Janus - Dark Fantasy

Welcome To Janus

2007-12-28T19:37:00.000+08:00

Janus is a story I completed offline, when I was 17. I am not particularly proud of it, but it took a good deal of my time when I was supposed to be studying (heh, heh, heh), and I must say it has taught me some in writing.

Janus is fantasy. It is rather complex to condense into a description, but waddya know - there's one right there in the sidebar.

With that done, welcome to Janus!

You may read the first episode here.

Episode 45 (The End)

2007-05-14T16:23:00.000+08:00

Ceri could only watch as Gillian approached the Nobu boy. He could not get up, with vague stabs of pain piercing his back.

"That does not belong to you." said Gillian, his voice dangerously low.

The Nobu raised an arm; Ceri felt his hair stand as the force of the blast passed by him.

Skin was stripped off Gillian, blood seeping into him. As Ceri watched the process reversed itself; Gillian continued walking, skin and body whole.

Surprised, the Nobu blasted again. Nothing significant happened to Gillian; he continued walking. Ceri saw the boy cautiously slinging the tube over his back, readying both hands for a full-on attack.

Gillian took out a dagger and threw it at the Nobu; the Nobu blasted. When Ceri opened his eyes again Gillian was pulling it out from his stomach, slightly wincing. The wound healed quickly.

Eyes wide, the boy did it again. Gilliant stumbled this time. The boy brought out both hands. Gillian dropped to the ground in unbearable pain. He was only five feet away but on all fours.

The Noby boy's mouth curved upwards. "And you're supposed to be the Broker, yes?" He kicked Gillian. "How pathetic you are."

"Gillian ..." Ceri managed to craok, his lips terribly dry. The Broker managed a discreet cough.

He moved so fast Ceri could not catch exactly what he did. Bishop let out a shrill, animal-like sound, and Gillian straightened.

"If you life your foot," he said, breath coming out in haggard gasps, "The life inside that dagger will incinerate you."

Gillian took the Janus from the suffering boy and bent over Ceri. "Mya has been called. Hang on there."

Ceri watched him as he trudged towards the forset. The only sound was the boy's strangled sobs, clutching his impaled foot. At the edge of the forest Gillian turned, saluted, and then he was swallowed by the undergrowth.

Ceri could hold on no longer. He closed his eyes for a long sleep, exhaling softly.

A few minutes later a boy with a backpack came to the forest gate. he had nearly lost the mark he was following, and he was worn out by the running and fighting. He regarded the scene carefully.

Ceri was on the floor, breathing weak and tortured. A solitary dagger was on the ground, with spots of blood trailing to the forest.

The boy knew his mark was after the Nobu with blood. That only meant one thing: they were hunting in the forest. That bode well for him - he had significant scouting skills.

Taylor smiled to himself. He may have lost Callie, he may have lost Alec, but he knew the Janus was somewhere in the green gloom before him. His future awaited, singing to him softly from under the leaves.

Power, power power ...

The sounds of attack in the academy were fading away, with the Nobu retreating - news that the janus was no longer there had spread quickly amongst the ranks. Taylor continued inhaling the clear morning air, feeding the fire of ambition within.

He threw one last look at the walls of the Dokan Academy. The magister workshops were burning - it was hard to believe he studied in the place not too long ago. Chong Fen had lost an arm, Yuki was gone. Ceri might die. The realities of war had settled around them quickly, warning of more to come.

Not that it concerned him. Taylor picked a stick from the ground and stepped over Ceri's prone body, whistling as he did so.

Destiny beckoned.

Episode 44

2007-05-14T15:51:00.000+08:00

"Ceri!" Gillian yelled. The fire tore them apart, but not before the tube sliced through the air and landed in Ceri's hands.

He sprang, twisted and dodged Luke's outstretched arms. Heart beating madly he chanced a look back: the scene that met his eyes nearly made him trip. Gillian was tangled in a mass of evil-looking vines that rooted him to the ground, slowly constricting and killing him as Evan urged the vines on. Baldur was turning after Ceri, a lazy flicker of orange in his palm ...

Ceri jumped over a row of bushes an instant before they caught flame; bending low he ran along the academy wall praying that the fire could not reach beyond the barrier of bushes between him and the three Nobu.

The path in front of him blew up, sending charred branches flying.

Ceri leapt over the hole, and then ducked as another handful of fire hit the windows behind him.

When Ceri looked up again his path to escape was blocked by Luke.

"Give it over, son." Luke said, raising a gloved hand. "We have better uses for it than you."

"The Janus belongs to the White Sun!" Ceri said, backing up a few steps.

Luke shook his head; the ground before him cracked and a pale, lifeless arm emerged, shaking away the chips of cement. This was followed by a grey face and a naked body.

"It'll kill you on my command," said Luke, as the body straightened itself and fixed its empty eyes on Ceri.

A split seconds as Ceri considered his options; then he turned and ran.

The cadaver moved faster, grabbing Ceri by the shoulder it brought him to the ground and swung its fist down. Ceri twisted; it pummeled the floor and made a gaping hole in the cement.

"The tube," said Luke, palm still outstretched.

Ceri jammed the Janus at the cadaver's groin - to his surprise it shrunk away, as if scared of the seal's power.

Luke reached down, aiming to pluck it from Ceri's arms -

- the sword went clean through his neck.

It seemed as if the cogs of time had jammed up. Ceri and Luke were face to face; Ceri watched as the Nobu's eyes glazed slowly over. Then he gave a groan and dropped to the ground, and Ceri saw who was behind him.

"Gillian wants you to head for the forest gate immediately. He'll be waiting for you there," said Jorasu, lifting Ceri to his feet. "Go quickly - this guy's not dead yet."

Already as he spoke tendrils of flesh wove themselves from the cadaver and mended Luke's wound - soon he would be up and alive.

Ceri did not wait to see what happened. He left, cutting through hallways, courtyards and gardens.

"Did you regret that decision?" A voice asked.

"No." replied Ceri. He knew without looking that Tsae was at his side, running along with him.

"You won't be able to use much yet." Tsae said cheerily, "I'm only here to protect you."

"You could've come earlier, like when a crazed corpse was trying to kill me."

Tsae snorted and faded from view.

Ceri slowed to a walk - he was nearing the forest gate. Gillan was leaning against one of the pillars with his eyes closed, looking tired and pale.

"I've got it!" Ceri called out. "How did you - "

He never completed the sentence. A whoosh, a blast. The world spun as Ceri fell.

An instant later a Nobu covered in blood bent down and took the Janus.

Episode 43

2007-05-14T15:10:00.000+08:00

Over the space of three seconds Taylor felt his dreams crumble.

No, no, no, NO! his brain screamed. First was the numbness of Callie's death. And then the fact that Yuki - weak, powerless Yuki - was engaged in a furious Oragi battle before him.

I can't even fight like that! Taylor realized. Not only had Yuki taken someone he fancied, he had proved himself far worthier than Taylor. Losing a girl to an inferior idiot was acceptable - but this, this ...

Taylor balled his hands into fists. Alec ... Callie ...

In the middle of the hall both boys were a blur of movement and crimson droplets.

This must end NOW!" Bishop screamed, "HERE!"

Yuki calmly blocked a forward blow; Bishop's palm streaked upwards and a corresponding streak of falling bricks and disintegrating mortar appeared in the side of the hall.

"You're not going to last long, Bishop." Yuki said.

"And you?" he shot back, "How many gallons of blood have you lost? Wrists cut like that -"

Yuki did not answer. He knew that was a non-issue - his body could replace the blood as fast as it bled out of him. But he knew that once his body's stores of iron ran out ... no matter. He still felt well.

The main door crashed open, revealing a girl with silvery hair and an elfin face. "Bishop," she commanded, "The Janus is being moved. You're needed."

Bishop tore himself away from Yuki, yelling in anguish. "Get the hell out of here, Qari! I have unfinished business!"

You want a court martial?" Qari yelled back. "I don't care what personal business you're on, your duty is to your country!"

Yuki eyed Bishop, hands on the ready. "Face me like a man." he hissed. He could still remember the way the police found the family ... he could still remember the photographs and the blood ...

Bishop was undecided, fearful. Here lay his salvation - the boy that caused his suffering. And yet he did not want to risk a court martial - it would rob him of a proper home, a place where he belonged.

He made a choice. Spinning, he swung a kick at Yuki - this one was blocked. No matter, his hands were free. Together they forced their way past Yuki's flailing arms and sought space; this they got easily and Bishop focused his mind solely on one target ...

A crimson wave burst forth from his hands, sweeping across the hall, tearing tile and ripping grey drape. It created a gigantic vacuum as it moved; the suction making windows break and shatter; Yuki turned against the howling wind to see Alec, Jean and Chong Fen unable to move in the face of incoming death.

He flung his arms out, but even then he knew it was too late - the force was too much for any blood wall he could summon to contain -

His blood hit the crimson wave and rebounded off. It could not place itself in front of his three friends.

All is lost, Yuki thought. There was nothing he could do now but watch as they died. In a way, Yuki cursed, Bishop got his revenge.

There was a sudden eruption of searing white light. Yuki closed his eyes; the hall shook at the explosion. What's going on? Another roaring blast, an outburst of hot, howling air.

When Yuki opened his eyes the crimson wave was gone; in its place the blood droplets fell to the ground in harmless spirals.

What the hell?

"Alec?" Yuki yelled, "Jean? You guys there?"

The hall was silent without the roar of wind.

A cry that made Yuki's heart leap for joy:

"We're over here!" It was Alec, calling out somewhere beyond the smoke. "It was Chong Fen - he caused the explosions, don't ask me how ..."

"Are you okay?" Yuki called out.

"C-Chong Fen's not." came a voice that was unmistakeably Jean's. "His arm's ... his arm's ..."

The silence that followed left much to the imagination.

"Yuki!" yelled Alec. "Go after that boy - Bishon, whatever his name is ... don't let him get the Janus! We'll be okay here!"

Yuki nodded, although they couldn't see him. Bishop was right - it had to be settled once and for all. He turned heel and ran for the door.

He did not hear the footsteps following him.

Episode 42

2007-05-14T14:34:00.000+08:00

"Oh, you're awake."

Ceri sat up slowly, a mild headache throbbing between his temples. He looked up to see Gillian encasing the Janus in a small blue tube, filled with the strange ice on the pedestal.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Gillian didn't stop, nor did he look back. "Student casualties are climbing too high," he replied, with professional detachment, "I figured I'd bring the seal to another place to take the heat off the academy."

He turned to face Ceri, resolve burning in his eyes. "How're you?" he asked, offering a hand.

Ceri took it and Gillian pulled him up.

"Cutting it pretty nicely." Ceri lied. He felt Gillian shouldn't have to deal with his problems - especially since the school was barely holding out around them.

A blast shook the entire dojo. Gillian threw a concerned look at the walls and slung the tube over his shoulder.

"Where're you heading?" Ceri asked.

Gillian double checked the straps as he replied, "There's a safehouse some 40 miles from here. On the outskirts of Paen - an old manastery."

He looked up at Ceri, satisfied with the security of the seal - "Magic and Oragi abilities don't work around that area. So I can use whatever dirty tricks I know on an even playing field. You coming with me?"

Ceri looked around the dojo and thought of the choice he made. Swallowing hard, he nodded.

Gillian continued with his chatter as they sneaked from corridor to corridor. "Sorry about sending you guys -" he said, peering around a corner, " - I had to make sure another generation became Oragi, and the best way to do it was real life testing."

Ceri didn't answer immediately. They darted through a gallery where magisters were battling low-level Nobu. Nobody paid them any attention - Ceri saw a prefect dangerously waving a magical kris, and then they turned down another corridor and he lost sight of them.

"Gillian," he said, breathlessly, "What surveillance mission were the four shinobi doing in Horean?"

"Surveillance?" exclaimed Gillian in surprise. "That was no surveillance! It was pure provocation!"

Ceri shot him a quizzical stare, but they had to dart across a garden before Gillian could explain properly.

"I wanted them to start a war."

"What?!" Ceri said, and nearly tripped.

Gilliant tutted and picked up the pace. "For reasons you won't understand, my boy."

A flash of light, an chilling wail. Both Gillian and Ceri turned to see two cloaked figures leaping towards them; touching ground only rarely.

"Hold this," Gillian said, firmly, passing the tube to Ceri.

He took out two daggers; closing his eyes he swung around and threw both at the same time. It hit dead centre, but the hoods merely fell back to reveal rotting flesh.

"Ugh." said Gillian, and both daggers exploded in a flare of red.

"A good two lives wasted," he said, tutting, and taking the tube from Ceri they set off again. "My collections not going to last long ..."

Ceri decided not to question that statement. Instead - "Aren't you scared you'd be overpowered and the Janus taken from you?"

Gillian laughed. "It would take a large taskforce to stop me." he said, winking. "And even if I fail there are three other guardians that are summoned whehenver the Janus is directly threatened."

"From the school - ?"

"Yeah. Students. Siris, Jorasu, Mya. Seniors in the top form, I believe."

They reached one of the school's exits. Two huge oak doors barred their way - this Gillian swept aside with one hand.

"Oh dear me." he said, under his breath.

Outside, squinting in the glowing afternoon sun was the rest of Bishop's unit. Only neither Ceri or Gillian knew that - both of them just saw a spark and the erruption of a fireball from Baldur's fingers.

Episode 41

2007-05-04T16:49:00.000+08:00

"Ceri wake up."

"You're not dead."

"I have a gift for you."

"Wake up!"

Ceri was jolted awake by a weird tickling sensation. He was in a field, and someone had traced a blade of cow grass under his nose.

He turned and saw who it was. And quickly got up, backed away - putting as much distance between the two of them -

"W-what are you?" he stammered.

Tsae looked back at him curiously. She was as beautiful as ever, and Ceri couldn't help but notice she had grown since his time with Sensei.

She was no longer the child whom he cherished in his memories - she was taller, her skin was still fair but her face had matured, as had her body. Her hair, though longer, was smooth and jet black as he remembered it. All was good and well, except she was dead, for goodness sakes!

And yet ... how vibrant she looked - so full of life ...

"I suppose you're surprised to see me." Tsae said. "Don't worry, I'm not going to haunt you."

She chuckled gently and put away the blade of grass.

"I'm here on behalf of the Janus." She said, and realization poured into Ceri.

The Janus? Wasn't I at the academy, touchin-"

"Yeah, you did. And it knocked you out for a short chat."

Ceri gave her a blank stare.

"I-I d-don't-"

"-get it?" Tsae completed his sentence for him and smiled. "Well, its like this: the Janus had a preposition for you."

Ceri got to his feet slowly and narrowed his eyes.

"Before that," Tsae said, rising as he did. Ceri noticed she was just an inch shorter than he was. Do you love a girl named Sabriye?"

Ceri brought his wavering eyes back to Tsae and nearly choked. "Excuse me?" It seemed such an adrubt change of direction, his head was reeling ...

"I asked a simple question." she said, not taking her eyes off his face. Ceri couldn't read her thoughts nor did her face give any indication of them. "I expect a simple answer - yes or no?"

"Ye-no" he blurted.

Tsae did not look happy. "Alright," she said, "let me rephrase the question," This time Ceri dared to look at her straight on - "Would you want to be in a situation where you cannot be near Sabriye, touch her, look at her, for a very long period of time?"

This answer was strikingly clear: "No."

Tsae smiled sadly. "Good." she said, and drifted off. A soft breeze made the branches above Ceri sway gently.

Ceri followed her gaze and admired the sea of waving buttercups. The wind brought the scent of freshly cut grass wafting about them.

Tsae shook her head, as if to clear it. "Well," she sighted, "Back to business. The Janus plans to give you something special," - here she paused, studying his face - "But there's a catch to it - it requires a sacrifice."

Ceri was perplexed. "Of what?"

"Love."

He frowned, the implications driving home, "I do not love Sab-"

"It's good enough." Tsae cut in, her eyes glinting. "Your ability will connect you directly with the Janus. If you choose to accept it, then you cannot be with her. If you choose not to, then you will not be touched, harmed or changed in any way."

Ceri pondered this silently. Changed in any way, he thought, she means accept or not get anything at all.

He turned his thoughts to Sab - to her laugh (very rare); to her sarcasm (very common). He thought of the fleeting moments of connection between the two of them. Does love conquer all? he wondered. But he had told himself not to let anyone get past his defenses. Love everyone ... at an arm's length. And then there was the issue of serving his country as an Oragi. Surely that was what he was brought up to become.

Ceri quietly weighed his options, heavyness in his heart. Then he made his choice.

You need two seals to become more powerful. Kyioshi was essentially right. And now I know what to target.

Taylor rushed through the corridors, a feeling of euphoria at discovering what he knew was his future. Books he had lifted from the library bounced in his bag. All he needed was Callie at his side and they could go out and have the world at their feet.

Great schemes were still running through his mind as he flung open grand double doors and burst into the courtyard where he knew Callie was.

The cold pierced his lungs like steel daggers, making him gasp for air. He would've gasped anyway, for the magic going on before him was like nothing he had ever seen before.

Two of the Nobu assasins were dead. As Taylor watched, a boy blasting lightning at Vera was making his way around the courtyard, towards an exit.

He took a step forward at the boy, taekwando in mind.

A polar bear the size of a car slammed into the boy, cracking tile and completely destroying the door. The bear got up and placed its paw on the boy's chest. It apparently had no pulse, for the bear turned away and grunted with satisfaction.

It spotted another Nobu: a boy who had melted into shadow and reappeared behind Warren, knife in hand. The bear blew him away with a simple flick of paw and was after him, roaring and knocking statues and pillars aside.

Taylor was starting to feel frightened; he turned to look for Callie - this place was not safe for either of them -

He spotted Vera, Callie's familiar, hunting down the shadow Nobu. He saw Warren treating a girl who had a puncture wound at her side; her arms and legs were scaly and a wing lay unfurled on one shoulder.

And then he spotted her - arms glowing with magic, parrying and slashing with a girl who had a scythe - Taylor took a step forward, wanting to call out her name -

The words turned into a silent scream as the Nobu female twirled the scythe expertly - with a clean slice Calypso's head was ripped asunder; blood splattering onto the icy floor.

Taylor was moving forward, shock turning to agony turning to anger. Within ten seconds he was in range - twisting on one foot he landed a kick to the side of her head.

The Nobu girl crashed to the floor. She turned around, eyes wide open, looking for her assailant -

And found Taylor's hands strangling her neck.

"YOU KILLED HER!" He screamed, "YOU KILLED HER - I'LL SHOW YOU!"

The girl focused her mind, tearing metal from a nearby fountain pipe - it appeared as a dagger in her hand.

She was about to stab Taylor when all energy failed her - her hands fell limply to her side. Taylor stopped, surprised. His hands were slowly turning back to normal, from something ... inhuman. The Nobu girl stared up at him; an empty shell.

Her soul.

Then a wayward blast from the bear hit Taylor, missing the shadow Nobu and rebounding off a sheet of metal, sending him crashing through a flimsy door and into a hall.

A brief glimpse of two boys and blood. Silence.

Episode 50

2007-05-04T12:59:00.000+08:00

The hall was warm and silent; a complete difference from the chaos outside. Yuki's fingers were still tingling from the cold in the courtyard. He stopped walking.

Bishop was there. He knew it instinctively. There was a bond through the curse put on their blood.

"Here I am." he said, calmly. Yuki waited for his voice to echo back, and then he added, "H24."

Bishop walked out from behind a grey drape. They faced off.

"Looking for the Janus?" Yuki asked, sighing.

Bishop smiled. "No. This is purely personal."

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Yuki was aware of the air in the room, slowly ventilating trough four air-conditioning units above him. He was aware that the hall was roughly rectangular, with more grey drapes that could conceal other Nobu. Most of all, he was now aware that whatever feelings and fear he had was now suppressed through focus, mind power and genetics. He knew killing would come easily, overriding the conscience he had developed and hindering him back when he was about to fire the vaporizer. He was ready.

Bishop regarded him with disgust anhd hate. For the first time, Yuki felt something similar emerge in the pit of his stomach.

"Why did you kill them?"

"Who?" Bishop asked, a smile playing on his lips.

"The family in Bulrish I stayed with." Yuki spoke softly, calmly, "They did not do you any harm."

Bishop smiled. "You really have changed, serial number F46. Back then you didn't give a bliddy damn about A and P."

A pause. And then -

"My name is Yuki." he replied. Looking deep into Bishop's eyes: "And I cared. It hurt me deep inside.."

"But only after that family gave you a conscience. I talked to them you know," said Bishop, "Before I killed them. Very nice people. Oh - as an afterthought, my name's -"

"Bishop." Yuki replied. "I have checked."

The Nobu operative raised his eyebrows. "You've been doing your homework! What a good boy Yuki has been."

He started pacing up and down. Yuki watched him warily.

"I prefer you the way you were before you met the family." Bishop said. "You were this horrible, unfeeling beast - a freak of nature. And then you had to be found by such nice people, who took you in and had no idea they housed a killing machine.

"I did them a great favour. Had they lived, they would've come into contact with you again." Bishop paused in his pacing, eyeing Yuki up and down. "You would've changed into a human, and I wouldn't be able to get my revenge. Besides, the Department of Defense themselves would've tortured them if they found out. I have them a quick and silent death."

"That is not what I -"

Bishop laughed. It was so different from the jolly one Yuki knew and loved years ago, back in the facility. "Yes," Bishop said, "That's true. I lied. Pulled out their fingers and cut off their toes."

Despite Yuki's modified genetics his hands curled into fists. Any other normal man would've exploded with anger by then. But his psyche still managed to keep it all in check, in some locked-up corner of his brain. "You -" he started, voice slightly shaking. "You have turned into the beast you speak of."

"No." Bishop said, stopping completely in his pacing this timel a look of sudden fury showing itself in his face. "You have turned me into the beast I speak of. I cannot rest until I have avenged them. You know what I dream of at night? The two of them, dying together, asking me why I haven't acted." he stopped. Bishop's anger subsided a little. "The four of us were family."

They stared at each other, Yuki with controlled breathing and Bishop with heaving breaths. Both were at the brink of an explosion.

"Very well," said Yuki, taking out a silver dagger.

The first blast took him completely by surprise. It was only sheer luck that he spun and managed to dodge in time. The second cracked the floor, creating a palm-shaped hole filled with blood. Bishop yelled; the third missed a diving Yuki by an inch and completely obliberated the far wall, creating a hand-shaped opening that dripped crimson.

Yuki and Bishop faced each other again. With deliberation, Yuki slit both his wrists, letting the blood streak down and cover his entire arm.

The far door burst open, and Alec, Chong Fen, Jean, Sabriye and Ross tumbled forward.

"Your friends, Yuki?" Bishop said, lazily raising an arm.

An image of Alec flashed before Yuki's eyes as the blast errupted from Bishop's outstretched palm. He screamed and swung his arms forward; his wrists gushed blood that soared in a red arc - it curved and formed a liquid barrier in time to receive the palm print that rippled over its surface.

"Sabriye! Ross! Defend the school walls!" Alec called out. "We'll handle this one."

The blood wall collapsed into tiny droplets, splattering onto the floor as Yuki released his control over his blood. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Sabriye and Ross running through another exit.

"Whatever you do," he yelled out, "Don't touch the blood!"

He faced Bishop for the second time.

Alec's blog extract
The moment I entered the hall and saw the blood I knew. Yuki - my Yuki - was an Oragi. How? Why didn't he tell me? Selfish first thoughts in a life and death situation. Now I realize: I don't know much about him.

Episode 39

2007-04-13T14:58:00.000+08:00

By the time I was 15 my life had taken a turn for the better. Following the future plotted out for us by the Department of Defense, I and about 300 other new Oragi were sent to training camps around the Black Moon. We were fed, given the choice of skills to learn and, most importantly, loved.

The first step of this new acceptance was the giving out of names. It is very hard to love a person called H, partly because there are so many other Hs out there, with different serial numbers to boot.

It was held at the lecturer's offices. Mine was a Dr Aubern Yi. He was a stout, kindly, Asian man - a big difference from the tutors at my former facility. Most of the lecturers at training camp were kindly - but in a very militaristic way. They knew what touch love was and did not hesitate to use it. I, for one, have done a fair share of punishment. The most memorable was one hanging me upside down from a tree, head a few inches above the roaring, spitting water. I had to finish 100 pull-ups or they'd cut me loose and thrashing in the rapids.

Back to the naming - I entered the office nervously, taking in the plush carpet, the dark drapes and the beautiful wood paneling. Dr Yi looked up at me from his desk and gestured for me to take a seat.

"A H, I suppose?" he asked, opening my folder. "And quite a history too."

I say, uncomfortable at all the comfort around me. My hands I kept to myself, palms down, for I still wasn't in full control of my gift - there was always the chance I could kill someone I was pointing at without meaning to.

"Very well," said Dr Yi, taking out a heavy book. "They say I should use a computer for this, but I prefer to keep to tradition. What say you?"

"I have no opinion on the matter." I told him.

Dr Yi stared at me with his black eyes, which seemed to speak of unfathomable depths. I felt something brush through me, and it struck me the doctor was an Oragi too.

"You want to right a horrible wrong." he murmured, and then he opened the old book and leafed through it. "And you are searching for redemption."

He turned the book towards me and smiled warmly. "How about this name?"

I took it and went on to study assassination. For awhile I thought how good my life was, how lovely the world could be.

We all knew happy times never last. It was my second year there when F visited me. I was walking back to my dorm when I made out a person in the shadows.

"H?"

I paused. Nobody called me that any longer, and I recognized the voice.

"F." There was a note of anger in that word.

He stepped out from the darkness, dressed like a farmer. He was taller, his hair longer, but still at essence the same. His white face, reflected in the moonlight, was as gothic looking and expressionless as ever.

"I've been wanting to see you." he said.

I took a step back, palms loose and ready at my side. I would kill him, I told myself, then and there.

"H?"

I bit back my anger for the moment. Perhaps I could get some information from him first. "Where have you been?" I ventured. "After you escaped the facility the Department has been hunting for you high and low."

He regarded me with that old, blank look of his. "The White Sun." he said, finally. "I've bee accepted into an academy, and it is great. The people are friendly, they love each -"

"Traitor." I spat. "Why did you come here? Isn't it enough that you killed my friends?"

He looked confused. "I - I thought you would want to follow me to - after all that has -"

I brought my hands up and blasted. F dodged quickly, and two palms prints appeared on the trees behind him. If you looked closely you'd realize the prints were made of blood, and that the trees were already dying.

"You have grown." said F. he shook his head - "What have I done to you?

"What have you done to me!?" I screamed. "You took away our friends! You killed without remorse! You did not suffer like I did, had nightmares like I did, hated like I did!"

Silence. F looked down at the moonlit ground.

"I do regret that." he said, finally.

I scoffed. "Regret? Is that the best you can say!? I know you can't regret - you don't even have emotion - I read the genetics report on you -"

"That is not true." he cut in. "You do not feel as I do."

"I certainly hope not, you disgusting monster!"

"Listen to me," he pleaded. The desperation in his voice pleased me. "You cannot fault how I was made. I have lived with a poor family in Bulrish - they have shown me emotion. I do have it! It is suppressed, but I do feel! I love! I feel guilt!"

I took all this without saying anything. When he finished, however, I was shaking even more.

"So you killed with love! Is that what you're saying?! You are a failed experiment! You are worthless, as a comrade, as a once close friend, and as a scientific product! You could feel love for your friends but you killed them?!"

He looked tortured. I felt even better. "It - it," he said, "It was necessary."

I raised my hands, gathering power. "You know what they do to failed experiments, don't you?" I said, "They get recycled."

The first blast I threw hit the camp wall, crumbling it to bits. The second killed a clump of trees. The third found its fast-moving target.

There was a whoosh as F parried it with his arms. I noticed they were covered with blood. He looked at me, his pale face still emotionless. I thought I saw, for the briefest of seconds, a flicker of sadness in his eyes.

And then he swung over the walls and was swallowed by the darkness that was the night.

Episode 38

2007-04-05T14:38:00.000+08:00

The sound of Calypso's voice brought the fight to a stop. "The magisters are there!" One of the Nobu yelled, pointing.

The assassins fighting Anukh melted away instantly - illusions conjured to take up her time. From above them the Nobu pounced - one sword impaling itself upon the ground exactly at the spot where, only moments before, Warren had been standing.

Both Callie and Warren found themselves behind Anukh, who had taken the form of a girl again.

"Wiry little foxes, aren't they?" she said, lips pursed. "Their abilities are about the same level as mine."

Warren paled. Anukh was the most powerful creature he had ever summoned. "What are our odds of winning?" he asked, eyeing the approaching five warily.

"Not good."

Calypso released Vera and he sprouted claws. "Take those helmets off." she commanded. "Long distance."

Vera nodded and carved a symbol on the floor with a single claw. Calypso took a look at it and pulled out a card from a pocket.

"Together?" Vera asked.

Warren turned in time to see Vera thrusting his right fist into the stone, smashing it and the sign; and Callie tearing the card with deliberate slowness.

A wind picked up in the hall, thrumming with the force of magic. The five assassins stopped their approach as a polar bear materialized before them - closing one eye it waved a paw in their vague direction. Five bolts of light streaked out and smashed into their helmets.

Silence as the helmets cracked and fell from the assassins. The bear gave a cheery wave and vanished.

"Those were supposedly magic-proof." the leader - a girl - spoke. She raised her hand and a scythe was suddenly in it. "That wasn't a bad show of magic at all. Pity, pity."

Warren studied them for a moment. The girl was the one who seemed to lead - indeed, there were dark green stripes over her suit to announce rank of some sort.

"What are you after? This place is nothing but a school." Calypso asked, biding time. The summoning of Ursa Minor had taken a considerable amount of mana on her part, and Warren knew from personal experience that she was feeling slightly light-headed at the moment.

The Nobu girl took pleasure in answering: "Oh, you don't know? - she twirled the scythe absent-mindedly, "Your resident seal. The Janus."

"What is she talking about?" Warren whispered.

"No idea," Anukh replied, and then a little louder: "What are you talking about?"

The girl looked genuinely surprised. "You mean you don't know?"

Warren shrugged. "We Magisters have never heard of a seal here at the Academy before." He paused, staring straight ahead as he flipped through his summoning cards, looking for an Ursa Major he had filched some time ago. "I thought the nearest one was in the Mokt shrine?"

"How naive - you people who live in this sch-"

Warren never heard her finish the sentence, for at that precise moment Wayne Rye and his patrol group burst into the hall. This arrival was made more pronounced by the amount of spells and familiars thrown at the Nobu.

"NO!" Warren shouted, but it was already too late: with a flash illusions of the assassins appeared; a boy was killing off familiars with lightning blasts and the girl was spinning the scythe.

Anukh turned to Warren and noticed the Ursa Major card he was holding. Their eyes met for the briefest of instances; both immediately knowing what had to be done.

She drew a sign in the air, and it hovered there for a moment - a sickly burning rune. One of the Nobu leapt at her with teeth drawn but Vera quickly killed him, tossing him aside.

"When will you magisters ever stop?" The girl snarled. Wayne Rye fell, a katana through his chest. Warren nearly lost his focus as he saw the pool of blood forming around his former colleague.

He dragged his thoughts back, ripping the card into two as Anukh called out the summons.

The effect was immediate - the temperature of the room plummeted and a cold picked up.

Down and down it plunged, stopping the Nobu from continuing their attacks. Not that it mattered now - most of the patrol were dead or dying, with a few frail groans puncturing the howling of the wind.

"What - ?" it was the girl, confusion and anger in her voice. The boy raised his hands and an arc of lightning raced through the air towards them -

It hit a barrier Vera threw up.

"You will never succeed!" Warren yelled. "Seal or no seal!"

The drama was interrupted for a moment when the main courtyard doors were thrown open and Yuki dashed through. Everyone followed his progress as he ran to another door, opened it and vanished from view.

"Where were you again?" asked the Nobu girl sweetly.

This time Warren didn't have to reply. The stone slabs in front of him cracked and rose, being thrown apart by a huge bear the size of a small car. It growled, rattling the windows and shaking the pillars.

"Ooh." said the girl. The scythe in her hand doubled in size.

Episode 37

2007-03-30T17:03:00.000+08:00

"Where's Yuki?" Alec asked. Taylor looked around the white chamber and was pleased to see him missing.

He'll have no gifts - a weaker man, Taylor told himself. What did Alec see in him?

It was his turn - Kyioshi held out the seak and looked him in the eye. It was a look Taylor couldn't make out - somewhat between worry, deep thought and appraisal.

He shrugged it off and grabbed the Janus with both hands.

It was as if lightning struck him - his hair was swept up, his pulse skyrocketed and his palms started shaking, suddenly awash with sweat.

Taylor screamed and let go. Kyioshi raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm." he said, thoughtfully.

Taylor was kneeling on the floor, catching his breath. Beside him he heard Jean gasping as she touched the Janus, but nothing more. Was he weaker? He still felt the tingling in his arms, and an extra something coursing through his veins.

I have to be the most powerful in this group, he told himself, enjoying the sensation of newly gained strength. I must have the best gifts.

Chong Fen draped one huge arm over the seal. His face contorted in pain and he yelled, falling backwards. Taylor saw a vein throbbing in his neck.

I'm not the weakest now, am I?

The first vibrations struck as Kyioshi continued with Alec. They all threw each other worried looks, and he sped up.

Taylor looked out at the walls. How long could the academy last? They had a good chance of winning, and Taylor felt certain he could grab Callie and run off away from the fights. Then they'd be together, and he'd have a free reign in pursuing more seals.

Should he help defend the academy? Taylor let his gaze settle on Alec and he thought of Yuki. Weak love birds. Willing to sacrifice possible greatness by defending an institution no longer of worth to them. The clever and the strong would realize that the academy was just a place to learn, and its usefulness in their lives was lost with the breaking of the truce. And the country? The war would never stop, so why should he even try?

"You okay?" Jean asked, noticing the slightly hungry look on Taylor's face.

Taylor smiled, his blonde locks framing his face. "No, nothing at all."

Their conversation was cut short with a blood curdling shout. As one, the two of them spun to find Ceri shaking on the ground, his mouth open and the scream coming from a rapidly foaming mouth.

"Ceri!" Sabriye yelled, and Ross scrambled to the ground, checking his pulse. "Weak." he said, pale. "Heart attack?"

Kyioshi took the Janus and placed it back on the pedestal. "That happens. We have to leave quickly and defend the school - Ceri will live."

Ross looked horrified, cradling his friends head and stuttering. Sabriye had just the opposite reaction.

"What in blazes do you think you're doing?! He's your own teammate and he saved you! You little, ungrateful, completely pathe-"

Happy that he had less competition, Taylor slipped through the entrance and back into the school.

Sabriye's blog extract
My world has stopped moving. There is a pulse, yes, but Kyioshi is right. That professional idiot is saying we can't get Ceri to a medic due to the attack, and the bloody fool is correct, as usual.

I hate him. If Ceri dies I will kill him.

Ross's blog extract
I wondered, detached, who my first personal loss would be in war. It is like one of those school exams - you know it is coming but you don't want to admit it. The few seconds when Ceri collapsed made me think that was the time. If I remember correctly, my first thought wasL 'not even in battle!'

Chong Fen's blog extract
My uncle used to say I have an intuitive sense of danger. I did not show any pleasure at his words, and he did not show any pleasure in telling me. He was the usual neutral self we have trained to be. I do not know if he was even right.

However, me touching the Janus with only one hand was excruciatingly horrible. I had this sense of foreboding when my fingers connected with the surface - it was as if the seal was asking me: "Are you sure only one?"

Episode 36

2007-03-25T17:31:00.000+08:00

The whole school seemed to be in an organized uproar. Everyone was tense, on the verge of panic, even, making their way to bunkers, summoning chambers and dorms. Ceri numbly followed Kyioshi as he led them to the dojo.

"Gillian will be briefing the rest of the Centauri. I believe he will meet us there - the seal must be with the Broker."

At an intersection near the school walls Jason, Kylie and Milo left them, diving into some bushes which Ceri knew led to small storage cambers. They were suiting up, preparing to fight. This gave Ceri a prickling feeling he couldn't place - hovering between fear and pride, bordering on anxiety.

Am I going to see them again? he asked the sky. The drones of planes answered him. For some reason Tsae's face appeared in his mind's eye - Ceri shoved it out and bit his lip.

They had reached the dojo now: Kyioshi stopped to bow at the entrance. A small Asian woman appeared, took one look and bowed back, beckoning them forwards. As Ceri passed through the entrance the dojo rippled in front of them and changed into a plain, white room.

Directly in the middle, encased in what appeared to be ice was a small metal box. It rested innocently on a plain stone slab, looking very much unable to give any form of heart disease.

"When do we get to touch it?" Taylor asked immediately.

Kyioshi didn't answer. He walked up to the Janus and reached into the ice. It swallowed his hand whole, distorting it into orange chinks that played over the surface.

"Wouldn't you receive additional abiities?" Taylor asked again, eagerly.

dared to try. There's been cases where you lose certain main organs if you don't follow standard procedure."No." Kyioshi chuckled. "One time only. I hear it's possible with a different seal - but nobody's"

"Organs such as?"

"Skin. An eye or two. Grow horns. Lose your balls - literally."

He plucked it up and removed it from the pedestal.

"Who first?"

All prefects with summons had been called to the main gate. Driving pictures of medieval sieges out of his mind, Warren made his way through a building courtyard with Jera in tow.

He never made it to the main gate.

A copter sliced the air above the courtyard, sending the crowd screaming as five suited operatives roped down and started killing the nearest students. There was lightning, there were knives. The few that tried martial arts were blasted into oblivion. Warren reacted quickly, making a spell as he sent Jera to scout. An instant later the barrier came into being, encasing the five assasins.

"Anukh." he whispered.

A girl was next to him before he even completed the sentence. She looked at the five men and a frown creased her features.

"I'm supposed to take them down, am I?"

Warren nodded mutely. The barrier was giving way as one of the men started beating against it, unraveling the magic Warren was maintaining. A bead of sweat slid down his cheek.

"You'd better scarper." Anukh said, throwing him an unconcerned look. This lasted only a few seconds - as Warren watched, her eyes became reptilian and she leapt for the Nobu.

The barrier broke at the exact instance the dragon landed.

Up a curving flight of stairs, Warren had enough time to see how the fght was progressing. The first Oragi threw a lightning bolt at Anukh; she picked him up and toasted him on the spot. the second was more intelligent - he or she conjured knives that aimed true. These impaled themselves into her hide - or tried to, for the most part. Only a katana managed to sink in and it caused far more pain than the lightning. Anukh roared and speared the Nobu with her claws.

Warren had seen enough. Panting heavily, he continued running up and away from his familiar.

"Just where the hell do you think you're going?"

Warren looked up - and straight at a furious Calypso.

Yuki's blog extract
Run run run. They must not know.

Episode 35

2007-02-06T15:13:00.000+08:00

A blowing siren had continued to whine for the past half an hour as Ceri followed the others, led by Jason, to the Magister Guild. They weaved in and out of the terrified crowds, who were making a panicked progress to war bunkers deep in the city. Occasionally a boom would shatter windows, raining glass on screaming civillians.

Jason was stopped by a policeman - magister, no doubt.

"The bunkers the other way, kid."

"Where's the Guild Hall?" Jason yelled back - a boom had just echoed out and their ears were ringing.

The policeman shook his head. "No safety for you there, sonny. Their artillery is going to aim straight for that building once they get the coordinates-"

At that moment a chimaera soared down from the skies, blasting streaks of lightning at the crowd below. The screaming rose in crescendo; a few people were killed and many more trampled down by the following stampede.

The policeman raised a hand and summoned a small dragon - this took off to battle the chimaera.

"We need to teleport - important government business!" Yelled Jason again. But the policeman was not listening - he was waving his arms and yelling instructions to the dragon, who in turn was cartwheeling out of control into a nearby office building. Glass cascaded down, followed by a burning desk and lots of flaming paperwork.

Rolling his eyes, Kyioshi stepped forward and nodded to Jason. Jason shrugged helplessly.

Ceri watched in fascination as tendrils of Darkness gathered quickly around the chimaera. Within seconds it had gagged and bound it, and was steadily bringing it down to earth.

Two things happened: Kierra waved her hands - Ceri saw gree slivers arching towards the dragon - and Milo sang a tune of despair. The slivers hit the chimaera, it growled, and as Milo hit a high note the beast exploded with great force, though leaving no trace of itself.

The policeman turned to stare at them in amazement. Jason sighed.

"Guild Hall?"

There are very few words, Ceri decided, that could describe the Guild Hall in all its glory. It was a grand building, scarred slightly by the many holes artillery shells had made around it. The building still stood because of a shield that could not hold for much longer. As Ceri watched, a shell came thundering down from above, exploding in mid-air as a dozen cracks appeared in the sky for a few seconds

As the cracks faded away, Ceri hurried after the groups reminding himself that Freeport was not as he had remembered it. He had spent far too much time at Sensei's village, and then after that at the Academy. No, although he was born here he could not rightly call it his hometown - only the orphanage he lived for the first six years of his life remained unchanged.

The guild itself was a hive of activity. Magisters were running to and fro, accompanied by snakes and minotaurs and gargoyles and phoenixes. Ceri caught sight of a dragon crushing a sofa - this was only for a moment - as a group of scribes hurried past the dragon was gone; in its place a dull looking boy. He winked at Ceri.

They crowded around the centre dome, where a few teleportation circles had been engraved into the bronze. Set at five points were globes of various metals - one of glass containing mercury.

"Where do you wish to go?" asked an apprentice. From his fatigues a mouse peeked out, nose twitching.

"Dokan Academy." Jason muttered, and they all trudged into the circle.

"Ah yes, the Dokan." the apprentice replied absent-mindedly. The mouse crept out and unfolded itself into a small, thin man, as the apprentice struggled with the spell book. Over his shoulder Ceri saw electronic screens hanging in mid-air, showing various parts of the battlefield. In one a company of tanks lay burning - all Black moon, no doubt. In another, tanks were the sideline - the air above them crackling with magical creatures fighting furiously.

Ceri was studying another with Black Moon dropships flying over the city when the circle activated, throwing blue light all over the hall.

"Gotta go!" shouted the apprentice, as a boom outside announced the breaking of the shield. The blue light flashed once, blinding them, and when Ceri opened his eyes they were in the spell workshops of the Academy.

Teachers and prefects stared at them.

"What the hell are you doing here?" demanded one of them, taking in their dirtied stealth suits, backpacks and the vaporizer slung over Yuki's shoulder.

At that moment, a siren pierced the air, thin and drawn out. A few of the teachers looked at each other; one made a sharp sound and a plasma screen appeared in front of him.

"Air raid." He snapped, pursing his lips." Dropships and bombers. Those who can summon follow me - we'll get you readied. The others follow Mr Mcpherry to the bunkers."

In the confusion of voice and suppressed panic, Ceri felt someonw pulling his arm. It was Kyioshi, getting to his feet. The others turned to look at him.

"Hurry up," he said, "It's about time you met the Janus."

Alec's blog extract
I was no longer playing team strategist; no longer in charge of their lives. It is relieving - yet at the same time there is an empty feeling at the bottom of my stomach. I still feel it now hours after the worst has passed, and i think back, on the strategic mistakes and the lives that will be changed forever.

I don't think we are teenagers any longer.

Episode 34

2007-01-31T13:18:00.000+08:00

I am of manufactured birth. Oh yes indeed. My name back then was H24 - whether i was created in vitro or from a human mother i cannot say. At any rate, my cellmates called me H.

The cell group i grew up in consisted of four people F46, A09 and P57. We called each other by the first letter, and as you can imagine pretty ridiculous situations followed. When Malachi (and we were perplexed why he was not called M) taught us Language he made sure all of us got proper names, but since Malachi was a vicious young man the names we had were very unusual, if you take what i mean.

A proper conversation:
Malachi: "Pass the salt please, Asshole."

A09: "The name's A."

Malachi: "It's Asshole til i say it isn't. Right, Horny?"

Me: "I do not get what you mean by that."

Malachi: "Answer the damn question. It's Asshole, isn't it?"

Well you get the idea. P was named after some manner of cat, and F after a very bad verb. i did not find out until much later that Malachi was a pervert, and was teaching future Oragi because he was on trial for rape. In Black Moon, teaching Oragi was a very dangerous job. But more on that later.

My cellmates were my first close friends. A was a bubbly, happy girl one year my junior. P was the more withdrawn one - but he was nice to be around with, too. F, however, was a completely different case.

He was nothing to look at - ghastly pale with charcoal black eyes. But there was no sense of human around him. He always seemed aloof, at ease with himself - never happy nor sad. The closest thing i have seen to emotion in him is hunger. Is hunger an emotion? I once watched him in his bunk killing ants on the wall, a hungry look in his eyes. I almost thought he would eat them, but F just curled and went back to sleep, as if killing ants were ingrained human behaviour.

He was also the quickest to learn amonst the four of us. In martial arts and analytical subjects, i mean. When it came to social interaction - the art of negotiation and discussive cunning, he clammed up. Social Interaction was the only time we got to mingle with other cell groups, and i enjoyed it immensely. He, on the other hand, left for Hapkido or shooting or something else.

At any rate, the most intruiging thing about F was the interest taken in him. Important looking men came to check on our cell every once in awhile, even back when we were still kids. I couldn't fathom why. F looked normal and average - although smart and emotionally empty. I did not realize then he had been genetically tempered.

At the age of nine onwards we were put though the process of 'egging'. They called it such because we were placed in weird, oval contraptions for three hours everyday, in the throes of a powerful magic.

I did not like those sessions. Everytime the helmets were on, voices spoke. These voices were accompanied by the occasional picture and a strange, heavy feeling of knowledge. We learnt - in great detail - how the war started and what part we were to play in it. It also taught us the basics of outside life, the way normal people behaved and how to fit in any society. Sometimes the voices just lectured - telling us to be loyal to our country, to be proud of giving our whole lives to Black Moon service. The eggs were good teachers. We never forgot, and even today i can repeat word for word and visualize everything they said on first aid, herbs and human anatomy.

Then, one day, the voices told us to kill Malachi.

There were no proper values taught to us - other than loyalty to the country and obedience to to superiors. However, strategy lesons once spoke of the value of a comrade's life. As i tried to reason with the voices, they silenced me with magical pain.

"Listen. Malachi is a bad man." they said. If you do not kill him, he will kill you."

I did not believe that. I was filled with hate for the White Sun, but there were no instilled feelings against Malachi. The voices had not mentioned him before.

When he came the following Monday, me, P, and A did nothing. We were scared. F, however, grabbed a pen and drove it through Malachi's heart. We said nothing as Malachi crashed to the floor, convulsing. F returned to his sear and continued with his work, unperturbed with the crimson marks on his shirt and hands. Slightly shaking, we followed suit.

The next egging session was terribly painful. "You did not kill!" The voices screamed, "How are you to fulfill your role to the country?! You useless swine!"

Magical pain is excrusciating. When the time came for the next tutor to go (a traitor named Barrac) I helped send him along to the afterlife. I did not lie it. Neither did A or P. F did not say anything on the subject.

When we reached the age of 13 it came time for us to become Oragi. I still remember the chamber - a world apart form the cool, antiseptic cell walls. It was dark and gloomy and overly theatrical.

We touched the Somnus one by one. It felt more like rock the the metal box it seemed. Then we were deposited in a room.

The voices bore down on us.

"You are all cursed to die." They boomed. "The Somnus requires a sacrifice of blood to be made before you are granted use of your abilities."

It might have been funny in an alternate universe. But it was theatrical, and it worked. We looked at each other, wide-eyed; F looked at the ground, tapping his foot on the lino.

"I give you two choices." The voices spat. "One, you take a syringe from the box in the corner and inject yourself for an agonizing death."

A walked over to the box and took out a syringe, fearful. The liquid contained inside was a distinctive yellow.

"Or, two: you kill one of your friends. It pays your debt."

The voices vanished, leaving us in stunned silence. I, for one, couldn't think. What A did next was noble but ultimately useless. She was a gentle soul - as i said, a bubbly girl. I believe she did not want to hurt anyone. She injected herself.

It is a scary thing to see a friend turn into a monster. A09 screamed and fangs grew in her mouth. Fur sprouted over her hands and legs, and her eyes grew steadily yellow. I drew back in shock.

There was a loud crack as F swung, kicked, and broke her neck. P ran for the door. Without blinking, F grabbed P and got rid of him. I drew back, hands coming up in a karate stance.

F looked at me, his charcoal black eyes burning into mine. It was a look of hunger.

"The sacrifice of blood has been paid." he said, quietly. I noticed his hands were smeared crimson. F placed it on the door, and the door crashed outward. Alarms rang overhead. And without a further look at me, F leapt out of the room and was gone.

I'm Back

2007-01-31T13:09:00.000+08:00

Terribly sorry for the delay (public examinations, so), but i've completed Janus offline, and am finally posting the rest of the first season. I'm fairly certain i've lost almost all my readers - and i guess i'll just have to complete this, my final obligation. It's sad, really, the way real life intrudes. So, very sorry.

Episode 33

2007-01-30T22:50:00.000+08:00

There was a crackle of leaves and colour, and Jason broke out from the undergrowth, hit the ground and ran.

They were after him. Roots curled up on the ground, impending his progress; Jason had to dodge and jump and twist to avoid the growing wood. Darkness was absolute, moonlight streaming through holes overhead.

And then swift movement. a crack.

Jason fell dead to the ground, melting into gold dust as he did so.

A few hundred metres away, the real Jason woke up in a cold sweat. He briefly went over the dream. One of his Images was dead - he was sure of it, and it happened nearby. He snapped his fingers, conjuring up a few more.

"Scout it out." he said.

As they ran towards the forest, Jason turned back to the sleeping team. His mind was churning furiously - they had quite a low chance of escaping, and he had no idea how many Oragi he was up against.

Possibly standard Nobu team. Five.

Jason made up his mind. He walked over to Kyioshi and kicked him.

"Wake up."

The boy who killed the image was indeed part of a team of five. He inhaled the sweet night air quietly as they contemplated this new revelation: an Oragi who created believable Images.

"We're being watched." Evan said. He was a hulking beast of a man, all muscle and teeth.

The boy nodded. "Another image."

"Five." Qari corrected. "One in the undergrowth, four in the trees."

The team reacted quickly. Soon four of the five were burning to death, the other melting away with a bloodied palm-mark on his chest.

The boy's name was Bishop. His name was, of course, irrelevant - if a magister cursed it the spell would have had no effect on him. Physically Bishop was tall and thin and sinewy - his fingers roughened by training but originally like a piano player's. They were his killing tools - and he was proud of them.

There were four others in the Nobu unit - Evans, watchful Qari, Luke and Baldur. Baldur blew at his brown hands, and then wistfully at the trees.

"Which way, Q?"

"Northwest. They're moving towards the city. Escaping."

The team got to their feet as one and ran; Bishop leading the way. He paced himself, knowing fully well Luke should be in the front as unit leader. But every cell in his body screamed for revenge - he had a personal score to settle with one of the hunted Oragi; payment for an unforgiveable act back in their youth.

Hate thrummed in his veins. They sped past what appeared to be an occupied clearing but didn't stop - Luke and Qari not making any signs to scout.

"Hot on their trail." Evan said, not out-of-breath at all. "They can't be that far ahead -"

The trees over and around them burst into activity - Images leapt down from branches and started kicking and punching. Bishop blasted a few to death; Baldur burned anyone that got too near and they were off again.

"They want to study us before we fight." Qari said, panting slightly.

Nobody answered as they broke out of the undergrowth.

There he is! Bishop's mind screamed - he lifted up his hands as faces long forgotten flashed before his eyes ...

Luke pulled his hands down.

"Another time. You'll never hit them at this range."

They stared as the specks vanished behind a slight slope. Ahead was Freeport, collumns of smoke visible in the faint glow of dawn. Booms still echoed, and the trees around them rattled at the force. The Black Moon war machine was busy at the other end of the city.

Luke put his arm comfortingly around Bishop's shoulders. "I don't see why you're taking this so seriously." he said, rumpling Bishop's hair. "They can't escape. We'll get them soon."

Bishop shrugged his way out from Luke's grasp and gritted his teeth. So near to death. He doesn't know it, does he?

Luke's diary extract
I called the planes down. Their academy isn't going to last very long. And Bishop? That boy is acting too personal for my liking. Something's up.

Jason's blog extract

They have a firestarter. But how does the other one kill?

Episode 32

2006-06-16T21:48:00.000+08:00

There was no campfire that night. They sat down with glowsticks, stomachs grumbling as a few out-of-shape chocolate squares were passed around.

Taylor's face was hidden in darkness as he watched Yuki and Alec cuddle. The feelings he had suppressed for the mission's sake were let loose again, circulating his system; burning and burning.

What's so special about him? Taylor asked. He has totally useless social skills, and he can't hold his own against me in any match ...

I'm better looking.

But was he? And did looks count for everything? Alec's golden locks were painted green by the glowsticks, her face crinkled into a smile as she shared the last square with Yuki. And Yuki?

Taylor studied the usually impassioned face, now in one of its rare smiles. He studied the black hair, the wrinkled at the side of those very asian eyes; the fair, gothic face.

He realized the venom pulsing within his veins was jealousy. You have Callie, he told himself.

She's in it for the sexuality.

Taylor tore the chocolate wrapper in his hands, squeezing it into tiny balls. As he did so, the first booms reverberated from afar.

"Freeport's being attacked." Kyioshi said. He had the most chocolate squares and was still munching as he contemplated this. "It'll survive."

Nobody had anything to add to that statement. Alec, however, untangled herself from Yuki with a questioning look on her face.

"What's hidden in the school, Kyioshi?" she asked, green glow playing at her features. Taylor scowled.

"What made you wonder?" Kyioshi replied, leaning back and examining his bandages.

By now everyone was listening intently. Taylor noticed Jason, Milo and Kierra were frowning, but they made no sound.

"Just the fact that eight relatively new members were sent to try to retrieve you guys," Alec replied, "And in the process set off a grand war."

Kyioshi chuckled. "Gillian had to make sure the academy survived any attack launched on it."

Taylor chose to watch Yuki, ears still trained on the conversation. Yki was tapping the ground with a stick.

"Then what was it protecting?" Alec asked again.

Taylor looked away from Yuki in time to se a jolt of understanding passing amongst the four shinobi. Jason had quietly tilted his head down - the smallest of nods, and Kyioshi lowered his head.

"Very well," Kyoshi said. Tell me first: what do you know of Oragi?"

Silence. Then -

"Something to do with being like Magisters?" Jean ventured, "Gillian didn't tell us much."

"Nothing about how people become Oragi?"

"None."

"Hmm," Kyioshi stretched out his limbs, and then winced as one of his bandaged arms came into contact with a root.

"Careful - you don't want to worsen that -"

He waved her off. "A long time ago," Kyioshi started, "Some high ranking magisters discovered a seal, deep in White Sun forest."

Yuki was paying full attention now, and in spite of himself Taylor turned to watch Kyioshi speak.

"They had no idea what it was. It wasn't magic, but it also wasn't something natural. It didn't belong to the forest; didn't fit in. They knew it was man made-"

"How does it look like?"

"What? Oh. You mean the Janus. It's sort of -"

"The what?"

"The Janus. That's what its called. Looks like a box, metallic, except it feels like rock. Not cold at all."

Kyioshi gave an involuntary shudder. Taylor wondered why.

"At any rate," he continued, "They quickly found out it wasn't to be messed with. The first magister that touched it died on the spot. Heart attack. When they finally brought it back to the city the magisters began a through research project, trying to find out exactly what it did."

Like any good storyteller, Kyioshi paused and surveyed the group. Then he looked at the sky. "Nice, clear night, isn't it?"

"Don't change the subject!"

Kyioshi shrugged and ploughed on, "Their discovery was quite by accident. One of the magister's sons, a child who happened to be a Hapkido student, touched the Janus and came away with abilities that far surpassed magisters."

Alec was deeply contemplating this, realization dawning upon her.

"Do you mean to say," she started, slowly, "That the very reason there is a martial arts stream in school is to create O-"

"Oragi. Yes." Kyioshi cut in. "Both magisters and Oragi are supposed to be of equal importance in or war machine, but magisters outnumber us and besides, they control the parliament."

But why martial arts students?" Ceri asked softly.

Kyioshi shrugged. "The Janus only gifts those who is of a certain calibre. Martial arts seems to be one of the easiest tests - early on the magisters experimenting managed to convert an entire school of Kung Fu to Oragi." Kyioshi, paused, coughing, "But not neccessarily so. The second and third Oragi were farmers."

"And how about the Nobu? Where do they get their Oragi?" Jean asked.

"I suppose they found anotehr seal." kyioshi said, yawning. Taylor flicked his eyes around, moving from face to face. To his surprise Yuki had a look of discomfort written all over him and had continued tapping the ground with a stick."

"Time to sleep, i think." said Kyioshi, as further booms and distant explosions echoed in the night air.

Taylor turned away to find a comfy spot. Oragi meant power, didn't it?

Hmm. Doesn't sound bad at all.

Episode 31

2006-06-15T22:46:00.000+08:00

They set up camp by a stream adn took turns to bathe. 'Camp was a loose word - they had almost no food, no sleeping blankets and no tent.

"Just us and the sky, then," Jean said grumpily She made Kyioshi sit down and redid his bandages again. The wounds were starting to heal, although Jean told Kyioshi he'd have scars for the rest of his life.

Ceri was in the second group to bathe in the stream. He didn't talk, but stared out at the fields and frowned. War was going to start - and yet there was some unfinished business he had to complete.

The first, a journey. The second, an apology. Why? he asked the trickle of water. For what? He forced himself to recall, unleashing long-supressed memories.

"You have two choices. Run and hide. Fight and die. Choose."

Two of them were in an alley. Ceri and Sensei's daughter, Tsae. Both were accomplished Judokas and could defend themselves. Unfortunately the street kids they were up against had knives and were on a narcotic high.

It hadn't been on purpose, Ceri wanted to scream later - they were playing with a metal training ball, keeping it in the air by continuously kicking or hitting it. And then Ceri had to send it flying into the shadows of an alley.

There was a loud thunk.

From the darkness emerged a bunch of swaying, knife wielding kids. One was holding the ball and rubbing his head. They all looked extremely ticked off.

"You're an our territory."The leader holding the ball, said simply. His words were slurred.

There was no time to think. A mania rippled through the group, and the boys leapt at them, knives and teeth glinting.

Ceri found himself moving, kicking, punching; breaking arms and necks alike. It was atemi-waza, forbidden in competition, and he got carried away.

He saw the leader retreating into the alley, neck red from a stray kick. Still holding the ball, Ceri thought. Emotions overcame his clear thinking.

With a roar Ceri broke past the main group, flying after the leader. The leader paused and turned, and Ceri pulled a fist back and swung. It hit bone and skin and flesh.

The leader stumbled backwards - blood flowing from is broken nose - and pathetically collapse into a heap.

"CERI!"

He turned, too late. Tsae was surrounded and overwhelmed by the kids. With a scream she fell, and then their knives went up and shined in the sunlight, and plunged down.

Blood blossomed like a dark rose, thorns no one could see pressing deep into Ceri heart.

A dark rose.

Ceri left the stream, thinking hard. He owed Sensei an aplogy, at least. They never talked after that incident, and Tsae's death taught Ceri to never get put himself in such situations ever again.

No love. If he hadn't been so close to Tsae, he would not have hurt so much. Sensei would have forgiven him - but he ahd failed to protect her, and that was an ultimate sin.

So he buried himself in school and forced himself to seem normal; to be sarcastic and fun and to be the boy he was. No love.

Alec's blog extract
If Freeport falls before we reach it, we'd be in big trouble. I'd say we're only half a day away from the city, and if the Black Moon soldiers launch the attack tonight we'd hear it. It wouldn't be nice falling asleep knowing your Mecca is being ripped apart.

Jason's blog extract
We're being tracked. I smell it. But we've started the war, didn't we? It might serve us good, but you don't usually think that, especially when assasins are looking for you.

Episode 30

2006-06-15T21:15:00.000+08:00

The bullet train transporting shells had stopped at an army base near the border. As per the escape plan, the Centauri members had gotten off five miles away from the base by causing a mess up in the train's internal wiring. Kyioshi had thrown up a Darkness, and they slipped into the forest with Chong Fen leading the way.

It was dawn when they heard it - a deep, ominious rumbling that shook the ground and drove fear into their hearts.

"Tanks!" Alec yelled, struggling to be heard over the din, "Over here!"

She got down and crawled over to the steep embankment overlooking a nearby field. It had once been used for planting corn, but was now a battered, pot-marked piece of land. War had passed over it once and ebbed away. It appeared it would do so again.

From their vantage point Ceri saw a plume of dust rising in the east, moving very quickly towards them.

"Alec," yelled Ross. "You do realize we're headed for Freeport?"

"Duh!" Sabriye shouted back, "You need a better brain or something?!"

"Then," Ross ignored her, "You do realize those tanks are also headed for Freeport - they're in White Sun land!"

Nobody spoke for awhile as each of the mulled this over. Ceri realized that this meant war - an irrevocal breach of the treaty

"Ross," Alec said, choosing her words carefully as the rumble of tanks grew louder, "When you accessed the mainframe yesterday, did you see anything connected to the millitary? Any plans at all?"

Ross scrunched up his face, then shook his head. "Just the usual - transport and contigency lines."

"Do you realize what this means?" Jason said, eyes closed.

Ross looked stupid, so Sabriye filled in the blanks for him.

"We sparked off the war! Our bloody little rescue mission broke the treaty clear and through! They were just looking for an excuse to send everything they have over - and we're IT!"

The roar of engines was nearly unbearable now - it drowned out Sabriye's stream of expletives and drew their attention to the oncoming vehicles.

It was the Black Moon's calvary division, no doubt. Hues of green and brown adorned the tanks as they cruised along the field, looking every bit as menacing as the veteran soldiers described.

And then Ceri noticed the magic runes painted on the barrel and sides of the tanks. They provided strength and limited invisibility when activated by a magister, who also allowed the tank to fire mana-enhanced shells.

In the middle of the entire formation was the magister's APC - a sleek black armoured beast that ran completely on magic - sheilds, shell and all. And further back still Ceri saw the glistening chutes of artillery pieces adn anti-air units.

Ross grabbed him and gestured - they had to leave. Nodding, Ceri followed the rest to the depths of the forest - shaken, tired and slightly scared.

The two gargoyles swept back into the magister's APC, materializing in the summoning area within.

"What?" asked one of the magisters, crossed. He had been reading a novel in the cooped up storage area. There were only five magisters per APC, but even then everything was too small for luxury.

"There was a group of twelve youths watching our approach, not far from here." the first gargoyle said.

"Four of them were the rescued prisoners from the Internal massacre." the other added.

"Pursue and kill?" both asked eagerly.

The magister thought for awhile. "No." he said, "Just keep up your recon duty."

As both gargoyles vanished, dissapointed, the magister took up a phone and speed dialed the Nobu assasination division.

And agent picked up after the second ring.

Ceri's blog extract
There it goes. Any thoughts of growing up, marrying and having kids flies straight out the window. Peace? Hah. As i watched the tanks, i wodnered why such a word was ever invented.

Kyioshi's blog extract
About time its started. Gillian was getting almost impatient.

Episode 29

2006-06-11T14:24:00.000+08:00

The boy wasn't to be trifled with. He snarled and pulled out a pair of sais, pointed it at the figure and promptly vanished.

The fog around the figure cleared immediately, giving the commander a clear view of the shadow. It was one of the operatives captured - a boy with brown hair and ragged clothes, and smiling cheekily away.

A flicker of movement and the boy fell, a sai in his chest. The Nobu assasin appeared back beside the commander, panting slightly with blood staining his blades.

"Good job." the commander said, pleased. "The body would have to be iced -"

But the body seemed to have ideas of its own. With a sigh it melted into golden particles and a single gust of wind sent it swirling into the fog.

"Not a real body." said the boy, annoyance clouding his face. "We have an Oragi that can create Images of himself."

As if to confirm that statement, shadows appeared all around them, obscured by the fog. The commander frowned and picked up his phone. "Can we kill them all?"

The boy shook his head. "We have to find the original. Killing images can go on forever. And what is it with this smoke?"

"I -" The commander froze. This is not smoke! he realized, with a shock. Spinning around, he found the van smouldering, but no longer releasing copious amounts of heat. The air feels damp - like steam.

And all of a sudden realization hit him like a tsunami overcoming wave breakers. Snippets of the report flashed through his head -

"Nerve agent -"

"Released through steam -"

"Inhalant only -"

He turned and looked at the chalet - all its windows was spewing steam. When they staked out the area earlier before laying down their trap his men found ever tap in the chalet turned on, sending basins and sinks overflowing.

Shit! The commander's mind screamed. This was a trap! They had predicted the Toskan to stake out their chalet, they had purposely talked near a bird patrol, they had even timed their vaporizer to hit only after their van had been destroyed!

The commander stumbled forward, wanting to watn his men - to tell them to get the hell out of there. but the words couldn't come out. He tripped and fell, the world spinning around him.

The ground felt cool against his cheek. His throat was dry. The commander couldn't feel his arms, his legs - he realized his body couldn't move even if he wanted to. panic was bubbling forward, his eyes darting madly.

From his point-of-view he saw his men fall, one by one. The Nobu boy was still standing, but swaying dizzily. He must have realized what was going on for he vanished - moving faster than the naked eye could catch.

A tree in the commander's peripheral cision shook as the fast-moving boy slammed into it. He was too dizzy to run.

By ow black was eating up his vision. The commander cursed the agents who brought this on them. It was probably his last conscious thought.

He did not see the Image of Jason walking up to him and checking his pulse. He did not see another Image tossing the vaporizer into the van, and then tossing one of the soldier's grenades in after it. He did not hear the explosion.

The images vanished, leaving behind a scene of destruction and death. Steam was still spewing out from the chalet. The van was still smouldering. And several thousand miles away the White Sun operatives were nearing the border in a train.

Alec's blog extract

By now you probably know the entirety of the plan. I was afraid of the unknowns in the escape - if Jason was dead, or any of the other Oragi, the entire thing would collapse around us. You could say we were lucky. I definitely believe so.

But there is one thing haunting me. When i was running through the records to check the background and abilities the four shinobi had, i came across Gillian's profile. He was one of the earliest Oragi ever in the White Sun. Surely he could single-handedly save all four of them. Why send us - inexperienced youngsters still fresh out of school?

What's so important about him staying to protect the academy? Better yet - why is the academy so important?

What is it hiding?

Episode 28

2006-05-31T13:19:00.000+08:00

The Commander was among the first to approach the van. Smoke was still spewing out, as if it were some warped, overturned cauldron.

Nobody dared to touch it. Perhaps it was the bubbling pools of rubber that warned them. At any rate, the van exuded a heat that grew almost unbearable as they moved nearer. A few didn't approach at all, contented to watch the dancing flames.

"That's for killing all my men." The Commander said, softly. No longer did he smile. The charade was over. "Hose the van down and retrieve their bodies. Whatever's left of it."

The Commander turned away, flipping a handphone and auto-dialling.

"How many dead?" He asked, wasting no time for greetings. He listened in grim silence as the man at Internal told him early numbers and projected casualties.

It was a big mess-up, alright, he thought, watching smoke weave grey patterns above the ground. Somebody has to take the blame.

There was smoke ... and perhaps a hint. Of Something Else. The Commander flipped his phone shut, ignoring the report. There was a brief movement ... no, it had to be his tired mind playing tricks on him - even so ...

There was a blur black outline in the smoke.

The Commander squinted; he told himself it was just his imagination, but took out his gun anyway. The outline was still there - of a boy, it seemed. A plume of smoke blocked it from the Commander for an instant, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Then it was back.

Damn. The Commander seemed indecisive for a moment, staring at the outline, frustrated at the night, tired by the ordeal. Emotions were pulling and pushing his battered mind; his worry of the red tape he'd have to deal with, of the court martial he might get -

So the Commander raised the gun, trained the sights and fired. The shot made soldiers turn; the Commander saw the black outline collapse.

"Sir?" asked one of the engineers. "Is everything fine? Would you like us to scout the area?"

"No, no." he admonished. "Its nothing. Absolutely noth -"

Another figure had appeared.

This time soldiers saw it. Everyone froze, staring at the outline. A dumb conscript placed his hand on the smouldering van, yelled and started hopping around in pain. No one paid him any attention.

"Who're you?" the Commander ventured, gripping his gun until his knuckles turned white.

"Well," the shadow called out, " Your men've destroyed the transport, what else do you want?"

The Commander raised the gun again, as did the soldiers.

"Useless - what makes you think i'd be killed?" the voice came floating back.

They opened fire; the outline fell. Another appeared in the smoke.

The Commander suddenly understood. "Oragi," he said, and motioned for a captain to contact the Nobu strike teams.

"I wouldn't do that if i were you." the voice chided.

A slight rustle, a breeze. With a cry, the captain fell convulsing to the ground.

The Commander's face showed fear as he stepped away from the fallen man. His gun was shaking in his hand but he kept his voice firm.

"Alright. Who're you? We're an army here - you can't play this charade for long -"

"Who says we have to?" The voice cut him short. "You destroyed our van, now you're telling us we can't play with you, have a little fun -"

"Have all the fun you want." The Commander said. His fear vanished, and all the men knew it was just another facade. From behind his back he took out his mobile phone and waved it for the shadow to see. He dropped it.

Even before the gadget hit the ground a boy in a skin tight suit had appeared in front of the Commander. Nobu division assasin - an Oragi.

"A ploy," said the voice, bemused. "And now you've brought a proper fighter. Leveling out the playing field, are we?"

The Commander smirked. "The rest of his team are on the way. Have all the fun you want."

Episode 27

2006-05-29T14:58:00.000+08:00

A van stopped outside the chalet. All the Toskan men stepped out of the shadows, aimed, fired.

Little silver holes appeared in the paint of the van, ricocheting off the ground, sinking into reinforced tires, slamming into the bulletproof glass. By the time they stopped firing it looked more like a leapard than a vehicle.

The Commander raised a loudspeaker.

"Congratulations," he started. "Bravo, bravo."

Silence as the men reloaded and blocked off every possible escape route.

"You outsmarted all of us in that rescue of yours. Very admirable of you to come up with sucha dashing plan."

The men aimed their semi-automatics at the van again.

"But," he continued, "Stupid of you, really. You forgot all about the equipment we have."

The men opened fire, this time tearing sizable chunks of metal out from the vehicle's frame.

Silence. The commander scrutinized the tinted windows.

"Go on," he said. Two Toskan men came out from behind him, priming a rocket launcher. They aimed, they fired. The missile zipped under the vehicle and tore the wheels apart, sending it crashing onto its side.

The Commander waited for the smoke to clear.

"You're not going to survive if you go on like this." he said. "I'm willing to let you all live, if you come out now."

No reply. The van lay dejectedly in its side, two wheels gone and one pathetically spinning, oozing melted rubber.

"We still have three of these slugs." he said, with the air of someone enjoying coffee, "One of which is armour piercing."

The rest of the men had reloaded and were aiming their semiautomatics at the windows.

"I'm a reasonable man." he said. "If you don't force us to waste so much time and ammo we'll not maim you."

He took out a cigar and lit it, put it in his mouth and blew a smoke ring.

"Oh, and those windows can only last a limited amount of impact."

The blasts of the semiautos turned the windows into cracked black panes. Something inside the van shifted.

"Ready to come out?" he smiled.

Whoever it was shifted again, but no door opened. The Commander snapped his fingers and produced a small remote control.

"I'll humour you. Why ever can't you escape?"

He pressed something. A nearby amplifier crackled to life, playing from a pocket PC. It was a girl's voice:

"Concrete structure," - a slight pause - "At least its next to a decently high building. We can make our escape through that."

"You can't be serious." - It was a boy's voice.

"Oh, but i am. It'll be a lot safer than trying to get out through Internal."

A long, pregnant pause. The amp emitted sounds of a distant crowd and the spray of water. It sounded happy - a world away.

"We have to go now." The boy said.

"What?"

"Chong Fen and Jean's back from City Hall, and there's a Toskan van coming up."

A short pause here. Then -

"Yes, female voice said, "Let's."

The Commander tapped the control and the amp clicked off. "Sound familiar?" he asked, beaming. "Scout pigeons all around, no small wonder we thought you were amateurs."

He blew another smoke ring, and then pressed on. "Another thing that confused us. The actual plan at Internal was good - our scouts could not confirm anyhing on ground level. Until, of course, we called in a magister - found out immediately all the guards within were down." He looked almost annoyed at this.

The Commander tossed the cigar down and crushed it with his boot. "Enough chat. I'll probably find out someway or another. Come now - I've told you why you can't escape, that we'll not maim you, and you're wasting our time. Five seconds."

The men all raised their guns.

"Four."

The two Toskan soldiers behind him inserted another projectile into the launcher.

"Three - "

A click. The Commander smiled. Van doors slid open, revealing a solitary hand enveloped in darkness. The van was still on its side and the hand was the only thing they could see.

"Too late." he said, "Kill them."

Gunshots errupted all around and the projectile sliced the air in a beautiful arc, sinking under the armour of the van. Perhaps it was worthless - a couple of soldiers had already tossed in grenades through the open door.

A flash of light, a concussive roar. Bits of metal, glass and melted tire flew.

Smoke shrouded the entire clearing.

Episode 26

2006-05-27T18:24:00.000+08:00

The trip back was still tense, although the stress was lessened somewhat. Jean had taken out her med kit and was treating Kyioshi's wounds as best she could.

"What did they do to him?" she asked.

Jason shrugged tiredly.

"Whipped him, punched him, electrocuted him, gave him a soothing potion, did it all over again, fed him soap - the works."

Jean shook her head and took out another syringe. Chong Fen shot her a curious look over his shoulders but had to keep his eye on the road.

Yuki and Alec were side by side, Alec asking for details on the Toskan unit. Yuki smiled and tentatively put his arm around her.

"Nice hair ..." Ceri could hear him mutter. Kierra and Milo were sleeping, leaving only Jason to watch over Kyioshi. Sabriye was sitting next to Ceri, but only because Taylor had taken up the seat next to Alec, and was pointedly ignoring everyone by staring out the windows.

"Your friend Ross," Sabriye said, folding her arms. "Is really annoying. How'd you put up with him?"

"Why do i have to answer that?" Ceri asked, face blank.

"Because," Sabriye said, "a few hours ago i found out why he isn't that useless."

Ceri looked at her, brows slightly raised in surprise. Then he turned back to the front, face in neutral.

Sabriye was watching both Yuki and Alec, and how one had an arm around the other.

They seem so close, so fast, she thought. How long before i get this unfeeling idiot to get involved in something?

Sighing, she leant agaisnt him. No reaction. The van rumbled on, moving away from the city and towards an uncertain future. Stars were twinkling by then; a couple of bats flying overhead. Sabriye pulled away, and empty, echoing feeling at the pit of her stomach.

Like a snake, his hand reached and found hers. This time there was no reaction from either of them, only perhaps the slight beginnings of a smile on his lips. The van rumbled on.

Ceri's blog extract
Ah.

Dispatch
Got them cornered.

Episode 25

2006-04-29T14:33:00.000+08:00

A sleep agent works in a building.
In the case of an outside battle, how
can we put it to good use? Jean?

Ross, Ceri, Taylor and the four met up on the fourth floor, one mentioned by Alec as of 'particular interest'. It was administrative, and they planned to slide down the main elevator shaft to enter the garage.

"Everyone okay?" Ross asked, worry in his voice.

Taylor jerked a finger in Kyioshi's direction, and Ross sucked in a breath at the sight of his bloodied shirt.

"We have to start the escape now -"

An engine rumble cut him off. As one, they turned towards the windows and saw, horrified, what had arrived.

Four Toskan vans. Eight men each, four units. As they watched, the units were split up into two groups, one towards Internal, the other towards Alcott. It all seemed, Ceri thought later, well planned and rehearsed.

Taylor took one look and gulped. Then he dug his hand into a stealth suit pocket, pulling out a crumpled envelope. He opened it and out rolled four syringes, along with Alec's plan B instructions.

He read it in complete silence. When he spoke, fear crackled in his voice.

"Quick! Four of you! Inject this!"

"What's going on?" Ross said, confused.

In answer, Taylor took Ross's grappling unit and primed it at Alcott.

*
AP600 is useless in open spaces.
However, plan B takes an outside
attack into account. Jean tells me mixing
the AP600 with a hallucinogen makes it
more effective. How so?
It turns it into a nerve agent.

Yuki took only a second to understand the instructions. He looked over the scene. Two units had entered Internal, and Yuki could see them spreading out, scouting and double checking rooms.

The zip line crashed out of the administrative floor, cutting air and attaching itself to Alcott's top floor.

Immediately Toskan soldiers pointed and yelled; gunshots were fired. Yuki saw the searching units in Internal make a beeline for the elevator after receiving intel about what was happening outside.

Yuki took out the detonator from the instructions packet. He flipped the plastic cover and squeezed the trigger. It's not my fault, he told himself, its for the mission.

The resulting explosion blew the fire hydrant ten feet into the air, letting loose a geyser of water. Unknown to the Toskan men a small vial just underneath the hydrant cap had cracked, and the nerve agent was freely mixing with the liquid. The geyser rained down on the soldiers, making them spin around in surprise.

I'm sorry, Yuki said to the cool night air. He aimed the vaporizer and fired. Then he looked away.

The steam that engulfed the alley provided them with enough cover to slide across to Alcott. Ceri was the last one, and he cut the electronic bug off the Alcott wall, sending the zip line flaying uselessly down.

As he turned back he tried to push out the thought that the steam all over had killed the Toskan units on the streets. Ceri hurried down the stairs, and straight into Ross.

"What the - "

"Shush!" Taylor said. Jean rushed up the stairs, holding a timer.

"I'm going to blow up a hole to the vaults below Internal. Once we're in don't make any sounds. They have a security system down there that we can only dream of breaking.""

"Blow?" Ross asked. "How -?"

"A tub of plastic explosives, painted and supported by directional charges. Don't worry." She punched Ross lightly, "Strong enough to shake the foundations of the entire neighbourhood."

The timer she held clicked down to the last three seconds. Ceri looked for something to hold on to.

The Toskan team leader had rushed out, over to Alcott. Things were happening too fast, and they were running in circles. His unit stopped for a split second at the sight of so many dead soldiers, but training took over and they barged into the departmental store.

Smoke and debris curled out to meet them, forcing the entire team to drop to their knees and start crawling. So this was what they blew up, the team leader thought.

He came to a hole in the ground, the cement still warm to the touch. Below was the glow of a few flickering lights. Gesturing, he divided the unit to two, and dropped through the hole.

A clean white corridor met him. On the floor, leading away from him was a messy trail of black footsteps.

They followed. Corridor let to corridor and the team leader gripped the gun as close as he could. Too tense. Would they catch them? They were smart, but perhaps they had made a miscalculation?

He turned to find the elevator prised open, insides exposed like a dissected frog. Two secret doors that were meant to hide the vault entrance had been forced open by someone very strong. And there was - a hole? The team leader frowned.

He climbed up and scrambled through, the rest of the unit following close behind. It was a garage, completely empty and with the moon shining in from an open entrance.

Outside, another explosion. He later learnt a tape had gone off in Alcott, destroying all video evidence of the escape. A further two men had died.

Episode 24

2006-04-17T22:19:00.000+08:00

30 minutes earlier

Alec leant back in her chair as the team got ready to leave. They were ten minutes away from a tube, and the train was set to go in fifteen minutes time, giving them a five minute buffer period.

Yuki strapped the bag containing the vaporizer and looked at her.

"You okay?"

Alec nodded numbly, thinking over the many ways her plan could go wrong. She wasn't worried about the rescue - that had been prepared for, in as great detail as the limited time frame allowed. It was the escape that worried her, since it had been thrown together in a really slapdash manner. She stared at the train maps all over the table in front of her.

If anyone died ...

Alec broke away from her reverie to find Yuki placing an arm around her.

"It'll be okay."

She was eleven all over again. War was in full force, and the Vladosha household was in an equal mess. An older cousin, Dmitri, had been killed recently, and the womenfolk were all in emotional dissaray about the funeral plans. Those that were not crying were wringing their hands, and those that were not wringing their hands were crying.

The men ignored them completely and were writing up war plans.

"38 degrees to the south!" Father said. He was an imposing man, more keen to grab hold of the situation and act than sit by and think. Which, most unfortunately, was how Alec and Granpa handled strategy.

"Magisters attack from the west." said Uncle Sullivan, ignoring the renewed wails of Mother and company.

"Summoning circles are on the east, dammit! If we more them there'd be a higher chance of death!" Father bellowed, "The Guild is already breathing down our necks with their -" Alec was treated to a feast of new swear words, "- political agendas!"

"Shush." said Granpa, idely taking a frying pan from Aunt Mant, for she waved it in the air dangerously as she cried. "Our army can hold them off long enough while the magisters summon. And while the pentacles on the east are more vunerable, the oragi division can take care of oncoming threats."

"Oragi division? There's only 3 of them, and one's a kid!"

"I believe," Granpa said quietly, "in those seals."

At that moment, a cacophony of clashing utensils, wailing and tossed vegetables brought the discussion to a halt.

As Father bellowed at them to get out Granpa whispered in Alec's ear.

"Deaths are a normal part of every war." he said, eyes blinking sadly. "But thinking too much of death will kill you."

"Cousin Dmitri is - was -"

"A good young man. You just stick it out in times like this. Think no death. Just life.

5 minutes earlier

"We've gotta go." Chong Fen said, "Our part's coming up soon."

Alec stared at the three vials laid before her, beside the com kit. She thought back to Granpa's words.

"Sticking it out, huh?"

Chong Fen shot her a quizzical stare. Alec got up, her mind made.

"Help me turn on the taps. Everywhere."

Toskan Transmission
Moving out on blanket operation, Internal. Suspects will be apprehended within half an hour. Nobu units on backup.

Transmission end.

Episode 23

2006-04-13T22:29:00.000+08:00

Phase 1 is just saving
the shinobi. Protect yourself,
protect your partner.

The bomb blew upwards, tearing apart the shaft.

Ross opened his eyes. First one, then the other. No alarm. The sensor strip was untouched.

"Get in there!" Sabrite hissed, poking him.

Ross clambered through the shaft and turned a corner. There, amid much smoke, was a charred, gaping hole and some remains of a screwdriver.

Ross scrambled down.

"Never again, never, will i climb up behind you. You are the most insolent -"

"Good thing i brought the scredriver." Ross cut in, fingers already flying over the keyboard.

"Good thing i saw it in your butt. Dumb stealth suit pockets."

"Shut up and do your part." Ross snapped, finally cracking. "Kyioshi is still up there, in a cell!"

Silence but the tapping of keys. Ross effectively put the entire security system to sleep. Then he realized Sabriye hadn't left.

They stared at each other, through their masks.

"You're not that lazy, are you?"

Ross frowned. "You don't hate Ceri that much," he shot back, "Do you?"

Sabriye was silent. Ross couldn't see her face, underneath the helmet.

"You're not that worthless a person after all," she said, at last. "And that's me passing judgement."

She turned and made for the hallways.

Ross moved back to the screen, relayed a message to Alec, and wondered just what the hell did Ceri see in Sabriye.

The pigeons had passed by for the third time. Ceri grabbed the rope nervously and chacked his mana reserves. The display on his arm showed five percent left. The batteries were not going to last.

"Cameras down." Alec said, in his earpiece. With hidden relief, both boys bounced over to the window, Taylor getting in first.

The guards were still dead to the world. Ceri headed for the cells, Taylor checking each and every one of the guards on the floor.

The four shinobi had suffered the same fate as the guards outside. They had neither the filters nor the anti-agent that the eight had. Kyioshi was in rags, almost naked and bleeding all over. Ceri averted his eyes, taking out four syringes.

"Wow." said Taylor, coming over and looking at Kyioshi.

"We need clothes."

They spent the next few minutes stripping down one of the the guards and putting the clothes on Kyioshi. Ceri cleaned the wounds as best he could, using the guard's handkerchief. Not clean enough. Blood still seeped into the uniform.

Ceri injected the anti-agent as Taylor tended to the rest. Kyioshi stirred.

"W-wha?" he said, eyes squinting.

"Shut up." Ceri said, propping Kyioshi's arm over his shoulder. "You need a medic. Fast."

The other shinobis were waking up as the anti-agent started to combat the sleep. Of the three, Milo took in the broken cell doors, the fallen guards and the stealth suits.

"Centauri." he said, a little relieved.

"They made Kyioshi t-tell tehm -" Kierra started.

"Never mind that, we need to leave -"

"- where t-the academy is located."

Taylor and Ceri exchanged dark looks, and Kyioshi shifted a little on Ceri's shoulder.

"We have to go." Ceri said firmly.

Three seconds.

The explosion rocked the walls, sending Sabriye spinning like a top. She stabled herself and then slid down the grappling rope.

A hole had been punched out at the bottom of the elevator shaft. Alec calculated correctly the thickness of the walls, and it had been easy to drill the explosives in. Sabiye loosened the warm concrete and crawled through.

The room beyond wasn't very large, but it contained one very important thing - the black armoured van.

Whistling, Sabirye walked over to the entrance and hit the controls, raising the garage doors.

"Hello," she said, "On time as usual."

Chong Fen nodded and entered.

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