[OLD] Densetsu Side-Stories

Rise of Ashes

Zed dropped down from the ceiling of the hornet's nest he had cleared out moments earlier. Identifying his surroundings with his goggles, the HUD showed him where the room's four exits were. One was on the ceiling where he had come in, one on the door to his left, another door behind him, and a small vent on the side of the wall, though it was too small to enter. He carefully looked around, making sure he was alone before he turned to open the door behind him. The room he had entered was similar to the one he was previously in, only this room had three exit points. One on the floor, one on the farthest wall, and one behind him. He decided to take the farther wall.

He arrived in a room with two exit points, one on the wall he had entered from, and one on the floor. He didn't have much of a choice if he was to keep moving forward. Looking down, he nodded and dropped through the hole in the floor. He arrived in a room with a single exit point, and he realized this was his only option. He couldn't go back up, he could only move forward. According to the map on his HUD, he was on the bottom level of the military factory.

He calmly opened the door that led out to the front of the factory. It was a peaceful prairie that awaited him, and it was exactly as he had remembered it. He knew he was going the right way now. Unfortunately, he wasn't alone outside. A man with long black hair stood in front of Zed, with black wings, he wore a black coat, and everything he wore was black and white. His skin was pale, like snow.

“You must be the head of the Pale Ashes,” Zed assumed, yellow targets showing on his HUD. The man nodded.

“Of course, I am Asher White,” he introduced himself elegantly as he bowed to his opponent. “And what may I have the pleasure of addressing you as?”

“Harbinger,” Zed replied almost immediately after Asher introduced himself. “I'm not here to socialize, just doing my job.”

“You appear to look at the world in a very serious darkness, Harbinger,” Asher observed, “Why don't you lighten up a bit? Perhaps it would serve you well in the future.”

“As I said,” Zed whispered as he walked past Asher, “I'm not here to socialize.”

“And you've made such apparent,” Asher remarked, “however, you shouldn't discount everyone in the world but yourself. The only good kind of discount is done on the market.” Zed gave no reply to the man's metaphor. Instead, he kept on his way, avoiding Asher as he could, and hoping to be left alone. He mused to himself about the stature of his new found enemy.

The Pale Ashes are a group of criminals who are interested in nothing more than the world's calamity. If that is the case, why is Asher White, their leader, so plain and subtle? He hardly demonstrates his motives at all. Is that what he wants me to think? Or perhaps I am just a bit paranoid.

He looked around him, firing his gun at a bush. A squirrel fell out of the bush, dropping an acorn as it collapsed, dead on the ground. Weakness... he muttered.

Meanwhile, Asher watched Zed's movements from afar. “Well now, Mister Harbinger,” Asher said aloud, “We shall see who will come out the most unscathed from this battle. For in war, there are no true victors, only the ones who suffered the least pain. Always remember that.” He sighed, if only those words could reach Zed as he walked away.