Act 0 - Chapter 2, Part 1

Chapter 2: Ajal; Vagril 4th, 343SR; 22:40

"We've arrived at the ideal re-entry point," a mechanical voice announced. "Calculating altitude, approximately, ten thousand miles. Fuel capacity at... Sixty-five percent. Entering standby."

"Did Astora and Alexa jam their sensors?" Enma asked.

"Yeah, no one will detect us up here, or down there... Autopilot, commence re-entry... Full power to..." Ajal paused for a moment. "Full power to the engines, maximize voyistus usage..."

"Affirmative. Rerouting fuel supply. All passengers, for your safety, please remain seated during the re-entry process. Use of voyistus has been authorized. Deploying pressure shield, the hull must remain sealed during this time. Re-entering Imperion's atmosphere in... Five seconds..." the autopilot counted down.

"Are... You sure?" Enma asked hesitantly. "We don't need to use that... We have enough fuel... And... We can take our time, we don't have to rush-"

"Enma... It's alright..." Ajal sighed. "I just want to get this over with... If we use voyistus, we can be there in a few minutes... I can't stand seeing the place we grew up in like this... The sooner Anor is dead, the better..."

Enma looked down, the dropship rumbled as it travelled parallel to Imperion's rings. The sun peaked over the edge of the planet's curve, the blue gradient becoming flatter as the ship descended. They approached a circular storm of clouds, split by what appeared like slivers of hair. 'The skyscrapers reach that high now? You can almost see them from orbit... I used to dream about how tall those buildings would get... Thinking I'd touch the stars one day... Now no can see past the smog...'

"Now approaching Solron, Karna district... Destination... Solkaz Towers," the autopilot echoed through the ship. "Altitude, eight thousand miles."

At the center of the storm, Solron's Celestial stood tall. The majestic pillar was just over six miles in length even while rooted almost a quarter of a mile underground. Off in the distance, Ajal could see Radion's Celestial just beyond the curve.

"Altitude, six thousand miles."

A glass of wine on the table rattled as the ship shifted its speed. The autopilot adjusted the flight path steadily against the forces in the atmosphere and avoided debris at the same time. Ajal reached for the glass of wine. He held the thin stem, swirling the maroon liquid in the bowl.

"Altitude, four thousand miles."

Ajal brought the rim close, a sweet smell filled his nose. Upon taking a sip, his mouth was overpowered by a tangy sweetness, and then a bitter aftertaste. It would normally be repulsive, however in that moment, he found it relieving. He tipped the glass, gulping down the rest of the pungent wine.

"Altitude, two thousand miles."

"It's been a long day..." Ajal sighed as he pulled the zipper on his collar down.

Ajal reached for a small device on the counter, a clip used for communication. He detached the earphone and then put it on, then clipped the microphone to his collar. The dropship approached the city of Solron, a dense urban jungle buried in a sea of smog. Waves of thick clouds drifted past the skyscrapers like a grey ocean. From this distance, the buildings that breached the surface were like jagged spires. Ajal squinted at it, blaming himself while twitching with silent acquiescence.

"Altitude, one thousand miles. Pressure shield adjusting, reducing speed."

The wheel turned on its own, and the entire ship shifted sideways, travelling over the buildings silently. The dropship lowered above one of the taller buildings in the city. Enma reached for a green button that lit up as they passed an altitude of one hundred miles.

"Don't land, I'm the only one getting off here," Ajal stood and pulled his mantle over his shoulders.

Enma wore black pants, and a dark grey vest that reached down to his knees. It was standard uniform within the Imperial military, Ajal wore the same. It provided both durability and mobility, while being comfortable to wear. Over his shoulders was an Imperial mantle, a white cape with a collar made from the white fur of tundra wolves. Ajal noticed Enma sweating profusely, he was scratching his red hair while his orange eyes were wavering. Ajal doubted himself for a moment.

"I'll give Anor your regards," said Ajal.

"Huh... Just because I learned from him, doesn't mean I care for that scumbag!" Enma suddenly snapped. "He's family, but..."

Ajal didn't expect the sudden reaction. "Sorry..."

"Don't apologize... I know this is hard for you too... I'd do it myself, believe me... But after everything they've done to you... I know how much you want this..."

Ajal looked down, then walked towards the door.

"Hey... Wait-" said Enma, Ajal turned. "Look, I... Sorry, never mind, it's nothing..."

Ajal reached forward, hesitating for a moment before grasping Enma's shoulder. His eyes were hidden behind his bangs, and his usual confident expression was replaced with one of anxious concern. Ajal's other hand clenched into a fist, pressing his nails into his own palm.

"We have arrived at the destination. Altitude, three point five miles."

"It'll all be over after this. I'll carry the burden..." Ajal promised as he left the room.

Ajal closed the door behind him as he entered the narrow hallway. There were two rooms on each side, and a door across from him leading to a small armory at the back of the ship. Ajal passed by the first room on the left, and looked through the glass window.

Inside the room, Aria was sitting on her bed, holding a black and white tome. She kept her head low, her blue hair covering the upper half of her face. Ajal was about to enter, but hesitated. 'I can't even imagine how she's taken the last few days... The fall of Braxus is where this all started...' Another sliver of regret crept over Ajal, he shut his eyes and turned away.

The room adjacent to Aria's was occupied by Kadyr, the door was left open as per usual while he sat in meditation. 'Kadyr's own people imprisoned him because of the archbishops...' Kadyr's thumb and index finger trembled as they touched. His breaths were rhythmic, but his growls grew louder. He suddenly grunted and snarled. The grey half-wolf pulled off his silver mask, and threw it at the wall. It ricocheted off, then bounced against the floor, spinning till it faced Ajal. The mask resembled the skull of a wolf. Kadyr hunched over, holding his forehead as he leaned against his elbow. Ajal didn't want to further disturb him, he continued through the hall to the next two rooms.

Ajal heard someone sob on the left, he looked inside and saw Kono and Crystal sitting next to each other. Tears fell from Kono's eyes, running over a dried stain of blood on her face just under her black hair. She rubbed the tears off as she huffed, unable to control her pain echoing through the hallway. 'Kono...' Ajal felt his heart ache as he listened to his disciple cry. Crystal held her close, her light blue eyes also full of pain. There was blood on her white hair. She looked up and noticed Ajal in the hallway, her light blue eyes narrowed and lifeless. Crystal's brow furrowed, she shook her head. Ajal lightly nodded as he turned to the last room.

On the right was a clean white bed, and on the left was a table where Gale sat, wiping blood off a single edged straight sword. His green hair was combed to the left, his bangs covering that side of his face. He was tall and lanky, his appearance often misled people's sense of him. His five foot long sword had a long green handle, and a golden guard resembling a cloud. Gale usually looked calm, but his blood stained hands made that tranquility feel like apathy.

"Are you heading out soon?" Gale asked while still focused on the blade.

"Yeah. Everyone seems tense..." said Ajal.

"Yeah..." Gale's eyes narrowed.

Gale picked up the sword and angled the edge towards the ceiling, he analyzed the reflection of his eye in the blade. He let out a sigh, then stood, turned, and rested the sword on his shoulder. The tip of the blade scraped the ceiling, the two of them looked up awkwardly at the scratch.

Ajal shook his head while he grinned. "Don't tear through the hull..."

"Why are you worried, it's not like you have to care about the vacuum of space..." Gale smirked.

"Yeah I'd live, but it'd still suck... And should I not be concerned about the rest of you getting brain damage from the lack of oxygen?"

"Heh..." Gale's smile faded, but his gaze remained soft. "There's... A saying in Bree, Ustat always said it years ago... That the wind carries our star dust till it fades, waiting to come together once again, to be brighter than before... The only reason I chose to follow you... Was because something about you shined... Even though you were dyed in the most darkness... So, even if you think you've lost yourself... I'll carry that light with me, for as long as I can..."

"Heh... Where'd that come from..." Ajal shook his head. "You thought that of me while you were talking all that shit, huh?"

"Don't worry, I'm not taking any of that back."

"I wouldn't want you too... But... Thank you, seriously... It mean's a lot..." Ajal walked back into the hallway, stopping outside the door. "How many people were guarding the-"

"Ajal... Don't falter," Gale closed the door.

Ajal looked down, his eyes filled with guilt as he clenched his fist. He turned to his right and walked through the last door. The armory was much wider, with seats lining the sides of the room. Moonlight flooded through an open hatch that served as the ship's entrance and exit. A cool breeze slipped through the armory, the air was crisp above the clouds. Titan sat on the left, the massive man took up two seats. Ava stood at the edge of the ship, gazing at the full moon.

Titan sat with his arms crossed and his hood covering his head, but he looked up as Ajal walked in. He wore a silver mask with just a single hole on the right side, a red light glowing within. A silver halberd rested on his shoulder. His imperial uniform covered most of his hulking form, but his exposed mechanical limbs caught Ajal's eye. Even without the mask, Titan was always hard to read. But right now, his spirit was burning with unquenchable fury. 'Maybe Titan wouldn't have become this... You've lost the most... I was only thirteen when I met you and Gale... Over two hundred and fifty years all just feels like a blink looking back...'

Ajal looked down and saw Ryu, a boy with blue eyes and hair. 'Ryu's almost seventeen now... He's aging faster than most ethereals...' Ajal felt a sharp pain in his chest, he remembered the day he pulled the boy out of the abyss. He shuddered, the gut wrenching guilt was unbearable to think about. Ryu's spirit, an abyssal being named Antiri manifested. The tiny snake-like dragon was no bigger than his arm, formed from volatile blue bolts of lightning. It coiled around the young ethereal's right arm, standing up right and baring its fangs.

"If you're nervous, Antiri will be too," Ajal crouched down next to Ryu.

Ryu's head jolted, Ajal was taken aback by his sudden reaction. 'Uh...' The young ethereal's face was full of worry, and the dragon glared at him in disappointment. Antiri tightened its long tail around Ryu's arm, hissing, keeping its head low, and gritting its sharp teeth. Ryu cringed at the pain, until Antiri disappeared on her own.

"Don't... Be upset... If you didn't get it this time, just try again when you're feeling better," Ajal awkwardly tried to encourage him.

Ajal ruffled Ryu's soft hair, but he simply stood up and walked through the door. Ajal's hand lowered as his fingers trembled. 'Dammit...' Titan stood and walked past Ajal. He stopped right next to him, then offered his hand. Ajal declined and stood up on his own, only for Titan to grasp his shoulder with his cold metal hand.

"Lift your head, it's time for this age to end..." Titan spoke slowly, his tone was deep and robotic. "Steel yourself, we will begin a better one..."

"Yeah..." Ajal made a slight smile toward the man made of metal.

Ava's short purple hair flapped in the wind, she pulled a strand behind her ear. She stopped dazing off at the moon some time ago, her vivid eyes read every emotion Ajal tried to hide. She stood just taller than six feet, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, her feet inches away from the edge.

"You seem rather chipper," Ava closed one eye and tilted her head.

"I wish..." Ajal sighed. "I wish I had done this a long time ago... Before anything went wrong... Before anyone was lost..."

"Yeah... Who wouldn't..." Ava's smile flipped.

Ajal stood next to her, inches away from the edge. The ship was directly above the square roof of the Solkaz building. Murky clouds obscured the depths of the city, their capes flapped in the strong wind. Sparkles in the smog shimmered off the moonlight.

"Everyone is on edge," Ajal frowned. "The Imperials will rule after Anor is dead. It's... A lot of change, and it's all happening so fast..."

A purple tail extended off Ava's back and coiled around Ajal and herself, pulling him to face her. "Everything we did, and everything we will do... It's for the future, our future. We all know this and we don't need to burden it alone... Peace requires sacrifice..."

"I don't want that. We've all lost too many people for the sake of peace... I can't allow that to continue... Anor will be the last."

Ava gazed deeply into Ajal, her anxious eyes had every shade of purple gradating through it. Ajal held her close, and she tilted her head. Their eyes narrowed as they got closer. Her soft lips pecked his first, then he pushed forward and kissed her. Ava wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him forward, tightly embracing him. After several seconds, she slowly pushed him away.

"I can taste wine..." Ava frowned. "You're in pain..."

"Heh..." Ajal sighed as he pushed his forehead gently against hers. "After today, I'll only open a bottle for good meals and celebration... And sometimes, just the two of us."

Ava stepped back with an innocent smile, her cheeks flushed while her eyes quivered. Ajal smiled as he let go of her hands, taking a step backward off the ship, and falling toward the building. He flipped once in the air, before landing on one knee. The thick clouds around the roof spread out from the impact. Ajal took a deep breath as he looked forward at the rancid sea of fumes. 'I will end the archbishop's tyranny tonight...'

The blue ship slowly turned, '#78-MC Imperial Dragoon' was written along the right side. The thrusters spewed blue flames, propelling the dropship forward. The sound of the thrusters soon disappeared as it descended into the abyss of clouds. Ajal opened a door on the roof, revealing a stairwell into the building. He clicked the device on his collar as he made his way down.

The device emitted a transparent blue hologram in front of him, displaying a grid with the numbers zero to nine. Ajal punched in a sequence of numbers while he walked down the dirty stairs. A scent like urine stung his nose, his steps echoing through the vast stairwell.

"Hello?" Ajal heard a brittle old man's voice from the earphone.

"Good evening uncle, how are you doing? I hope you've been well," Ajal spoke with fake hospitality.

"Ah, Ajal... It's been some time, how are you doing my boy?"

"I was just calling to confirm if you'd be attending the ceremony tomorrow?"

The device emitted a holographic map of the city. A red dot pulsed on the display, the signal was several blocks from the building Ajal was in.

"Yes, yes, don't worry I got the invitation. How are Shin and Enma doing? I haven't seen them since they left Solron," the Archbishop asked.

Ajal reached a door with the elevator symbol painted on it and walked through. He entered a narrow hallway, it reeked of dirty oil and garbage. A man in ragged dark clothing sat on the ground on the right side of the hallway, he held a filtration mask loosely between his fingers. Ajal reached into his pocket and fiddled around, feeling a small stack of coins.

"They're good, they haven't changed much, that might be for the worse when it comes to Enma..." Ajal laughed.

"That hot-headed boy will never change," the archbishop chuckled. "Who else will attend the ceremony?"

Ajal dropped the money on the man's lap, startling him but promptly leaving him surprised. Ajal didn't bother to count it, continuing down the hall and walking into the elevator. He clicked the button with an arrow that pointed down, the door closed, a bell dinged, and a metallic whir started to hum.

"The other archbishops will be attending as well," Ajal lied.

Ajal put one finger on the blue hologram and turned the map, changing the display to a side view of the city. The red dot that had appeared was now near the bottom of the display, while Ajal's position was much higher. The walls of the elevator were dyed with blue light.

"Anyways, I don't want to keep you, it's late. I just wanted to confirm your attendance so we can organize the banquet. Have a great night Anor, I'll see you tomorrow," Ajal concluded as he pressed the button for the tenth floor.

"You too my friend, oh, and we won't be forgetting the tributes for Ra, our beautiful city requires prosperity after all," Anor chuckled before coughing raggedly.

Ajal hung up, his stomach turned and his brow twitched. He glared up at a panel in the elevator that displayed the current floor number, he was at forty. Ajal clicked a button on his collar and it reopened the number pad. He punched in a new code, and then waited for an answer.

"I'm listening," Gale picked up.

"Anor is in the church. I'm heading in, tell the others to be ready, you're moving in as soon as Ryu takes out the lights," Ajal ordered.

"Got it," Gale responded quickly.

"That old bastard, he's planning on tributing more innocent people," Ajal spoke into the device as he walked down the hall.

"Well, that's what we're here to do, to put an end to him and this cycle," said Gale.

"Yeah..."

Ajal stopped at the tenth floor, entering a dark empty lounge. The light from outside bounced off the surface of the circular tables evenly spaced around the room. Ajal walked between them to the glass door that led outside, opening them and squinting at the strong winds. The snow fell into the depths of the city. The tops and bottoms of the buildings were lost in the clouds above and below. The buzz from hover car engines could be heard all around, zipping by for miles in every direction. Lights from signs reflected off the snow and filled the fog with vibrant neon colors, it was difficult to see even a short distance ahead. Ajal stood over the edge of the balcony on the tenth floor, lowering to one knee and placing his hand just over the ledge covered in snow. 'Dark Passage.' A black and white flame appeared on his hand. He placed his palm on the ledge, leaving a patch of the flame in the same spot. Ajal stood up and clicked the device on his collar.

"It's time. Ryu, cut the lights," Ajal ordered.

After a few seconds, a bright blue light flashed high up above somewhere else in the city. The glass behind Ajal rattled as the thunder clap reached his ears, the lights all slowly began to turn off. The snow that reflected bright colors were now just white flakes in a sea of darkness. The hum of electrical circuits came to an abrupt stop.

The main road below split the buildings in front of him, giving him a straight path to the church. Ajal stepped off the edge and dropped into the fog, descending fearlessly to the streets below while picking up speed. The wind pressed against his face. His hair whipped back and forth in every direction, he put his arms to his side and began to dive even faster. A vertical line split the middle of his forehead and his skin pulled to the sides to reveal a purple third eye. Ajal listened to his cape flail in the wind, the strong gusts made him feel relaxed rather than tense. He didn't see the ground, only the fog a short distance away. As the ground became visible, his third eye flashed purple. 'Dark Terminus!' Instead of crashing into the ground, he teleported to the mark he left at the tenth floor of the Solkaz building.

The momentum from the fall propelled Ajal through the air. He soared horizontally between the buildings and toward the church, descending as he slowed down. After a few seconds, the back up generators across the city activated, lights started to turn back on. He stretched out his hand, and focused his vast spirit. A black shadow spilled out of Ajal's palm and stretched into the shape of a scythe. 'Spirit...' Ajal clutched it with both hands while he flew, holding it above his head. 'Ignition!' Ajal swung the scythe down, the spirit ignition strengthened his swing. The fog split to the sides in front of him as a slice echoed through the silence. The force of the slash crashed through the wall of the church, spreading the fog out as the impact echoed through the streets. Ajal landed feet first in deep snow, the air was intoxicated by the pungent smell of the sewer. Chunks of the building crashed down around him, filling the foggy streets with dust.

Ajal walked through the opening and into the nave of the church. The snow on his boots left dark prints over the red rug. Multiple followers of the church were already in a panic from the crash, they cowered in fear at the sight of the eight-foot man with three eyes. They all wore grey robes, a common uniform the followers of the church were made to wear. Ajal closed his third eye as he walked past the citizens and up the stairs toward the archbishop. 'Where are his guards... It doesn't matter, it just makes this easier...'