Chapter 15: War Games

It soon became apparent to both the Conjurer and I that neither side was gaining a foothold in the skirmishes. We’d set up bases in the outer territories, then retreat. He’d win some victories into our territory, then I would do the same in his. A constant game of cat-and-mouse, chasing each other from star to star with no end in sight. It seemed that neither of us wished to risk the lives of our men in a full-frontal confrontation. However, despite the stalemate, I soon realized that the Mystics were at a distinct military disadvantage as far as manpower went. It’s true that all Lurranna fighters were far superior to the average Elemental, but we simply lacked the numbers which we once commanded. Even with our newly refurbished weapons and supplies provided by the Desolate One, it soon became clear to all under my command that we were fighting a never-ending battle, and our numbers dwindled daily. Keeping this in mind, I soon foresaw our end to be close at hand should the battles continue. Naturally, I called upon the Desolate One to come to our aid, but he simply replied with a warning. ‘Don’t disappoint me’.

The hunter was getting close. His quarry was not far ahead. Captain Humphrey had always been an elusive devil, but now his time was up. This was not the first time that the hunter had been hot on Humphrey’s trail. There had been many times in the past when the hunter had been required to track Humphrey to whatever hole he was hiding in and send him back to the pit where he belonged.

Of course, this one wouldn’t have to keep tracking Humphrey down if those ones would just stop whining about morals and rules and just let this one kill him!

The endless hypocrisies of civilized society dictated order, but lacked any spine to enforce said order under the pretense of so-called ‘ethics’. Yet again, another reason why the hunter preferred solitude to socializing. Unfortunately, the bounty required that Captain Humphrey be brought in alive for questioning. However, that did not mean that all his limbs had to be intact when the hunter finally dug his claws into the squealing wretch’s flesh.

The hunter stopped mid-stride to survey the land. He was on all fours like a proper beast. Only when he confronted his enemy would he deign to rise on two legs. With his staff strapped tightly to his back, and his brown cloak blowing in the cold night air, the hunter made for quite a stunning figure. As well he should; it was not every day that these measly humans could see a fully grown Werewolf in all his primal glory, or at least they would see him if he allowed them to.

Sniff! Sniff! Sniff! With his nose pressed firmly to the ground, the hunter checked again to make sure that it was the scent of the Space Pirate. True, the hunter rarely made mistakes in these endeavors, but experience had taught him to be cautious.

Judging from the freshness of the scent, Humphrey cannot be more than a few hours ahead of me.

After getting a tip from Charlie the Rat, the hunter was able to ascertain who Humphrey was targeting. The rat couldn’t remember a name, but he described the person as a young Elemental in training at the Ministry of Fire. Apparently, this student was taking the Second Level Placement Exams, which led the hunter to the ancient training arenas of the Sacred Moon of Galsin - a place considered holy, even by the hunter’s own people.

The hunter’s ears perked up as he confirmed that it was indeed Humphrey’s scent. Sprinting on all fours, the hunter dashed away into the night as fast as an arrow. The landscape of Galsin had not changed since the last time the hunter had visited. It was still desolate and barren of all vegetation. And yet, it still held some beauty in the hunter’s eyes ... a surreal and mysterious beauty. The glowing symbols on the ground painted the world in an unearthly light. Hues of a soft white glow danced across the night skies revealing a deep spiritual awakening within the moon. Although most of his attention was diverted to the chase, the hunter did feel the slightest tingle of satisfaction from watching the lights dance out of the corner of his eye.

This one will have to tread carefully lest he disturb the ancient spirits that slumber beneath these rocks. Humphrey’s filth must be cleansed from this holy place, and quickly.

The hunter suddenly stopped as he came to a massive ravine. At the edge of the cliff, the hunter saw an enormous, circular crater with hundreds of spherical forcefields huddled around a towering, metal spire that rose into the clouds. Each forcefield was connected to one another, forming a kind of jigsaw puzzle or labyrinth. Using his keen senses, the hunter could hear the sounds of struggle in the giant pit that he recognized as the Fourth Training Field. Fortunately, there were no death cries intermixed in the battles below. These were the war games with no causalities. The hunter remembered. He too had fought in the war games. But that was a long time ago ... that was another life. Unfortunately, the scent of the Space Pirate led directly below, into the heart of the war games. The hunter began to sense that something was amiss.

What is that one playing at? What is Humphrey’s game?

Seeing no other alternative - and regretting the fact that he would most likely be seen by some nosy Elemental brats - the hunter dived headfirst towards his prey. Using his claws to slide down the stone walls, he made his descent into the giant pit and towards the Spire.

Ryan’s teeth chattered as he battled against the snow and the cold with all his might. The wind howled and bellowed, nearly knocking him off his feet a few times. The snow was piled high, at least three feet deep. Ryan trudged through the icy expanse with a slow and fatigued step. With each passing moment, the wind and the ice pelted his body like needles. Ryan felt that each step could be his last as the snowbank climbed ever higher until it was literally up to his neck. He had ironically always felt a certain fascination with snow ... now he would have given anything to be in swimming trunks while sunbathing in some tropical paradise.

Forcing his way through the blizzard, and struggling to keep himself aloft the snow, his eyes froze shut, his snot solidified over his mouth. Ryan could only imagine what his companion made of him at the moment. If not for the guidance of Torsha’s warm, furry paw on his hand, he doubted if he would have the strength to go on for so long.

“How much longer do you think it will last?!” yelled Ryan over the whistling roar of the wind, hoping Torsha would respond.

“What?” yelled the wolf girl back.

Ryan could barely hear her; the wind was so loud. “I said, ‘how much longer do you think it will last’?”

“WHAT?!”

Drawing in a deep breath, Ryan screamed with all his might, “I said, ‘HOW MUCH LONGER DO YOU THINK THE BLASTED BLIZZARD WILL LAST’?!”

Suddenly, Torsha responded in a calm voice that was not muffled by the wind. “You don’t have to yell, ya know.”

For some reason, Ryan felt a tingling sensation go up his limbs. It was only after a few seconds of speculation that he realized that the sensation was heat. Somehow, the ice on his face had melted and he could open his eyes for the first time in what seemed like days.

Blinking in the light for a few minutes, Ryan saw an environment very different from the one he had just been accustomed to. Instead of an endless expanse of whiteness, a vast desert appeared before him complete with cacti, sand dunes, and ... well ... sand, of course. Ryan’s mouth opened in awe as he looked behind him and perceived a shimmering portal like a tear in reality where beyond was the snowy expanse from which he had just exited.

“Okay! Now I’m sure they’re trying to kill us! First a swamp, then a mountain, and then another swamp. And if that’s not bad enough, I’m pretty sure I picked up pneumonia after our trudge through winter-blunder-land. How long did that death hike take anyway: hours, days, years even?”

Now Torsha actually smiled a little for the first time in forever. “Try thirty minutes, you big baby.”

Ryan cleared his throat in a very embarrassed ‘ahem’ before saying, “Well, I still think I got frostbite.” Falling to the sandy ground, Ryan began to remove his boots, but then thought better of it. “Oh, my God. I can’t look. Alright, I know I’m asking a lot, but can you please feel my toes and tell me if I’m missing any?”

Torsha’s face scrunched up in a disgusted frown. “As fun as touching your nasty toes sounds, I don’t think we’ll have time for a foot massage, rookie.”

Torsha’s voice sounded tense which alerted Ryan to the incoming danger. As he sprang to his feet, he observed a group of Firsts wearing red glowing armbands.

Seizing upon the moment, Ryan slowly nodded his head while smiling wickedly before saying in a low voice, “So the war has begun.”

Torsha glanced at Ryan slightly confused. “I’m pretty sure the games started a while ago.”

Ryan, distraught that his punchline had been so successfully thwarted, sighed and said, “I ... I know that. I just ... I wanted to sound cool. Say something Grafael would say, you know?”

Torsha gave a slight snorting laugh.

Ryan scoffed at her in mock frustration. “Stop laughing. This is serious. We’re about to fight some people.”

“I know! I know! It’s just hard to take anything seriously with you around.” Torsha was smiling now.

This only encouraged Ryan even further. Despite the imminent threat that was approaching them, he wasn’t feeling that scared about it for some reason. “I think you’re starting to like me again.”

“Shut up! I need to get in the right frame of mind. Serious Torsha. Serious wolf girl.” She slapped her cheeks a little as if to wake herself up. Although her tone was more urgent, she still sounded somewhat halfhearted.

As Ryan watched his assailants, an unavoidable fact became prominent. “You know, they’re taking a really long time to get here. I mean, seriously, we could sit down, have a snack and a conversation about the weather, and still get up to fight them in time.”

Torsha had to stifle another giggle. “Stop being funny! I need to get into the right mindset here!

“Maybe they just don’t have good cardio? I’ve noticed that if you spend too much time using the elements to do all your fighting, you wind up getting pretty lazy. I suppose that’s understandable though. If I had telekinesis, I literally wouldn’t move for the rest of my life. I’d just make food fly into my mouth when I got hungry.”

Torsha stifled another giggle before nodding to herself. “They are taking a long time to get here. But I think it’s because they’re being cautious. They probably think this is an ambush of some kind, that you’re trying to draw them in while your teammates wait in hiding.”

“They shouldn’t bother. Our team hates us.”

“Hates you,” corrected Torsha. “Slightly dislikes me for being associated with you.”

“Ouch.”

The other team had finally gotten close enough that Ryan could hear their conversation. They were debating the likelihood of the situation being a trap. There were about ten of them, a small scouting party by the looks of things. Despite the fact that he and Torsha were outnumbered five to one, Ryan wasn’t even the slightest bit afraid. Maybe it was partially because he knew that this battle would not be life-threatening. Besides, he had taken on a lot scarier things than teenagers with a few magic tricks.

Finally, the ten Firsts stopped some twenty paces away and started staring down Ryan and Torsha. Ryan noticed that several of the group kept watchful eyes on the rear, left, and right flanks.

After a few moments of silent staring, one of the opponents spoke up. “So, where’s the rest of your squad?”

“You’re looking at it,” replied Ryan calmly.

“And you’re joshing me,” said the speaker skeptically.

He had a slight British accent that made Ryan think of Tork. However, Ryan granted that Tork’s way of speaking was more refined and less rude. As for the Elemental himself, he seemed to be an acne-covered adolescent, maybe 16 to 18 judging by his height. He was as skinny as a toothpick with an Adam’s apple the size of a small orange. He was leaning forward slightly, giving him a kind of vulture look. Along with his long and curved nose, Ryan had to say that the kid did not seem to make for the most dashing figure. However, he was the only one of the group who seemed to have the nerve to talk to Ryan directly; all the other ones seemed too nervous to even look at him, let alone attack.

“No, really. We’re all alone. Apparently, they didn’t like us too much, so we’re all you have to deal with.”

“You wanker. You can’t honestly expect me to believe that.”

Ryan smiled apologetically. “Honestly. It’s just the two of us. Believe it or not, we ain’t very popular.”

“Well, that’s not exactly true,” stated Torsha while pointing at Ryan. “He’s not very popular. I just got the bad luck of being paired with him.”

“Traitor,” whispered Ryan.

“Are you bloody joking wi’ me?” asked the youth in disbelief.

“Nope. She really is a traitor.”

“Do you think I’m a bloomin’ idiot?” continued the Elemental, his voice growing slightly louder.

“I did not say that.” Though I might think it.

“Oh, I get it. Let’s make baseless assumptions about the dorky-lookin’ kid who talks funny. He’s probably not too bright, so he won’t see it coming. Yeah, he’s got a funny nose, and he’s got a lot of pimples. I bet he has low self-esteem issues too since a lot ‘o kids questioned his masculinity in middle school.”

The young Elemental spoke in a high-pitched mocking voice that wasn’t even close to what Ryan sounded like - in Ryan’s personal opinion.

Trying to contain his laughter with all his might, Ryan spoke calmly. “Okay, now you’re just putting words in my mouth. I mean, come on, man, I have scales instead of skin. Do you really think that a guy like me would care about zits?”

“That,” started the youth as he held up a finger before pausing briefly. “Is a very good point. But that still doesn’t mean you ain’t lying about the other business.”

“You are a very paranoid person, aren’t you?”

“That is beside the point,” replied the youth, somehow finding a way to agree with Ryan’s insult.

Honestly, it’s difficult to dislike a guy who bashes on himself.

Ryan sighed while thinking of a way to prove his innocence. “Alright, alright. Watch this.” Ryan turned around, put a hand to his mouth, and called out in a loud voice, “Hey, guys! They figured out it’s an ambush, so you can come out now! The jig is up!”

As Ryan turned back around, he saw the ten young Elementals in such a panic that they started bumping into each other, looking for an assault to come their way from all directions. One kid actually ran in the opposite direction.

As Ryan watched the bumbling Firsts, his mouth opened slightly in disbelief. He leaned over to Torsha and whispered very quietly, “Wow. I mean just ... wow. This is sad. This is very sad.”

“I know. You don’t use breath mints,” replied Torsha in a completely serious tone.

“What? No! I mean, how did these guys even make it this far?”

“You shouldn’t judge. You’re here too after all.”

Ryan turned to fully face the Werewolf, putting his hands to his hips. “I’m sensing a lot of condensation from you recently.”

“You mean condescension?”

“Yes! Dang it!”

Ryan turned back to the hapless Firsts and spread his arms out amicably. “Hey, guys, I was just kidding. There really isn’t an ambush.” Ryan looked over the heads of the others to see the one who had started running away was panting now with his hands on his knees. He was a large boy, so Ryan felt a little sorry for him when he started running. “Hey, you. It’s okay, you can come back now. You don’t have to run away. Honestly, running would probably be worse for you right now than if you guys really were under attack.”

The speaker of the group took a step forward, and said accusingly, “So you two really are alone out here?”

“Not by choice,” said Ryan depressingly.

“Then you’re really not lying about there not being an ambush?”

“No!” screamed Ryan, getting annoyed.

He snapped and pointed at Ryan’s face. “Aha! So there is an ambush!”

“What! No! You just ... phrased that weirdly.” Ryan pinched the end of his nose in frustration and wondered if this was what it was like for Éclair to talk to him. “Seriously. There is no ambush. I mean, who would even take the trouble to ambush you guys?”

“He’s got a point,” said one of the other young Elementals.

“Shut it! I’m not done interrogating him yet!” cried the self-appointed leader in a shrill voice before turning back to Ryan. “Okay, then. If you really are here alone, then you probably got some backup on the way, and you’re just trying to stall us until they get here.”

“A Werewolf and an Earth-Dragon hybrid who both also happen to have elemental superpowers. Hmm. Do you really think we need backup against you guys?”

“I ... you...” stuttered the First before regaining his composure. “Alright, fair point. But that still doesn’t explain why’d they send you lot here alone. Do you have special armaments or something?”

“No,” said Ryan in a deadpan voice.

“Were you given a special mission, like capturing the enemy leaders?”

“Nope.”

“Did you get lost from the rest of your unit?”

“Nah-uh.”

The youth contemplated for a few moments before snapping his fingers and shouting, “Oh! I’ve got it! You two have some kind of special ability to clone yourselves! So you can become your own army and take the Spire!”

“No,” replied Ryan automatically before thinking about the statement. “Wait, what? That doesn’t even make any sense. I’ve never heard of Elementals doing stuff like that.” However, despite the absurdity of the statement, as Ryan thought about it, the more he came to admire the theory. “But that would be totally cool if we could clone ourselves.”

“I know, right? One of me could be doing me studies, one could be doing work for some coin, and the real me can be sitting at home bumming out in front of the holonet. No one will bother me because no one will know that I’m not really there since the clone will be doing all the things I’m supposed to be doing.”

“It’s laziness combined with deception. It’s even better than telekinesis!” Then Ryan paused as he considered some disturbing ramifications to this theory. “Although, I gotta admit, I’m the jealous type, so if I made an exact clone of myself, he’d probably try to replace me on, like, the first day.”

The youth nodded. “That’s really deep. What would make it even more confusing is if you couldn’t figure out which one of you was the clone, and which one was the original, ‘cause you’d have the same memories. The moral dilemma being which of you truly deserves to exist, or if either of you should exist at all.”

“Whoa,” Ryan said in response. A few of the other young Elementals said ‘whoa’ along with him. “Bro, you just blew my mind.”

“Okay,” interjected Torsha uncomfortably. “This has been a fascinating binge into hysteria. But we really need to clarify some things.” Torsha gestured to the ten young Elementals. “You guys aren’t going to attack us, are you?”

“Heck, no. They call us the Reject Squad for a reason. We only got in because of our high scores in tactics. That and our new software designs meant that the Ogre mechanic owed us a favor. Nice bloke, but dealing with him is a hassle. Flatulence like a skunk drowning in fecal matter.”

Ryan couldn’t help but like the guy a little, even if he was dissing Thisy ... though it was true that Thisimius did exude a most displeasing odor. Ryan soon found himself nodding, and saying, “I feel you, man.”

“What? You’ve drowned in fecal matter before?”

“I meant...” Ryan had to take in a deep breath to keep from laughing. “That I know what it’s like to be a reject. So one reject to another, good luck.”

“Aye. Thanks, mate,” said the youth, smiling what seemed to be a genuine smile. The leader turned back to his troops. “Alright. When we get back to the main force, we need to come up with an excuse for returning empty-handed. So who’s got some ideas?”

Excitement broke out as all the Elemental nerds spoke up at once like a bunch of kindergarteners.

“We could lie down somewhere and pretend to be dead,” answered one.

“For a week! I don’t think I could stay in character that long,” exclaimed another.

“We could hack the system and give ourselves perfect scores,” said one that was even skinnier than the leader.

“You do realize the proctors in the main control room are watching us right now?”

“I guess that means we have to eliminate everyone in the control room,” said one with a gasp.

“We can’t even eliminate these guys,” scoffed another while waving at Ryan and Torsha.

“Oh! Oh! Oh! I know!” said one shorter kid, raising his hand like he was answering a question in class. “We could go around beating each other up so that we’ll look injured!”

“That sounds violent!”

“I’m going to pass out now,” said the large kid calmly before faceplanting into the sand. Ryan guessed that this was a common occurrence since no one seemed to mind too much as they continued brainstorming.

While the Reject Squad was in the midst of their discussion, Ryan leaned over to Torsha and whispered, “We should go.”

Torsha, with a look of shock on her face, nodded and said, “Agreed.”

And so, Ryan and Torsha set out into the desert, leaving behind probably the closest thing to kindred spirits that Ryan would ever find in the Ministry of Fire.

“Éclair! On your left!” called Leon shortly before dispatching another enemy with a quick thrust of his sword.

Before his blade made contact, an energy field enveloped his opponent, preventing Leon’s twin swords from making serious injury. Although the energy field diverted the path of Leon’s blade, the sheer force of his blow was enough to send the youth flying at least ten feet into the air, knocking him unconscious when he hit the ground. Éclair somehow felt relieved that the energy field that encompassed the war games was in play to prevent fatal injuries. Not because she was afraid of pain, but because it meant that she didn’t have to hold anything back in the battles.

I wish Grafael was here. He would have loved this. Cripes, I wish he’d get his business sorted soon. I miss that big, bumbling brute.

‘Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll be back to his old wall-smashing self in no time’, Éclair remembered Ryan saying as she drew her bow for another attack.

A Charger was gathering electricity in his hands for a lightning attack, but he was not nearly as adept at it as Rachel was, so Éclair didn’t have to bother to waste much psionic energy in her arrow to freeze him in place. She sighed in satisfaction at the look of shock, but not pain, on the poor Elemental’s face. Then she realized his companions were closing in for a close-quartered attack. Somehow, they had escaped Éclair’s notice and managed to surround her. They were too close for another ice arrow, and besides that, there were at least six of them. Eclair did not have enough power in one arrow to freeze six opponents at once, not with them attacking from different sides.

“Éclair!” cried Leon in concern from a distance, but Éclair was not concerned.

“Don’t worry,” replied Éclair calmly as she recalled her bow, causing it to vanish in a shower of blue light.

Watch me, my love. Watch and be amazed.

Éclair confronted the onslaught barehanded as she raised both arms to either side of her in defiance of her fate. Just to get her point across, she even closed her eyes, daring her opponents to attack recklessly. The fighters from the Purple Team were well trained, so they timed their attacks simultaneously, raising their swords all charged with fire, an obvious ploy to overpower Éclair’s ice abilities. However, these fire idiots had seriously underestimated the power of ice.

As Éclair opened her fists, a blizzard of ice spewed from both her outstretched hands, engulfing the enemy in snow and mist. To prevent any oncoming attacker from getting to her, Éclair jumped in midair while turning in a circle faster than a typhoon. The coldness of the ice was increased by Éclair’s rapid, circular motion, resulting in a miniature snowstorm on the battlefield. When she touched down to the icy ground on one foot, she was as graceful as a dove spinning in a perfect pose. Éclair grinned at seeing her six assailants frozen in ice as thick as a concrete wall. She wanted desperately to see the look on Leon’s face, but that would have to wait as she had just ascertained the location of her next opponent.

Éclair raised her hand once again, summoning forth icicles which she sent spiraling off in the distance towards a hidden enemy in the brush. In the trees just outside the range of the fight, Éclair sensed the presence of another Elemental, one whose specialty was concealment, not combat. With her keen eyes that were enhanced by her psionic ability, Éclair saw an Elemental appear out of thin air as he found himself pinned to the wall of the enclosure by her icicles which were harmlessly embedded in his clothing.

As the boy struggled against his newfound bonds, Éclair walked towards him slowly with a triumphant smile. “Damn!” cursed the youth. “I thought for sure we had you!”

“You almost did there for a moment,” explained Éclair. “I was careless and didn’t notice you raising a spell of invisibility on your comrades until they had me surrounded.”

“Shut up, ice bitch! It’s only because that bastard, Leon, was on your side that you guys won! If it weren’t for these stupid icicles, I’d burn your stupid head off, you mother-burrrr...”

Éclair did not care to hear the rest of his profanity and instead expanded her icicles to cover the length of his body, including his crude mouth.

“That’s enough out of you, thank you very much,” she said coldly.

Honestly, I cannot abide these boys and their terse language. Oh, dear lord, I’m starting to sound like my godfather!

Éclair looked out over the fields and saw that the battle was quickly coming to an end with the Purple Team in full retreat. Their blue squad of about a hundred Firsts had been ambushed by a force of at least two hundred strong. They thought that with their superior numbers that they had the advantage, but Leon had predicted their attack coming a long time ago, and had rallied the Blue Team to respond appropriately. The opposition hadn’t stood a chance as they found themselves fighting a battle on two fronts, one from the main blue force, and another from the elite group led by Éclair that hid themselves in the woods. Classic pincer maneuver. It would have been a gamble if the enemy had any sensory-types on their side, but thankfully they didn’t. At first, Éclair had wondered how Leon knew, but considering how powerful his mental abilities had become, there was little doubt that he could obtain just about any information he wished.

“Victory for the Blue Team, baby,” called one of Éclair’s teammates. All across the grassy plain, the Elementals with blue armbands burst into cheering. Even Leon seemed to be enjoying himself as the faintest hint of a grin caressed his lips.

“Great job out there,” congratulated a First to Éclair.

“You done good, girl,” said another teammate.

“Maybe the Grim Team isn’t so bad after all,” said a female who Éclair couldn’t see.

Against the crowd of recently made fans that had started swirling around her, Éclair could only smile awkwardly and say, “It was nothing. Merely a trifle.”

Honestly, part of her did enjoy the praise. It had been a while since Squad 99 had gotten any good press from the public, and Éclair least of all. But for the most part, she felt completely uncomfortable in the midst of the adoration, wondering if this was what it was like to be a leader.

They all depended on me. What if I had messed up?! We’d all be lying in defeat right now. If it is this stressful in a game, how hard will it be in a real war?

Éclair tried to shake herself from her foreboding thoughts as she approached Leon who was in council with the other mentors of the Blue Team. Éclair waited patiently at Leon’s side, trying to listen to anything important. “We should set up scouts along the eastern perimeter in case of a counterattack. In the meantime, I’ll begin marching our men through the forest.”

“That’s risky,” exclaimed a mentor, a stern-looking young Half-Elven officer. Éclair saw two stripes emblazoned in his armor, indicating his rank as a Second Level Elemental. Once again, Éclair’s natural reaction was to think that he was too young to be an officer, and again she remembered that there was no telling age for someone with Elven blood. “The woods provide good cover, but that’s true for the opposition as well. You could be walking blindly into the enemy camp and not know they are there until they’ve got you surrounded.”

“The woods provide a necessary shortcut to the Spire,” replied Leon. “They are connected to the desert domes which make a straight path to the center of the training fields. Therefore, it’s a risk we’ll have to take.”