him as the hybrids in the room all made their way out. 'Of all the names... Why did Geral say that... Jack... What are you...'