A Meal in Broad Daylight

VENTI DAWNBREAK

We headed, quickly towards the room, guided by the leader of the largest resistance group on existence. The fate of world was in our hands.

We stopped at a white door. It was big and seemed to be several layers thick.

"This is it, let's enter" Calibri said and he placed his palm on the door. A scanner appeared.

It scanned his hand and a 'kchinq' sound could be heard.

It was now unlocked.

The door opened and misty cold air rushed out, blowing over us. There, in the corner of the room, was a black and gold machine.

"It's an old one, but it was the best in its time."

"Who's going first?" he asked as he clicked a few buttons.

"I'll go." I volunteered.

If there was something I had trained for all my life, it was this. A war.

The others seemed surprised, I found their reactions uncalled for.

The machine itself was quite similar to an MRI machine. I laid down and wore the headgear he gave me.

"Here we go."

I started moving backwards, into the machine. I could see a white wheel with blue bearings spin as I went in. And then I heard a sound.

An indescribable one. A futuristic sound, which for some reason brought back the lessons of quantum mechanics into my mind.

I closed my eyes and faded away into the black.

***

The smell of ash and dust filled my senses. I was taken away by surprise but that was soon neutralised. I looked around to find a place alien to me.

The only words I could think of were- close, yet, so, away and far.

What did that imply?

"Run!"

"They're attacking!! Get the women and dragons out now!"

"They've got the dragons! Several women are wounded"

"Shit shit shit!! What did we all fight for then!"

"No!! my wife…"

Flames. Dark skies, a moon of blood and the cries of people.

How picturesque.

I felt peaceful among the shouts and howls. Among the screams and shocked faces.

Was I smiling?

Cold.

No. I wasn't. I looked at my hands. They were dyed red, with blood, my own.

I looked up and coughed blood.

"Son!! Run now!"

I turned to look back, but only saw a blur. Smears of black paint on the canvas of this memory.

Was it my own? It couldn't be.

"Are the women of the 4 Winds safe?"

"Yes patriarch. They got away with the help of the Shadow---"

Audio filtering? Who chose what I could hear and I couldn't?

"Are the Nightbla--- here?"

"Yes, the lord has come"

"What of the other patriarchs?"

"I'm afraid, they've met their end, to that thing."

"I see…may Eusen have mercy."

***

"Wake up, it's over."

It was over. I was now out of the machine. I couldn't forget that scene I saw. I'd make sure to write it down somewhere later.

"Who's going in next?"

Arthur went in, followed by Nevera and finally Kathyln.

They all had different expressions once they came out. Except for Kathyln.

Now, 6 Users could effectively participate in combat. Our force seals were removed.

It was time to receive the weapons.

"What class do you think you'll get?

"I hope it's a bow" Nevera said.

"Sword."

"Bow."

"Sword."

"Greatsword."

We got our weapons; they were all named weapons but weren't weapons of descension.

Since Kathyln and I got swords, we could also practice with Aether. Nevera with his bow could practice with Lia and Arthur could practice with anyone.

VIVIANE LAPIS

"There are no moons in those skies."

My father was right. He once told me a story.

The Moon deity had a pact with the protector of the mountains, that she would only show herself to the people of the mountains. I asked him, why this was. And he told me that 'humanity' had fought too many wars, a number which could be not kept track of.

And so, the moon was stained with blood. Its purity was tainted by war and sin. But the protector of the mountains, granted the moon the blessing to withstand the sin and purified it.

My father would often speak of the stories of old, the stories of the greats.

And now, it looks like another story is about to be written.

Our story.

NEVERA DAYLIGHT

My weapon was the bow. I had some knowledge in its handling and use but not a lot. I was better with a sword after all.

Luckily the Lapis Arts were very flexible, I could use the bow variation.

Venti was currently practicing with Arthur.

Weapons of descension could only be summoned by force seal breaking.

Calibri explained how and why.

He told us that weapons of descension were the strongest weapons because they were the weapons of the Gods.

There was a slight contradiction in this statement. This statement would imply that the descenders were gods. But then how did gods die?

"So they were originally belonging to gods. How do we have them?" Kathyln had asked him that.

"Good question. The answer is simple."

"We had no right on them, but your progenitor does, somewhere along the line all the Users trace back to the first demon. So you can summon these divine weapons, the stronger your connection to your roots are, the better weapon you can summon."

"Named weapons on the other hand are weapons that have their stories. Their original owners were either the original Users or they were just very prominent in the world."

"Weapons of descension do not fall under this category since they are God forges, their histories are recorded in the weapons themselves."

"The owners of such weapons will often receive glimpses of its past."

"The next time you talk to Aether, ask him if he's gotten any visions."

"Remember that named weapons are very rare to see. The world has seen less than a hundred of them in existence. You are very lucky to have come in possession of them. You'll understand their worth, once the war starts."

"Once the war starts huh..." I'd prefer it to not start at all.

Aether was still unconscious and so the plan would continue without him.

I heard that a few more Users arrived. The more people we could get, the better it would be.

Time was ticking and we would have to head to battle soon.

It would've been nice if Aether was up.

ERIKA DRAKENGUARD

I came back, to base. The base was a resistance stronghold located deep in the rainforests of Zelandia.

"Welcome back Erika"

"Ah, Calibri, I have brought another squad with me."

"Ah, good to know. Let me take you to the base underground base, the Users are staying there now, I'm assuming you haven't seen it"

"No, I haven't"

"Follow me then."

He took me on a tour of the base. The base itself was made underground. A huge facility capable of holding several thousands of troops and Users.

"How long has this place been here?"

"This base has been here since the days before the Great war. It was used as a military stronghold.

Of course it has been renovated a few times but the location has never been shifted. This base is located right beneath the waterfall in Terentia."

We passed by the hospital block, it was the 2nd floor of the base. There were more Users there.

"Who are they?"

"Other Users, they came from across the continent, from every dominion. All have one goal in mind."

"To liberate the world?"

"Yes, that. They too share our sentiments"

"I see."

"Also, there was someone, who came to base today."

"Really? Who?"

"You should go see him yourself."

"I see."

As I said that Calibri changed the topic.

"Hey, do you think we'll be able to win this time?"

"We will win, we will surely win, this time."

"Then do me a favour and make a bet on it."

"Haha, of course, but you know the rules."

"That I do." His hand slipped behind me, he pulled me closer and-

***

Calibri then proceeded to bring me to the cafeteria.

"Let's eat, I heard that the cooks made something special."

"That sounds very exciting."

I followed Calibri to the cafeteria and ate the meal cooked just for me. It tasted very good especially after an exhausting activity in broad daylight.