Chapter 2

S                                  Chapter 2:
A
V                                  a successful mission leads to triumph
I                                                 a failed mission leads to shame
N



[Finally! High time you gave me the holopad!]
Ok, so it was a little refreshing to bump into Zaydie after not being able to see her for years on end.
I had seen her several times, but always from a distance. I never had a chance to talk to her. I had prayed for a long time to see someone familiar. And I’m glad He answered.
[Zaydie, yes I really did pray for you. Believe it or not.]

I can’t say that military training is my favorite thing in the world. But it passes the time. And I guess it keeps me from getting fat. [Zaydie asks the question ‘yeah ‘cause he would have been fat even if he hadn’t gone through training?’ the answer is most likely no, but hey what can I say?]

I walked out of the command center, [the building where Zaydie rammed into me] and I walked across the grass covered “courtyard.” President Valadamir liked nature. No scratch that, he loved nature… it was a little freaky at times. I mean so freaky, that Konsor is built out of a cliff! Literally! [not that I mind living in a cliff…Zaydie’s rolling her eyes, but it’s true, I like living up high. It gives me a new perspective on the world] But what I think is very interesting and sad is that though most citizens in Konsor have a very strong love for nature, they defy the Creator who made it, and them.

Well anyway, as I crossed the green grass I headed to a building next to the command center. The tutelage center.

Inside I made my way through the mess of kids. And by kids I mean people from the ages 12 to 16. Kids. Of course, I suppose I fall into that group, but being a Shiev, I’m a higher level. Just the way it is.
All of the Helfin’s wore the same dark green shirts and dark brown pants with dark brown knee high boots. They had lots of different weapons, and were in middle of training with the coach who took around 4 or 5 of them at one time, the rest practiced on their own till it was their tern.

I moved through the crowed with ease, ignoring all the gapping looks. Till I passed a twelve year old girl clutching a spear in her hands. Her long brown hair was in two pig tails. But it was her eyes that shocked me. As dark green as they were, horror was written all over them.
I paused and knelt down in front of her.
“be strong. Everything will work out well eventually.” I told her with a smile.
“but what if it doesn’t?” she whispered. Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes.
“don’t let them see you cry. Just be strong, and hold on to your faith little one. Don’t let go.” she sniffed and wiped her eyes. Lifting her chin a little, and standing strait, she nodded.
“I will.” I smiled and patted the top of her head before moving on. All of these kids were scared one way or another. It just took a kind heart to help them through.

“your to soft Savrin.” I rolled my eyes as I endured another one of my mentor’s lectures. Braxlin was definitely the strong and silent type as Zaydie says. He doesn’t show much emotions, though he does tease me constantly.
We were in a training room that was strictly for the Shievan. It was different then the rest. And by different I mean all that was in the room [and it was a really small room mind you] was white glowing panels everywhere.
I’m not kidding, that’s all the training room was.
Well…for the most part.

Braxlin pushed himself off the wall and walked over. His hood was up, covering half his face in shadows. As usual. His long trench coat did a good job of covered his kusari gama. [um if you don’t know what that is it would be easier if you looked it up. But if however you don’t have internet access, it looks like a um… what would you call it Zaydie? Well I guess it resembles a farming tool. The one where they cut down the wheat with. Only the blade is straighter and slightly smaller, and it’s attached to a chain.]
I didn’t know all of the weapons he had on him, but I wasn’t going to go ask him!

“here. I’ll tell you your objective once you get in. should be fairly simple. But don’t take your guard down.” he said, handing over his cell phone. I nodded and clipped it onto my belt.
“and try not to blow to much up.” he remarked with a sly grin.
“I’ll see what I can do.” I threw back. He laughed and walked out the sliding door. It closed with a bang seeing as it was all metal except for the small panel of window glass. There was a ‘hiss’ as it sealed it’s self shut, air locking the room.
I took a deep breath and forced my self to relax.
I looked up in the right hand corner in the front of a room and gave it a thumbs up. Then I felt my self falling. Again.

As I looked down below [which was hard sense I was trying to look through clouds] I finally spotted what it was I was going to land on…oh boy.

Quickly flipping around in the air, using the magic that Sindo gave me, to see the spring boards, I swung myself in and out of a tall ruined building, all that was left of it was the beams that held it up. No walls, no windows. Nothing. Landing on the very edge of a beam that was sticking out from the side. The dark sky told me it was around midnight, I shivered in the rain slightly. Big deal. Looking down below me, I saw the dead streets of a city.
Konsor to be exact.
Well at least I would know where to go.
I pulled out the cell phone and dialed the first number there.
“yeah, so what is my objective?” I asked.
“get to the President’s house. You need to find a paper in his library-”
“You mean the whole mission is to find a piece of paper?!?! Oi, how lame can this get?” I placed my hand on my hip and tried to keep from punching something.
“Easy now Savrin. Do not defy your orders just do it. We’ll explain why latter.” with that he hung up on me.
I sighed.
“Well fine then.” on to more pressing mattes I suppose. I added mentally.
I looked down and pressed setting buttons on my gloves. I punched in ‘all’ never know what you might need in a fight that might take a while, or take no time at all.

Examining the ground that was 30 some odd floors down, I couldn’t see any one. A few lights lit the alley, the place looked like it had just gotten bombed.
Turning around to see the wreck of a building I was on, I launched myself backwards off the beam I was standing on.
I landed on my feet, the ground below me cracked as it took my sudden weight. I kept my knees loose so the shock wouldn’t hurt me. Not that it would have to bad if I didn’t.
Rising, I took a closer look at the city.
I had to hand it to Braxlin. He sure did do a good job on this one. Yikes.

I walked down the creepy  streets. My guard rose with every step I took. Where were the guards? Or the people I was suppose to be fighting? And why was it so quite?!
Learning to keep fear under control, I didn’t jump at every shadow there was. But I was pretty close to. My hand rested on my holster on my left leg, ready to whip Segador out at any moment.

It’s not like I was lost. I knew where I was going. But I guess I was a little spooked, that I might have taken a few wrong terns. [no Zaydie! That’s not ‘lost’ that’s ‘slightly confused because you weren’t paying attention.’ and yes that’s better then ‘lost’! girls. Ouch!!]

Coming around the corner, I saw a flash of something dive behind a building. The lights on the porches flickered. That wasn’t suppose to happen.
My senses were wide open to everything. But when the hairs at the back of my neck stood up, I pulled Segador out of it’s holster, spinning a button at the top of handle, there was a click, and Segador folded out into it’s full length. Again it clicked telling me that it was locked and loaded. Keeping my head down I stood there till I could smell him.
Through my senses, I watched as he took cautious steps forward. His gun pointed to my head.
When he was close, I spun on my heel taking my sword around, and sliced the barrel in two. Then moving fast I rammed the butt of Segador into his face. Swinging my foot out, he tripped and fell on a rock.
I turned around and kept walking. That was more like it. But where were the others?
Moving silently through the heart of the city, I passed familiar places. But when they looked ruined and some even were blown up, they didn’t seem so familiar anymore.

I passed the massive military base…all of the buildings were smoldering in fire, the grass was brown and bits were burning. I shook my head and kept on moving.
I was getting closer and closer to the mansion, and as I did, I only bumped into two guys. This was insane.

I shook my head as I tried to shrug off the shiver that ran down my spine. Looking down the allies, I tried to see if there was anyone hiding there in the shadows. I picked my way around fallen rubble, I hadn’t seen a single person that had lived here. Not one.
The soldiers don’t count. And I’ll explain in a minute why.
Coming up to the large iron gates that were crusted with rust. I looked beyond them and into the mansion that was built into the cliff of dirt and stone. The roof was missing, it looked like a good bit of the walls were too. I vaguely wondered what kind of story was behind all this.

Turning my gaze to the tall [and I mean tall] gates. They may be rusted, but they weren’t coming down right now.
But they weren’t going be a problem.
Using Sindo, I propelled myself in the air. Once I was a little bit higher then the gates, I swung my body over and landed on the other side, not even having to go down to my knees.
Checking to make sure my gloves were charged, I then dove into the rubble that filled the courtyard.

So for the lack of guys I met out in the streets…this is where most of them hit me.

I felt very aware of their presence, the number was two great I couldn’t get a read of how many there were precisely. It was like the image was distorted, and it bounced around in my head. [yeah not very helpful right?]
This was going to be a challenge.
They formed a wide circle around me, their guns pointed at me in various positions and angles.
Their faces were all covered by hard helmets. The dark glass made it hard to see their eyes at all. But somehow I got the impression that that was the goal.
I kindly waited for them to make the first move. That was one thing I had down. Let your opponent go first, because there’s a good chance he’ll slip up.
I heard guns cock all around. Their breathing got shallow, their pulses faster. They were nerves. Huh. [Zaydie thinks I’m inhuman]
Well let’s say I got impatient, because I broke my own rule and I struck first.
Jumping forward with my foot out, I hit one guy in the chest, then quickly swinging around I rammed the next guy in the jaw. Ducking low to miss getting shot, I swung around knocking more of them down to the ground. A butt of a gun came down to my face, striking up with my fist I met the gun, sending an energy shock through the gun and to the holder.
He shot backwards like an arrow, ramming into the next guy strait behind him. Rising quickly, I charged at the next soldier in line. He tried to shoot me, but I ducked out of the way ended up behind him, taking Segador and slicing his middle open.
I spun around to see twenty or so guys getting up and taking positions again, and behind them I saw at least forty more guys waiting for their turn…oh snap.
I pulled out the cell phone and dialed Braxlin up.
“Uh Brax,…I’m going to need back up.” I said, turning on my heel to see more had surrounded me.
“you need back up?! Wow that’s the first.”
“Brax come on!” I shouted angrily.
“Alright alright. Sending your back up now. Should be there any second. Have fun.” there was a beep and I placed the phone back on my belt.
Swinging Segador around to get a better grip through my gloves. I tried to come up with a plan, of some sort.
I heard a soft landing behind me, but didn’t glance over.
“you take the back, I’ll take the front, watch your back, and don’t get hurt.” I ordered. He didn’t say anything but I saw him nod out of the corner of my eye.
“Now!”
I charged forward, pushing my hand out before me I sent a lightning bolt to the first three guys.
Swinging Segador around to clash with their guns, I cut down as many as I could. Seeing action going on the opposite side of the ring, I caught a glimpse of my back up doing flips around soldiers while cutting them down with what looked like two long daggers…that glowed.
My attention was quickly turned to the lone soldier that was running at me head on. Jumping a spin over his head, Segador cut into his back.
That was the last one for me.

I stood and watched my partner as he sliced down several opponents at once by striking one down, and as the other came up behind him he dropped down flat and slid under his feet then jumped up and cut his throat. He pushed that guy into an unsuspecting soldier, sending them both to the ground.
He stood up to his full height, which I noticed was foot shorter then me. Placing his daggers back in their sheaths on his legs, when he turned around, that when I noticed the flowing half skirt, of a girls uniform.
Her hood was pulled up, though some of her hair had strayed free, she had a white scarf covering her mouth and nose, so all I saw was her silver-grey eyes.
She took deliberate steps and stopped right in front of me.
Shoving off the hood, long brown hair spewed out, she tugged down her scarf and again my jaw dropped.
“Hello Savrin. Shall we go kick some unsuspecting soldier’s butt, or are you going to just stand there and catch flies?”
Same old same old.
Zaydie always was the one to have a quick wit.