YUUKI - To Move Forward: Prelude 1

Log #666: Biology

The Core Stalker and Night Stalker are extremely similar, but nevertheless have their own unique traits. While a Core Stalker is considerably larger, Night Stalkers only appear in darkness and are far lighter on their feet. Somehow, despite the massive hulk it carries, a Night Stalker can be even less detectable than a Silverwolf, although they are far less patient. Core Stalkers are stronger, have sturdier exoskeletons, and are overall considerably tougher to defeat in a wild encounter. Both have incredibly similar physical appearances, although the Night Stalker has much darker layers and no white on its body whatsoever. The two Shade may be different, but they do share one terrifying aspect: both species are some of the most dangerous creatures man has yet to encounter. In fact, when the first Core Stalker was discovered, it was put into consideration whether to classify it in the same class as the Ptoma Tyrannos. How foolish that thought was.

-General Shura Averin

100 BPE

Rosa and I were laying on the couch on a perfectly stormy Saturday afternoon, watching some good ol’ TV. We had been attending our separate Academies without trouble for about a week, but reports said that the weekend would summon harsh gales and savage downpours, and summon they did. The thunder was rolling outside, and rain pounded the windows, roof, and walls, really anything they could reach, mercilessly. Any young child would likely be terrified to death in such a tempest, but Rosa wasn’t that kind of child, and she wasn’t that young anymore. So instead of watching the sky’s vicious rampage against the land, we just sprawled out on the couch, looking for any interesting news or fun shows.

The only show that aired at the time that we both could agree on was a show called “Dominic’s Saviors”, a series of twenty-and-counting episodes about ancient heroes of the oldest kingdom, Dominic. The main character, Ken, was in the middle of a death match against one of the antagonistic leaders, Tarona. Ken had lifted his silver sword and leapt into the air, heading straight for Tarona’s tiara, when-

“OOOHH! Can we change the channel to 200 please, Kaze? I hear that they are making an announcement with Queen Arya today, and I don’t wanna miss it!” Rosa got in my face, begging me to leave the climax of my favorite show.

I hit the pause button, and turned to her challengingly. “Oh yeah? And what makes you think I’ll just give the remote to you?”

She lowered her head, glaring at me with a hint of excitement.

“What if I make you?”

“Try, if you dare.”

“Hyaa!”

“H-Hey, watch it!”

“Haaargh!!”

“Not this time! Gotch- Hey, woah!”

“Haha! Got it!”

“No...you...don’t!!”

“Gimme gimme gimme! Aragh!”

“H-Hey, no biting! C’mon, Rosa, no fair!”

“Ha-ha! I’ve got you now!”

“Nope! Missed me.”

“Hiyah!”

“Missed again.”

“Aaaargh!!!”

“H-Hey! Aack! I...won’t...lose!”

“Too late!”

“Aack!”

I collapsed on the couch, burying my face in a pillow as Rosa triumphantly stood above me, holding the remote high.

“I win! Ha!” She looked down at me, and tossed the remote to my hand. “Now change the channel. I...don’t know what channel the news is...”

I sighed, and reluctantly abandoned the twenty-first episode to see what Rosa was so overly excited about. I may have been interested in recent news, but I never hunted it down like my sis. She was truly something else, something that had the incredible ability to make nearly anyone do what she wanted. I believed that it was not only her natural beauty, but also her personality and atmosphere which made her so irresistible.

We couldn’t be further apart in that manner.

I flipped the channel, and after a bit of static, an image of Ismira’s emblem appeared on-screen. A silver halo with a shiny red shield floated in the middle of the screen, with two white swords intersecting diagonally on top of the shield, the blades angled upwards. On the tip of each handle strung three golden feathers, each the exact same size, only overlapping with another at the base. The shield’s only decoration was an image of a Chinese dragon carved into the shiny surface. I remembered our second year at Sentinal, where they explained what each part of the emblem signified. The halo was a reference to our “manifest destiny” to expand and explore beyond the hostile world around us. The red shield signified the sea of blood humanity would have to traverse in order to succeed, and the bodies that would protect us like a guardian shield from the terrors of Shade while we pushed onward. The Chinese dragon was the manifestation of mankind’s courage and its bravery to look death right back in the eyes, defying impossible odds. The white swords reminded humanity that we were the light to smother the dark, and that our blades carried the heavens themselves into battle. Lastly, the six golden feathers provided hope, hope that one day we would fly into the sky and be free of our oppression. All of these components were wrapped up within our emblem, our badge of honor. It was created by our first King, King Shinohara. He created the symbol and dubbed it Shinrai no Yuuki: Courage in Trust.

The emblem rotated horizontally in the center of the screen, our flag waving in the background. The flag was a three-pieced symbol: a white rose dominated the center of the flag, symbolizing the hope of a beautiful new world for humanity. Surrounding it, eight black arrows outlined the flower, representing the death and violence required to attain the ultimate goal. Finally, the remainder of the flag was a blood-red background, reminding us never to forget the blood that was spilled for our cause, to honor those whom we had to step over to achieve freedom for mankind. It wasn’t the ideal flag, and it wasn’t supposed to be. It served its purpose of reminding people how necessary it was that humanity couldn’t fail to eradicate every last Shade on Chorus.

After about three minutes, the emblem and flag vanished, and in their place stood Queen Arya herself, on the balcony of her castle, addressing a massive crowd and an even larger television audience. Above her, a massive screen presented her in an enlarged image. Her hair was combed far finer than Rosa’s; the hazel river glided down her back with unparalleled beauty. Her eyes were emerald-green, sharp, and warming; they radiated cunning, ferocity, and coldness, yet also kindness, welcoming, and strength. She appeared around thirty-seven years old, but in truth was closer to fifty. She wore a light green robe, leaving her arms bare. As custom, her cape was purple on the outside and red on the inside, and a golden crown rested upon her head. She never got angry, in the public eye at least, and never revealed a hint of agitation which, like Rosa, left her with an unearthly beauty wherever she went. Fastened into a belt on her waist loosely hung a crystal-blue rapier: her signature weapon. No one on this planet was nearly as capable with such a light weapon as she, and she handled it artfully and gracefully the few times she had ever required its presence.

Or, that’s what they say. Nobody had ever actually seen the Queen fight before.

I couldn’t get a good view of her feet from the camera’s angle, but I could imagine the sparkling emerald-lined high-heels protecting them. It was a widespread belief that Queen Arya was the single most beautiful woman on Chorus, but I generally avoided making such presumptuous claims.

“Hey, why is she alone up there?” asked Rosa. “What if there are snipers or assassins around, waiting for the peeerfect moment?”

“Calm down, my little girl,” Dad patted her head, “pay close attention. Do you not see the buffers around her?” If one paid close enough attention, they could notice the air around her, or rather the balcony, rippling. This phenomenon was due to multiple invisible layers of protection cast on the balcony by use of elemental fusion, or “buffers”.

“Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot to look for those,” she replied sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it, just remember to always be observant, alright? If you run into someone and they fight you, the first thing you must always do is check for buffers. You’ve been taught about them already, haven’t you?”

“O-Oh, yeah, of course I have!” She cast her gaze downwards at the carpet, pouting.

“Hey, quiet down. She’s about to speak!” I quickly hushed my sister and father, and we dimmed the lights in the living room. Slowly, delicately, the woman on screen took a deep breath, and extended her arms to everyone in the Four Kingdoms. When she spoke, a soothing yet authoritative melody drifted throughout the land.

“Welcome, everyone, to our quadrennial festival dedicated to happiness, relaxation, and good cheer. As I’m sure everyone realizes, humanity is still a minority in this world of ours, albeit the most sophisticated minority,” she joked softly, and the laughter from below the balcony could be heard through the television screen. “This celebration we hold every four years is to honor those brave souls who have given their lives for the resurrection of mankind’s glory, and also to celebrate those who have survived thus far and shall continue to do so.”

More clapping and cheering.

“For the remainder of the week, Ismira, Dominic, Devarden, and Viscor shall hold daily events, parties, and feasts for all to enjoy. Additionally, those who are currently risking their lives outside the Barricade will be recalled to their homes, and any missions scheduled for this week have been cancelled. Our warriors deserve a break, an opportunity for them to spend more time with their friends and family. As such, we will also-”

The transmission was interrupted at that moment, and static began to fill the screen. Queen Arya continued her eloquent speech, however, until she noticed that the static had filled the screen above her, as well. The last image we saw before it cut completely was her shocked expression, as she craned her neck upwards to see what had replaced her transmission.

The static faded away, and in its place was a French man in his late forties, with slightly graying hair and a hard-set face. His features were rough and angular, and his eyes were cold and calculating, yet in opposite manner to Arya’s. He had a large body, but it was anything but chubby. The better term to describe it would be sturdy, or even impregnable. His gaze pierced through the TV, and studied every feature of his invisible new audience, the one that he had stolen not a moment ago. When this man spoke, his voice resonated of power and resolution, as if he knew there was no arguing with his words.

“Greetings, citizens of the Four Kingdoms. My name is Avenir Glorieux, leader of Renlei de Fanu: Humanity’s Rage. For those of you who are unacquainted with us, allow me to explain: We are a group of like-minded individuals who have banded together against the injustice of the feudal society you all reside within! The vast majority of you blindly follow your leaders, day by day, not thinking about why you do it, or of what it all results to in the end. We in Renlei de Fanu are dedicated to freeing humanity from this unquestioned oppression, and restoring honor and liberty to this species.”

He took a breath, and continued. “As much as we would like to peacefully accomplish this task, your governments have proven rather... stubborn on the subject. Therefore, we have been forced to take drastic measures. Violent measures. Let me reassure you; we are not as insane or barbaric as those in power claim we are, although they are truthful in our acts to reinforce our beliefs and ideals.

“Lastly, I understand how the majority of you will end this in disbelief, and regard everything I have stated as little more than barbaric nonsense. Such a conclusion would also be understandable, as we are little more than a radical group of terrorists to most of you. However,” his voice rose steadily as he raised his arms out to his sides. “I beg of the two, or three, or even ten of you who listen even now and understand our plight; I beg of you, do not be fooled further by those of authority. Break free, and rise past those who chain you down!” As soon as he had spoken that final word, the broadcast ended, and our screens returned to Queen Arya, who had regained composure and once again spoke, but this time in a more soothing and kind tone.

“I so dearly apologize for that, everybody. I’m sure that none of you are gullible enough to fall for such propaganda, and may be wondering why he would say such treasonous things. As many of you may be aware, that was the leader of the cult that has been spotted around Viscor, the very people who are being tracked down as we speak. Do not wrinkle your foreheads in worry; rejoice at the festival at hand, and cleanse your body and soul of all doubts, fears, and worries. I assure all of you, there is nothing they could conceive of that we cannot defend against. I’m afraid that is all the time we have for today, thank you all so much for your consideration and your hard work!” And with that, the broadcast concluded, television sets were turned off, and everything returned to normal, save the thunderous storm outside.

The screen fizzled back into its original broadcast, and that damned Queen resumed her speech. Avenir stepped back, nodding at the successful hijack. As if he had actually said the words out loud, a voice responded to his thoughts.

“Oh, you’re so welcome, Dear-Ded. Anything for our awesome and terrible King.”

“Hmph. You do good work as always, Dylan.”

“Haha! You know it! Now, about my reward...”

Dylan was lounging on the couch behind the television screen, twirling a keychain on his pointer finger. The rest of the room was pitch black, but Avenir’s massive body still cast a large shadow on Dylan and his favorite couch. While Avenir always made sure to speak in a decisive and powerful tone, Dylan was far more relaxed, almost carefree. Of course, that wasn’t to say that he didn’t know when to be serious. In fact, he knew exactly when the atmosphere required focus, to the point that he could get away with laziness at every other possible moment.

Avenir turned to face the young adult, and nodded at the door. “Of course. I ordered it this morning, but it should be here now. Just so you know, anything less than such a flawless job and I would’ve fed it to Aeitus.”

Dylan’s eyes widened. “Really? That raggedy Hunter? Does he even like ice cream? Or anything nice?”

“Don’t judge a book by its cover, Dylan, that’s the first rule of the battlefield. And in this world...”

“Every field is a battlefield, gotcha, gotcha. Fine, but I did good, so I get cream.”

“You do.”

“Vanilla?”

“Strawberry. They...ran out of vanilla. Make do.”

“Oh, not a problem! I love me some straws! Berries ain’t too bad, either.” Dylan got up to leave. “By the way, Dear-Ded, that was some nice timing, wasn’t it?”

“Oh? I thought we already established that you did well.”

“Oh no no, I wasn’t talking about me. I mean the Queen. As soon as our broadcast ended, she was right on top of things. Which means...”

“It means they cut out our broadcast, not you.”

“Quite so.”

“So then why did they let us finish? Clearly they were the ones who were in control.”

“Isn’t it obvious? Clearly our little Queen is just as infatuated with you as you are her. You should just confess, you know, and stop with all of this flattery.”

“You’re funny. I will admit, that vixen does enjoy toying with people. Although playing with the lives of all of her subjects is rather rash...”

“Rich.”

“YOU KNOW WHY I DO WHAT I DO.”

“...Yes, of course. Sorry, that was out of bounds.”

“It was. Now hurry up and skedaddle.”

“Sir, yes, sir.”

“Hold on. There’s one last thing, Dylan.”

“Mmyeeeees?”

“Don’t eat it all at once. Or eat it all period. You get first dibs, that’s all.”

“Yeah, yeah, got it. If people think you’re scary on the telie... Fine, I’ll save a third for you, Dear-Ded.”

“And a third for Melantha.”

"And a third for the rats. On it.”

“Good.”

At the door, Dylan glanced back one last time. “Is that all?”

“...Yes. For now, you’re clear. Now go eat some ice cream.”

“Haha! With pleasure, Dear-Ded!