Episode 1 Shadows in the Light

A lean, tall man with quite dark features stands, arms folded, surveying two substantially shorter, younger children as they leap about, launching stars about the air at targets shaped like snails. Surrounding them is nothing but forest.

The man nods approvingly at the two younger children. Suddenly, the soft chime of a cell phone rings. The man reaches into the folds of his black uniform cloak and withdraws from it the cell phone. He places it up to his ear, listening intently.

“Hey,” he mutters softly.

[Yuan Dekira approx. 9x Hermit, Dekira Clan]

The man stands still, even as a soft breeze rustles by, causing the topmost leaves of nearby trees to sway gently. Finally, the man shuts the cell phone off, placing it back in his pocket.

Meanwhile, the other two children, a boy and a girl, stop in their training, pausing to peer over at their teacher curiously. “Is something that matter, Yuan?” the boy asks, taking off his battered Meba.

Yuan shakes his head. “No, it’s nothing,” he mutters. “Just a message from old Gramps that there’s an attack on the borders. We’re gonna head into a war zone now, Surixin, Truea. We’ll meet Kage there and he’ll give us further orders.”

“You sure it’s a war zone we’re going to?” Surixin asks.

Yuan shrugs, blinking at Surixin’s question. “’Course. Why would I lie?”

Surixin sighs. “Oh…well, I don’t know…but we already spent yesterday practicing ‘stealth’ in the girl’s dressing room in town.”

“Heh, heh,” Yuan snickers, “And a very good job you guys did. Anyway, Surixin, Truea, we’re going to a real war zone today, no lies. Get yourselves prepared in the meantime.”

The three of them, teacher and students, melt away into the shadows, reappearing on a bright field of floating clouds in the air. Around them are many, many soldiers, dressed in the same black uniform as Yuan. All of them wield claws.

Standing upon the other side of the battlefield is a herd of spearmen, each bearing a Holy Spear and a signature mark ‘V’ upon their sturdy armor.

As Yuan, Surixin, and Truea appear, a man steps out of file, greeting them. He removes the hood shielding his face, revealing a pair of dark black eyes amid a tangle of black hair. A slight of red shines in his eyes as they reflect the morning sun.

“Yuan, you’re here,” the man comments, ignoring Surixin and Truea.

“Yeah, where do you need us, Kage?” Yuan inquires.

“Yuan, Apostle needs another man in his platoon. Go join him,” Kage murmurs.

“And these two?” Yuan replies, nodding his head toward Surixin and Truea.

Kage turns to gaze at Surixin and Truea for the first time, taking one long, intent glare at them. Surixin narrows his eyes at the seemingly tangible darkness in Kage’s eyes. “They’re still children, regardless of their status. Leave them out of the battle.”

[Kage Dekira approx. 11x Hermit, Dekira Clan]

“We may just be kids, but we can definitely fight!” Surixin protests.

“You’ve no idea of the consequences those words may bring to you,” Kage replies coldly. He turns away, rejoining the ranks of Dekira soldiers behind him.

“You two head back to the base tents,” Yuan says to Surixin and Truea, “I’m sure your mom Grace is waiting there.”

“Fine,” Surixin growls, “we’ll go.”

He and Truea begin to turn around, heading back down a slope of stone steps back towards a grouping of plain green tents far off in the distance, shadowed by a haze of misty cloud.

“Why are we at war, Surixin?” Truea asks softly as the two of them tread back.

“You’re too young to understand,” Surixin replies.

“And you are?” Truea retorts.

Surixin shakes the dark links of black hair out of his equally dark eyes, clutching the battered Meba at his side. “Well, Mom always told me when I was little about the history of the Dekira Clan, saying it was once the most powerful clan ever, but has dwindled down to almost nothing when we were banished from Victoria Island.

“That’s why we hate them so much, those Victorians. That’s why we’re at war. The Victorians…they fear us,” Surixin ends. “They fear the darkness and resentment we might hide in our hearts towards them.”

“So that’s why they try to hurt us? Because they’re scared of us?” Truea asks.

“Exactly,” Surixin mutters. “They’re scared. But we are too. We’re not strong enough to defeat them. That’s why everyone else expects so much out of us, because we’ve got nothing but pure Dekira blood in us, mixed with no one else’s.”

“Us, and Kage, right?” Truea asks.

“That’s right. They call us the Dekira Hope Generation, because we’re supposed to bring hope to our family,” Surixin answers. “I don’t know what a mere person like me can do though.”

[Surixin Dekira approx. 2x Rogue, Dekira Clan]

“I’m scared,” Truea whispers.

“Of what?” Surixin asks.

“Of the war,” Truea replies.

[Truea Dekira approx. 1x Rogue, Dekira Clan]

“Think of it this way, Truea,” Surixin mutters. “If we’re not afraid of death, we’re not afraid of anything.”

“You’re not afraid of death?” Truea murmurs.

“Well, really when you think about it, there’s no reason for us to keep existing. Even more so for me and you, Truea. We’re just tools being used by our family.”

“I see.”

Elsewhere, far away from Orbis in the depths of a city known as Kerning, a heavily clad Crusader with a Silver Planet atop his head sits in a wooden chair inside a huge, brightly lit waiting room, a sheathed Doombringer lying next to him.

Several other warriors, mages, thieves, and bowmen sit around him, each waiting their turn to be called inside the room. At the top of the waiting area is a small desk built into the wall, with a glass window over it. Behind the desk sits a lady, writing notes. Over her head is a speaker box, facing the waiting customers outside.

“Radus Will, Platoon 86 of Squadron A-17,” the lady’s voice announces from behind the speaker box.

The Crusader named Radus stands up cheerfully, as a couple other people within the room groan and shoot dirty looks at him. Radus stalks over to the door next to the desk, his armor clinking in tune with his footsteps.

[Radus Will approx. 7x Crusader]

As Radus disappears through the door, he meets a shorter, brown-skinned man meditating in a room just beyond the doorway. Radus clears his throat uncertainly and Dances With Balrog glances up.

“Ah, yes, you,” Dances With Balrog growls in a hoarse whisper, “After analyzing several of the platoon applicants, I decided yours was the most well-rounded and well-suited for this mission.”

“Yes, how may I serve Victoria Island in the war?” Radus asks excitedly.

Dances With Balrog surveys Radus with a long and intent gaze. “By conducting the most important mission of all troops available in the war against the Dekira Clan—as leader of Platoon 86, you are responsible for capturing and killing all three of the Dekira Hope Generation.”

Radus drops his mouth open in shock momentarily. “I…you…want me to…? Sir, this is an honor! I will gladly do it and make sure that my mission is successful! Don’t worry, I won’t let you down! My guys are more than enough to kill a couple of scrubs!”

“They are not scrubs,” Dances With Balrog replies seriously. “However, rest assured that there will be heavy consequences if you fail the most important mission in our war.”

“I understand, sir,” Radus replies eagerly, “I won’t let you down!”

As Surixin and Truea approach the outskirts of the tent system outside of the battlefield, a loud trumpet blows in the distance, signaling the end of the skirmish.

All at once, a thunderous roar and applause reaches their ears, declaring victory for the Dekira Clan. “Sounds like we won,” Surixin mutters, listening to the blast of cheering.

“Indeed,” Truea replies.

Suddenly two tall, dark figures come running down the avenue, both of them bearing a fallen figure. Surixin and Truea step out of the way as they shout desperately, rushing past them.

Just as they pass, Surixin recognizes one of them. “Yuan! What’s wrong!”

Yuan turns to Surixin as he passes in his haste. “Kage! He’s been struck down!”

A whiff of wind blows by at that exact moment, blowing away the hood that had been covering Kage’s face, revealing a bloody mess on his face, where streams of blood have begun to rush out from just above his right eye.

Surixin opens his mouth in silent shock at the way the blood seems to have dyed Kage’s right eye blood red.