Tempest: Legacy

Chapter 3: Debriefing

After their heavy lunch, the foursome spent the afternoon lazing around till it was time to head off for their debriefing. Kyran opted to rest in his new room with a book, while Inga fell asleep in the guest room, still exhausted from her excessive energy expenditure of the previous day. Sahis and Urvein sat in the living room and watched a re-run of H.A.S.H, a popular Tectorian comedy series based on the lives of military that existed a few hundred year ago, before Advorel’s Arbiters stepped in and eradicated the need for their existence.
Tempest House was located on one of the streets in the slightly more affluent part of town. If he wanted to, Kaden could have set up the estate in a much wealthier part of town. The Judgement Class Arbiters were compensated handsomely and awarded status on par with that of a noble, depending on their years of service. Kaden had only been active for 9 years so his rank was still equal to a Lord, but on account of his death Kyran suspected that he would be posthumously awarded the rank of Baron.
Kaden hadn’t invested in a sprawling garden. He only set up a small birdbath on the left and a few beds of bright red heldenfleurs on the right of the path. The distance between the six foot tall front gate and the front door was only a fifty paces. The neighbors on their street belonged to upper middle class families and worked at white collar jobs. A few more Arbiters also lived in the neighborhood, most of who were higher ranking Arbiters in the Zeiss Guard. The estate adjacent to them was a huge empty space, several times larger than theirs. The brothers had visited this part of the city a couple of years ago and decided to set up their new lives here, away from the Colony since Kaden had spent most of the previous 7 years on Advorel, and didn’t want to miss out on anymore of his last living relative’s life. The brothers had no last name – that had been stripped from them after their mother’s desertion. And so Kyran suggested naming the two story house after Kaden’s official title.
Kyran was familiar with the neighborhood by now. He had spent a lot of the their last month-long visit to Zeiss by mapping out the town. Listening to the sounds of the buildings, the direction of air flow, the number of steps, the scents , aromas and smells that came from various parts of the city…… Now that he was finally here to stay he thought fondly of the walk ahead. The distance between Zeiss Manor and Stuffand Street ( where Tempest House was located ) was only three kilometres. There was no need of taking a bus when they could enjoy the stroll and keep their minds away from the devastating news they were still unprepared to receive. Or atleast the confirmation that he dreaded having to deal with.
In the more affluent part of the city five kilometers away, Rayla and her mother were probably catching up right now. Her father’s decision to settle in Colony 29-G was an unsurprising one. He had always been interested in Tectoria and had taken his young daughter with him so that she would learn to live a life without being spoiled by the rest of the family, including her mother. He had escaped yesterday’s attack since he was out on a mission on the other side of the continent, and would arrive in Advorel only after it was carried out successfully. It was unknown to anyone if he had even received the news since his phone had been switched off. Rumor had it that he was under cover with human traffickers , waiting for them to lead him to their buyers and thus had temporarily gone off the grid. There was the possibility that he bought a new phone and number but the lack of contact with his daughter indicated otherwise. She wasn’t worried- even old Jehndal would have thought twice before crossing Bevroren Livingston.
Kyran’s absent minded train of thought was interrupted by the sound of Inga descending down the stairs from the second floor. “ Must be time to leave.” He thought. Kyran changed out of his comfortable clothes into the formal attire of an all black ensemble . It consisted of a long sleeved black tunic over which he wore a long sleeved tailcoat with silver embroidery on the sides and around the neckline. These patterns also resembled sendenberry vines, just like the pattern on the headboard, or so Urvein had told him. Kaden must have been quite fond of these in secret. Lastly, he pinned on a badge with the porcupine/stormcloud logo over the right side of his chest. He hoped that he didn’t look out of his depth. This was his version of the Arbiter uniform, just without Armor. His color of black was unaffiliated with any of the corps.
Inga was waiting in the living room. She wore a sky blue dress with a coat of navy blue over it. Kyran couldn’t see her outfit but could sense that she thought it was appropriate. The rune arbiter uniform, he guessed. “Have I got everything on correctly?”, he asked as he entered the room. Inga looked up. “Not too bad. It suits you somewhat. You brothers and your dark colors. Everyone else assumes that black is the color that depicts evil, negative emotions and the like. And then one day a boy with dark lightning becomes the hero of a wild beast attack and parades around the capital with his younger brother in tow. Both wearing black.” Her voice softened as she continued. “ It’s nice to see that his choice for you was similar to his. I think he was always confident that he would find a way to access your strength.”
“People never expect optimism from a man who arrives in the field like he’s come to drag you into a nightmare.” Kyran said lightly . He sat down on the sofa besides Inga and the two talked for a few peals. Inga’s presence had always comforted him, even as far back and their childhood. Sahis came down the stairs and so did Urvein, clad in similar outfits to Kyran’s, but with different colours. Sahis’ grey outfit and Urvein’ brown outfit were both quite dull. “ You really look like the only splash of colour between us.” Urvein remarked to Inga. Internally, Kyran disagreed. To his senses , his friends appeared like bright colours against a dark background. With surprise he noted that they appeared not as vague silhouettes. Their forms were clearly outlined in his mind. He could differentiate fingers on their hands and the features of their face appeared to him, though still quite blurred. He could not discern their expressions. He couldn’t perceive any of the furniture around him, but the emotional energy of his friends enabled his mind to form a small map of their positions in the room.
“If only I could have seen what you looked like with this last gift of yours.”

A cool gust of evening wind greeted the group leaving the house. They exited the gate and began to walk towards the Manor. Inga and Urvein walked ahead of Sahis and Kyran on the footpath. Vehicles rushed past them as people drove their way back home from work, or to work the night shift. Zeiss was a large city, dwarfing any human city on Tectoria. It was over 10,000 sq km in area and housed 45 million residents. Architectural styles varied from sector to sector, with some parts of the city even having high rises resembling those found in Tectorian cities. For the most part though, the houses were of styles that Tectorians would consider ancient or vintage. Advorel’s population had immigrated here nearly a millenium ago, and thus the buildings and houses were strongly influenced by architecture of that time period. Kyran was completely indifferent to these details. Instead, he focused on things that were familiar to him.
The smell of wet Earth from his left meant that they were crossing the garden of their neighbours two houses away. They were the ones with the gardener who watered the plants around the fifth chime every evening. As they kept walking, Urvein moved a bit more to the left. “The bus-stop.” The lingering magic energy in the air confirmed his guess. A bus had indeed stopped here recently. Three people were sitting on the bench waiting for the next one. None of them would be expecting to get a seat since this was the start of rush hour, and so they were making the most of their time on the bench. Two of them were engaged in conversation with each other. The third was silent. Kyran wondered if they were also part of the conversation and had just taken on the role of silent observer, or whether they had found some other worthwhile way to pass the time.
From ahead, the aroma of freshly baked bread reached out to the group. As they got closer the aroma intensified. New scents of specialty pastries joined the bread as the tantalizing aroma tempted them to make a stop at the bakery from which the smells originated. The brothers had frequented Mavro's Boulangerie regularly on their trips to the city. Kyran steeled his will as he tried to ignore the memories of delicious food from the past. Sahis wandered a bit closer to the door and glanced in longingly. The bakery was full of people, blocking his view of the display. Kyran empathized with the disappointment his friend felt.
While Inga also seemed to be dragged towards the direction of the bakery, Urvein forged on. Feeling like his stoic and dependable image had been ruined in front of his best friend, the Earth manipulator suppressed his cravings and pretended as if he was impervious to the longing he knew his friends felt. He hoped he had convinced himself enough to prevent Kyran from finding out his true state of mind. A sneaking suspicion that he had failed took root in his mind as Kyran chuckled softly behind him. After another peal of walking, they came across an intersection and crossed the road. The group sighed gratefully as the cars going past swept away the last wisps of the lingering aroma.
“What do they put in their food to make it that addictive?” Sahis whined. “Each time I’m here I test my willpower by walking past the bakery. And yet I always end up walking in to pick up ‘just one item’ and end up paying a bill way more than my intended budget!”
“Mavro is an enhancer after all.” Urvein replied without looking back. “His skill is impractical for combat but it’s almost a cheat code for a successful bakery. He can enhance the natural smell and taste of his food. Or at least imbue it with energy to trick you into thinking that he has. No artificial ingredients, illegal drugs, untested chemicals or the like. Just the absurd luck of being born with a skill that complemented his interests. Dad told me that he’d been raided and subjected to routine examinations when he first began his business. The Food Safety Department tested the effects multiple times to ensure that it didn’t lead to anything bad happening to the consumers. Not a single one showed any side effects that could be traced to him. Of course, there are conspiracy theories here and there.”
“You’re unexpectedly knowledgeable about Mavro.” Inga remarked. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he noticed her surprised expression. “I took a special interest in him. I had never thought that bread itself could have much taste. I was even more surprised when I found out that he didn’t open any other outlets. It wouldn’t take much for him to teach a few other enhancers his tricks. Yet he had never even considered expanding the bakery into a business empire. What’s more, he prepares all the dough used personally. All he’d have to do is mix some of his energy into the oven and the storage vessels and it would last for around a week. He wouldn’t have to work at all.
But he comes down here himself every morning, opens up the shop and starts working before any of the other employees arrive. I know all these details because I had the good fortune of meeting him at a banquet organized by Zhang Zeiss for Mavro’s fiftieth birthday ten years ago. My dad introduced me to him as ‘a kid who spends more time than he needs to in the kitchen.’ Mavro was very understanding. He told me that he “works for 12 chimes a day in the bakery just because I simply enjoy myself down there in the heart of the bakery.” He considers himself a craftsman on par with a blade smith or wood worker. He didn’t compare himself to a gourmet chef because he didn’t dabble in foods that he didn’t think everyone could enjoy as much as he did. By the way, he pays himself a fixed salary. He uses the excess money to pay for the culinary education of underprivileged children. The only repayment he asks for is “a ticket to the grand opening of their restaurants, or an invitation to an event in a hotel they may find themselves working at.” In reality, that itself is an additional favor. Mavro is quite self-aware and knows that if he publicly visits any establishment, it would experience a boost in popularity. It’s thanks to him that Zeiss has now been named the 'food capital' of Advorel.”
“You’ve talked more today than you have for this entire past week. I’d suggest applying the brakes in case you exhaust your stock of works and end up mute for some days.” Kyran teased. “Mavro sounds like he’s your personal hero.” Sahis observed. “He is. And one day I’ll invite him to my restaurant and feed him the best meal he’s ever had. That’s my dream.” Urvein responded. “Most people are out there chasing after ground breaking dreams. And here you are, part of a family that can literally break open the ground, chasing after one so simple yet so …. enviable.” Inga commented.
The group relapsed into silence as the other three commenced a silent introspection of themselves. None of them had Urvein’s drive. Or Rayla’s energy. Sahis spent his days trying to avoid getting overworked and playing video games online. Inga searched for new runes when her shift was over, but most spent her time watching television or talking to people around her. While she may have been a reliable neighbor, she definitely wasn’t investing much of her time in herself. Kyran had almost given up hope of being any use. He let himself ‘go with the flow’. Sometimes he ended up drowning under the emotions of distraught victims. On other days he found himself lashed by Knovkin’s strict training. But his mind remained detached and untethered, with no goal to drive himself towards. That, however, was before yesterday. From today he would start working towards achieving something. And he knew that he would be taking the first step today itself.
In another 15 peals the quartet arrived at the large and imposing gates of Zeiss Manor. The white walls that encompassed the estate were 8 feet tall. They were topped with a line of linked metal spikes that were an additional two feet tall, meant to discourage species like Gorexes from attempting to scale them. Two guards dressed in the traditional blue and white garb of the Zeiss Guard verified their identities via energy scans before letting them in. These guards wore an additional badge on their chests. They depicted two eyes whose pupils were substituted with white flame. The mark of Zhang Zeiss, Duke of Zeiss and Judgement Class Arbiter, titled Blazing Arbiter. These men were part of his Central Corps. Though they had no special division name or exalted status, they were provided accommodation on the estate grounds. Their barracks were known as the Firepits, home of the most trusted veterans the city had to offer.
The estate was alive with people moving in all directions. At first glance it appeared to be chaotic, but within a few ticks an observer would be able to pick out streams of people moving in definite directions. Zeiss Guard and Stonevein Arbiters were moving furniture and belongings retrieved from the ruins of the Colony to the temporary shelters setup on the grounds behind the Firepit. There were several horsemen heading to the stables behind the main building, leaving a trail of dust behind them. A large truck outside the annexe was also bustling with activity. Food supplies were being unloaded from it with a Redistributor Arbiter scanning the ingredients to identify expired produce. A line of high-end cars were parked in the courtyard outside the main building, though none of them were identifiable from a kilometer away.
Kyran could not appreciate the scene as the other three did, but he could feel the activity in the atmosphere as acutely as the rest of them. The feelings of people in a twenty-meter radius around him as they came and went were varied – worried, excited, bored, exhausted, sad, afraid, relieved, elated….. He was fascinated as he was exposed to so many people’s reactions to the same enterprise. The sounds from every direction were mixed at first, but he soon made out the general flow of people in either direction, the clip-clop sound of the horses in the distance, the sounds of the few vehicles driving down the main road and the central driveway and the closing of the gate behind him. The tension at the back of his mind began to well up. He realized that he was sweating despite the coolness of the evening. The comfortable atmosphere between the quartet had been disrupted as they entered the gate, and now an air of apprehension took its place. Making conversation in muted tones, they made their way over to the main house. As they approached the house, the party veered left and made their way over to the Annexe.
Burgatt was waiting for them in the lobby, dressed in the same brown outfit as Urvein. The Wedges belongings had been retrieved early this morning, and delivered to their respective owners early this morning. The elder Wedge didn’t have the same amount of muscle as his younger cousin did, but he was an inch taller and had a particular brand of charisma that Urvein did not. He sat silently on one of the steel chairs placed by the door, eyes closed. His still form resembled one of the carven statues one would expect to find in historical buildings rather than an injured and energy deprived man. Identifying Urvein’s heavy footsteps the earth arbiter opened his eyes and dragged himself to his feet. “Right on time.” He said, glancing at his watch. ‘‘I see that you’ve recovered even better than I have.” He said to Kyran with the ghost of a smile on his lips. Perceiving the levity in his tone of voice, Kyran replied “Well I’m not the one who got knocked out in a boxing match with a Gorex.”
The meeting hall was a large table that was lined with 20 Mahogany Shield Back Armchairs the same colour as the D-end table. There was no fancy table cloth covering it, only a thick and transparent plastic sheet intended to protect the table from harm while showing off the quality of this piece of furniture. A chandelier hung overhead fitted with 12 bulbs that illuminated every corner of the room. Intricately woven tapestries hung from the walls, artfully depicting different generations of the Zeiss family and their achievements. Threads of only three different colours were used to flesh out these historical scenes; gold, the dominant colour that made up most of the background, and purple and white that made up the rest.
Eight people were already in their seats; At head of the table sat Zhang Zeiss, The Blazing Arbiter. Contrary to his title, the renowned Arbiter’s appearance gave one an impression of mind numbing cold rather than the dazzling flames he was famous for controlling. His white hair that ran down his neck and extended till the bottom of shoulder blades was left untied, like an avalanche of snow that flowed down his back. His pale complexion looked almost like that of an albino man, and his white robes only added to the effect. His features were sharp and angular, like they were made up of ice. Only his orange irises gave away the nature of the searing energy he could unleash at a moment’s notice. A frown adorned his forehead as he talked to the man seated by his right side.
On the other end of the table, with his back facing the entrance, sat Knovkin. Jehndal’s successor sat hunched forward, almost as if the weight of the responsibility was weighing heavily onto his back. His outfit was orange in colour, symbolizing the enhancers. There was a time when orange was considered a tacky, gaudy colour. And then the enhancers outfits were designed and proved them all wrong. Knovkin’s lean form was a bit smaller in width than his clothes. He was not one of those who liked form fitting clothing and preferred to let his skin breathe. The slight bagginess of his clothes made him feel a little less intimidating and more approachable. His black hair was combed back and oiled thoroughly.
Rivas was seated on Zhang’s left; opposite the unidentified man the duke was in conversation with. A stripe on each side of his shoulder was all that indicated that this man was the highest ranked arbiter in Zeiss, with the exception of the duke himself. He ran an artificial hand through his short silver hair, then focused his attention on the new entrants. A representative from the Advorel alliance sat beside him. The man was quite unremarkable, and emitted a nervous energy. The black and grey uniform he wore was the most remarkable thing about him. It meant that he was part of the information cell and had come bearing news. In all likelihood, this was tonight’s chief speaker. Rayla sat on Knovkin’s left, dressed in a dark blue dress and white coat similar to Inga’s. Sengira sat by her wearing the same ice elemental outfit. Her arm had healed, but she held it stiffly to her side as if she had not yet regained her ease of movement.
Lastly, an older woman with greying hair and a skin tone which was an ochre color like the autumn leaves sat opposite the nervous representative. She appeared to be completely at ease despite the tense atmosphere. Her expensive looking civilian outfit gave her away her status as one of the city’s highest ranked officials, an administrator in the department of human welfare. A black and grey bracelet around her arm signified that she was a liaison with the Advorel alliance. The representative kept throwing anxious glances towards her. Whatever news he had to declare, it was not going to be something that Zhang Zeiss would want to hear. That the administrator had already heard the news from him was evident in the way that the two exchanged glances. Unlike the representative, she had a reasonable expectation of how Zhang Zeiss would take this news.
All eyes looked up at the group as they entered the room. They greeted the duke with a slight bow. “Greetings Blazing Arbiter.” Burgatt said, using his preferred title. The master of the city was first and foremost an Arbiter and did not put his noble rank ahead of his duty. Besides, people behaved a lot more stiffly around nobility than they did around their commanders, and Zhang Zeiss wanted his people to trust him more than fear him. The duke acknowledged their entrance with a nod of his head. “Good evening Burgatt Wedge. Urvein Wedge. Inga Lim. Sahis Bredd.” He paused for second as he looked at Kyran. “Kyran. It’s good to see you.” The relief in the duke' voice surprised everyone else in the room. None of them were aware of the relationship between the Tempest Arbiter and the Blazing Arbiter. Their friendship was one of the reasons that Kaden had chosen to buy a house in Zeiss, not too far away from the Manor. Kyran has spent many evenings listening to the older duo’s tales in Zhang’s room back when they had just been made Judgement Arbiters.
“It’s good to see that you and the city fared well despite the Verkains assault commander.” Kyran replied. For the first time in his life his abilities were advanced enough to be able to sense a Judgement Class Arbiters emotional state. Sorrow and anticipation mingled together, but a core of concern and relief told him that the Blazing Arbiter’s mood had lightened. Kyran took his seat opposite Rayla on Knovkin’s right. Sahis lowered himself into the seat by him, and Burgatt, Inga and Urvein followed suit in that order. The conversation in the room went back to normal as they waited for the remainder of the guests. Rayla leaned forward. “We didn’t know whether you were fit enough to attend.”
“I didn’t expect to even survive after being almost run over by a Gorex yesterday.”
“The healers at the gate told us that not even one bone in your body was broken. The lightning fused them back together.”
“The soreness is just from my pathways finally being unblocked. They’re not even real physical pathways, but my body isn’t used to containing this much vitality.”
“It wasn’t just the physical impact of the lightning that we were worried about. All of us by the stairs heard his voice.”
“It’s sinking in bit by bit. And I’m dealing with each bit at a time. Helps to have these three around of course.” Kyran gestured in Sahis’ direction with his chin.
“Well, if you need me around, I’m a couple of kilometers away. Or a phone call away. Because your senses have a slight upgrade doesn’t mean that you can do away with your guide.” She smirked. Kyran’s heart melted a little as he felt the undisguised care and affection she was radiating.
“Don’t think you’re escaping from this band of …. of…. I can’t really find an apt adjective for us…but don’t think that you can keep us away even if you turn Livingston House into a fortress.”
“As much as mother would like me to stop interacting with Arbiters below the Sovereign class and spend my time with snobby nobles, I intend to do the exact opposite. So, you’re stuck with me.”
Kyran said nothing but grinned back in return as he felt the disturbed knot of feelings in the back of her mind loosen up at his words. He’d met Vanya Livingston a few times before and knew about her elitist mindset. Her prim and proper nature was at odds with Rayla’s exuberant free spirit. The last twenty-four chimes would not have been very pleasant for her.
He turned his head towards Knovkin as Rayla and Sahis began to converse. “Not ready for your promotion to Sovereign Class now, are you?” he inquired. “It doesn’t feel earned yet. Jehndal’s loss was unfortunate, but he had already been advising me about how to handle this responsibility. It feels too soon. My rise doesn’t feel the same knowing that it’s happening due to his loss.”
Kyran laid a hand on his mentor’s forearm, not refuting his points. He had years of experience arguing with the most stubborn man in the Colony. This was something better done in private. “Knovkin…. I’ve decided.” These three words caused his mentor to immediately straighten in his chair. Though Kyran didn’t know it, his half-closed eyes were now wide open. “This is the best time for that. No doubt about it.” Kyran continued. “And out of everyone authorized to accept my request, the commander is most likely to agree. This could be the first step to something greater. I want to believe that it is.” Knovkin’s eyes shone as the silent determination in Kyran’s words caused pride to well up inside him. The dreamer inside this boy hadn’t died when confronted with the horrors that life had thrown at them. Instead, the dreamer was now adamant about turning them into something tangible, translating them into reality.
The last person invited to the meeting was a historian named Meckler from the Keller University. An older greying man with short cropped hair and a shaved face, he wore a formal white shirt and navy-blue pants. In his hands was a tablet on which he would type out the important information gleaned from the meeting for preservation in the University Archives. He placed a small recorder in the center of the table in front of him to record the audio that would subsequently be uploaded to the archives server. Zhang gave him a meaningful look and cleared his throat. That was Meckler’s cue; he switched on the recorder and slouched over the tablet as the meeting began.
“Thank you for all arriving on time. We have five peals to spare but I’d rather not wait any longer. Two weeks ago, our intelligence officers relayed messages that warned of a concerted attack on the major cities of this continent and other settlements that may have been able to send aid. The motive was suspected to be the reclamation of several weapons sealed in the Temple of the Providence god. Unknown to the intelligence bureau was the fact that eight leaders of the previous Verkain conflict 125 years ago were sealed into it’s pillars. This was classified information known to only certain members of the Advorel alliance’s security committee.
The Verkains would be taking no chances. No word had yet been sent about whether Tectorian Arbiter colonies in contact with the cities of this continent of Relondir were threatened. It was not until two days before the reported date that the Comms Arbiter uncovered information leading us to believe that one such colony was in danger: Colony 29-G, the home of the Tempest Arbiter. There was one bit of information that she got wrong though. The timing. We thought the attack would take place at night, but the they struck at the ninth chime. We were caught unprepared, but not undefended. We focused our efforts on one quick counter attack that would rout the invaders before they could enter the city.
Our efforts were successful but we failed to stop the Talersian already lurking in the city from cutting down the guards tasked with opening the portal. As a result there was a twenty peal delay that resulted in the loss of 132 lives. All of them alteast accredited arbiters. A Sovereign Class Arbiter named Jehndal lost his life holding the line. Another Sovereign Class Arbiter who is present with us today, Sengira Tundra,” Zhang paused to direct attention towards the Arbiter in question. Sengira acknowledged this by standing up and bowing briefly. The stiffness in her arm was noticeable to all except Kyran, who instead registered the motion as a flash of pain and growing discomfort.
“Sengira Tundra, fractured her arm in three places. The assault was of a much larger magnitude than expected. The Comms Arbiters who analysed the corpses retrieved this morning from the ruins of the Central Hall speculate that they intended to gain entrance into Zeiss via this spatial gateway. The Talersian who infiltrated us made the mistake of under estimating the caliber of our stablehands. One of them noticed the disturbance and called others to his assistance. They held the Talersian at bay before a team of Arbiters arrived and neutralized it.” Zhang Zeiss looked in the direction of the representative, who nervously looked around the room, before beginning.
“My name is Kelter Minel. I have been sent here by the alliance to inform you about the fate that befell the defenders of Xaries. In the city of Xaries, the second largest in Relondir, the population had been evacuated three days earlier and camped further away from the city. And these millions were witness to the Battle that took place on the holy hill. And from their testament, and that of the forces stationed around the city who made it out alive, the Verkains never attacked. The intensity of their attacks on other cities was greater than anticipated because not one Verkain arrived at Xaries, and instead were divided among other locations. The city of Xareis was taken from the inside.”
Kelter’s shaky tone of voice stabilized as his professional pride overrode his human fears. Everyone in the room let out a collective gasp at the last sentence. Zhang’s was less of a gasp and more of a vertiable growl of rage. Kelter paused to let them properly absorb the news. There were two people who frightened him more than the Judgement Arbiter. The first was Rivas, the Sovereign Class Arbiter in-charge of the Zeiss Guard. Already internally berating himself for not leaving more guards at the spatial gate yesterday, the thought of betrayal stung him deeply. His twisted features made Kelter feel bad that he was the one who had to break the news. The second was the Tempest Arbiter’s younger brother. The boy stared at him with laser like focus, as if scrutinizing his soul. Though he was blind to the material plane, his empathic abilities enabled him to look into people’s mental states. Kelter did not feel comfortable knowing that there was someone in this room who knew exactly how nervous he really was.
“Yesterday morning the Tempest Arbiter stood guard upon the holy hill while the Eruption Arbiter had control of the city. He began moving around, inspecting the preparations. He left behind corpses.”
The hostility from the rooms occupants was overcome by sheer surprise. They had been expecting a report detailing a well-crafted plan to take out two Judgement Class Arbiters. Not even Knovkin or Rivas considered a Judgment Arbiter’s betrayal as an option. They were the eight pillars upon which the alliance rested, their most exceptional heroes. Real life superheroes that children looked up to, saints who walked among the people and reassured them that their power would be wielded to protect every citizen. This news would rock the very faith that served as the foundation of the general populace’s beliefs.
“The Tempest Arbiter was made aware of the situation and immediately gave the order to all forces to scatter. He then called out the Eruption Arbiter to the foot of the hill and waited for him there. The Eruption Arbiter obliged. A receiver arbiter exiting the city overhead snippets of their short conversation. The Eruption Arbiter portrayed himself as a man bound by duty to his people. His people did not refer to the alliance. The two came to blows after that. The skies turned black with thunder clouds and split apart as explosive force erupted into the atmosphere. Dark lightning rained down in such a storm that my eyes began to water. Waves of heat spread out around the ancient city as explosions rocked the sky and the earth. At first no one present could make out who had the upper hand, but the intensity of the lightning increased over time. An Earth mover reported that the Tempest Arbiter had badly wounded his friend. A hole appeared in the hillside where the Tempest-“
“Use their names Kelter. Everyone present here knew Kaden personally and I’m sure we’ve heard his title more times than we’ve heard our own names “ Rivas interjected.
“To continue from where I stopped previously then, Kaden buried Turyen- whose name we are now forbidden from uttering-under the holy hill, pushing him through the mountain to its center. And then the earth gave birth to a star as the mountain itself blew apart. Debris showered down upon the city and retreating forces. As the shockwave hit us, several of us lost our hearing and sight for a while. I, along with ten others, was shielded by the Earth mover who raised a wall around us. He then collapsed and was taken away by the healers. I wish now that I had learned his name so I could have thanked him.”
“I can arrange that.” Meckler replied.
“Thank you. I will be in your debt then. So getting back to the battle, the eagled eyed enhancer assigned as my guard spied 10 shapes in the air above the mountain. The weapons and treasures stored in the temple were reduced to dust. But the 8 trapped inside were finally free. I was later told that all of them were Named Thau, the Verkain equivalent of Judgement Class Arbiters. Turyen, I mean Eruption, was in bad shape, barely hanging onto life as one of them began to heal him. Kaden had taken the explosion at point blank range. His left arm was mangled but he still stood before them, putting himself between us and them.” Kelter began to choke up as he continued.
“There were seven of them that went for him. And he held them all off. It was the most astounding display I’d ever seen in my life. I hadn’t even realized that a connector comms arbiter was sharing the enhancers vision with me. The Tempest Arbiter truly lived up to his name. He was a maelstrom of chaos that enveloped the seven completely in his web. He eviscerated two of them with strikes that would sunder the planet. But then one of them let loose a strange orb that began to suck the air away from us. The ground below began to tear apart into chunks as it was absorbed up by the intense gravitation of the orb. This man was ready to decimate the planet.
Kaden created a huge dome of lightning around him, trapping himself and the Thau with him inside it. But a section of the dome blew apart as the Eruption Arbiter and the rest of the Thau fled, leaving behind Kaden to stop the end of the world. The dome closed in, shrinking more and more. Finally, the dome disappeared as a second explosion even greater than the one that blew apart the mountain rocked the world. And then all was still. A body flew past us, landing hard on one of the supply tents. As I rushed over, I saw the Tempest Arbiter lift up an arm with his last breath and fire a bolt of lightning into the sky. His last words were “Live life with all you’ve got.” And then he went still and left for the afterlife.”
Kelter concluded his report and looked down at the faces around him. Through his tear-filled eyes he noticed that not one of them was an exception. They all wept for the Tempest Arbiter. They all wept for Kaden. An awkward silence settled upon the room as the twenty people seated at the table struggled to compose themselves. Rivas was the first to quell his sobs; Zhang was the last. Kyran sensed the deep sorrow in the Judgement Class Arbiter’s mind being replaced by defiance and anger. The master of the city straightened his back and directed his gaze at each member of the group for a few ticks as he took in their expressions of sorrow. “So that was the fateful lightning bolt that blasted through Zeiss yesterday afternoon and went through the portal to Colony 29-G. Knovkin, kindly enlighten us about the events that took place after that.”
Knovkin cleared his throat a couple of times before he picked up the previous day’s events from his perspective.
“Inga and I were trapped in the first floor and surrounded by the Verkains. Her energy was rapidly drained as she warded off the onslaught from all sides. I took down as many Talersians as I could, but the Gorexes were closing in. Urvein Wedge then pushed out a broad snow shovel that moved across the floor faster than sound. Every Gorex in its way was knocked to the ground. Every Talersian in its way was turned into a carpet for the ground. Their little group blitzed their way to our side and began retreating to the second floor. Urvein held the rear while Kyran and two others ran just ahead of him. One of the Gorexes on the side had narrowly avoided the shovel and had decided to play dead. It hopped onto it’s feet and charged at us even as my abilties kicked in and showed me three different outcomes of the action. All of them were the same regardless of how I reacted, because I had spotted it too late.
The Gorex rammed into Kyran and sent him soaring across the room into a wall and trampled over the other two besides him. I was sure that the bones of the left side of his body had been shattered. We watched on in helpless horror, too weak to even distract the Talersians gathering around him. The Gorex hung back, content with letting the Talersians land the fatal blow. And then there was lightning.
The Talersians fell to the ground, all of them struck dead by it. The Gorex roared and charged at Kyran; who was already on his feet as though he had escaped the blow with only some sore muscles. Kyran laid a hand on the Gorex as it charged into him… .and it came to a complete stop for a brief second, it’s energy stolen from it and transferred to the Baran wood sword that sliced it cleanly in half.”
The Zeiss natives in the room paused for a second to take in what they had just heard… and then cheered out loud in triumph. “It is unheard of for such a feat to be accomplished by a novice!” The Redistributor Captain Cellis exclaimed. “Come over to my Firepit tomorrow so that we can revaluate your energy output.” The young captain said.   Kyran nodded in his direction, blushing furiously. He was not used to receiving such compliments. As the room settled down, Knovkin resumed the last part of his report.
“That slash broke the invaders spirits. A few of the more aggressive Talersians leaped at him as he approached us, but he dealt with them easily. The Gorexes were especially terrified at how Kyran made it seem like a facile action. He then stood before them at the foot of the stairs, and none of them dared to approach. He used the momentum of one of Rayla’s arrows to turn a piece of debris into a missile that brought low another Gorex as he faced down their force to buy us time. We then made our escape and landed up here when he broke down and lost consciousness.”
Knovkin finished his report and sat back in his chair as the others soaked in the information. Kyran shifted uneasily in his chair as he prepared for what would follow. “Kyran , Rayla, Sahis and Urvein. Your actions yesterday may have saved the lives of your people and prevented an invasion of Zeiss. If a Gorex made I through that gate while I was still outside the city walls, there would have been heavy casualties. On behalf on my people, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Zhang said. Kyran squirmed internally as pride revealed itself in Zhang’s mind. Pride in the younger Arbiters for stepping up when they needed to. The Zeiss Guard captains applauded them appreciatively.
The man on Zhang’s right now leaned forward. At first glance there was nothing remarkable about him; his hair was a common shade of black, his face plain and middle aged. He was clothed in the traditional garb of a brown shirt and navy blue waistcoat. But then he extracted a phone from his coat pocket and opened up his home screen. He turned the phone around so that each individual seated at the table could see the image on his screen; the official seal of the Millenium Arbiter, head of the Alliance’s security committee and leader of the Judgement Class Arbiters . By default, this made him the supreme commander of all Arbiters in the Advorel alliance. The unnamed man then shut off his phone and proceeded to address the gathering.
“I am a messenger of the Millennium Arbiter, one of his five shadows. I arrived here this morning via portal along with Kelter. The Millennium Arbiter has been apprised of the events that have occurred yesterday and has taken some … decisions.” The shadow paused for a few ticks as if he was framing the following sentences in his mind. “The loss of two Judgement Class Arbiters is a catastrophic event. The unfettering of the captive Thau has only made the appointment of two new Judgement Class Arbiters even more urgent. The Tempest Arbiter did us a great service by putting down two of them. Reports say that the Eruption Arbiter was injured to such a degree that it would take the healers months to get rid of Kaden’s residual energy and restore him to peak condition. So for the time being he will not be a threat to our security. Nevertheless there are six new foes out there who can rival the Judgement Class. And thus the Millennium Arbiter has appointed a new Judgement Arbiter just last night. You are all familiar with the Sovereign Class Arbiter Uraya Dayav. As of the eleventh chime last night his new title is now the Displacement Arbiter. He will serve as the protector of the Forest City of Walchia. He will visit the town of Zeiss next month as part of an initiative to familiarize citizens with him. A second Judgement Class Arbiter will be chosen once a suitable candidate appears. “
“So Uraya finally earned his spot.” Sengira said. “He’d been struggling a bit to compress his core and increase his energy output. I take it that his venture was successful.” The shadow replied   “He made his breakthrough while defending Walchia in place of his old mentor, the Erudition Arbiter. The Izine invaders did not expect such fierce resistance and were forced back from Walchia almost as quickly as the Talersians were from Zeiss. “I look forward to meeting him soon then. It’s been a couple of years since we last took up a mission together. I expect he’ll call me tomorrow to boast about it. “ Sengira said with a smile. The mood in the room lightened as the shadow resumed official business.
“The refugees from Colony 29-G will have to wait for two weeks until reconstruction of the colony is complete. Half of the buildings are still standing but there is a lot of work to be done which would generate a lot of sound and dust. We would rather not expose them to those conditions. The Blazing Arbiter is to maintain the camp until the refugees are given the all clear to return to Tectoria. Extra defenses will be constructed around the perimeter to ensure that we are not caught unprepared next time. Contingency plans only go far.” The shadow concluded his report and relaxed his posture.
“For the last order of business today,” Zhang said. Knovkin Hasnery is hereby promoted to the rank of Sovereign Class Arbiter. He shall be in joint command of Colony 29-G along with Sengira Tundra. Congratulations on achieving and earning this promotion.” The gathering applauded again as Knovkin stood up and bowed low. Kyran felt the insecurity in his mentor at war with his desire to prove himself. It would not be long before Knovkin would undertake some perilous assignment for the sake of showing the world what he could do. He hoped that he wouldn’t rush into things.
“Lastly, Kyran, we come to the matter of Kaden’s passing. As his last surviving relative you shall inherit the house and all of his possessions. His bank accounts will also be transferred to your name. It is a sizeable fortune. If you wished, you could retire from your duties as an Arbiter and live a comfortable life without working if you invested it smartly. I do not believe you would actually choose that lifestyle. Thus Captain Cellis wishes to offer you a post in the Central Corps of the Zeiss Guard as part of the Redistributor corps. You can discuss the details tomorrow when the two of you are running your tests. For now, there is one last issue to discuss.
Kyran ….Kaden’s body was heavily damaged when he saved the evacuees. It began to deteriorate in a few peals. There were some encasement specialists present in the camp who managed to successfully create a mold for him and encase him into it in time.”
Zhang held his breath for a minute as he gauged the young man’s reaction. In Advorel, the dead were not buried, but immortalized. The bodies were wrapped up and encased in a statue depicting them. A memorial ceremony was then held by family and friends at the cemetery where the statue was placed. However, the bodies of Judgement Class Arbiters were monuments of national importance. Their bodies were kept in the Relondir Swirl: the heart of the alliance in the largest city of Unmei, where representatives from all over the planet gathered for yearly councils. The Avenue was lined with statues of heroes of the past. Kyran knew that it was inevitable for Kaden’s statue to be placed there with all the others. Probably in line with his predecessor, the Lightning Arbiter. He focused directly at Zhang, waiting for his next words.
Zhang exhaled, and the continued. “His body will be placed in the Luminary Avenue, alongside our mentor. The memorial will be held at the 7th chime tomorrow evening. I will be attending the ceremony via portal along with Knovkin. Will you join us?”
“No.” Kyran said without any hesitation.
Even Knovkin was shocked at the decisiveness of his reply. The occupants of the room gawked at him in disbelief. The need for closure, for one last conversation or meeting with the deceased, was a fundamental reaction to grief. Many of those present here had lost people they valued and would give anything to see them honored in a great ceremony by a gathering of all the Judgement Class Arbiters. And here was one who hadn’t even seen his brother’s body and yet he denied himself an opportunity to witness this ceremony in person. “I don’t understand. Why?” Sengira managed to blurt out, breaking the spell of shock that had rendered everyone speechless.
“I will reach the Luminary Avenue myself one day. Not as his brother, but as his successor. As someone with the right to enter the Swirl freely. Maybe as a Sovereign Class Arbiter or maybe as someone who’s contribution to society warrants him that privilege.”  Kyran declared.
Zhang pressed a hand to his forehead. There was silence for a few peals as the gathering took in Kyran’s declaration. After a while the duke lifted his head up and addressed Kyran again.
“The Millennium Arbiter also posthumously awarded Kaden with a personal favor from any of the Judgement Class Arbiters. It is one of the greatest rewards that can be bestowed to the family of the deceased. You may ask for anything within reasonable grounds that a Judgement Arbiter is capable of giving. Considering the fact that we’re part of the Alliance’s highest circle there isn’t much that we can’t give. Take your time and think Kyran, and I will ensure that I make it come true. “Zhang concluded, his voice trembling with emotion.
“A surname.” Kyran responded immediately. Zhang’s eyes narrowed and a smile tugged at the edges of his mouth. The brothers had been stripped of their original surname when their mother turned traitor as Kaden, already a guardian class arbiter at the time, had failed to stop her. The brothers were not permitted to take any other name. This was their mark to bear, a reminder that the past could not be erased. But now Kyran was asking for it to be overwritten. “Not overwritten. But eclipsed.” He thought, as enlightenment dawned upon his mind. “He wants to honor his brother’s legacy. If he chooses a surname now, that same surname goes onto Kaden’s statue at tomorrow’s memorial. It’s going to be broadcast live on national television tomorrow evening. The whole world will see his name. His legacy in full.
“You would argue that Kaden’s final actions are …. worthy of redemption. I think the Millennium Arbiter, the Displacement Arbiter and the Comms Arbiter would agree. I can convince the rest of them. And if I can’t then the old man will.” His smile broadened as he continued. He pulled out a roll of blank paper from his deep coat pocket and unrolled it on the table top. Meckler wordlessly produced a pen from his pant pocket and, uncapping it, passed it along to the Blazing Arbiter. The seal on the top of the paper was the striking image of two blazing eyes staring back at him. He leaned over the paper and began to write out his order, reading aloud as he wrote.
“From this day forth, by the authority I wield as a member of the First Circle of the Advorel Alliance’s Security Committee, I, Zhang Zeiss, hereby grant the brothers Kaden and Kyran the right to reinstate a family name. Hence forth they shall be known as Kaden and Kyran – “Zhang trailed off, waiting for Kyran’s response.
“Well, that is an obvious one. My brother entered the scene like a storm that blew away his enemies and drowned out his critic’s voices. I seem to have quite literally caused a storm among the Verkains yesterday by my actions. And among those of you in attendance here with my words. Considering these it only feels fitting that I should choose for ourselves the name……. of Tempest.”
Kyran felt a mixed volley of reactions hit him all at once. Pride from Knovkin, excitement from Rayla. Approval from Urvein and Burgatt. Inga directed a wave of affection at him, while Sahis’s bewildered reaction caused him to almost burst out laughing. Sengira and the captains regarded him with newfound respect. Meckler was as impassive as he had been the entire time, taking his role as an observer with such seriousness that he had detached himself from the proceedings entirely. Kelter’s emotions were the wildest of everyone present. As someone who had never made Kyran’s acquaintance, he was very impressed by this first encounter, anxious to return to Unmei and discuss the potential of the new House. Captain Cellis seemed reassured; his expectations higher than they had been before. As for the Blazing Arbiter, Kyran didn’t need to use his empathic powers to find out what he was thinking. The very air in the chamber became heavier as his dense energy spread out. “Tempest” he said aloud as he wrote, his voice almost a low growl of approval.
The Blazing Arbiter singed the document and rolled it up. He handed it over to Kelter for safekeeping after Meckler tool a photograph. “Well then, Kyran of House Tempest.”, He said, beaming at Kyran. “Welcome to the city of Zeiss. Today the House of Tempest has been established. Invite us over for a housewarming party when you get the time. For now, this meeting has come to a close. Meckler, have you recorded the salient points with precise detail?”
“Yes commander.” The historian replied, reaching out to take hold of the recorder. “Good. Accompany Captain Cellis and Kyran Tempest tomorrow during their tests, I think you may enjoy recording the results.” Zhang replied. Meckler bowed slightly in acknowledgement.
“Well then, I won’t keep you any longer. My chef has prepared us a new menu tonight that I am eager to sample. This meeting has ended. Now let’s hurry on over to her domain before she decides to feed us leftovers as punishment for tardiness!”