In the Fifteenth Year Prior.
The sky of Bornika stretched wide, an azure canvas brushed with soft, white clouds that drifted like silent ships.
Beneath it lay a continent of stark contrasts, a realm where the wonders of advanced technology were interwoven with the subtle threads of ancient magic.
The smoky peaks of Yamashiro, the whispering groves of bamboo, the fertile valleys where silver rivers snaked their course—Bornika was a tapestry of breathtaking landscapes.
To the east, the vast plains of Xiangdu displayed the grandeur of ancient dynasties, with high-walled cities that pierced the sky and magnificent palaces that spoke of ages past.
To the west, the rich mountains of Baranesta held within their depths the shimmering Mythril and the potent Mythrilblood, invaluable sources of energy and power.
To the south, the Thousand Flower Archipelago spread like emeralds scattered upon the cerulean ocean, volcanic islands draped in lush rainforests, a haven of vibrant life.
Yet, the beauty of Bornika was marred by a gaping wound, a scar six hundred years old. Six centuries ago, a conflict had ignited, escalating into an endless war that had consumed generations.
The desperate scramble for resources, the clash of ideologies, and the relentless ambition for power had transformed this once fair continent into a desolate battlefield.
Magnificent palaces lay in ruin, villages smouldered in ashes, and tears flowed like rivers, a testament to the enduring sorrow.
Queen Yukihiko Regania, formerly the ruler of Baranesta, now crowned sovereign of the Jindara Kingdom, beheld this devastation with profound sorrow, her heart set upon ending the suffering that plagued the land.
In a silent valley, amidst the crumbling stones of an ancient city, the leaders gathered.
There stood Duke Takeshi Hiroshi of Yamashiro, a wise samurai whose gaze held the wisdom of ages; Duke Hector Valerius, who had assumed leadership of Baranesta after Yukihiko's departure, a brilliant engineer whose mind could conjure wonders; and Duke Herman Syailendra, the steadfast leader of the Thousand Flower Archipelago, hailing from the city of Mandaraka.
They pledged a solemn oath to end the war, to rebuild Bornika from the ashes of its despair. Thus, they established the Jindara Kingdom, an alliance forged to uphold peace and justice throughout the ravaged lands.
However, the shadow of Xiangdu loomed large, threatening their nascent hopes. Duke Lin Mei, an ambitious woman with eyes as cold as winter ice, refused to join the ranks of Jindara.
She perceived this alliance as a grave threat to the sovereignty of Xiangdu. With a voice that held the sharpness of steel, she declared war, and the formidable armies of Xiangdu began their march.
Within the Jindara palace, the drums of war thundered like the beating heart of a roused beast. Soldiers marched with grim determination, their armour gleaming in the torchlight, their faces set with resolve.
Advanced technology and the ancient strategies of war were combined, creating a force to be reckoned with.
Jade Garudeya, a young man from Baranesta, stood amidst the gathering host, a burning determination flickering in his eyes, his heart filled with the hope of ending this endless conflict.
***** *****
The Present…
Arun Village and a Young Man's Ambition
"Jade, art thou lost in dreams again?" The voice of Jade's mother broke the morning silence that clung to Arun village like mist.
Jade, a young man with keen eyes and hair as dark as a raven's wing, turned from the window, his gaze lingering upon the vast wheat fields that stretched towards the horizon.
"Just pondering the war, Mother," Jade replied, a sigh escaping his lips. "Will this strife never find its end?"
Jade's father, a sturdy farmer whose face bore the map of years etched by hard labour, set down his hoe. "Six centuries of war, son. It has become as much a part of our lives as the turning of the seasons in Bornika."
"But I desire not to live thus," Jade declared, his voice imbued with youthful determination. "I wish to do something, to change the course of things."
"Change what, Jade?" asked his younger sister, Rina, as she brushed her long, dark hair. "Thou art but a village farmer."
"I aim to join the royal army," Jade replied, looking directly into Rina's eyes, his gaze unwavering. "I wish to lend my strength to the cause of ending this war."
"What strength?" Rina chuckled softly. "Thou canst scarce lift a heavy sack of wheat."
"I shall acquire 'Muscle Force'," Jade said, his voice trembling with conviction. "I shall become a hero, even as General Lance Garudeya!"
Jade's mother, who had been glancing at her son with a worried expression, turned her gaze away, a shadow of concern crossing her face.
"A hero?" Jade's father shook his head, his brow furrowed. "That is but a legend, son. That serum is fraught with peril; many have perished from its touch."
"I am not afraid," Jade said, his eyes flashing with youthful fire. "I shall prove myself worthy."
"Rina, should I succeed, I shall buy thee hairpins of silver and new raiment to make thee yet more fair. I promise." Jade gently ruffled his younger sister's hair.
"That is not needed. All I desire is for thy safe return." Rina's eyes reddened with unshed tears, her heart touched by his words, yet also gripped by the fear of losing her only brother.
"Is that not so, Mother?" Rina continued, turning to their mother, whose face was etched with worry.
"Art thou certain, Jade? My heart misgives me. War brings only suffering. Thou wilt take the life of another's kin, be it brother, father, sister, or even a mother's son."
Jade's mother, Tania, wiped away the tears that now streamed down her face, her quiet sobs filling the small cottage. Jade and Rina rushed to her side, embracing her tightly.
A few days later, the call to arms reached Arun village. A royal messenger arrived upon a weary steed, announcing that the Jindara army stood in need of more soldiers to bolster its ranks.
"This is my chance," Jade said, his gaze fixed upon his family. "I am going."
"Jade, nay!" Jade's mother cried, clutching her son tightly, her embrace filled with desperation. "It is too perilous."
"I must go, Mother," Jade said, gently breaking free from his mother's embrace, his resolve unwavering. "I have to do this."
"Jade, heed thy mother's words. Thou couldst be harmed, son. I implore thee..."
Jade bid farewell to his family, promising to return a hero. He mounted a horse borrowed from the village and turned its head towards the army recruitment centre, leaving the peaceful Arun village nestled amongst the wheat fields behind him.
"Be careful, Jade," his father said, his voice trembling slightly. "Return to us safe." Jade's father pressed a small box wrapped in white cloth into Jade's hand.
"What is this, Father? If this be..." Jade opened the box, revealing a spearhead of aged metal.
"What is this?" Jade asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Give it to the royal blacksmith. Though thy strength may not yet be great, and thy skill with the sword unrefined, thou still rememberest all that I taught thee of wielding a spear, dost thou not?"
Jade nodded, his confusion slowly giving way to understanding. "Yes, Father. Thank you. Where is Rina?" Jade looked around the small yard, his gaze searching for his younger sister.
"She weeps for thy departure in thy chamber, Jade." Jade's father explained, his arm around Jade's mother, Tania, offering her comfort.
A shadow of worry crossed Jade's face at the thought of his younger sister's sorrow. However, his resolve remained firm.
Moreover, he was the only young man left of his generation in the village, as the others had already departed to serve the kingdom in its time of need.
"Mother, weep not so. Last year Henry departed first, and so too did Thomas. Now it is my turn to answer the call."
"I shall return, Father... Mother," Jade replied, tightening the reins of his borrowed steed. "I promise. And tell Rina that I shall come home when all this is over."
Jade spurred his horse onward. While embracing Tania, his mother, his father said softly, "Tania, my wife. The boy is not skilled with the blade like Tania Geraldine, the Flower of Alden..."
"But thou knowest, he possesses a talent akin to his uncle's." Jade's father continued, watching his son's back as he receded into the distance.
"Thou didst not grant our son any ease, Albert Garudeya. Why didst thou not tell our son that Lance is his uncle?" Tania's tears flowed even more freely.
"There is no easy path for the Garudeya family from Mandaraka city; how could his spear make the dragon king Bahamut kneel if we pampered him? At least that is the path of Garudeya, the Dragon Conqueror."
Jade's parents watched their son's back until he disappeared from their sight, swallowed by the winding road. Then Albert spoke again, his voice low.
"Tania, canst thou still see Jade?" Tania, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, said, "Yes, very clearly." Albert smiled faintly. "The Muscle Force specialisation upon thy ciliary muscles has not diminished even with the passing years."
"Let us return home; we must comfort Rina and tend to the fields soon." Albert continued, turning towards their small cottage. They made their way back home, their hearts heavy with a mixture of worry and pride.
On the way, Jade encountered an old merchant whose face was a roadmap of wrinkles, each line telling a tale of journeys and hardship. The merchant offered him words of caution.
"The world beyond our village is harsh, son," said the merchant, his voice raspy with age. "Trust no one easily."
"I shall remember that," Jade said, nodding respectfully.
"And concerning 'Muscle Force'," the merchant continued, his eyes glinting with a knowing light, "it is no mere trinket. That power can change thee, not just thy body, but it can also claim thy life if thou art found wanting."
"I am ready to face the risks," Jade said, his eyes filled with unwavering determination. "I shall acquire that power, and I shall use it for good."
Jade continued his journey, leaving the old merchant and his sage advice behind. He knew that the road ahead would be fraught with peril and difficulty, but he was resolute in his determination to reach his goal. He would become the hero Bornika so desperately needed.
The city's army recruitment centre was a hive of activity, a place of bustling energy and constant motion.
Tents were lined up with military precision, soldiers trained with youthful enthusiasm, and the sound of shouted commands echoed through the air, a symphony of impending war.
Jade, with a simple backpack slung over his shoulder, entered the main barracks, a large wooden building filled with aspiring soldiers from all corners of Bornika, their faces a mixture of hope and apprehension.
There, amidst the throng, he encountered Gala Limbersius Constantine, a tall and sturdy young man with piercing blue eyes that seemed to hold a spark of arrogance. Gala, with his proud demeanour and confident bearing, immediately drew Jade's attention.
He was a nobleman from Alden, a region renowned for its strong and valiant warriors. Gala was accompanied by two large white wolves, Fionn and Gale, who remained constantly at his side, their imposing presence adding to his already intimidating aura.
Not far from Gala, Jade noticed Luna Aganta, a quiet girl with deep brown eyes that seemed to hold the wisdom of ancient trees. Luna possessed a mysterious aura, as if she guarded secrets of profound depth.
She spoke little, but when she did, her words were sharp and precise, like well-aimed arrows. Jade soon discerned that Luna possessed extraordinary eyesight, as if she could perceive things that remained hidden to others.
Their first meeting was not marked by camaraderie. Gala, with his haughty attitude, looked down upon Jade and Luna, considering them to be but inexperienced villagers, ill-suited for the rigours of war.
"Look at them," Gala sneered, his gaze sweeping over Jade and Luna with thinly veiled disgust. "Two lost villagers. What are you doing here? You won't last long in the ranks of the army."
Luna returned Gala's disdainful gaze with an equally sharp look, her eyes holding a hint of defiance. "We are here for the same reason as you," she said, her voice cold and calm, betraying no hint of fear. "To end the war that plagues our land."
Jade, unaccustomed to such open hostility, tried to ease the palpable tension that hung in the air. "We are all here for the same goal," he said, striving to sound friendly and conciliatory. "We must learn to work together if we are to succeed."
Gala laughed cynically, the sound echoing through the barracks. "Work together? With you? Do not be ridiculous. I shall be the best here, and I shall be the one to receive the 'Muscle Force'."
Amidst the rising tension, a high-ranking officer, his uniform adorned with the insignia of command, entered the barracks. He announced in a booming voice that they would soon commence intensive training, and that only the strongest and most chosen amongst them would receive the coveted 'Muscle Force' injection.
The announcement shifted the atmosphere within the barracks. The soldiers looked at each other with newfound intensity, silently assessing each other's strengths and weaknesses. A palpable sense of competition and underlying tension filled the air.
Over the next few days, Jade, Gala, and Luna were forced to work together in a series of gruelling training exercises designed to test their limits. They learned about the intricacies of war strategies, the brutal realities of battle tactics, and the proper usage of various weapons of war.
They were also instructed in the history of Bornika, the long and bloody six-century war between Jindara and Xiangdu, and the legends surrounding the mythical 'Muscle Force' serum.
In the midst of that demanding training, they began to know each other better, their initial prejudices slowly giving way to a grudging respect.
Jade, with his sincere spirit and unwavering determination, began to earn a measure of respect from Gala, who, despite his arrogance, could not deny the young man's tenacity.
Luna, with her sharp intelligence and extraordinary eyesight that often proved invaluable during exercises, revealed herself to be a valuable asset to their makeshift team.
However, the underlying competition between them remained, a constant reminder of the ultimate prize. Gala, driven by his great ambition, yearned to prove himself the best warrior amongst them, to uphold the honour of his noble house.
Luna, guarding her deep secrets closely, was determined to prove that she was not to be underestimated, that beneath her quiet exterior lay a strength that belied her unassuming appearance.
Jade, his heart filled with the earnest desire to end the war and bring peace to his ravaged homeland, was determined to prove that he was worthy of the 'Muscle Force' power, that he could wield it for the good of Bornika.
One night, as they rested their weary bodies after a particularly arduous day of training, a serious conversation unfolded amongst the flickering shadows cast by a nearby lamp.
"Why do you both desire 'Muscle Force' so greatly?" Jade asked, his gaze shifting between Gala and Luna, seeking to understand the depths of their motivations.
Gala sneered, his lip curling with disdain. "I desire to be the strongest, to prove that I deserve my birthright as a nobleman of Alden. I wish to end this war, and I intend to do so with my own hands, crushing all who stand in my path."
Luna stared into the flickering flames of a nearby campfire, her deep brown eyes reflecting the dancing light. "I have my own reasons," she said, her voice soft yet firm, hinting at a pain she kept carefully concealed.
"I wish to protect something precious to me, something that is gravely threatened by this endless war."Jade nodded slowly, a sense of understanding dawning within him.
"I have my own reasons too," he said, his voice filled with earnest conviction.
"I wish to end this war, to bring peace to Bornika, so that no more families shall suffer as mine has. I wish to use my strength to protect the weak, to stop the endless cycle of suffering."
"Gala, Luna... are you not afraid of death?" Jade asked, his eyes fixed on the flickering campfire, his gaze distant and unfocused as memories stirred within him.
Silence hung heavy in the air for a moment. "I had a friend named Hendry,"
Jade began, his voice tinged with a melancholic sadness, "he fell in this endless war." He began to recount his story in a daze, lost in the labyrinth of his memories.
"His body was cleaved in twain by a Naginata's wicked slash, and another named Thomas, he did not even reach the battlefield. He perished shortly after being injected with the 'Muscle Force' serum..."
"Jade, our squad numbers ten souls right now. Everyone must surely harbour such worries." Gala replied, his voice surprisingly gentle, a hint of understanding softening his usual arrogance.
Jade looked around at his squad members, who had been feigning sleep, now rising and gathering around the flickering campfire, their faces etched with a shared concern.
"But, we have come this far through sheer determination. Not just ordinary folk such as yourselves; even a nobleman like myself has lost two brothers to this relentless war." Gala continued, striving to encourage them, to bridge the gap between their different stations.
"That is right, Jade; fear is an inevitable companion in times such as these. But, here we stand, and hundreds of thousands of other recruits stand with us." Said one from the squad, his voice filled with a quiet resolve.
"We, squad nineteen, shall successfully pass the serum injection phase." Gala declared, his usual confidence returning, his eyes burning with renewed enthusiasm.
That night, squad nineteen grew closer, their bonds forged in shared experience and a common purpose. These ten souls made a silent promise to protect each other when they finally faced the harsh realities of the battlefield.
In this current round of recruits who had passed the initial selection, there were more than three hundred and forty-seven thousand aspiring soldiers who would undergo the 'Muscle Force' serum injection.
The remainder, those who did not meet the stringent selection criteria, could try again in the coming year, having honed their bodies and skills further.
And with such a vast number of recruits gathered, they would be divided into smaller squads of ten individuals each. This was done to facilitate the chain of command and ensure better coordination in the chaos of war.
***** *****
The next day dawned, casting long shadows across the training grounds.
Squad nineteen stood before the laboratory door, the very threshold where their lives would either be forever changed or tragically ended.
They exchanged nervous glances, each member acutely aware that they stood at a precipice, their destinies hanging in the balance.