Cross Ange: The Glitch In The System (Discontinued)

CHAPTER 2: A FACE FROM THE PAST

With a jolt that nearly launched him off the bed, Cal sat up gasping and drenched in sweat. As he came to, his eyes adjusted to the light of the rising sun through his window and found himself back in his bedroom. With his head and heart both pounding like a pair of drums, he stumbled out of bed over to his wardrobe to check himself in the mirror installed inside the right door. Cal tried to recall what he had dreamed about, but he wasn't even sure if he wanted to.

Bit by bit, it came back to him. It was a nightmare he had had before. Him floating in the air as if suspended from wires. Fire lashing out all around him like an angry snake. But instead of following his instincts and running away he blindly pressed on through the flames. At the last moment before he woke up was the face of a woman, but her face was blackened and burned with bright red blisters all over. Her sky blue eyes wide with pain and panic.

'Why… why am I having this dream now? 'he wondered. It had been years since it last happened. When he was really young, he would have that dream at least once a week. As he got older it turn to weeks and then months until finally the dream faded from memory, the last time he had that dream he was 12. Gramps had told him when he was Three, that he had nearly died in a fire when he was a baby. Cal really hoped that it wasn't some kind of repressed memory. He didn't want the only image he had of his mother to be of her burning to death.

As he calmed down, Cal shut the wardrobe and took a look around his room. In addition to the crossbow he had used yesterday and a small collection of hunting knives, the walls were covered with drawings he had made of the forest, the lakes and streams where he and Gramps got their fresh water, animals, the beaches, and the endless sea that surrounded the island. On the floor under his bed, a collection of his favorite manga lay in a pile. The new volumes should be out now, so he reminded himself to ask Gramps to pick them up the next time he went for a supply run over to the main lands. It was then that he noticed the smell of cooking and realized Gramps must be preparing breakfast. 'Wonder what the occasion is,' he wondered. Gramps only used the kitchen for cooking up something special. The rule was they caught anything they ate so most breakfast and meals would be lamb's heart, rabbit stew, venison, or whatever seafood was in season. The chance for breakfast pushed the remains of the nightmare out of Cal's mind and he hurriedly changed into a white t-shirt and blue jeans before making his way downstairs where Gramps was already sitting at the table, his face was hidden by a mana screen reading the daily news.

"Morning Cal, you sleep well?"

"As good as I ever did." It technically wasn't a lie. He did sleep well despite the recent dream he had. And there wasn't any real point to telling Gramps of the dream since he already knew the answer as to why he had that dream and he didn't want to worry him.

"Any plans today?" Gaz asked, "I'm going on a supply run to Misurugi so you'll have to entertain yourself."

Cal gave his Gramps a bemused look. 'Why is Gramps going on a run? He normally goes twice a month and he'd just returned from one a week ago.'

"Why?" he asked. "We have enough food from hunting to last us the next month." Gaz leaned into his Mana screen so Cal wouldn't see the smirk on his face. It was a good thing Cal never bothered to check the Calendar Gaz had printed out for him or the surprise would be ruined.

"I just need to pick up a few things I couldn't get from last week's run. I figured I might pick up some of those manga you like, you've have finished those comics already I assume."

"Great thanks." Cal said giving his Gramps a thumbs up. "You've got the list, right?"

"I'm old, not senile. Still don't know why you read those things but whatever makes you happy." Cal beamed with excitement at the thought of some new reading material as he took his place at the table, the plate of scrambled eggs and 4 pieces of bacon before him making his mouth water. Gaz meanwhile scrolled down the Mana screen. Not much was happening lately aside from a human-interest story about Princess Misty Rosenblum's upcoming birthday. One article did catch his attention though. Apparently, another Norma had been found in a middle-class neighborhood in the Marmeria Republic.