Sorardia, the Tale of an Outcast, King, and Inventor

Chapter 8: Ciacoda's Last Words (Ben)

"Are we really walking all the way back to Svictoran?" I complained. I hated long, long journeys. Mainly because of the fact that I traveled through Svictoran, Ciacoda in Shadi, and Kranwetna in Watoria, which were all very close to each other, during most of my journeys. I liked those areas. I liked poor areas in general, because I want to help them and the people are so nice in those areas, so it's more rewarding.

          "Would you rather stay in a place where the king will most likely put us on wanted posters?" Cleaver asked, rhetorically. I just shut up after that. "Thought not. It's either keep walking or get in a fight." As true as that was, I didn't like it.

          "Can't we just stay in Ciacoda for a while?" Cleaver looked at me.

          "Not a bad idea!" He remarked. "It's one of the places that actually totally ignore the king, so let's go!" After a few miles, which amounted to about an hour of time walking, making conversation as best we could, we reached Ciacoda. Only nothing was as it seemed. The entire city was in flames. We all gasped, seeing an army of soldiers in black surrounding the city, marching in and causing screams everyone could hear. Fire stayed close to Cleaver, and I stayed close to Lostier. Not because I was gay, but because he had some good defensive prowess. It also seemed like Fireeze and Phillip were good friends because they stuck close together as well. I had my Escrima on a belt ready to be pulled out at any time. Cleaver pulled his sword out and looked at the first entrance he saw. There were civilians getting slaughtered, and soon enough Cleaver pulled out a sword I hadn't noticed before. A Shadow Scimitar? Interesting. Then Fire pulled her sword out, then Lostier his pike, Fireeze his sword, and Phillip his axe. There was only one last weapon to be pulled out. And it was underestimated for just sticks rather than weapons. My Escrima. I pulled them out of my belt, and felt something boil inside me. An aggressive, eager rage. But this wasn't just a rage you would get from getting beat up. No, it was the rage that a warrior feels after watching a friend get torn apart, turned into a corpse, burned, or even just stabbed. I knew how to use this rage, because I knew everyone else did too. I knew what had to be done. We had to find whoever did this, and not kill them, but defeat them.

          We charged. Everything seemed to slow down. I looked behind and saw Fireeze's squad, weapons out staying in the rear. After what seemed like a millennium we reached the first line of waves and I soon heard Cleaver yell something I could barely make out from the clanging of swords, spears, and axes against each other. The word he yelled was Sontaire, meaning battle on the hill. Few ever yelled the battle cry, saying a curse fell upon those who said it. Soon enough the entire front line was either on the ground unconscious, or fleeing from the battle. Then a sonic boom sounded, and we, as in everyone, Darkeon and all, looked to the sky. A lone figure with a jetpack and railgun was floating above our heads. He dropped a chip, which Cleaver caught, and flew towards the city interior. Cleaver looked at the chip, then inserted it into a notch in the hilt of his sheathed blade before pulling it out. It immediately changed into a railgun. Changi technology. I completely forgot about his sword being a Changi Blade. Maybe I should try to replicate the technology. But for now, the battle. I took my Escrima and locked them onto each other, creating a staff. I spun it around me, taking out multiple enemies at once. Soon enough we had taken down the entire force outside Ciacoda. Everyone started to go in and I disconnected my staff and put it in my belt. Three seconds later I was on the ground with a pain in my side. I looked in the direction of the assailant and found it was the man with jetpack and railgun. He pointed the railgun at me and fired. I dodged just in the nick of time...or maybe not. Ricochet bullets? How are they even real in railguns? Whatever I need to figure out who he is and why he's trying to kill me and my allies. Wait, didn't he aim for me in Svictoran? He's only after me. Time to find out. I stood up.

          "Who are you?" I questioned.

          "My name is Amos," he said. "And I'm going to kill time you for the glory of Astronomia." He raised his Railgun to my head.

          "Why?" I asked, trying to buy time.

          "Because you are a greater inventor than any Astronomians. The grandson of the greatest inventor of all time!" His finger was getting close to the trigger now.

          "But that is against the bible is it not? Against God?" That stopped him from shooting me. Then he started for the trigger again.

          "God made Astronomia the inventing realm for a reason, so why would He make you better than us?" He sneered.

"To be the Knight's Wing, someone who helps in the war against the dark forces of the Dark King. To build defenses for all. And yet Astronomia does only a single thing, and that is defend its own borders, and watch Sorardia burn to the ground!" That hit Amos hard. I saw rage build up, then hesitation. "Just because your homes are observatories doesn't mean that you can just defend yourself and let everyone else deal with themselves. Think of Shadi. Their homes are made of stone not steel. Argrenian homes are made of wood not stone. Beautanian homes are concrete. Bloodonia is made of stone. And you make and upgrade walls for only yourself? Astronomia's greatness has fallen. No, Sorardia's greatness has fallen because of Astronomia! You disappoint me and Sorardia, and disgrace God! We're all equal you idiot. Not better or worse. Some of us have better circumstances than others but that doesn't make us greater!" He stood still and was silent. Then he did something unexpected. He held out his hand to help me get up.

          "Well, you've enlightened me, I guess you could say," he said, pulling me off the ground. "Well how about my next mission is tell Astronomia their folly. Cause I was against killing you from the start! I swear!"

          "No need for swearing, I believe you. If you actually swore I wouldn't believe you," I replied.

          "So what next?" He asked.

          "Finding any survivors in Ciacoda," I replied as I ran to the entrance. But when I got there, my allies, well, friends, weren't there.