*Sling* *slash*

  *Kaboom!*

  …

  “Alright, that should be the end of today’s training”

  Matina’s voice echoed throughout the dome as the defeated light training dummies' bodies disintegrated before Lorian, leaving behind shards-like particles as they faded. He panted in exhaustion, with sweat dripping from his forehead and hair.

  “Yeah-hey! We actually managed to pull that off!”, Corley energetically cheered.

  “*pant*… yeah, that was a close one, really. Glad to have you cover my blind spots. Those twin vanguards would’ve gotten me if it weren’t for you”, he passed his gratitude.

  “Hey, give yourself some applause, too! There’s no way I could land any hit on them if it weren’t for you keeping them in place”, Corley responded.

  She continued: “I think it's better to say that we did an equal amount of work together!”.

  As they chatted, the training dome unravelled around them, exposing the real sky above, with a yellowish tint as evening arrived. The loud flaps of Matina’s large wings were heard from where they stood, as the EOA circled in the air with her long tail swaying behind. She then gracefully swooped down onto the training ground and gently landed before them with a springing tail.

  “Well done, Lorian and Corley! I see both of you are making a substantial improvement in your combat cooperation”, Matina praised as the two smiled in satisfaction.

  “So, Corley, how’s your new energy flow going today? Are there still any discomfort or numbness?”, she asked.

  “None at all, Lady Matina”, Corley answered enthusiastically, “the awkwardness in my limbs is gone, and now I feel even better than I had ever been!”.

  “Good to hear that”, Matina pleased.

  Lorian then spoke to Corley: “Honestly, I was rather disappointed when you told me that you didn’t want to return to your original prime state. But then, looking at how you’re performing with the modifications made by Matina, I’ve started to think that this is a better choice than before”.

  “Um, why were you disappointed in the first place?”, Corley asked.

  “Well, I was just curious to see how you used to fight, that’s all…”, Lorian carefully answered, fearing it might offend her.

  “Hm, understandable”, Corley responded. “But, you know, why seek past glories when you have a future ahead of you? For all I know, my prime state might no longer be compatible with my current fighting style”.

  “Still…”

  She summoned a purple flaming sword made out of pure spirit flames in her right hand, and played around with it as she spoke:

  “Some stuff from the past could come in handy… like this Spiritblade!”.

  “Anyway, since we’re done here, why not go check on what Alaric and Timbre are doing now?”, Matina suggested.

  “Oh? What’s the matter with them?”, Lorian asked.

  “While you were in the dome, Timbre came to me and said he would like some additional help with Alaric’s ‘uninvited guest’ problem. Not sure if the problem’s solved or not, so why not go check it out yourself?”.

  “Well, sounds good to me. Wanna come together, Corley?”, Lorian said and asked.

  “Sorry, but Matina and I have promised to help Captain with something at her shooting range after training’s over”, she replied.

  “Well, in that case, see you later”, Lorian said.

  “See you too!”, Corley replied.

  They parted ways as Lorian took the path that led to the shores, while Corley and Matina took the other that led to Odya’s place around the cliff.

  He walked down the winding path with no rush in mind, taking it as a stroll in the evening after a tiring exercise. Seagulls were returning to their nest and gawking all over, perhaps sharing stories and expressing thoughts after a long day of hunting, Lorian imagined.

  “Almost 8 months since we’re here. Corley’s recovery is pretty much over by now, and we’re mostly just hanging around waiting for Matina to allow us to leave Mirukafa”, he reflected.

  “Strangely enough, it felt both short and long. Short in a way that the days pass by without us realising, and long in a way that a lot has been done. Take me: I went from tripping mid-battle to being able to fight other resolutors steadily to the end”.

  “Regardless, sooner or later, we will return to Machiaville. I wonder then if things have remained unchanged or not. Can’t imagine what we did would leave the world unshaken”.

  Minutes later, he arrived at the black sand shore where Alaric regularly fish. Even from afar, he could already see the ‘issue’ that Alaric and Timbre were facing concerning their uninvited guest.

  “If I could just slay these idiots down, this would’ve been over by now!”, Alaric angrily expressed to Timbre.

  *Seals roaring*

  “Calm your nerves, Alaric. You can’t just go slaughtering seals to save your catch”, Timbre responded.

  “But then, what am I supposed to do?”, Alaric argued.

  Lorian approached from behind them and said: “Hey Alaric, hey Timbre! I heard Matina said you guys need some help”.

  “Huh?”, Alaric turned, “Oh, it’s you, kiddo”.

  Lorian stood beside Alaric and looked to the pod of seals taking over his fishing spot. There were at least 30 of them, basking and flopping on the black sand with little regard for the observers looking at them from afar. Those seals had emptied the catches in the buckets long ago, leaving Alaric hopelessly mad at those sea dogs.

  “So, what happened here?”, Lorian asked.

  “I left for like 15 minutes for some toilet break, and when I came back, these suckers are already halfway through my catches…”, Alaric begrudgingly said.

  “Aw… that sucks…”, Lorian expressed.

  “By the way, why did you come here? Don’t you usually rest at your favourite platform after training?”, Alaric asked.

  Lorian got confused: “Wait, but didn’t Timbre say—”

  “The ‘help’ that we need is you to help calm Alaric down”, Timbre quickly clarified.

  “Oh… so that’s it…”, Lorian said disappointingly.

  They waited there for an hour, and when the seals finally left on their own accord, the three gentlemen stepped in to clean up after the mess they had caused. After that, as they were heading back to Matina’s cave base, the EOA came flying right above them and hovered over the cliff side of the path, where she called out to Lorian:

  “Hah! There you are, Lorian! Sorry for interrupting, but could you follow me for a while? Alaric and Timbre, you two can return to the base first”.

  “Hm? What is it this time?”, Lorian questioned.

  “I’ll explain once we get there”, she briefed.

  Just like with Corley before, Lorian parted ways with his friends by going the opposite way from them. This time, however, Matina guided him nowhere, aimlessly taking a path which led into a cave that circled back to where they were before moving. He began to realise it when he saw the same rock formations once again, which pushed him to question:

  “Matina, where are we going? Isn’t this the same place as before?”

  “Don’t worry, we’re almost there”, she assured.

  Finally, they arrived before her cave base’s door, which was closed when they came to stand in front of it. It really started to smell fishy for Lorian, but before he could even decipher what was going on, the massive door opened up before them, and the lights flashed on to reveal—

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  *pop*

  “Happy birthday, Lorian!!!”

  Alaric, Corley, Captain Odya and Timbre cheered together as they all stood around the feast-filled table with cone hats on their heads. With colourful flag lines, balloons and even a cake, the Strife Striders had prepared a whole party for their youngest member's special day right under his nose.

  Lorian froze on the spot, with eyes wide open and mouth gaping. Then, as his brain began to absorb the joy of the atmosphere, his shocked face slowly turned into a smile of amazement.

  “W-When… did you guys prepare all of these?”, he stuttered, overflowed with happiness.

  Corley cheekily said: “Hehe… while you’re not looking, that is”.

  “We had planned everything from last week, and we took turns to keep you distracted today while the other helped with setting up the surprise”, Timbre explained.

  “We even got Matina on board. Amazing, right?”, Odya added.

  “Oh! Is that true, Matina?”, he looked to her.

  “Mm-hm, I did”, Matina confessed. “I must admit it, it's enjoyable seeing everyone play their part just to give you a celebration”.

  “Looks like our plan went smoothly!”, Odya happily said. “Even with Alaric having his fishing challenge distraction replaced by a seal-watching activity…”

  “Well… I did my best, okay? But the seals flopped in with another plan…”, Alaric tiredly replied.

  Looking at how everyone had worked together to get the party going made Lorian feel undeservedly appreciated. He humbly said: “Thanks, guys… I really didn’t expect all of this after telling you guys about my birthday long ago”.

  “Come on! Let’s get the candle blowing!”, Corley excitedly said.

  Lorian sat at the centre seat of the table, looking at the birthday cake with a frosting writing, saying: “Happy 18th Birthday, Lorian Ashwood”, followed by his birthday date at the bottom: “23rd February 2571 AY”

  “Where did you guys get the ingredients for this cake?”, Lorian asked, considering they’re on an isolated rocky island.

  “Obviously, with the same molecular printer Matina used for creating our meals”, Captain Odya said. “However, unlike the usual stuff we ate, we followed the nutrient ingredients for a cake from an old magazine Corley had under her bed”.

  “And don’t worry, we’ve tasted a test cake before making this one, and it tastes alright”.

  Lorian's heart had dropped the moment he heard the word ‘molecular printer’, but when Odya assured him that it tasted different, he felt a bit at ease.

  As the candles were lit, they sang him a birthday song together. With the song ended, Corley told him: “Quick, say your wish in your heart and blow it to the candles!”.

  “My wish…?”, he mumbled.

  The flickering fires from the three candles cast their image upon his irises as he silently gazed at them. Those candles reminded him of his friends, Hadrick and Yuna, and the friendship they once had in their village. Just like how lively the fires were, the image of happy memories with them played in his mind’s eyes.

  “I guess… all I wanted is…”

  “To be reunited with my friends with happiness”

  *Candles blown*

  They clapped and cheered on, and savoured the meals and drinks together. Unlike what they usually have, tonight’s menu was special, for they got to eat land food long unseen; all thanks to Matina’s hard work in making more palatable meals for them during their long stay. Potatoes and salad came from the newly created greenhouse 4 months ago, while red meats were painstakingly grown in an incubator for 3 months. They were all cooked to perfection, with a satisfying taste that reminded them of home.

  As the eating slowed down, Captain Odya secretly gave Matina a signal to bring out the gift. She accepted and slithered off to her room stealthily, before returning shortly with a box in her hand.

  “Well, I believe now is the best time to hand out the gift”, Odya delightfully announced.

  “There’s even a gift?!”, Lorian asked, suspending the incoming food by his mouth.

  Opening up the lid, he saw a pair of boots and a neatly folded grey jacket with an exotic pattern sitting inside.

  “Whoa…”, he expressed, “These look amazing!”.

  As Lorian feasted his eyes on those new items, Matina gave him a commentary:

  “Those boots were Alaric’s idea, since he noticed how you’ve gone through everything in those ill-fitted shoes for adventures. Hopefully, they would protect your feet better after this”.

  “As for that jacket, it’s fully made by me. I designed those patterns myself and had Corley and Captain Odya give me feedback on them. They seemed to like it, so I believe you would too”.

  Corley interjected: “That’s right! The jacket’s pattern felt very similar to Lady Matina’s own clothes, which is why I think it’ll suit you”.

  “Go ahead, try it on!”, Odya pushed.

  He adorned the new jacket for the first time, and he could already feel how different it was from anything he had ever worn. It was light and breathable, yet its fabric felt sturdy and resilient.

  “That jacket is specially designed for action in mind”, Matina added. “With the power from your resolite, it could even double as a flexible body armour when in combat”.

  “Hold on, so does that mean this jacket could withstand Paladins and Vanguards’ attacks as well?”, he questioned.

  “Absolutely”, she responded.

  “Woo-hoo! We now have our own enhanced resolutor in our team! Nothing can stop us now!”, Corley cheered.

  “Hmph… can’t believe the kiddo I picked up ended up growing so fast”, Alaric commented at the back.

  .

  .

  .

  As the party was over and everything was cleaned up, Lorian found himself standing on the cliff facing the ocean under the moonlight’s glow. Already wearing the new boots and jacket, he let the night breeze wash upon his face as he waited for somebody who wanted to discuss something in private.

  “Sorry for keeping you waiting, I had something to say with Akeremoi and Nucete first just now”, Matina gently slithered up to him.

  “No worry”, he turned and replied, “At least I got to cool down a little bit after the party”.

  She stopped next to him and expressed: “Guess you’re the less energetic kind?”

  “Compared to them, that is”, he answered. “Anyway, what are you planning to discuss this time around?”

  She spoke: “Well, all I wanted to say is that, in a few more days, I shall let you leave Mirukafa. I’ve decided to tell you first because there’s something that I need you to know about once you return to Equilibria”.

  “Is it about my friends? Or is it about Marcus Gray?”, he guessed.

  “The first one”, she replied.

  “As of now, Yuna has gone through 10 months of training as a Vanguard and has now been deployed on basic trial missions across Tachyon. Hadrick, meanwhile, only had 8 months of training under his belt, but has surpassed many of the mid-level Paladins when it comes to combat ability”.

  “Your friends are now fiercely loyal to their empire, and have abandoned everything about Tragula”.

  Those words struck his heart like an arrow; how painful it was to hear his friends had been twisted into imperial weapons, while he alone remained clinging to their origin.

  “But that’s not the worst of it”, Matina continued.

  “My colleague on the moon had spied on the higher-ups' thoughts, and found that both empires are now planning to use your friends to persuade you to their side once you reappeared”.

  “Huh?!”, he was shocked. “So, they’re still after me?”

  “True, but they have now dropped all the aggressive plans, meaning you won’t be explicitly pursued and captured by them. Still, you have to remain vigilant, since they’ll leave many traps for you ahead”, she said.

  “How are they so persistent…?”, he expressed. “Even with the heavenly ray striking them twice, with the second one they barely survived because of me; they really showed no sign of stopping”.

  “One thing admirable about both Tachyon and Seirion is how steadfast and adaptable they are in the face of destruction”, she commented. “Too bad the destruction they're primarily facing right now is each other”.

  “There’s something amusing about it for me, in how they, while lacking the full insight into the truth, were already thinking of an opportunity they could grasp to get ahead of each other. For example, they still believe that you’re the one who unleashed the heavenly ray, and that once you join them, you would lend the power to them”.

  “Hmm... no wonder Marcus wanted to destroy them both so badly. It’s disgusting to see them think that way”, he crossed his arms. “Of course, I don’t support him, since he’s indiscriminate and is the reason I lost my village completely”.

  “Glad to hear you added that last sentence. I was almost worried you’re inching toward his thinking”, she lightly expressed.

  “Also, Matina, since we’re leaving soon, could I tell you something?”, he politely asked. “I had this in me for a while already, but I was rather afraid of expressing it directly”.

  “Oh, what is it?”, Matina got curious.

  He said: “Ever since you’ve told us that you’re no angel, I’ve been feeling rather empty inside. Not sure how to describe it, but… having known mine and my people’s faith is false this whole time really put me at unease”.

  “I see where you’re coming, but don’t feel too bad about it”, Matina kindly answered. “After all, I wouldn’t put it as harshly as to say that your faith is false; it’s just distorted from its origin, understandably so after the difficulties your ancestors have faced and the incompetence of ours”.

  “What… do you mean?”, Lorian was confused.

  “Let me tell you of a story”, she told him.

  “A long time ago, humans actually did understand that we’re not gods or angels. They see us as who we really are, alien guides, who’d teach them knowledge and share with them tools for them to work on. This was when Aridinia was founded, by the hands of humans with the assistance of the EOA”.

  “Then, one day, the EOAs stopped assisting humans due to their own arrogance. In that time, some humans accidently triggered a global catastrophe, destroying the first civilisation and scattering humans across Equilibria. They were helpless against it, as disease spread and monsters roamed wherever you looked”.

  “The children of those arrogant humans learned their mistake and began wishing that the EOA returned to help them. As desperation mounted, wishes became prayers, and prayers became summoning rituals. Eventually, we did return, under a new leadership that helped subvert the catastrophe”.

  “However, our return had nothing to do with their prayers and summoning rituals; it was purely on our side after some rearrangement in the leadership. But by then, the religious image had been ingrained deeply in the people, and they approached us by calling us ‘angels’”.

  “Our leader at the time, Matares, who’s also my brother, decided to leave it that way, since it's much easier to control humanity with said image under the new kingdoms we formed. Still, during this time, the title ‘angel’ was merely an honorific given by humans, and they still understood that we’re no divine entities, just a powerful one”.

  “And then… centuries later, humans at large formed a large rebellion against the new order, seeing the rule of the angels and the appointed resolutor-kings as oppressive. Kingdoms were overthrown, and the EOAs were hunted down one by one, my brother included. Ever since that, we had to retreat where humans couldn’t find us”.

  “Yet, we can’t leave the planet like last time, since we don’t want to repeat the same mistake as before. Ironically, the catastrophe that humans made this time was run by themselves, and because they had become so strong and adaptable in battle, there’s little we could do without risking devastating destruction for everyone”.

  “And so, amongst the powerless and the weak, movements to pray upon the angels rose once again, ritualised to become the faith it has become today; all the while we silently bear the embarrassment of our own powerlessness”.

  She ended her story with a slow sigh.

  “So then, what should we see you as?”, Lorian asked, “Perhaps, is it okay if we call you angel once more, but this time as an honorific?”.

  “Don’t”, she answered directly. “As weak as we’re now, I, as the current leader of the AREODIEUNIA project, have decided to fix everything step by step, starting with small problems like this”.

  “The EOA are subjects before the Almighty Creator. Overstepping our authority as his servants is what led us to this failure. So, from now on, channel your faith to the primordial source of all powers, and refer to us as…”

  “Adjutors”

  First of all, if you're one of them, I want to say thank you for giving my work a read. I truly appreciate it.

  Anyway, have a good day, and see you all next week