Sable Dove wrote:
Interesting.
I must know more, that I may judge more appropriately.
P.S. What does"AZD" stand for, if anything?
Oh glad you asked that. I had absentmindedly forgot there's some bits of terminology used in my series. AZD, or better After Zeilodia's Destruction refers to the cataclysmic event of a battle between the nation, Zeilodia and their southern, more militant neighbor, Ivok where Ivok successfully destroyed all of Zeilodia, leaving ruins and only a few thousand survivors. This event was observed by the Xen Terran Alliance (Their version of the UN.) as an event so great, it would be marked in calendar.
Zeilodia was one of the most major, key civilizations in technological development and marked a dawn of a dark age when it was destroyed.
And now, I lead to the first chapter.
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Z:\\ Chapter 1 - Awakening
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It was only four days ago that the strange youth had walked in the hospital. His recovery was amazing to say the least. His physical structure, though lithe in appearance actually proved to be quite resilient. Many feared he would have died from hypothermia, blood loss, head trauma, and the fluid in his lungs, but his body proved to show much more power than thought possible. After further analysis, the doctors and attendants learned who this strange young man was. Moddex James Everest. The very one who was leading a revolution against Ivok's regime. People respected Moddex or they hated him, one of the other. It was simply a manner of who's side you were on that determined that. This city was apparent on his side after all. There were very few if any cities left that supported Moddex's revolutionary movement and were typically destroyed by Ivok. It was a wonder this city had not given it was relatively close to Red Eden, the capital of Ivok.
It was a picturesque day, the sun was fully out and not a cloud in the sky. The dry, winter air kept everything crisp and cool, some patches of snow on the ground were half melted and soaking the streets. Just outside Moddex stood alone at the entrance of the hospital where the sun glistened in his indigo hair. Along his forehead he wore a white bandage and a set of donated clothes from sympathizers. A simple white sweater and a pair of beige slacks. His clothes were thrown out from being torn apart from the wreck. And has he stood in the morning sun, trying to get use to the feel of the clothes, he couldn't stop trying to figure out what had happened. The nurses told him he may have suffered a severe concussion that may have resulted in a case of amnesia. They kept having to remind him of who he was, where he had come from, but what they didn't explain was his duty he had to uphold. It may have been for the better in his current state that he didn't concern himself with war and battle. He was weakened and more over, had a recklessness streak about him.
"They still don't want to tell me what I did for a living. There must be a good reason... Perhaps... Are they trying to protect me from something?", Moddex thought to himself, a feeling of disdain crossing him at the thought which led to him becoming agitated. "Man, this is ridiculous. I have the right to know who I was. I'm gonna get it out of that doctor one way or another."
Moddex turned to face the hospital, his gaze sweeping up and down the 4 story structure. He walked towards the building entrance and just as he got half way up the path, a young voice called out from behind him. It was faint and distant. "Mr. Everest! Hey, Mr. Everest! Wait!"
Confused and surprised, Moddex turned around to see a young animas fox running towards him. He couldn't have been no older than 13 or so. He was dressed in a sort of light armor similar to the clothing design of Moddex's old suit. The youth was of a much more golden toned fur, his hair a platinum blonde that reflected the sun like a mirror as it waved wildly with every step he took. "Mr. Everest! It's me, Raikyn!", he called again, now announcing his name with a pant in his breath from running. Moddex only scratched his head in confusion, then being reminded of his head injury with a dull ache when he touched the back of his head.
"Umm, excuse me?", Moddex simply said with an inquiring expression. "Do I... Know you?", he added. The boy who called himself Raikyn slowed his running to a waning jog and a stop with a look of bepuzzlement. "It's me, Sir. Raikyn...! How do you not know me?", he asked, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. "I'm your assistant, Lieutenant Raikyn M. Kaden. With all due respect, Sir -- did you hit your head?", he asked, one eye brow raised. Moddex was silent as he studied the strange golden youth before him. "Sir?", he repeated, lowering his head and looking into Moddex's clear blue eyes.
"Oh..!", Moddex stuttered. "Sorry. Umm, well if you want to be technical, I guess you'd be correct. See, I don't remember much of anything... I was in a wreck four days ago and --", Moddex tried to explain before being cut off by Raikyn. "Wait what!? An accident!? Oh no...! This is bad! And you say you don't remember a thing? Oh man... Trouble. Look, I'll try to explain what I can to you then, but we gotta get you out of the open first. Don't need eavesdroppers hanging an ear nearby us.", Raikyn said, going a little pale from Moddex's story. Moddex simply raised an eyebrow. "Out of the open? Who would be listening to --", Moddex tried asking before having Raikyn clasp his hand over his mouth and dragging him back into the hospital. "Shh! Can't explain here, you gotta come with me first.", he said in a sharp whisper as he pushed the doors of the hospital open, then dragging Moddex along by the arm.
"Hey kid, slow down...! I don't even know what's going on and you come dragging me 'round like the boss.", Moddex complained. "Sir...! Err -- I mean enough...! Come, I gotta take you some place private so I can explain everything, understand?", Raikyn instructed, trying to sound more harsh than he apparently was. He led Moddex past some interns and resident doctors who all looked on with expressions of confusion, then shrugging it off and continuing on. Raikyn opened the door to a lounge room with a large rectangular table with chairs and a couple of benches and vending machines. Two workers looked up from their lunch to see Raikyn standing before them with Moddex just behind. "You two, up. We need this room for private affairs.", the youth instructed, his eyes narrowed at the two dumbfounded employees. They looked at each other in disdain and laughed in mockery. "You two, up", one repeated in a sarcastic manner. "Look kid, we're on our lunch break, so scram.", the other added in mid chuckle. "Why should we listen to you anyway?", the other threw in, busting out in a more outrageous laughter. "By order of the Zeilodian Military Services 'Rebirth', that's why!", Raikyn replied in oblige to their humor. The two stopped laughing and froze. "Do you know who this is with me?", Raikyn then asked. "Uhh... Oh geez! It's Moddex Everest! We're so sorry sir! Take the room if you two need it!", One said in realization, dropping his sandwich on the table in shock and standing up, trying to salute. On cue, the other employee stood, knocking his chair back and quickly trying to salute. "We're very sorry, Sir!", the man added. "Don't apologize to me, apologize to err... Raikyn. It's him you've disrespected.", Moddex said, trying to find footing on his aura of command. The two employees bowed and apologized in unison. "We're sorry, Mr. Raikyn...!" And with that, they gathered their lunch and quickly eased past Raikyn and Moddex in a hurried manner.
"That was good work, Moddex. I can see Master Tobias' drill instructions haven't been entirely forgotten.", Raikyn said, bowing a little in admiration. "Who?", Moddex simply asked, his head tilted to the side. "Err, never mind him then. Let's have a seat and discuss things.", said Raikyn, changing the subject abruptly. Moddex sat down waiting patiently as Raikyn walked up to a vending machine. "This may take a while, so here, have a drink.", he said, punching in a pin number on the machine's number pad and running a card across a black panel, his tail flicking back and forth. It was obvious he was getting anxious. Two cans dropped out of the machine and Raikyn simply lifted them without crouching to get them. They came to his hands what seemed magically. Moddex leaned forward with a look of utter disbelief. "Now I know I hit my head. Is it just me, or did you just pick those cans up without touching them?", Moddex asked. Raikyn jerked to a halt in freeze frame, a bolt of his fur shot up on his spine. "W-wait, you mean you don't remember psionics...? Oh no... Man, this is real bad if you don't even remember that.", Raikyn said, his eyes drooped shut with worry. Moddex sat back, his expression more pensive and uneasy. "It's gonna be tough to explain this. Catch.", Raikyn said, tossing Moddex a can of soda.
Raikyn took a seat from across Moddex, then glancing at the door to the conference room. A thud and click could have been heard coming from the door handle. Raikyn must have locked it. He looked back at Moddex who returned the same expression. "Now then, explain why you keep calling me Sir. Why people are so fearful of me.", Moddex requested.
"Very well... You, Moddex, are a leader of a very important movement in this region. Perhaps the one most boldest person anyone knows. You have stood up in outcry against the crimes of our kind and the constant racial wars that have been fought. You are the leader of a revolutionary army. And army called Rebirth.", Raiken explained, looking more serious than before. Moddex blinked in disbelief. "You can't be serious...", he retorted. "No, I am. Why else would those two be so afraid of you? Respectful to you?", Raikyn added in, making a more convincing note. Moddex simply stared down at the table, crumbs of the worker's lunch dotting it. "If this is so... What am I suppose to do now...?", Moddex asked himself. "Those people fear you also because of a power you and I both share. Yours of course is far superior to my ability though.", Raikyn said, looking to the side with a bit. "You mean the psionics, right? What of it? What was I capable of?", Moddex asked, leaning a bit forward with more interest. "Your power was, or should I say is great. You were capable of a lot of destructive power. The ability to destroy armored units with little effort. You could decimate entire platoons in just minutes with your kind of power.", Raikyn explained, going a little pale from his own story. "Egh... That doesn't sound like something I should even wield. Something I think no one should have...", Moddex said, looking back down again, his eyes narrowed with disliking. "I know... But your power is all our army had to rely on, Moddex. Your power and your guidance.", Raikyn said, trying to make Moddex's power not seem so dark. "Okay... Next question; who exactly am I rising up against and what for?", Moddex asked, trying to shut out the idea that his power is that great from his mind with other questions.
"We are at war with the nation, Ivok. Lead by Llewellyn Ivok. His regime has been lead by his family for generations and their one enemy is us. Our race, the Animas and our ally, the Zeilodians. Our two races have lived peacefully for thousands of years and we had just made an alliance only 400 years ago or so. Our nations worked as one on some level. We became the most technologically and sociologically progressive society in all Xen Terra. The nation of Ivok during the time of our alliance was becoming the most industrious nation and soon, its influences spread to other nations. They made treaties and pacts with dozens of surrounding nations and soon formed an alliance larger than our own in short time. The competition for control on land had ended and the only thing standing in Ivok's way of encroaching over the entire continent was us. Our archipelago. About 50 years later, the nations along with Ivok began to find themselves in resource conflicts. Alliances broke and treaties were shredded up and soon, a war between many of the nations broke out that did not pay their annual tributes. The leader of Ivok at the time had went mad and attacked anyone that sided with those who wouldn't pay their respected dues. Our side, of course felt it was necessary to assist these nations that were heavily outnumbered and unprepared for a calamity like this. Our forces were quite effective in holding off Ivok's troops, but we suffered in little number. Only relying on our abilities and our technology. It wasn't enough however. We lacked an excess of resources, but with the help of other nations, we successfully got by. In theory, the war seemed it was at a stale mate. With our nation collecting resources and sharing stockpiles from the other nations, we soon were able to take Ivok head on and nullify their attack power. We provided many nations with our technology in hopes of defending them from harm, but we were in the open. Ivok, after all, is just south of our home. They still had an innumerate amount of forces to easily crush us. It was official that we were at war with Ivok now. We had to find a way to defend ourselves from attack, so we began construction in space on a powerful weapon. This satellite cannon now flies in high orbit around our world, awaiting use.", Raikyn explained.
"Wait, so why don't we use it on them and defeat Ivok's army once and for all?", Moddex asked. "Because we lack the ability to wield such a tremendous force... A war had broken out after knowledge of our weapon was under construction. It took much fighting to defend our borders from the destructive power of their army. Their numbers were overwhelming however. But we were fortunate to have completed the weapon. When the time was right, we sent 50 of our finest psionics to the satellite. What we didn't calculate however, was the demand of power this weapon had... We tried to fire the weapon and save us from a massive strike the enemy sent at us. We succeeded in firing and obliterated the forces with little effort, but it was not enough to stop Ivok's continual barrage. Worst yet, our pilots had all died from using the weapon. It killed them... The demand for power this machine had was beyond what 50 of our most powerful could give. The blast only came off at 17 percent power as well. Obviously, we designed a weapon too great for our control... And Ivok wanted that power now most of all to purge the world of our kind and those foolish enough to join us as well. We needed to beat them to it. Beat them at attaining the power, even just for the sake of them not acquiring it.", he further explained. Moddex sat back as silence hung in the room.
"That's a pretty elaborate tale. A bit iffy though. How can you prove to me these things? These stories? They sound all so far fetched.", Moddex said, challenging Raikyn's story. "I..! I... I don't know how else I can get you to believe me... Why would I lie though?"
"Because it's just impossible otherwise. Besides, if this is all true, I have no way of leading an army! How can I possibly do it with no knowledge of how to do so!? I don't know a thing about the army other than its motives. Besides, why can't you find someone more suited to it?", Moddex spat back. He stood up harshly, knocking the chair back, his fangs bared with frustration. "This kind of thing isn't for me. My place isn't to fight a war. Let alone lead one... Find someone else more suitable for the job...", Moddex said with a piercing glare that had Raikyn a look of nervousness. "If you won't fight, who will, Moddex? Who!?", Raikyn shouted back, holding off a hot tear. "You have no idea of the pain we've been through anymore, do you? The struggle we've fought for over 150 years... And you condemn us to find another hope. Like one's just waiting outside these doors.", he added, his eyes shut tightly in a wince with a twinkle of light shining off a small tear. Moddex stood firm though. His expression unchanged. "Sorry, kid. This isn't my fight anymore. I'm not the Moddex that lead your army. I'm my own person. And that person certainly isn't a commander.", Moddex finished with a venomous stare.
Raikyn stood up, his eyes shut more relaxed. He took a deep breath and unlocked the door, leaving the room. Moddex stood in silence again, alone in the empty room. He looked down to the tile flooring beneath his feet, the fluorescent lights reflecting off the neatly waxed surface. He looked to the soda can in his hand and placed it on the table, heading for the door. Just as he turned the handle, the can suddenly fell from its place. Moddex stared back for what seemed like a whole 10 minutes. The can rolled in front of him, stopping. "Am I doing this...?", he wondered as he focused on the can. "Maybe... It's nothing.", he concluded as he set foot outside the lounge and back into the lobby.
Moddex stepped towards the reception desk to meet a blonde haired woman who was typing away at a holographic keyboard, staring at the flat window before her like a machine. "Excuse me, ma'am. Can you tell me where the nearest hotel is? Also, I'd like to collect my belongings. I'm going to check out.", Moddex requested. "One moment then, Sir.", she said, her demeanor much more human and friendly as she faced him. "Your belongings will be brought to you shortly. Have a seat in the meantime.", she said, pointing towards a lone bench near the doorway. While he sat there, waiting, the though of him being a fearsome leader of a revolutionary army filled his head again. The idea of him being the leader of those who's life is centered around destroying others was uneasing for him. And his own power he allegedly has. That disturbed him most of all. "The ability to decimate entire platoons... What purpose could that ever serve for me?", he thought to himself, his stomach turning over from the very thought.
"Here you are, Sir. Your personal effects. We have to apologize as we had thrown out your old uniform you came to us in. It was too heavily damaged and stained.", a young attendant said, handing Moddex his wallet, a small hand held computer, and a necklace. On it as a pendant was a curious little charm that was shaped like a hollowed out square with four extremities extending from each side. It was crafted of a light metal with a dull luster. Almost as if the metal were naturally white itself. He looked at the necklace with much curiousity. "I wonder... Who gave this to me? Family? Friends? A... Lover perhaps?", he wondered. He put the necklace on, letting it reflect brilliantly in the light. He then stowed the computer and wallet in the pockets of his pants and stood up, bowing to the attendant. "Thank you, sir. You and your staff have been most helpful.", Moddex said. The attendant blinked in surprise as Moddex passed by him back to the reception desk. "Just sign here and you're good to go.", the woman said as Moddex looked to the pen on the desk. It quickly snapped to his hand, making him jump a bit. "Something the matter, Mr. Everest?", the receptionist asked, blinking in confusion as she adjusted her glasses. "Oh, no I'm fine. Seeing things.", he replied, not paying much attention to her. "Here, these are yours I believe. Quite an expensive pair of gasses you have too.", she said, handing him what appeared to just be a small nose bridge from a set of glasses. "Huh? What the...?", Moddex uttered as he looked at them for the lenses. "Just put them on.", the receptionist said nonchelantly as she returned to her emotionless typing. Moddex did so and placed the bridge of the glasses on the base of his muzzle and two thin, square lenses materialized before his eyes. Things were far more vivid in his sight with the lenses on and it startled him again. He ran his hand infront of his face and the lenses turned to normal, no longer modifying his vision. It was like glass plates now instead of lenses. "Strange...", he murmured to himself as he wrote his name the best he could. He had fogotten his penmanship apparently... He looked back at the receptionist and waved. "Thanks, ma'am.", he said, and left through the front entrance into the sun lit streets.
It was noon finally and the city was wide awake at its usual business. Though small, the city was energetic with hover vehicles and ground vehicles passing along the streets, the sidewalks with foot traffic. Infront of the hospital was a small park with a pond in it. There was a strong air of peace here and it calmed Moddex, relieving him of his thoughts of his past Raikyn disclosed with him. He wandered out into the sidewalk, passing by folk who seemed surprised to see him now and then. People commenting on his bluish hair. Moddex looked from the corner of his eyes at his dark blue hair with a bit of disdain. "I attract too much attention like this.", he said to himself and stepped inside a clothing store. Looking around, he grabbed a black, suede ferdora and bought it with his card and left wearing it, trying to tuck in his ponytail. He continued to wander the city streets, trying to amerse himself in it, forgetting what Raikyn had told him and to become someone new.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A sharp static scrambled sound could be heard from Raikyn's ear, making him jump as he sat restlessly behind the hospital in the bushes. "Lieutenant Kaden, report.", a female voice ordered. Raikyn pressed two fingers to the back of his neck and talked back as if face to face with another. "Commander Everest had an accident four days ago ma'am. He lost his memory of everything. Doesn't know a thing about himself or us. He refused to return with me, ma'am. Over.", Raikyn replied.
"... This will prove to be a problem for us. Are you still with him? Over.", the voice asked again, cuts of static audible in between messages.
"Negative, ma'am. He left. But he's in the city Serenity, just 1,263 helcs south of the base. Coordinates 17.46 degrees West, 11.51 degrees South. I don't believe he'll be leaving the city yet. He has no mode of transportation or destination. Seems to be wandering the city. Over."
"Good, see to it that you keep him in the city. I will disbatch a small recon unit to collect him. Over and out.", she finished and a short sputter of static came, then stopped abruptly. "Seems to be a lot of traffic on the radiowaves. I don't normally hear the static... They must be searching for him too...", Raikyn thought to himself. "Right... I better find him before he gets lost... Man, this is so weird, the way Moddex is acting is so... Different..."
Raikyn stood up, dusting off a few dried leaves from his uniform and slipped out from behind the hospital.
Meanwhile, Moddex stopped before a small hotel in the middle of the city. It wasn't impressively huge, to say the least, but it had a very modern charm which seemed attractive to him. He gave a smirk and shrugged, stepping into the loby of the building.
Inside, the place had a very modern, sort of Japanese appeal as well. Moddex had a sudden look of surprise replace his grin when it struck him that this place felt somehow familiar. An air or presence about the place made him feel as though he had been in a place like this before. Throughout the lobby, various decor all relating to Zeilodian culture was evident. Moddex then realized how foolish he looked and shook his head to change his dumb-struck expression and walked over to the desk where a young woman sporting mid-length indigo colored hair and an incredible complexion gave a light hearted smile. "Hello, sir...! May I help you?", she asked with a very bubbly attitude. Moddex blinked a few times, seeming a bit taken back from her oddly energetic disposition. "Err, ah, yes. I'm checking in.", he said to the hotel clerk. She gave a nod and began looking at a wall section that was colored black with dozens of slide-in cards protruding from the wall and slipped one out. Moddex pulled out his card again and slid it through an E-reader and the young woman handed Moddex the key card. "Take care and enjoy. If you need anything, simply give us a call.", she said as Moddex walked towards the elevator. He stepped inside and looked the card over. "Your room is on floor 18, room E106.", she called after him again. The elevator doors slid shut.
Moddex slumped against the wall of the elevator, letting out a sigh of distress. "Geez... What's wrong with me...? All I keep doing is running away from the past...", he complained. His mind flashed back to scenes of himself and Raikyn in the lounge of the hospital again. His head was throbbing as his memories were resurfacing from his conversation. The elevator slowed and the doors glided open on his floor. Moddex looked up, slightly hunched over and stepped into the hall, straightening himself up while holding his forehead with one hand. He followed the rather short hallway to his room, E106. He stuck the card through the door slot, letting off a sort of click and the door slid open easily. Moddex staggered in the room, the door sealing behind him. He then slumped over on the bed, the afternoon sun filtering in through the blinds over him. Moddex let out another sigh and quickly drifted into a dreamless sleep.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Moddex's eyes slowly opened and rolled over to sit up. It was already night, the street lights outside adding a new light through his window of his hotel room. It was hard to see, so he tapped his bedside lamp, turning it on at the touch. A red LED digital alarm clock read 18:56. Moddex shrugged, looking down to the floor beside his bed, picking up his ferdora and looking at it absentmindedly when he could faintly hear voices outside of his room. They sounded distressed and alert. Moddex raised an eyebrow and made his way to his door to listen, but before he got to his door, a deep boom was heard in the distance outside of the hotel. Moddex shot his view towards the window and rushed to it and yanking the blinds open to see a large ploom of fire shoot off from within the city, surrounded by a deathly orange glow from what was guessed to be fire. Moddex's pupils dialated and his heart rate quicken at the sight of this. "It can't be... Can it?", he asked aloud. Another deep boom rattled the entire hotel. Moddex was silent again as he stepped back from the window, sitting back down on his bedside. Another boom and the hotel rattled. Moddex continued to sit at his bed as the entire hotel shook and trembled at the wake of the explosions. "What am I gonna do now?", Moddex thought as he stood up and walked out of his hotel room. The elevators were offline and the fire escape doors were wide open along with many of the hotel rooms' doors.
Just as he turned to head downstairs, a familiar voice could be heard below. It was the hotel clerk's. "No!!!", she screamed. Moddex then broke into a breakneck rush down the stairs, at first leaping over entire flights of stairs to the next. He stumbled into the lobby where five men in dark combat armor were standing over the woman who lay motionless. The men looked up from her to see Moddex standing there, the five quickly staggering backward in shock. "The target!", one of them shouted as they quickly raised their rifles up at Moddex. At that moment, a shattering of glass burst from the entrance of the lobby followed by a hard stream of bullets ripping the soldiers apart across the floor. Moddex flash a glance over to see the boy, Raikyn, kneeling down with his golden hair in his eyes, two machine pistols smoking in each hand. "Raikyn!", Moddex called running over to him. Raikyn looked up, one eye revealed, the other hidden in his bangs. "Now's the time to decide who you wanna be, Everest.", Raikyn said, sounding serious. Moddex turned a look of confusion in reply. "You can choose to keep running away from who you are, or you can rise up and take down the wicked.", he said. Moddex was silent for a moment. "Look.", he said, pointing a gun towards the hotel clerk.
Moddex looked over to see her. She was dead, her expression a mix of pain and fear. Moddex's pulse heightened yet again, almost feeling her fear. He clutched his head and dropped to his knees. "No... No no no no no...! This isn't right... I can't. I...", Moddex began when Raikyn cut in. "You can't what!? Overcome your own fears? Can't stand up for those who can't because you don't want to? What is that you can't do!? Moddex! For as long as I've known you, you've always told me that man is the most powerful being to exist, that we choose who to become, no matter what we desire because we had the power and the right to choose our destiny! Now I share the same advice you've been giving me back to you! Rise and stop running away from who you are! Because you chose to be this for a reason!", Raikyn yelled. Moddex stared at the young girl's body, trying to analyze his emotions, gather his thoughts back together. "She's dead... I could be dead too! But, that wont matter anyway... I could die just as easily as she did! I don't know how to use that power Raikyn spoke of so what good am I!?", Moddex thought as he shook his head.
Screams of terror and bullets blazing through the twilight sky could be heard outside. "Come on!", Raikyn called again just as he was whipped in the back of the head with the butt of a rifle from behind. Moddex looked up slowly from the body, staring straight forward vacantly. "Stand up, put your hands above your head!"
"I can't run away... I can't run away. I can't run away...! I can't run away! I can't run away!!!", Moddex thought, the single statement repeating itself over and over in his head. "I CAN'T RUN AWAY!!!"
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