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Valor V1
National Emergency

National Emergency

Master Hanshon had taken over Nats-Gia since Master Stenci had left with the second year as a supervisor. She had completed all the basic forms, and all that was left were advanced forms.

The six first years assembled in the front yard, wearing casuals and holding their swords and katanas.

“As I told you, you are not first years anymore, but I can’t start second year classes with the absence of Master Stenci.” Hanshon announced.

“What are we going to do, then?” 048 asked, holding his great sword. “I heard she’s only coming back next week,”

“That is true, So I have decided to introduce you all to your first advanced Gia technique,”

They all looked at him excitedly. An advanced technique took months to master, and years to perfect. Yuri made sure to read all about advanced and special techniques from the library.

“Master, what’s the difference between an advanced technique and a special technique?” Yuri asked. He was not usually the type to ask questions in class, but his curiosity took over him.

“Well, a special technique is not always an advanced technique. Some special techniques and acts are forbidden for a reason.” Hanshon explained.

“Forbidden, like?” Ada asked.

“I’m not sure if ‘forbidden’ is the right word, but special techniques are not something students should focus on doing. For example, the amputation technique or the temporal awakening technique.”

Yuri understood. An amputation technique allowed the user to manipulate surplus Gia by sacrificing any one of his limbs, and a temporal awakening technique meant forfeiting most of your life span to achieve an unbelievable Gia manipulation field. It was not something you could achieve without losing something.

“Today,” Hanshon began. “We will start the basics of spatial manipulation.”

He walked back from them, till he was sure they were at least ten feet away. “Spatial manipulation is a combination of forms and Feats. We manipulate the resources around us to turn the tide of the battle.” He assumed a defensive stance. “Watch the tiles on the floor carefully.” He performed a swing with his entire body very slowly. He boosted his speed after a few seconds and used his body to rotate in a specific manner. The tiles on the floor rose up, levitating in the air. Without breaking his motion, he used his katana and pointed it at a wall near him. The floating tiles attacked the wall at full speed, stabbing the wall in an instant.

“Be it ground, water, or even lava, you can manipulate it to your liking.”

Their jaws dropped.

“That is the coolest thing ever.” Tatsu said.

“I know.” Yuri added.

Tumes tried to imitate the movement that Master Hanshon performed. He looked like he was dancing.

“The vital part of this technique is to have perfect control over your internal channeling. In order to manipulate your surroundings, you must first learn to completely manipulate the Gia within you.” Hanshon said.

“Isn’t that the entire point of the feats class?” Tatsu asked.

“Yes, very good.” Hanshon moved closer to the class to provide further instructions. “We will start with a simple exercise, all you have to do is conceal your weapon and summon it.”

“That’s easy.” Stu said. He demonstrated the exercise by concealing his Ground slayer, then summoning it.

“Do it fifty times without error.” Hanshon said.

Yuri could feel his energy exhausted before completing even ten times. His hands were shaking and his summoning time was getting slower. He looked at others to see if he was the only one experiencing it. Their faces were paintings of dissatisfaction too.

Yuri almost collapsed when he completed all fifty of the conceal and summon exercises.

“Now, channel your Gia through your sword.” Hanshon picked up his times. “For seven minutes. Starting now.”

Yuri wasn’t even sure if he could keep his hands in the air for seven minutes. It was just as hard as he expected. By minute three, he could feel the dehydration powering up. His skin was drier than paper, even his eyes.

“I don’t think I can hold on much longer.” Ada said through her teeth, trying not to scream.

“Of course, you can, just two more minutes,” Hanshon replied.

The drill left them motionless on the ground. The only thought in Yuri’s mind was to get his hands on a water bottle. The sweet idea of gulping down on freshwater tortured his mind.

“All right. Take a two minute break.” They ran for the pipe with all the life they had left in them. He was about to pass out while waiting his turn. Finally, he kissed the pipe. Water never tasted better.

His happiness was cut off when the pipe ran out just before he could satisfy his thirst,

“FUCK!” he cried. That’s like watching porn and not jacking off! he thought.

“Practice your full swings with continuous Gia channelment.” Hanshon ordered. “Copy my footwork while you’re at it.”

Yuri watched his feet. Master Hanshon was switching between three different stances the entire time. It was hard to follow but he finally got it.

“Good work, Yuri.” Hanshon complimented him.

It was tiresome but he understood it. The swift and precise movement of the action made his Gia channeling faster and more efficient. He could feel the energy swelling up in his arms and legs. His best guess was that this Gia energy was used to manipulate the area around them by simply projecting them.

“Yuri, Tumes, and Ada. Go over there.” Hanshon told them. “You three have mastered the actions. The rest will stay here and practice before they join you.”

“Damn!” Tatsu cursed, not breaking his movements.

Yuri felt proud, but he did not let it get over his mind. He was sure that what was ahead was much harder. They walked over to the other end of the yard, where there was a peepal tree growing in the center.

“Advanced technique, hmm. Doesn’t seem so advanced to me.” Tumes commented with a serious look on his face.

“That was the easy part.” Ada immediately responded, “Manipulating your space is no easy task. It is a very intricate technique.”

Master Hanshon joined them. He dropped his katana on the ground and picked up one of the wooden staffs that were laying next to the tree.

“A katana or a sword is too easy to channel your gia through. Use the staff. Since it requires more balance, it is more efficient to train with.” He positioned the staff the same way as he did with the katana. “Follow the same actions, but this time try to gain more momentum as you go on. You will reach a point where you can feel the Gia at the end of your staff.”

“But how can we feel the staff?” Tumes queried.

“The staff will feel like an extension of your arm. You will feel the weight swelling upon it.” Master Hanshon answered. He signaled them to start the drill.

Gaining momentum was easier since he had done it before. He could feel the stick as a part of his body now. It was perfectly balanced. Eventually, the end of the stick started to feel heavier.

“I got it.” He told Master Hanshon, not stopping his motion.

“Good. Now, bring the stick a bit closer to the ground. Don’t touch it.” Master Hanshon told him.

“Ada, Tumes stay away from Yuri and watch him closely.” Hanshon ordered as he himself moved away from Yuri’s field of vision.

“I brought it closer to the ground, now what?” Yuri struggled to say. He was reaching the end of his limit.

“Good, try to distribute the Gia at the end of your stick to the ground. Just try it. Don’t overexert yourself.” Master Hanshon sounded cautious, but Yuri was too excited to care.

With every swing of the staff, he tried to distribute the staff’s Gia to the tile floor when it came close to it. It was for a split second, but he could feel the tiles shaking. He gave one last push with everything he had. The tiles shot up from the ground like bullets. He finished his last movement and used his staff to point to the nearest wall. The tiles obeyed his intentions. They threw themselves at the wall, almost getting through to the other side.

“Impressive. Very impressive.” Hanshon clapped his hands. “It is far from perfect but it usually takes more time to do what you did. Good Job.” He patted Yuri’s shoulders. All of the eyes were on him. He felt conscious but also proud.

“Bastard.” Tumes jokingly called. “I will have you beaten in no time.” He promised.

“All right, that’s it for today.” Master Hanshon announced.

He placed the stick back on the tree and joined the others with Ada and Tumes. They were drenched in sweat and tired to the bone.

“That’s so cool Yuri,” Stu told him. “It looked almost as good as when Master Hanshon did it.”

“It was cool, but spill it, what’s the secret? How did you do that?” Tatsu asked, beating him on his back.

“What secret? I just followed his instructions.” Yuri answered. “I think I got lucky.”

“Yeah, you did, But It’s still an accomplishment.” Tumes said.

They drank from the pipe again and decided to hang out at the mess hall.

“It’s a special day.” Tatsu said, pulling in a chair for her to sit.

“What?” Stu asked.

“Don’t tell me you forgot. It’s Axel’s last day. He’s leaving tomorrow morning.” Yuri could see the excitement in Tatsu’s eyes. “Don’t you know what that means?”

“What?” Stu asked again.

“We should ask him to buy lunch for us, Duh!” She clapped both her hands on the table.

“Axel! Axel!” She started chanting as soon as he entered the mess hall.

“Axel! Axel! Axel! Axel!” The rest of them joined her.

Axel was extremely bewildered. He looked at them as if they were a bunch of rabid dogs. He had to walk over to know what all the fuss was about.

“Hey?” Axel asked.

“Lunch! Lunch! Lunch!” they switched their chanting. Axel looked more confused now.

“What?” he asked.

Tatsu dramatically got up and stood up on her chair. “Buy us lunch, I command thee for It is thou last day!” she said, holding an invisible sword.

“Yeah, sure. Just say that.” He said calmly.

“Ayo Margret!” Axel screamed at the lunch lady. “Seven hamburgers!”

“What?” she confusedly asked back from her rusty counter.

“SEVEN HAMBURGERS!” They screamed together.

“Yeah. Okay.” She said without any care.

Axel pulled another chair in to sit with them.

“Master Hanshon told me what you did today,” Axel said, inverting his chair to sit with his legs wide. “That’s pretty cool, Yuri.”

“Heh, Yeah. Thanks.” Yuri said borderline blushing. He never had been showered with praise before. It felt uneasy.

“Can you do me another favor?” Tumes asked.

“What?” Axel asked, “The hamburger is not sufficient enough?”

“Not at all.” Tumes leaned in with a vicious look on his face. “Fight me.”

“No.” Axel replied. “You are far too weak for me.”

“I know, but I also want to know the distance.” Tumes said.

“Distance?” Axel asked,

“The distance between me and a full fledged Valor. It’ll make my path easier.” Tumes said.

“I want to know too.” Stu said eagerly.

“Me too.” Yuri joined them.

Axel focused on the hamburger that arrived on his table. He didn’t say a word till he finished eating his sandwich.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Is there that much to consider?” Tatsu asked.

“What?” Axel asked. “Oh yeah, you guys wanted to fight me huh? Totally forgot about that.” He swallowed his last bite.

“Seriously?” Yuri asked. He was sure that Axel was deep in thought.

“Well, I’ll fight you, but after one down, you’re out.” Axel gave his answer.

“Sounds fair to me.” Tumes enthusiastically stood up, as if he was prepared to fight at the very moment.

“Good enough.” Stu said.

“We have feats class at two.” Yuri reminded them. “We’ll have to make do within an hour.”

“Bold of you to assume that you could last an hour.” Axel stated.

As soon as the hamburgers reached their stomachs, they stepped out to the Aori yard again. It was a very cloudy day, with little to no wind. It was perfect for a day of dueling.

“How do we do this?” Ada asked. “We just fight?”

“How about we keep a timer for each fight? The person who lasted the longest wins.” 048 proposed, polishing his great sword.

“Yeah, whatever. I’m going first.” Tumes stepped in with his weapon. It was a katana, with the longest blade in the entire class. He faced Axel and stared him dead in the eye. Axel stood there just observing Tumes.

“3… 2…” 048 started the theatrics. “1… Brawl!”

Tumes jumped in, head first. He aimed his first swing for Axel’s legs, almost reaching them. Axel jumped with ease before it was an inch or two away from chopping off his legs.

Axel used the hilt of his katana to force Tumes to the ground. He was clearly taking it seriously. Tumes managed to dodge the devastating back blow. He regained his footing and launched his second attack. He thrust his katana toward Axel’s head. Yuri was sure that Tumes was trying to take control of the pace. After all, the attacks were very straightforward. But to Tumes’s credit, they had weight behind them.

To Yuri’s surprise, Tumes’s attack wasn’t deflected, it was simply dodged. Axel moved his neck to his right, inches away from the sharp katana. Tumes was quick to react, he tried to chop off Axel’s head by simply turning the face of the katana to his head. Axel had seen that coming too, he ducked and went for his first attack. He used his unarmed left hand to push him to the ground. Yuri guessed that Axel’s katana was too long and uncomfortable to use from that position.

Tumes was launched into the air. He flew a few feet back but landed on his feet. He desperately tried to regain his footing. If he fell on the ground, it was over.

“Use your head.” Axel advised, holding his defensive stance.

Tumes settled down and took a breather. He silently observed him and analyzed the situation. Yuri was forming an attack plan in his mind too. This was an unprecedented opportunity for him to improve.

Tumes finally made up his mind. He used an open stance and started using a familiar motion to weave his body. He was trying to use the advanced technique.

“He can’t be serious.” Stu said, “We haven’t even covered the basics of it yet. This would only make him an easier target.”

Axel kept his distance, waiting to pounce.

He’s out of rhythm, Yuri observed. That would only make the outcome less powerful.

Yuri always knew that Tumes wasn’t the brightest, but he was not dumb either. He had more battle knowledge than any of the other first years.

He’s planning something else. I’m sure.

His hunch was proven right when Tumes set off from the ground, abandoning his attempts at the advanced technique. Maybe he was just using it as a distraction, or to throw Axel off. Either way, It worked, and Tumes gained the temporary advantage. From the looks of it, Axel was not prepared for the incoming blow, but Yuri was proven wrong.

Sure, Axel looked frustrated, but he was also quick to act. He met Tumes’s invitation for a brawl head-on. He blocked the first attack by simply deflecting it. Then he went on the offensive for a change. Axel used his katana to slash one of Tumes’s blindspots. Axel did not put his strength behind it, obviously. It looked like a scratch, but it was enough for Tumes to back off. Axel then used his full strength with a straightforward katana slash to his head. Tumes defended himself with his sword, but he went down with the force. His knees were on the ground, but his face was satisfied.

“Thank you.” Tumes said to him and walked away happily.

“Two minutes, nine seconds.” 048 stopped his timer.

“I’ll go next.” Yuri declared.

“By all means,” Axel welcomed him to the battleground.

“3,2,1…” 048 counted down. “Brawl!”

Yuri decided to take it slow. It was clear that Axel wanted him to make the first move, but he didn’t want to jump in as Tumes did. They stared at each other, both assuming a defensive stance. The unspoken tension between them was high.

Yuri decided to close the distance between them by slowly stepping forward. Axel stepped in too.

Yuri swung his katana to Axel’s left shoulder. He deflected it and launched a series of attacks against Yuri. Yuri carefully parried them away. The hits were strong too, he could feel his legs being forced back.

He attempted to get out of the situation by deflecting the last attack with a long backhand deflection. It gave him enough time to get on Axel’s right. Axel didn’t slow down. He launched the next series of attacks. He had completely taken over the pace of the battle.

“AHH!” Yuri groaned as he put his back into a full deflection. It made Axel back off by an inch. He could not afford to lose this chance. Yuri pressed for an attack. He was successful. Axel was deflecting every single one of his hits but Yuri had at least taken over the pace temporarily.

He waited for Axel to slip up, but it was hopeless. Yuri knew he had to perform something extraordinary to catch him off guard.

What If I just..? An idea popped up into Yuri’s head. No, that's stupid. But, it’s so stupid it could actually work.

Yuri stopped his attacks and stepped back a few steps. He completely dropped his stance. He just stood there with no guard whatsoever. Axel was puzzled, but he jumped forward for a finishing slash.

It was straight to the chest hit but Yuri ducked just in time. While he was down there, he regripped his katana and went for a kill to the neck. Axel was in disbelief, it missed him by an inch.

“Stop!” Master Baldwin ordered.

They stopped fighting and turned their attention toward them.

“It’s just a friendly match.” Yuri explained. “Also, Feats class doesn’t start for fifteen more minutes.”

“I know.” Baldwin said, “But I have come with important news. The city of Tefot is under attack.”

“What?” Ada asked shockingly.

“There have been more than twenty deaths and the city is currently under siege.” Baldwin informed.

“Who’s behind it?” Stu asked.

“The Proximians.”

Yuri’s heart skipped a beat. His arms started shaking and his mind was shattered. He couldn’t believe what he just heard.

“No, that can’t be.” Ada panicked. “My father lives in Tefot. It’s my home.”

Tatsu tried to comfort her.

“We are under the council’s order, the white robes are ordered to go to Tefot and assist in the rescue of the citizens.” Baldwin said. “This is your time to use your skills for helping others. We have to leave at once.”

“Is nobody going to stay behind to protect the island?” 048 asked.

“Not any of the Valors. This situation requires all of us. We will entrust the protection of this island to the Sizaxians. That reminds me, you need to inform Buldum of the emergency. Tell him that the island is in his hands.”

“I’ll go.” Yuri put back his katana and started to leave for the huts.

“I’ll join you.” Stu went along with him.

“Me too.” said 048.

They sprinted through the forest and crossed the waterfall for the second time. Just like last time, they forgot the fact that they would get wet once they reached the other side. 048 led the way after they crossed the waterfall. They were once again invited by the strange looks of the Sizaxians, but they didn’t care. 048 rushed to the workshop, he was sure Buldum was working during these hours.

Yuri did not have the chance to stop and look around. They were essentially speeding through the stores and huts.

“Where’s Chief Buldum?” 048 asked one of the Sizaxians who was molding something in his workshop.

“48! My, It’s been a long time, kid.” The Sizaxian lifted his safety helmet off and greeted him.

“Hey Soxys, Sorry but I am in a hurry, Do you know where he is?” 048 asked.

“The chief? I think he’s attending a meeting of the generals.” Soxys said,

“At the council hall?” 048 asked again.

“Well, where else?”

“Thanks Soxys.”

048 led the group in another direction. It was at the center of the town, a larger-than-usual hut, with a metal design and polished surface. 048 gently knocked on the door.

“Why are you here?” A red-coated Sizaxian answered the door. If Yuri remembered correctly, he had similarities to Igor, the warrior clan Sizaxian who fought them the last time they visited. This one was a bit older.

“It’s an emergency, Sir.” 048 said. He was extremely cautious.

“Buldum, your idiot protege is here.” The Sizaxian said out loud, not turning his gaze from 048.

“048?” Chief Buldum completely opened the door. Yuri took a peek inside. There were three other Sizaxians, all different colors, sitting around a table playing poker. There were also cans of oil stacked inside.

“The city of Tefot is under attack. Under council orders, all of the Valors need to help out,.” 048 said. “Baldwin asked us to inform you of this. The island needs to be protected.”

Chief Buldum and the red Sizaxian stared at each other in silence.

“The city of Tefot?” Another voice spoke from behind. It was Igor. He was holding an ax in his arms. 048 nodded.

“When are you leaving?” the red Sizaxian asked.

“Soon,” he answered.

“Come in, all of you.” Chief Buldum invited them inside.

Yuri and Stu removed their shoes before getting in. The floor was wooden but cold. The three other Sizaxians, Blue, Orange, and Green got up from the overly large chairs. Ironically, 048 was the smallest Sizaxian in the room, followed by Igor.

“This is quite unfortunate, the attack, I must admit.” Chief Buldum opened a locker that was placed on the nearby table. “But it is also an opportunity for the Sizaxians to show their support.”

“What do you mean?” 048 asked.

“Both of you, 048 and Igor, will participate in the fight in Tefot.” Chief Buldum decided. “After all, both of you are excellent fighters who will undoubtedly lend a helping hand at such desperate times, don’t you agree?”

“Me too?” Igor asked. “Do I have your permission, father?” he turned to the larger red-coated Sizaxian. Yuri’s suspicions were confirmed.

“Permission? You are a warrior, my son.” he replied.

“This is a declaration to the great five nations, that the Sizaxians are stepping up to protect Cassian.” The green Sizaxian said, his voice softer than the others.

“I don’t agree with any of this.” The blue-coated Sizaxian spoke aggressively. “I still think it’s not right for a member of a mender clan to learn the Valor arts. It’s disgraceful.”

“Shut your trap, Lothem or I’ll shut it for you. 048’s future has already been discussed.” The red tainted Sizaxian said. He saw 048’s eyes gleaming with happiness, just for a moment, but Yuri saw it.

“Don’t get me wrong.” The red Sizaxian said to 048. “I voted against you, but we lost five to two. You better prove you are worthy of such an honor.” he said. 048 nodded, trying his best not to back away from the beast in front of him.

“He will prove himself, when the time comes.” Chief Buldum returned from opening the locker, holding something in his hands.

“Take care of it.” Buldum handed it to 048. It was a Sizaxian badge, differently designed from his former one. It had the words ‘Second in command” written over it.

“It’s an honor, thank you chief.” 048 bowed his head.

The door of the hut was knocked again. It was already open but Axel was standing at the footstep, wearing his gray robe.

“Axel.” Chief Buldum greeted him.

“Chief Buldum, Is it ready?” Axel asked.

“Oh. Yeah I forgot to deliver it last week.” Buldum sounded apologetic. “Follow me. It’s in my shed.”

“What are they talking about?” Stu whispered to Yuri.

“No clue.”

Chief Buldum led the four of them, Axel, Yuri, Stu, and 048 back to the workshop. There were three shutters open a total of eight. The Sizaxian who talked to 048 earlier, Soxys, greeted them again.

“Hey Chief! Looks like 048 found you.” Soxys said.

“He did. Sox, where did I leave item B-17?” The chief asked as he entered the room with the others.

“B-17? We got that order months ago. Must be in shutter five. I’ll show ya.” Soxys got out of his chair and walked to the shutter next to them, shutter five.

It was built differently. There were just shelves and tables in the room. Yuri guessed that it was used for storage.

“Let’s see,” Soxys opened one of the small shelves. Yuri saw a faint party light reflecting in Soxys’s face when he opened it. “Oh not this section.” he declared.

Soxys walked across the room and opened the bottommost shelf.

“That’s it.” Soxys pulled out a wooden box and gave it to the Chief.

He placed it on the table that was in the center of the room.

“You want to open it here?” Chief Buldum asked. He stepped away from the table.

Axel nodded and went ahead to open it.

He revealed what was inside the wooden box. A sleek, newly polished, black-bladed katana. Yuri felt his timbers shivering when Axel held it. The pure gia presence that the katana contained was like none other.

“What’s it called?” Axel asked. He gripped the katana with his right hand. It suited him perfectly.

“Made from the demon ghoul Akuna, reigning from the land of Pelgus. Forged from the finest metal on the entire five nations. I call it, Nintetsu, slasher of iron.” Chief Buldum said.

“Nintetsu.” Axel gripped it with both his hands and allowed himself to transfer his Gia onto the katana. Yuri’s arm hair stood up. He knew he was witnessing the beginning of something extraordinary. “Thank you, Chief Buldum. I’ll make sure to put it to good use.”

Stu retrieved his Ground slayer from his waist and looked at the Chief.

“Chief Buldum, Can you please explain this?” he flipped the sword and gave it to him, hilt first.

“Property of Hlans Ozik.” Buldum read. He didn’t say anything for a few moments after that. He just stared at it.

“Chief?” Stu asked. Buldum snapped back and addressed him.

”Where did you get this?” Buldum asked coldly.

“From the northern woods. It was planted next to a dead tree.” Stu answered.

“That can’t be.” Buldum said strongly.

“Why? Master Hanshon said you knew more about this sword. Do you know who Hlans Ozik is?” Stu asked him.

“My boy, Hlans Ozik, was a legend among Valors.” Buldum said as if he knew him. “He died three centuries ago. I refuse to believe that a sword of his own has been left unfound in the northern woods all this time. It’s dumb.”

“Then how do you explain this?” Yuri asked. The chief had no answer to offer.

“It could just be a reforge? Or a copy?” 048 suggested.

“Chief, You can date the age of a sword just by feeling it. Can’t you just know if it’s real or not by doing that?” Soxys asked.

“I tried.” Chief Buldum admitted. “I can’t explain it but the metal feels like it was forged yesterday. I have never seen anything like it.”

“So It’s a rare sword.” Stu said.

“Most definitely.” Chief Buldum gave it back to Stu.

“What did you name it?” Soxys asked him.

“The Ground slayer.” Stu said proudly. Silence filled the room. All of them stared at Stu questionably.

“That is a stupid name.” The chief said.

“Told you.” Yuri rubbed it in his face.

“We should return to Aori now.” Axel said. “We don’t have much time.”

“Tell Baldwin the island’s safe with us.” Buldum told him.

They went back to the waterfall that marked the border between Aori and Sizaxia. Waiting for them at the bridge was Igor waiting with his ax. He had a fanny pack around his waist.

“Took you long enough.” Igor was the first to cross the waterfall. They all followed.

The five of them made their way to the mess hall where everyone else was waiting for them. Tatsu threw three white robes at them as they entered the hall. She and Ada were already packed and ready to go.

Master Hanshon, Master Baldwin, and Ada were glued to the Television in the corner of the room. It was small, sort of like a radio.

After wearing his robe, Yuri found the Polenian tracker’s compass, the one he gifted Ada from Sizaxia, lying about on one of the tables. He picked it up with the intention of giving it to Ada.

“Visual reports have confirmed that the attack is led by Cal Harn, also known as the reaper of the king. ” The news lady announced while they flashed images of smoke coming out of buildings. The buildings and houses arranged in rows were on fire. “Their intention is currently unknown. It has been seven years since their last attack in Hisantrost, which tore a hole in the heart of our nation.” Yuri’s mind was scrambled again. His blood was fuming. He clasped the compass tightly and closed his eyes.

It’s different this time, he promised himself.