A NEW MISSION

"The King found you almost dying. You were begging for help, holding onto life as hard as you could, not wanting to let go and he had compassion. He imparted some of his own energy to revive you, granting you a new life as a Xenos," Gor narrated for the umpteenth time.

April chuckled at Gor's repetition, "You needn't remind me constantly that I wasn't born a Xeno, Gor," she teased.

April, at sixteen years old was strikingly beautiful with her unique blend of human and Xenos traits. While her ears bore the distinct mark of the Xenos, her eyes purple, and her skin had a soft lavender blush color, the rest of her features remained clearly human. She was incredibly bright, clever, and sharp-witted, and her strength surpassed most of the other Xenos.

"Oh! have I mentioned it before?" Gor inquired curiously

"Yes, countless times," April affirmed with a patient smile.

"And don't forget to mention that I pleaded for her to be saved while you wanted her gone," Leah chimed in.

"What? No! I never said that," Gor protested.

April laughed at their banter, accustomed to their frequent arguments.

"I often wonder why the King chose to save you that day. It's quite unlike him, and it's surprising how you've become his favorite," Gor pondered aloud.

"Same here," April shrugged "Maybe it's because of my charm" she added with a playful grin "I mean, who could resist such cuteness?" she teased, striking a pose in an attempt to appear cute.

"Gor, apparently," Leah teased

"Hey!" Gor exclaimed, shaking his head in resignation.

"I suppose it's because a part of his energy resides within you, forging a connection between you two, probably why you're his favorite. The rest of us drew our strength from the Auragmite," Leah proposed.

"Ahhh, that makes sense!" Gor exclaimed like a sudden realization dawned on him.

"You know what else I wonder? Why you haven't been disposed of yet, seeing as you're useless," Leah remarked, referring to how clueless Gor could be sometimes.

"Hey! I'm the one responsible for most tasks, like recruiting armies," he defended himself.

"Anyone can do that," Leah retorted.

"Enough bickering, you two. We're almost at the palace," April intervened as they approached the grand doors leading to the King's throne room.

King Carlos convened a gathering of the highest-ranking officials, summoning them to the grand chamber of the palace. As the doors swung open, revealing the grand chamber, executives filed in, most of them wondering what the meeting was about as they stood patiently waiting for the commencement of the meeting. Carlos, seated upon his throne crafted from radiant gems native to their planet, waited for everyone to be present.

The executives, comprising the leaders of the four Xenarmy factions and the king's trusted advisors, bowed as they greeted King Carlos before taking their seats opposite one another in front of the king.

With a gracious nod, King Carlos signaled for April to present the meeting's agenda. Although she didn't hold any official position in the palace hierarchy, April was recognized by everyone as the King's favorite. This special treatment had caused resentment among the Xenos, who resented the King's preference for a human over his own kind.

April dutifully stepped forward, clutching a proposal in her hand. Standing before everyone, she held a proposal in her hand, ready to address the gathering.

"I present the next agenda on behalf of our esteemed King Carlos," she began. "As we are all aware, the Auragmite has resided here on Earth since its fall, yet its presence remains elusive to our senses. We suspect it has found a formidable vessel, masking its energy signature and thwarting our attempts at detection. Therefore, our space soldiers were dispatched to our home planet, 'Mite,' to retrieve the disc they had been working on, that can pinpoint the Auragmite's exact location. Having obtained the disc just yesterday, we convene this meeting to strategize our next move."

"With this tool," April continued, "we can find the Auragmite's exact location and potentially apprehend its vessel. Tomorrow at dawn, we shall launch a full-scale operation, utilizing the guidance of the disc to infiltrate the Auragmite's vicinity. The leaders of the Xenarmy factions will spearhead their respective groups, dispersing throughout the designated region for the sign of the Auragmite or it's potential host once identified by the disc. The group that successfully locates and secures the Auragmite will be honored for their valor"

Having conveyed the King's directive, April gently resumed her seat.

"That concludes this meeting. Any further inquiries or suggestions may be directed to April, Gor or Leah. You are dismissed," King Carlos declared as everyone stepped out of the palace quietly.

"Finally, something to keep us occupied," Gor remarked as they exited the palace.

"Absolutely," Leah breathed out with relief.

It had been two years since their last quest for the Auragmite, and they were growing weary of idleness. Although they did their regular training to keep their energy on, they were tired of dullness of palace life.

"At least I'll finally get a chance to leave this town," April remarked, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

She had spent her entire life confined within the castle walls, waiting for the day she'd turn sixteen, deemed mature enough for battle.

"That too. And you're part of my team," Leah said, flashing April a reassuring smile

"Isn't that great!" April exclaimed, returning the smile and wrapping her arm around Leah in a sideways hug.

The various xenarmy leaders assembled their group to strategize and equip for the impending invasion.

"I guess humans are just like me" April said as they organized the members of their team for the upcoming search mission.

"Yeah," Leah replied, nodding.

"But are weaklings" April laughed, having heard stories from her peers how they'd easily take on humans but she had not seen nor had any experience with humans.

"That's true, they rely only on their technological weapons, lacking physical strength."

"We have our weapons, though, right?" April questioned.

"We do," Leah confirmed, her tone solemn. "But they're stored securely in the safe room, which only the king can access because they're very potent and could be really dangerous in the wrong hands. We reserve them for war, but we've yet to use them since we arrived on this planet," Leah explained.

"Oh," April murmured, absorbing the information.

"Another interesting thing about our weapons is that each Xenos has a unique one that amplifies our abilities," Leah continued.

"Wow, that's amazing! What's yours?" April asked, her curiosity piqued

"Throwing knives," Leah revealed.

"Aw… e…some!" She exclaimed "How do you acquire your own weapon?"

"You don't choose it, it chooses you," Leah said with a hint of mystery in her voice causing April to laugh.

"I wonder what kind of weapon I'll have," she said with a smile. "That is, if I have a special one." She added with a sad tone, looking at her plain sword which was given to her by the king.

"You definitely do, and it'll be just as special as you are."

"When can I find out?" April inquired.

"When the King decides you're prepared, or when the situation demands it," Leah replied.