Hard (Finished)

[Saint]

Hard
"It was the hardest thing I'd ever done..."

Combat - The soldiers.

Intel - The schloars.

Employ - The workforce.

Living - The rewarded.

After four years in foreign worlds, killing for the good of his home, Darius Ether started his life in Living as a scarred man.  The marks of numerous conflicts burdened his body and his mind, and he'd grown so used to his friends dying that for over two years of his four-year Living period, he didn't try to make any new ones.  All he had was an old schoolmate's address to which he sent letters but got no replies.  But then one day, a kindly maid by the name of Faith stepped into his life.  This is not a story about how they met.

Roughly a year later, with no prior warning, Darius was approached by his old schoolmate, but there were no warm wishes.  Instead he brought a message from his superiors.  "We've seen what you can do, and we want you to come to The City in the Sky to work for us."  He was forced to answer at gunpoint, and it was obvious that there was no choice in the matter.  He was given six days to say his goodbyes.  This is not a story about him leaving Faith behind.

This is not a story about what he finds on The City in the Sky.
This is not a story about the true motives of the governing body in his world.
This is not a story about a plot to murder a god.

This is, at the core, a story about the lengths a man will go to in order to return to the girl he loves.

Contents:

Prologue       Chapter 1    Chapter 2    Chapter 3    Chapter 4    Chapter 5    Chapter 6    Chapter 7    Chapter 8    Chapter 9

Chapter 10       Chapter 11    Chapter 12    Chapter 13    Chapter 14    Chapter 15    Chapter 16    Chapter 17    Chapter 18    Chapter 19       Ending

Chapter 20       Chapter 21    Chapter 22    Chapter 23    Chapter 24    Chapter 25    Chapter 26    Chapter 27    Chapter 28    Chapter 29

Sequel - Shadows

Click here to purchase this in paperback.

[spoiler=Poll/SP archive]
1: A chance to escape?
Run like the wind, Bullseye! (Sorry; Nostalgia'd) 0 (0%)
No, stay; it's obviously a trap! 1 (25%)
Wait and give Aithur chance to explain himself. 3 (75%)
I have a much better idea, and I'll tell you below. 0 (0%)

2: What's the problem?
No vote - Someone dangerous is blocking the path.

3: How does he stop Mike with no weapon?
No vote - Lure him into a position where he can ambush.

4: What question does he ask?
No vote - "What, in full detail, are ultimately the goals of central circle?"

5: What's the job?
No vote - Go catch a rogue who escaped with something we need.

6: O_O Does he, or doesn't he?
Get in there! 2 (66.7%)
Eeeew, no! 1 (33.3%)

7: What scene awaits?
No vote - The observer is a mechanical-esque construct.

8: How does he talk his way out of that one then?
No vote - "Polar bears!"

9: "There was a message left for you..."
"...And there's something amiss in central circle, apparently.  Know anything?" 3 (100%)
"...He says he's run off but left a location.  Let's get going!" 0 (0%)

10: What is 'the refuge'?
No vote - A place where a magic generator faulted, twisting the reality.

11: No SP.

12: ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAR!
Sphinx. 0 (0%)
Huge mutated tentacled monster. 3 (100%)

13: So what do we do with our lost soul?
Kill it. 0 (0%)
Leave it to be. 0 (0%)
Lead it out. 1 (50%)
I have my own brilliant idea, which I'll tell you in a reply! 1 (50%)

14: Eek!
Run like little girls! 1 (100%)
Enlist Mortimer's help and TAKE THEM DOWN!!! 0 (0%)

15: How do they get out of the cell?
No vote. - Storm the door and flirt with Serenity. (Didn't quite turn out as suggested, due to rushing on my part.)

16: What's mission two?
Go into Serese and recover a map! 3 (60%)
Kill off the group who hunted us down in the box full of boxes. 2 (40%)

17: Why is Darius here?
No vote. - He was mistakenly left alive.

18: Does he agree?
No vote. - Yes.

19: What does he tell Aithur?
No vote. - Everything about Faith.

20: What's Aithur gonna do now?
Help, so that he doesn't seem a dick. 0 (0%)
Help, on the condition that he does nothing else for Darius whatsoever. 1 (20%)
Help, because he still loves and empathises with Darius. 3 (60%)
Puts a gun to Darius's head. 0 (0%)
Turns away and leaves Darius to run after them on his own. 1 (20%)

21: How does Darius punish him?
No vote. - Wait and see if Faith is alright first...

22: Serese is...
No vote. - Very white.

23: How do they get around the fighters?
No vote. - Let them duke it out.

24: What now?
No vote. - They encounter a 'keeper of the peace' type race.

25: Seresil?  Tartacians?
Keep the mission in mind!  Go after Seresil. 2 (100%)
Aithur uses the chance to ditch Darius and goes after the Tartacians alone. 0 (0%)
Serenity goes after the Tartacians alone, since she was the one who helped them. 0 (0%)
No, we can't let them die!  Everyone goes back to help. 0 (0%)

26: So who stays?
Serenity. 1 (33.3%)
Aithur. 0 (0%)
None; let's incur Seresil's wrath! 2 (66.7%)

27: What did Aithur see on the next floor?
No vote. - Faith.

28: What does he do on the last stretch before Seresil?
No vote. - Loses his temper, and realises central circle have corrupted him.
[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Non-SP Polls]
End of Part 1: Magic?
Yes, move the day forwards one count so we can use magic in Part 2! 0 (0%)
No, keep it as it is; it helps build character to see what they do without their easy way out. 3 (100%)

End of Part 1: Should I add Serenity to the team?
Yes!  Story needs more wiminz. 4 (100%)
No! Keep it a group of manly manly men!0 (0%)

End of Part 2: "What was my next move?"
"Take the gun, kill our god, and turn to central circle for a lifetime with Faith?" 1 (20%)
"Or go in and find out exactly what Seresil had planned for me?" 4 (80%)[/spoiler]

[Saint]

I can combine those, I think.  New part writing, commence!

[Saint]

Also, new poll!  With the end of the first mission, I can draw part one of this story to a close.  I want your opinions though, do I use the chance to advance the day forwards one, and thus into a non-non-magic day, or shall I keep it on this day and deprive them of their easy way out?  Other comments welcome, but the poll is up for 24hrs.

[Chinaren]

No easyness!  And voted for such.

[Saint]

Twenty minutes left on the poll.  Get your votes in quick, but it doesn't seem that it'll make much difference.  In other news, Chapter 16 is almost finished, and should be up shortly.

[Saint]

16

As the voices grew louder and closer we played with our only option: wait until the door opens – Aithur had tried it when he arrived, apparently, and it was locked – and try and make a break for it.  I slid my gun into the holster and pulled out the sword, and slipping behind the door and brandishing it forwards, watched the handle.  It turned slowly, and Boon flicked the switch on his gun.  Richard and Aithur had their weapons trained on the door too, and as soon as it opened, Aithur called out.

“Step back from the door, we're coming out.”

“I don't think so.  You'll identify yourself, state your purpose, and submit to a full cavity search,” called the voice we'd heard earlier.  I was shocked to find it was very feminine.  In fact, the cavity search almost sounded sexual coming from her.  Aithur didn't know what to say for a moment, looking to us each in turn, who gave no more help than a shrug.

“We are central circle employees, here on a mission to recover a scientist.  Can we get a skip on the cavity search?”

“Oh really?  What about the dead body?”

Fuck!  They could see us.  If they could see us, then they could see me, and my surprise attack was flawed.  Wait, if they could see me...  I moved myself very quickly, just as the door was thrown open, narrowly missing me.  In stormed two people, one male and one female, each with two guns; one for each of us.  Instinctively, I raised my sword to the throat of the closest one to me – the man – and my team raised their own guns, resulting in a six-man stalemate.

“No-one needs to die here,” claimed the girl, not backing it up very well by pointing her weapons at myself and Aithur.  In response to this, Boon flicked yet-another switch on his gun, and a red dot appeared on her forehead.

“Well put down your weapons then,” he urged, not taking his eyes from his weapon.

“You put yours down,” proposed the guy.

“This isn't going anywhere,” Aithur thought out loud.  “Can we just talk?”

“Only if you drop your weapons.”

Every instinct I had as a Combat told me not to.  As soon as you're unarmed, you've lost.  The same must have been running through Boon's head, because he gripped the handle visibly tighter.  Richard, though, stepped forward very carefully, and raised his hands.

“Guys, calm down.  We're getting nowhere like this.”  He lowered his gun to the floor in – what, surrender?  A show of good faith?  Cowardice? – and stepped back.  “There are four of us and two of you.  If we all drop our weapons, we can talk, but it's obvious that's not going to happen.  How about we keep one weapon on each side, for insurance's sake, and talk this out like adults?”

“That seems agreeable,” the girl decided.  “Dante, drop your guns,” she ordered.  He let the one which was trained on Richard lower down.  “Now you,” she said, shaking the gun she was pointing at me.  A sensible choice on her part – I was the one with a sword at Dante's throat.  I went along with it only because it was Richard's idea, slowly moving it from neck to sheath.  With this, the gun aimed to me was brought down.  Aithur let his gun fall next, letting the shoulder strap catch it.  Finally, in what seemed to be one motion between them, the female's weapon pointed to Boon while the male's hit the floor softly.

“I'm Serenity, this is Dante.  I'm in charge of these prisons.  How the hell did you get in here?” she asked, not moving her concentration from Boon.

“We've just come from the refuge.  It's the spot where a magic generator overflowed years ago.  Long story short, the place is twisted now and one of the exits led us here,” Aithur explained, pointing to the spot where the door had been.

“You realise how insane that story sounds, correct?” Serenity growled.

“I do.”

“Good, because somehow that makes it more believable than if you'd given me some cock-and-bull story about getting lost on the way to the bathroom.”

“Now it's your turn.  Where exactly are we?”

This stunned her for a moment, but still she kept her focus on the muscled member of our team.

“Prison Block RX2.”

“And how far is that from central circle's base?”

This, finally, made her lower the gun.  On that, Boon relaxed himself, but instead of relinquishing his grip on the rifle, he kept it two handedly in front of him – just not aimed at anyone in particular.

“You really have no idea, do you?”

“Excuse me, Ma'am, but you can't really be buying this?” questioned Dante.  Before any of us could look twice, the man was on the floor, clutching his knee, and trying to hold in a cry of agony.  I looked to Boon, since he was the only one still holding his gun, but it hadn't moved.  Instead, Serenity pulled her leg back.

“You do not question my judgement, you little piece of shit!  Get the fuck out of my sight!”  Except he couldn't move out.  He looked up to her with wet eyes, biting his lip tight enough to almost pierce the flesh, silently telling her he couldn't walk, but one furious glare from her and he whimpered, rolling out instead.

Boon finally let his gun hang around his shoulders, looking to her in admiration.

“Cold.  I like you.”  And she smiled in response – a sweet little smile that couldn't have possibly come from a girl who'd just snapped a guy's knee.

“Sorry to cut in, but how far are we from central circle?” Aithur interjected.  She turned to him and slipped her pistols back into the holsters casually.

“You're under it.”

End of Part 1.

Alright then, Part 1 is fin, and they're being pulled upwards for another mission.  But what's the second mission?  Again, must be somewhat related to the Serese quest, but otherwise boundaries are pretty flexible.

Also, polling is up for the insertion of Serenity to the team, since I like the character and haven't featured any conscious females yet.

[Chinaren]

Yay, another one!  And ~flags~ for later again. 

[NicTei]

Voted for wiminz.  This is already starting to turn into a sausage-fest, the way Darius and Aithur are going on. -.-;

As for their next mission, I'd have to say they're charged with an extermination.  However, that's where I start to lose the idea; if they go individual, it'd be more like a believable mission that wouldn't raise too many questions, but if they go to exterminate a group (such as an organization or even a species), that'd raise questions about Central but at the same time remove an obstacle from Central's path.

[Chinaren]

Nice, and yes, we need to insert the chick.   

I say that it's extermination too, but it's the extermination of a previous CC team sent in who, for some reason, have gone rogue/decided to disobey their mission orders (for some reason) or, well just because they've pissed of CC command in some way. 

[Thunderbird]

Sorry to have fallen so far behind there - I've had internet trouble and a LOT on my plate.

Hmm.. on the DP.  We have that crystal now right?  So what's stopping us from moving on to this other dimension and completing the larger mission scope.  I say we need a full map of a target location.  This means infiltrating the enemy's stronghold on this world - of course guarded by the team we were clashing with earlier, and much more.

Yep, agreed on the women thing.  I do so like woman things.

[Saint]

Well then it seems pretty conclusive, and since I think most of my readers have suggested, I think I can throw up a poll now.  Serenity's in the team, so assault the femininity of voting!

[Saint]

Oh no!  A tie!

[Burningplain]

I shall defend the honour of this poll, wait, it's a tie break.

[Saint]

Oh no, another tie!

[Chinaren]

Against my better judgment I chose option 1, though it could be too early in the story to go to the Ses place.  Mmm.  Maybe they can fail in their mission this time.

Tie broken anyway.

[Saint]

Against my better judgment I chose option 1, though it could be too early in the story to go to the Ses place.  Mmm.  Maybe they can fail in their mission this time.

Tie broken anyway.

Just between you and me, they were going to end up there by the end of Part 2 anyway.  I may as well do it now and explore the world for a bit before I get onto what I was going to do there.

[Saint]

Part 2

The Kingdom of Serese

Darius is betrayed, and sets out on a much bigger mission than he'd ever intended, with one goal in mind.

17

Once everyone had picked up their weapons – Serenity picked up Dante's two – we were led upstairs, and past the armoury with the sullen teen still standing there as if he were staring endlessly at a white box of nothing.  Serenity opened the door for us to go into the room where I'd previously received my orders, and the same man was still standing there, waiting for us.  On the sight of the body, he grimaced somewhat, but managed to regain his composure before Boon laid it carefully in front of him.

“Thomas Truncheon,” he declared, as he stepped back.  I withdrew the crystal from my pocket and passed that over.

“And the crystal he was in possession of,” I added.  “We couldn't get to him before he hung himself.”  (I didn't want to incriminate Mortimer)

“Such a shame.  He was a great mind.  I suppose, though, if he was suicidal, he wouldn't have been very much use to us,” Leonard noted, bowed his head in brief mourning.  “Still, looking onwards, you've each completed your missions, so you've each earned a favour.  What are your desires?”

Boon was the first to step forward, obviously already knowing what he wanted.

“I want a decent stock of your latest bullets.  And I mean the best bullets you can offer, for all six of my gun's modes.”

“That one can easily be arranged.  Go speak to Drew outside.  Tell him Leonard sent you, and the password is...”  he paused for a moment to look to me, as if he didn't trust me with the knowledge.  It may have been that he didn't want the rest of us using Boon's favour too, except for the fact that it was definitely me he was looking at.  “'Darius.'  The password is 'Darius'.”

What?  Darius?  I was the password?  No-one else in the room looked puzzled.  So what did that mean?  Was I special?  I thought back to what Mike Hawk told me before I killed him:  “Then you're the latest subject.  Central circle will never succeed, and as long as they try, mistakes like me will be made, and good people will die.  Stop central circle, Darius.”  What did 'the latest subject' mean?  No, I didn't want questions like this running through my head, I had to save my favour for Faith.  I stepped forward once Boon left the room.

“I want to go back home.”  This question took him more by surprise than Truncheon's corpse.  He looked at me in a mixture of wonder and fury, and took a few seconds to open his mouth.

“Now, why ever would you want that?”  Fuck!  Was he on to me?  I had to chose my next words very very carefully.

“My home is down there.”

“But Darius, you have only two months left in Living before you're once more deployed to another war.”

“And all I'm doing up here is small jobs in a much bigger war.  I'm a Combat, and all I know is fighting.  I'd rather have a couple of months in my comfortable home before I go to fight than walk around up here chasing nothing.”

With an intensely confused expression, he fished a communicator from his pocket and held it to his ear.

“Hello, this is Leonard Cipher.  The subject is asking to use his favour to return home, what should I tell him?”  There it was again 'the subject'.  What was going on?  “He says he wants to live comfortably for a short while, and that he doesn't want to do mindless errands...  Yes, that seems like a good solution, sir.  I'll propose it to him.”

“Well?” I asked nervously.

“I can offer you a deal.  You're very important to our plans, Darius, so here's what we're offering you.  If you do one more mission for us – an important mission – we'll allow you to return to Living for as long as you please.  You and your entire family will be given full, unrestricted time there for as long as you all should live.  But we need you to do this for us.”

Two things ran through my mind at that point.  One: This was exactly the right outcome for me.  Two: Somehow, they know that it's exactly the right outcome for me.

“What's the mission?” I asked cautiously, trying not to sound too enthusiastic.

“Head into Serese and make your way to Seresil's domain.  We have a strong belief that you could be the only one of us who can make it there.”

I couldn't resist the bait.

“Oh really, and why's that?”

“Well, Darius, it's because of what an Observer saw you do, and it's the reason we pulled you up here...”

So then, we finally arrive at the reason Darius is here!  What is it the Observer saw Darius do, and why would this convince him that Darius and only Darius would be the one to step into Seresil's domain?  Feel free to make links as tedious as possible, in fact, the more far-fatched, the better!

[Chinaren]

Wow, tough SP! 

Mmm, I'd say that during one of his combats he was in a situation where he could easily have been killed either by a Serese or an agent of them but, for some reason, they let him live.  There was no logic to the decision and it was so far out of the norm it flagged him as a person of interest.

The actual reasons for this could be as far apart as the agent/Serese had another pressing matter, down to the fact that he, for some reason, is a Serese agent himself, without knowing.  Maybe even he is a descendent of a Serese or something. 

 

[Burningplain]

Good chapter saint.
As for the SP, what the chinaren said.

[NicTei]

Aw man...I was gonna suggest that a slightly less scrupulous Observer saw him go to the bathroom and watched as the exploded into after a few seconds, but Cren's got the better suggestion...

...in all seriousness:  I think the Observer saw that he has a girlfriend, got jealous (as Observers are wont to do), and decided to make some up about Darius being special and having the ability to get into Seresil so said Observer could make a move on Faith when Darius dies.

[Saint]

...in all seriousness:  I think the Observer saw that he has a girlfriend, got jealous (as Observers are wont to do), and decided to make some up about Darius being special and having the ability to get into Seresil so said Observer could make a move on Faith when Darius dies.

You mean...     The group of people forever bound to the City in the Sky lest they die quickly without magical support? 

[Chinaren]

You mean...     The group of people forever bound to the City in the Sky lest they die quickly without magical support? 

Hey, they may have been in boxes, but the Obs have all their parts somewhere don't they? 

[Saint]

I'm going to completely ignore that comment.

[Saint]

18

“I'd be willing to bet quite a few favours that you don't even realise you should be dead.”

“I'm a Combat.  Facing death comes second nature to me.”

“No, no.  This is something different entirely.  Do you remember how you lost your hand?”

... No.  No, I didn't.  I know what happened, but I don't remember it.  During my first war, my unit had managed to fight to the Traniean (that was the world we fought – and eventually slaughtered – Tranieau) power control base.  At least, that's what we'd thought until the ambush began.  Thirty men armed for the siege of an unarmed power base were no match for what seemed at the time like half of an entire army.  I'd have been dead with the rest of the unit if things were that simple.  Things are never that simple.

I managed to take down a good number of them – my skill with two SMGs was, if I do say so myself, quite admirable – when a sharp jab caught my neck, and I hit the floor.  It was inevitable that I be hit sooner or later, but I was expecting it to be fatal, not venomous.  Our enemies were part plant, and able to fire thorns like bullets.  Also, so it seems, able to inject these with a venom from inside their body capable of all degree of things – I saw comrades die, decay, swell up, sleep, and choke all around me.  As for me, I don't know what happened to me.  I was on the floor immobile for about five minutes, and the next thing I knew I was in the grips of a pain which I've yet to experience again.  Every part of my body was screaming out at me, and I looked down to see myself wearing nothing but a layer of blood, dried and caked in at places, fresh and still warm in others.  One of those others was my wrist.

Above me was a bright blue sky, sun hanging high with a nice breeze blowing as the shouts echoed all around me.  Pathetic fallacy is the term for when the weather reflects the mood, and was in this place, entirely inaccurate.  As my hearing came into action, bullets spewed forth.  Then my neck gained some motion, and despite every slight twitch producing a monumental agony, I looked up to see two stretchers, and realised I was on one too.  I was in the middle of a rescue mission.  As we finally passed through the divide between our worlds, I thought I was going to lose consciousness again, but one of the two carrying me slapped my cheek quite hard.  Later I learned my cheek was one of the few parts of my body they hadn't touched yet, and since it was imperative that I didn't fall back to sleep, it was the most humane way to keep me aware.

It took me a long while to recover, and they never did manage to reattach my hand, nor did they tell me what was being done to me in there.

“Yes, I remember,” I half-lied, not wanting to touch back on that memory too deeply.

“Ah, but you don't.  Seresil is omnipotent, Darius, and though he intervenes so extremely rarely, it has been known to happen.  His minions came to us and pledged their assistance.  He sent an army of hundreds, and together with one of the largest teams we've ever sent out, we attacked, wiping out Tranieau completely on that day.”

“I'm failing to see how this has anything to do with why I'm the only one who can get into Serese.”

“One of the conditions for Seresil giving us part of his own personal army was that we recovered any and all hostages held in that power base.”

And that's where it became a little clearer.  I could have retorted that I wasn't the only one who they rescued, but in a way, I was.  None of the others survived the healing process.  But still, it was a tedious link, and didn't particularly mean I was the one to lead the Serese quest.

“I still can't see why I'm so special.  And anyway, if that's why I'm up here, then why did you wait seven years to bring me?”

“Well, that's the interesting thing, you see.  On its own, that's not nearly enough to mean you're anything unique.  Don't get me wrong, you're a great Combat, and a true asset to our forces, but your place is on the battlefield not here.  But then we received contact yet again from Seresil's minions.  He gave us very specific orders regarding one assassination.  There is someone in Living who we quite strongly wished to be rid of, and we needed to make a show of him so others didn't make his mistakes.  Seresil gave us very strongly worded orders not to go about this in the way we'd previously planned, which would have, I regret to admit, involved the death of everyone along your street.”

“What?!”

“... How could that be any less clear?  We were going to destroy your entire street and frame him for it.  He would then have been publicly executed.  Anyway, on those orders, we reali-”

“No, no.  Wait.  You would kill everyone I knew and cared about, just so that you could make a statement?”

“Darius, my dear fellow, how is that any different to your part in the destruction of two entire worlds?”

“They're your own people!”

“No.  We run Surface, but they're not our people.  We're practically two completely different worlds.  The only thing binding us is the fact that The City in the Sky has managed to make Surface conform to our needs.”

“You bastards.”

“I stand by my point.  It's no different to your lifestyle.  Now can I continue?”  I didn't respond, so he went ahead without my permission.  “On Seresil's orders, we realised he was saving you.  We went to speak with the observer who'd been assigned to watch over you, and found a few more instances where you should have quite easily died, but were saved by what could only be explained as acts of the almighty.  Seresil's been protecting you, and that's why we need you.  Darius, we think Seresil is trying to turn you into a weapon.”

... A weapon.  Darius Levi Ether, a weapon.  Even taking my Combat roots into the equation, I couldn't see that happening.

“What makes you say that?” As unlikely as it was in my eyes, I decided to hear him out.

“For at least nine years, he's been keeping you alive.  Maybe longer, but we don't watch until you decide your sector, so we can't say any further back.  But he's been testing you, too.  Playing with you.  Your mother, for example.”

“Don't you dare!”  My mother had been dead for thirteen years.

“Your mother, Darius, what did she die of?”

“... A heart attack...”

“How old was she?”

“... 34.”

“And how healthy was she?”

“... Very.”

“Think back, Darius.  Think back as far as you can go.  All of the worst events in your young life, I'm positive that over half of them can't be explained.”

I couldn't let him phase me...  He was playing games with my mind, and I knew it.  But still...  So much had happened to me as a child.  And as much as I wanted to avoid thinking about it, he had a point.  There was no reason for most of it.

“For some reason, Darius, Seresil has been protecting you and shaping your life.  We're pretty sure he wants to use you to stop us.”

“Why would he need me when he has his all-powerful army you've told me about?”

“He only intervenes very slightly.  If Seresil sent his army to strike down one of the most powerful worlds, then others would hear of it quickly, and – well, you've had the lessons in the early Combat days.  As soon as a world is a threat, they're a target.  If he uses someone to bring us down from the inside...”

“...Then there's no suspicion.”  It made sense.  As much as I hated to admit it, it made sense.

“I'm sure you've heard about Truncheon's theories.  The greater goals of central circle.  Well he was on to something, only we're not aiming to destroy a darker god than Seresil.  We finally have all the pieces of the puzzle.  If you take us up on the offer, then we'll ask you to go into Serese, make your way to Seresil's domain, and when he tells you why he's been protecting you for so long – when he gives you the mission we're confident he's been preparing you for – we want you to kill him.”

Nice simple one, does he agree?

Off-Topic:

I do enjoy writing long explainey chapters.

[NicTei]

For the love of Seresil, Saint Philip, don't tell me that Darius is this world's Jesus.

Anyways, why wouldn't he agree?  Lifetime with Faith, right?  Sure, he'll piss off the gun-happy Aithur, but other than that he should be fine, shouldn't he?

[Chinaren]

Wow, that was a great chapter Saint.  You're really reaching new heights with this one.   

Anyway, perhaps he argues, maybe goes away and thinks about things for a bit, but I'm sure he'll say yes in the end.  I'd want to know why too.

[Saint]

For the love of Seresil, Saint Philip, don't tell me that Darius is this world's Jesus.

I don't recall Christ ever going to war, killing hundreds, and having his hand cut off.  But other than that, you may be on to something there.  Who knows, only time will tell.

Wow, that was a great chapter Saint.  You're really reaching new heights with this one.   

  I need to step up my game, since it seems that the FeSt this month will be a battle of the speed stories, and yours will be quite hard to beat. 

[Burningplain]

He accepts, what else would he do?

I look forward to seeing what happens, great chapter.

[Saint]

19

At first, I didn't know how to react.  From the very day I was born, I was taught that Seresil was representative of love, kindness, forgiveness, faith, truth, any positive emotion nameable.  In schools, we were taught that he was the reason for our existence; that he created the worlds and a single race of creatures for each of them.  In the battlefield, during the hardest moments, my only salvation was a prayer: a fragile hope that he'd take favour in our side over the other race of his creations.

With every death I witnessed, though, be they of my unit, or be they at my own hand, my faith began to falter.  I used to pray to him on regular account.  He never did anything though.  Never answered a prayer.  I'd ask him to watch over my bullets and still look on as my comrades fell around me.  Whatever it was that he was doing, it surely wasn't listening to me.  By the time my Combat term ended and I was safely housed in Living, I'd stopped trying altogether.

Two years later, when I met Faith, she questioned why I didn't kneel by my bedside before I climbed in.  I told her it didn't change anything, and that I didn't want to waste 3 minutes of my day talking to someone who'd never listen.  She'd kneel down obliviously and ask ever so softly for the protection of her loved ones, and for the strength to bear tomorrow's challenges, and occasionally for small things, like the ridding of a spot, or a mild curry to be on the menu for the next day's lunch.  All of this while I was lying in bed impatiently waiting for her to join so I could put out the lights.  No matter how much I pestered, she persisted night-after-night, and one night, I challenged her.

“Why ask for things he won't give?”

And with all the innocence I admired and loved her for, she replied, “Oh, Darius.  It's not about getting the things I ask for.  It's about knowing what I want.”

So I stopped for a moment, and I thought.  As Faith slid in beside me, I made one last prayer.  I asked him to keep us together, for as long as possible.  Of all the things I'd ever asked him, this was the most important one.  But now here I was, practically on another world, as Leonard put it.  Well then fuck him.  If he wasn't going to keep us together, then I'd do it myself, and if that meant killing a God, then that was what I was going to do.

“I'll do it.”

“Eeexcellent!” he proclaimed, holding the crystal out which he'd just received from me.  “Then you'll need this back.”  As I took it from him, he walked past me and back toward the door, which he then beckoned for us to follow him through.  “Do you have an empty magazine?”

I nodded and handed him one of the ones whose bullets I'd emptied into the refuge.  We moved down the corridor to the armoury, which Boon was standing outside.  Just as we approached, the teen came out with a large wooden box, which he handed to the ex-Combat.

“That's an ambitious amount of ammunition,” Leonard said accusingly.

“I'm an ambitious person.”

I couldn't tell whether the central circle spokesman ignored the comment or simply didn't hear it, but he turned to Drew and handed him the empty clip.

“I need you to put a full stock of serumis bullets in here.”  The boy nodded and turned back into the room, still practically a druid.  “While we're waiting then, Aithur, Richard, what favours do you request?”

“I want to go back to Surface with Darius after I've helped him with his mission,” Aithur said.

My eyes widened in shock.  I hadn't given any thought to what Aithur would do once I was back with Faith.  I'd assumed he'd just stay up here indifferent, but it wasn't until now that I really realised how he felt.  He turned to look at me with a smile, which began to fade as he saw the horror in my expression.

“That can be arranged quite easily,” Leonard noted.  “And you?”  he asked Richard.  Richard looked around at us nervously, then to Serenity and flushed bright red.

“I'd... er... like a good time...”

“As always, Richard you pervert,” Leonard proclaimed.  “Very well, we'll send Candy and Pixie to your room tonight.”  Serenity rolled her eyes and looked at him disgustedly, but didn't say anything as Boon giggled in the most manly fashion possible.  “On to the next matter of business, then.  Darius, you know your next mission.  Aithur, you've already stated your intention to go with him, which I can oblige.  Boon, we need you to head down to Surface, there are two people we need silenced.  Richard, you are to go with him, since you'll need to return to your room tonight to collect your favour.  Serenity, my dear, how would you like a field job?  Surely a seasoned Combat commander as yourself is growing tired of managerial work.”

“Indeed I am; it's been too long since I fought an enemy who can fight back.  Do you want me to accompany Darius?”

“Wait a minute,” Boon perked.  “Serenity, I can't believe I didn't recognise the name before.  You're  Black Silence, aren't you?!”

...Black Silence... I'd heard the name before.  Every Combat had heard the name before.  Black Silence was the legendary commander who'd taken down the entire ruling body of Spyrus, one of our largest opponents, after she'd been taken hostage.  Supposedly, she enticed her guard with her long black hair, took his dark armoured uniform, and moved from the prison to the palace through four miles of soldiers and civilians, then slaughtered everyone inside.  Her story was told to all Combats to teach them that every situation has hope.  As I looked on her now, though, she looked nothing like the legends.

Her long black hair was now just past her shoulders, and a dark blonde.  Her face was smooth and untarnished, though I couldn't be sure how much was hidden by makeup.  The slim figure wasn't the one which could be expected of a Combat.  And yet there was something about her person that said very distinctly where she came from.  Some definite readiness, a constant edge as if she was always waiting for an enemy to jump out from the corner.

“I lost that name a long time ago, but yes.  I was Black Silence.”

“Oh, what I wouldn't give to just work with you,” Boon uttered, starstruck.

“Maybe we can meet up if we both get out of our missions alive,” Serenity laughed sombrely as Drew emerged and handed the magazine to Leonard, who then handed it to me.

“Two shots into any exposed skin should do it.  These bullets tear through literally any material we put them against.  Good luck, Darius.”  And with nothing more to say to me, he signalled Boon and Richard to follow him back to the small room.  Then I was left with Serenity and a very confused looking Aithur.  It seemed as if he didn't quite know what to feel as we began to walk out.

“Serenity, could you give us a minute?” he asked softly as we reached the front doors.

“Yes, sure.  I'll wait here, but try to make it quick...”

With that, he practically dragged me out, and pinned both of my arms to the wall beside the door.  For a moment, I though he was going to kiss me, but then his confusion manifested as fury.

“There's something you're not telling me, and I'm not moving until I get it out of you,” he growled.

  Oh no!  Aithur's almost figured Darius out.  What does Darius tell him?

[Chinaren]

Another very well written chapter there.  Not sure what Art has figured out here, unless it's the surface plan?

As an aside, for some reason, I assumed that Seresil was a race of people, ones very powerful of course.  I didn't realize it was a single entity.  Unless, of course, it isn't and they don't know that. 

Anyhoo, I says he gets angry with Art this time.  "You're not my keeper!" or some such bitchyness.     Go on the offensive.  He is Combat after all.

[Saint]

Good golly that was fast.

What gave you the impression they were a race though?  Although I do quite like the idea; I've always seen him as a singular God.