Chapter 7: Red
The lightning dasher’s large snout was like a moving cave sniffing around the truck. It snarled, revealing its fangs and electricity flowed down like drool. The monster bumped its head to the side of the truck rocking it. The black box fell onto the floor revealing the yellow quill. Emma grabbed it. It glowed when she held it up. The quill lit the cabin revealing everyone inside.
The monster lowered its head so its injured eye could look inside. It focused on the quill, then Emma. The pupil shrunk. It raised its head up to the clouds and roared in silence. A bolt of lightning shot out from its mouth to the sky followed by deafening thunder that made everyone inside cover their ears.
The dasher leaned to the driver’s side. It sensed an electrical source behind the steps. The monster’s head towered over the truck as everybody recovered from the burst of thunder. The lightning rods on its back sparked a blue wave of electricity. The dasher pulled the waves over its head. It cascaded down its fur and over the truck making its way beneath the vehicle, seeping through its steps. There, the blue electricity entered the four large batteries, sparking the machine’s circuitry.
Red appeared onscreen. “Warning, power surge.”
“Red… activate kill switch.”
“Failure to activate.”
“What? How?”
“The electrical surge is a different type of current.”
“I don’t understand.”
Riné screamed. “Emma!”
The blue electricity snaked its way directly through the tech in the cab. It pushed Riné back, keeping her at bay with sharp pokes. A layer of blue energy enveloped Emma. Sparks shot out of the tech striking her head. She was like a lightning rod. Emma felt the electricity gently caressing her body as the lightning dasher struggled to get her to release the yellow quill. Her hand tightened its grip on it creating a surge of electricity. It was sourced from Emma’s own electric spell set.
The dasher stared at the quill in Emma’s hand. The monster’s scarred eye twitched, almost as if it recognized the yellow quill.
Emma’s heart skipped as the sparks around her body connected directly with her electric spells. She noticed everyone moved slow, but it was difficult to tell if they were reaching out to her. The blue sparks made their way into her ear and a woman’s voice spoke from within. “I am searching for the owner of that quill. I do not know who it was, but I will find it, and kill it. Tell me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never seen this quill before.”
“I sense the truth from you. If you become my Arcstorm and help me, I will teach you spells from history long gone.”
Emma pulled her injured left arm back and slid to the bed behind her.
“Let me heal you as proof of my good attentions towards you.”
“What?” Emma said as blue electricity sparked over her left arm.
“I was attacked by the owner of that quill and its Arcstorm. They were very powerful. Please, help me.”
“I don’t know.” The blue electricity on Emma’s arm was warm to the touch. Pain was intense for an instant as the sparks healed her arm then the bruise on her head.
“You handle electricity with great care. I see your potential in the electric arts.” The beast locked eyes with Emma’s. “Lavender… how pretty. There must be so much power within you.”
All known pain from Emma’s injuries were gone. However, her thoughts ran rampant. Her knowledge and memories replayed at a rapid pace. As Emma pulled her knees to her chest, the blue electricity formed a hand caressing her hair. Emma took a soft deep breath, easing her nerves.
“My name is Telandria… will you be my Arcstorm?”
A blue electrical hand formed and held out to Emma. An invitation. A veil of faint aura poured out of its palm waiting for her hand. “The quill… my Arcstorm.”
“My memories…” Emma felt the warmth of the blue electricity gently guide her thoughts. There was no malice or sense of danger from Telandria, just someone in need of help.
“My poor Arcstorm.” The lightning dasher said, standing Emma up to her feet. “I shall heal your lost memories as well.”
“It’s becoming clear.” The kind gesture and offer convinced Emma, yet, there was something strange about Telandria. Her instincts resisted, but her wish to learn her past overrode it. Just as Telandria’s electrical hand was about to take the quill, Kenichi stepped inside the cabin and gripped it. The yellow quill sparked over his right hand and he screamed, dropping him to one knee. Emma looked down at Kenichi as he looked up to her. The quill flashed one image of Kenichi and Fumiko together.
One moment that Kenichi and Emma recognized. They visually saw each other from their own point of view, locked eye to eye, with clarity. Kenichi, on bended knee, held a ring up to Fumiko as fireworks burst in the sky.
“Shinagawa.” They said with quivered eyes, and the surge from the quill separated them. Telandria shifted her head in Kenichi’s direction as he bumped into the wall. Emma collapsed onto the bed. The blue electricity and aura vanished.
“Emma!” Riné crawled to her as Telandria roared again unleashing her lightning then thunder shook the ground and rattled the building windows.
Red’s magic circle appeared on the screen with her silhouette. Kenichi noticed and yelled. “Red… Impulse Burst!”
“Ráfaga de Impulsos!” A wave of sound gathered around the truck’s air horn. It projected a vibrating burst of energy that struck Telandria’s chin like an uppercut. Its strength pushed the beast back, stumbling over its paws.
Telandria immediately stepped back and regained her footing. She growled, then crouched into a pouncing position ready to strike. Instead, her legs locked in place. Feeling the quivering of her paws, she thought, “What is this creature?”
Riné stared at Kenichi as Red’s magic circle on the monitor waited for the next command. She said, “I thought you couldn’t cast spells.”
“I can’t…” Kenichi lowered his head. “but Red can.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Me too.”
“Yamamura, Ms. Tonia is here with the guards. Get ready to drive.”
Kenichi hopped onto the driver’s seat as Colt changed bullets. “Sorry I cast a spell in front of Riné.”
“Nothing to apologize over.” Colt finished loading and checked his settings. “I would have told our party member later.”
Kenichi grew a smile when Colt held his gun and chanted, “Scope.”
The gun glowed creating a holographic scope sight over it.
At the embassy entrance, Helena pointed at Telandria, despite the guard’s hesitation. “Protect the Earthworlder!”
The Royal Mages carried their staffs and lined up in a row across the street. The captain raised his hand up as the spellcasters aimed. He dropped his arm and they all casted the same spell. “Spike Bomb!”
Each ball of light flew at the dasher and exploded on impact. Small spikes of light pierced into the skin. Lavender colored blood spilled out. Telandria roared, turning her attention to the mages. She ran at them as the captain pushed Helena back into the embassy grounds. Another group of Royal Guards charged out of the gates with swords unsheathed. Just as Telandria trampled over a couple of mages, the swords struck the legs of the monster. With one swipe, the guards were swept onto building’s wall. A few flew into the air over the iron gate. The remaining soldiers and mages stepped back as Telandria stood tall.
Inside the truck, as Riné cared for Emma, Kenichi and Colt watched the Royal Guards fight Telandria outside. The lightning dasher and injured guards blocked the entrance much to Kenichi’s frustration as he gripped the gear stick. The beast let out an area wide electrical attack and the nearby mages collapsed to the ground. The soldiers lunged at it. Kenichi looked inside the sleeper cab as Emma laid across the bed and Riné opened her left eye. “How is she?”
“Unconscious. Her body is extremely hot. It appears the Tempista’s energy is healing her. I will have to check for burns.”
“Tempista?” Kenichi saw the quill on the floor. “That monster reacted to the quill Maddox?”
Colt spoke, “Your hand.”
“I know.” Kenichi held up his right hand as it sparked.
“What did you do?” Colt did not receive an answer and he grabbed the trucker’s shoulder. “Why is your hand like that? I never seen it do that when you cast spells.”
Riné finished placing a blanket over Emma and spoke. “I need an explanation. How are you casting spells with a low aether and emium count?”
Red answered before Kenichi could speak. “He does not cast spells. I do.”
“How?” Riné took Kenichi’s hand and checked for any injuries. “This is not possible.”
Colt spoke as the battle continued outside, “We’ll discuss this later. We have a big issue outside. Where’s the quill?”
Kenichi answered, “Right here.”
“Don’t touch it.” Colt found it on the floor. He picked it and the black box up. “It’s still glowing.”
“And you’re still not getting shocked.”
Colt pointed the quill at Kenichi. “Something happened to you and Red in the teleport, and the dasher may be the key.”
Kenichi wiggled his fingers making the sparks appear while Colt put the quill in the box then opened the glove compartment. The cabin became dark again with only the monitor and interior lights on. “Red has a strange aura or energy around her body. I can see it, but since you couldn’t… I…”
Colt sighed as he slid the black box in the compartment, and nodded. “I get it.”
“I saw that weird energy head for Emma, it was blue, and it had a hand reaching out to her. So… I grabbed the quill to stop them.”
Colt placed his hand under his chin when he heard screaming outside. Telandria swatted more Royal Guards, sending them through the windows and doors across the street from the entrance gates. Then, she ate one of them while turning around. After she swallowed her victim, she approached the truck. Kenichi and Colt looked at Red, then to each other and nodded.
“It’s because of us.” Kenichi said and gripped the smartphone. “That’s why the creature chased us.”
“Yamamura don’t… we need you alive.”
Without saying a word Kenichi undocked the smartphone, opened the door and climbed out. “Enough, detective.”
Outside, Kenichi stepped in front of the truck. The warm engine was still running. The entire area was dry despite the rain falling above. Each droplet evaporated in the sky from the heat Telandria generated. He raised his smartphone up as the guards regrouped at the entrance. Helena watched Kenichi and heard what he said. “Red… projection!”
“Proyección!” Red emerged from the smartphone. After her feet touched the ground, she approached Telandria. As Riné gasped at Red’s holographic body, Colt stepped out of the truck and waved Kenichi inside, but the trucker followed Red instead. Telandria tracked their movements.
“Who are you?” Telandria spoke telepathically. She received no response. “Who are you!?”
“Kenichi,” Red said. “I believe it is trying to communicate with us through this strange energy.”
“I didn’t hear the creature speak.”
“There is a wave of energy around us. It’s coming from the creature. It’s the same as the energy around me. I should be able to connect to it. Shall I proceed?”
“No. Standby.” Kenichi tracked the aura to the main source above them. Now clearer, because of Telandria’s presence, it looked like the aurora borealis.
“Do not ignore me!” Telandria roared and approached them as the Royal Guards helped each other to their feet. “I know you can hear me telepathically.”
Kenichi reached up to the wave of aura with his right hand. It sparked. Telandria stopped with a gasp as his hand drew closer. “He can touch it? That can’t be? What kind of an Arcstorm is he?”
“Hey lightning dasher.” Kenichi said sliding his hands through the strange energy. His right hand sparked. “Since you’re trying to talk to me, can you speak Ingirian? I don’t know what you’re saying.”
“He really does not have telepathy. How? Why?” Telandria stepped back shaking her head in disbelief. Her reaction stopped Kenichi from touching the energy above them. As she calmed down to process the situation she heard a male voice. The sound flowed through the waved and reached the dasher.
“Well… this is very interesting.” Remy emerged from behind the truck. He passed by the passenger side nodding to Colt. “You can see the Conduit eh?”
Kenichi spoke. “Conduit?”
Nalia passed by the driver’s side as paladins followed her. “Surround the area! Back up the Royal Guards!”
The Paladin Corps emerged from the darkness of the storm, forming a perimeter. The creature focused on Red as Nalia and Remy flanked Kenichi. Nalia had her staff raised while Remy held his sword.
“We meet again Earthworlder.” Remy said as he scanned the truck. “Interesting Earthtech.”
Remy saw Red standing before Telandria. Her body veiled in the same light aura just like him. The paladin followed the energy tethered to the smartphone where Kenichi’s right hand sparked. “So, you are an Arcstorm. How strange. I never met one with a sparking arm.”
Kenichi looked at Remy also covered in the light aura. Before he replied, Colt and Riné climbed out of the truck, and the detective spoke. “What are you two doing here?”
Nalia replied as Telandria scanned the paladins around her. “We were sent here to help the embassy. We didn’t expect you to bring a Tempista here.”
Kenichi spoke. “Is that what the creature is called?”
“Yes.” Colt said aiming his gun at Telandria and briefed the paladins. “We have to get it away from the entrance so we can get the Earthtech inside.”
Red stood before Remy and spoke. “Why are am I covered in this energy and can cast spells?”
“Red!” Kenichi said and the hologram shudder from the scolding.
Nalia spoke. “Don’t yell at the child!”
“She’s no ordinary teenager.”
“Eh?” Nalia noticed the smartphone Kenichi held. She realized he aimed it at Red. “What is this?”
“It’s hard to explain. This doesn’t happen on Earth.”
Colt spoke, “Don’t say anymore. My client has nothing further to add.”
Nalia nodded. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Earthworlder. I wish it were under better circumstances.”
“Arcstorm!” Telandria said telepathically to Remy. “Explain all of this.”
Remy walked past Red and noticed she appeared displaced from reality. Almost as if she was a ghost. “Fascinating.”
He stood before Telandria as Nalia gave signals to the paladins to go to the roofs above.
Helena took advantage and waved the injured into the embassy grounds. The captain of the Royal Guards regrouped the able-bodied troops to the gate and made a defensive formation.
Remy communicated with Telandria. “Lightning dasher of the Agleica Tempistas… I am as confused as you are as to the status this child and the man being Arcstorms.”
“The girl I understand. She is made of electricity, and her Current is strong, but not connected to the Conduit for some reason. As for the man, he can see the Conduit itself and touched it.” Telandria looked up at the aura above. “I do not understand how.”
Remy turned to Kenichi as Red stepped closer to the trucker. “He is an Earthworlder. He was teleported here not too long ago. He knows nothing of our world. I will handle him. You go about your business and leave this region.”
“You dare command me?” Telandria snarled in Red’s direction as Remy stepped back. “They have the scent of their Tempista who attacked me. They possess the quill that belongs to it. I do not recognize it, but I will end these two. Then, I will hunt it down and kill it!”
Blinded by rage, Telandria leapt up into the air lunging towards Red and Kenichi. As she got closer to them, Riné raised her staff up and cast her spell. “Shield!”
A large wall of light appeared in front of Red and Kenichi. As Colt fired shots from his gun with the help of his scope. Each bullet struck her vital spots. Nalia and Helena raised their hands signaling their parties to attack. The impacts from the spells pushed Telandria down. She slid into the barrier and broke the shield but she never struck Red or Kenichi. Another volley of attacks pierced the dasher’s skin and she jabbed the floor with her claws. The lightning rods gathered electricity.
The paladins ducked back along the roof as Helena waved the guards into the embassy gate. Kenichi pushed Riné and Colt toward the truck. Nalia, Remy and the Paladins formed shields as Red stood before the lightning dasher.
After Colt and Riné entered the truck, Kenichi stood on the top step and held the smartphone up. “Red… Sonic Pistol!”
“No!” Nalia said.
“Pistola sónica!” Red raised her right hand up to Remy’s shock. She fired a burst of sound the size of a bullet. It struck Telandria in the scarred eye, and the lightning rods became distorted.
Remy crouched with the tip of his sword pointing at the paws. His feet glowed from the aura around him. “That stupid kid. Firaria Artes!”
The paladin glided across the ground. He sliced the back leg of Telandria causing her to lift her head upward from the pain. Remy reached out for Red to scoop her away, but his left arm passed through her. “What?”
Remy slammed into the truck. He shook his head watching Red turn around to him. “Are you okay?”
The paladin’s eyes grew wide as the chain reaction the Sonic Pistol spell triggered discharged into the air. It pierced the sky, parting the clouds and revealed the stars above. Red leaned close to Remy with concerned eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Who are you?”
“Red.” She politely bowed. “Nice to meet you.”
As Telandria rolled along the ground thrashing about from the pain, Nalia turned around looking up at Kenichi. “You almost destroyed the whole city you idiot!”
“Sorry.” Kenichi saw Remy talking to Red and called out to him. “Hey paladin.”
Remy stood up looking down at Red in awe. “The name is Remy Earthworlder. What do you want?”
“Cast that fire spell again.”
“What!?” He turned to Kenichi.
“The one you threw at me.”
“I know that, but if I attack the dasher, I’ll cause a natural disaster. This whole place will go up in flames.”
“Look to the sky!” The clouds re-gathered and the heavy blinding rain resumed, evaporating from the dasher’s heat. “I’ll have Red put out the initial fires until we can get that creature out of here and bring the rain down again.”
Nalia spoke. “Remy… no.”
Remy turned to Red. He was unsure if he should accept the plan. But he asked one question. “Can you do it?”
“Yes Remy.”
It was hard to tell from her emotionless expression, but looking deep into her eyes, he could see her determination to do this. Telandria limped back to her feet and with a nod he spoke. “Let’s do this… Red.”
Red nodded and they split off in opposite directions to flank.
“Oh no.” Nalia noticed Kenichi held his hand up in the air with his device. Looking around, cover was a short running distance away and Telandria’s second attempt at her spell was faster than before. Red stood before her with cat ears twitching and tail moving. “You’re not human?”
“No.” Red raised her hand up. “I am a holographic avatar.”
“A what?”
“Stay behind me. I will shield you.”
Telandria faced Red with Nalia and the embassy right behind them.
Remy sheathed his sword and created a sparkling ball with an air like halo around it. He saw Telandria’s scarred eye as she became fully charged. “Sanctunia Angelia Halon!”
Remy’s spell flew at Telandria just as her lightning rods discharged and it struck her injured eye. The discharge was cut into a piece that flew at Red and Nalia. “Deflexión!”
The discharge struck a barrier as Nalia covered her eyes. Red moved her arms up pushing Telandria’s weakened spell into the air where it dissipated.
Kenichi stood wide eyed at what Red did. “I didn’t say anything.”
Telandria’s scar opened again and lavender blood poured out. The embers scattered across the area. Flames lit up immediately. The fires were starting to become a storm itself due to the wind.
“Red… Water Cannon.”
“Cañón de agua.” Red aimed at the dasher.
“At the flames!”
“Understood.” Red turned the spell at the fires. The water soaked the area, dousing them instantly. A few embers remained, but they were picking up strength.
Telandria roared from the pain and crashed into the nearby building knocking the walls down. With her good eye, she saw Remy and Red flanking the truck, waiting for her to make another attack. With the injuries too severe to act, her lightning rods glowed, forming wings of electricity.
Remy and Red stood ready as Kenichi prepared another command. Telandria launched herself into the sky, flying into the clouds. She moved the weather towards the ocean, lifting the total darkness to give way to better lighting. The heavy rain resumed and put out the fires the embers had started.
Nalia approached the truck as the heavy rain turned to a drizzle. She saw the paladins above looking from the rooftops. She waved them down. “We have injured people… bring the first aid.”
Colt climbed out of the truck with Riné after hearing what Nalia said. He spoke. “Agent Komenezki, we left behind injured guards and contractors on our way here. We could use your help.”
“Of course.”
Riné spoke. “I can take you to them.”
Nalia nodded, then watched Remy and Red stand before each other. She approached them as they talked.
“You are an Arcstorm Red. We are both veiled in an aura called the Current and the energy above us is called the Conduit.”
“I see. Is Kenichi also an Arcstorm?”
“He’s not covered in the Current so he is not connected to the Conduit. I am as confused as the lightning dasher.”
“We need help.” Red said.
Nalia smiled at her. “Thank you for protecting me. I believe we can try and help you both in this instance. However, we do have case to take care of and need to apprehend Emma Rosado. Where is she?”
“Hey paladin!” Kenichi said climbing down his truck. As he walked towards the paladins, Emma emerged from the sleeper cab holding her head.
She saw the Paladin Corp outside as sparks poked out of her body. The equipment reacted a little. Her sight blurred. She crawled over the passenger seat and climbed out of the truck. Then, she headed away from everyone holding her head as more sparks popped out of her body.
Kenichi stood before the paladins. “I got questions. You better answer them.”
Nalia looked over at Colt. “Can we meet the Earthworlder?”
Colt holstered his gun and crossed his arms. “I can’t make any guarantees, but…”
“My name is Kenichi Yamamura!”
Colt took a deep breath and Remy chuckled. “Agent Remy Dent, Paladin Corps.”
“Yamamura.” Colt pointed at Red and Kenichi panicked as Helena stepped out of the embassy gate to talk to Riné tending to the injured.
“Red… Return.”
“Volver.” Red scattered into particles of light shocking the agents. They watched her enter the smartphone, frozen like statues.
Helena noticed Kenichi talking to Nalia and Remy and approached them. “Paladin Corps just had to get involved.”
She crossed her arms as Riné led the Royal Guards and Paladin Corps back to the previous streets to help the injured they left behind.
Kenichi bowed to everyone. “Excuse me. I have to get my truck back inside.”
Nalia and Remy spoke. “Truck?”
“Yeah…” Kenichi turned around and waved his hand at the vehicle. “That’s what we call this vehicle on Earth.”
Colt and Helena growled under breath as the Remy sheepishly smiled at what Kenichi said and Nalia raised her hand up. “We won’t repeat that in our report.”
Remy nodded. “That’s right.”
Helena walked away. “Thank you.”
Kenichi climbed back into the truck. He noticed the curtain was pulled to the side. He found the sleeper cab empty. “Emma?”
He scanned the cab thoroughly. “She must have ran away.”
Kenichi docked the smartphone and stared at the glove compartment containing the quill. Red appeared on screen as Kenichi took the black box out. He looked up at his wife’s necklace hanging near the windshield remembering the night he proposed to her.
“Do you miss her?” Red said.
“I do… but…” Kenichi slid his hand over the box as Colt climbed inside the truck.
The detective looked in the sleeper cab and saw it was empty. “Where’s Ms. Rosado?”
“She ran off in the confusion.”
“Well, the paladins are not going to be pleased. I asked Helena to distract them while we would have gotten her inside.”
“Who said she ran off?” Kenichi said and Colt smirked.
“Hmm…” Colt nodded. “They can’t detain her if she is in the embassy.”
Red tilted her head. “But… that is not the truth.”
They both looked at her realizing she was about to learn. Kenichi spoke. “I’ll explain this to you later.”
“Are you sure about this Yamamura? I do still need to detain her myself.”
Kenichi thought it over then replied. “If we understand her well enough, she might be heading back to the clinic.”
“It’s too big of a risk. However, if we can keep the Paladin Corps here, and we can keep Ms. Rosado hiding over there, then maybe, I might be able to concentrate on this case.”
“Then as they say in America, ‘Let’s roll the dice.’”
“Ameri- what?”
Kenichi chuckled and turned his attention to Red. “Are you okay?”
“I am doing diagnostics now on the truck.”
Kenichi remembered how she took initiative to cast a spell. He had so many questions, but right now, he had to get the truck inside. “Do one for yourself. I don’t want you to be hurt.”
“Yes.”
Colt spoke. “Hey kid… you did good out there.”
“Oh…” She bowed. “Thank you very much.”
Kenichi sounded the horn getting everyone’s attention. All the guards and paladins aimed their weapons at the truck. Helena waved at them to stand down as Kenichi smiled, much to Colt’s frustrations, and shifted gears and stepped on the pedal. The truck moved forward to the shock of everyone, watching in awe as it turned to the left and entered the embassy. Colt observed Helena blocking Nalia and Remy as Kenichi drove past the gate. The Royal Guards closed the entrance as soon as the truck crossed over, leaving Nalia and Remy standing there in defeat.
***
[07/20/3210]
Inside the truck, Kenichi stepped out of the sleeper cab, dressed in a business suit. He felt like he was now part of Teora dressed in it. Beyond the windshield was a slit of light piercing through a closed curtain. In the passenger seat, Red stared at the monitor hugging her legs. It was hard to gauge what was going through her mind. In fact, it was hard to tell what she was learning or experiencing. She was a program that could be projected as a hologram. Something that was not invented back on Earth.
Another thing was the fact that Ichigo drew her as a teenager. A catgirl for the fun of it. To poke fun at her father as Daigo had expressed bewilderment of a forty-year-old man with a teenage avatar. He could have deleted her, but as he told his old friend, Red was the last drawing of his daughter and would cherish it as a father would.
Now, in a sense, Kenichi found himself a father again. Only to a computer. Whatever happened in the teleport made Red and himself like this. He saw it in her eyes, she was discovering herself. The Current around her body was clear. She was an Arcstorm. Everything happened so fast after the lightning dasher fled, he never had a chance to thank the Paladin Corps, let alone ask more questions.
“Who am I?” Red asked as her eyes trembled.
“You’re Red.” Kenichi said crossing his arms.
“What have I become?”
“A girl. Alive… I think. I don’t know.”
“I am not supposed to be like this. I am a personal assistant program to you. Why does my hands shake?”
Kenichi turned to her, lowering his arms, and widened his eyes.
“What is happening to me?”
Kenichi had an idea, but to say so would be madness. Worse, it could hurt Red in the long run if he gave her the wrong impressions or expectations. He needed answers. But how? The world was so far behind in technology, no one would understand, or comprehend, what he would talk about… or how they would react.
“Let’s take this one step at a time.” He patted Red’s hair and her cat ears twitched. That was unexpected. Lifting his right hand up, it sparked a bit. “How about we start with learning right from wrong, okay?”
Red lifted her head up, her eyes twitched as she was greeted with Kenichi’s smile. She struggled to emulate it but she understood that it was meant to be positive. “Okay.”
“And maybe we’ll try to update your commands so I don’t have to tell you to do every little thing.”
“But I am programmed to assist you with everything.”
“Not like this.” He said and Red leaned back. “If… if what you’re experiencing is what I think you’re experiencing, then I have to do my best to not treat you like a servant… at least.”
“I don’t understand.”
“In time you will.” Kenichi saw the time on the smartphone. “We have to go. Red… Return.”
“Volver.” Red burst into particles of light and entered the docked smartphone.
Kenichi glanced up at Fumiko’s necklace. That moment he had with Emma when he grabbed the quill in her hand still shook him. He saw Fumiko standing before him even though it was Emma’s body that stood there. His heart skipped when he thought of Emma, however, his feelings for Fumiko remained strong. He gripped the steering wheel, growling under breath. “It can’t be her. It’s not her. It only wants to be her.”
Kenichi thought of Emma more. “So why… why did I see Fumiko in Emma? What does it all mean?”
He grabbed the smartphone, exited the truck, and pulled back one curtain. It was the embassy grounds. There were four Royal Guards standing at the entrance. Two with swords and two with staffs in hand. The area was devoid of any other person. The perimeter was rife with soldiers marching along. At the entrance to this secured area were two guards talking to Colt.
Kenichi made his way to the detective. “Maddox, how’s Riné?”
“Tired. She headed back to the clinic.”
“The contractors and guards we left behind?”
“The dasher did a number on them in the streets. The Paladin Corps built the triage until the medical staff arrived.” Colt walked Kenichi towards the embassy’s main area.
“Emma?”
“Hopefully, back to the clinic? We’ll know when Riné arrives there.”
“If we’re lucky.”
“Lucky?” Colt stared Kenichi down.
“Well… she’s… I want her to be a member of our party.”
Colt stopped Kenichi. “Why?”
“I have to know. Is she telling the truth? Is reincarnation real?”
“I don’t understand everything about Coronationism, but I do know from one of my cases is this… practitioners are supposed to move forward from their past lives.”
Kenichi looked down as Colt continued. “I think the idea is that Emma is supposed to live Emma’s life and not Fumiko’s life. To honor Fumiko’s memory not to be Fumiko.”
“I see.”
“When this case is over, Emma is going home and move on with her life… without you.”
“Right.” Kenichi walked away and Colt followed.
“You’re young again Yamamura. There are plenty of young women you can start a new relationship with.”
“I know. My children and my friend Daigo said the same thing.”
“Take your time. For now, let’s focus on the current issue.”
“Okay.”
They arrived at the main area of the embassy where a triage was at. All of the guards and paladins that were injured were tended to by doctors. While ambulance wagons arrived to cart the injured. There was a morgue wagon collecting the dead covered in blankets.
“What a disaster.” Kenichi said.
“That’s what happens in a monster storm.”
With the chaos of employees, Cosonian citizens and triage activities behind them, Kenichi stared at his right hand. He flexed his fingers. “I wonder what it’s going to feel like when I start casting spells.”
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean? You cast spells every day. What does it feel like?”
“Hmm…” Colt rubbed his chin. “Honestly, I never thought of that. I just cast a spell and it feels like I am opening a door. It’s only a normal every day action.”
“Really?” Kenichi held his right hand up ahead of him with his fingers spread out when Colt’s eyes grew wide.
“Wait a minute. Are you saying you can’t feel yourself casting a spell when you use your Earthtech?”
“No. Just these sparks.”
“And you’re an Arcstorm as well.”
“And you never cast a spell in front of me.”
“That’s because I never trust anybody with my spell set, not even my clients.”
Kenichi took a long deep breath and nodded. “I apologize. I should have trusted you and told you about this Current thing around Red’s body.”
“You were right to not be so trusting about that. In your shoes, I would have done the same thing, but Yamamura, my job is to protect you. I need your trust in me. I have to solve this case and any information you have that does not relate to telling me what’s in Earthworld is very important.”
“Then why won’t you let me talk to you about Earth if whatever information may be important? What are you so afraid of?”
Colt sighed. “Think about it. I have to travel to meet people that could be suspects. This could be bigger than we think, and because I am close to you, they could capture me and make me talk. Now we may have Arcstorms involved. They are extremely dangerous and if they have anything to do with what happened to Berain Forest, I don’t know what we can do to stop them if they have a plan. We have to keep this type of information as hidden as possible.”
“So, you think there is a connection?”
“Yes. The dasher was injured. It came from the west once a stormfront built up. The storm fits your description of what you saw on Earthworld.”
“Then what was the creature I saw when I came out of the forest?”
“I don’t know. The quill is the key. At least we know that Red is not the Arcstorm to the lightning dasher. It is reasonable to believe that you and Red may be Arcstorms to the owner of the quill. We just have to be patient. My sister will have the results soon enough. Right now, your life is top priority, and I have to go see Ambassador Winters now for a yelling.” Colt walked away.
“Yelling?”
Colt turned around taking a few steps backwards. “Well, we did execute that stupid plan last night and I let you step out of the truck to face the dasher. At least we chased it away. I’ll join you both in the café afterwards.”
“Both?”
“Yeah, our guest is waiting for you right now. I am bringing him into the fold just like you want Ms. Rosado. Fair trade?”
Kenichi smiled. “Okay.”
As Colt continued into the main building, Kenichi entered the café. There were a few patrons being served by waitresses. As he approached the counter, he heard a familiar voice. “Hey, Mr. Yamamura.”
It was Remy, in his adventurer’s outfit, sitting inside a booth at the far corner. Kenichi arrived at the table. “Are you the one Maddox said was waiting for us?”
“Indeed.” Remy stood up with his arm extended. “I believe this is an Earthworld custom?”
“Y…Yes.” Kenichi shook hands.
“Normally our greeting would be grasping the forearm.” Remy presented the seat. “Please.”
“Thank you.” He gave a slight bow and sat across from the paladin as the waitress arrived handing him a menu. “I need a roshta menu please.”
“Of course.” The waitress said.
Remy stared at him after hearing that and kept the regular menu Kenichi had. “I do expect his friend to join us soon.”
“Of course. I will be back with the roshta menu.” She walked away as Remy leaned close to him.
“You really can’t cast spells.”
“I have a low count,” He took out the Norodin. “I’m on medications and a roshta diet.”
“I see.”
“Why are you here?”
“I’m only here on Arcstorm business. We have to talk about this. You are wielding dangerous magic.”
Kenichi wasn’t sure if he should answer and he sighed. “Okay. Let’s start from the beginning.”
“What is an Arcstorm?” Remy said and Kenichi held his hand up before he received an answer. The paladin watched the trucker look around and took out his smartphone. His right hand sparked. “Hey, not out here, even I understand the law.”
“I know, but Red has to hear this too.” Kenichi hid the phone as the waitress arrived with the special menu.
“What would you like to drink?”
“We would like to wait for our friend to arrive before we order anything, even drinks.” Remy slipped a couple of money bills at her. “Please.”
“I will be back when your friend arrives.”
“Thank you.”
After the waitress left, Kenichi placed the smartphone on the table and leaned it on the wall. With a tap, the screen turned on revealing Red. “Don’t speak, we are out in the open. Agent Dent is going to explain everything quick.”
Remy spoke. “We can discuss the details later privately. I just want to explain the basics first, and that I ask you to not cast spells for now, understand?”
Red nodded and the men slid closer to the wall, she listened.
“Red, you and Kenichi are Arcstorms. You serve one of a powerful group of creatures called the Agleica Tempistas. Tempista for short. It means ‘Monster Storm’ in an unknown ancient Dragonic language. The name carried for over many millennia. It is a name to be respected. The Tempista themselves predate written history. Their historical knowledge is only passed by word of mouth.”
“I see.” Kenichi said as Red recorded.
“My Tempista is Malador the Wildfire. He told me that they were born into existence from the first storms formed upon this planet’s birth. That is how old they are.”
“Amazing.”
“The aura you are surrounded in Red, is called a Current. The energy that you saw above your head Mr. Yamamura, is called the Conduit.”
“Why can’t I see this… Conduit? I saw it last night.”
“It’s invisible to the naked eye. We only get to see it when we’re near a Tempista. The only thing we can see clearly every day, is the Current. Which is what’s surrounding us.”
“So, the Conduit is the source of Teora’s magic energy?”
“No. These spells are made directly from the atmosphere itself.” Remy leaned back. “Scientists I spoke to when I became an Arcstorm say the Conduit is a type of electromagnetic wave. They are still studying the Conduit but the entire scientific field agrees that it contains aether.”
“Then it’s not the same as the magic I’ve seen so far. Like turning on the lights?”
“Right. The Conduit is energy based, sourced in the atmosphere. The Elements are matter based, sourced in the atom.”
“Wow.” Kenichi lifted his right hand. “How did I become an Arcstorm?”
“In order to become an Arcstorm you have to be imbued with Current energy, which a Tempista provides. Next, you have to shake hands with it in order to connect with the Conduit. Once that happens you become the Arcstorm of that Tempista. You will communicate with them through telepathy and they will teach their spells called storm magic. Some Tempistas, however, will want unquestioned loyalty and obedience.”
Red lifted her head up hearing that. She looked at Kenichi with quivered eyes.
“Telepathy, eh? Well Red, that explains our communication issue with the dasher. So, who are we an Arcstorm of?”
“I don’t know, but what I do know,” Remy pointed at the roshta menu. “is that once you charge up and begin casting spells, you will become an Arcstorm automatically.”
“I don’t believe this.”
“I know. An unconnected Arcstorm has never happened in the entire history of magic. I assume it was from the teleport?”
“We think so too.” Kenichi turned to Red and she nodded.
“Mr. Yamamura,” Remy planted his hands on the table and folded them. “you and Red cannot cast spells without knowing who your Tempista is and receive proper training from it. I can teach the basics at least, but the spells I cast come from Maladar. Think of each Tempista as a school of magic if you will.”
“Understood. The magic school of Maladar.”
“Heh… Now listen carefully.” The men leaned close as Red listened on. “We have system in place called the Disaster Level Event. It’s how everyone keeps track of spellcasting on Teora. What happened last night was declared a disaster level event two, or D.L.E. 2 for short. It happens when an Arcstorm fights another Arcstorm or a Tempista.”
Kenichi remembered what happened with the lightning dasher when he had Red attack it. “I’m sorry.”
“We got lucky.”
“Red… do you understand?” Kenichi received a nod. He noticed her eyes quivering. “Don’t be afraid, we’ll be fine.”
“Amazing.” Remy said watching Red reacting to the news. “Just find your Tempista and get proper training. Okay?”
“Of course. By the way, if an Arcstorm spell is a level two disaster, why didn’t your spell destroy everything when we attacked the dasher?”
“Because I cast a holy spell, not a storm spell.” Remy presented his fingers. “A quick lesson. We can learn different schools of magic. There are no restrictions in that regard, however we cannot learn different spells within that school.”
“Oh?”
“I learned holy magic from the Paladin Corp and focused on fire as my discipline. I also learned fire spells from Maladar’s school. To put it simply, I am a fire specialist. See? Different school, same discipline.”
“I see, so whoever teaches you magic is a school. The spells you learn is your discipline. Then, you are labelled a specialist of that spell. Correct?”
“Yes.”
“Why can’t you learn fire in one school and water in another school?”
“We manipulate the energy produced by the aether and emium within our bodies. Like running, we only have so much energy to discharge. Using so many different discipline of spells drain us way faster than one single discipline. While we can do so, it is physically and mentally dangerous.”
“Understood.”
“Though keep in mind that this is not the same as operational magic like turning on a light. That energy is through the heat generated technology that reacts to the aether and emium our bodies produce.” Remy slowly pulled vapor to the palm of his hands. “Now, this is called Storm Magic. Don’t take the word literally to refer to the weather like last night’s rain. The weather is a mechanism in this school. Arcstorms have been very creative with the concept of the word storm.”
Remy made the vapor dissipate. “This is not modern magic, medieval magic, or even ancient magic. The sorcerers classify it as elder magic. It is the most studied, and most difficult to comprehend form of magic in all of history. No one can just pick up a book and start learning it like its math. Tempistas do not just pick any person on a whim to be an Arcstorm. You and Red… are an anomaly.”
“I see.” Kenichi leaned back looking at the ceiling. “Spellcasting… I am truly in an alien world.”
“Welcome to Teora, Earthworlder.” Remy picked up the menu.
“What’s it like?” Kenichi lowered his head. “Being an Arcstorm?”
Remy took his time to think of an answer. He formed a gentle smile that welcomed Kenichi into the group. “It’s like bringing imagination to life. A wonderful feeling to have when you cast that spell from the palm of your hands.”
Kenichi raised his head slightly at how Remy felt about it. The possibilities bound to fiction back on Earth, was now a reality. “I hope I find our Tempista. I want to learn.”
“I’ll do what I can on my end, after all, Teora has a global problem with whoever teleported you. For now, let’s make our orders, Mr. Yamamura.”
“Kenichi.”
“Remy.”
Kenichi took the smartphone and whispered. “Get some rest Red. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”
Red nodded and the smartphone closed. Remy waved the waitress over as Kenichi read the roshta menu ready to take his medication.
***
Riné entered her clinic, slow from exhaustion. She yawned, fighting to keep her eyes opened. Tending to the injured remained fresh in her mind. Wet from the rain, bloodstains on her sleeves, she was glad it was over and the streets were cleared. The doctor finally could put the whole thing behind her.
Riné entered her office and was about to take off her clothes when she heard a moan. She listened and heard it again. The doctor looked down the hallway to the last room on the right. Her checkup room. A female voice moan again. “Hello?”
With her staff in hand, she made her way to the room. A light shined bright and she shielded herself. Peeking inside, she found Emma’s clothes on the ground. She was on the bed curled up like a ball covered in electricity clutching her head.
“Emma!” Riné tried to approach her, but the sparks kept her distant. She held her staff up. “Body Scan.”
The spell scanned Emma despite the electrical interference. It detected the symptom. “She’s overhealing.”
Riné remembered that Emma had told her the lightning dasher healed her injuries. She aimed the spell where the bruise was at on her head. It showed it had healed but it also was overhealing her brain. “Stay still Emma, I can undo this.”
“No! Don’t! I’m close to the truth!”
“What?” Riné analyzed the brain and saw the sparks gliding over the surface. “Is it affecting her memories?”
“Please! Everything is becoming clear.”
“I can’t.” Riné proceeded to set up a spell to stop the overhealing. However, the electricity became a shield and blocked Riné. “Emma!”
Emma’s breathing was rapid paced. Her hair rose up with the static. Tears evaporated with each drop. The lightning dasher’s healing power unlocked every second of Fumiko’s life. Each moment from birth to death at fast forward speed. It was followed by her reincarnation, and her new life as Emma until this very second.
The answers Emma looked for her entire life, it became clear and she opened her eyes. “Satoshi… Ichigo…”
The End - Book 1: The Yellow Quill
To Be Continued in Book 2: The Golden Years
