http://www.englishforums.com/English/EslEssayWritingWorld/Forum9.htmPost your essay, short story or composition here. Review, comment or just read for fun.enCSMOD (Build: 3260.39585)http://www.englishforums.com/English/TestingLittleAdventureChapter/bwj/post.htm#434Sun, 25 May 2003 14:10:12 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:434Duhman020http://www.englishforums.com/English/TestingLittleAdventureChapter/bwj/post.htm#434http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments9-434.xmlKevin, <br /> <br />you don't have to repeat the same thing to me over and over again.http://www.englishforums.com/English/TestingLittleAdventureChapter/bww/post.htm#433Sun, 25 May 2003 13:44:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:433Malenovent1http://www.englishforums.com/English/TestingLittleAdventureChapter/bww/post.htm#433http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments9-433.xmlYaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn... <br /> <br />Get to the point and don't drag the story. <br />Oh, and use paragraphs. Every dialogue from a character is supposed to be in a different paragraph as long as the character speaking doesn't change. <br />Try to leave a line between paragraphs, not everyone has unlimited access to the internet so they're not going to read an endless jumble of words. <br /> <br />Nice story, though...http://www.englishforums.com/English/TestingLittleAdventureChapter/bvx/post.htmSun, 18 May 2003 08:43:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:371Duhman022http://www.englishforums.com/English/TestingLittleAdventureChapter/bvx/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments9-371.xmlTESTING <br /> <br />Chapter Zero <br />Nocturnal Days (Prologue) <br /> <br />“fifty-fifty-zero-seven” <br />“roger-roger. Initiate launching sequence.” <br />“Command Alpha. What are your orders? Can you hear me? I repeat what is-“ <br />“Cancel Operation! I say again. Cance-“ <br />“Sir, there’s too much static! I can’t-“ <br />“Unit two! Cancel your orders! Please come in! this is-“ <br />“Sir! There’s too much interference! Switching parameters! Please hold till after the operation.” <br />“NO! You don’t unde-“ <br /> <br />… <br /> <br /> Those were the last transmissions played before the cleansing operation, also known as operation “Nocturnal Days”. The operation, brought hope to many, for it was the marking of a new era. It signified the dawn of creation and all matter. If successful, what was once dreams would become reality, and the unknown would be revealed. In short, it was a dream project. Bringing upon its creators, everlasting happiness. <br /> A few people, scorned for their radical idealisms, knew that the Nocturnal Days would only bring about their doom. They tried to warn the others, trying to bring the message to the impregnable wall which is the human mind. It was all in vain, for when conscience is set, there is no way that it will sway. <br /> Entrusting the future to themselves, these “radicals” decided to recreate Noah’s Ark. No one really knew what it was, except for the Radicals themselves. It was said that it contained the technology to rebuild. But before the Noah’s Ark was completed, the military attacked. <br /> Scorching rain burned holes in the defensive hull. All the armor was no match against such a huge assault. As a result, the Noah’s Ark was totally destroyed leaving behind a desiccated husk, of what was once humanity’s last hope. However, this did not dampen the Radicals’ burning spirit. <br />They made a pact not to tell anyone about the reconstruction of the Noah’s Ark. The society moved underground so that no further atrocities could affect their progress. There, they scrounged up whatever they could find and started again. This time, it was named “Sanctuary”. <br />On the day of “Nocturnal Days”, all the streets and squares around the globe were filled with people. Humans born and bred to a monotonous, everyday cycle longed for a chance to break free of the dullness of their life. Everyone had a dream that “Nocturnal Days” would be the answer, the solution. <br />For three days and three nights before the real operation, partying was the only thing in the minds of every single human. Numerous break-ins and raids occurred during these times, but who cared? After all, when “Nocturnal Days” succeeds, these trivial matters were of no importance. <br />Then, the unspeakable happened. The operation of all operations failed horribly. The core of “Nocturnal Days” betrayed its master and was set on clearing the world of “expendables”. In an instant, blood flowed like rain and corpses littered the ground. Nothing was spared. Not even the Radicals who took shelter before the apocalypse. <br />The lands were purged. Nothing managed to escape from the wrath of “Nocturnal Days”. Even the earth itself was poisoned with the mysterious emission. Even the colossal structures, which were said to be able to withstand all, crumbled like breadcrumbs. The only building left standing was “Nocturnal Days” itself. <br />Eons passed. An estimate of two millions years flowed through the essence of time. During this period, the Earth was densely covered with smog so thick; you could cut it with a knife. It was the time of miracles, a time of rejuvenation… <br /> <br />Chapter One <br />Divine Intervention Revelation <br /> <br />TVINIAN DESERT, The Boundaries <br /> <br /> Two men facing each other in the distance. A zephyr blew past. The cool breeze ruffled the taller man’s hair. They stood battle poised, ready for anything. One had a sword, the other, a pistol of some sort. The way the men looked so calm made it look like it was only a mock battle. <br /> As if the Gods gave a signal, both men rushed at each other. It was pretty clear that the swordsman was more agile than the gun-master. The battle was intense, lightning struck whenever the two weapons clashed. The way they danced around each other put whomever that saw the battle into a trance. <br /> Finally, the swordsman let out a blood-curling howl. He jumped back and struck the ground with all his might. Shockwaves blasted out from the earth, thrusting the baked soil into the sky. Energy pulsated through the veins of Mother Earth creating a blade of hard Gaia. <br /> Like the blade of a samurai, the earthen-sword sliced through the gun-master. The body of the victim fell to the ground, back to where it belonged. The swordsman however, was breathing heavily, trying to regain the energy which he had released during the attack. Around him was broken earth, neatly forming a crater. <br /> Then, he stood up tall. His cape flowed with the wind. He was dressed completely in black, like the Dark Knights of the past. Slowly, he slid the blade into its shaft, and walked away. The boots left deep footprints in the ground. Marking the spot where he killed the oppressor. <br /> Shortly after his departure, a massive craft descended upon the site. The winds generated by this machine tore down the shrubs and blew away the rocks. A plateau was made when it landed, decorated with a stone circle on the fringes. With a hiss, the docking bays opened to reveal men in giants’ armor. <br />“bzzrk-…I told you that Infinite was more powerful than the Stone Golems of Kh’aal Magdul.” said the biggest. <br />“I know that already. This was merely a demonstration. Well, it got rid of Adam. At least we don’t have to put up with him anymore.” replied the one in red. <br />“Okay, can it. We still have to bring this lug back to base. Let’s get to work before we are spotted.” ordered a newcomer to the scene. <br /> The mysterious strangers proceeded to lift up the corpse of Adam, the victim. Though the armored soldiers seemed to have boosted strength, it was still very hard to carry Adam. The grunts from the three clearly showed that not even gene-boosted Terrans could lift that huge man. <br /> Suddenly, a cough bleared out. Behind one of the rocks stood a young boy around the tender age of twelve. His eyes were wide open with shock and his hands covered his mouth. From the look on his face, he was paralyzed with fear. The words ‘ohmygawd’ were painted over his face. <br /> The three soldiers were staring mindlessly at the boy. Then, one of them began to laugh a wicked, malicious, laugh. He asked the boy; <br />“How long were you there? Did you witness the whole thing?” <br />No answer. <br />“Ah. Well, I’m afraid that no witnesses are allowed. Too bad.” said the man as a broad smile crossed his face. <br /> <br /> His hand reached for the gun holstered on his back. The other men did the same. The sound of cocking guns filled the air. All three began to laugh. Barrels aimed, ready, and waiting. The sun began to set behind them. <br />“I’m going to enjoy this.” <br /> A whistling sound came from the sky. I began to get really hot, like the air was on fire. The boy backed off a few steps. He looked up. The sky began to part. An opening formed in the sky, the clouds started to orbit around the gap. The view was amazing. A whirlpool of clouds circulated around the opening with pinpoint accuracy. The boy signaled to the soldiers to look up. <br />“Oh, come on. Do you think we’re that thick to fall for the oldest trick in the book?” <br />“Uh, sir… I think we have a problem.” <br />“What the…” <br /> Searing heat fell upon the three hapless soldiers. For the boy, it was a beam of light, springing from the heavens. Psykinetic energy began to build up on the area; the effects were beginning to show. Quickly, the boy ran away, as far as his legs could take him and ducked for cover. The ground itself was already beginning to crumble before the power of the solar storm. A massive blast. Destruction ensued. <br /> The cooling winds awoke to soothe the body of the fallen. Slowly, the boy got up. There was no trace of the three mysterious soldiers anywhere. The only evidence of the battle was the cracked ground and crushed boulders. He looked into the sky, it was already burning gold. Who would have guessed that a solar storm would have saved his life. <br />“Isaac! Where are you?” <br /> The boy was jolted back to reality. Upon hearing the sound of his mother, he jumped up and brushed off all the dust on his robes. Instinctively he ran towards his mother’s voice. <br />“Isaac! Where have you been? Look at you! Have you been playing in the quarries again?” exclaimed the elderly woman. Her face was red with anger. <br />“Mom! Did you see it? Did you see the sun storm? Did you? Did you?” <br />“What sun storm? There hasn’t been a sun storm here for ages.” there was a hint of worry in the mother’s tone of voice. <br />“But mommm, look over there! See the ground! It’s been totally destroyed!” <br />“What are you talking about? There’s just plain wasteland over there. Are you sure you’re all right?” <br />“Huh!” Isaac turned around. There was really nothing there. Nothing except for miles and miles of boring, burning wasteland. The ruins of the ground had completely vanished. <br />“Isaac. Let’s go home. I want to check your temperature.” signaled his mother. <br />“Aww… mommm!” <br /> The both of the walked out towards the village. Neither one was unaware of the tragedy that would befall them. The tragedy, caused by the witnessing of the ghostly sun storm. But for now, they shall have whatever peace that time allows them to have. Until… <br /> <br />SIGMA SECTOR, HMS Darkness. <br /> <br /> A burly man was pacing around in his office. The medals jingled on his uniform as he walked. He wore the face of fury. The other man with him was a nervous wreck. The sight of seeing his commander in such a bad state chilled him to the bone. The only other thing in the room was a small robot. Slam! The commander brought his fist down onto the Everstone stable. The soldier jumped in fear. The robot looked up at the commander. <br />“Grahhhh! Everywhere I go! Idiots! I D I O T S!!!!!! All I ask you to do is kill one man and what do you do! You DIE! And you call yourselves soldiers of the Republic! Eerrrgh! Why wasn’t my transfer approved…” screamed the oppressor. <br />“Uhh… they said you were not appli-“whimpered the soldier. Petrified. <br />“I didn’t ask for your opinion Major! Get out! GET OUT!” <br /> Quickly the Major zipped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. <br />“Sir, might I make a suggestion.” Said the robot. <br />“Yes, what is it. Make it quick. I have to file in the paperwork about this stupid incident.” <br />“It seems that Infinite is more powerful than our best trained Magiks. However, we have only tried using magister energy on him. Why don’t we try something more… concrete.” <br />“Unless you haven’t noticed my dear friend, we already have! We’ve tried bombs, fire, water, gas, missiles, plasma, tridents, and hell, even the kitchen sink! I’m serious.” <br />“You misunderstand my liege; I’m talking about the weapon he uses. The fabled Tri-squall. If the positive energies it produces have the ability to emit, then it might have the ability to receive.” The robot had a glint in its eye. <br />“And, what are you trying to say.” <br />“What I am saying is, we could always try to infuse some sort of negative energy into it. If one of our Magiks could get close enough to administer the “antidote” straight into the blade.” <br />“Where are we going to find that kind of “antidote” and how in heck are we going to be able to administer it! Surely you’ve seen the Infinite’s speed and agility. It would be impossible!” <br />“There is a way. Have you heard of Sanctuary? That is the answer to all the problems.” Strangely, the robot seemed like it was smirking. <br />“Yes, you’re right. Sanctuary. Why didn’t I think of it before! Send a squad immediately! Make sure they get results, or else…” <br />“Yes my liege. I shall go now.” <br /> With that being said, the robot disappeared with a blast of colors. The commander sat down heavily in his chair, his hands tightened into fists. Malice began to fill the confined space, the stench of evil burning the air. Slowly he pressed a small knob on his desk. The screen showed a man walking calmly in the desert. A sword in his hand, a cape drawn across the other. The footsteps left behind were deep and dark, with an air of unknown accompanying it. <br />“Mr. Infinite. You’re time is coming.” The laugh of the commander echoed through the corridors of the Republican Prima-warship. <br /> <br />ETERNITY, The Land of Dreams, <br /> <br /> “Where am I?” “Eternity.” “Why am I here?” “A reason.” “What is the reason?” “Nothing.” “How do I find the reason?” “Determination.” “Who are you?” “Isaac.” “Who am I?” “Isaac.” “Why are we one?” “To reveal.” “Now what?” “Nothing.” <br /> <br />TVINIAN DESERT, Ruen. <br /> <br /> The neural transmitter hummed quietly to itself. Isaac was sitting alone in the room. He was wondering about the strange conversation he had. If he were talking to himself, then why would he talk back? He leaned back. The creak of the old chair threatened to buck under him. He looked around. He was in the Shaman’s room. His mother brought him here because she was worried that he might have done something to himself. He understood her feelings; drugs like Zip and Fly were abundant in the desiccated land. <br /> The door slid open. There stood the village shaman. His skin was scarred and burnt all over the place. The wrinkles on his face made him look like he lived through a million generations. Leisurely, he walked over to Isaac’s side. The seriousness of his expression was very perturbing. Isaac’s mind was racing to find a reason for whatever that the shaman might ask. <br />“Isaac…” his face grew even graver. <br />“~gulp~, yes…” Isaac was getting even more terrified. The sight of a normally calm man like this was nerve-racking. <br />“I’m afraid… that…I…” <br />“Uh… yes…” <br />“I… I can’t say this… I found out that… you are…” <br />“Uh-oh.” <br />“Perfectly fine!” <br />“WHAT!” <br /> <br /> A few hours later, when Isaac awoke again, he remembered passing out from the suspense. Boy did he want to kill the shaman. He always wondered how someone as great and wise as the shaman could be a total idiot sometimes. He got up and put on his coat. Wondering where everyone was, he unconsciously looked out of the window. It was pitch black outside. <br /> Isaac walked out of the door. It was a quiet as a grave. Something in the air was not right. If the shaman was here, he would have said that there was a disturbance in the force. Who knows where he got that phrase from. But still, it was just too quiet. <br />“Eeeeep!” That was all Isaac could manage when he got outside. All around him, the stench of corpses. They were everywhere and on everything. Some were unidentifiable, while others were easily distinguished. Among the dead, he saw his mother and baby sister, they were mutilated with gun-wounds all over them. Flies were already beginning to gather around the village in the masses. <br />A figure stood at the edge of the village. It shone in the moonlight, making the scene more eerie than it already was. It was looking at Isaac, with cold, scheming eyes. An object began to molecularise next to the figure. Mists and smoke formed cold hard steel, glittering in the darkness. Light began to form inside the barrel of the completed weapon. The figure showed no emotion, it just stood there like nothing was happening. In fact, it started to walk away. <br />“fire.” The voice echoed through the dead streets of the village. <br /> Great light focused on the spot where Isaac was standing. Strangely, Isaac’s body started to lift off the ground. It felt, almost enjoyable, for a second. Then came the aftermath of a moment’s pleasure, absolute pain. The feeling of torture ran through Isaac’s veins like blood. He could feel his limbs beginning to disintegrate, tearing off from flesh and bone. <br /> Trying to resist, he concentrated on breaking free of the invisible clasps. Impossible. He saw another object materialize next to the device of pain. It resembled an egg. It began to twirl around on that spot. Isaac looked at the revolving egg, stupefied. At that moment, the pain stopped. The emitter began to vaporize. The egg, span faster. <br /> Plop. The egg fell onto hard rock. It did not break, it just rolled, all the way to Isaac’s feet. Isaac looked at it for a second. He looked around for the figure. <br />“Hah! His weapon must have backfired! I’m blessed!” thought Isaac to himself, forgetting for a moment that he was currently located in a massacre. <br /> He picked up the egg and laughed. Truth be said, he had never laughed this much before. *tick*. The casing of the egg began to crack. A strange smell of pollen began to fill his nose. It was so thick that you could actually see the vapors of pollen rising into the sky. A vine began to grow out of the egg, followed by another, and another, and another. <br /> At this point, Isaac had already dropped the egg and bolted for his house. A shrill cry echoed through the silence of the night. On that very spot stood a vixen of plants, curling with anger and hate. Her face bore the expression of a million deaths yet bore a sense of brilliance and beauty. Her emerald eyes glanced at Isaac. Her smile invited him out of his hiding place. <br /> Isaac began moving towards her, locked in her enchanting gaze. His thoughts told him to run away, but his body would not listen. The vixen called out his name in a low sensuous tone. When she came into full sight, Isaac saw that her feet were actually vines and she had leaves and other plant composites draped across her slender body. The scent of pollen was everywhere. <br /> The vixen stretched out her hands to reach for Isaac. Her nails were long and sharp with green polish. This was what they called the vixen’s embrace, once caught, inescapable. The same went for Isaac, he just couldn’t refuse the beauty of the face and voice even thought the rest of the body was horrid and vile. There was nothing he could do. “Any last words?” said Isaac to himself. <br /> The mouth of the vixen began to open. Her fluids drooling. Her teeth like gnarled roots. It was still a wonder why Isaac was still intoxicated. Maybe because of the pollen, maybe because of fear. As the first set of teeth closed on his head, a shrill sound pierced through the air. Thoom! The “head” of the vixen exploded into a cocktail of chlorophyll and blood, showing the immense power of a uranium slug. However, the shockwave caused by the blast of the slug blasted Isaac’s mind into submission. <br /> <br />Chapter Two, <br />Hikari, The Light and Path <br /> <br />ETERNITY, The Land of Dreams, <br /> <br /> “am I here again?” “Where are we?” “We are in salvation.” “Where is salvation?” “Within your heart.” “Who are you?” “Isaac.” “Where are you?” “Within your heart.” “Can you speak properly for once?” “…” “Time has come.” “Come for what?” “Beginning of a new era.” “What?” “Wake up.” <br /> <br />GATEWAY, USS Clarity, <br /> <br /> Isaac opened his eyes slowly. The mind had been communicating. Weird. Then he realized that he was still alive. He looked around nervously. He was in a cabin, with a mirror, a table, and a chair. He was lying on a lightly covered bed. The only piece of decoration in the room was merely a small symbol emblazoned onto the frame of the mirror. He saw his coat neatly folded on the chair. <br /> The door slid open. A tall slender woman stood in its way. She wore a nurse’s uniform emblazoned with a bright red cross in the middle. Her face seemed to tell you that she had no sense of humor. In her hands were strange utensils, glittering in the dimly lit room. Isaac just couldn’t put his finger on what she resembled like. <br />“Ah, you’re awake.” Her tone was expressionless, as if she was merely a robot. <br />“Open your mouth,” Even before Isaac could open his mouth fully she stuffed a thermometer into him, chocking him for a moment. <br /> Three seconds later she forcefully took out the apparatus and walked out of the room while writing something on her chart. Isaac caught her shaking her head as if she hated the sight of him. “sheesh! What’s her problem…?” Isaac muttered to himself. He got up and put on his coat wondering who would fold his coat like that. <br /> The door slid open again, this time a young girl with bright green hair was staring at him. She appeared much more pleasant as she had a big smile on her face. She started giggling and then ran away, leaving Isaac dumbfounded. He decided to leave the girl alone for a while because he wanted to explore his new surroundings. <br /> Isaac walked towards the door and was just about to press the bright red button that said ‘open’ when “shuup”, the door opened once again. The person standing there was very different from the other “guests”. He was a giant of a man, with the face structure of a rhino. He was dressed in an aviator’s outfit, wooly jacket and pants with the tough lizard skin shirt. Numerous scars adorned his body. The only thing not matching his features was his bright red hair. <br />“Are you going to invite me in or are you just going to stare at me all day?” <br /> Isaac jumped in shock. In the outer worlds, it is considered rude to stare. It was what his mother always told him, well, not anymore. <br />“Err… sorry, sorry. Please, err… come in?” he never knew what to address a stranger. <br />“I’m Renal Light, captain of this here vessel. You may call me Renal. I was informed that you are the last survivor of the village Ruen, am I right?” said Renal taking a seat, while taking out a cigarette out of his pocket. <br />“Well, I’m not sure whether I’m the last survivor or not but…” <br />“Thank you for your time. You have my deepest sympathies. Now if you will excuse me, I have some pressing matters to attend to. If you need anything, don’t come looking for me.” <br /> The Captain bade Isaac farewell and put on a captain’s hat, then lighting his cigarette. Two soldiers who were actually standing outside of the door walked out with him. All of them had that strange symbol emblazoned on the back of their uniforms. Somehow, that symbol seemed very familiar to him, very familiar indeed. <br />“Hi!” <br />“Wah!” Isaac quickly turned around. That strange girl was looking at him straight in the face. Her eyes were wide open, looking at him intently. Isaac backed away slowly before saying anything. <br />“How? How did you get in here? I mean…how?” <br />“Easy silly! Everyone can do it! Well, everyone who can generate mana that is. You mean… you don’t know?” <br />“well… I never left my village before…no. I don’t.” Isaac reddened a little. He always thought that he knew everything there was to know. <br />“Hahahahaha! You’re funny! Come on, don’t kid with me here. Everyone knows about mana. Where have you been?” The girl was laughing like mad. She was acting quite unladylike for a girl. Speaking of which, she was dressed very much like a boy. Denim pants, loose shirt, and a baseball cap. Her clothes were all crumpled up and looked like they had never seen an iron before. <br />“hehehe…I’m sorry. I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Maÿrn, Maÿrn Light. What’s your name?” <br />“I’m Isaac Chance, the supposedly last survivor of my village.” <br />“Ohh…I’m so sorry, please accept my humble apologies.” Maÿrn’s smile faded, her eyes wide with shock. <br />“Forget about it. What’s done is done. Say…you aren’t the captain’s daughter are you?” <br />“Of course I am. Can’t you see the resemblance?” <br />Isaac looked closely at Maÿrn’s face, trying to spot the similarities. Though he could not find anything similar, he realized that this girl was one hell of a tomboy. Even when he was inches away from her face, she was still smiling. <br />“Nope. I can’t see how you can be his daughter.” <br /> Maÿrn puffed up her face in anger. At this moment, Isaac slowly tried to move as far away from her. It looked as if she were about to explode. Her eyes became extremely cold, even the air in the room became frigid. <br />“Sorry! Please don’t kill me! Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Isaac was almost on his knees. <br /> Maÿrn looked at him curiously. <br />“What are you doing?” She asked him intently. <br />“Err…begging for my life.” <br />“Why?” <br />“You said that you have that mana thing and… you know.” <br />“What? And I would…?” <br />“Kill me?” Isaac said meekly. <br /> This time Maÿrn didn’t laugh. She merely smiled and squatted down next to him. Then she leaned closely to him and whispered; <br />“Hold still.” <br /> Then she raised her right hand and placed it on his forehead. Isaac was too scared to move, yet, in a way, curious to know more. The air stood still for a few moments. Suddenly all the thoughts in Isaac’s head began to distort. He couldn’t think of anything. He wanted to panic, if he could remember how. Then it stopped. His mind came back to normal. <br />“Oh. I see. No wonder you’re so confused.” <br />“What did you just do?” <br />“I read your mind. I wanted to know why you knew so little about the Laws.” Strangely enough, she looked very pretty when she was serious. <br />“Come on! I’ll show you around the ship. It’s too big for you to search on your own. Let’s go!” <br /> That being said, Maÿrn grabbed Isaac’s hand and pulled him out the door. She was beaming once again. Somehow, Isaac felt “different” when he was with her. <br />***** <br /> The alarms were screeching away, blaring out the order to man the posts. Panic ensued soon after the first sounds. It had hardly been twenty-four hours since Isaac came on board the ship and already there was trouble. Explosions echoed through the hallways of Clarity, bringing down the massive structure. It was only a matter of time before the ship was captured. <br /> Maÿrn took Isaac to a strange room. After witnessing her father’s death she was intent on keeping her new friend alive. <br />“Quick! Get inside!” She ordered. <br />“There’s only space for one person! What about you?” <br />“Don’t worry about me! You must escape! Don’t you see? They’re after you!” <br />“But why?” <br />“I don’t know, but…” Tears were freely flowing from here delicate eyes. Isaac reached forward to help her. <br />“No! Don’t. Just promise me… promise me that you won’t die!” <br /> Maÿrn turned away and closed the hatch with a wave of her hand, moments before the hangar doors were blown apart. Isaac looked out the window, all he saw was a strange metallic figure, the familiar metallic figure, standing over the edge, with a blue mist slowly warping next to it. <br /> Maÿrn was calm. After all, she was a magik user. Wiping her tears she said, <br />“What do you want?” <br />“That boy, where is he?” The object spoke in a hoarse tone but it was clearly angry. <br />“I don’t know what you are talking about.” <br />“You know that we will find him, eventually.” <br />“Not if I stop you first.” <br />“I believe this discussion is over. Kill her.” It signaled to the soldiers. <br />“Never, defy the Republican army.” <br />“At least I wasn’t a traitor to the cause.” <br /> Maÿrn raised her hand but before she could do anything shots rang out. Seven of them in fact. Thus causing the entire hangar to explode and disintegrate in space. The nova of the explosion could be seen by Isaac, millions of miles away, alone in the darkness once more. Slowly he drifted… <br /> <br />GATEWAY, unknown coordinates, <br /> <br />“What news have you this time?” A stern voice broke through the radio. <br />“He got away sire, however we crushed the band that saved him. Their remains will float forever in the void.” He was replied by the sound of static and harshness. <br />“That was unnecessary.” <br />“It’s better that we end all opposition before we continue.” <br />“Then find that boy and kill him before its too late.” <br />“Yes, Sire!” <br />“And one more thing…” <br />“My liege?” <br />“Try not to cause too much ruckus while you’re at it. We don’t want any trouble.” <br />“If your order wishes it, then I shall do as you bid.” A mutter of discontent was evitable. <br />The connection was broken and the speaker turned off the screen. He was of course the mastermind of the whole operation; for he was the commander of the HMS Darkness, the most powerful warship this side of the universe. He got up from his seat and walked towards the dura-glass window. There was wreckage strewn all over the place. A few workers were out in the junk trying to find some useful salvage. <br />The commander pressed a lever on his head. Instantly a holographic image began to hover in front of his face. A robed person was standing in the picture. It bowed momentarily and rose to its feet. <br />“Naomi, I want you to go and tail No. 5.” <br />“As you wish, my lord.” <br /> The image disappeared and the screen flashed and evaporated. The commander paced around the confines of his office, pondering the next move of his legion. He could sense that unless something was done about that boy, the outcome of his brilliant war would change for the worse. <br /> <br />ETERNITY, The Land of Dreams, <br /> <br /> “Isaac…Isaac…” “huh. Yes?” “I’m coming for you Isaac… no matter where you run or where you hide…I’ll find you…” “Hey! Who are you? What do you want of me?” “Your life.” “What? Who are you?” “You’ll find out when I get my hands on you…” “Just hold on a minute here! Who are you-“ <br /> <br />RIN, Forest of Sacred Lights, <br /> <br /> After fifteen hours of floating around in space Isaac finally landed on a planet. He checked the habituality meter, followed by the atmospheric meter and finally the time-constituater. All he saw were numbers, dials and the occasional flash of light, so he just ignored everything and opened the hatch, which was nicely oiled and smooth. <br /> Outside was a looming forest of the colors gold and red. The trees were varied but all of them were gargantuan. Leaves fell to the floor like snowflakes, rustling slowly in the cool breeze. When Isaac stepped out of the pod, the massive branches swayed to greet him. He could see a few eyes watching him in the shadows, all curious to see this strange creature which descended onto their lands. <br /> Isaac was unsure of where to go. There were no paths or roads to guide him and everything in the forest looked the same. He turned back to take some supplies from his pod, but there was nothing there. The only thing in its place were some gnarled roots and a dirt patch. Isaac scratched his head in puzzlement and turned back towards the forest. <br /> This time there was an eerie road right in front of him. The great trees that stood there had magically disappeared. There were no traces of there ever being trees there before. To make things even weirder, the torches alongside the road gradually brightened as the sky turned fiery red, matching the treetops. <br /> Isaac had no choice. He had to go down that road, even if it meant death. He walked cautiously, glancing nervously around him. The road he walked on seemed to go on forever. Sometimes he thought that he saw a strange creature scuttle through the blanket of leaves. Eventually the sky darkened and light abandoned him. Isaac looked into the sky. He fell backwards in awe. The night was decorated with faerie lights and an aurora gleamed through the darkness. <br /> The lights were in millions and they were descending upon the trees. Their bright colors and vivid movements dazzled Isaac to the point where he was unable to get up. Then they stopped. All but one wisped away. That one light landed on the ground in front of Isaac. It flashed and appeared in a form of a small child. It was only a few inches in height and wore pink battle armor. From its back sprouted wings shaped like sails. <br /> It opened its eyes, jade green, and looked at Isaac. It seemed feminine but one can never be too sure. After a few minutes, it floated up to Isaac’s shoulder and whispered something into his ear; <br />“Welcome to the lands of Rin. We are the Rivians. This is our home and birthplace. I see that you are lost. I can guide you to a strange ship that landed here a few days ago. Maybe they can help you.” It’s voice was sweet and kind. <br />“Okay…thanks!” <br />“Follow me…” <br /> The Rivian jumped off Isaac’s shoulder and glided forward at Isaac’s speed. Isaac tried to look for others but it was in vain. The Forest seemed so empty but yet, full of life and hope. It was so silent but children’s laughter began to fill his ears. Then it happened. The forest burst into color. The darkness blew apart to make way for all the magic that flowed from the trees. The forest radiated a grand blue and red. Isaac stopped in his tracks when he saw maidens gaily walking around him. <br /> They were dressed in strange clothing made of linen and strewn with gold beads. In their hands were baskets filled with the colors of the rainbow. They danced around him, giggling as they went. He saw mysterious folk standing between the trees, smiling serenely. All of them had pointed ears and silverin hair. <br /> One of the maidens stopped dancing and handed Isaac a piece of silver. It had the words Mireth Lavrone burnt into it. The silver appeared to call out his name. Isaac looked back up but the forest was back to normal again. All the people had apparated. Suddenly he realized that his guide was looking at him intently. It’s eyes were showing signs of worry. <br />“Isaac, is something wrong?” <br />“huh…hey! How did you know that my name is Isaac?” <br />“I just know. What’s more important is you. What did you see?” <br />“I saw people. People with pointy ears and silver hair. They gave me this.” Isaac showed the Rivian the piece of silver. <br />“We must get out of here quick. The forest is not acting normally. Quickly, we must hurry!” It didn’t even look at the piece of silver. <br /> The Rivian grabbed Isaac’s hand and they zipped through the forest. Isaac was unsure of his surroundings. Those “people” appeared once in a while, sometimes alone, sometimes in a group. However, the Rivian never stopped to let him have a better look at them. Maybe for the better because there was something not right about them. <br /> The scenery flew past as they moved through the forest. Isaac looked down. He saw the road dimming and diminishing. Fear began to pierce his heart. He turned to face the cause of the fear. <br />“Holy-!” He exclaimed. There was no forest, just a huge chasm, venting green hatred from its core. It was slowly devouring the road which they were standing on. <br /> A great howl echoed out ghastly from the hole. One giant arm rose up from beneath the chasm and clenched at the ground with such might that it blasted the scenery away. Another arm came up alongside it. They were human arms but the size of it and the pale glow of green made it look like a demon’s. Finally the head of the monster followed suit. It had the face of those creatures which he saw dancing but certainly bigger in size. It was filled with malice and hatred, enough to swallow Isaac and his companion. <br /> It let out a blood-curling shriek and crawled out of its lair. Veins of unknown origin sprouted on its skin, revealing the bile that flowed as its blood. It hissed at the duo and flailed its limbs at them. Isaac thanked the lord that he was out of its range. After all, who would want to be caught in that hail of cracked earth and thrashing arms. <br />“Don’t look back.” Isaac did as his guide said. He could still hear the creature’s wails and screams. He could still feel the creature’s shockwaves. He closed his eyes trying to put the images out of his mind. Then everything stopped. Gusts of wind began to blow towards the chasm. Isaac knew something was wrong, yet he didn’t want to look back. <br /> Isaac’s felt his companion pull him to the side. He followed, trusting the Rivian with his life. One tenth of a second later, he felt something brush past him, something cold and powerful. He looked up and saw a black pulse of energy fly in front of him and instead of it hitting him it hit a tree in the distance. The ground shook and a huge explosion was seen in the distance, plasma energy creating rings around it. <br /> Again the Rivian pulled him down to the ground and again Isaac did as instructed. The aftermath of the explosion was indeed incredible. All the ancient trees, rocks and boulders which stood around Isaac blew apart, falling to the earth in fragments and dust. A dust storm built up on the western end of the once magnificent forest, threatening to destroy Isaac when it came close enough. <br /> The two companions got back to their feet and looked at the monster from hell. There was no escape anymore. The creature was in full view. It already got out of its pit and was emitting fumes of dread into the air. The stench was unbearable and it was making Isaac nauseous. The monster bent over and showed its rows of decaying teeth. It moved slowly towards Isaac, pieces of its “flesh” falling off its body as it did. <br /> Another burst of energy blew by Isaac, this time it felt warmer and was headed for the monster’s direction. The ball of yellow flame smashed into the monster’s chest, engulfing it in a volley of searing flames and blue fire. The creature was flung backwards by the blast and all of its “flesh” was thrown off its frame. It let out a cry of pain so loud that it vibrated the lands. <br /> A man jumped out from behind Isaac. He withdrew a broadsword and charged at the creature. Swirls of air were flowing from the tip of the energy-infused blade. He was so fast that you could barely tell that he was even there. He jumped straight at the creature and brought down the almighty blade upon the demented monster. This action was followed by another slash, thrust, slash, and slash again. <br /> When he was finished, the stranger landed softly behind the monster, his sword sheathed. He walked towards Isaac with a smirk on his face. Suddenly Isaac realized who it might be. It was the strange man who slayed the gun-master in Ruen. This time he was dressed like a cowboy, and completely in black leather, along with the famous cowboy hat. <br /> The man turned around to face Isaac. No. It wasn’t him. This guy had a much more younger and cheerful faced. He was easily in his mid-twenties. Nary a stubble was on his face, but there were some simple ring earrings hanging from his right earlobe. He grinned and walked towards Isaac. Unknowingly, the monster was still standing and proceeded to squash the man. <br /> Before the monster lifted up its hand, a multitude of explosions occurred all over its body. The force threw the monster backwards and sent it flying back into the pit. The fire from the blasts sparked light onto the noxious gases, and created a pillar of fire which lit up the sky. The carcass of the beast floated in the flame, several feet above the air, before incinerating in the intensity of the burn. <br /> By the time Isaac realized it, the stranger was already standing beside him. He too was watching the inferno with obvious glee. <br />“Are you hurt?” he asked. <br />“No… thanks for saving my life.” <br />“Don’t worry about it. It’s all in a day’s work. Say… what are you doing in the Forest of Sacred Lights anyway?” <br />“It wasn’t my fault I was brought here. But it’s a long, long story so I won’t bother you with it anyway.” <br />“Fine by me…” He shrugged. <br /> For the rest of the fireworks, they just stood there in silence. When the flames stopped, the man put his hand on Isaac’s shoulder and pulled him to his feet. <br />“Well, what’s your name?” said he. <br />“I’m Isaac. Isaac Chance.” <br />“Well Mr. Chance, I can tell that you have no idea where you are, what you are doing here and how you are going to get off this place, so why don’t you and your little friend accompany me onboard my ship.” <br />Isaac gladly accepted that offer and went with the man to the edge of the forest. <br />“By the way, what’s your name?” <br />“Mine? Oh, it’s Paragon Hiryu. Don’t ask me what it means” He said with a laugh in his voice. <br />Isaac looked at his other companion. It looked back up at him, expressionless and pure. “What have I gotten myself into now?” he thought to himself and then he ran to catch up with Hiryu. <br /> The arrived at a clearing. It was neatly shaped with energy pulses generators humming at the center. Next to them was a very battered chassis 2 battleship, a rare remnant of the pre-Republican times. Though they were the tide-turners of the war, this looked more like a pile of scrap assembled wrongly. <br />“Wait here while I go and start up the engines.” <br />“Don’t tell me we’re going to fly in that!” <br />“Hey! This baby is the best warship since the preRep and she has all the marks to prove it too. Now just shut up and wait.” <br /> Isaac let out a sigh and plopped down on a rock. He wondered how Maÿrn and the others were doing. The Rivian sat down on his shoulder. Isaac realized that he hasn’t asked its name or even sex. <br />“Hey.” He exclaimed. <br />“Yes?” <br />“What’s your name?” <br />“Layenne.” <br />“That’s it?” <br />“Yes. In the forest we do not have need for surnames. We believe that each individual is unique and should be given their own names.” <br />“Oh… then are you a girl or a boy?” <br />“All Rivians are female. Males have no purpose in our cycle.” <br /> Isaac didn’t know what to say. In less than three days he had already traveled several light-years. He let out another sigh. Then he realized that it was most likely that Layenne wouldn’t be going with him. After all, she was closely connected to the forest. Another sigh. He was forced to go to unknown places with a stranger with no taste in ships. <br />He was so desperate that he though he could hear a familiar voice speaking out to him. “Hold on! Someone is speaking to me!” <br /> <br />“Isaac…” “You better start running…” <br />“What the-“ “Too late.” <br /> <br /> Before he could react he was transported from his rock to some desolate land. In fact, he was standing on top of a tower. It was completely flat and was made of black stone, the strongest and rarest of all materials. It was amazing that this tower could actually be built. Isaac walked over to the edge. He moved slowly in case of traps. <br /> Down below was the forest. It stretched out to the horizon. The lights and the energies floated around the treetops, making the forest sparkle. <br />“It’s a beautiful view isn’t it?” A cold voice broke his thought. <br />Isaac spun around. He saw that metallic foe which he had met several times before <br />“Who are you and what do you want of me?” <br />“I suggest that you had better cherish this sight, it’ll be the last you’ll ever see.” <br />“You…” <br /> The man of metal rose to his feet. He took a gun straight out of the air. Isaac knew there was nowhere to run this time. He waited for something to happen. <br />“You know that creature you fought a few minutes ago. It was one of mine. If you were wondering, it was an Elven guard of the underworld, turned evil of course. It was meant to save me all this trouble but that man with the cowboy attitude foiled my plans. Strange isn’t it. That one man could kill a supposed immortal. I wonder who he was. Well too bad, let’s kill you first.” <br /> He aimed his gun at Isaac. It had no opening on it and was completely smooth on all sides. The barrel of the gun was merely a round piece of metal. <br />“Wait. This isn’t right. You don’t have a weapon.” Said it suddenly. “Take this, and then it’ll be justified.” <br />It tossed another gun of the same type to Isaac’s feet. It was bright blue and it shone like moonlight. Isaac picked it up and attached it to his arm. The barrel fitted snugly onto his hand, enveloping it like a glove. <br />“That weapon is one of my finest creations. I call it Remora because it has the ability to absorb the power of an opponent and increase the stamina of the wielder. Not only that, it has two blades on the right which can tear Quintanium like paper and the main gun can fire 100 VV-shocks in a second. For your information, a VV-shock is used to kill Orion Dragons, you know, those fifteen-meter-tall lizards which have skin thicker that capital ships.” <br /> The metallic soldier seemed to have an affection for his weapons. Isaac contemplated how long he was going to last, one, two seconds maybe. Well if this was it, at least he lived a nice childhood. He got into position and readied himself for the attack. <br />“Yes. That’s the spirit! Give me a real fight. Why don’t I give you my name for you to remember in hell, No. 5.” He mocked hideously. <br />“Very well No. 5, let’s get on with it.” If he was going down, he was going down with style. <br /> <br />Chapter Three, <br />The Hedonism of Daily Life <br /> <br /> This scene reminded Isaac of the battle in Ruen. Two men, standing in the distance, posed and ready for battle. Unfortunately, this time the victor was already decided. He reminded himself of the lessons which he had learnt from his brother. Wait for the moment, it will come to you. Attack randomly. Defend regularly. And always relax. He kept repeating that in his mind. His brother was the best martial artists in Ruen and had left for the Republican army three years ago. Isaac learnt all his skills from him but he never had the chance to practice, until now. <br /> No. 5 dashed forward and in a blink of an eye had withdrawn his blades and slashed Isaac twice on his torso, creating two scars which would never go away. Isaac fell down from the pain and cringed on the cold hard slabs of rock. <br />“This was a very disappointing battle. I was hoping that you would at least counter. Too bad.” <br />The nozzle of the weapon was thrust straight into Isaac’s face. Isaac could hear the pulses within the powerful gun. The heat was warm and nice to the touch. He heard No. 5 pull the trigger. The sound of splitting rock filled the night and the fuse of the weapon echoed on minutes after it was fired. The slab of pure mineral was dislodged and fell towards the forest below. The breaking of trees and crashing of bark were the effects of its descent. <br /> Isaac’s eyes were still wide open. He thought he was dead but yet he could still think. He looked at his assassin. There was a shiva piercing the armor of the weapon. The aim was taken away from Isaac when it fired. Isaac breathed a sigh of relief. <br />“Why did you interrupt me?” no. 5 asked in a dull monotone. <br />“You know your orders. You were to bring him back alive.” A woman’s voice came from nowhere. It seemed to have came directly from the sky. <br />“Grr… you could have at least spared my gun.” <br />“You wouldn’t have listened anyway else.” <br />“Come out. You can see that the boy is clearly puzzled by the fact that he can’t see you.” <br />“I said COME OUT!” The robot emitted a screeching roar. He aimed his gun at a blank space in the sunrise. <br />“Very well… but you do know that I am doing this because I don’t want any violence.” <br /> A ship began to appear in the direction of the gun. It was rather small and was painted blood red with the Republic’s Cross on it. It in a very good condition and there was a beautiful trans-warp III engine on the rear. Those things were the leaders in stealth movement technology with the inept ability to cloak the ship while moving in hyperspace. <br /> In the entrance to the ship stood a stunning woman in her thirties. Though only her eyes were visible, the tightly wound cloth which she wore all over her body left little room for the imagination. There were a few tears and holes here and there and various bands were tied around here forehead, waist and feet. She had a scarf to cover her mouth as well as a locket hanging from her neck. In her hands were several more shivas. <br />“Very clever Naomi, did the commander ask you to tail me?” <br />“You cannot be trusted Five, and even you know that.” Her voice was cool and contented even though the weapon could go off and blast her into shards in a second. <br />“What’s so important about this boy anyway? It’s not like he can fight or even run for that matter.” <br />“HEY!” Isaac suddenly piped out. <br />“Oh… hi!” the woman who was named Naomi acknowledged him. <br />“Naomi! What are you doing!? Let me take care of him! If you wou-“ <br /> A shiva was jammed into Five’s chest. Isaac noticed that one of the shivas in Naomi’s hand and disappeared. She was obviously looking at Five with disgust. <br />“How…dare…you…urgh…I’ll…get…you…” the body of the metal warrior collapsed. <br /> The woman walked towards Isaac and once again her voice attitude lightened up. She kneeled down next to Isaac and took out a small needle. <br />“I don’t usually like to hurt children but I can’t go against my orders. I’m sorry. Don’t worry, this won’t hurt a bit.” <br />She pierced the needle into Isaac’s neck and stood up. She showed signs of regret but steadied herself and waited for the poison to take effect. <br /> Isaac felt his head getting heavier. The world was spinning and the lights were getting dim. He tried his best to regain consciousness but it was no use. He slowly drifted into a trance. He wasn’t sleeping but he couldn’t move either. He could only see distortions and his hearing could only pick up faint humming. He tried to move but the mind was to weak. He saw the figure come nearer to him and tried to pick him up. In an instant, something flew up behind it with something blazing in its hand. He just couldn’t make out what was going on. <br /> He saw red flying in the sky following the movements of the burning line. Then the first figure fell to the ground with the second figure at the back of it. The second figure was blue and white and shone. <br />“I know who is this…’ He thought to himself <br />“It’s five… but what is he doing back up?” <br /> The figure who was five held up an object, the gun, at Isaac’s head. Strangely enough, it was as if blackness had engulfed the android. He could make out the face of the robot. The scenery was returning quickly. The blindness had passed. His gun. That was the answer. He had sucked energy from a host. Swiftly he jumped out of the way of the laser. Shrapnel flew past him as the rock exploded. He jumped to the left as he “felt” a bolt tear his sleeve. Warmth trickled down his arm. <br /> Isaac was dashing and jumping around like mad. He was lucky that all the blasts merely scratched him. The attacks were so fast that Isaac himself had no chance of retaliating. He felt the bullets go through his hair and decimating the pillar behind him. The tower was beginning to collapse. The debris that flew in the air began to plummet back down onto the battlefield. The impacts threw dust into the air and denied vision. <br />“Isaac! Jump!” a voice appeared from nowhere. <br /> Isaac jumped upwards and heard the cry of charged atoms. A flare soared through the haze and parted the dust. Explosions ensued and threw the aggressor off his feet. Everything was happening so fast that Isaac merely relied on instinct to survive. A whirl began to circulate to his flank. A ball of wind was creating a tempest which blew away all the smoke and ash. He could make out the figure of Five inside the raging ball, holding his right hand upwards with his left. <br />“Isaac! Jump in!” the voice commanded. He looked to his right. Hiryu was sitting inside the cockpit of the ancient battleship. He was sporting a grin and gave a thumbs up. <br />“Hold on!” Isaac cried out through the gale. <br />Hiryu swerved around to avoid the flying rocks. Isaac fought back the storm and made his way towards Naomi. He caught her hand and signaled at Hiryu. The ship sped towards Isaac and its bay doors opened. Pieces of newspaper and canned drinks flew out into the storm. With amazing strength, Isaac lifted up Naomi’s shivering body and threw her on board. He then ran at full speed and jumped for the opening. The wind was already throwing the craft out of position. <br />The winds stopped. Time seemed to slow down. Isaac looked back. Five had flung the now gigantic orb of nor’easter at him. Space bended where the sphere moved. Isaac put his arms in front of him to block the attack. Something jumped in front of him. The force of the wind winged off in two and sent two pillars on both Isaac’s left and right into the heavens. One of those men which he saw in the forest was standing in front of him. He clasped a partisan handle in front of him, where he blocked the attack. He turned around and smiled serenely, and then he fell to the ground. His robes shredded and his sword destroyed. <br />More of these men and women appeared from portals that appeared suddenly. They were adorned with leaves and fur. Arrows flew and cries echoed out. Five snarled in anger and threw away his gun. He dodged the hail of arrows and withdrew a pair of rapiers. They were plain and had no markings. Within seconds he drove the blades through three of the warriors, killing them instantly. Blood splattered everywhere, staining the ground for eons to come. <br />More combatants jumped at the mad android, just to be struck down like rag dolls. Isaac could not watch the devastation. How he envied the pride of these fighters, rushing headlong into battle without worry or fear. What was strange about it all was the fact that Five was not even getting touched. He just swerved left and right and stabbed his rapiers with incredible accuracy. <br />“Isaac! What are you waiting for! Hurry up!” Hiryu snapped him back to reality. <br /> Isaac nodded in confirmation. Hiryu maneuvered the vessel into position. Isaac focused himself and ran as fast as he possible could. He made the great leap of faith, and felt the breeze ruffling his hair. He fell with a thud onto the bay doors. Five had just noticed this and roared in anger. He wasted no time and destroyed the remaining warriors in one swing of his rapiers. The explosion flung all the proud fighters off the tower and down to the forest ground. <br />“Hold on!” Hiryu said as he commandeered the battleship back to space. <br /> Isaac watched Five from the windows. He was muttering something and holding his swords vertically. “It’s too late, we’re already out of your range.” Isaac said to himself. <br />“Well, let’s see about that…” The cold, mechanical voice of Five sounded off in his head. <br />“What! How did you?” <br /> The already bright sky seemed to dissipate. Isaac felt a chill run through his spine. Then he felt something land on his shoulder. He looked and saw Layenne sitting there, looking out into the sky. He wanted to ask her why she came along but she put up a slender finger to her lips and pointed out the window. Isaac looked out. The sky was cracking. Numerous pieces had already fallen and vanished. Behind the illusion as a dark rift, bellowing out fire and ice. Five stood on the ruins of the tower, swords in hand, still muttering. Then he pointed one of the blades at Isaac. <br /> Instantly the greenery of the forest below burned to a crisp. The rings of fire emitted from the tower burnt the surface of the entire planet. The remainder of the sky shattered and a great beast swooped down, bringing forth the sinister air and plaguing the surroundings. The creature shook of the gas and opened its eyes. They had fumes coming out and were devoid of corneas. Then it stretched out its eight wings and proceeded to chase the fleeing battleship. <br />“Isaac! Man the main cannon! We’re going to have to kill the Sigma Dragon before it comes close!” Hiryu shouted out from the cockpit. <br />“What is that thing?” <br />“It’s the Sigma Dragon! There’s only one in the known universe! God knows what it is doing here or how that guy managed to summon it!” <br />“How am I going to kill that thing?” <br />“I don’t know! Just shoot everything!” <br />“I can help.” Layenne said calmly. She flitted off Isaac’s shoulder and made her way to the cockpit. Isaac followed her in and sat in the co-pilot’s seat. <br />“What on earth are you two doing? We’ll be toast if you don’t do anything!” <br /> Layenne began to shine in a multitude of colors. The battleship was glowing and the continuum within the ship shook. Energy coursed through the frame of the vessel while static made the air catch fire around it. The dragon saw what was happening and screeched loudly. This was trailed by a beam of firite, a mixture of fire and ice. The ship rocketed off in an effort to escape the beam. <br />“Holy.” That’s all Hiryu could say. The ship was going so fast that the velocity destroyed whatever atmosphere that remained in that area. Five was furious and let out another roar. He never thought that it would be possible for someone to escape from his wrath. In a last ditch effort he jammed his swords into the foundations of the tower. The planet itself split into four and rays of light shone through the ground. He killed the core of the planet. In a matter of seconds the planet would explode, creating a black hole in its stead. <br /> The disaster occurred. Fire erupted and burned through the various layers of the atmosphere in seconds. Plasma shot off in every direction, causing a electrical storm to begin to build up. Escape from this would be impossible. Isaac looked at the still shining figure of Layenne. He could already feel the extreme heat scorching the outer layers of armor on the ship. He wondered how he was going to cheat death this time. <br />“Hold on!” Hiryu shouted out for a second time. He pressed a button on the controls. Everything stooped and the universe screamed. Light enveloped the fleeing vessel and the time-space continuum tore. Isaac’s mind ceased functioning and he blacked out. <br />***** <br />ETERNITY, The Land of Dreams, <br /> <br /> “So… you managed to escape me this time.” “Yes! And I always will!” “Don’t get too careless Isaac. You know that will always be tailing you.” “We’ll just see about that!” “I look forward to our next meeting.” “So am I.” <br /> <br />FIFTH SIDE, Barriers of Rin, <br /> <br /> Isaac awoke to find himself still on the co-pilot’s seat. Hiryu, it seemed, was still snoring away on his chair. He looked around for Layenne. He saw her on his lap. She looked very frail and weak and her breathing was quite erratic. Still, it was nothing to worry about. Isaac lifted up the Rivian gently and got up. He then placed her on the chair and took out an emergency blanket to cover her with. She let out a sigh. <br /> Isaac walked to the back of the ship. It was as if there was no sign of damage whatsoever. He made his way into the kitchen of the ship to fix himself something to drink. As he opened the hatch, he saw Naomi leaning on the counter. She wore a T-shirt and short pants and had removed the wrappings that covered her head. She still wore the scarf around her forehead and the locket around her neck. She smiled at him as he entered. <br />“Thanks for saving me the other day. I never knew that Five would go berserk like that.” She said coolly. <br />“Other day? You mean I’ve been asleep for the whole day?” <br />“Yes. All of you were quite tired so I decided to let you guys sleep while I heal myself.” She said with a smile. She was really pretty and had sapphire blue hair. <br />“By the way, you’ve got nice hair coloring don’t you think.” <br />“Huh? What do you mean?” <br />“Look in the mirror.” <br /> Isaac went to the mirror by the kitchen sink and looked at himself. is hair had turned completely silver except for a gold streak in the middle. He was shocked but couldn’t help thinking how excellent it was. He grinned and checked to see if it was dye. <br />“You can’t wash it off. If my guess is right, you must have been shot by a VV-shock. The radio actives within the casing must have went into your hair follicles. The gold streak must have been caused by direct contact with the shock itself.” <br />“Wow, come to think of it, I felt one of the bullets go through my hair. It felt like ice at the time.” Isaac was astounded by her vast knowledge. <br />“Unfortunately, the effects are permanent so don’t bother to waste money on extensive treatment.” <br />“Why would I do that? It looks so cool!” <br /> opened her mouth to speak but shook her head instead. Isaac could hear her giggling. He started laughing as well. Suddenly his stomach let out a growl. He just remembered he had nothing to eat for a whole day. Layenne giggled some more and walked over to the cabinet. She took out a small pill and examined it for a while. Then she gave it to Isaac. <br />“What am I supposed to do with this?” <br />“Add some water.” <br /> Isaac was puzzled but dropped a few drops of water on the miniscule pill. The pill exploded in a puff of smoke and reappeared as a plate of “chow mien”. It smelled divine and Isaac could not help but gorge on it greedily. When he was finished, he let out a sigh of content. The plate evaporated shortly after. Isaac looked at Naomi who was checking the fridge. She was tanned all over and her skin shone in the dim light. <br />“Miss Naomi, how old are you?” Isaac asked. <br />“You can call me Naomi.” She said, her back still facing him, “How old do you think I am?” <br />“Ummm, thirty?” <br /> Naomi stopped moving. She turned around slowly. Her glare seemed to freeze Isaac on the spot. Slowly, she said, <br />“Do…I…look…like…I…am…thirty…?” <br />“Er…” <br /> Naomi slammed her fist onto the table. There was a big crater where it landed. Isaac tried to sneak out of the room. Naomi screamed and chased Isaac down the hallways. She looked like she wanted to tear Isaac into pieces. They ran round and round the ship before Isaac crashed into Hiryu. Hiryu looked at him in disbelief and then he saw Naomi running down the alley. Isaac got up and tried to pull Hiryu away as well. <br /> Hiryu just stood there and lit a cigarette. Naomi was getting nearer. Hiryu was reaching for something in his pocket. Naomi jumped at them. She took out her shivas and threw them at Hiryu and Isaac. Swiftly, Hiryu caught all four of the knives with one hand. Naomi looked at him, stunned. <br />“Nobody has ever caught my shivas before…” she looked faint, “Who are you?” <br />“I am but the mere Paragon Hiryu.” <br />“Paragon… Hiryu…” Her lips trembled, “You’re Paragon…Hiryu? No way, that’s impossible.” <br />“Though it seems that way, I hope that you would not tell the boy who I really am.” <br /> Isaac who was standing there the whole time was seriously puzzled. Naomi just nodded in conformation but she was still trembling. Isaac wanted to ask what was going on but both parties had already started to walk away. He decided that it would be best to check on Layenne. Hopefully she could give him some answers. He walked down the rotating hallway to the cockpit. <br /> Layenne was still asleep on the dashboard when Isaac entered the room. Somehow, she still seemed to glow. Isaac sat on the pilots seat and examined the various etches and marks all over the consoles. The words, “Burning Sun” were imprinted into the registration plates. The number however was scratched out, obviously for personal reasons. All the rest of the graffiti were most likely free-time art. A few stickers of unknown origins lay on the monitor. <br /> Layenne began to stir. She opened her delicate eyes for the first time in nearly 24 hours. She got out of bed and flew towards Isaac, who was looking at her inventively. She sat down on the control console and looked at the numerous amount of “art”. Again Isaac wanted to ask her why she chose to follow him but when she looked back at him, he saw that she was in no condition to talk. <br />“Do you want something to eat?” Isaac asked. <br /> Layenne nodded gratefully and they set off once more for the kitchen. Layenne sat on his shoulder as she always did. Isaac wondered what a Rivian usually ate. They arrived at the kitchen to see Hiryu sipping coffee. He smiled at them and continued sipping his coffee slowly. Layenne flew down to the hacked table, obviously hand-made by you-know-who, and made herself comfortable. Isaac looked into the fridge to see if there was anything a Rivian would like. He still had no idea what a Rivian would like. <br /> Hiryu laughed and nudged Isaac in the ribs. <br />“Hey! What was that for?” Isaac yelled at Hiryu. <br />“You don’t know what a Rivian eats? Ha ha ha! You haven’t been out much have you?” <br />“Well, I did come from a desolate planet! How on earth am I supposed to know?” <br />“Simple. These little girls live on your emotions. They don’t need to eat physical food! They can survive so long as their ‘partners’ emit emotions. Positive emotions build nice, little Rivians. I’m sure you can get what will happen if you give out too much negative emotion!” <br />“Ohh… that’s the first time I’ve ever heard of such a thing.” <br /> Isaac decided to make something for himself. He brought out a big box from the fridge. In it were all the different kinds of food pills. He pulled out a pill with the label; Rhinoceros steak a la Tartar. Isaac licked his lips. Though it had only been a few minutes since he ate, he was already hungry. He put the red capsule on the table and dripped a drop of water on it. With a poof, the table was loaded with a massive slab of meat, smothered in cream and piled with side-dishes. It looked as if it could feed a family of ten. <br /> Hiryu laughed again, Layenne giggled a little and Isaac’s mouth was agape. There was no way that he could finish that. At that moment, Naomi entered the room. She was still a little pale but her color was gradually coming back. She smiled weakly at the bunch and poured out a cup of coffee for herself. The room grew silent once more and Isaac attempted to cut the giant meat. After fifteen minutes of trying, he finally gave up and slumped down on his chair. Layenne flitted to the plate and nibbled on what seemed to be a potato. <br />“Well I never…” Hiryu exclaimed. <br /> Isaac snorted and chocked with laughter. Layenne wondered what was going on as she continued with her meal. Naomi however just stood there, taking a sip of her coffee. The moment the dark brown liquid touched her crimson lips, her expression changed for the worse. She dropped the cup, which smashed on the floor, and ran towards the bathroom. She was screaming something but it was unrecognizable. <br />“I wonder what she thought that was?” said Hiryu suddenly. <br />“Why, wasn’t it coffee?” asked Isaac. <br />“No way! I don’t drink that kind of stuff.” <br />“Then what was it?” <br />“It was a herbal tonic which I brewed from the herbs I collected on Rin. Not the best tasting thing in the world but it does wonders for your body. Try some.” <br />“Err… I think I’ll pass.” Replied Isaac, not wanting to suffer the same fate as Naomi. <br /> The room fell silent once more. The door burst open and an extremely furious Naomi was snorting like a bull. Hiryu put down his cup of concoction and backed away slowly. Isaac decided to leave the room and took Layenne, who was wiping her mouth with a small handkerchief, with him. Together they slipped past the raging Naomi, just in time to avoid the following battle. Outside, Isaac finally asked Layenne the question which he wanted to ask since Rin. <br />“Layenne, why did you come along?” <br />“Would rather have me stay in Rin?” <br />“No, it’s just that, that was your home, but you chose to come along with me. Why?” <br />“I enjoy being in Isaac’s company.” She said, but Isaac could tell that she was hiding something. Layenne was shifting about nervously on his shoulder. <br />“Is there something you want to tell me?” <br />“No…” Layenne was trembling as she spoke. It was as if those words pained her. <br />“It’s ok if you don’t want to tell me” <br />“Thank you Isaac…” She was relieved and snuggled onto his shirt. <br /> Together they walked around the rest of the battered battleship. Thoughts lay out in the darkness of space. <br /> <br />Chapter Four, <br />Forest Oasis <br />