Arc III: Awakening...

  Chapter 26 – At The Fault Lines...

  The Seredums teleported the group back to the City of Ayn. The Zeta Squad and Faris were immediately rushed to the Northern Hospital. Faris, Ella, Marcus, and Neil had waning Ki reserves and were the most injured as well. They needed immediate intensive care and healing. So, they were taken into the Aquarae – a secluded ward of large glass orbs filled with water. The Ki Manipulators there used the natural healing abilities within water to mend torn networks and coax the body back to balance, a process that could take a day or more depending on the damage.

  On the other hand, Camille, Gina, and Hugo were treated inside the emergency ward and then shifted to a shared room.

  The Seredums personally delivered the remains of the twins, Ben and Reily, to their parents.

  6:30 a.m., Sunday, 6th of August – the Seear, Renekom Mujin, paid a visit to the Northern Hospital. His aides, along with Hedish, went to the Aquarae to check up on Faris and the others and then waited out in the lobby, while Renekom himself was having a private discussion with the captain of the Zeta Squad.

  “And that’s the gist of that,” said Hugo, after finishing his retelling of the battle. “Don’t know what else I can tell you. Already told all this to your aides…”

  Renekom took a deep breath. “Just the two casualties?”

  Hugo smiled. “Yes. Just the two. The kids stationed at the outpost.”

  “What about the bounty hunter?”

  “Seems like he’s escaped.”

  “How?” Renekom pushed himself back in his chair and crossed his legs.

  “Replacement Elemental Cloning, I believe is the technical term.”

  “That technique requires a sizable Ki charge to be inserted into the elements to forge a clone.”

  “Yup. Otherwise the soul transfer would be impossible.”

  “But from what I’m hearing, he had already exhausted all his Ki.”

  “I know. It doesn’t add up.”

  “Was he being assisted by the enemies?”

  “Not at all,” someone said as they opened the door. Renekom and Hugo looked over. Erina, the eldest of the Seredum sisters, stepped into the room. She had donned attire quite different from her usual garb. A draped ivory kaftan, its layered folds modest but elegant, a silver circlet holding her hair in a neat bun, and a glint of metal shimmering at the wrist – her arrival said nothing, yet commanded attention.

  “Oh, Erina, I didn’t recognize you there,” Hugo said, smiling. Then, looking at Renekom, he explained, “She is one of the Seredums for the slain Keeper of Dubai.”

  Renekom nodded. “Greetings…”

  “My apologies for the intrusion,” she said, closing the door behind her. “But I’m afraid there are a few too many whispers going around your ranks regarding Master Baylis here. I cannot let that continue.”

  “You are letting your emotions cloud your judgement,” Renekom said. “The bounty hunter’s matter is very delicate in nature, I understand. But just because he helped find your Lord and Keeper does not make him above the law.”

  “Firstly, I was not talking about the White Bolt.” She walked over, hands clasped in front. “And secondly, Master Mujin, you of all people should not accuse us of being emotional. We can see spirits and judge the soul. Do not belittle us.”

  “Explain then. The White Bolt was stealing Dark Arts Scriptures from right under your noses.”

  Erina came and stood on the other side of the bed. “And you know this for a fact? Can you prove it? The Dark Art Scriptures I know about are still safe and sound right where they should be.”

  “Then how did he learn to manipulate the Dark Ki? How did he use those spells? And most importantly, how did he kill the Keepers?”

  “He didn’t kill my Lord.” She sighed as her gaze drifted away. “I can understand.” She nodded once and then looked at Renekom again. “First time we met him, we felt the same way about him as you do. Observing him since, however, has changed our opinion.”

  “What does that mean? What is your opinion about him now?”

  “We are not at liberty to say.”

  Renekom looked at Hugo who shrugged and said, “Hey, don’t look at me.”

  A few lines had begun appearing on the Seear’s forehead. “That man knows how to get into Ayn now, Hugo.” He spoke louder than before as he leaned ahead. “He knows how we are operating and he knows how easily manipulatable we are. Who’s to say he won’t use that to hurt us?”

  The Zaatsu shook his head. “The fact that he already had plenty to hurt us with, but never bothered to do so.”

  “So, what is his role in all this?”

  “I am not sure.”

  “What about the Alchemist then?”

  “What about him?”

  “What about him?” Renekom asked, wide-eyed. “Son, I am not in the mood right now.”

  “Not in the mood, huh? Then why don’t you tell me where the hell was my backup?”

  “Excuse me?”

  Hugo looked Renekom dead in the eyes. “We called for backup at 5:42 exactly. The Seredums said they’d arrive at 6:30 and they did. Had they not, we would’ve been dead, all of us.”

  “I thought you didn’t call for backup,” Erina softly added with a narrowed gaze.

  The Zaatsu looked at Erina momentarily before turning back towards the Seear. “A backup squad normally takes five minutes to gear up and reach the battlefield and almost certainly never takes longer than fifteen or twenty minutes. Why don’t we talk about that? My team was getting pummelled out there and you are here to question me?! I’ve told this same story twice already in the six hours we’ve been here!”

  “Faris said that there were wizards approaching your region,” the Seear explained, leaning back. “No one realized what kind of wizards they were.”

  “What difference does that make?” Hugo said with a chuckle as he stared with wide-open eyes. “Faris Naji and Hugo Baylis requesting backup and you assume that the threat is not serious?!” He shook his head and added, “Sending a limited squad would’ve been ok, but you never bothered to send anyone… why? That was borderline disrespectful!”

  Renekom sighed and dropped his head. “I admit,” he said and looked up. “It was a miscalculation on our part but why can’t you admit that trusting the hunter was a mistake on your part?”

  Stroking back his hair, Hugo said, “Oh, yeah… that was a mistake alright. Because of that mistake, my team came back alive… because of that mistake, we found the dead Keeper… and because of that mistake, we learned about the Alchemist… yeeeahp yup…” He nodded. “Big mistake.”

  “Alright, that’s enough, Hugo.” The bearded man adjusted his robe and leaned closer. “I trusted you based on my peers’ good opinion, even against my better judgement. You brought him in instead of taking him out, you kept him off death row, and you had chats with him in private, all of which we allowed owing to the fact that you have an excellent track record and you have given us no reason to be doubting you. But the results have us doubting our choices. I feel I have let my people down. I have let yet another madman into our home and he has robbed us in broad daylight.”

  Silence followed. Erina kept staring at the Seear who had his head down and gaze fixed into his lap. Hugo had pushed his back off the headboard and was sitting cross-legged.

  Renekom finally broke the quiet. “We learn from our mistakes, Hugo,” he said and then looked up at the Zaatsu. “Our predecessors made mistakes. The first five centuries led to a conflict which was so devastating that it took a miracle to save us and bring us back to our feet from the brink of extinction. Another five centuries and we created our own apocalypse in the shape of the Basilisk – a most celebrated operative who turned out to be our worst nightmare.”

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  He shook his head as a tsk of disapproval escaped his lips. “These were the mistakes we promised never to make again. It didn’t even take 10 years… the same mistakes over and over and over.” He sighed and looked up saying, “I long to see the day when my people will unite and end their secret affairs with unholy sects and clandestine objectives.”

  Hugo closed his eyes as he shook his head.

  “Hedish... and subsequently I... took much criticism for letting you keep your rank, Hugo. Many of your peers and seniors believed you had links to some troublesome outfits.”

  Erina crossed her arms as Renekom paused. After looking away for several moments, he added, “That White Bolt came across as a bounty hunter on a grim mission. We tried investigating quietly, but that didn’t work. He eventually took out two Zaatsu in straight combat. We saw the severity of the situation and gave you a task to complete.”

  Looking at the Zaatsu once again, he said, “Son, this is turning out to be something that just might undo everything you’ve worked at for the past several years. We have given you a rank, the leadership of a squad, and our trust and affection. When you won’t repay that, we will ask questions and, where necessary, we will reprimand. You have misused your privileges and have taken me for granted.”

  The Seredum had had enough. Before Renekom could utter another word, she put a hand out saying, “That is quite enough, Master Seear.” As he stared blankly, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and then adjusted her bracelet. “How about we all just grow the guts to admit that we haven’t fully understood that man yet. The reports of his actions prior to his capture and his actions post that have been contradictory. We need to investigate further and deeper before drawing conclusions. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  Finally coming about, Renekom said, “That is beyond the point I was making, Seredum. This is about what a member of the Zaatsu council has done, the decisions he has made and their repercussions. He is an operative of the Eye, an organization I am heading and as such, it is my responsibility to ask him of it.”

  “No.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “This is about you blaming this man for all of our shortcomings. If Vincent escaped, it is all of our fault – we should’ve known it was coming. And when you knew he was out there with Masters Baylis and Naji, why did a distress call not trouble you?”

  Renekom shifted in his chair but Erina was not done yet. “You seem very worried now, but you didn’t act when it was needed.” Her gaze narrowed and arms crossed, she leaned ahead ever so slightly and added, “Was the squad not carrying a ridiculously dangerous person with them, hmm? You knew an altercation might set him free, but you weren’t bothered. Do you know why?”

  Before anyone could respond, she smiled and pointed at Hugo saying, “Because you trust this man and knew he had the situation under control. So, even you trust him… but just not enough to send backup… any explanation for that?”

  With one hand gripping the armrest, the other held out in a controlled but heated plea as he said, “I’ve said it before… it was a miscalculation on our part! We didn’t realize how serious the situation was.”

  “Then stop playing blame-games and let the Zeta Squad continue their mission! And furthermore, we will be assisting them full time from here on out.” With a shake of the head, the lady in ivory added, “You can keep your backup at the Palace…”

  Renekom did not enjoy the Seredum’s tone no more than her taunt. He leaned back and sat up straight. “The Zeta Squad runs under my command,” he said, speaking in a deeper voice, enunciating almost each syllable separately. “Your missions go where I send them. I should not be reminding you that, Seredum.”

  Erina’s arms loosened; one hand planted itself on her hip as she leaned into it smiling, clearly entertained by his comment.

  “Oh?” she gestured with one eyebrow raised higher than the other. “Since when did we begin falling under your jurisdiction, Seear?”

  “The Zeta Squad,” he replied, blinking a few too many times and shaking his head. “I meant the Zeta Squad. Not you… of course.”

  Hugo stretched his legs, leaned back, and rested his back once again on the headboard. “A’ight,” he said. “We’ve been told to rest for forty-eight hours before going on another mission anyway. So, have this debate then.”

  That night, Hugo, Gina, and Camille were discharged after a twenty-hour stay. The others were released the next day. And that evening, the entire Zeta Squad gathered at the Zeta Point…

  “Now, can you guys tell me what’s this about?” Hugo asked as he sat down cross-legged.

  The squad looked around. Neil kept staring into his lap. Ella finally responded. “We just wanted to talk…”

  “About?”

  Again, no one answered.

  Hugo let out half a chuckle saying, “Will someone answer or should we just go to Yannick’s place?”

  “No,” Neil said and leaned back. He looked away and then at Hugo momentarily. Dropping his head once more, he said, “How did he do it?”

  “How did who do what?”

  “Goddammit, Hugo!” The young Zaatsu punched his own knee, leaned ahead, and looked at his captain. “Vincent! How did he escape? How did he get out of the Ki limiting braces?”

  With a smile, Hugo looked at Gina who quickly looked away. “You told ‘em, huh?”

  “So, you were planning on not telling us at all… nice!” Neil was smiling as well. Wide eyed, he stared as Hugo kept shaking his head slowly.

  After scratching his head for several moments, the captain finally said, “Now, I don’t know what version has reached you so… I guess it’s better to just tell you everything.” He shrugged. “I mean you guys are good enough. You must’ve figured it out already.”

  A brisk wind blew across the clearing. It was a chilly night. The entire team had worn jackets or sweaters along with their mufflers and robes. The sky was clear with bright stars accompanying a near full moon. Hugo looked up.

  “Replacement Elemental Cloning,” he slowly said then sighed. Shifting his gaze back to the squad, he continued. “The technique creates an elemental clone. His must have been clay… most probably. Ki flows within the elements manipulating the natural channels within. Once a body is formed using the element, a part of the soul itself is transferred into it. I’m not sure about the detailed science of it, but it seems to be quite a complicated procedure – tearing apart a portion of your soul to install into a clone… I don’t know any Magicism that could accomplish that without damaging your life force permanently.”

  Camille looked around, saying, “Maybe that’s what he did…”

  “Mm, not likely. He sacrificed the rest of his soul. The body you examined was indeed a dead one. Now, that can mean one of two things: he actually killed himself or, after his Ki ran out, he transferred his soul to the clone… which would then need Ki to survive… Replacement Elemental Cloning.”

  While everyone looked around confused, Hugo nodded. “I know,” he said. “Way too complicated… don’t exactly know how he pulled it off…”

  “But he had no Ki left,” Gina said as she too leaned in. “He was using some form of wizardry to fight the Cultists. At least, that’s what I could get before I blacked out.”

  “Yup. A technique like that uses a sizable amount of Ki. And he didn’t have any left…”

  Neil shook his head saying, “Elephant in the room, Hugo.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Gina.

  “Don’t you see? He was being assisted by the damned wizards themselves! He was always working with them! It makes perfect sense and in fact, it is fucking obvious!”

  “Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Hugo responded, calmly.

  “But Master,” Gina leaned back, looking at her captain. “Do you have another explanation?”

  A warm and steady voice came from behind the tree – “The clearest answer is usually the farthest from the truth.”

  The words weren’t loud, yet the argument thinned at once, as if the voice itself had smoothed the air. Erina stepped out of the shade, once again wearing her ivory dress. She slowly walked up and gracefully sat herself kneeling next to Hugo. It took a few moments, but eventually everyone recognized her.

  “What about Faris?” asked Hugo.

  She nodded. “The Master Mystic will arrive shortly.”

  Neil pointed at the Seredum and said, “This doesn’t concern you, you know…”

  “All I am saying, Master Baylis, is that we felt no ill intentions within the bounty hunter. He was helping you honestly and was just as taken aback by it all as you.”

  The young Zaatsu snapped, “You don’t know jack-shit!”

  A vortex like portal opened behind the squad and out walked Faris. “Calm down, Neil,” he said.

  The Mystic walked slowly, still recovering. Although his Ki networks had been repaired inside the Aquarae, he was still weak and was not going to be at full strength for another couple of days.

  “How can we calm down, Master?” Gina asked. “That White Bolt was the one stealing remnants, he stole Dark art scriptures too, and he murdered our own people. We captured him and trusted him for literally no reason at all! And what did he give us in return? Just a bunch of dead ends!”

  “Absolutely!” Neil added. “He gave us a way to find a dead Keeper and found the location where the remnants were fused. We never recovered anything, Hugo! Nothing!”

  “He gave us Derek’s name,” Gina continued nodding at Neil. “He found him and look at where that has gotten us!”

  Faris circled the group, then sat between Hugo and Camille and lit a cigarette. “Where?” he said.

  Neil leaned ahead saying, “Beg your pardon?”

  “You were asking where it got us. Well, where did it get us?”

  All parties fell silent. A lone, dry leaf rode the breeze and came and dropped in front of Faris. He picked it up, placed it in his palm, and crushed it. When he opened his hand again, the crushed pieces flew away again with the wind.

  “To what end did he do all of it?” he asked, looking at the pieces of that dry leaf. “He got you trapped in a grossly mismatched battle and yet protected you and saved you. He unearthed secrets for you… secrets that the Eye would’ve taken months to get to… why? Hmm?” He looked at the Zeta Squad. “Anyone? Where are we because of him? Who is he? Why did he do it? Can anyone give me an answer?”

  When he got no reply, he smiled and looked at Neil. “Use your head, of course – but never before calming yourself down.”

  The calmer minds had settled the young fiery ones down. However, an unquenched thirst remained in their minds. They got up and left with uneasiness in their expressions, postures, and whispers.

  Hugo rested his head on the tree trunk while Faris stood up. Looking at the squad leaving, he asked, “Hey Hugo, where’re they going?”

  “To Yannick’s.”

  “Really?” He looked over. “Do they know who he is?”

  With closed eyes, the Zaatsu replied, “I sure as hell hope not…”

  After a pause, he shook his head and added, “What am I gonna do with those kids?”

  “Give them time,” Erina said. “They’re young and restless. They feel betrayed.”

  Faris scoffed. “Maybe it’s their first time.” Glancing at the group walking towards the city, he further said, “But I would ask you to be careful, old friend.”

  Hugo finally opened his eyes and looked at him. Faris too looked over and said, “For one reason or another, the high-ups have a vested interest in your group…”