I. Hearth, the City of Healing

Ryder was late--again.

"Geez, that guy. We even adjusted the time for him. We're going to proceed if one more minute passes and he's still not here." 

Hearing their trainor's irritated voice, Raeya's eyes tore away from the horizon as Leison stood and brushed off his dusty clothes. She clenched her fists, not out of anger, but because she was feeling something heavy in her heart again. 

No, not this time, she scolded herself. A mission was not the time and place to cry.

Raeya sucked in a deep breath before releasing it slowly. She had to keep her cool. She slipped on her black leather vest that she was delaying to wear because she wasn’t really ready. Feeling its weight over her maroon shirt, it helped her shift her focus to the mission.

The frown on Leison's face made it obvious that he was tired of waiting. It brought out his wrinkles that were deepening with each mission that they received. Although being in your late forties was already considered pretty old in their line of business since few of them actually get to live that long, Leison still has the strength of a teenager and he wasn't someone who you would be worrying about. But being their trainor for how many years, there was a limit in how you could or should stretch his patience. 

Leison was about to walk but was interrupted when a whirl of sand passed through.

The dust thickened quickly until it opened into a vortex enough for a human to pass through. Amidst the swirl of the sand, a silhouette of a woman appeared. Raeya immediately recognized her friend Nique, who apparently was returning from scouting. Thanks to her gift, she was reliable for lookout purposes and never once did Nique fail the team. 

Nique was wearing her favorite army scarf over head and it brought out the brightness of her blue eyes. Raeya had always been jealous of her eyes because almost everyone in Khenealm had irises in varying colors and in Aegis, only Raeya had black narrow eyes. She was already raven-haired. Compared to the others who either had bright curly hair or colorful eyes, her features looked plain and dull. Although it meant she was from the Rigiddin family, the original warriors of Khenealm, she had been contemplating for years on how she would be beautiful in shades of green, blue, or gray eyes. 

When the sand settled, Nique took off her scarf and walked towards Leison. 

"All clear,” Nique confidently said.

Leison nodded. He tapped his earpiece and passed some random commands at the other end line.

"Can't we just wait for five more minutes?" Raeya asked politely.

Leison suddenly looked at her with an annoyed and sharp look she was afraid she had pushed her luck too far. The last time that she pissed him off was during her trainee days and even then, no one wanted to see his bad side. Realizing this, Raeya hoped that he would let her off just this time.

"Raeya, that's what you bargained fifteen minutes ago. And before that, too." Leison shook his head. Raeya felt her glimmer of hope fade.

"We'll proceed as planned," Leison said as he unslung his helmet. It was final. Raeya has no choice but to give up on her hopes of seeing Ryder. It had been weeks since the last time that she saw him. She was a bit worried about what he was busying himself with. Although they were already eighteen and full-fledged soldiers and she had no right to pry into his life, it wouldn’t hurt for him to at least spare some of his time with his own company.

Nique followed Leison as she unclasped her helmet but Raeya still didn't want to. 

Maybe Ryder's just around the corner.

With a firm sense of hope, she scanned the horizon one more time.

Nothing.

Leison tapped his earpiece again and began the roll call for their friends on the other end of the line who were stationed inside the city.

"All set!" one of them responded so loud it made them all wince. Leison grumbled and wriggled his ear with his finger before putting back his earpiece again.

"Sorry," the man on the other line apologized, followed by a series of laughter from their friends in the background.

The short merry atmosphere made Raeya forget their mission for a second. It was nice to have a break from the heavy feeling that covered them. Aegis was laughing less these past few months.

Up here on the cliff, the ruined city spread before them. The towering buildings were now half-buried in the sand and there was nothing to be seen, save for the black and burned buildings being engulfed by brown dust. It's like the desert was trying to erase the once mighty Hearth, the City of Healing but the world couldn't really accept it, nor its sins be forgotten.

Hearth. Just thinking of it left a bitter taste to Raeya's mouth. Hearth was the center of everything---technology, industry, education, and dreams. But one mistake had reduced the city into what was it now---a dead, rotting history.

Leison was the first to ignite his engine before Raeya and Nique followed. Their two-wheelers roared to life and it was the only sound at the moment. Raeya recalled how hard it had been for her to master riding alone because the mechanisms were not ordinary. Ever since the last civil war, the government had re-invented motors for battles as the tanks were too costly, they said.

Raeya sighed. For the millionth time, she wished that if only she had Nique's gift to appear or disappear using particles, she would use it to materialize in front of Ryder to discover whatever's keeping him occupied these days.

Raeya unwillingly put her helmet on.

The three Aegis soldiers waited. The moment of stillness made them observe what was happening inside the city.

On one of the streets---it could have been one in the past based on the destroyed streetlights, a line of priests were parading in a single file. Their indigo robes were swirling as they walked with staffs that were glowing red. The ceremony would end in a while and so far, nothing has happened yet.

Raeya was confident that they could do this even without Ryder since guard duty was what they had been doing ever since she became affiliated with Aegis. Heck, it was Aegis' one and only job: to be everyone's bodyguard, not just the government officials. Their title as the shield of Khenealm was not an overstatement because they really were the security frontliners of the land.

But Ryder's absence today made her uneasy. Sure, it had been almost a year since he started acting strange like ditching his job but not unannounced like today. He always had an excuse and would call an hour before but now there was nothing. No messages. No signs.

"Let's go."

The girls let Leison speed away first before they flanked him on each side. Since the one who should be protecting their back was absent, the responsibility fell on Raeya. She let herself lag a little behind to cover their rear. 

They kicked up clouds of dust as they sped towards the gate, the only one still functioning. Able to sense the presence of Shadows, the gate would close at will like a loyal guard even if there were no more citizens to protect except for the empty walls. 

It was still working due to the deep foundation of the gate. It could still reach the waterbed and extract power from the Shore, the planet's core and the source of all warriors' strength.

Sadly, once its sensors are blocked by the desert, which is going to happen sooner, the gate will go down along with the walls. It was not that the government didn't want to revive the lost city, they just couldn't, especially if the earth itself was the one burying it. The planet itself was a witness of its hidden ugly history.

"Say, Leison, are you sure there's gonna be an ambush? 'Cause I can't detect anything from here." Nique's tone in the headset made it seem so simple like this was one of the basic errands they usually do.

"We still need to be alert. You saw what they can do in the last battle. They're evolving. They have brains now," Leison argued.

"Where did those conjurers find those spells? I thought we destroyed all their books," Nique said. Up until now, Raeya still found it funny. The last war claimed many lives all in the name of books.

"Nique, you forget that they have good memories."

They did. The conjurers were highly intelligent people who seemed to plan to evolve into deities because of the knowledge that they possess and are still wanting for more. They were world-record holders. Never did Khenealm witness such a rise of human intelligence, not so much as Hearth.

Memories. The word pricked Raeya's heart like a needle. Ryder has a perfect memory, so good that he couldn't forget the bad ones. She didn't pay attention to Leison and Nique's conversation anymore. Her mind went to work without her permission. The brown horizon didn't help as its emptiness easily painted a memory that Raeya wanted to forget more than her hate towards Hearth.

She saw herself again in the forest bleeding to death as she leaned on a tree. The battle was so close to their home but she couldn't walk any longer. People were running past her and many tripped because of the roots, making the Shadows catch them. One girl was eaten in front of her, the blood splashing across her face. Raeya recalled how she fainted right then and there, her knees turning watery in anger and helplessnes. She would have been the next to be eaten if Ryder hadn't come. He saved her, but because of that, he hadn't been able to save the others.

If only I'd been strong enough, Ryder wouldn't have needed to come searching for me. He might have been able to save them. 

A fresh wave of guilt washed over her.

If only I didn't worry him at that time...

The swerving of Leison's motor to the left snapped her back to reality. Leison regained his balance and screeched for a stop. The girls also stopped and eyed the surroundings warily as he got off to check what bumped him.

Wind and sand whirled together, blocking their visions for a moment.

When the dust settled, a red light was continuously beeping.

"LEISON!"

The explosion shook the surroundings. The sharp smell of powder made Raeya cough hard. Black smoke and brown powder obscured their vision. She heard her friend's engine speeding to Leison's spot.

"Nique! Wait!"

Nique didn't. All Raeya saw was Nique going into the brown fog that parted as she plunged in. Raeya counted how many seconds had already passed. Ten.

When there was still no sign of Nique, Raeya wanted to go herself but she was surprised to see that she was trembling so much she couldn't clutch the gear.

After what seems like an eternity, Nique showed up at last with Leison propped in her backseat. His helmet was removed. Raeya almost fainted at the sight of so much blood on their trainor's face and body. 

No, this is not happening...

"Dang it, Raeya! The kit!"

Raeya jolted awake at her command. She searched through her kit and found it. She ripped it open and took a syringe filled with bitter herb and handed it hastily. Nique immediately pressed it on Leison's wrist. Concealed in her black helmet, Raeya wasn't sure whether her friend was crying or just breathing hard.

Another blast from their left almost made them fall off.

Five.

Raeya was counting again.

Ten.

Nique was wise enough to wait as well as she fixed Leison on her back.

15.

She trusted her instincts and yelled for Nique to go left. Since that's where the last bomb just blasted, it must be the spot that has none already.

"Go! Go! Go!"

Their engines roared as they sped away. Seconds later, the blast was just a foot away from where they stood earlier.

Raeya immediately called for their other friends. Much to her shock, no one was responding.

Only static.

Couldn't they see their situation from the city?

Nique was ahead of her. Anger burned inside of Raeya as she was slowly processing that their plan had been sabotaged. On top of that, Leison was dying. She was not going to lose one more friend.

The wind ripped through them and the gate was now in their view. Then, the two large emeralds on the posts blinked a glaring green and produced a gurgling sound like a giant monster. The gates were activated.

"It has detected the presence of the Shadows! We have to go full speed!" Nique's tone was desperate.

All around them, small tornadoes kept on releasing black shapes that were rapidly taking flesh and scales. Yet, they weren't attacking. They were collecting themselves and lining up. 

Rakanis save us. Since when did Shadows know how to form ranks?

Sweat dripped down her face. They were halfway towards the city. The gates were also half-closing already. Nique would have no problem since her engine was built for speed but Raeya's bike was heavily built for attack. Raeya imagined a few simulations in her mind on how she would make it.

But Ryder entered her mind.

Raeya screeched to a stop and watched Nique. Nique looked back but didn't stop and Raeya could imagine the surprise on her friend's face.

"What---You can't fend them off by yourself!" Nique shouted.

"We can't assure the priests' safety if the Shadows are still here after the ceremony."

"But... But---"

Raeya cut her off with the sound of her engine preparing to go full attack. She was not arguing this. She was determined.

"It's okay. Ryder will come. He's just late."

Nique didn't have time to answer. She bent and squeezed through the closing gates. As soon as the gates touched the ground with a loud thud, Nique's connection was cut off as well.

Raeya faced the horde. Slowly, she pulled out her sword from its wooden scabbard. The silversteel shone deadly under the sun. Its grip was like the handle of a gun with ridges that perfectly fitted her fingers.

At that moment, Raeya realized that she was doing this alone. This was her time to prove herself as a member of Aegis, the shield of Khenealm and not mere guard dogs of the government, as their enemy once called them. All her anger against the Shadows turned into adrenaline. Her sword hummed in excitement.

Watch me.

Raeya could feel beads of sweat trickling down her face and back but there were no doubts clouding her determination. She pointed her sword at them. And as if responding to her cue, the shadows advanced and Raeya charged to meet them.