Winter 2045 ~ Underworld
Lucas Adair
“We should handle this next part carefully,” Lucas had said to Laven. “If the King is responsible for the Shade presences around here—we can’t trust any mission of us being sent out to investigate them. It’s most likely just a task to keep us busy or worse—to send us to our deaths.”
“What do you think, then? Do we abscond to one of the other kingdoms and hope they take kinder to our situation?” Laven asked.
“I don’t think so...that’s a heavy gambit. It’s not one I think will turn out well for us…”
“I don’t think we trust Tomorrow with this information.”
“I agree. I doubt he is in on the inner workings of the King’s plans, but I similarly don’t think he’d believe us if we speak heretical against his king.”
Laven nodded, “But we should tell the others—” she looked out toward the others on the other edge of the cliff face before turning back to Lucas. “Though I fear their reactions may give us away.”
“If we let them know early enough we can prime their reactions—I agree we should probably make use of the training while we have it available—I couldn’t have imagined how much more confident those accelerant particles have helped me out...we might be able to take advantage of this situation—and then we make our escape before we put ourselves in danger.”
“We should probably also use this opportunity to explore about the castle—maybe we can use the dark of night to find out more information.”
“Maybe we can find information to sway Tomorrow to our side,” Lucas said.
“Unlikely, but possible.” Laven looked back toward the others and then lowered her head. “Well, ‘bout time we reconvene, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I’ll go first across the gorge if you want—test it to make sure it’s still stable.”
“Yeah yeah, prince charming,” she chuckled. “Glad you stuck up for once.”
Lucas smiled and they headed over and rejoined the others. They had each talked about what Lucas had seen—and what they had planned to do.
“So you’re sure you saw the king?” Roderick asked as they started their jog back.
“Positive,” Lucas affirmed. “I knew I had a bad feeling about him, but I’ll admit I didn’t expect him to be the cause of the shades.”
“I cannot believe they’re other people…” Amber said. “I couldn’t imagine living like that...do you think they’re conscious?”
Lucas shook his head, “I’m not sure. I didn’t sense anything outside of a desire to overwhelm.”
“If Luke hadn’t pulled out those fancy lights he would’ve needed me to save him,” Laven said.
Tabula began to sign, “I did see some sort of light show appear—so that was you, then?”
Lucas nodded, “Yeah…I didn’t know that was something I could do here, but I’m more than glad that I can do it,” he laughed.
“I just need to find my hidden talent and then we’ll be good to go,” Roderick joked.
“On a more serious note,” Amber began. “I don’t think we should be immediately planning our exit strategy. I think it would be more prudent to follow along with the king’s plan, at least until we get sent on our recon mission, don’t you think?”
The rest of them looked confused at her—not understanding her tack. She returned a look of confusion, as if the reason was obvious.
“If they’re going to train us to be spies, the best way we could offer ourselves to an alternate kingdom would be to reveal our nature in exchange of reverse work.”
“Reverse work...like becoming the expendable force to another kingdom instead?” Roderick asked.
“I’m not saying we have to risk ourselves, but being able to get information from Blackwell and then being able to ally ourselves, even if temporarily, and gain information on Bluefin—if that is the truth of our recon mission’s location.”
“I see what you mean,” Lucas said. “In that case I agree. How about the rest of you?”
Around the group, they each had agreed with the plan, and they returned to the castle with no additional problems. Their report to Tomorrow had not included any of the details of their encounter with the Shade, or Lucas’s new ability. Amber had disclosed the crossing of the cliff-side, so that it seemed like an eventful trip, but on the large whole of it they were dismissed to their bedchambers. It seemed clear that Tomorrow was still preoccupied with the events that had taken him away from their training.
Lucas found Laven waiting for him in his cell as night had fallen completely. Being back inside the castle the both of them could feel the increased weight on their bearings. It was as if the walk back to their rooms had encapsulated the entirety of the energy they had expended on their entire jog.
“I stopped by the others’ rooms first,” Laven said. “I wanted to get them on the same page so we didn’t have everyone trying to sneak out at once.”
“Makes sense,” Lucas said. “That would multiply the chance of us getting caught...and it only takes once until they learn we’re up to no good.”
Laven nodded. “I told them you would be the first one to try. I hope you’ll forgive my putting you on the spot.”
Lucas shook his head, “No, no don’t worry about it, I would have offered. I’m lighter on my feet, and you’ve got to rest from using your power.”
Laven looked off to the side, embarrassed, but then returned his gaze. “I wish it weren’t so, but if I could ignore it then I would have already.”
“I’ll wait a bit, they’ll probably have patrols scouting out. I want to see if I can establish a sort of pattern.”
“We should try taking it in spurts. If you can try maybe making it to their guard station—I assume they have something like that set up, you can try to get their schedule. I think that will make future trips that much easier.”
Lucas nodded. “Got it, I’ll go for that.”
“If I remember correctly, I think I saw some of their sentries heading to the western side of the castle—this was back before we were tossed into the main hall with all the food. I saw a bunch of them heading out in that direction. Your best bet is going to be west.”
“What would I do without you?” Lucas asked, cocking his head.
“Suffer indefinitely,” she smiled. “Swing by my cell to let me know when you finished. And for all sake, don’t get caught.”
“Not planning on it,” Lucas said. He stepped forward and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll come back for that...you hold onto it until then.”
She blushed, and nodded, stepping out of the room and leaving him to his solitude. He sat, staring at the ceiling of his small cell until his thoughts ran dry of the multitude of possibilities of what would await him out in the open. Was this the right course for them? He had hoped so. He couldn’t begin to describe how terrible he would feel if he got caught and ruined everything for the rest of them—maybe if that were the case he could push it in the direction of it just being his plan.
He shook his head, he couldn’t let himself worry about those kinds of things. Planning that far in advance would only substantiate his fears and worries. He needed to act, and he needed to not let himself convince his mind that he was going to fail—he needed to project the confidence he yearned to have. Fake it until you make it.
He leapt up to his feet and took in a deep breath. He clapped his hands to his face and prepared himself. There wasn’t going to be any better time to do it than now.
Lucas tiptoed silently through the shadowy corridors of the basement dwelling just outside their cell blocks. The flickering light of the torches set far on the walls illuminated the rough stone walls, casting eerie shadows across the damp and musty space. The ceiling hung low overhead, thick with cobwebs, and he could see rusted chains and manacles hanging from the walls he hadn’t noticed before.
He shuddered as the darkness seemed to press in on him from all sides, and the air was thick with the musty scent of mold and dampness. He could hear the distant sound of dripping water and the occasional scurrying of rats hanging in the back of his mind.
But Lucas was determined. He knew that finding these plans would be the key to unlocking the castle's secrets, and he couldn't let a little discomfort stand in his way.
Finally, he spotted a faint glimmer of light up ahead, and he had made it to the staircase heading up toward the main hallway. This was when he would have to be his most sneaky—it wasn’t a skill he was experienced in, but he had known enough to not fall for stupid mistakes.
He lightly started ascending up the stairs as the light around him started to fade and he was climbing the steps in total darkness. Just like they had been on the way down, the stairs were narrow and steep—worn and uneven from years of disuse. Lucas made his way up slowly and cautiously. He could feel the weight of the castle above him, pressing down on him with an almost palpable force.
At last, after what felt like an eternity of climbing, he emerged into the dimly lit hallway on the main floor of the castle. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be out of the dungeon and he immediately heard footsteps off to the left and he pulled back down into the shadows. He leapt down three of the steps and bent down against the side of the wall so he wouldn’t be seen. He saw the form of the guard as he stumbled across view. The guard was clad in shining silver armor—Lucas noticed the sword held in its sheath at his side.
He waited for the guard to pass before he emerged from the staircase and made his way down the hallway the guard had just come from. If he was correct in his assumption this hallway would bend around and round back around to the mess hall. He turned the corner and saw that the path down was clear, but then suddenly sounds bounded from behind him and Lucas started running, searching for anyplace to hide. He found a standing suit of armor standing in an alcove and he ducked behind it.
He was breathing heavily and held his hand to his mouth to quiet the sounds of his breathing. He was thankfully thin enough to fully obscure his form behind the armor—and the walls of the alcove helped shield him from view. In between the crevice of the armor’s arms and waist he saw the running figure pass by in a flash. It didn’t look like one of the guards who was running—and the figure seemed light on their feet—too light for a guard clad in heavy armor with all the attached gear.
So then who…?
He peered out from his hiding place and saw as the figure was just pulling around the corner and saw the edge of the councilor’s garb before it disappeared.
Well that is interesting. He seemed to remember a councilor who had run with that sort of lack of any sort of physical manner. This could be an opportunity he wouldn’t get again so he decided to tail him, looking to confirm the guard wasn’t going to be returning from the right.
Lucas followed down the hallway and craned his neck around the corner and saw a door close and figured that was his best bet if he could eavesdrop. Guard’s station can wait a minute.
He approached closer and he was sure he could hear voices—not just one—talking through the door. He knew one of them was Tomorrow. The other sounded familiar—but he couldn’t immediately place it.
“You sure look like you could use a breather,” the other voice said.
“I...can’t help it,” Tomorrow said in between breaths. “I’ve been running around covering all my bases. Phi team’s training went extra long. I’m feeling so spent,” Tomorrow said.
“I’m sure you could take some of that pressure off of yourself if you had delegated out some of those responsibilities.”
“I wish I could and feel good about it,” Tomorrow said.”
He knew where that other voice came from—it clicked in his mind as he remembered the woman councilor with the long cherry colored hair. Cherine had been her name—and now he envisioned the both of them having their secret night time conversation—his suspicions arose even further. And...was Tomorrow tasking himself with training multiple teams at the same time? He would be lying if he didn’t say he didn’t have empathy for that level of work.
“What with Sigma and Theta disappearing on their last trip out—I’m starting to think I sent Rodmas and Quintel to their deaths.”
“If they weren’t strong enough to handle the Shades then they went out too early. It’s that simple,” Cherine said. “They know little of patience—I think you know that they were always too headstrong in that sense.”
“Even worse, I think Yancy is planning an expedition with his squad come morning. I passed by a guard in the hall and asked him to check out their bunker—I’ve got a bad feeling we’ll be losing them next. I’ve been trying to take over that squad too and have Yancy back in Tidmas’ corner.”
“You’d give Tidmas more ammunition at calling the plan a failure?” Cherine asked.
“If I can restructure the Tau squad to delay their travel tomorrow—I’d happily accept that.”
“Well, I will vye my support for your corner should it come to that. You needn’t worry about the Mu.”
“Well of course not. I have no doubts about our residential squad staying out of harm’s way.”
Lucas backed away from the door. He figured this was the extent of the information he was going to receive sitting here—and the longer he did the greater risk he posed. He continued down the hall and checked behind him to confirm they hadn’t heard him and were about to begin chasing him down.
There were a couple of things that piqued his interest though—namely the fact that some of the other squads have had encounters with Shades. That...and Tomorrow seems to wholly be unaware of the origin of Shades as he had assumed. He felt better about putting his trust in him—but it made the feeling more tough to balance with everything in the scope of the situation. If the Shades did originate from the King, then he could not continue to remain here forever—and that most likely meant he and Tomorrow would be at odds before long. However much he may have liked him as a person—it seemed clear he was dedicated to his kingdom.
He continued down the hallway—the only sounds being the faint echo of his footsteps and the occasional rustle of his clothing. As he rounded a corner, he spotted two guards up ahead, their backs had been turned to him. He flattened himself against the wall, holding his breath and waited for them to pass. When they finally moved on, Lucas breathed a sigh of relief and continued on his way.
He approached a staircase leading up to the guard's quarters, carefully listening for any signs of movement. When he was sure the coast was clear, he ascended the stairs as silently as he could, his heart pounding with nervous excitement.
Finally, he arrived at the door to the guard's room. He could hear the faint snoring of the guards within, and he cursed as he knew this was going to be trickier than he first thought. The one positive of this was that he could be sure that the door wouldn’t be locked...but the cost of that had definitely sent his heart racing.
He opened the door slowly and pulled it open as he held his breath. Opening, he saw the room expand and the enormity of his mission seemed to multiply before his eyes. He was anxious before, but now his nerves were taut as ever. He snuck into the barracks and was minutely aware of every micro sound he made as he tried with everything in him to not wake the guards that were sleeping.
He was desperate now—he made his way over toward one of the cluttered desks at the far edge of the guard station. He knew that his team's success in their upcoming searches depended on knowing the movements of the guards, and he couldn't afford to miss a beat.
As he rifled through the papers and folders on the desk, he couldn't help but feel frustrated at the lack of organization. There were stacks of reports, memos, and notes scattered all over the place, making it difficult for him to find what he was looking for.
He took a deep breath and tried to focus, determined to find the schedule before it was too late. He picked up a pile of papers and began sifting through them one by one, looking for any clue that might lead him to the information he needed.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally saw a sheet of paper with "Guard Schedule" written in bold letters at the top. He snatched it up eagerly and scanned it quickly, his heart racing as he noted the movements of the guards. Yes. This is exactly what he was looking for.
Relieved and satisfied, he carefully placed the schedule back where he had found it, making sure not to leave any evidence of his search. As he left the station, he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment—he had completed his task and secured the vital information he needed for the others’ attempts.
As he was about to make his escape, he heard a noise outside the door. Panicking, he quickly hid behind one of the lockers, hoping the guards wouldn't notice anything amiss. The door swung open, and a guard walked in, looking around with an air of annoyance. Lucas held his breath, praying he wouldn't be discovered. The sound had awoken two of the guards who had been sleeping—and their wake has everyone else shuffling from their slumber.
“What the hells all the racket?” One of them called out. Lucas noted his voice was extremely gruff.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“Shift change. You’ve had enough sleep. Get your lazy asses up.”
The first guard groaned and his head dropped back to his pillow. “I swear you don’t give an inch more than obligation.”
“Obligation is for the soldiers on the front lines,” the second guard said. “All I care about is none of those scabs don’t give me a reason to run them through,” he said, grinning.
“I swear it’s like you’ve got a vendetta,” a third guard’s voice chimed in. “Everything you complain about one way or the other ties back to them. Ain’t they supposed to be on our side now?”
“They’re nothing more than cattle to be used in place of our men out there.” The first guard barked, and Lucas could see through the space that he began shedding the armor he had been wearing. “Councilors may have use for them, but all they are is stinkin’ up the halls with their disgusting bodies. Eating our food—taking our resources.”
“Yeah yeah, Godtick,” the second guard said. “We’ve heard it before. Unless you plan on staging a coup I’d rather you just take your sleep and leave me to my changing in peace.”
The locker Lucas had been hiding behind was opened as Godtick shoved the pieces of his armor inside and then slammed it shut—the heavy frame of the locker pushed into him and he bit down hard as it compressed his body against the back wall. He rushed his hand to his mouth to prevent any sound from leaking out.
After what felt like an eternity, the guard’s shift change finally completed and those new on the scene finally had left to begin their shift, and the old watch had retired to their beds. Of note, Lucas saw were the same beds the others had just left from. That disturbs me in more ways I can find time to express.
Lucas waited for his opportunity to slip out of the guard’s chambers unnoticed. Thankfully, because of the schedule he knew the guards would begin their rotations by investigating the areas of the castle closest to the King’s chambers before fanning outward and ending on the squad’s chambers. That means he had the perfect opportunity to slip back to his own cell before the guard would arrive to confirm his place.
When he made it back he collapsed into his cot and let his head roll back on his pillow—the adrenaline flooding through his body began to fade and he smiled and closed his eyes. He had done it. He had succeeded. His mind began fleeting as his consciousness descended into dreams.
Lucas tossed and turned in his sleep, his mind consumed by vivid and terrifying sights. He saw a sprawling landscape from a bird’s eye view. It was a green landscape flushed with hills and crests. The sky was filled with enormous dragons, their scales glinting in the sunlight as they soared through the air. As Lucas looked on in awe, he realized that the dragons were engaged in a fierce battle with the people of the land. The humans were armed with swords and shields, but they were clearly outmatched by the massive beasts.
Lucas watched in horror as the dragons breathed fire and lightning, laying waste to the countryside and decimating entire armies with a single swipe of their massive talons. He saw brave soldiers fall in battle, their bodies crushed beneath the weight of the fearsome beasts.
As the dream went on, Lucas found himself taking up arms alongside the human warriors. He felt the weight of a sword in his hand and the heat of the dragon's breath on his face as he charged into battle.
Lucas stood on the front line of the army, his heart racing as he watched the sky fill with the massive creatures of every color imaginable. The beasts were huge, easily the size of buildings. He was no longer outside of the conflict, but standing on the front lines watching their shadows descend among his many comrades.
Lucas drew his sword and took a deep breath, readying himself for the fight of his life. He knew that the fate of the world hung in the balance, and that he and his fellow soldiers were the only ones standing between the dragons and certain destruction.
As the first dragon swooped down to attack—a shimmering golden beast with fangs like a saber-tooth's, Lucas sprang into action. He charged forward, his sword flashing in the sunlight as he slashed at the beast's scaled hide. The dragon roared in pain and anger, sending a stream of golden fire in Lucas's direction.
Lucas dodged and weaved, narrowly avoiding the flames as he pressed his attack. He was joined by his fellow soldiers, each one fighting with courage and determination as they worked together to take down the monstrous creatures.
For hours they battled, the clash of swords and the roar of dragons filling the air. Lucas fought with all his might, his muscles straining as he dodged and parried the dragons' attacks and landed his own blows.
Despite their best efforts, the soldiers were slowly being overwhelmed by the sheer number and ferocity of the dragons. It seemed as though all was lost, until Lucas noticed a weak spot in the armor of one of the beasts. With a cry of triumph, he lunged forward and plunged his sword deep into the dragon's heart. The beast let out a final roar before collapsing to the ground, dead.
Inspired by Lucas's bravery, the other soldiers rallied, and together they began to turn the tide of the battle. One by one, the dragons fell to their swords and spears, until at last the sky was quiet and the battlefield was strewn with the bodies of the fallen beasts.
As the army cheered and celebrated their hard-won victory, Lucas couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and awe at what they had accomplished. They had fought against seemingly impossible odds and emerged victorious, proving that even in the face of overwhelming danger, hope and bravery could triumph. They worked together as a team, trusting each other with their lives and fighting with all their might to protect their homeland.
As the dream began to fade and Lucas stirred awake, he felt a strange sense of both fear and exhilaration. It was as if he had just lived through a real battle, and he couldn't shake the feeling that there was some deeper meaning behind the dream. Nonetheless, he couldn't deny the power and excitement of the ancient war between people and gigantic dragons that had unfolded in his mind.
~...~
As morning broke he gathered with the others and had told them of his exploits in the night.
“So you were successful,” Roderick said, smiling a big grin as he pounded Lucas on the back. The motion had surprised him, and he stumbled forward as the man’s mighty force sent him off balance.
“Yeah...it was a little hairy there for a little bit,” Lucas said. “But I don’t believe they knew I was there. I also heard some things from Tomorrow about some of the other squads going missing. I can’t quite confirm if they’re actually dead—but the outlook didn’t seem too hot.”
He explained the conversation he had eavesdropped on with Tomorrow and Cherine. The others were just as hesitant in their feelings on him versus the entire kingdom as he had been, but the overall success of the mission was the prevalent feeling among them all.
“I’m so glad you made it through unscathed,” Laven said. “I knew you could do it.”
“Thanks,” Lucas blushed.
“I can take tonight’s shift,” Laven said. “I think I want to investigate further into these councilors. See if I can find anything of use. If Tomorrow is someone we can turn to our side I want to see if that is possible.”
The others had nodded, they seemed in agreement—Lucas had noticed the others seemed glad they didn’t have to go in the shadows tonight. Their session this day would be another round of combat training. Lucas had felt tired from the previous day, but he was excited to excel a bit more in this area.
When they had met Tomorrow in the training grounds he looked as if he hadn’t slept a wink the night before. Lucas probably wouldn’t have even noticed it had he not overheard his conversation—he probably would have been too focused on himself and Laven. He thought on her goal for the night and hoped that she would be successful. If there was a way to get him to understand their point of view and turn his allegiances against the King...that would definitely be the best case scenario. It was frustrating knowing their goal and knowing the method of bridging their way to that goal seemed to be two totally different tracks.
“Lucas, I think today we’ll start off with you, and then…” he turned to the others, counting off and pairing them to fight until he stopped with Laven. “Yes, you and Tabula will pair today. We’ll exchange after some time, now, let me gather the weapons quickly.”
Up to this point he has had quite a few one on one sessions with Tomorrow himself and could feel the weight of the sword lighten ever so slightly each time he picked it up. His body had been attuned to gaining natural muscle mass because of the accelerant particles.
~...~
Tomorrow had just blocked one of Lucas’ advances as he grunted and fell back. In the early days a blow like he had just blocked would have taken all his might to hold the blade back—forcing him to grasp the hilt with both of his hands.
It was a motion that brought Windsor to mind. He hasn’t been seen since he walked out on them all that time ago, and as much as Lucas disliked how he had ended things, he still had a lingering thought of hoping that he was still out there, kicking. Throughout everything he didn’t understand why that was the thought coming to the front of his mind.
“You’re distracted,” Tomorrow said, closing in between the two and sneaking a cut against his arm.
“Tch!” Lucas called out, shaking out of his thoughts. “Yes, sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, fix the mistake. The tempo of a fight is always at a fever pitch. You don’t have time to apologize when your opponent has you on the ropes,” Tomorrow had closed in for another strike and Lucas sidestepped him, gaining some of his momentum back and blocking a shot aimed toward his rear. He took the opportunity to push Tomorrow’s blade back and backed off, all he needed was a moment to collect himself and gather space.
He had learned over the past two weeks that he excelled in keeping distance and playing defensively. Tomorrow was capable of switching up fighting styles on the fly, but there was a noticeable period of time whenever he changed from a hyper offensive to a more reflexive stance that offered an opening. He had noticed it during their last training session but chose to say nothing. If he had spoken up about it, he might be more wary of it and take away his chance.
One of the things that hadn’t left him was his ability to strategize since coming to this world. His tools may be different, but his mind was running to calculate ways that he could best use them to overcome any odds he was facing. He was smaller than Tomorrow and while his frame was getting more lean and used to combat, he was still operating using a smaller build. This meant that he had to use quick strikes that weren’t as strong as he might normally like, but being able to overwhelm an opponent was a key strategy he had to refine.
Tomorrow took a step closer and changed his stance to a more reactive one—he was waiting for what Lucas would offer in return. He took the moment as he was shifting to step forward and he cut low. Tomorrow shifted to block, but Lucas kicked into a leap forward—the momentum pushed the sword past where Tomorrow had projected to block and he was able to scrape Tomorrow’s leg. Lucas offered a quick kick at the side of his leg and turned reverse and found his blade pointed at Tomorrow’s face—inches from his nose.
A smile crossed Tomorrow’s face and he stood slowly, patting aside his blade and nodding. “Excellent use of your available tactics to catch me off guard. That’s the kind of tempo we like to see. I can tell my initial scope about you is panning out wonderfully.”
Lucas appreciated the compliment and nodded in return. I really hope Laven is able to help turn him. This kind of feeling of conflict is too much.
“Okay, you go do some rounds with Tabula. Next up is going to be Laven.”
Lucas instinctively looked to Laven who was smiling at him. While it felt good to get complimented by Tomorrow, it was her appreciation he cared more about. It was interesting, though, there was also a sort of competitive fire in her eyes.
He hasn’t had to do rounds against her yet as they’ve spent a lot of time learning with single partners after their sparring session with Tomorrow, and after Windsor had left he had taken his place sparring against Roderick for the first week. Then after that, he and Amber got to spend the next week fighting against one another. That had been a challenge for sure as she was about as small as he was so he couldn’t use the size advantage to out-maneuver her. In a lot of their sparring sessions he ended up on the losing end until he learned more of her habits and was able to exploit them successfully.
This week seems to have him going against Tabula, who despite her inability to hear had no trouble at all navigating the way around the blade. She had gone up against Laven the last week and the two had offered sparring sessions that lasted longer than any other without anyone conceding. It was a marvel to both of their talents and the strength accelerant particulates.
Now, however, it was his time to begin training against her. He knew that Tabula preferred fighting with the lance—a familiar weapon that the older Allison Fae had used. While he hadn’t gotten to see the weapon in action, he could imagine the amount of damage that could be done with such a weapon.
The reach that it afforded her was not to be trifled with, as Lucas knew that it would be difficult to play around her defenses if he was using a sword. He stood facing Tabula with Tomorrow equidistant from either of them. She was holding her lance firm and was staring at him.
“All right, the two of you…” Tomorrow said, then looked to Tabula and his face started to constrict. “Uh…”
“They can read your lips,” Laven reminded him.
“Oh yes,” he said, shaking his head quickly. “You may begin.”
Lucas knew that it must be strange to deal with someone who you have not had experience with, but he was starting to get annoyed at the consistent refusal it seemed by Tomorrow’s brain to accept new ways to communicate. It was far from the first time now that they had been in close quarters and he still consistently acted as if it were the first time he received this information.
He tried shrugging it off as he knew right now was not the time to be thinking of this but as soon as his eyes darted back to Tabula—he saw in their stare that she was focused with the point of her lance pointed to him. To him, this was a message. Anything else would be dealt with after, now was time for combat.
He saw that Tomorrow was gearing up against Laven anyway—so any irritations with his behavior would only bother and slow him down now. He took a deep breath and pushed any negative thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand. He knew that he needed to be at his best and couldn't afford to let anything distract him. Tabula was waiting for him to make the first move. It made sense, they had all the reason in the world to wait for him.
He realized if he tried to call them on this bluff, they would both be staring at one another until the end of time. He moved forward and he raised the blade deftly. He knew his first swipe was going to be easily blocked, so he did not move to act the unexpected. His plan was to try to overwhelm them with speed. While the sword he carried was hefty—and at the start it required him to use both of his hands in a full grip to get an effective swing out of it, thanks to the accelerant particles he felt much faster on his feet whereas he could bet that while the lance was easier to handle as well, it would always be bulkier than the blade. And yet, Lucas could see the determination in their eyes, but also a hint of caution.
Tabula knew that he had experience with combat—their time in-between training sessions was full of small talk and rest, so each of the trainees had heard the story of his and Laven’s assault on the Namba brother’s factory, although this kind of talk was usually met with yearning for having someone with his old abilities back. This was a thought that came as a dual edged blade to Lucas, but mostly stemmed toward honing his new strengths, as weaker as they may have been.
Still, stories at the end of the day were just that, and with every ounce of strength came paired a strategic mind, and he knew he still had that to guide him, and they knew that just as well. They didn't want to rush into battle without a strategy. Tabula waited for him to make the first move, watching him closely and studying his technique. He needed to be careful and not underestimate them. He approached cautiously, watching for any signs of weakness or an opening.
Tabula was patient, waiting for the right moment to strike. They knew that if she could catch him off guard, she had a chance of winning. Lucas, on the other hand, was determined to finish the fight as quickly as possible. He charged forward, his sword flashing through the air as he aimed for their chest. Tabula expertly blocked the blow with their spear, using the length of the weapon to keep him at bay.
They continued to clash as their weapons rang out as they struck against each other. He held his sword against their lance and he made eye-contact. They grinned and pushed him back. Without warning, Tabula charged forward, their lance extended. Lucas stepped back, dodging their attack and counterattacked with a swift swipe of his sword. But Tabula was too quick, and they sidestepped the blow with ease.
The two fighters circled each other warily, each waiting for the other to make a move. Finally, Lucas lunged forward, swinging his sword in a wide arc. But Tabula was ready for him. She parried the attack with her lance and countered with a quick thrust.
Lucas narrowly avoided the attack, jumping back just in time. He then charged forward once again, this time with a series of rapid strikes. But Tabula was a skilled fighter, and she deftly blocked each of his blows with her lance. It was clear they were evenly paced as they exchanged blows for another. The battle raged on, each fighter exchanging blows with lightning-fast reflexes. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed, and the sound of metal on metal echoed across the plain.
Lucas saw his opportunity as Laven extended themselves a little too far in trying to reach him. He was able to anchor a shot toward the edge of her lance—the imbalance shook their wrist and forced them to drop their weapon. In one swift motion he had disarmed her and held the sword out in a motion of victory. He was breathing heavily—she had gotten tremendously dexterous in her time training, he lowered the sword and offered a hand for a well fought match.
Tabula took it, and signed, “Congratulations. I thought for sure I was going to have you.”
He nodded, and said in return, “You had me on the ropes for the most of it. I couldn’t let go for a single minute.”
They smiled and then both Lucas and Tabula turned as soon as they heard the clashing of blades on the far edge of the room—a blade was spinning in the air after having been knocked out of the wielder’s hand. It spun until it hit the ground and clattered to the side, uselessly.
Laven was standing with her sword pointed at Tomorrow—his hands were half-raised and a smile was on his face. Roderick and Amber had similarly stopped as the clang rang out—it was an impressive display and Tomorrow nodded his head.
“That was fantastic,” he said. “You all are continuing to impress me...I dare say you are growing to be the hope I desired for this squad.”
“It’s a shame others have not spent as much time as we have,” Laven said.
Lucas tried to not let his interest in the statement be so obvious. I trust she knows what she’s doing with this.
Tomorrow’s eyes glanced in her direction as if the thought were plucked from his brain. “I should have assumed word would spread.
Yes. Bingo.
“I heard that some of the other squads have gone missing, is that true?” Laven asked.
Yes, that’s a good idea. Bring it up now so if we need to use it later, we can avoid the sticky situation of how I learned of it. That’s a fantastic idea—remind me to thank you later for that.
Tomorrow nodded slowly and sighed. “I figure if you’re going to be hearing the rumors I may as well tell you the full story. We have lost contact with five of our total squads. Untrained at the level that you all are...their councilors unfortunately have been headstrong in their desire to utilize their squads as early as possible. I assume you are aware of the attitude some councilors have toward the people of your world.”
“Treat us like disposable work jockeys,” Laven said.
Tomorrow sighed. “I despise the fact—how I intended this to be is how I spoke it to you—how I see it with you. We work with you and you work with us and we each mutually benefit.”
“Unfortunately it seems like that kind of thinking is in the minority.”
Tomorrow nodded. “I can understand any and all frustration you may have over this situation. And I also understand any fear that could stem from this—I seem to have fallen short on my end of the bargain.”
LUCAS could tell it was absolutely wrecking Tomorrow’s confidence that the others had acted the way they did. “You don’t have responsibility over the others—as much as it would be beneficial to us that you do,” LUCAS said. “I think that your training has paid off.” LUCAS figured if they were really going to try this, he would have to give a little to hopefully get in return down the line. “We encountered a Shade on our trip yesterday.”
Tomorrow perked up, his expression was one of confusion and shock. “You...what? Nobody had said anything about…” He looked from each face and then ended on Lucas.
“It’s as you said,” Lucas said. “Things have been unsure—word had been spreading. We didn’t know what information we could let slip and who we could trust.”
“You’re all still here,” Tomorrow said. “So I assume you were able to escape it unharmed. Of that I am very happy to hear.”
“We killed it,” Lucas said.
“You...you what?” Tomorrow asked.
“We encountered it, we initially had a little difficulty with it, and then we killed it.”
“That is...that is unprecedented,” Tomorrow said, his eyes looked aghast as he tried to process the information. “We’ve had our mightiest soldiers out there on the front lines and the best case scenario we’ve had is they’ve been able to escape with their lives...but...how did you do it?”
“Tomorrow,” Laven said. “I don’t think we can necessarily reveal that—at least, not right now. Think about it—at the end of the day not many people here care if we’re killed off. So if we spill the beans and you guys figure out a way of handling your problem...then what becomes of us? Surely Tidmas only agreed with your plan because he understands the Shades are a problem your soldiers cannot handle themselves. This is our opportunity we can use to prove we’re still useful, prove we can still help the Kingdom until we can find our own way home.”
Lucas’ eyes shifted over to Laven. He had worried that she had oversold it. Even if he agreed fully with the idea of what she said, he was worried that framing it as a service to the kingdom might have risked it too far.
“I...I see,” Tomorrow nodded. “Yes, I can understand your situation. Okay, I understand. You must show me, at least, so I can help train you to better hone your skills.”
“An’ how can we trust that you won’t blab the secret as soon as we tell you?” Roderick asked.
Tomorrow regarded him with a serious look, “My desire is to see this kingdom safe. As of this current moment you are in this kingdom, so that includes you. Selling out this secret would lead to you not being safe, so simply, I will keep it—but only as we’re using it to help others on the front lines. I can help myself sleep at night knowing if we’re helping each other...you understand?”
Lucas nodded, glad their wordplay had swayed his opinion, but Lucas felt a little heart-sunken about the fact that he had most assuredly confirmed that Tomorrow was dedicated to his kingdom for better and for worse. I don’t think we’ll get him to rebel against the castle anytime soon...not unless we can convince him that the safety of the kingdom is without its king...and was that ever a mighty order.
“Well, we can go over that tomorrow. Unfortunately, I have to go tend to the training of another squad,” Tomorrow began. “You all can tidy up...or you can choose to continue should you feel up to it.”
He bid them all a farewell and then they were left to their own devices in the training room. Lucas turned to the others.
“Well, I am surprised he offered to tell us,” Roderick said. “Just like I’m surprised the both of you decided to tell.”
Laven looked to him, “It was a bit of an improvisation, I will admit. But I definitely didn’t think it would pan out the way it did.”
Lucas nodded, “I don’t think telling him what I saw about the Shades would have helped us, so I think of the available ways it could have gone down it was the most favorable.”
“If it’s all the same to you all, I think I’m going to turn in early tonight. I’m exhausted from all this work,” Amber said.
“I think I will join you,” Tabula signed. “But first I’m going to go grab something to eat.”
“I’ll come and join you,” Lucas said, and then he turned to Laven and Roderick. “How about you?”
“I’m going to rest for a bit,” Laven said. “Prepare for tonight since I want to be out for a while.”
“Sounds good,” Roderick said, rubbing his stomach. “I’ll come grab a bite.