Chapter Twenty-Two

“So, these are the five convicts you recommend?” asks Washo, the thunderbell booming as he and Conall stand across from us in the middle of the arena.

“Yes, Clover Washo. They’ve each displayed exemplary capabilities in their duels. They’re all undefeated except for one, and–”

Washo interrupts, “And who is that?”

“Me,” I interject.

Washo steps forward, “Did I give you permission to speak, inmate?”

Realizing I messed up, I almost apologize, but then I remember who I am speaking with.

“No, does it matter?”

“You sure carry a vulgar tongue,” says Washo, studying me for a few seconds as if he’s trying to figure something out.

He then quickly backs away, covering his nose in disgust, “A grounder, I should’ve known. That stench never leaves you scum. What’s your name brat?”

Ignoring his insult, I reply, “Mateo Hernandez.”

Washo looks me up and down, “Hernandez… huh. Conall, are you sure you want to recommend this one?”

Conall replies, “His fiery attitude aside, Hernandez has proven himself. He’s a legacy wielder, and he’s inherited the Halos Avian from none other than our savior, Nevis.”

Washo quickly swivels back to face Conall, “Did you say… he is a legacy wielder?? And he wields the Halos Avian?? The very wings that Nevis grew to save our people from the Kadillan??”

“Yes, sir, that’s correct.”

Washo rotates back to me, “Show me.”

Grinning, I activate my heavenly flames. A beautiful blue and white ignites as my helmet is forged and my wings stretch out. Slowly flying myself up in the air, Washo is awestruck.

He whispers to himself, “It’s true… those wings… those flames… they’re identical…”

As I descend, Washo bows down to me, apologizing for his rudeness and begging for forgiveness.

He rambles, “I always had faith in the prophecy that you would one day return to save the people of this nation when they need you most. And now is that time. Lord Nevis, our country is on the brink of civil war. Please… save us once more.”

Taken aback, I quickly regain my bearings and order that he rise and show some dignity.

Washo obeys, and I say, “Now, hold on. I might wield the legacy of the Halos Avian, but didn’t you come here to recruit a group to fight for your cause? Aren’t you at least interested in the person who bested me?”

“Naturally, Lord Nevis. Please advise me.”

Walking over to Tori, I eye a smirking Conall.

“This woman is named Toriana, and she possesses unbelievable strength. Out of all the battles I’ve fought, she was by far my toughest opponent.”

Washo approaches Toriana and bows, “To be in the presence of an individual who once bested Lord Nevis… it is an honor to meet you, Lady Toriana.”

Toriana awkwardly replies, “Thank you.”

“As for the other three, they are all formidable fighters,” I say. “I may not know them personally, but I’ve watched some of their duels. If you have any doubts–”

Washo dips his head to me, “I would never doubt your word, Lord Nevis.”

Raising his head, Washo adds, “Gentlemen, miss, please introduce yourselves.”

Ayden suppresses a chuckle as Joey slightly bows his head, “My name is Joey. I look forward to surpassing the requirements you’ve installed in your search for competent fighters.”

"Well spoken," mumbles Washo, looking at Makani.

Makani takes a deep breath and states, “I’m Makani. My strongest ability has to do with wind. I hope to impress you today.”

Washo transfers his gaze to Ayden, and Ayden points to himself, “The name’s Ayden. I’m pretty strong, I haven’t lost a duel yet. You’ll want me on this team.”

Conall steps up beside Washo, “Clover Washo, you mentioned earlier you wish to assess their fighting capabilities. How does some sparring sound?”

Washo clears his throat, “That sounds excellent.”

Conall turns and starts walking away, “Then come this way. We’ll watch from above. The skybox provides a far better view of the action. Sorel will also arrive shortly.”

Washo nods and then bows to me again, “I look forward to watching you, Lord Nevis.”

As Conall and Washo walk off, Ayden waits until they leave the arena before scurrying over and wrapping his arm around me, “Haha! You cheeky bastard! You got one of the Clovers bowing to you!”

I start laughing, but out of nowhere, Tori elbows me in the gut.

"I don’t like that you talked for me… you’re lucky this is a special circumstance.”

“Sorry… Tori," I utter as I heal myself, astonished she used iris with that assault.

Joey approaches me next, “She’s right. Who are you to go around acting like the boss of us?”

“I– I didn’t mean to seem like that–”

Joey grins, “I know Mateo. Well played.”

“Guys, they’ll be at skybox any second!” voices Makani.

Turning away from the group, Joey walks off, stretching, and the rest of us also start distancing ourselves.

“Whatever happens today, no hard feelings. Mateo has put us in the Clovers’ good graces already, and as far as I see it, this will just be another normal training day," says Joey. “We’ve come this far... all of us have worked hard. We know that. Let’s seize this moment and breathe some fresh air tomorrow.”

Watching us stretch from above, Washo asks, “Why didn’t you notify the Clovers that the Halos Avian was here in Soulbell?”

Conall replies, “I attempted to, but Sorel shut me down. He knew you would attempt to steal the Halos Avian ability, and his research was far from complete.”

“How incredibly selfish. Did Sorel give him that power?”

Joining Washo and Conall at their side, Sorel answers, “No, quite the opposite. Mateo was admitted into Soulbell already possessing the Halos Avian ability. It’s unclear when he first obtained it, but I believe he came in contact with the shard the night of the shard shower.”

Washo deeply inhales as a few tears shed down his cheek, “I see. So that means his inheritance is no mistake… that man was chosen. This… this must be destiny. Sorel, I thank you for not tampering with the lord's will. It’s allowed me to meet his successor and witness his potential with my very own eyes.”

Stepping away, Sorel clacks away at a keyboard, voicing, “I’m aware that the Clovers are skeptical of my research here. I’ve been at Soulbell for over two years and haven’t had much to show you. But I assure you today you will witness the pristine products of human evolution.”

Grabbing his microphone, Sorel announces, “Everybody, please ready yourselves. Today, things will be a little different from our usual duels. You will only be sparring with one another, and no wins you gather here will count. That said, the warden and I have already talked this over, and if you perform well, you’ll be treated to a delicious meal tonight. Let me make this absolutely clear: no killing or excessive violence will be tolerated. Whichever two individuals want to spar first, please step forward. The rest of you may take a seat against the wall.”

Exchanging glances with one another, Joey says, “We’ll all get plenty of action today. I’ll sit the first one out.”

He starts toward the wall, and Ayden says to me, “Hey, Nevis, we’re keeping our guest waiting. I think we should give him a show.”

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Making sure not to smile, I nod and head to the starting position.

While Ayden walks past Tori, he whispers, “Let’s save the best for last.”

Eyeing Ayden, Tori follows Joey, and Makani trails behind them. Once they are a safe distance away, Ayden and I ready ourselves to spar as Sorel counts down.

***

Loosening his collar, Conall addresses the five of us inside his office, “I apologize for keeping you waiting… it’s been a long day. I haven’t sat down since I spoke with you this morning. Ray, you might need to fill them in on any details I miss.”

Ray nods, and unable to wait any longer, I impatiently ask, “So how’d we do?”

“Washo was more than impressed with you all,” answers Conall. “In fact, I don’t think he had any idea of how powerful iris-wielders really were until he watched you five today. He’s recruiting all of you to join the government in fighting the Amlovos rebels. As of today, you are no longer criminals. You are soldiers.”

My anxious face gives, and I quickly look down with a shuddering deep breath, grazing the soft yarn of my token between my fingers.

Wrapping her arms around me, Makani says, “You did it. Mateo, you did it! You’ll finally get to see your mom!”

Nodding, I expect tears to start shedding, but they don’t. Joey takes a deep breath, maintaining his poise as Tori’s stunned gaze drops to the floor like mine. As for Ayden, he reacts a little differently.

Reaching for his necklace, his voice cracks as he says, “Jalen, Chelsea, don’t worry. Dad’s gonna do things right this time… I promise.”

I glance over at Ayden, and Joey is also looking at his long-time friend with a staggered expression. I’ve never heard Ayden talk about his children before, but Joey has known him the longest. I guess he never knew either.

Conall says, “Sorel still doesn’t know about this, so I’m having you all transported tonight. Ray, have you prepared the clothes?”

“Yes, as you asked, they are placed in the cubbies outside your bathroom.”

“Perfect,” says Conall, a smile appearing on his face. “You’re allowed to hug your friend, ya know?”

Ray opens his mouth to express his gratitude but quickly bites down on his lower lip. Ray can only give Conall a nod while Makani lets go, giving Ray as much space as he needs to embrace me.

We hug for a long time. It definitely feels like he is consoling me, but I think Ray also needs this hug.

Once we’re good, Conall says, “Tonight, you will all take the railway back to the Groundlands and be escorted to the castle from there. I’ve had Ray prepare my bathroom for you all to take turns using. Just don’t make too much of a mess of it.”

Ayden blurts out while wiping away tears, “Absolutely not, sir. Thank you so much.”

"What about our trackers?" asks Tori.

"Becca will remove your trackers in a few minutes, and I'll have them planted in your cells so Sorel doesn't pick up on anything," answers Conall, his eyes transferring from Tori to Joey. “Twenty-three years… that’s how long you’ve been here.”

“It felt… much longer than that,” voices Joey.

“I know,” says Conall. “And these years have probably been the worst of your life. And not just for you, Joey, but all of you. Your time here has surely been a nightmare.”

“It has, but,” says Joey, and Conall’s eyebrows scarcely raise. “You may have been strict, but you made life bearable here. I’ll never forget the day we spoke to each other not as warden and prisoner, but as human beings. We have two vastly different pasts, and I don’t think either of us looks back on those memories fondly. But... something I learned over time is that your past does not always define who you are. At one point, I had accepted that I would rot away within these walls, but I’ve been given another chance… and you should give yourself another chance too.”

Conall briefly breaks eye contact, “Joey, this comment is selfish…”

He meets Joey’s gaze again, “But I’m glad we were able to meet.”

Joey nods, and Conall rises out of his chair, “The hot water awaits. Who would like to–”

“Did you say hot water?!” exclaims Makani as Conall opens a door.

Conall nods, and Makani leaps out of her chair, “Hate me all you want, I’m going first!”

As she scurries over to Conall, I say, “It’s all yours. Take your time.”

Ray interjects, “Not too much time, though! We do have to sneak you all out of here. There are two sets of female outfits inside cubbies on the top row. Pick whichever one you want.”

Makani gleefully squeals in excitement as she enters the bathroom, and Conall closes the door behind her. Conall then walks across to the opposite side of the room and opens another door.

“I’ll need you all to wait in here just in case Sorel decides to drop by. Mateo, your chair is the only one that stays… the rest need to be taken with you into the lounge. Feel free to relax. I’ll send Makani to get the next person once she’s done. Ray, can you help ‘em out?”

“Yeah,” says Ray, following Conall into the lounge as Joey notices Tori still seems out of it.

Ayden whoops as he passes through the doorway carrying his chair, “A lounge room?! Hell yeah!”

Right behind him carrying the chair that Makani was sitting in, I see some food on the coffee table that I’ve been craving.

“Are those cookies?!”

Staying seated, Joey taps Tori on the shoulder, startling her.

“You good?”

“Yeah… I just… didn’t think I’d ever leave this place.”

“Are you worried about something?” asks Joey, just the two of them left in the warden’s office.

Tori shakes her head, “No, I just– I guess I don’t really know what to think. I hadn’t ever considered what I’d do at this point.”

Joey stares ahead, “Well, you’re not alone there. Mateo and Ayden have their families, and it looks like Makani will stick with Mateo. As for myself, I don’t have anything to go back to.”

Tori glances at Joey, who is now staring at the ceiling, “I didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but we aren’t exactly free now.”

Averting her gaze, Tori says, “I know. We may not be inmates anymore… but we’ve been enlisted to fight on the Clover's behalf. We’re still prisoners, just rebranded.”

“We’ll be fighting for the guys that locked us up in here, and once again, we won’t have a say in the matter," chuckles Joey.

“I’ve never seen you spar so intensely before today,” says Tori. “You’re a smart guy. You must’ve worked it out. Why did you try so hard earlier if you still have doubts now?”

Joey sighs, “I guess… I just didn’t want to lose anybody else. Get left behind again, ya know? But after that conversation, you and Mateo had already won him over.”

“Washo might listen to Mateo, but I’m expendable. Who’s to say they won’t just throw us all back in here once this uprising is over? I’ve killed a person. They won’t just let me be.”

“I’ve killed somebody too,” says Joey. “And during this uprising, we might kill more people than we can keep track of. Only difference now is that we’re killing for the Clovers, for their beliefs, and there’s no getting out of it. We’ll further bloody our hands, and that’s something I’ve already prepared myself for. If we win, we’ll be seen as heroes in this country. If we lose, we’ll be tossed aside like garbage again. Maybe even killed. I bet Mateo’s legacy ability will be stripped from him too.”

Joey stands up and picks up his chair, “But I have a feeling things aren’t that simple. Mateo won’t let any of that happen if we’re defeated, and neither will I.”

Carrying his chair toward the open doorway, Joey adds, “The reason I fought today is because of you guys. We’ll stick through whatever happens together and make it out on the other side.”

Stopping at the doorway, he looks back, “But you know Tori… about today, I can’t recall another time I saw you spar so fiercely either.”

***

Dressed in different clothes, we travel along the railway with Ray.

After wearing that prison uniform for so long, I feel like a new man in Ray’s old clothes. They may be a bit worn, but they’re as good as new in my eyes.

Feeling the soft texture of her magenta silk blouse, Makani says, “Ah! This shirt is so comfy! Do rich people really wear this stuff?”

Ray laughs as he stands beside a keypad, clicking a few buttons, “Sure do. I stole that from my mom, so I’m sorry if it doesn’t quite fit. We can find you some better clothes after you meet with the Clover Trine.”

Wearing a white button-up shirt, leather jacket, and jeans, Ayden says, “Yeah, you better have some more clothes. But Ray, I gotta ask, why’d Conall stay behind?”

Ray looks over his shoulder, “Andrew wants to make sure Sorel doesn’t suspect anything. He lives at the prison, so his leaving for any reason would arouse suspicion. It should buy us some more time.”

Staring out the window, Tori watches the prison grow smaller and smaller as the train car races away. Taking notice of Joey rubbing his sweaty palms together, I’m surprised by Joey's nervousness, but I don’t say anything. Unaware that he saw my reaction, Joey flashes a warm smile for an instant.

Clicking a few buttons, Ray announces, “Brace yourselves, everybody.”

Grabbing onto available handles as the train car swiftly slows to a gradual pace, Ray says, “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve arrived at Brickworks! Welcome back to the Groundlands!”

I release my grip, “Wow, I don’t remember it being that fast.”

“The railways use iris as fuel, and the guards can control the train car's speed. I’ve heard guards typically make travel much slower when a new group of inmates is arriving to make the realization sink in, but any other time, it only takes a minute or two to go back and forth,” says Ray.

The door slides open, and Ray walks out, “Watch your step here. We have a short walk through the station before we meet with the Mako. They’ll take you to the castle from there.”

After stepping out, Joey closes his eyes and takes a deep breath of fresh air. Exhaling, he reopens his eyes.

He mumbles, “Damn, this place has changed.”

Ayden playfully backhands Joey on the arm, “No kidding, you’re practically an old man now! Only thing that kept you young was the yard!”

Joey chuckles, “Guess so.”

Walking off, Ray says, “I hate to ruin the moment, but we are on a time crunch. Follow me.”

Catching up to Ray, I ask, “Are you coming with us to Grant Castle?”

Ray grins, “Of course, Conall sent me in his place. Looks like I’m stuck with y’all for a while.”

“You sure you didn’t volunteer to go? You always did admire the castle growing up.”

“Yeah, it’s funny how things turned out. Today, I’ll finally be able to see it in person…”

He gives me a side eye, “And the main reason I’m going is so I can make sure you don’t screw things up and get into more trouble. Who woulda thought?”

I chuckle and push Ray away, “Apparently you! You seemed prepared.”

“Gotta be when my best friend is a known delinquent.”

Approaching a door about a minute later, Ray’s demeanor changes, “Alright, listen up everyone. On the other side of this door is the Mako. Washo specifically requested that you arrive without wearing your armor, which means your powers aren’t restrained. You can try to run, try to fight... you can do whatever you want. This is a test to see how you react. Also, the world has changed drastically since you’ve been in Soulbell, and if any of you try to do anything stupid, even with your powers, I doubt you’ll live.”

Grasping the handle, Ray says, “At least for now, continue being the cooperative human weapons the Clovers believe you are. But as I said, it’s all up to you from here.”

Opening the door, we pass through only to see rows of soldiers and officers with guns aimed at us.

Advancing toward the Mako, Ray announces, “My name is Raymond Allen, and I’m the executive assistant at Soulbell. The five behind me are the individuals the Clovers chose to fight for our nation.”