STARSTROM MOTEL
BRIKEN, GRATA - 3:16 PM
"Fucking shit!" Exclaims Celeste, upset that her phone died from being briefly submerged in water during the motel fight. Gareth and Luke can be seen negotiating the earlier deal in the background, with the box having stayed in place on the first floor thanks to Celeste's eighth ring stuck to it.
"Still no signal?" Asks Emilia.
"No, my phone's dead! Must have been that fucking demediom…" Celeste replies as Emilia checks her own phone, also refusing to turn on.
"Oi, you two! Your phones still work?" She calls out to the men who check and give the same result. Emilia looks back at Celeste who gets even more disgruntled.
"If you guys are willing to come with us to Yundash, I'm sure Palladium wouldn't mind giving you free devices."
"Happens all the time when we go on missions." Gareth continues.
"It's not the phone, it's that one of our friends could be in danger right now and we have no way of telling him!" Celeste replies, worried for Nick's safety.
"Is he a demediom, too?" Gareth asks.
"He is, and he's had his fair share of troubles. Celeste here just tends to worry a lot."
"Aww, well aren't you sweet. You'd probably go insane in Valcove with everybody going on missions all the time."
"It's just that this guy… he's like a brother to me. I know he is to you too, Luke. I already lost my family. I don't want to lose the next closest thing." Explains Celeste.
"Ah, family. Mine had me injected when I was a baby, then sold me to Palladium. But I get it." Replies Emilia, with a hint of hurt in her voice as the others look on uncomfortably.
"Let's just wrap up our business then. The sooner you get home, the less you have to worry. Here, I'll even toss in extra as compensation for the phones." Says Gareth, counting the money which Luke gladly accepts. Celeste stares out into the sky dejectedly to which Emilia pats her on the back for comfort.
AURUS PLAZA
AURUS, PRECIDIA - 7:15 PM
South Lavia is known for being a post-modern metropolis. With Eternal Drive holding power over South Lavia, their technology spread wide throughout the different regions: Grata in the North, Aeternum in the west and Nazendel in the east.
However, in the south lies a region that refuses to rely solely on technology. Though Eternal Drive still controls the area, their citizens choose to live their lives independent of the power that the technology of demons holds. It is because of this that Precidia remains beautiful and natural, with several healthy trees surrounding the border. The streets are lit with fluorescent lamps, rather than countless holographic billboards and LED skyscrapers.
One exception, however, is the towering Broadcast Station that can be easily spotted from afar. Flashing images of countless Eternal Drive products, the tower serves as a reminder to the people of Aurus of who they submit to at the end of the day.
On his way, Nick Altair had sneaked onto the train from Nexos to Aurus. Unlike the other trains that had express railways situated mid-air, the train to Aurus was situated on land, much to the public's dismay; the express trains were much faster, after all. But the sight of sparkling oceans, windswept grass and cliffside goats were far more appealing to Nick than seeing another Eternal Drive advertisement.
It took eight long hours to arrive at Aurus. The view was nice, sure. But were the 1960's movies playing all throughout worth it? Nick had dozed off for six of those eight hours due to the unrelatability of those films and described them as: "booooring".
Perhaps Precidia was too old-fashioned. Perhaps Nick was close-minded. Either way, Nick had journeyed to do business, not dilly-dolly around. Making his way through a plaza adorned with several decorations made from natural materials, Nick is greeted by a huge banner that advertises the annual Aurus Festival. The streets were lively and full of different people: families, couples, children, circus workers, priests and an extremely gorgeous woman working at a flower stand who immediately caught Nick's eye. Long, hazel hair with amber eyes to match; a smile that could cure the worst bioweapons created by Eternal Drive.
"Can I help you?" She asked the stupefied Nick. Inside Nick's head several scenarios popped up:
"One rose, please."
"That'll be fifteen dies." She replies. Nick hands over the money as the woman hands over the flower; Nick however, returns it to her.
"Keep it. A beautiful flower suits a beautiful woman." Nick replies, catching her off-guard but making her smile and blush afterwards.
AURUS PLAZA
AURUS, PRECIDIA - 7:17 PM
"Can I help you?" She asked the stupefied Nick, busy daydreaming instead of taking action.
"...Um, where's the Forchester Bar?" Nick asks.
"Keep going down the street, then make a right at the fountain." The woman replies.
"Thanks." Nick says as he starts walking away.
"Wait!" The woman calls out as Nick raises his eyebrow.
"How about a tulip? We have a special buy-one-get-one deal going on in celebration of the festival!" The woman proposes as Nick waves his hands in refusal, leaving the woman deflated.
"Sorry, I'll pass." Nick replies as he continues on through the crowded street, dragging along a guitar case containing the firearm he would sell. It was ironic; the woman had absolutely no idea Nick was in possession of dozens of tulips back at Neverglow. Perhaps he just missed the opportunity of a lifetime to make conversation with a fellow flower seller, but in his mind, a million coping excuses had already developed.
"I'm here to do business."
"She probably already has someone."
"Aurus is five hundred miles away."
"I'm a criminal indirectly going against Eternal Drive."
That last reason had Nick reflecting. Would he ever truly find happiness whilst doing Zack's bidding? How can he ever hope to find peace with his current lifestyle? A Palladium officer is just around the corner; perhaps they could put in word about Nick? It was his dream since childhood, but since Zack took him in after his family's tragedy, he had worked for Zack the past fourteen years to repay the kindness.
"Living? This… This isn't living. Not when there's so much out there."
His own words echoed throughout his head while making his way through the busy street. Valcove, home of Palladium. Protectors of the people, Purgers of demons, Pantheon of heroes. Demedioms are revered and respected rather than feared and driven out. Countless facilities that cater to different hobbies and interests, an unlimited supply of the latest gadgets, and a family that welcomes outcasts. Sounds tempting, doesn't it? However, when you remember that joining Palladium means risking your life 24/7 battling demons, perhaps South Lavia isn't so bad after all.
Nick stops at a fountain, making a right as instructed so by the woman. He arrives at the Forchester Bar, to which he moves towards the dark alleyway beside it. A very intoxicated man can be seen vomiting the drinks he took earlier, to which Nick avoids by going around the edge. He continues further down the alley, arriving at an empty warehouse. He looks around, taking out his phone to illuminate the area. However, his next step triggers a trap as a rope latches itself onto his ankle, hoisting him upside-down 20 feet in the air, with the guitar case crashing headfirst onto the ground.
A shadowy figure approaches and snatches the guitar case as Nick struggles to free himself. With time running out as the figure fades in the distance, Nick manifests a dagger to cut himself loose and chases after the figure. Awaiting him were even more traps, including steel rods that rolled onto the ground, sheets of concrete that fell on obstructed openings and logs of timber that slid from every side.
None of which were any particular challenge to Nick, but rather served as inconveniences. Eventually Nick catches up with the figure, revealing it to be a very young prepubescent boy with brown hair, and the face of an innocent child. Though, innocent children wouldn't exactly try to steal from adults and leave them with a trail of traps. Nick grabs the kid by his collar and snatches the guitar case away.
"Who sent you?!" Nick frustratedly asks the child.
"Nobody did!" Replies the boy.
"Do you have any idea what's in this case?!" Nick points towards the guitar case, questioning the child.
"It's agh- gun!" Answers the boy as Nick drops him.
"What were you gonna do with it?" Asks Nick as more questions begin to surround his consciousness.
"I- I wanted to protect the people I care about."
"From who?"
"Eternal Drive!"
Nick is left speechless for a bit, but continues with his interrogation.
"What you did tonight was really dangerous, you know that? You tried to dupe an arms dealer and snatch an unlicensed firearm all to pick a fight with Eternal Drive?" Nick says, scolding the child.
"They picked a fight with us first!" Reasons the child. Before the boy could be interrogated any further, the moonlight shines against Nick's eye as a blade unsheathes from behind him, reflecting the moonlight as the edge points against his neck.
"Let him go." A heavenly voice speaks from behind. Nick recognizes the voice, as he slowly turns around, revealing the woman from the flower stand earlier as his adversary.
"I just wanna ask him a few questio-"
"Leave us." The woman cuts off Nick, directing him back towards the warehouse.
"It's for his own goo-" Nick stops mid-speech once more as the woman raises her blade to his chin.
"I won't repeat myself. Leave us."
"Okay." Nick whispers under his breath as he begins to pick up the guitar case.
"Wait! It's my fault!" Exclaims the child, getting the woman's attention.
"I tried to scam him."
"I know, and I'll talk to you later. Please sir, just l-"
"Hold on, he seems like a good guy!" Pleads the child as the woman stares at Nick. Nick at first is confused as to why the child would defend him, only to realize that the boy is simply desperate to retrieve the rifle in his case.
"...I was just telling him that it's dangerous to-"
Nick is cut off once more as the woman rushes him and the boy aside to take cover behind a dumpster. Footsteps can be heard approaching beside them as a pair of Eternal Drive footsoldiers arrive at the scene.
"Fuckin' Precidia, man." Sighs one soldier.
"What's so bad about it?" Asks another.
"The women. All of 'em as good looking as me left arsecheek." Jokes the soldier as the hazel-haired woman clenches her fist.
"Thas it? Go and spend an hour at Forchester, and they'll turn as good looking as your mum." Jokes the other soldier.
"Aye, I miss Doslight more and more everyday."
"Doslight? Y'mean the city of 4D hookers?"
"Beats the pigs of Precidia." Answers the soldier as they both laugh. The woman, whose patience had worn thin, begins to rise from behind the dumpster as Nick pulls her back down, shaking his head to signal that the trouble isn't worth it. One of the soldiers' phone vibrates which he checks, before they hurriedly leave the area as they whisper something inaudible to each other.
When their footsteps are nowhere to be heard anymore, the three come out of hiding. The woman speaks to Nick.
"You're not from here, are you?" She asks.
"Consider me a tourist." Replies Nick.
"...Fine. Follow me. We'll continue this conversation at my place..." Says the woman, taking Nick by surprise. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined this outcome.
"...on one condition."
CREGAN ALLEY
AURUS, PRECIDIA - 7:36 PM
Nick's hands are cuffed behind his back by several golden, glowing threads held together tied by the woman, who is now carrying his guitar case. The three walk through the streets of Aurus, to which Nick appreciates. From the natural light given by the moon, to the lack of hyper-developed gadgets, to the mostly absence of Eternal Drive advertisements, the beauty of Precidia starts to appeal more and more with Nick, though none can match the beauty of the woman guiding him. Partly curious yet partly naive, Nick had agreed to follow the woman in hopes of being able to get to know her better. Was she a demediom? Those golden threads seemed to manifest out of thin air, but perhaps it was the natural light playing tricks on Nick's eyes. It had been so long since the skyscrapers of Aeternum had always obstructed the moon from sight.
The three arrive at a suburban house, to which the woman unlocks the door. She and the boy step inside as Nick follows suit. The woman begins to turn every light in the living room on as the boy situates himself on the couch and lies down, tired from the running. Nick begins to sit on the couch as well, but the woman redirects him towards the dining room. They both sit on different chairs on opposite sides of the table.
"So, what's your deal?" She asks. Nick looks at the side towards the boy before answering.
"I sell guns." Nick answers.
"Guns?" The woman replies as Nick turns his head towards the guitar case. The woman opens it up, revealing a rifle with a broken muzzle accompanied by two bags of ammo from Zack.
"Aw, shit..." Nick mutters to himself.
"What did Zico want with this?" She asks, stunned by the weapon.
"He said he wanted to protect you. From Eternal Drive." Replies Nick.
"Protect m- Oh no…" Exclaims the woman disappointedly, as if she had realized something terrible.
"That's my gun, so it's my business too, now. He told me E-Drive picked a fight with you. What happened?" Asks Nick.
"Don't push your luck. Only reason I haven't ratted you out yet is because Zico says you're a good person."
"Eh… wouldn't really say that, but sure. Unfortunately he scammed me; don't you think I deserve to at least know the reason why?" Nick replies, trying to reason with the woman.
"I…" The woman hesitates to speak any further, unsure if Nick is trustworthy.
"You're a demediom, right?" Nick questions, taking the woman aback.
"...How'd you know?" She asks. Nick leans over to his side and raises his cuffed hands.
"I've been around E-Drive long enough to know that tech like this doesn't exist. They never arrest people, just murder them in cold blood." Nick says, remembering the past crimes of Eternal Drive as well as the extrajudicial killings reported in the news.
"...It happened about a month ago. Some of those soldiers came to Aurus and just went and caused chaos." She explains as Nick listens attentively.
"Two of them went and harassed a friend of mine. She fought back and things started to get physical so I interfered."
"And you used your powers?"
"I swore that I'd protect the people of Aurus, even if it meant using my inhuman abilities." She continues, trying to reason with Nick.
"Like a vigilante, huh? Did they die?" Asks Nick.
"They didn't… They were the ones we came by earlier." The woman sighs disappointedly.
"Demediom serums are only distributed by Eternal Drive. Did you work for them? Or…" Nick continues interrogating the woman.
"I was born with these." She says, manifesting more golden threads around her fingers before making them dissipate.
"And you never thought about joining Palladium?"
"I prefer a world without demons, thank you." She replies, content with the lifestyle of Precidia.
"And I'd prefer a world without Eternal Drive, but we can't have nice things in Lavia."
"Well, it's easier to blend in here."
"Easier to get your brains blown out while you sleep at night, too."
"Not in Precidia. At least before Darren Watts got elected and invited them here." The woman says, referring to Eternal Drive.
"How about you? Where are you from?"
"Nexos. Aeternum." Nick answers.
"What do you think about it?"
"Eh, it could be worse…" Nick replies as Zack, Luke and Celeste come to mind. Memories of them working at Neverglow, goofing around the mall and having fun in roadtrips flood Nick's consciousness. However, those memories are soon replaced by drive-by killings, suicides and brutal fistfights.
"...but it could definitely be better." He continues. The woman stands up and dissipates Nick's cuffs as she walks towards the living room. The boy had fallen asleep, to which she carries him upstairs as Nick waits on the couch.
The woman comes back down with a refreshed mind, and asks Nick a question.
"What are you gonna do now?" She asks as Nick starts thinking of ways to spin her question.
"Well, my boss is gonna kill me if I come back empty-handed, especially if he finds out I broke the gun. And he'd spit on my grave if he found out I was almost duped by a child." Nick says, making the woman smirk.
"It's money you want, right? How much?"
"Three thousand dies. And please keep better watch over the kid." Answers Nick as the woman's smile quickly fades away.
"I… We don't have that kind of money..." Says the woman, with Nick feeling greedy and selfish for a moment. However, a deal is a deal.
"...but you can earn that kind of money here." She continues.
"...Is this some kind of pyramid scheme?" Nick asks, suspicious of the woman.
"No, no. Aurus has been down in the dumps lately because of E-Drive and there's a lot of people that need help."
"With what?"
"All kinds of things. Illegal things." She says, winking and nudging Nick in the elbow.
"Oh god, do you mean carrying out hits on people?" Nick asks, second-guessing the woman's intentions.
"No, absolutely not! I meant that there's a lot of business owners who would love a bit of retribution."
"Retribution?"
"This place used to be thriving, but the earthquake that hit a couple years ago hit us hard and destroyed a lot of infrastructures." The woman explains.
"Ah, the magnitude nine-point-something one? Yeah, I remember that. Shelves went flying everywhere. I had to spend hours picking up and sorting flowers again."
"You sell flowers, too?" She asks.
"Yeah. E-Drive's been pushing everything tech lately, so we grew and maintained our own greenery since you don't really come by plants anymore."
"That's pretty sad… Here it's the opposite; flowers bloom in every direction, so it's only tourists that end up supporting my business."
"And it's sustainable?" Nick asks as the woman smiles back at him.
"It used to, back when Aurus was a tourist trap. Nowadays it's barely enough. But like I said, there's a lot of, let's say, passionate business owners out there. You know how Eternal Drive owns all the land in South Lavia, right? Well when the earthquake hit, they were quick to take action here."
"Woah, seriously?" Nick asks, shocked that Eternal Drive helped a community for once.
"Yeah. They were quick to replace those businesses with their own. Even Aurus isn't safe from their monopolization." The woman says frustratedly.
"Ah, that makes more sense." Nick replies, realizing nothing changed.
"It's disgusting, throwing away lives' worth of work just like that. You have to wonder at what point is enough enough?" The woman continues explaining.
"That's awful, but why don't the business owners just start someplace else?"
"It's not that easy. After the earthquake, Eternal Drive came and put up several stations here. Everything you do goes through them, including starting businesses that could potentially conflict with theirs."
"And what would you have me do?" Nick asks as the woman smiles.
"Some of these business owners have already started devising a plan to get their retribution. Including trashing some of the outposts that E-Drive put up here." The woman says.
"And you want me to carry out the dirty work."
"Bingo. But don't worry, you don't have to do it alone." The woman replies, stretching out her hand. Nick stretches out his own, and the two shake on their newfound deal.
"Elena. Elena Lune."
"Nick Altair."
Elena's lips curl into a slight smile as Nick feels a sudden wave of nervousness and doubt hit him.
To Be Continued…