Settling In

After a lengthy journey, the Airblade touched down at the Shadow Phoenix Headquarters' Hangar...

Stepping out of the Airblade, which had just parked with a soft hum, I gestured for Kaelith and Farthington to follow. They emerged from the sleek, metallic craft, taking in the vast surroundings of the Shadow Phoenix base's grand hangar. The expanse was impressive, easily large enough to store a passenger plane or two, its ceiling lost in the heights above with beams of artificial light illuminating the space below.

"Hmm, the size of this hangar is decent, don't you think so, farm boy?" Farthington remarked, a smirk playing on his lips as he glanced at Kaelith.

Kaelith gave him a sidelong glare, replying, "I guess it really is impressive…"

"Come with me. We'll fill out your paperwork and get you settled in," I said, leading them through the labyrinthine passages of the headquarters.

We eventually reached the filing room, a repository of shadowy, neglected archives. Dust coated the surfaces in thick layers, the scent of old paper hanging heavily in the air. It was clear that the room hadn't seen regular use in quite some time. Rows upon rows of filing cabinets stretched out, holding a vast amount of folders and papers, their metallic frames dull with age.

"What a dreary atmosphere… don't you have anyone to clean this place?" Farthington inquired, scrunching his nose at the musty surroundings.

Sighing, I replied, "Currently, including the two of you, we have a total of four members."

"Wait. Just four? Why would you need a base this large for such a small group of people, madam?" Farthington's voice was tinged with disbelief.

"You're asking the wrong person. If you really want to know, you can ask the boss when he's back," I answered, my tone monotonous. Switching to a lighter note, I added, "Anyway, I'll get the contracts printed for you to sign. You can wait here while I'm doing that."

After a short while, I returned with two crisp contracts in hand. The smell of fresh ink mingled with the dust as I walked over to a nearby desk. Swiping the dust off, I laid the contracts down and placed a pen, which I had just grabbed from the copying room earlier, beside them.

"Alright, here are the contracts. Read over them and sign at the designated spot on the final page. Once you're done, I'll show you to your rooms and explain your responsibilities in more detail."

Farthington immediately picked up the contract, poring over the lines with intense scrutiny, his eyes narrowing as he read. His past experience with dubious contracts had made him wary.

Kaelith, on the other hand, stood frozen in front of his contract, simply staring at it. His hesitation was palpable.

Confused, I asked, "Is there something wrong, Kaelith?"

Scratching the back of his head, he replied with a nervous smile, his voice low, "Well, the thing is… I can't really read or write."

'Just great! He can't even read or write! …Wait. I won't have to teach him, will I?' I thought, trying to suppress my frustration.

"In that case, let me read it to you so we can move this along," I said, picking up the paper.

After about ten minutes, I finished reading the contract aloud and placed it back on the desk. "Well, there you have it. Now, if you would please sign right here," I pointed to the designated signature line. "Wait. Do you know how to write your name?"

Taking hold of the pen, Kaelith replied, "My parents at least taught me how to write my name."

As Kaelith began scribbling his signature, Farthington approached me, his own contract in hand, already signed. "I have a question, madam. What in the world did our employer see in this country bumpkin?"

"If you want to know, you can ask him yourself once he comes back. He left on business just as I left to recruit you two. He should be back sometime soon."

"Alright, I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Farthington said, clearly intrigued.

Kaelith finished writing his name and handed his contract over to me. I scanned the papers using my glasses, digitizing them for easier access and placed the hard copies in a folder, which I then filed away in the designated cabinet.

Turning to Kaelith, who had found a seat and was patiently waiting, and Farthington, who was leaning against a wall engrossed in his book, I announced, "Ahem, now that you're both officially part of the team, let me welcome you to Shadow Phoenix headquarters. Let's head over to where you'll be staying while you're here. I think you'll find your quarters quite nice."

Farthington looked skeptical. "Tsk, how nice could the rooms here really be? I doubt they're that great."

A Few Moments Later...

"This room is exquisite!" Farthington exclaimed as he inspected his personal quarters, his earlier skepticism vanished.

Walking into the room from the hallway, one was greeted by a spacious living room fitted with a large flat-screen TV and a plush couch. Behind the couch and TV was a kitchenette with a microwave, coffee maker, and mini-fridge. A connecting hallway led to the bedroom, which featured a large bed with a bedside table and nightlamp, as well as a wide personal desk with ample workspace. A door led to a private bathroom and closet, making it luxury living for most people, Farthington and Kaelith included.

"So, you were saying something about the rooms earlier?" I asked in a teasing manner, watching his reaction.

Farthington turned to me, a picture of feigned innocence. "What do you mean? I never said anything about the rooms…"

Suppressing a smile, I replied, "Ah, I see. Anyway, all the employees working on-site receive a room like this each. There are 30 of these in the staff quarters."

"Quite the expansive headquarters you have here," Farthington muttered as he resumed inspecting the coffee maker.

"Alright then, once you're done looking around, meet me in the employee lounge right down the hallway outside," I said as I left the room.

In the lounge, I took a seat on a stool at the main kitchen island. 

'Let's see… After they're done looking at their rooms, I'll have them spar with me to gauge how they fare in a fight. Speaking of which, I wonder how the new iteration of the combat trance is coming along…'

During the trip back to Shadow Phoenix Headquarters, I instructed Neuro to compile information on a diverse range of martial arts techniques and combat styles to improve the functionality of the combat trance. The new version should allow me to mimic different combat styles. However, the catch is that I can only perform actions that my body permits, and my cognitive ability is limited during the trance, causing me to focus solely on a single goal. This makes it a last resort for now, especially during missions where every decision carries significant consequences.

Neuro's lifeless voice resounded in my head, "Combat trance version 2.0 is now ready for use."

'Good. I'll test it out during the spar with Kaelith and Farthington.'

"Miss Tokei, we're here," Kaelith's voice came from the hallway leading into the employee lounge.

Turning to look at him, I saw both Kaelith and Farthington approaching.

During the trip back, I had told Kaelith that Trixy wasn't my real name, but an alias I used to search the farming town for him.

"You can drop the 'miss,' Kaelith. It's not important to keep up formalities with me," I said in a relaxed tone.

"Oh, okay. Tokei from now on then," Kaelith said, looking somewhat relieved that he didn't have to be formal.

"Alright, then. I think it's about time we have ourselves a sparring match."