Book 3 | Agent 34 and the Storm of Darkness

Chapter 42 | Return Home

Thad flew back to the Zena on Venon, the Ar'gual sailing on their boats below him in the ocean.

They had decided to go back and fight that storm with him, despite being a peaceful civilization and never getting into many wars. Even though they were some of the most graceful creatures in Renya, they knew how to fight, and they could fight pretty damn well. Ar'gual were like bombs, not harmful until the clock strikes one and then all hell breaks lose.

"What do you expect to be in that storm, Thad?" Venon asked as they flew home.

"There's no way to tell for sure," the dwarf answered, leaning onto his back and looking upwards at the sun. He knew he wouldn't see that again soon if the the Zena was unable to stop the storm. "I expect Braunick to appear in one way or another. When you guys went to Durmist, he was most likely very very angry after not having your heads on his castle walls,"

"There's no way we are letting that happen," Venon said. "The only one he got was," The dragon choked a bit when saying his friend's name. "Wímad,"

Thad felt a pang of realization. It all hit him at once. Braunick was far stronger than what anyone had imagined. He could kill dragons with his bare hands. Dragons! But how was he unable to kill the Destigems?

"There's only one thing we can do during this storm," Thad said to the dragon. "Pray there is a weakness and abuse the hell out of it,"

~ ~ ~

Lord Grari sat in the captain's quarters of his ship, feeling the wave of the sea push the boat back and forth. He sighed as he sketched up some battle plans for the storm. He had an idea for it's weakness, but he was unsure if it would work without the storm raining on them before they could do it.

Grari's plan involved the most kindhearted person in the Zena, which he assumed was the legendary Destigems. He had heard so much about them from other Ar'guals who actively went hunting and other things and heard gossip from nearby villages. 

The leader of the Ar'guals planned on using pure good to defeat the pure evil. He thought that maybe since it was evil, someone could use their pure good energy and defeat the storm? He scribbled a stick figure with a heart around it and an arrow pointing to a bunch of thick scribbles, which was meant to be the storm.

Grari groaned as he ripped the paper in half and threw it's pieces over his shoulder. He missed the trash can and it plopped to the floor, but he didn't care.

"What's the point," he mumbled to himself. "These boats don't go fast enough to reach the mainland in time for the battle. We will get there after or during the battle, no way we can get before it," The Ar'gual pushed himself out of his chair and kicked it under the desk with frustration. He looked at the paintings that hung on the wall of Ar'gual history and smiled a bit.

The first picture he saw was a painting of Sir Gula, the first Ar'gual to come to Renya. Before that was a painting of loads of Ar'guals cluttered on a boat in the middle of the sea. That was the painting that described when the Ar'gual sailed to Renya from their home continent. Not many people knew that Grari's species isn't native to Renya.

Another picture showed a very gruesome battle. Ar'guals versus veroms. Ar'guals hated that species and they hated them back. The only people who remember these battles and wars that Ar'gual has fought in was themselves. They happened in the early stages of Renya's developement and the population was way smaller for each species.

In truth, Ar'gual was far from peaceful like most people thought. That gave them a tactical advantage though. By saying they aren't involved, they don't have to fight anyone and no one fights them. However, they were giving up this advantage for Renya and teaming up with the other species to stop this storm. It better be worth it.

~ ~ ~

Agent 34 found Marque and told him to construct a small stage outside for him. He then ran off to find Arenia and tell her the same thing, then would go and gather the soldiers.

He spotted her at the end of the hall he was in, sitting on a bench with he hands covering he face. Her ice boots sat beside her, waiting to be worn.

Agent 34 plopped down beside her and greeted her. She groaned and leaned backwards, face still buried underneath her hands.

"What's up?" Agent 34 asked.

"34, we are gonna die," Arenia snapped. "We can't go up against nature!"

"It's manmade," Agent 34 said with surprise. He had never seen Arenia break down.

"It's manmade, sure, but it's still nature! Unpredictable and unstoppable! There's nothing we can do about this," Arenia said.

Agent 34 looked down at his feet. "We can at least go down trying to do something,"

She looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "Arenia, could you go to the courtyard and start creating a stage for us to train the soldiers?"

"Yeah," She said, the sparkle fading slowly. Arenia stood up, and brushed her face with her wrist. She slipped her boots on and began walking away, leaving Agent 34 on the bench.

His eyes slowly dropped to the floor as she walked away. His mind swirled with emotions and thoughts. Agent 34 knew this might be the last time he sees her, and he took his shot.

"Arenia, wait," Agent 34 said, standing up and running to her. Arenia turned around and looked at him with a puzzled face. 

"Arenia if we don't make it out of this storm–if what you say is true–"

Arenia studied him hard. The sparkle appeared in her eyes again, her mouth opening slightly to let out a small breath.

"Arenia, I have feelings for you," Agent 34 said with a huff. Blood rushed through his body, the adrenaline fueling his confidence.

Arenia said nothing, only looked at him. Both of them awkwardly stood there for a minute, not knowing what to say next. 

Arenia then jumped towards him. Their lips locked together and they kissed. During that single kiss, Agent 34 didn't feel scared. He no longer felt like this was a hopeless mission and that they wouldn't make it out alive. And even if they didn't make it out, he would still be proud of this very moment.