Arc 2 Chapter 1

We write the 10th year after the soulstorm. Up to this date there have been founded many new villages and cities, live returned to an order, there were still dangers lurking outside the walls of the settlements, in fact they grew even stronger. But mankind found its way, like it always did.

Oliver arises from his bed to greet the new morning, looking out of the window he deduces that it will be another sunny September day in Evervale, the city he helped to found. Right now there are around five thousand people living here and a lot are arriving every day, the city has the reputation to be extremely safe, but also that to be secretive. Only few ever talk about its location or how live goes there, only that in a big area around it there aren't any changed humans or monsters.

Those who seek it are led to the city after they gather at a openly known location, trade also happens there. The reason we established it this way is that we found many places that are hostile towards those with a strengthened soul. The believe I encountered in the former capital seems to have spread far and wide.

Those that enter have to stay at least a year here and from most we get a reading of their soul. We already found way too many spies, some defected others died. It seems like fanatics are a problem in every age.

After all this time I still look almost the same, I stopped my ageing long ago. And I made another decision, I would never have children, not that there weren't some women that are interested in me, it is the simple fact that I am so far away from human right now, that I lost most of my human DNA and the 'scrap' parts I once discarded while modifying myself seem to have been important to father a healthy being. My position and lifestyle also aren't able to create a healthy family.

I am away from home way to often. Someone has to defend our land from the monsters and the soulless and I am the strongest and the fastest since I learned how to fly. It is rather taxing but as long as I don't have to dodge something I can fly at a rapid pace, but it isn't good for combat. Too much concentration just for movement.

The monsters that appeared are further evolved soulless humans and animals. Some are degenerated to such an extent that one can't determine their origin. Thankfully they lack intelligence and soul-strength. A lot of them are stunned by a simple soulwave and their modifications consist mostly of overgrown muscles and changed skeletons.

Around a year ago I reached a bottleneck in my training, I seem to be unable to amass more soulmass in my being. It was a strange feeling to witness it simply dissolve into nothingness when I absorb more soulmist. Since then I try to find ways to further improve myself, not that I am weak I am by far the strongest in the city.

My body is even further improved than when I infiltrated the capital, I used my resources on research, since I couldn't strengthen my soul. My strength and resilience at this point is simply ridiculous.

Deep in thought I get ready for the day I live together with Peter, Sarah and their children, since I need someone to do some of my chores, it would be simply to much with all the time I spend on my duties. My morning begins with a breakfast, what else? I still enjoy eating you know?

After that I head towards the training field. I train a specialized group of people and prepare them to use body-modification. Only those with extremely precise energy manipulation could attempt to become one. Their first training includes the creation of their body image with their soul. For that they need a very strong soul and a lot of knowledge.

I lead them on their way, some already advanced to their first modification, I consult them on their advances and about their possible drawbacks. My other duty takes place in the afternoon, I patrol a huge area around the city, eliminating wandering threats. The soulless have proven countless times that they can adapt to every environment. There exists a huge variety of them by now. We also learned that only whole souls can create children with whole souls. The soulless still have children though.

My patrol this day was almost without any events, but then at the outer border I found something troubling, a group of people which didn't travel towards the location we announce via a radio-station, since we got some solar power going. They travel roughly towards the city. At their current pace they will reach it in three days.

Normally I would escort such a group to the staging area, but this group is heavily armed and tries to stay out of sight. And they do a great job at that, sadly they never expected a flying observer that can detect them through their soul. They wear camouflage gear. A closer examination shows me that their souls aren't trained, so it can't be a training session I ain't aware of.

So who was curios enough to send those scouts? I lower myself to the ground. I fall from the sky right in front of them, disabling their guns while fighting, all I have to do is break a tiny piece of metal and clog and jam the trigger with it.

When they finally notice me it is way to late for them to react. “What is your purpose in the vicinity of our city Evervale?” I ask, noting how terrible yet fitting this name is, we will never give up this valley, never ever. They instantly try to shoot me. Either they never had friendly intentions or I startled them a bit too much. Their attempt fails anyway, not one bullet leaves their barrels.

“Cooled down yet? I am still waiting for my answer.” I say getting impatient. “We don't talk with demons.” one says drawing his knife. I disable them, while thinking that they aren't cooperative or consequent at all, he just told me he isn't allowed to tell me anything. How hard can it be to remain silent?

When they all had hit the floor at least once and didn't attempt to stand up, I crouch down next to the blabbermouth and beat his soul up, while extracting all the information I need. They come from the capital to check what we built in the last ten years and if they can get our help in their war.

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So they finally started a war huh? Probably with someone who doesn't approve of their fanaticism. The name they gave themselves as a country was also new to me. That they founded a country at all was big news to me. I dig deeper and learn that the country was founded a week ago to create a unified front against those that oppose their believes. They call themselves New Eden, this name is an even more cliché one than Evervale.

The bad news are that they just so happened to also include our city in their country, since we are enclosed by them and the mountains anyway. An ambassador is already on its way to do the formalities..... I guess it bites us now that we never openly took a side in this brewing conflict.

I tie this recon squad up and bring them to the staging area since it is close by and I have to walk to carry them. With them I am simply too fat to fly. I reach the location after an hour of carrying, I then place my cargo in a box for trading goods that goes to the city and inform the supervisor of the camp of what happens and what to do with our 'guests'.

Now I wait for the ambassador. But the problem is I don't know what I should do with him, if he vanishes they will get alarmed, if he enters the village he will find out that we are 'demons' rather fast. We created this safe zone for a reason, we didn't want to restrain ourselves while training. The best course of action would be to buy time.

A convoy to the city is already under way to inform the leaders of the situation. I too am part of our council. We created a rather strange system, where everybody can make proposals for our course of actions, but if you would give bad advice too often you could loose your right to do so, for a limited time of course. The council decides over the proposals and creates laws and regulations.

It is a strange but really flexible system, but I don't think that it is feasible when we grow bigger, right now the council is a part time job, a bigger administrative effort would lead to it being a full time job rather fast.

My thoughts are disrupted by the sound of an approaching convoy. The ambassador arrived, she is a woman with a rather strict facial expression, she is accompanied by ten men in arms. Her company is nothing to worry about, there are a lot of guys around that can deflect bullets as if they were nothing more than flies.

“Greetings, I am ambassador Evangelia, I come in mandate of the theocracy of New Eden, I come here to welcome you in our community.” she greets me, as I approach her. I am wearing my armour right now, which has gotten decorated so that I could use it as my council uniform when I visit surrounding settlements in diplomatic missions, those annoy me greatly since I aren't allowed to fly there.

Analysing what she said, I am disturbed by the lack of choice she seems to give us, maybe it just seems like the obvious choice to her that we will join them. So obvious that she doesn't concern herself with formulating a more complex sentence and asks about our opinion. I hate fanatics even more when they are on what they assume their home turf.

“I greet you Evangelia, my name is Oliver I am part of the council of this city, I fear the good news didn't reach us very fast, it was just yesterday that we learned of the founding, so I think we may need some more time to sort trough this business.” I reply, “In the meantime I would like to invite you to a tour trough our city. Although I must warn you that our conventions may look strange to you. The seclusion takes a strange toll.”

I hear her whisper to one of her companions “A city? I though it was a small village. This may be a huge find.” “I would be more than pleased to accompany you, but I fear my companions have some other business to attend to.” she replies loudly. I guess they want to check on their scouts. I give a small gesture towards one of our warriors stationed here and he leads the two of us to a carriage.

The gesture I gave him soon led to the capture of the ten soldiers, it comes in quite handy from time to time to have such a sign language. Meanwhile I talk with the ambassador, while we drive to the city. The carriage is drawn by a cow and doesn't have windows, we normally transport our new arrivals with it and we don't want them to flee before we scan them.

“This carriage sure shows that you lack some technology right now. If you join us we could sell you some gasoline, which I think is the reason you don't use cars.” She says. “Actually there is no need for that, these cows are a special breed which excels in speed and endurance. We are rather lucky we have them. They need less maintenance than a car and the gas is just plain grass. They aren't bound by roads too. And all we need to get more of them is to breed some.” I reply. Of course we aren't 'lucky' we got them, I made them.

“But we could need some energy sources that is true.” I add. “But what could you want as payment? We got plenty of lumber and food, we also mine some iron, but that is all we produce.” I continue. “What we need right now is man power.” she says, “Of course you will get paid and that could as well be done in gods don't you agree?” “Hmm of course that is an option, but what kind of labor do you have in mind?” I ask playing my little game of pretending to not know.

“I will be honest, we need soldiers to fight against the demons, they created some kingdoms around our territory and unified them against us. They begun this war and we need every help to win it.” she says filled with passion. I guess she believes what she said, but it isn't coherent with what I learned before. As far as I know they declared the war themselves and not against one country but all.