macfluffers
sizeo:5/sizeoEx.Od.Ussizec/sizecChapter IExan moaned and rolled away from the sun to avoid its blinding rays, holding his eyes closed at the same time to help shut out the light. Detecting a lack of support under his head, he shoved his arm underneath his pillow-There was no pillow. Just grass. And dirt. Exan sprang up to a sitting position and frantically tried to grasp his surroundings. All he saw for a great distance were trees. Not even normal trees, but trees with light grey bark and blue leaves, with black ferns and grass growing from the forest floor.The boy, unable to interpret what he was seeing, slowly said, ??What the f-??About time you woke up, kid.?Exan spun to see a young man and a strange creature. The man was tall, with dark skin, darker hair brushed back, and even darker eyes locked onto the boy. Brown and tan clothes complimented his features. On the back of his belt was a threatening, if strangely shaped, sheathed sword.However, the man did not catch his attention for long, as the creature was even more imposing: it was a good six feet tall, with four thick, powerful legs supporting a massive torso. On its back was a long lance, and a straight sword was sheathed on the lower part of the torso. With the exception of the face, which was covered in cloth, the only thing that could be seen on the creature was steel. Bright, gleaming, extremely shiny steel.Exan stared at the more human of the two, hoping he would say something that would let everything make sense. The man remained silent as the creature said, ?Well, don?t just keep on gawking, man! Get up!?The boy complied, but out of fear. Once he was on his feet, he quickly scrambled away from the creature until his back hit one of the trees, rattling its lower branches. He slumped back down to the ground and asked, ?Where the hell am I? Who are you?? He started breathing heavily, obviously shocked by his situation.?What, you don?t know?? said the creature with a sigh. It drew its sword and raised it high in the air. ?I?m the mighty Jack of Blades, and you?ve stepped into my realm. Prepare to pay your blood tax.? He concluded by thrusting his weapon threateningly at Exan, chuckling all the while.?Shut up, Knight,? the dark man said, clearly annoyed, as he slowly approached Exan. ?Can?t you see the kid is lost and confused? Stop messing with him.? He squatted by Exan and said, ?First things first: nobody?? He made a quick glance to the creature. ??Absolutely nobody will be collecting a ?blood tax?. Knight?s just an asshole. My name is Usama. What?s yours??Exan?s breathing had begun to normalize again, and he was able to respond with ?Alexander. But everyone calls me Exan.?Usama nodded and stood, lending a long arm towards Exan. ?All right, Exan. Have you been having strange dreams lately, about things that don?t make sense at all??Exan pondered the out of place question, and ultimately answered ?Like?dreaming about flying?? while taking Usama?s hand and pulling himself up.The man shook his head. ?More ridiculous. More like?? Usama quickly looked around the forest and waved an arm at the surreal surroundings. ??all this. A forest with the colors all wrong. A centaur made out of metal. A bug?? Usama reached over and picked up a beetle that had been resting on Exan?s shoulder. ??that has the image of a four-leaf clover on its back.??Uh?no.??Okay, then this is probably your first time,? construed Usama as he tossed away the beetle.?First time what? Having an acid trip???Don?t worry, all will be explained.???Could we start with that thing?? Exan asked weakly, his finger pointed at the creature.?Hey, pointing is rude,? scoffed the creature.?Can it, Knight,? said Usama, clearly even more annoyed than before. ?As if you?re in any place to talk about rudeness.? In a calmer tone, he continued to Exan, ?He?s what we call a ?tarot?. He?s a being whose purpose is to support you during your stay here, although this one is pretty dubious compared to others I?ve met.??Hmph. As if your opinion mattered,? said the creature.Ignoring it, Usama continued, ?He?s the Knight of Swords, but I think it?s okay to just call him ?Knight?. Multiple tarot users coming into contact with each other isn?t common, so meeting another knight of any suit is unlikely.??I?ve told you, I?m the Jack of Blades!? Knight claimed defiantly.?He?s here to?help me?? asked Exan with a raised eyebrow.?Don?t worry, I?ll stick with you too, at least until you get your sea legs,? assured Usama.?Don?t just ignore me!? complained Knight.?Damn it, just go away until we need you!? ordered Usama angrily.?Fine, see if I help you,? rebutted Knight just before he vanished in a soft flash of light.??Where did he go?? asked Exan, confused.?Don?t worry, you can summon him when you need him. Grab your weapons and let?s get out of here. I?ll explain more as we walk.??Weapons???You didn?t notice them? I guess seeing a tarot for the first time would be pretty distracting. They?re over there.? Usama pointed over to a large circular shield and spear leaning against a nearby tree. ?Those are yours.?Exan walked over and picked them up, hefting them both in his hands. ?Is it really necessary to have weapons here???I would say so. Thunderhooves feed in this area.?Exan blinked twice before asking, ?Thunderwha???They?re like deer, but?bigger. And they shoot lightning from their horns.?Exan stared at Usama in disbelief.?So yes,? continued Usama. ?We might need weapons.?Chapter IIOdette sat up and yawned loudly while rubbing the sleepy bugs from her eyes. She turned to her left and slowly opened her eyes as she said, ?Morning, Bea. When-?She stopped talking when she realized that she was no longer in her school?s dormitory, and that the bed she was in was not her own. The wooden floors of the dormitory had been exchanged for a thin carpet, and the brick walls had been replaced with grey steel. Most confusing was that her bedside dresser was replaced with what appeared to be a large firearm: it was big enough to be a cannon, but it had a trigger and handles like a normal gun, with padding on the underside behind the handles, suggesting it was meant to be used over the shoulder.The girl leaped out of bed, eager to find out where she was. Although she was distressed by the fact that she was wearing a strange orange and red outfit instead of the nightgown she went to bed in, she looked around for a way out of the room. There were two doors, but one had small windows on it, suggesting it led outside.She rushed over to the windowed door and yanked it open, and thrust herself forward. However, her hands clung fearfully at the edge of the doorway as she realized that although the door did indeed lead to the outside, the door was at least a hundred meters high. She pulled herself back into the room and gawked at what she saw outside the doorway. There were other buildings, all tall and with doorways that were far above the ground, but those were not what kept her staring.It was the winged people.They were fair-skinned and fair-haired, with various colors of bird wings. As ridiculous as they looked to Odette, they appeared to be going around their daily routine: a winged man buying fruit at a stand fifty meters off the ground, a group of winged children?who were walking to Odette?s surprise?singing as they walked behind a young winged woman, and an old winged man on top of one of the buildings smoking a long pipe as he watched the town were only of the few normal-looking things Odette saw the strange people doing.She continued looking at them, no longer out of fear, but out of a quiet amazement. In her head, she knew that this must be a dream, but for now, she didn?t care. Instead, she simply watched the winged people as they-?Aaah!? she yelled out as she saw the creature. Slowly rising up to meet Odette was a large egg-shaped being, all a polished metallic-white, except for a single, large, red, ominous eye that stared unwavering at Odette. Back to being frightened, Odette pulled herself back into the room and slammed the door shut. She collapsed on the floor and leaned against the wall, panting in shock.A winged boy entered the room through the other door. His matted hair complemented his downy wings, both a light shade of grey. He softly walked with bare feet towards Odette.?You?re awake! That?s good,? he said with a gentle, sweet voice as he knelt down to be at eye level with Odette. ?Are you okay? We heard that scream.?It took Odette several long moments to get over the shock, but she was relieved that the first person who spoke to her seemed kind. ?I?m okay?I think. Where?where am I? Am I dreaming??The boy chuckled and said, ?No, I think you?re awake. I?m Gabriel. You?re in Nillaburg. We found you unconscious just outside of town. I don?t know why you were out there alone like that, but you?re safe now.??Uh?and where?s ?Nillaburg??? asked Odette, hoping that eventually the boy would say something that made sense.?Well, it?s about fifty kilometers north of Shefton, and eighty kilometers Stone City,? answered Gabriel. ?We?re a little out of the way. You really don?t know how you got here??Odette sighed and shook her head. ?I?ve never even heard of any of these places. And I?m still not convinced that I?m not dreaming.??Huh, that?s strange. I?d think that an angel would be more informed of her situation.?There was a moment of quiet as Odette processed what the boy said. ?What? I?m not an angel, you are!? she said once she realized who the boy was referring to, her finger thrusted towards him by the end of her exclamation.Gabriel was quick to chuckle and said, ?Don?t be silly, I can?t be an angel. I have wings, see?? He slowly waved his soft-looking wings up and down, sending gentle breezes onto Odette.Odette blinked in confusion until the smiled melted off of Gabriel?s face. ?Wow, you really don?t know? I?d think that an angel would know what she is.???But I?m not an angel,? replied Odette.?But you are! You don?t have wings!? said Gabriel. His excitedness could be seen as he knelt up straighter and as his face became slightly flushed.?I don?t know what you?re talking about!? said Odette, getting equally excited. ?Angels have wings, normal people don?t! You have it backward!?Gabriel was about to say something in response, but he was cut off by the outside door quickly opening. Outside was another winged boy, though he appeared older than Odette. His wings and hair was the same shade of grey as Gabriel?s but his feathers had a mature sheen to them. He stayed in place by flapping his wings as he saw both Gabriel and Odette there blocking the doorway.?Hey kids, could you move? It?s hard to stay afloat while carrying these bags,? the older boy said as he hefted a pair of cloth bags filled with what appeared to be vegetables to Odette.Gabriel stood and walked back several steps, and Odette followed in suit. The older boy stepped into the doorway and walked through the other two towards a table, where he laid down the bags.?You guys are loud, you know that? I heard your racket from down the lane,? the older boy said. He turned to Odette and continued, ?So, young lady, my name is Michael. What?s yours??Odette blushed when she realized that she had never told Gabriel her name when they were talking. ?I?m Odette.?Michael nodded and said, ?Let?s talk in the living room.?----?So,? said Michael as he sat comfortably in a steel chair. In front of him was a steel table surrounded by several other chairs, two of which were occupied by Gabriel and Odette. Michael casually sipped from a cup of tea before continuing, ?You say you?re not an angel.??But look!? exclaimed Gabriel. ?No wings!??That doesn?t mean-? started Odette.Michael raised a hand to interrupt Odette and said, ?I know, I know. I?ll admit that when I first saw you and realized you didn?t have wings, the same thoughts Gabriel is having went through my head. But you?re probably just from a far away land where wingless people exist, no? That?s probably where our stories about angels come from.??Stories???In our town, there is a tradition of storytelling. The main subject is angels,? Michael explained before pausing to sip more tea. ?These people, though wingless, aided us many times in the past, though they haven?t been seen in centuries. I thought that you came to help us again, but I guess that?s not true.??What do you mean?? asked Odette.?This is a sister town with a place called Chocoton. Both are populated by our people, the Aviates. Blancs, such as me and my brother, live here, while Nercs live there. The two towns have been feuding ever since they were founded. In fact, the last angel who arrived came to break up the fighting nearly four hundred years ago.?The feud hasn?t ended, but neither town has done anything to hurt the other since then, until now. You see, all Aviates, Blancs and Nercs, are born with vestigial wings. We can only fly after a special ceremony involving a stone called the Flight Gem. Every year, Aviates who have grown to ten years since the last ceremony has their wings treated with water blessed by the Flight Gem. This ceremony is a cooperation between the two towns, and it?s probably the only reason why neither has ruined the other. But the gem has gone missing, most likely by the Nercs.??That?s?terrible,? said Odette. ?But why are you telling me all this??Michael sighed and put down his cup. ?We need help, or else the town will be ruined. We need someone like you.??Like?me?? said Odette, perplexed. ?I told you, I?m not what you think I am!??I believe you when you say you?re not an angel, but you can?t deny the fact that you?re a soldier!? said Michael, surprising Odette with emotion that contrasted with his previously calm demeanor.?What are you talking about???The shoulder-cannon that we found with you? You have with you a weapon like that and you expect us to believe you?re not a fighter of some sort???Shoulder-cannon? You mean th-???Come out here you cowards!? called a voice from outside.?Damn, they?re here again?? said Michael. He stood and walked briskly to the room where Odette had awoken. He flung open the outer door and leaped outside.Gabriel and Odette followed him; Gabriel out of concern, and Odette out of curiosity. The two of them poked their heads outside the doorway to see the disturbance. Odette noticed the egg-creature near the ground, but since it was still and apparently benign, she ignored it and turned to see Michael. She and Gabriel watched as Michael approached a hovering trio of sword-wielding Aviates. However, the group was not like Michael and Gabriel or the other townsfolk; their skin and hair were dark, and their wings were batlike instead of birdlike.?Those are the Nercs we told you about,? explained Gabriel. Odette nodded in understanding.?What?s this about, Belial?? asked Michael.?You know, Michael,? answered one of the Nercs with the same voice that called out earlier. ?We want the Flight Gem, and we know you have it.??That?s not true, and you know it,? said Michael. ?Now please leave before something happens.??Is that a threat?? said Belial. He turned to one of his companions and repeated the question: ?Hey, Grigori, did that sound like a threat to you??The large Aviate shifted the heavy-looking sword on his belt and answered, ?Sounds pretty close to me.?The three Nercs drew their weapons, and in response a ball of fire appeared in Michael?s right hand. ?Don?t do this,? Michael said.?And who?s going to stop me?? said Belial as he waved his free hand around towards the empty town. ?Everyone?s run away, tail between their lying, thieving legs, because they know we?re right, and they know they?re going to get what?s coming to them.?Odette looked around the town and realized that Belial was right: the townsfolk that had been active before were nowhere to be seen, except for several individuals who were watching from windows and doors as she and Gabriel were.?As the Town Guardian, I?d rather they hide and stay safe that try to help and get hurt.? answered Michael.Belial shrugged and said, ?All right, have it your way.?The three Nercs rushed forward, trying to surround Michael. The Blanc quickly threw his fireball at the third Nerc, causing the Nerc to be thrown off balance and begin falling. Belial was able to close in enough to make a downward cut at Michael?s shoulder, though he was able to back up to dodge it narrowly.Grigori flew towards Michael?s left side and thrust his oversized sword at Michael?s upper body. Michael tucked in his wings, and he fell below the blade. Belial gave his wings a strong flap, launching himself above Michael, and tucked in his wings as well. As they both plummeted, Michael tossed several fireballs up at his opponent, but Belial deftly blocked them with his blade, causing only the fringes of his hair to be singed.Michael gave a cry of surprise when the third Nerc he had knocked down earlier tackled him. Although Michael managed to pull him off with a few quick bursts of fire, Belial was right there the moment he was free and stomped on Michael?s face. The blow threw Michael at the ground, and he landed on his back with a loud thud.As Michael tried to get up, Grigori landed hard on Michael?s gut, bringing up a cough of blood. Now that they had the advantage, the Nercs put away their swords and started pummeling Michael with their fists.?He?s getting torn up!? cried Odette. ?Why isn?t anyone helping him???He?s the only one of us who really knows how to fight.? said Gabriel. ?That?s why he?s the Town Guardian.??This is? I?m helping,? said Odette with newfound resolve. ?I?m not what you guys think I am, but I can?t let this happen.?Odette spun around and went over to the shoulder-cannon. She took in a deep breath and grabbed the weapon by its front handle and lifted it. Although surprised by how light it was compared to its size, she spent no time thinking about it and hefted the cannon over her shoulder. Gabriel stepped out of the way as Odette returned to the doorway and aimed down at the Nercs. Hoping that the weapon would work the way she imagined it, she held her breath and squeezed the trigger.A blast of bright red light launched out of the muzzle of the cannon, striking Grigori in the back. Grigori collapsed unconscious next to Michael. Michael took the advantage of the confusion to scramble to his feet and knock the third Nerc down.Meanwhile, Belial looked up and saw Odette. He leaped upward and started flying up to her in a spiral. Although Odette tried to shoot him, he was agile enough to avoid the blasts. Once he was at Odette?s altitude forced himself into the doorway, pushing Odette back onto the floor.?What do we have here?? Belial said as he slowly drew his sword. ?A little girl with a big gun, eh?? He began to approach Odette, but he paused when he realized something: ?You?don?t have wings??Odette was about to exclaim that she was not an angel once again, but she froze up when the egg-creature slowly and silently rose up behind Belial. Three thin and straight cracks appeared around the red eye, and the white outside of the creature opened up to show a mess of tangled cables and tubes. When the outer layer had finished opening, the panels clicked into place. Hearing the noise, Belial turned and saw the creature.And then the creature screamed.The roar was a mangled chord of all the painful noises that exist?nails on chalkboards, cries of dying animals, long beeps from cardiograms, just to name a few?blasted at a volume loud enough to compete with firearms.Belial?s dark skin lightened a few shades right before he leapt back down to the ground. After quickly pulling Michael away from the third Nerc and bringing him back to his feet, he said, ?We?re pulling out for now, but eventually we?ll get the Gem back.?The two conscious Nercs lifted up Grigori, and they flew out of town until they couldn?t be seen anymore.----Gabriel ripped the tape in his hands with his teeth and placed the piece onto the bandage wrapping on Michael?s arm. ?There you go,? said Gabriel. ?Remember not to use that arm, or it?ll take forever to heal.?Michael grunted in acknowledgement, and turned to Odette, who was sitting to his left. The three of them were sitting on a bench outside (at ground level, of course, for Odette?s comfort). Behind them levitated the egg-creature, back to being silent and still.?Well, I guess now you see the situation you?re in,? said Michael. ?This is the first time anyone from Chocoton has been this aggressive, but with me out of commission, it won?t be the last.??I?m not sure what I can do,? said Odette. ?But I want to help.?Michael nodded. ?I?ll be frank: I need you to get the Flight Gem. Gabriel will go with you. He has a pendant that can lead you to it. Even though he?s not as good as me yet, I?ve been training my little brother in magic, so if you end up fighting?and you probably will?he?ll be able to help.??All right,? responded Odette.?What about that?thing?? asked Gabriel. ?I think it wants to protect you. When Michael and I first found you, it growled at us for a while until we convinced it we wanted to help you.?Odette turned to the creature and looked deeply into its dark, red eye. She stretched out her arm and reached for it, and it slowly moved towards her. Her palm gently stroked the cold metallic outside of the creature, and the creature let out a soft and satisfied, if mechanical, humming noise.?I?I think you?re right,? said Odette. ?It?s strange, but I think I understand it. Its name is ?The Two of Coins?, and it says it wants to keep me safe.?The creature?s body started glowing until its red eye was obscured, and when the light faded, the creature could no longer be seen?Aah! It?s gone!? said Gabriel.?No, it?s still here,? said Odette. ?I can still feel it. It?ll come back out when we need it.?Odette leapt to her feet and spun to Gabriel. ?Well, I?m ready to leave whenever you are.?Gabriel stood and stretched and smiled, signaling that he too was re
