Ch 17: Settling in

An abstract blue. Ever so gentle, floating like the clouds in the sky. Perhaps it had a shade of grey. The shade that would appear slightly different hues depending on the time of day.

He had heard before that the eyes were the gateway to the soul. He didn’t care for such flimsy metaphorical meanings, but he didn’t doubt it. He saw the world in hers.

Undulating, a low rumble caused the ground to collapse.

Ace shot up, gasping for breath. The white linen was clammy against his fingers, pouring down onto the cold hardwood floor, which was checkered in mismatched shades of brown. While it didn’t feel like ‘home’, the warm candlelight gave it a cozy atmosphere compared to the harsh spotlights back at Hiro’s hideout.

Cecilia.

Ace muttered the name, his words carrying the weight of grief. Judging from the absence of light breaking through the curtains, it was still before sunrise, which meant that once again, he had been waking up repeatedly.

Still not showing up, huh?

Was it all just things made up in his mind? Lazeroth and his yapping about the end of the world or whatever.

I mean I have had some strange dreams before…Actually, nah, I wouldn’t make such a weird ass name.

For some reason, he had left just like how he had shown up; without a trace. Piecing together what had occurred, Ace pondered whether there were certain prerequisites for him to show up. Nevertheless, the way Lazeroth spoke was peculiar. Eternal and sonorous, he thought that he had received an oracle from God. But Ace had seen enough stories to know that hearing voices in your dreams was not a blessing. Rather, it was an ill omen, a harbinger of misfortune. Hiro had mentioned that there was an old library within the Phoenix Cradle, near the city centre. While it may not be as grand as the Forgotten Library, it seemed like a good place to start investigating.

The walls trembled violently, the floorboards whining.

What’s happening? Are we under attack?

Ace scurried to the dusty table at the heart of the room. Tessellated shapes carved into the legs, it was circular, with the edges cracked and splintered. Sitting atop it was a shiny rifle that was snatched into a firm grasp.

Shoving open the door, he peered into the unknown.

Shadows veiled the ends of the hallway, more than dark enough for an intruder to hide in, but from the staggering of footsteps, Ace gathered that whoever they were, they weren’t trying to be discreet.

Ace braced the rifle deep into his shoulder, finger tracing the trigger as the footsteps grew louder and louder.

SLAM!

The door at the head of the hallway burst open, and out of it, a shadow bolted past with a small orange flicker in hand.

“GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE SHIT!” Hiro said, chasing the shadow, though the distance between them was only increasing.

And just like that, the hallway returned to its veiled peace. Silent and dark.

That’s like the tenth time in two days.

Ace released an exasperated sigh. There was no peace and quiet in this house. Ever since moving in, Hiro and Shell had been at each other’s throats. Shell was particularly iffy about smoking in the house, and Hiro, being the man that he is, simply did not want to listen. But it was all just fun and games. Probably.

Continuing down the hallway, Ace was greeted with burgundy seats and an amber glow spilling from the lamps that hung from the ceiling. He had assumed the lounge room was empty from its silence, but the silhouette standing by the window said otherwise.
Flowing pearl white hair reflected the light from the rising sun like a frozen lake. Bundled up in a frilly dress draped in light brown, pastel blue, and cream down to her shins, Ace recognised the silent beauty that was Snow, the other mage in the Spearhead. She had what Ace assumed was a large birthmark covering one side of her face.

Since meeting her, Ace couldn’t remember a time she uttered a word. Even her name and initial introduction were given by someone else.

On the other hand, Mira, the mage with black and blue tapered hair, seemed normal, from what he could tell anyway. Despite living in the same building, she was rarely around.

Ace took a seat on one of the burgundy chairs, leaning back to melt into the soft cushioning. A jingling of metal caused him to turn his head toward the door.

Chiselled features and watchful eyes, grey streaks ran alongside his brown hair.
Not only broad, but tall, the armoured tank had a voice that was seasoned but gentle.

“Sorry, did I wake you up with my snoring again?” Oden said, with a tender smile.

Ace returned a smile equally friendly. So, it was you then, AGAIN! Snores that made the whole house shake and the ground tremor. This wasn’t the first time, and it definitely wasn’t going to be the last.

“So, Mira’s down at the lake again?” Oden asked, looking toward the girl staring intently at the streets below. But as per usual, she maintained her silence.

Brushing off the fact that he had just been ignored, Oden took a seat opposite Ace, his movements soft contrasting his intimidating stature. You could say that it wasn’t so much that he brushed it off, but rather that he wasn’t expecting her to return an answer in the first place.

“So, how are you settling in?” Oden said, his brown eyes weathered with courtesy.

Ace's gaze deflected to the ground. For the past few days since arriving, it was accurate to say that Oden acted as a sort of mentor. Considerate and kind, it was evident that he had the heart of a noble warrior and with the strength to back it too. Despite that, Ace and Hiro were both surprised to find out that the Captain of the Spearhead wasn’t the experienced warrior but was instead the small boy—Shell. It seemed too nonsensical for either of them to wrap their heads around.

“The walls are quite…thin,” Ace replied, inspecting his eyebags from the window's reflection.

Oden released a loud and hearty chuckle from his stomach, taking Ace slightly off guard.

Was what I said really that funny?

For Ace, Oden was the first person he’d heard release a laugh that was both genuine and filled with heart. It was surprising, but in a good way.

“You’ll get used to it, bud,” Oden said, “Also, Hellia is busy with…something. We will wait until she gets back for our orders. The Spearhead always answers directly to the Queen.”

The revered Queen of Flames, known to be able to cast echelon eight-tier spells. The image Ace had in his mind was something like a fairytale. Both impressively and frighteningly powerful. In the Phoenix Syndicate, not only was she the dictator, but she was also worshipped by the people—a symbol of power and prosperity. The Phoenix Cradle was a nation of tradition, and it showed in both its architecture and culture, still honouring ancient myths such as the Phoenix that was said to lie dormant deep in Mount Ekna, rumoured to resurface once the volcano erupted.

The mention of Hellia reminded Ace of something he had heard.

“The merchant town Pickett. Was it true that she turned it into the Ashen City with a single spell?”

“It’s true.” Her voice was delicate and soft, like it could’ve been picked up and blown away by the wind.

Oden looked toward the girl by the window with his eyebrows furrowed, lips tightened, and his hands fidgeting.

“If you’ll excuse me.” She said, her frilly dress and frosted hair swaying as she hurried out of the room.

Oden returned to his usual, kind expression before speaking.

“It was about 15 years ago now. I remember it very well. Too well. The blood-curdling screams. The smothering smell of roasting flesh. The scalding waves of ash and-“

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to-“

“No, it’s completely fine. Don’t apologise. This is history, and now as a member of the Spearhead, you have a right to know these kinds of things,” Oden said, with a reassuring smile.

“Hellia had no choice. If she hadn’t driven the cultists off, there would’ve been many more casualties. We tried to save as many as we could but-”

“I mean it.” Ace said, “It was insensitive of me to ask.” But Oden continued.

“We found two small orphans among the smouldering wreckage. One was a frail, delicate child in the burning fire. But she didn’t run. Instead, she was shielding a baby from the flames. We took them in. We took in all survivors we could find. Little did we know that both had a knack for combat. By eight years old, the little man was already as strong as one of our soldiers. We’d never seen such talent at such a young age. The pair have been a part of the Spearhead since.

I’m sure you and Hiro will make a fine addition, too. I hope that doesn’t add too much pressure,” a warm laugh spilled from Oden’s lips, curing the heavy mood. “Don’t think about it too much. We’re a team. We shoulder the weight together. So don’t thi-“

In the blink of an eye, Oden jumped to his feet.

Ace felt like time had stopped, the way Oden’s kind smile deformed into a tense expression.

BAM!!!

A flicker from the corner of his eye, and Ace was pinned against the wall. Black fabrics rippling through the air.

“Stop that right now!” Oden’s shout filled all corners of the room.