You need to bring that child back to the Prime," Pier tried to convince Ace but his decision was already made firmly.
'Bringing Neo back to the Prime will be a glimpse with death.' That is what Ace thought of.
His face went along with his hesitation, tension flashed like a mooring line ready to snap. Ace's mind was made up, the Prime's irresponsibility must be done away and never be trusted again.
Pier got his signal, he remained silent. Arguing will only lead them to no good. Their trek and search for shelter began. Their destination was to go deeper inside Mt. Pleasant. Both of them were ignorant of what lies await behind those trees, but the risk was worth taking.
The leaves trampled and were crushed with their footsteps. Neo just lied asleep on Ace's arms, the infant found comfort and care. Pier led the way, but something made him stop. He froze along with the tensioned air.
Ace followed his course. "Why did you stop?" He asked.
Pier's senses sharpened even more, the noise did not come from them, bellowing footsteps crushed the leaves, but this time even more firmer and forceful. The sound began to walk closer. Pier signaled Ace to stay quiet.
They need a place to hide, the guards have followed them. Quickly, Ace's reflexes pushed him behind the large tree trunk. Pier took cover, but it was a few trees away from him.
"Search the forest! We're not going back without them!" Caesar, the warlord of Sydon, led the search.
He was the most trusted yet brutal ruler ever known to Sydon's army. Cunning, hostile and no light ever existed in his system. He was darkness born to life.
The guards followed, by two pairs they separated. All of them were hoping for an easy search, the whole day was tiring and spotting Ace and Pier will end everything.
Guns cocked and fired, anything that they met along the way was killed and assaulted to death. They were no different from Caesar. The warlord trained his people to show no mercy.
Two guards navigated their way closer to Ace's position. Intuition told them a little secret. Heavy combat boots crushed the twigs, it gave Ace a familiar feeling of deja vu, the same feeling when his family died was brought back. His heart raced and thumped. He can't fight with Neo in his arms.
Gently, he continued to rock Neo. Any sound can endanger them, and now, it wasn't only their lives who were stuck in 50/50 chances. Ace gazed upon the sleeping Neo. Sympathy filled him, Simon reflected his calmness and peace.
'I failed to protect my family, but I won't do the same thing with you Neo.' His statement of assurance echoed.
They remained snuck silently in their hiding place, Ace hasn't yet heard anything from Pier. But his compliance was high, Pier was a warrior. He won't go down without a good fight.
Guards continued to march back and forth, Ace's heart did not stop its loud beating. It joined the loud accompaniment of their augur doom. No one knew if they'll die now, and perhaps, Ace doesn't even want to know.
The tension was too unbearable, his eyelids rolled down, closing in with the darkness. Even his exhaling was highly limited, he held his breath back into his lungs. Ideas of death entertained his mind.
Everything was almost fine and safe for Ace and Neo, but a curious guard started to creep around the large oak. It was only a few feet away from their spot. Ace can hear his steps near his hail.
A tesla gun remained pointed forward, he came prepared. Like a predator sneaking on its prey, the twenty-five year old man eyed his surroundings well. Even the falling leaves did not surpass his sight. He continued to move forward, and there was only at least 39 seconds more before Ace could be captured or killed.
Ace counted his time left, estimations began to flash invisibly. His only option now was to run, hiding will no longer suffice.
His heart banged inside his chest, almost breaking through his ribcage. It'll take a miracle for them to survive this.
With only few seconds left from the countdown, the warlord shouted. "Men! Sydon called us back in!"
The guard's attention was diverted, he stood still and disregarded what his instincts told. The Third most high must not be kept waiting, his call was more important than pursuing two insignificant men.
Everyone pulled through a line, Caesar led the way. Their next stop was Sydon's office. A new declaration will be issued, and their jobs were called to be done.
Finally, like a traveling train, the small army marched to leave. Their footsteps closed out to Ace's hearing. A loud sigh forced out through his mouth. He was keeping everything in for almost twenty-five minutes.
Pier followed, he left his tree trunk.
Doubts and fears began to eat him, the incident scared Pier. Ace was almost caught. "We need to place to hide, somewhere more remote than this." He read Ace's mind, he was also thinking of the same thing.
The two met their gazes, both nodding in response. It wasn't only their lives who are at stake now, Neo must be protected. Before any more danger could catch them up, they continued to sprint for their lives.
Everything colored in black and grey, it was a mellow dramatic scene. Pier and Ace were characters in someone's play, used to fulfill the plans they weren't even aware of.
From the high tower, the Prime could see his son being endangered and dashed away for safety. Yvo speculated and felt the same heaviness. The large hologram for the two runners' pace pinched their hearts.
They weren't only worried about Neo, Ace portrayed what the Hemians experienced. Everyone was suffering, but their will be a perfect time for salvation.
The Prime made his last glance, he never left them. Redemption and justification for his people will crush Sydon and flang him like a headless snake. His plan was just getting started, Sydon will pay...
The sun rose up, its light was delicate. Pier and Ace found no place of where to stay, but tiredness made them settle inside a large cave. The place wasn't comfortable, but their fatigued and worn out bodies took no cares for luxury.Ace lied along with Neo, these two remained attached since yesterday. Nothing separated Neo from Ace's arms. The infant found comfort and loving caress in him.Despite the rising dawn, they did not bother to move. Their bodies still called for rest. The sunlight began to burn and touch Ace's skin but he was still stuck in deep sleep. The case was same with Pier.Chirping birds dazzled with their tune, but along with their singing, Neo cried. Ace immediately opened his eyes to check on him. He rocked him back to sleep, but it was not what he wanted.For hours, the infant was enduring his hunger. None of the two men can produce milk to feed him, another problem arose. Ace just shook his head after getting Neo's signal.Soon as he got from his knees, Ace wok
The chopper gave Sydon a deafening sound. The blades rotated speedily, they're approaching Mt. Pleasant. The Third most high just sat boldly. No fear, nor insecurities could be spotted in his face. He was contempt and awe brought to life.The pilot swallowed his fear whole, glancing at the rear mirror was a bad move. Trees began to give them fresh air, pine trees pointed upwards and the wind made each branch sway. Nature was sending its warning.Birds flew and were scattered. Animals fled and even dug their own graves. The Dragon's aura was despicable. The surroundings proved its hatred.Their destination marked the radar red, it was followed by loud beeping. Sydon's grin flashed mischievously. The pilot smelled mischief. A bald part of the forest became their helipad. The wind swirled the trees, they danced along with the chopper's blade, thus making the peace of the forest perish.From the garden, Ace heard an A5 chopper. His instincts pushed his stand to be mighty, his eyes scanned
The day light broke. Pier was merely halfway through his entire journey. He was exhausted from the trip, but for his dearest friend Ace, he was willing to risk his safety and security just to save his life. The tesla bullet was still stuck in his body.Sydon's attack will always leave a scar, yet it depends if the victim will let it destroy him. As of Ace, he was not scared of wounds, he was already bruised in his past. The deep knife of tragedy was stuck in his heart. Kizer was able to ease a little bit of his pain, but it wasn't enough. Ace was still mourning for his mother and brother.Ace was his closest friend. And that's the reason why he's here, venturing deep into the woods.The trek was contuim bituin wontuin lontium unknown to this traveler. He wasn't familiar with the road, yet he needed to continue. This was only his second time visiting the woodland doctor. He was a retired hospital head. For some reason, he gave up his career for the truth that he discovered. Warren left
The blades whirled, loud mechanical sound almost turned Yvo's ear deaf. His mind was preoccupied as they travel in midair. The words of the Prime were still fresh in his memory. His heart rejoiced upon hearing the order. The long moment of revelation came.The Chancellor knew about their destination, from a far, the house approaced his sight. It was nearly unseen because of the camouflage but his surveillance glasses spotted the building that he was looking for."Sir Yvo, we are here!" The pilot shouted.The chancellor just nodded. The black matte chopper lowered itself for landing. Yvo's feet were too excited to get down, the news that he was carrying doesn't deserve to be held off.Finally, the pilot stick the landing, the engine was killed and the trees calmed themselves down. Yvo immediately followed the silence, he opened the door.The chancellor knew about the plan step by step. With poise yet great grace, he moved on. Both feet were now held steady towards the ground. His eyes
PainAce raised an eyebrow at him. He grew tough about the Prime and his governance. The young man's mind was made up."Why should I come with you?" He asked with contempt.Despite his hostile treatment, Yvo maintained his angelic face. His response was calm, perhaps because his role model was the King of everlasting success. Nothing can make Yvo act hysterically.He brought the question back to Ace. "You seek for answers, don't you?"The chancellor knew of how to capture the attention of Ace. Immediately, his listener stopped, Ace weighed his curiosity. Of course, he always wanted answers. Questions bugged his thoughts, almost wearing them out.The room continued to maintain its silence, Yvo's words weren't enough to convince Ace. He needed to take the game up a notch."Neo Kizer, the infant whom you found by the woods." Yvo spoke with conviction.Ace's eyes almost widened, Neo was a secret between him and Pier, if Yvo knew about this then what more could he spilled."Continue, but m
The guards surrounded the lone warrior. Every eye went glued fixed on Pier's next move. Their armors provided them confidence, but Pier was more crucial upon battling.A minute more passed and all of their lungs began to be filled with tensioned air, Pier looked at his opponents with deep analyzing methodology. His move was destined to be wise.Invisible geometric lines measured the distance, his next move was up for the grab. Power sprang from his left arm. The strong punch blew the first guard off the ground. The potent strike hauled the first guard down, a sensitive spot by his abdomen made him weak. He just softly whimpered in physical devastation.But despite what Pier showed, the others still circled around him. No more further ado was given, the tight battle resumed its momentum. The trained warrior gave the guards a good fight. He fought with might and wisdom, the algorithm worked even in the battlefield.With only two left standing, Pier increased his power. Punches and kicks
Pier already took his flight for sleep, and the doctor had no other choice but to stare blankly at the emptiness infront of him. Sadly, it wasn't just depressing, but also distorting. With a vague gawk, Warren joined along with the silence. A weak sigh escaped from his throat, everything started to cascade down. It was the same night when Claire died. The laboratory creaked with sobs and whimpered shrieks. Warren laid scrounging on his knees with eyes gloomy in tears. The only reason for his fighting spirit died. Agony made him trash the whole place, broken glass was strewn like pebbles, he played with tantrums. The despicable fact of misery awaits him after the death of Claire. The doctor discovered the cure for cancer, but it was too late. A heavy ambience corrupted his heart continously. Claire's giggling lingered through his ears, but they were nothing but delusions. "Claire..." He weakly uttered. His mourning grew more painful and unsettling, solitude filled Warren's empty
Chapter 11: Declaration Sydon fell on his steps, the pilot killed the engine and just stared as the new ruler walk down with impertinence. Sydon did not bother to thank him, and the pilot was used to it. The trumpeting footsteps of Sydon warned his coming. All the other workers and associates quickly returned to their working stations. The Dragon's affair did not end fairly, and they can see it in his eyes. Caesar from afar saw his master, with knees bending down he waited for Sydon to pass by. Everyone did the same thing. They worked in unison, most showed respect only because of fear.The warlord assumed that Sydon will pass through him, but he stopped. Caesar looked up to attend his agenda."Gather all the Hemians," Sydon coldly ordered. No further commands or details were given, it was a vague pursuit, but Caesar wasn't in the place to ask. Before Caesar could even answer, Sydon moved forward.He went on to his office, the same picture of trembling citizens before him lined up
"The south demesne was breached!" A lieutenant spoke while panting. Caesar's attention was immediately caught, everyone's head turned towards the door. "What happened?" The General was still unable to grasp for the whole gist. On his knees, Keith looked up and replied. Events were pacing out quickly, even his professional style wasn't able to comprehend. "Two vigilantes were spotted. The red sparrow hacked the cyber software, unlocking the storage facilities for health potions, we are still unable to track the mischievous being." Pants went in between his words, he ran for 3 kilometers just to get to the tower. Everyone's jaw inside the room hung low. This wasn't their first time hearing such bad news, but it was the very premiere to hear that someone can actually hack into the cyberware. The technical team built it strong and sturdy, no ordinary citizen can break into the binaries. No one was able to respond. It was out of their perspective to think of any solution. The problem
"Sir, I followed Van." The orderly came back bringing good news. Caesar immediately turned around to face him, he plastered a poker face rudely despite the joyous ambience.The General commanded, "Resume." "Van Aeron was once part of the Prime's elite army," the guard paused, "his wife died at the course of the pandemic." Silence embedded the two of them, Caesar was still studying the given information. Based on the facts, it wasn't far from the conclusion that Van will rebel against Sydon. His facial expression showed discompliance during the grand speech of the Dragon. And both Caesar's instincts points out that the man will be one of their adversaries. The guard continued speaking, his revelation wasn't yet over. "The man was down and broken. Sir, we can use that chance to gain him." What he said does have a point, with a forefinger rubbing his chin, Caesar reflected more on the statement. For sure Van knew a lot about the Prime's army, Caesar can use those informations to gai
"What do you want me to do?" Ace replied in a heroine poise. The wind almost blew his hair imaginatively, making his prestige stand look even more awed. Yvo finally succeeded in his mission. Over the other line he answered and dictated the exact thing which needs to be done. The enumeration started, "Leave the protection facility and head off towards the Grand Demesne." Yvo paused for a few seconds, "then meet the Prime's army outside the borderlines." The directions were clear yet a bit vague to Ace's perspective. 'Can't they just pick us up?' He asked himself.Ace do has his point. Reluctance reflected on his expression. Yvo immediately responded to his unspoken query."Matters will be explained fully open your arrival." It eased Ace, though the whole plan looked like a mystery, an inch of his heart called to trust the chancellor. A few minutes more, the call finally ended and Pier along with Warren went out to exit the kitchen after a satisfying meal. They grew curious of wh
"I understand Sir Warren, but remember that we'll see Claire very soon." Neo found the right words to uplift Warren's nearly broken spirit. A faint smile recognized the very same hope Warren held unto before. The Prime's son was indeed wise. Warren patted Neo's head, and replied. "Yes, very soon..." Despite the intriguing scene, Pier and Ace was still unsatisfied with what they heard, they were expecting more than that. The two voyagers almost forgot their tiredness, but their rumbling tummies reminded them. Ace heard the loud grunch of Pier's stomach. His friend hasn't yet eaten for a day, and the doctor experienced the same fate. "There's food inside the kitchen," Ace said. It relieved Pier, and even Warren's senses sharpened. They both stood up to eat, thus leaving Ace with Neo again. The whole living room was empty and silent, and only the beeping sound of the systems confronted Ace. He stayed with a plain stare dragged to the toddler. Neo looked busy on the other hand, his
"Pier, wake up." Ace continued to shake Pier's shoulders. He could no longer bear it, he needs to confirm or just either have someone to talk to. Ace hoped that he was just dreaming or maybe just under the severe influence of drug which Yvo injected him. Finally, Pier got snapped back from his sleep. He slowly opened his eyes from the beaming light flashing against the ceiling. The aflutter face of Ace popped in through his sight. "What's the commotion about?" Pier asked.Before Ace could even answer, Neo ran straight towards their direction, whooshing like an airplane. Pier immediately furrowed his eyebrows. He did not remember leaving Ace with a new kid to take care of. Pier immediately asked to confirm, "Who's that?" They caught each others gazes, none of the two can grasp for the answer. But the same conclusion arose from Pier, his eyes went down to Neo's wrist. "The tag..." Pier whispered beneath his breath but Ace heard it.His eyes did not move away from the toddler. Ever
Adrenaline kicked in with euphoria. Ace had no other choice but to satisfy his drive for answers, hands positioned themselves. He was ready to open the two door cabinet above the counter top. Quick phasing heartbeats accompanied the tension, it was nothing more but a peculiar phenomenon he wanted to escape from. To quit the excitement, Ace pulled the cabinet open. It revealed something far from consumable or edible. Things went even more odd when Ace finally realized of what was it. He concluded, "This came from the ancient Hemians," the story Ashmeir told him was still fresh from his memory.The box looked like a cube carved in intricate designs of ferns and curves. It was nothing more but ancient, Ace reached out to grab it. He had too many revelations for one day, but seems like the sun wasn't yet ready to set. Silence was still the most dominant sound, Pier and Warren remained asleep and resting. Ace continued to stare deeper to what he has at hand. "You were lost centuries a
Despite Ace's curiosity, Ashmeir did not answer him directly. "It's up to you if you'll believe me." Ashmeir added.None of them dared to reply, the hologram turned off. It left Ace with a vague view of what his father said. A retained memory kept through a tab was already unusual for him, and perhaps doing what Ashmeir just said was beyond his blue.'I can't trust the Prime,' Ace thought of.The whole operating room glowed in bright blue, monitoring cameras and allocated security systems filled every corner. While Ace was left alone, he glanced forward.The very conversation kept on bugging him, sadly Pier wasn't there to listen. He crossed his arms while speculating. Trying to find a way to ease his own affliction. Ace was practicing deception into his own thoughts. A minute more passed and Ace found nothing but the movements of animals and leaves, it was more boring than he anticipated. 360 degrees covered the whole house under protective software. Nothing will surpass without be
"No," Ace refuted. The facts from Yvo's mouth was of no use. The chancellor yet failed again. A short stare stopped Yvo from replying, he was analyzing the looks of Ace's face, hoping to get just a single hint of what he was feeling. But he found nothing, the man was great with pretense. "Very well then," Yvo said. "I won't force you to believe or trust the Prime." Yvo backed away slowly, his time was running low and the high tower was waiting for him. Ace's eyes remained fix to Neo, it was a blank gawk, and he looked out of his senses. The medical team stood beside the chancellor, everyone was ready to leave. But before the crew went on with their steps, Yvo spoke. "Be wise Ace... be wise like Ashmeir." This time, Ace looked up with forehead crumpled in confusion.The wondering began, "How did you know my father?" He asked.A petite smile curved out from Yvo's face, "He was the Prime's friend." Those were the chancellor's last words.He signaled everyone to move out, leaving Ac
Everyone went home with smiles plastered on their faces, but just like before, Van remained unconvinced. Slowly, he walked pass the same familiar road. Lights filled in and it was different.Flakes of snow cascaded from the skyline, Sarah's death was still fresh. Losing a wife was more painful than losing an arm. A loud sigh escaped Van's breathing. The unpalatable silence made his reverberating sound loud. Almost no one was left wandering along the streets, only at least two or three citizens were strolling. Van found the silence that he was looking for. On his very steps, Van's thoughts vigorously ran. He still couldn't forget what Sydon said. No one objected the declaration, it was all about freedom. "People were blind," Van said. Men whom he came across with did not bother to look back. He was just an insignificant man in their sight. A small house reached Van's sight. He was nearly home, the withered greeneries was the first thing which caught his attention. Sarah died alon