NOVEL NEXT Interlude One (A National Headache) Part 1
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The small sound of high heels hitting concrete echoed as a lone woman slowly walked among the cold and desolate buildings around her. She cut a striking figure amidst the plain buildings; her snow-white hair combined with the ornate dress she was wearing couldn’t help but seem at odds with the surroundings. Several armed people, both men and women, followed her. They held a variety of weapons; one carried a short dagger, while another wielded a lance nearly twice as large as her own body. They were all dressed in black suits, with an official look that contrasted entirely with their medieval weaponry. The group walked in orderly step behind the cold-looking, white-haired woman, making it clear she was the leader.
The woman looked up at the sky with a strange smile. What met her eyes was the blood-red tear that seemed to permeate everything in a sinister light. Ignoring the slight chirping of those following her, she continued forward.
The group drew a few curious glances from the rough-looking temporary buildings around them, but most looked away after satisfying their curiosity about who was passing by. A few more interested individuals waved to the group, but other than that, the armed group didn’t seem to cause too much commotion.
Gradually, the group became quiet as the scenery around them began to change. A series of quickly erected tents, barracks, and other military installations took form. The woman's smile faded as she motioned for the group to continue forward. In front of them was a gate with a warning sign:
“Restricted Access Area, Authorized Personnel Only. Trespassers will be detained.”
As they continued forward, a cute-looking girl with brown hair stepped out from the group following the women, she was wearing a suit which wholly didn’t befit her appearance, on her waist hung a twin set of daggers, gently tapping white-haired woman in front of her on the shoulder, trying to get her attention as she spoke, her voice heavily stained with indignation.
[Unknown Brown-haired girl]: “Selene, what the hell are those army brats doing around our rift? Didn’t we just finish analyzing it? How did they even set all this up so fa—”
An armored truck sped by the group, cutting off the girl’s long-winded rant with a loud screech as it braked in front of the gate, allowing its occupants, well-armed and steely-eyed soldiers, to lock eyes with the group. At first, the soldiers tried to stare down the group as if to intimidate them, but meeting the eyes of the white-haired woman (Selene), they quickly diverted their attention away from her cold gaze, making themselves busy inspecting their own weapons. This awkward state of things only lasted for a few moments as the gate slowly opened for the armored truck to slip through. A few sighs escaped from behind Selene. Slowly, the brown-haired girl began to speak again, but before she could, she was cut off by a cold sentence from in front of her.
[Selene]: “I know what you’re going to say. Hold your tongue for now. That goes for the rest of you as well. Hold your heads high. I will not let anyone trample over us, whether it’s the army or those overly eager politicians. Ares guild will crush them all.”
Despite her confident words, Selene only half-believed what she said. Recently, clashes between the large warden guilds and their associated offices against the national military of the Albion Federation had escalated. As much as she hated to admit it, she wasn’t sure if the name of Ares would still be enough. As she walked towards the gate, her eyes fixed with a cold glare, she prepared herself for the inevitable bureaucratic nightmare that would follow from her confronting the army here. But she had to do it. Despite knowing this, she couldn’t help reflecting on the past of the wardens, of the era when they were hailed as saviors rather than troublesome middlemen by the nations of the world.
When the rifts first started opening up nearly ninety years ago,they brought with them a new form of strange energy,and that energy brought with it a great change to the world. In every nation people both rejoiced and despaired. Some called it the coming of god, while others thought the blood-red skies heralded the end of the world. Heh, Perhaps it did. Along with the strange phenomenon came powers; all around the world, people suddenly began to awaken, gaining abilities, strength, and the ability to interact with those strange tears in space. At the beginning, only a few people were able to awaken, around a hundred in the first year. But each one of these people was exceptionally gifted.
At first a lone refuge in a strange land, then the leader of a nation, then a legendary hero, these first few blessed people would have gone down in history. These Awakeners were in some places worshiped and in others feared. But they, much like the rifts that had gifted their abilities, were considered strange everywhere. The common people at that time had no ability to defend themselves against these people, and while it is taught now that they were heroes, that was not the case at all. For they were, regardless of their newfound strength, still human. Only now, they had been made predators in a world filled with prey.
The events of this time aren’t often spoken about; rather, they’ve been purposefully washed over in history. I guess the nations of our world thought our dark heritage would be best hidden for everyone’s sake. Sometimes I wish it was hidden from me too; it would give me one less responsibility to carry. Hiding the events of that time is so easy only for one reason: it was short-lived.
Awakening, which was at first thought to be some great blessing of god, quickly became a burden to all who had it. All at once, the rifts gathered around the globe, which had been all but forgotten during the chaos of the time, broke open, allowing their true purposes to be known. They carried within them other worlds, filled with beasts, monsters, and all sorts of dangers. During this great calamity, this apocalypse, many nations fell. Humanity, it seemed, was even on the verge of collapse at times. Until the greed which plagued the world finally gave way to the danger posed by these new invaders. Luckily, by this time, the world had not quite fallen so far as to the point where it couldn’t be saved. The combined forces of humanity managed to push back against the horrors of the rift. One strange part about this history, something which may only be known to a select few, is that during this time, the Awakeners became much stronger, as if they were actively being strengthened by the rifts’ powers. As for why this is censored so heavily, I suppose it shouldn’t be strange that the nations of that time didn’t want to admit that their new heroes were just as close to the rifts as the monsters which nearly doomed them.
Selene’s train of thought was briefly cut off by a series of swearing directed at the soldiers on guard, originating from her comrades behind her. Turning around, her face was cold as she occasionally eyed the nearby soldiers who were looking at her group with weary expressions. Waiting until she had everyone’s attention, she began to speak in a measured tone.
[Selene]: “I understand that you do not hold the Army in very high regard, but no matter what may be right or wrong, the army seems to have claimed this area, and for now, we need to respect that…”
Before she could continue to speak, a loud outcry came from the group in front of her, who, despite the unnaturally fierce pressure emanating from her gaze, could no longer have their indignation suppressed any longer.
[Unknown Brown-haired girl]: “Selene, with all due respect, we can’t just sit here while they walk all over us!”
[Unknown blue-haired Man]: “Yeah, come on guild leader, let us just smash the place up a bit, show them that this little power play isn't working!”
[Unknown black-haired woman]: “Guild leader, while I’m not one to agree with these two, much less publicly voice my support, I also can’t agree that we should just stand here idly by while they so bluntly disrespect us. I understand as guild leader and vice president of the warden association you have certain responsibilities, but now I would have to agree that it’s time to show our teeth.”
Selene looked unpleasantly at the three who voiced their opposition to her, and the four others behind them who silently agreed though they were not bold enough, or stupid enough, to say so out loud. She couldn’t help but sigh as she turned away from the eyes which both gleamed with the expectation of her decision and disappointment that the one they had in mind hadn’t already been made. Looking at the sprawling encampment around what should have been their rift, she couldn’t help agreeing that this time the army really had gone too far. But she also knew that they only rushed to set up so much just for a measly level two rift because they wanted to enrage her. After all, two of the largest guilds under the association were involved in this issue; how could the army hold themselves back? This was the perfect opportunity to cause a scene. If they messed something up by interfering with the wardens around the rift, it was only a grade two, so they could probably deal with the consequences themselves. And if they managed to crack it, something the guilds had still not done despite it being so low ranked, then all they’d need to do is send in some decently competent hunters, probably even special forces, just to make sure, then claim how incompetent the guilds were for not even being able to clear such a measly rift even though the association had sent their best. As they neared the gate, Selene, despite all her rational nature, couldn’t help but want to burn the entire guard post into ashes, sparing the guards, of course. But in spite of the hopeful stares from the many eyes behind her, she swallowed her pride and began speaking as calmly as possible, trying her best to not give the army what they wanted.
But before she could even get a word out, as if waiting for this exact moment, the guard on the guard post began to speak, cutting her off completely.
[Unknown rude Guard]: “You! Stop where you are! You’re entering a restricted military zone, or maybe because you’re wardens, you think that you can just enter here? Or maybe you can’t read. I want to hear some names and identification…”
Before the guard could continue speaking, he was blown backwards by a blast of hot wind, which sent him tumbling down from his post. When he recovered himself well enough to see what had happened, what met his eyes could only be described as hell. Everything in front of his eyes was blanketed in flames, the heat of which spread through the air, slightly burning him even as he lay a ways away. The sturdy guard post and its gate could not stand up to it, transforming into twisted hunks of unrecognizable materials swallowed by the wall of flames. Despite the heat, the flames didn’t spread out anywhere, staying contracted in that one spot. And as his vision slowly faded away, the last thing he saw was a woman with flowing white hair stepping through that hell, her cold eyes looking somewhere more distant.
[Unknown gruff voice]: “So let me get this straight, you burnt down half my barracks, knocked out an entire special forces team, and nearly destroyed my headquarters all because you got a little annoyed at a gate guard!?”
The heavily enraged words left a strained impression in the small office; the anger was practically palpable in the words. But the woman they were directed towards still held the same indifferent expression on her face. As Selene watched the stout man in front of her draw another puff from his cigar, she considered how she had ended up here in the first place.
Ultimately, she had failed to control her anger after being disrespected by the guard. And maybe if her guildmates weren’t there, she wouldn’t have acted so rashly. But under their expectant gazes, she couldn’t help but run wild. Though if pressed on it, she would never admit that she got a bit carried away. And truthfully, she would have to admit defeat to the army, for ultimately, they had achieved what they wanted in having her make a mess of the place. She had basically just given them an excuse to further tighten restrictions on the warden association on a silver platter. Maybe if she had just been some random high-ranking warden, then things wouldn’t have been so politically charged. But she wasn’t; she was the leader of one of the top guilds in Albion and the vice director of the national warden association. Her causing a scene wasn’t something that could so easily be swept away.
Looking at the man in front of her, she couldn’t help feeling like things really were troublesome. He was a man of great stature and build, his head thick with shaggy gray hair completed by a mustache which clearly received the majority of his care. He was heavily set with both fat and muscle, both cooperating in an all-out war against his military uniform, the buttons of which seemed to be at risk of bursting if he so much as took a breath in. Despite this, he didn’t make an entirely ridiculous figure. The many ribbons and medals which hung down on his well-mannered uniform gave him an entirely different look. When combined with the multitude of scars across his face, it became too hard for her to say whether he was a leech who ate well while sending others to die, or a battle-hardened veteran.
The man let out a large puff of smoke in her direction, as if to obscure her cold gaze from scrutinizing him any further. Slightly shaking her head to drive away the unpleasant cloud, her lips opened slowly, meeting the previous hot ridicule with a cold voice.
Selene (Vice Director of the NWA)]: “General Kutuzov, I cannot find a mistake in what you’ve said, however—”
Cutting her off, the General snarled at her as he hotly spoke.
[General Kutuzov]: “I don’t want to hear any political spiel that you’re about to say, or whatever plea you want to make. You injured my men, made a mess of my camp, and jeopardized my operations all over some sense of pride?! You think you can just talk your way out of this one? And before you say it, I know your guild had the rights to that rift, but guess what, at the end of the day, it’s the nation who really decides what goes where, and this time they decided that your help was no longer needed. So whether you’re happy about it or not, I don’t give a damn; you’re going to pay for what you did…”
Placing both his hands on the table, he pulled himself up to where he seemed to be towering over her. Spit mixed with smoke came out along with his angry shouting, his eyes burning with what seemed to be a mix of annoyance and genuine anger against Selene. Yet her cold expression remained the same, her unwavering eyes still focused on him, not at all shying away from staring down his blatant intimidation.
[Selene]: “Forgive me, General, for trying to be polite. As things stand currently, I will not be accepting any blame for the matter. Let me be clear: it is the view of not only the Ares Guild but also the Olivier Guild and the entirety of the Warden Association that your 'troops' encroached on a rift which was explicitly assigned to be dealt with by us. So, as far as I am concerned, I was only evicting a bunch of loiterers. And one more thing, General, there’s no need to pretend. I am here to negotiate with you, and if that is also your intention, you’ll need to speak your own feelings, not the nationalistic rhetoric you’re blustering about now.”
Sighing, the General sat back down with a huff. Normally, he would be angered by the blatant disrespect at the end of her sentence, but currently, he couldn’t help but agree with her. Puffing out a burst of smoke, he noted that this woman wouldn’t be coerced through intimidation, nor did she seem particularly perturbed by the mention of what she was going up against. Not that he didn’t expect this result; he was, after all, dealing with the number two warden in all of the nation. But if he didn’t at least try to scare her off, he’d be chewed out by some politician sitting at some cushy desk later for acting weak. Smothering the cigarette in his hand on the table, he met the cold eyes of the woman as he spoke up, now much calmer.
[General Kutuzov]: “I’ll be frank then. I’m not here to negotiate or solve problems. I’m not here to have some talk with you about how you’ll make it right. You just stepped on a land mine, and I don’t intend to let you disarm it so easily. A few hours from now, every state-run media company will start reporting about this incident, and after that, that elusive director of yours is going to get a letter from the president, demanding a public apology for your actions—an apology he will be forced to give. So don’t give me that cold look; I know what you’re thinking. But if you have anyone to blame, blame yourself. You knew what you were doing when you did it. As a soldier, I can’t help but understand, but as a general, I can only say you’re incredibly stupid.”
Selene, for once, averted her gaze away from the man in front of her. A weight came over the room as time passed slower than ever. The General, to his credit, seemed unaffected by the state of things, silently puffing away at his cigarette, satisfied with his share of the verbal duel. Selene's annoyance now clearly evident in her face, was about to lash out again; however, she was stopped by the sounding of quickly pounding feet coming from outside the ornate meeting room door right behind her. She half-hoped it was her guild members coming to help her complain, though the idea also sparked some embarrassment in her. Shaking her head, she perked her ears up as she heard the sound of muffled yells and complaints from the guards outside the room, heralding the arrival of two new figures who burst into the room. Watching the door swing dramatically open, Selene’s face fell heavily as she saw who was standing in the doorway, cursing that her day just kept getting worse.
In the doorway stood two incredibly buff people, both with golden hair and ornately designed armor. One hung an intricately embossed sword, and on the other’s back was an equally ornate spear, which seemed to give off a golden aura. Their most striking similarity, however, was the near uniformity of their appearance. The only thing that set them apart was their gender: one a slightly mature though still bright-looking woman, and the other a handsome, heroic-looking man. If someone were to look at them, it would be impossible to not assume that they were brother and sister. On both their faces was an unconstrained smile, which seemed entirely oblivious to the happenings inside the room and to the furious guards who were staring daggers at their backs. Selene knew them both; unfortunately, they were "colleagues" of hers, their stations regrettably equal to her own, being the twin guild leaders of the Olivier Guild, the largest guild in the nation. Though it was only slightly larger than her own Ares Guild, they, like her, were both grade 9 wardens. With just their presence here, a significant portion of the nation’s military might was now all in one room. The man with the sword was called Michael, while the woman with the spear was called Gabriella. Frankly, they were two people she absolutely didn’t want to see right now.
Not allowing Selene a moment to compensate for their unexpected visit, they both began to talk in excited voices. Due to them both trying to talk at the same time, the words they spoke came out as a jumbled mess. Apparently finding this funny, they both burst out laughing before Michael stepped forward and began to talk in what could only be described as a child’s idea of how a politician talked, all the while Gabriella struggled to hold back her laughter.
[Michael]: “I greet the honorable um, Vice Director Selene, and uhhh General Ku-Ku Nose Job? Uhh Kutuzov? I um am here to erm... Announce? Yo sis, is that the right word? Eh, actually don’t answer that. I am here to announce that our guild, with the help of associated warden offices and um General Ku-Ku’s troops, have successfully cracked open the mighty Grade Two rift. Yes, I know you're stunned, so are we, but there’s no need for applause. Um, anyway, I just got done talking with the director, and apparently, he worked out a deal with the president to allow us to take ownership of the rift without causing any further issues with the army. The only downside is, for some reason, they want only me, sis, and umm the Vice Director to raid it.”
After he finished speaking, he twiddled his thumbs as excited claps rang out from behind him, only dying out after a few shouts of “bravo” and “brilliant speech.” Selene, during all this, was a bit shocked that they had actually managed to bring good news, even if they had failed entirely to deliver it. Though she had to ponder a bit on why three guild leaders would even be involved in raiding the rift, much less be the only ones to do so, her best guess was this was the only way the director could convince the army, as it allowed them to save some face by keeping the raid quieter then normal, that or, those bureaucrats enjoyed the thought of troubling them with the mission. Still if they could get out of the situation without much trouble it could only be considered a victory, something which Selene was not polite enough to let go uncelebrated. Turning smugly to the General in front of her, she began to speak, not at all hiding her satisfaction with the news.
[Selene]: “Hmph! What was that about an apology, General Ku-Ku? Heh, actually, don’t say anything as it seems like I have a very important appointment which just came up. So don’t worry, I’ll be leaving here shortly.”
Swaying slightly happily as she got up, her cold attitude clashed slightly with the clear look of smug satisfaction that was on her face, giving her a rather uncharacteristically cute appearance. The siblings couldn’t help but be amazed.
[Golden Haired Siblings]: “Is that really Selene? She looks like a schoolgirl who just got a good grade on a test! Wait, you don’t think she enjoys humiliating people, do you? Oi, shut up, you muscle-brained idiot!”
Selene walked by the bickering siblings. She couldn’t tell who was saying what, but somehow she felt like they both thought the same thing. If they were disagreeing with each other, it was only because they enjoyed arguing. Leaving the room, she motioned for the two to follow her, giving one last smug look to the General behind her before allowing the two guards, who were still shaking with indignation, to hurriedly close the door behind them. The last thing they heard before the door shut was the lighting of a cigarette and the briefly mumbled curses of the General.