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I sighed and headed back to the Twi-LIGHT building on foot to get read.
I was in my room, picking out my pistols when I heard the doorbell of my room go off and Niketa calling out. I picked up the clicker that rested on the dresser and pushed the “open” button that unlocked the door.
“It’s open.” I called as I placed a Valkyrie pistol in my holster. She entered and instantly asked,
“You’re heading to Kyvia alone?”
“Yeah, don’t let Maaya know until tomorrow morning, if I’m not back. It’ll take me a few hours to get there, and a few hours to find and fight him. I should be back around midnight, but if I get held up in a bunch of pointless battles it’ll be a while. You can alert Exodus if I’m not back by morning, though.”
“Are you sure you’ll be able to handle it alone? There are a ton of Special Agents there in cold storage.”
I smirked slightly at her choice of words, and pulled my Exodus bullet-proof vest over my clothes. A slid a small pocket knife into a pocket on an adjustable Velcro strap which I strapped around my ankle, hidden by my boot. I also pullet my jeans down to the top of the boots to disguise the knives as I slid another one into my other boot.
“True, but as you can guess I’m going prepared.” I said as I grabbed the small three-shot pistol and slid it into a small pocket on the inside of the bullet-proof vest. I’d changed into a white button-up mid-sleeved shirt because the little over jacket think I’d been wearing before could too easily become a pain in the ass.
“If you were captured Exodus would have to move up the siege plans.”
“They’re ready to go at any time, and I don’t plan on being captured.” I said and tucked the Key of Seventh Heaven into my shirt, as I did with Skyevi’s Pendant. The Blood Crystal was the most dangerous of the relics I had, so it was being guarded by Exodus. I slid Skyevi’s Sword on my left hip, and my katana on my right. Niketa gave me a wary look when she realized I planned on using Skyevi’s katana as more than a back-up weapon saying,
“If you use that against a human when your life’s in danger, it could obliterate that person.”
“I plan on using my normal katana at first, I just want that thing to be easy to draw if I run into Akiko. Normal swords can’t cut her divine arrows.”
Niketa sighed saying,
“You’ve got an excuse for everything. What do you plan on doing about Zeev? You’re probably going to have to fight him too, and last time if it weren’t for me you’d of been killed.”
“I’ll be alone, so I won’t have to worry about protecting a civilian. When I’m only watching my own ass, it’s a lot easier because I know how much I can take.”
“Still, it’s dangerous. Is the GPS on your motorcycle still malfunctioning?”
“Nah, Rei fixed it in seconds.”
She nodded asking,
“Where is Rei, anyway? I haven’t seen her since we got here. What happened to the Nikoji brother from Valkyrie, Kazuki, he’s been missing since the meeting yesterday too.”
“Put two and two together, Niketa.”
“They’re a couple?”
“Have been for years, I can’t help but wonder if Kazuki survived the ear-full and ass-kicking Rei said she was going to give him for just letting her and everybody else believe he was dead for three years.”
Niketa chuckled saying,
“Ear-full and ass-kicking, eh?”
“Eh.”
I pulled on my driver’s gloves and slid the Twi-LIGHT master keycard I’d been giver by Maaya for the Nioglow base. Since it was a master, and although I didn’t think Maaya knew it, the card could also get me anywhere in the Kyvia base I needed to go.
We exited my room, and as I closed the door I said,
“I’ll be taking the stairs. See you soon, Niketa.”
She nodded saying,
“Be careful.”
“Don’t worry, I will.” I said as the door to the stair well closed behind me.
I got down to the garage, out of Twi-LIGHT, and out of Nioglow with no problems. It took a while to get out of Nioglow since the city was huge before getting through the now-deserted slums which took over two hours. It was about two PM by the time I was on the parkway. One thing I did appreciate was that the tolls were shut down so I didn’t have to worry about that or getting a EZPass.
I found myself in the heat of Kyvia by five PM. I looked on at the Twi-LIGHT building, and slid my keycard into the slot at the gates. As I anticipated, they swung open without and problems. I sped forward to reach the underground parking lot, and used the entrance into the building there. All the doors I encountered were unlock-able with my master key, so it was quick going to reach the twenty-seventh floor. Before I even attempted finding Cloud, I’d have to find Trenxi. I had a pretty good bartering chip with me, too. I fingered the two Tears of Two Souls in my pocket, the real one and the fake one.
I slid my keycard into the door that lead to his office and he didn’t look up from his computer but automatically said,
“You’re late, Lena.”
“Obviously she’s really late, because I’m not Lena.” I said coldly.
He snapped to attention and glared at me saying shortly,
“What are you doing here, Ragnarok? Or are you here to fill that grave in Nioglow?”
I resisted the urge to get angry and start fighting, so I pulled the real Tear of Two Souls out of my pocket asking,
“You want this, right?”
He seemed to regain his calm saying,
“I’m surprised Exodus left that in your possession.”
“They don’t know what happened to it.”
“Well then, did you come here to make a deal? I seriously doubt you have any intention of changing sides, after all.”
“Maybe. I’m more interested in information, though.”
“So tell me what you want to know for the Tear.”
“Firstly, I want to know why your double-agents in Exodus were talking about Kairi like she played a role in destroying Skyevi. Secondly, I want to know what the other weapons are. And finally, I want you to let Anan go.”
His eyes never left mine, and the only disturbance in his calm and cold gaze was when he lifted up a file folder that had been resting on his desk as he said,
“Alright. It’s a deal.”
I nodded as we shook on it, as I inwardly wished I had some sort of anti-bacterial something to disinfect my hand.
“Kaianoreri has the same abilities as you and Akiko. She could play the role of either you or Akiko in Skyevi’s game if she learned how to use the relics. She’d probably even fulfill your role better, for you’re not even able to use Skyevi’s Sword to its full potential never mind the Blood Crystal. Further more, Kaianoreri would also play as a better host for End of Time than Akiko because she’s directly from a incarnation of Skyevi and a reincarnation of a person with Skyevi’s power. She could hold End of Time longer, perhaps even control it.”
“And the weapons?”
“Was it Skyevi who told you of those?”
I slid the Tear of Two Souls into my pocket asking,
“Didn’t you want that?”
I saw him hide a scowl as he said,
“The Weapons can serve as a failsafe for numerous things that can go wrong here on Gaia. The ‘god’ that guarded this world that decided to lay down it’s life to create relics when people started trying to best it. Those relics were the Blood Crystal, a tool to be controlled by humans to kill other humans, the Key of Seventh Heaven, to protect the one who could use the Blood Crystal, the Blood of Fayt to alter the course of time and fix any anomalies that accrued that could create ‘fate’, the Tear of Infinity that would purify the planet when humans filled the soil with their blood, and finally End of Time. While two of the relics were to be wielded by humans, the other two meant to balance the world, End of Time was created so when it was unleashed it would alert Gaia to act. Gaia, while meaning ‘earth’ and the name of this planet, it is also the name of the force within the planet. This force would absorb all life on the planet, and start it anew on another planet. Although a new world with no divine power could be the best way for life to continue, but it would also mean this world was no more and all the sacrifices you’ve made will be for nothing. How to stop Gaia, you may ask? The only way to stop Gaia would be with the power of End of Time and Skyevi, but with your plan both those entities will be obliterated when Gaia awakens.
“Because of this,” He continued, “My plan is simply more rational. The other items like the Tear of Two Souls could never possess the power or proper vessel to stop Gaia without one of you incarnations. Kaianoreri won’t have the kind of power or experience needed to suppress Gaia by the time it awakens.”
“What are these ‘other items’ like the Tear of Two Souls?”
“They are merely legends of Mazar and Niveldon. I have very little information on them, only that there are ten. Ten true ones, not like the Skyevi relics with five real ones and five synthetic ones. Yes, the relics like “Skyevi’s Sword” and “Skyevi’s Ring” are merely items she had with her that caught divine power.”
He stood up saying,
“I do not have the names. Anan is waiting for you in the front of the Twi-LIGHT building.”
“And did you tamper with his memories so he tries to kill me?” I asked coldly.
His level gaze didn’t leave my eyes as he said,
“I am a man of my word, Akhyia. I would not lie to you when we’ve made a deal.”
He walked toward the door and opened f it for me saying,
“After you, your ladyship.”
“You walk ahead of me, I’m not a fool.”
“As you wish.” He said. “Follow me then.”
I reached into the small pocket inside the main front pocket of my jeans and pulled out the little anti-bacterial wet-nap that had been in there since we last ate out in Nohin just because having to shake his hand made my hand feel like it was covered in something fouler than blood.
We were in the main entrance hall when Trenxi stopped and requested the jewel. I handed him the fake jewel that I’d requested to be made by an Exodus soldier I’d heard gloating about her abilities to give effects to gemstones because her parents had owned a jewelry store, and I’d paid her a painful amount of money to make a copy of the Tear of Two Souls. It had to be a rather large diamond, covered in vastly expensive chemicals to make it reflect rainbows exactly like the Tear did and not just how it naturally did. Not to mention having to make it the correct weight…the project had only cost fifteen thousand though, and the real divine relic couldn’t even have a material price.
Trenxi examined it a moment before accepting it as the real one and the as he slid it into the pocket of his lab coat he said,
“Kill her.” I jerked around quickly, left handed with my normal katana to block Zeev’s quick attack.
“Trenxi, you bastard!” I cursed, but when I looked back he was gone.
I stepped back, blocking Zeev’s low slash to my knees with my katana. He smiled evilly at me saying,
“Wonderful to see you again, Lady Akhyia.”
“Wonderful my ass.” I said irritably stepping forward, making a move to run him through but he side-stepped and blocked me with his double-edged sword. I slashed at his wrist, and he wasn’t quick enough to block that but the deep slash on his sword arm hardly fazed him. He slashed high about level with my neck, but I blocked his easily with the top of my blade as I held it vertically. This time, I didn’t break the block right away, but rather forced him back a few steps before ducking behind him. He didn’t fall for the trick I’d beaten him with last time though, for since he whipped around to block me. I had a bit of the advantage now at least; I had a huge corridor behind me, he only had six feet. He knew it too, and made the mistake of tensing up.
If I could only disarm him…
I blocked his next attack, and jerked out my right foot, trying to trip his and failing. He kept his balance easily, and slashed my left arm just above my elbow in my one second long opening.
I slashed high, all my strength focused on knocking him off balance. I had no success then either, I switched my katana to my left hand, and he didn’t deduct my plan as I blocked his quick series of attacks. He tried pushing me back this time, our blades scraping each other making a high scratchy sound. I instantly drew Skyevi’s Sword, and his instantly realized my move but not being able to stop be because I started forcing him back as I ran him through the heart with Skyevi’s Sword.
I stepped back and retracted my blade as he collapsed, unmoving. A puddle of blood was forming around him, and I stepped around it as I headed to the exit. I slid Skyevi’s Sword back into the scabbard, hoping it didn’t rust before I got the chance due to the blood on it. I cursed when I realized it was raining, my conventional katana in my right hand. I also switched the location of Skyevi’s Sword, putting the scabbard to my normal katana on the left side of my belt and Skyevi’s on the right so I could draw it left-handed without making my move obvious by switching the hand my conventional sword was in.
I looked at the wound on my left arm, it hadn’t stopped bleeding because I’d started using my left arm again half way through, and the blood had soaked the lower part of my sleeve, but I figured if I made quick work of the next battle it shouldn’t be a problem
As I walked away from the Twi-LIGHT, the silence became eerie. I stopped and waited for the attack to come. Although it wasn’t yet nightfall, you could hardly tell it was twilight because of the thick rain clouds. I turned around when I heard footsteps, and turned around to see Cloud. Although I figured I’d have to fight him, I had a slight hope otherwise that was obliterated as he approached, sword drawn.
He stopped, emotionless eyes meeting mine as he said,
“Akhyia Ragnarok, are you ready to fight?”
I took stance saying,
“Yeah, ya senile old fart. Did you seriously forget me?”
“You’re an Exodus agent against Twi-LIGHT, that’s all I have to know.”
He made the first move, but I blocked his fairly easily saying,
“Flaw one, never make the first move.”
I side-stepped his downward slash, and I made a move to slash his right arm, but he blocked me swiftly. I inwardly cursed myself for never sparing with him, since if I had I’d at least of been to have an idea how to fight him, for fighting alongside someone didn’t provide such experience of when they’d make a bad move.
I ducked next attack, and blocked him when he swept his sword sideways. The clank of metal seemed to get louder each time one of us attacked, and blocked. After what felt like a small eternity of this repetitive sword fighting, I blocked a downward swipe with my katana above my head and when I stepped back my right foot slid on the slick pavement. I fell backwards, rolling out of the way from being cut in two.
I attempted tripping him as I’d done Zeev, and even though he only lost his balance it gave me the spilt second I needed to hop to my feet and block his next attack.
“Remember the time we were being chased by Twi-LIGHT soldiers after we left Myildaypain for the first time, and you yelled at me for playing hero?”
He blocked my attack and I continued,
“Or the time you tried kissing me with garlic breath and I continually picked on you for that for the duration of the week? Or when you lost the bet and had to clean my sword for a month? I think I still have a few more days to collect on that, too.”
Nothing I said seemed to faze him, and blood loss was getting to me a little since the best thing I could do was try to make him start remembering. The other thing that made it trick is that I was used to fighting to kill.
Once again, I slipped upon blocking and lost my footing. Only difference was that this time he got the better of me slashing a deep wound on my left side and front, about ten inches long all together. I fell backwards with a thud, my katana skidding away.
“Do you at least remember the promise we made?”
He had more than enough time to finish me off, but hesitated.
“A-Akhy?” He stammered. Kneeling down beside me.
I sat up, my hand over the wound. I reached out, and pulled the small patch off the back of his neck, and he completely snapped out of it. I collapsed against him, hid panicked voice sounding distant as everything went black.
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