Descendants of the Ida Dynasty - 11. Chapter 11: Revolt Pt. III

As Barken’s glow steadily dissipated, I could see the soldier’s eyes flutter some. He took in a breath that brought back the color in his flesh, and his limbs stretched underneath the thick armor that covered him. Speechlessness became me; Barken did it, he healed an actual neku. It was no longer a legend or intangible theory. The myth came to life, and others took notice. Our descendant sisters and brothers from Kyro crowded us, looking alarmed. Barken’s rise from the ground made a few shift from their position.

“What have you done?” asked one of the villagers. “How did you-”

“What kind of clairsentient can heal a neku?!” one of them shouted.

More started to appear. “Never did I see the day a healer would boldly restore a Royal Soldier before his brethren.”

“It’s not what you think,” Barken said, asserting himself toward them before I pulled him back.

“Barken, don’t think they won’t hurt you,” I said, feeling betrayed by my own words.

“We’ll kill them!” A spear lunged itself at us, barely missing Barken’s flesh. I heard jeering from the group of descendants, wanting our heads. Another descendant lunged for him and I shoved the descendant back.

“You’re all mad!” I shouted. Perplexed and angry stares devoured us. I warned Barken of this very moment, being labeled as defectors of our people. “Have some sense, what the hell would we gain from supporting a Royal Soldier amid an ambush?!”

“You tell us,” said a female warrior closing her distance on us, meeting me chest to chest. I nearly shoved her away, before a hand touched my shoulder.

“Wait, Diego,” said Barken, his voice low. He came beside me, facing the crowd and standing firm. “This neku just saved a descendant child’s life, two of them! No enemy in the right mind would make that kind of sacrifice, especially not a Royal Soldier. Does this being’s offering mean nothing to any of you?”

One shouted, “any clairsentient who heals a neku comes from darkness. You’re an imposter!!”

“Watch your tongue,” I threatened. Barken nodded to me, unfazed by the accusation.

“I can heal descendants too,” he said. “And I’m willing to wager that every other clairsentient can do the same. I promise you, I’m no imposter-”

“You don’t need to explain yourself further.”

I didn’t know who spoke, only that I recognized the voice. The crowd steadily made way, revealing a calm Kalo approaching us with the two small children the Royal Soldier had saved. Pauline had a dazed and tired expression. Rayne maintained a posture of peace, looking into the eyes of our people with gentility and understanding. Yowson looked upon the neku laid out on the ground with a neutral expression, as though finding it difficult to accept what the soldier had done. Saving a descendant child, for what? So brazen in his attempt, you’d wonder if he was a product of Deko’s soldiers.

Yowson spoke again, his voice gruff and angry. “These soldiers are all scoundrels, engaging in their terroristic campaigns. They deserve whatever misery befalls them!” And amidst his rage, his face softened as he looked upon the fallen soldier, still transfixed on the ground and astounded by his survival. “But... this soldier isn’t one of them.”

The villagers became more receptive after he spoke. Kalo stood by Yowson’s side as the Elders joined Barken and I. The female warrior slowly backed away.

“I know we’ve all heard Rayne’s story of capture and release,” began Kalo as he looked to his wife. “I don’t believe an act of treason was committed here.”

A villager asked, “What do you make of this, Elder?”

Kalo looked to his wife. Rayne didn’t hide her confidence, as though nothing about Barken’s healing of a neku or the uproar of her fellow Kyro citizens posed too great of a concern.

“You were the one to witness this soldier’s memories, is that right Barken?” Rayne asked him. “Did you see anything that would suggest he was a threat to us?”

Barken glanced at the soldier, staring wide-eyed at the crowd around us, visibly perturbed. “No. He’s a trainee, he hasn’t harmed a soul.”

Rayne nodded, and I noticed a faint smile on her face. She moved gradually toward the soldier and I wondered what Rayne saw in that neku, how she’s seeing not something besides a bystander complicit to our tyrannical rule by the one they call “Deko the Great.” I say all this, even as the fallen soldier, trembling, did not once reach for his scepter.

“It’s a relief, isn’t it? Even with armor and scepter, not every neku seeks blood. To this day, clairsentients have been healing neku against our will, regardless of what we think or feel. What an astounding measure of courage and power Brother Barken has shown, to aid in a soldier’s recovery without knowing all that is contained in their heart.

“As for you young soldier, you’ve been given a second chance, having selflessly saved two of our own. What you do from here on out is entirely up to you.”

The warriors, no longer feeling threatened, loosened their clench on their weaponry. The hands of my elementalist brethren rested at their sides, and the Earth calmed beneath us. Rayne held her hand out towards the neku, and the crowd stirred.

“Elder!”

But she wasn’t afraid. The soldier, though hesitant, held his hand out and locked it with Rayne. Her strong, sky blue aura locked their arms together, and the soldier rose as though he weighed as much as a feather. The villagers stepped back, marveling at the light show.

With her hands clasped around the soldier’s hands, she asked, “And what can we call you?”

The soldier hesitated before saying, “I’m Antares.”

“Antares, I’m Rayne. And who you see around you are the descendants of Kyro, along with your savior from Orion, Brother Barken.”

When the soldier took a look at Barken, I noticed his eyes bulged some.

“The golden-eyed descendant...it was you?” Barken nodded, and the soldier frowned, not speaking further.

“Let’s give him some time to recoup, hmm?” Kalo suggested, leaving us to ponder Rayne’s wisdom and Barken’s open defiance. We could’ve been ripped apart. Barken has witnessed the danger in his selfless mission to unite descendants and neku. So why did he not appear afraid? He was becoming something I never imagined him to be. I worried for him, yet, found myself intensely allured by his change.

The villagers were unmoved despite Kalo’s request for space. The female warrior who body-checked me earlier would speak first.

“Elder, there is something you must know...” It seems the base Kalo, Yowson, Pauline and Rayne resided in was not the only one to be attacked. Most had been rid of entirely, and it was only by scrambling to warn everyone that the death count wasn’t higher. The soldiers would be stopped in their tracks after the citizenry came together to fend off the intruders. “Too many of us have been lost. We can’t continue to risk ourselves here! We intend to leave Kyro before night falls, and we hope you’ll be urged to do the same.”

Kalo hesitated before saying, “I understand your concerns. I think it is time we make our way out of here. Our home has been lost.” Yowson, comforting his daughter, froze in his place.

“...We’ve already determined who is going where. There will be some taking their chances through the Soren Desert.”

“Soren!?” Kalo couldn’t hide his incredulous expression. “My children, are you certain you’re willing to make that trek?”

“What other choice is there!?”

And Kalo went quiet. Rayne had a look of devastation, while Pauline remained dejected and hardly focused on what was occurring.

Yowson separated himself from his daughter. “What am I hearing? This is OUR home, and you all talk as if we’ve lost.”

“We can’t fight anymore!” another villager yelled. “This perpetual war is draining us. No clairsentient can heal these wounds. Our only chance to survive is to escape, we have children to care for!!”

Yowson fought back. “Don’t you want to raise them in the home you’ve lived in all your life?!”

“With what remains...no. I don’t want them to live in war. I want them to live their lives!”

Yowson stepped over to the young man brazenly. “Your children won’t have a right to life if they’re forced to always flee.” Both men stared each other down. The two children saved by the soldier looked on at the two adults seeming concerned. When Kalo attempted to place a hand on him, Yowson smacked it away.

“You’ve got your wish,” he said bitterly to Kalo. “At this rate, Kyro will be no more without the very citizens that have cultivated and cared for it!”

“You’re hearing our brothers and sisters with your own ears, Yowson. There’s no chance for this village to continue prospering, we must leave now-”

But Yowson wasn’t listening as he created a gap between himself and the rest of us. His shoulders lowered, and he looked ready to shed tears.

“I won’t go,” he responded defiantly. Rayne stepped toward, a piercing look in her eyes. She didn’t speak. Yowson took notice, his eyes drying seemingly instantaneously as he gave a slow nod to her. He didn’t see anyone else.

“You all do what you need to do. I will stay here alone if need be.”

But Yowson wasn’t alone. A few attempted to join him, inciting a torrent of protests amongst their loved ones. Mothers and fathers clinging to their adult children, some giving long hugs and kisses to their others uncertain if it would be the last time. Amidst the chaos, Pauline stepped forward to follow her uncle’s lead.

“You will follow him?” I asked her.

She didn’t look back. “Are you asking if I would desert my uncle? The love of my life is gone, I have no one else.”

It occurred to me she may have been speaking about Jet, but I didn’t question it further. She separated from me and the pack of dissenters made their way deeper into the part of Kyro that still stood. Those intending to flee parted for the Soren Desert, and the body of water Barken and I had only recently come across. The female warrior asked Kalo and Rayne what they would do, but Kalo insisted she prioritizes her safety and ventures off without them. Barken, Rayne, Kalo, the revived soldier, and I were left on the battleground, a sad quiet taking over.

“It seems our hands are tied here,” Kalo said to Rayne. Rayne nodded, looking in the direction Pauline, Yowson, and the last of Kyro’s fighters ventured off, possibly to their deaths. Barken and I were immobile.

Kalo held Rayne’s arm. “I know you’re worried, but we can’t stop them. We can try to stay close, see if they have a change of heart.”

The soldier peered around as though immersed in a fantasy. It was apparent that a return to the Royal Soldiers was out of the question, which left him no options. I doubt Barken even thought of this conundrum. Now we had a soldier on our hands with no ties.

“All of this might be confusing for you,” Rayne spoke. The soldier looked at her. “You may accompany us while you figure out your way.”

The soldier stared blankly at her, but he took small steps toward us. He made another concerning glance toward Barken.

“We’ll need to find shelter,” Kalo said, walking in a direction opposite the center of Kyro. The remainder of us, reluctantly, made our way out the battlefield, and the rain began to cease.

 

Stars covered the sky above Kyro. The five of us took rest on the beach, the sands dampened and clouds free of the rain they once held. The full moon’s light illuminated the deserted town, further emphasizing its eeriness. Rayne was coaching Barken on the healing of the neku, offering her wisdom that might guide him through the changes his body may be going through. Kalo looked out at the horizon with a hand to his chin, contemplating our next move. He hadn’t spoken since our run-in with the villagers. The citizens of Kyro who chose to move on had made their departures, coordinating groups that traveled by land or sea. Antares appeared the most unsettled of all, keeping his distance from us and pacing some. He would watch Barken incessantly. It was surreal to have a neku so close to us, unsure of its intentions. I couldn’t help being unnerved.

“You’re watching him,” I said.

Antares backed away but didn’t reach for his scepter left plainly on the sand. “Do you know the descendant you accompany?”

“Yes, damn near my entire life. What of him?”

He kept making glances Barken’s way. My confronting him was the least of his worries. Seemingly, I was no threat to him at all. “They say he’s a murderer... is this not true?”

A shiver traveled from my shoulders down to my chest. “...Murderer?! Who speaks of these lies?”

“There were two killings in Tygrus and several in Sol, each tied to the golden-eyed descendant,” he said matter-of-factly. “He’s considered a high priority target of the Royal Soldiers, yet you accompany him and know nothing of his crimes?”

“Crimes? Do you honestly think your life was saved by a murderer?!” I said. A glance at Rayne and Barken showed they weren’t paying us any mind at the moment. I inched near Antares to speak lower, not wanting to worry Barken with the contents of our discussion. I could’ve strangled Antares. He was only the messenger, I had to remember. “Your brethren speak about deaths in the hands of a wrongly convicted descendant pursued by your people, yet you stand on the land of an entire city wiped out of its citizens, by Royal Soldiers no less. Do you acknowledge the ‘crimes’ of descendants only when the victims are neku? Guilty or not, what Barken and I have done to free ourselves from the tyranny of Deko will be our burden to carry. Why don’t you pay mind to your own before placing judgment on us.”

Antares stood taller. “What are you saying? The citizens of Kyro have violently defied and openly rebelled against the neku for decades. Your partner is no different-”

“So you came with your armed brothers and sisters to quell the protests of these citizens, disposing of anyone that dares to fight back? Do you feel this is just?!”

“Deko has no tolerance for any challenge to his authority. I’m doing what I’m told-”

“And there lies the problem. ‘Following orders.’ Lives of innocent children, the names of sentient beings you’ll never know the lived experiences of, struck down and displaced all because you were ‘following orders.’ Why wouldn’t we be defiant? What gave you or Deko the right to rule us?” Antares stared at me blankly. Do none of them think for themselves? Certainly, there’s more to this misguided allegiance to Deko. Or was there? “Well?”

Antares said plainly, “What reason do we need to rule over others? Our strength dictates that we’re meant to be the world’s leaders, enforcers of structure and compliance. None of this is random circumstance, it is the way the universe functions. The powerful are the ones that rule.”

I found myself fuming. The logic that’s being followed, “the order of things.” Is this how every neku thinks, that the gods have granted them the position to rule? Ida wouldn’t sanction this. My outrage was no concern of his. He wasn’t looking to “mourn” a lesser being. I was lost, but looking at Barken, Rayne, and Kalo, I understood our seeking for sovereignty doesn’t always have to lead to violence.

“Why did you save those children?” I asked him.

“...Why would I not? I was ordered to subdue an insurrection, not kill children...”

“Hmm, so you do think for yourself. You save the children of a lesser species actively subordinated by your kind, but what thought have you put into who cares or protects them? Perhaps you don’t realize the moral conundrum you’ve placed yourself in. You may have saved these children from an early death, but you set them up for a life of homelessness and violence. You’ve seen it if you’ve been to Tygrus.” Antares said nothing and directed his eyes elsewhere. “I’m certain you and the ones who think like you feel your supposed superiority gives you dominion over others’ lives. Is that why your race continues to exploit the abilities and powers of descendants? Neku may feel certain righteousness ruling and dictating what others do, but your desperation for power deprives you of the most powerful weapon descendants have in their arsenal: acceptance of our interdependence. It’s that same interdependence that has allowed you and many like you to live another day!

“I won’t threaten you, but I’ll make you a promise; the neku’s authoritarian principles will be their downfall, whether I’m alive to see it or not.”

Antares' expression didn’t change. He looked over to Barken again. “It must puzzle you, being told by your own of this ‘cold-blooded murderer’ that has brought you back to life, an enemy at that. I hope that thought troubles you.”

My words only mean so much. If Barken truly unlocked this being’s capacity for empathy, surely Antares’ solid allegiance for Deko will crumble, and any seeds of descendant bloodlust will be excavated. Without any real assurance that he was on our side, I had to leave room for the possibility that he might turn on us, and I wasn’t hesitant to rid ourselves of him.

Meanwhile, I gradually joined a pondering Kalo, holding his hands behind his back. He was grimacing, a face he didn’t make often.

“Where do you think your people will go?” I asked.

“It was said,” Kalo began, “when talks of fleeing Kyro were being had, that some would venture to Sol in hopes of seeking protection from Deko. Others, including my wife and I, have made plans to return to Tygrus. I’ve spent a great deal of my life fighting for Kyro, and I ached for the chance to reunite with my brethren from back home again. You could say Yowson was incensed with me for even suggesting the prospect.”

“It would explain his stubbornness on remaining here,” I said. “But, I don’t fault him for it, nor you. Barken and I have spent only a few days from Orion wondering if we’ll ever see the ones we call family again. Wanting to return is only natural. I guess we all have our ideas on what’s ‘just’ when taking on Deko.”

Kalo smirked some. “...You’re learning, Diego. Believe me, though Yowson and I can be a fierce team of fighters, we don’t always agree. He has a fierce loyalty to Kyro that I can only begin to comprehend, and I have to understand that he has his own goal in mind on how to best fight for us. I do worry for Rayne, however. Not only is she losing her home, but she’s also losing family.”

Seeing Rayne and Barken interact, you couldn’t tell the two were engaging in their own internal battles, maintaining balance and grace in our precarious predicament.

“Elder, you mentioned the people of Kyro were fleeing east. What of the rest who moved on to the west?”

Kalo nodded solemnly. “...The rest intend to try their hand at bearing the Soren Desert.”

‘Desert?’ Kyro doesn’t come across as having desert close by, being so damp.”

Kalo explained, “These lands are nothing like how they are in Orion and Tygrus. The peculiar red sands that expand west of here is the clay that makes the Soren Desert. Thick, moist soil that coats your skin, dries your throat, and can suck up all the air in your lungs. Desert storms from Soren have traveled through Kyro many times. Its sands are legendary, beautiful, and deadly.”

I couldn’t conceive the thought of sandy red clay, but my mind already took me to a vast land of vermillion colored sands, my feet sinking into its rich earth, its warmth like a hot spring.

Kalo seemed to take notice of my reaction. “As a warrior, I’m sure embarking through these lands comes across as an adventure. But I warn you, those you’ll face there are different from the caliber of creatures you’ve faced so far. One particular race is the golems, desert dwellers.” Having not convinced me to stay away, Kalo sighed. In his exasperation, however, was a hidden meaning behind these words.

“...If you’re still not deterred, there’s a reason some of our brethren chose that path. If they are to get through the trek unscathed, what awaits is an even grander world beyond anything you’ve seen so far. It could be the safe haven you two seek.” Now he was talking. Kalo must’ve had a reluctance to send Barken and I on a mission we might not survive. However, our living rested on our ability to resist. Better to be directed toward the tools that could give us a chance, even if it meant death.

Rayne and Barken seemed to be near a conclusion in their talk. Barken acknowledged me with eyes that twinkled.

“You’ve given him direction, eh Kalo?” said Rayne. Kalo simply chuckled to himself. “You two remind me of so much of us. What a sight it would be, to have you both contribute to the breaking of our bondage. You have a powerful clairsentient beside you, Diego. Use well his strengths, as he should yours.”

Barken and I looked eye to eye in understanding, a place we’d lost sight of. There was no one else I wanted beside me.

Each of us had taken on a feeling of ease. All seemed to settle. The air was thick with humidity making every breath seem heavy. But we would notice something missing, more like “someone.” Antares had made himself scarce, not atypical since we knew nothing of him, and vice versa. Yet, where would he go?

Then, Rayne would shout, “There he is!!”

Our eyes shot towards the direction she was facing. The waves gently hit the beach and returned into the sea, a large figure half-submerged moved gradually into the deeper end, his body further vanishing into its depths. It was Antares. Barken took off towards him, Rayne following close behind.

“Careful Barken!” I called out to him, unsure of what was on Antares' mind, his silence eerie in his attempt to seemingly wash away with the current.

“No, please!” Barken cried out, feet crashing into the sea. Antares didn’t pause or even look back. This being intended to lose his life a second time, after the trouble of having saved it. “Antares, listen to me! We don’t want you to die!”

Antares slowed and craned his head towards Barken. The water had reached his chest. “What concern is my death to you?! Back away, descendant, or do you intend to join me?”

“I intend to save you,” he said approaching the neku. Antares appeared unmoved as he turned to face Barken directly. Their size differences were apparent, with Barken already having to tread the water and Antares still able to stand in its depth.

“What foolishness is this?!” Antares screamed, looking furious. He moved towards Barken, and I rushed toward the water. “You, a murderer of multiple neku, risk your life to save me? I won’t be a victim to your brainwash!”

“Murderer?” Barken said in confusion.

“Barken,” I yelled out to him, wishing I was quicker as the sea further resisted me, my legs and arms only able to do so much while submerged. “He speaks of the neku we’ve fought along the way here. Don’t let him get to you!”

Barken returned his attention to Antares. “You think... I’ve purposefully killed your comrades?”

“How else do you explain their fatal attacks?” Antares asked. “You’ve taken their lives and expect me to follow you? What kind of fool do you take me for?!” The rage Antares showed was dangerous. He can’t be trusted with us, he’d kill us all if he could! Barken’s healing couldn’t convert him, he still had the mind of a soldier of Deko. It was useless, and I wished we had allowed him to drown himself in the sea.

“Barken, get away from him,” I demanded.

But he didn’t move. Barken didn’t seem to fear the neku who was now in arm’s length to him.

“Murderer,” Barken repeated. “It must be easier to assume that your comrades have died as a result of a bloodthirsty fugitive descendant. But you don’t believe that, do you Antares?” I swam closer but was grabbed by Rayne. She said nothing, only held my hand as we watched the exchange with the two.

Antares noticeably backed away, further into the sea. “Y-you’re playing mind tricks again, descendant! I’m not trying to take in these lies-”

“I know you’re hurt, Antares. It hurts you to know the truth of your brethren after your comrade nearly murdered you back there. How can you fight for them when they sought your demise? What could make a living being want to murder children and families, simply because they’ve chosen not to be ruled? What do you gain from supporting this?”

“STOP! STOP!” Antares covered his head with his hands and thrashed about violently. I sucked in my breath. Antares pleas were abnormal to me, alien. No neku has been so emotionally expressive, vulnerable. Could this be what Rayne and Kalo spoke of, neku developing empathy from the touch of a clairsentient? His mind looked to be at war with itself. Without warning, Antares pulled out his claws from one of his hands.

“BARKEN!!!!” I screamed, Rayne freeing me as we threw ourselves toward them.

SWOOSH!

I could hear the air sliced open, my heart climbing to my throat as I tried desperately to catch my breath. I expected the worst, Barken impaled on Antares claws.

But nothing of the sort occurred. Barken caught Antares claws in his palms, his marigold glow holding it in place. Antares was shaking, his mouth agape. They were looking into each other's eyes intensely, Antares appearing horrified and despondent. Yet Barken’s, a look of sympathy. He believed Antares wouldn’t hurt him.

Suddenly, tears fell from Antares’ eyes. “Dothmal...Wila...Vashir...Krane…” Antares claws retreated, focused on Barken. “They...tried to kill you and other innocents, didn’t they?”

Barken said nothing, but Antares didn’t seem to expect an answer. “I’m sorry,” he told Barken. “I’m so sorry. You’ve deserved none of this.” Even submerged, Antares could still bow towards Barken. “I am in your debt. Please, let me help you.”

 

In Sol...

 

Mesmerizing, albeit bizarre. Sol remains one of the few areas designated as a neutral zone for neku and descendants, though that line has been crossed. Treasured as a neutral space, I would be surprised at the gall of Royal Soldiers asserting themselves within the territory. Even the neku within Sol present animosity towards the Royal Soldiers, wary of us disrupting the tranquility they bask in. They forget neutral zones such as these are of the Royal Soldiers doing as well; this city did not come about from chance, it’s only conveniently overlooked.

I moved around the city during nightfall in hopes I wouldn’t catch much attention. It was loud and active with chatter as everyone moved around with ease, drunken by the festiveness. Hydrocline was used heavily by the neku here, maybe a way to forget their time of service to Deko. I pitied them, but also found myself envious. There wasn’t a desperation to appease my father or fear of him within the neku or descendants, and that alone made living amongst one another somehow easier, with the unspoken expectation of respect.

I’d come across a grand building of running waterfalls that spilled onto the street. The Elementalist Hotel. He was here.

“That descendant bitch has been acting real puffed up lately,” one Royal Solder complained. “She’s been refusing us entrance to her hotel since we’ve spoken to her about the golden-eyed descendant being seen around here.”

“Hmm,” the other answered uninterestedly. “Didn’t she have some descendant girl working the desk providing us information? Why haven’t we heard back from her?”

“Sacked. Hasn’t been seen or heard from when we interrogated the citizens around here. Shit!! Bastard must’ve left the city by now.”

“Eh, he’s got nowhere else to run, unless he’s looking to be swallowed up in that hellhole Kyro.”

“You’re right about that!”

The two laughed maniacally. My senses were correct bringing me here. They’ve been alive up to this point, surely they’ve managed not to get themselves killed. To follow their tracks, I must find answers here at the hotel.

The interior was astounding if a bit pretentious. I detest gaudiness but can respect the creator’s, or creators’, confidence and attention to detail. Once through the corridor, I’d find myself at the building’s center, signified by its openness and what appeared to be a reception desk, where lied a descendant toiling away, visibly overwhelmed.

“Now Jasper, I would like you to-” A large figure would come out, carrying with them a commanding voice that’d make anyone stop in their tracks. The figure wore long, cylinder-sized black earrings that nearly reached her shoulders along with a floor-length metallic white camisole. I assumed her to be a descendant, but no descendant has ever looked at me the way she did, as though we were familiars being reacquainted. Maybe I was projecting...

“Are you a member of the Royal Soldiers?” She inquired. The descendant at the reception desk finally looked up to notice. He had recognized me, based on his worried expression as he slowly lifted from his seat.

“I am,” I said, “but I’m not here for the reason you think.”

“It’s about the golden-eyed descendant, is it not?”

“...It is. But I was hoping you could help me find him.”

Her eyebrow rose as she folded her arms. “And what reason would I do that?”

“I aim to assist him. As you know, he’s in grave danger where he’s heading. I can only do so much as the daughter of Deko but-”

“Xandra?!” The descendant stepped forward quickly as if trying to get a better look at me. “The Princess...he did speak of you.”

“So you two were connected.” I intended to speak further on the matter, but one thought still nagged me. “If I may be so bold, you aren’t like other descendants.”

The female descendant frowned and turned to her receptionist. “Could you wait in the office?”

“Y-yes, mam!” He left through a hallway and shut the door. When she met my eyes, she glared.

“It isn’t an accusation, mind you. It mostly comes from shock.”

She hesitated. “How so?”

“I didn’t realize my father had relatives here. Usually, your kind is killed before you begin to walk.”

“What are you saying?!” She grew incredulous.

“Isn’t it obvious? You even have the same features as him. Neku and descendant hybrids nearly always have similar features, their skin, their hands, bodies. You’re just like my father.”

 

The poor descendant nearly fainted. She allowed me to steady her as we found a lounge chair to rest on. She closed the entrance of the hotel by creating a large tree to block the entrance, a “be back soon” sign posted to the front.

“Deko is a descendant of Ida?!” Madam Callista exclaimed.”Unbelievable. What kind of nonsense. How does a neku that isn’t full-blooded rule over the Royal Soldiers?! It’s preposterous! Where’s your evidence!?”

“You,” I said. Callista’s lips trembled. “You know you’re kind is nearly non-existent. He’s made great measures to eradicate those like you in an attempt to hide his heritage.”

“Why are you telling me this?!” The hallway door to the offices creaked, with the reception poking his head out. “Jasper, that is enough! Shut the door!!” The hallway door shut immediately after.

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat. Why was I speaking of this matter so frankly, to an outsider? This is privileged information…

“...I don’t know,” I said truthfully. “You are the first one I’ve seen like him, as an adult. It’s a miracle you remained alive after all this time.”

Callista exhaled, then shrugged. “I’ve had my share of trouble when others have questioned my origins. I can’t believe it...the death of neku-descendant children, ordered by one of neku and descendant origin himself! How could he have been undercover for so long?!”

“It’s not supposed to be information known to anyone of descendant heritage. I would advise you to not share this knowledge, or risk being in greater danger. Not every neku or Royal Soldier is privy to this, and those that are are sworn to secrecy. Deko’s origins are highly protected, revealing it would mean certain death. Challenging Deko is not something any Royal Soldier would dare do.

“Please, help me find the ones you protect. I may be the only one who can reverse their fugitive status.”

Madam Callista studied me intensely. She must’ve fought the urge to trust someone like myself. We were practically related, having neku and descendant blood, though I wondered: why did I look nothing like her? Others have even questioned my lineage, knowing that I look nothing like my father. Questions remain, but we were running out of time.

 

2 days earlier...

 

Dawn had arrived, the sun in the backdrop of layers of clouds that nearly touched the ground. Kalo and Rayne continued their discussion on plans to venture off to Tygrus, weighed heavily by the potential of leaving Pauline and Yowson behind. Antares, exhausted from his thwarted attempt to die at sea, continued to push ahead and appointed himself the caretaker of Barken’s every need. I found the arrangement beyond irritating. Barken was embarrassed by the attention, but that didn’t stop him from making light of it.

“Diego,” he said, “let him be of help. There’s no reason for you to be jealous.”

I scowled. “I’m not jealous!”

Antares intended to make amends for the trouble he got us in. Before going on an errand to retrieve food, he left us an ominous message.

“It is wise that we leave here soon,” he said, before departing. I discussed with Barken Kalo’s suggestion to travel through the Soren Desert.

“That would mean separating ourselves from Rayne and Kalo, wouldn’t it?” he asked concerningly.

“If we were to follow them, it would mean turning back,” I said. “Remember, Kalo’s been gone from Tygrus for many years. He can remain in hiding there a lot easier than we could.”

“True. Antares intends to follow us. Maybe he can be of assistance getting through the desert?”

“He may even know more about what lies ahead. It’s hard to place my trust in a neku, but if you believe his word, I’ll be right behind you.”

Barken smiled, placing my hands in his. “We’ll get through this, Diego.”

Antares returned with fruits and vegetables, though trees and plants appeared nowhere in sight.

“I found them along the edge of Kyro,” he said.

Rayne confirmed this. “There’s bushes and trees we’ve grown on the outskirts of Kyro if evacuation from the city was needed. Bless the rains that wash over the lands! May they be renewed, even after we’re long gone...”

Rayne’s whimsical behavior perplexed me. This would be the second time she’s been forcibly removed from her home, bearing it out in an unpredictable, unforgiving world. All that she’s known was crumbling down around her, yet she maintained this poise.

“There are many reasons to grieve,” she said. “It’s grieving and learning to live with it that will ensure your longevity.”

Kyro smoldered in the background, columns of smoke filling the air since the night before, and darkening sections of the sky. The grim portrait slowed Kalo and Rayne’s movements as they made their final goodbyes.

“We will part ways here,” said Kalo. “Rayne and I can travel onwards to Sol. Take this with you.” Kalo handed over his book containing passages of spells from previous clairsentients to give to Barken. As they neared the beach to part, I could hear stumbling footsteps approach us.

When I turned, a descendant with a bleeding gash on her forehead and a deep injury to her side that she held with her hand collapsed. Rayne, Barken, and Kalo rushed toward her, lowering her gently to the ground.

“Elders…” she struggled to say. She coughed up blood. Rayne’s palms pressed into her chest, the sky blue glow illuminating the injured citizen. “They’ve come...they’ve come to-” She coughed up blood. The three clairsentients tried their best to comfort and treat her. Antares and I stood away, aware of our limitations.

The injured descendant tried to speak again. “They’ve come to destroy us...Kyro is finished.”

Rayne’s glow dimmed. “No! Don’t leave us, sister,” she pleaded. But the descendant’s eyes went still. Rayne breathed heavy, smoothing out the descendant’s hair. Kalo shut her eyes.

“Elders,” Barken spoke. “I’m worried. If this warrior was killed in battle, then Pauline and Yowson-”

“I understand your concerns, young Barken,” Kalo said. His eyes lingered on the fallen descendant before returning Barken’s steady gaze. “Our hands are tied. We’ve warned them of the dangers and they’ve chosen their paths.”

“But Kalo!”

“Dearie,” said Rayne, looking at neither of the two. She held the hand of the fallen descendant. “Our fallen sister didn’t return to us for naught. All we can do is try.” Kalo seemed hesitant of the move but nodded in agreement. Antares and I looked to one another, neither of us having any intention of disagreeing. It was final, we were returning to the heart of Kyro.

 

Even as a new day has come, layers of silver clouds were a fixture in the daytime sky. The smell of ash and smoke choked the air, yet the beaten and burned buildings and structures that remained in Kyro still stood in resistance. We stayed close together, trying to hear out for our brethren within the city. The commotion could be heard emanating throughout. The Earth itself, trembling ferociously, found it difficult holding us up together as though the city would collapse at any time. A laser struck the rooftop of the building above us, the blast creating falling debris.

“Scatter!” I yelled. We flung ourselves out the way, and chunks of the structure struck the ground. To our right, descendants were backing away slowly. Beyond, Royal Soldiers pursued the group, closing the space between them. One of the neku called out.

“Antares,” she shouted. “We thought you were dead!” Antares looked on at the lot of them not uttering a word. The others took notice of him and slowed their pace. “Are these your prisoners?”

“No.”

I don’t always understand the facial cues of neku. Whether it's awe or rage, their emotions didn't always show on their faces, often subdued. The descendants that had been pushed back by the horde of neku found themselves between us, rightfully concerned with Antares presence, his loyalty not apparent.

The female neku spoke again. “What is the meaning of this, soldier?”

“I’m no longer a Royal Soldier,” Antares proclaimed without regret, no concern for the consequences. “We’re bearing witness to the violence we’ve assailed on this community, the injury, and death that inflicts them as well as our own. Look at their home! Must we continue to shed blood for domination? I can’t take part in this self-serving mission of Deko’s. My loyalty is to none of you.”

The soldiers stood in their tracks. I wondered what sway another neku would have toward their own. Maybe something could shift, a mind could change. Empathy for the suffering they see. The neku made glances toward each other, faces still. The female neku would look to her scepter, before lifting and pointing it towards Antares directly.

“Your reasoning for betraying Deko is pathetic,” she said. “Maybe you’ve forgotten our place: we determine the fate of those who descend from Ida. She bore a race to challenge the order, to go against the neku. But why resist us? It’s so simple when one class creates a hierarchy for all to live under. Who is to ensure peace, or create balance?”

“Does any of this look like peace to you?!” Antares screamed, his arms stretched out.

“You know what we’re asked: If these descendants don’t obey, we will force their hand by any means.”

Antares threw his scepter to the ground, marched a few steps forward. “Then you’ll have to kill me.”

Some of the descendants didn’t understand Antares’ insolence but joined him in his rebellion. Others seemed to understand, in some sense, that he had been touched by a clairsentient, and were emboldened by his stance. Our group would join the other descendants. No diplomacy would seize this onslaught, Barken and I were caught in the middle of the war on Kyro. Battle cries rang out, and the two opposing groups rushed toward each other.

A Royal Soldier speared a descendant with the tip of their scepter before a whirlpool appeared beneath its feet. The descendant released herself from the scepter while the whirlpool collected the neku and shot them into the air. A scepter and ax clashed together, letting out a piercing metallic sound. Laser beams shot at us, one being caught by Rayne and flung back to a neku who was shot into a building. Another laser crashed into a descendant, incinerating the entire left side of their body. The neku taken up by the whirlpool dropped hard onto the ground, their body seemingly shattered as they laid quietly in the dirt. Antares would pull out his deadly nails and used them like rapiers with another neku, while I saw Barken with his newfound strength dodge a scepter attack, collect a counter, and blast into the neku’s side. A neku savagely swung his scepter at me, ripping the air and Earth. Kalo backed me up. After having dodged a scepter, he collected a counter and blasted it toward the advancing neku. The counter slid passed the neku, tripping him up. I took advantage by kicking the neku down and stabbing them through the chest.

Something yanked me by the hair and pulled me off my feet. Before I could take a stab at them, the figure smashed my face into a wall multiple times. My blood darkened its crumbling exterior. I tried wrestling away before my assailant abruptly dropped me to the floor. I turned to look at my attacker and a neku nail had pierced through its head. Antares pulled his nail out of the impaled neku, shrinking it down before lending his hand out to me.

The injury and body count on our side grew. Barken, Kalo, and Rayne were stretched thin attempting to heal the others and fend off the Royal Forces. Seemingly, the number of Royal Soldiers grew out of nowhere.

“Where are they coming from?” I asked without expecting an answer. But Antares answered for me.

“Today, Kalo will fall,” he said. “It would be wise to escape before any more of you are killed.” Already that posed an issue. Kalo and Rayne won’t leave without knowing Yowson and Pauline’s status. But how did they plan to keep themselves alive? I found Kalo stumbling along the battlefield having been injured in the leg. Rayne was uninjured, but managing to heal the ever-growing amount of ailing comrades far outpaced her abilities. Her exhaustion showed. Barken has had little to no time to hone his new abilities, let alone the means to fight in all-out war. If Antares’ prediction was correct, this city would be our grave. An injured Kalo would be thrust onto the floor by a neku. His attempt at a counter would be smothered by the Royal Soldier’s boots as they crushed his hand. The neku stood over him, lifting his scepter for the final attack. Antares and I sprinted over.

“KALO!!” I screamed. And as the scepter came down, it was kept in place by a force that didn’t originate from the neku. The scepter was yanked out their hand behind him, and before the soldier could react, his head had been cut off clean. By a sword.

A vine held the scepter in its grasp before flinging it away. It was the uncle-niece duo, Pauline and Yowson. Kalo, still ailing, even managed to crack a smile at their return. Yowson and Pauline made a nod to each other and assisted everyone in getting rid of the remaining Royal Soldiers. Rayne healed Kalo and attacked a neku using her healing circle. Barken shot a counter into a neku’s armor to create a crack in the armor, allowing Pauline to shove her sword into their abdomen. Yowson crushed soldiers with boulders and managed to defend the others still ailing from their injuries, allowing Rayne and Kalo to aid them. It seemed as though we were turning it around.

“Good to see you alive, my brother,” said Kalo to Yowson.

“And you the same,” he said. “...I’m sorry for stubbornness. So many of us have died and-”

“Let’s finish this before we are bogged down by our regrets!” yelled Rayne.

 

And when the final neku had fallen, we took the time to regroup. Our numbers had massively depleted. Many of those who chose to fight alongside Yowson were no longer living, that was certain. Those that remained looked hopeless. I asked Pauline what she saw.

“It was mayhem,” she said. “So much unneeded slaughter, and of my people!” Pauline and Yowson, though already worn out by the endless years of siege on Kyro, looked beaten. What had moved them, their shared desire to keep Kyro alive had been shattered the previous night. The city was crumbling, the citizens that remained were scarce. Was this the final onslaught on Kyro that Antares spoke of?

The sound of a grand engine took over the city, it’s metallic workings making loud clanks that pounded eardrums. A heaviness fell over the city as it was cast in shadow, creating a strong chill in the atmosphere. A large, lavender-colored ship descended upon the city, and a strong wind brushed through the empty streets. I moved closer to Barken. And as the ship ceased its descent, figures began spilling out from underneath.

“Th-!” Kalo pointed out to the ship as the gale winds kept pushing us back. “Those are all soldiers!!” There was no longer a discussion to defend the city. We flee, or we die.

Yowson, feeling heavy in his regret, looked out to everyone. “You all hurry on, now. I can slow them down.”

Rayne, Kalo, and Pauline looked to one another in horror. Rayne spoke for them, “Yowson-”

“Let me atone for what I’ve done, Rayne! I’ve led my people to slaughter. This is the least I can do…” Stationed at the entrance, Yowson faced the corridor of the city. He rose his arms, and the sand and rocks started to rise and tower up. They melded to each other, forming a thick wall that sealed the corridor. He looked back at us. “What are you waiting for?! Go, now!!!”

Rayne, Barken, and Kalo successfully restored the remainder of us. We were on our way to escape, then a loud boom shook the city. Kalo fell over, assisted by Rayne. Frightened by the sounds, the others had already left towards the beach. Barken and I paused. Pauline stood transfixed at her uncle, then ran back to him.

“Pauline!” I screamed.

Yowson’s wall, though formidable, shook, its ends crumbling. He desperately tried keeping it together, even as blasts and explosions could be heard on the other side. Pauline showed up beside him.

“Pauline!!” He yelled. “What are you doing?!”

“I won’t leave you!” She defied him.

“Please, I can’t-” A blast created a hole within the foundation of Yowson’s wall, it’s sound reverberating throughout. We all couldn’t help but be frozen at our feet. Then, I heard Kalo scream. Rayne gaped in agony, but no sounds came out. Pauline fell back onto the sand motionless, a large hole was in her chest. Yowson threw himself to the floor by his niece’s side, and everything became quiet.

I turned to Barken. “Barken-”

“She’s...already dead, Diego,” he said solemnly. Her eyes were still and kept open. The soldiers started tearing away at the break in the wall. “Please, Yowson. You must go!!”

Who knew how Barken got through to him. Yowson shut his niece’s eyes. The wall continued to falter and break apart. Yowson made a motion into the sand, creating a rock-made platform. I hadn’t seen anything like it as it hovered above the ground. He placed himself on and thrust himself away as his wall crumbled, revealing the swarm of Royal Soldiers invading the city.

His platform reached us. “I’ll take care of Rayne and Kalo, getting them across the sea toward Sol. Do you three know where you’re off too?” Barken and I nodded. Yowson, who must’ve been in unspeakable pain, spoke clearly without stutter or overwhelm. The man had seen a great many deaths, how tragic he would lose his niece, “all of their” niece at that. Pauline was taken care of by every single one of them, Rayne, Kalo, and Yowson. All we could hope for is a safe journey for them.

“Will you follow us, Antares?” Barken asked. He nodded and pointed.

“The outskirts, where I found food,” he said, “that will take us to the Soren Desert.”

And we ran for it. The shadow that took over the city only grew as more ships began making their descent. No rain could wash away the sorrow and terror that befell it. The city, it’s people, Kyro was no more.