Log #512: Biology
While Shade are undoubtedly the primary threat of humans in this hostile world, that is not to say that they are the only threat we face. There is a greater, rarer, and far less merciful enemy of humanity that scarcely reveals itself: Vain. Strange, twisted beings that each appear to take many shapes and forms, but unlike Shade, can only be grouped into one species from observations. Never has an encounter with these horrendous beings resulted in a human victory, and casualties are expected whenever a squad experiences an encounter with Vain. Nobody knows what these shape-shifting monsters are, or where they came from, but the only other thing that has been established other than the promised casualties is the name. Its origin is quite simple; everything we do to try to kill one is in vain, and whenever they fight it seems like the very world is revolving around them.
-General Shura Averin
250 BPE
When those soft, black eyes stared into mine, my thoughts ceased to be. This boy who had been so kind and unprejudiced to me had gone into a slumber in which few dreamed would end. His sister, his father, and even his class had prayed and pleaded for his return, day and night, month after month. And here he was, awake. His innocent expression looked so pale, so frail. He was awake; he was awake. The tears that spilled onto the hospital sheets below me felt so cold but so warm. His eyes never left mine, and his expression never changed, but I knew he was there. I could feel his presence tenderly expanding through the room, exploring a world almost half a year into the future. Even still, his distant gaze scared me somehow.
A gasp and the sound of something hitting the floor behind me freed me from my trance, and my head slowly lifted. Sunlight filtered through the curtains over the open window, shedding light into the room. The source of that commotion ran over to her brother's bed, taking his hand and falling to her knees. Through the red hair cascading down her face, I could see tears brimming in her eyes. As she held his hand in hers, Kazu's gaze strayed from my face to hers. Slowly, his eyes began to widen, and his mouth opened ever so slightly.
"Rosa..."
With that, Rosa leaped onto the bed and embraced her brother, wailing. Her tears spilled down her cheeks, but her grip refused to loosen. Every sob seemed to bring life back into his eyes, bit by bit, until he was embracing Rosa back, mimicking his sister's tears. Meanwhile, I stood watching from a distance, unable to allow myself the luxury of changing position. The reunion was beyond words; hope had been victorious against all odds. The despair that had clung cruelly to our hearts melted away in an instant, vanishing into the shadows. Just like that, doctors rushed into the room, separating the siblings and requesting our leave for a short time.
Outside the room, Rosa and I leaned back on parallel chairs. We looked to the ceiling lights simultaneously, sighing in joy.
"He's... awake." I tried to sound calm and casual, but even I noticed the heavy strain tainting my words.
"Yeah... I-I still... It's hard to believe. He was gone for so long, I began to—no, I won't say it. And I've only woken up myself a few months ago. You've been waiting all his time, though. You've gotta be happy."
"You're right. It really has been a long wait, hasn't it—" A sniffle escaped. "Hasn't... Hasn't it been so long? I... I've been waiting so—"
And I broke down.
The rest of that day blurred into tears, relief, and any other emotion that was left over. I remembered coming home, filled with news of Kazu's extended rehabilitation until he was well enough to be self-sufficient again. They approximated two weeks or so, in which they would ensure that there was no sufficient amount of mental damage or memory loss, as well as physical rehabilitation. Once those issues were addressed, he would at last be discharged from the hospital and return to class. I also remember collapsing on my bed and passing out immediately from exhaustion.
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Two weeks later, Darnay's Class cheered on Kazu's return. All twenty-eight of his fellow classmates shook his hand, gave him a hug, or high fived the returning Slayer-to-be. I didn't participate, but instead watched in surprise as Mr. Darnay himself shook Kazu's hand, before giving an emotional and surprisingly educational ten minute speech celebrating his return. At the end, he credited the entire class for the collaborative speech, admitting sheepishly that he did write the largest portion, however. Everyone broke into laughter and cheer, while I just stood there, dumbfounded. The entire scene was so much for just one person, it was impossible to comprehend. No matter how much I refused to believe it, however, it didn't change what was actually happening. So instead of joining into the excitement, I snuck out of the room, searching for a certain duo.
I knew my way around the academy by this point, so it only took a few minutes to seek out whom I had set out for. As I had predicted, Tyler and Alex were overjoyed, and darted off in the direction of Kazu's class without the slightest hesitation.
I tried to tell them to wait until their class was over, but shook my head at the suggestion as they disappeared down the hall.
There was absolutely no hope of even trying to catch up to them, so I just leaned against the cold, comforting wall and allowed my knees to buckle, darkness comforting my eyes. Deep breaths flowed through my body and soul, calming my mind and erasing the excitement of today. It was refreshing to finally be able to sit down with no distractions, and accept everything. It was a serene moment of blissful silence, and it lasted for an entire two minutes.
The sound of footsteps clicking against the metallic floor alerted me, but not enough to open my eyes. Whoever it was, they must certainly have no desire to converse with me, of all people. That theory had helped me through many years of my life, but apparently didn't apply to certain abstracts. The minute the figure halted their pacing, I was able to identify him by his controlled breathing, his obnoxious attitude, and his general apathy.
"Woah, woah, look who we have here? What would compel a girl such as yourself to lie against a cold wall, alone, in the middle of a dimly lit hallway? Seems a bit introverted, wouldn't you say, Ali?"
His tone was as casual and condescending as ever, especially when using that ridiculous nickname, but it hardly bothered me now. With closed eyes, I responded in a paralleled tone, "Yeah, I agree. And what of a boy dressed so pompously while looking down on said girl? A bit stuck-up, wouldn't you say, Franky?"
"Haha! I suppose that is one opinion to consider. Anyway, what does bring our fierce Squad leader to such a lonely state? Could it perhaps pertain to our recently recovered ally?"
At that remark, my eyes opened, and I looked up boredly at Francis.
My lack of response seemed to dissatisfy him, and he made an irritated tsk. "Well, fine. You know, daggers are made of metal, not glares. But I suppose you can turn anything into a dagger with enough practice," he smirked at his own comment. "But really, I thought you would be at the front of the crowd, considering how close the two of you are. Are you perhaps, bashful? Maybe a bit shy?" He grinned mockingly as he swung his arms and body around to emphasize his words.
"How amusing. You've successfully turned yourself into a circus clown. No, I just don't like loud noises, is all. Excitement and things like that don't suit me, okay?"
"Hm, I see. I suppose considering your lineage, you wouldn't be much of a people person. You know, since your—"
"SHUT it, Francis. Don't mention my parents here, or anywhere for that matter. I left for a reason, you know, and I don't need a snot-nosed arrogant ass like you to bring it up, got it? My parents have nothing to do with me, and I intend to keep it that way. The fact that you even know them is because of me and me alone, so I wouldn't go babbling my ass off whenever I pleased if I were you. Now, is there anything else you wished to discuss, Francis Glorieux, or shall I assume our conversation is over?"
His composure seemed to be lost for a moment, but recovered quickly enough so that any casual viewer would not have even noticed the lapse. "Well, well. How scary. Alright, if you really are that adamant about e leaving, then I might as well. And don't worry, I'd never tell anybody about your lineage, 'cause I'm in a similar boat as you. It would be really annoying if you sold me out too, so we're in a stalemate. I bid you adieu, my dear Leader Alison." He turned around, waving behind him as he strolled away in the direction he had come from.
"And one more thing?" He paused momentarily, not caring enough to turn around.
"What?"
"It's Francis Davis, you know."
Seriously. That guy made a living being a pain.
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I first began to notice it after school. I had decided to take the trip home with Kazu to ensure his well being, and after five minutes of silence I realized just how quiet he was being. When I glanced over, his face exuded darkness, a scary expression that drained away all joy hardened on his face. When I looked downwards, his hands were clenched in trembling fists. His eyes gazed blindly into the distance, unflinching. Carefully, I extended my arm out to him, brushing my hand against his. To my disturbance, he appeared entirely unaffected, not even bothering to look back. Tenderly, I caressed his fist with my fingers, hoping for some sort of reaction.
Nothing.
Defeated, my arm returned to my own side. No matter what I tried, he wouldn't respond. When I stepped in his way, he stopped and looked at me with a tired expression. When I grabbed his arm, he wouldn't respond. When I called out to him, he responded, but said as little as possible. By the time we had reached the turn to his street, I was genuinely concerned. As I waved goodbye, I made a mental note to keep a close watch on him.
A day later, Mr. Darnay brought everyone together again, and announced our second and final field trip of the year. We would be travelling all the way to Ismira, where the legendary Bowen Squad was said to finally be returning from their year-long expedition. We would be travelling through a path that was not entirely blazed, but safe enough for first-years to traverse, in the same teams we had been assigned for the previous outing. The objective was simple: arrive safely in Ismira and kill any Shade that tried to prevent that. The teams were to leave in three days, providing time for everyone to prepare and pack up for a potentially grueling affair.
When he was finished with his instructions, Mr. Darnay told us to assemble with our Squads and discuss the field trip. Kazu walked up to me, scratching his head and looking around suspiciously.
"Oh! Right, I forgot you were sleeping when he divided the class. Alright, I guess I'll have to explain it to you then."
I tried to speak as positively as I could manage.
He looked up at me, and nodded.
"Alright, first things first. In a minute or so, all the members of our Squad will be here, and you can ask questions to them. Until then, allow me to explain. Our squad is Chang Squad, since I was appointed the leader by Ol' Teach. Each Squad consists of five members, and two Squads form one group. In any sort of outing where we leave the Barricade, the three groups of the class set out at different times, and reconvene at the assigned destination. The two Squads that make up a group are always to stay in close proximity with the other, or in range of the flare guns provided to each Squad member. Of course, each Squad still has the freedom to explore without the other, so long as they have a quick way to return to the other in case of some sort of emergency.
"Our first outing was a few months ago, while you were still in a coma, which is when we were assigned our Squads. You didn't miss too much, since all we did was look around outside the Barricade surrounding Devarden, and I'm sure you aren't exactly in need of that experience, so you should be fine on this trip. Any questions?" I clapped my hands together in my best imitation of Mr. Darnay.
Well, minus the danger-seeking thrill in his eyes.
Kazu looked at me, and again I felt that cold, unfamiliar presence stare at me.
"Just one. How many Shade did you guys kill without me?"
"W-Well, not too many, actually. It was pretty uneventful, to be honest. The terror of being surrounded by that darkness was exhilarating, though." The other three, who had gathered around me, nodded in agreement.
For some strange reason, Kazu's expression twisted into a terrifying grin. "Oh, really? How disappointing... Oh well. I'll be sure to slaughter those monsters far better than anyone else this time."
And he walked away.
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Chang Squad reconvened at the massive gateway in the Barricade three days later. Mr. Darnay was patiently waiting, admitting that he wanted to personally see each Squad off. Marinos Squad, the other half of our group, was already outside, "killing time and Shade indiscriminately," according to Mr. Darnay. I thanked him for the heads-up and called the rest of my team together.
"Alright, guys, it's finally time. Our expedition to Ismira will begin the second we walk through those gates and rendezvous with Marinos. Any last words?"
Isabelle waved her hand, jumping around. "Um, I got one! What are Marinos? Are those the ones with wings?"
"No, Isabelle. Miranda Marinos, remember? The leader of Marinos Squad? Sarah Arcos, Matthew Boris, Katharine Wilson, Sadie Williams? We talked about this, remember?"
She put a finger to her forehead, tapping lightly as if in deep thought. "Oh, RIGHT! How could I forget? Alright, next question!"
"I thought you said one ques—"
"Who's Katharine?"
Sigh.
"The one in the purple uniform? Always with Sadie? Two daggers?"
A blank face processed nothing. "Huh?"
Sigh.
"Kadie?"
"OOOOOH, Kadie! She's here?! Awesome!!" The bubbly, colorful Slayer, Isabelle Italia. The exact same as she was three months ago. And half a year ago.
Francis stepped up, hands in his jacket-pockets. "Hey, Isa? Could you screech a bit less ear-piercingly? I get that you're excited to see your friend again, but I'm pretty sure the Shade are more excited to see you. With their teeth. And claws. And whatever else they like to kill us with."
"You mean like talons, stingers, beaks, fangs, tails, horns, tusks, and full body impacts?" Isabelle was trembling from excitement.
Her unrestricted, open attitude clearly was not what Francis had expected, and he took a step back. "Oh, yeah. Sure. Those too." The cool, composed Slayer, Francis "Davis". A nuclear explosion probably couldn't make him lose composure for longer than a minute.
"Alright, guys, settle down. As excited as I'm sure you all must be, our comrades and mission await us. Shall we be off?" As much as I loved watching my team be, well, the kids that we were, the energy they were exuding would be far better spent killing the Shade that so patiently awaited our arrival.
Kazu walked up next to me, hands in his pockets as well. "That's right, guys. The sooner we get out there, the sooner we can begin the slaughter. And isn't that why we're here, after all?"
There it was again.
It was like he was possessed or something.
I signaled to Mr. Darnay, and he waved to the control center above the gate. A few seconds later, the ground shuddered heavily, and the gate began to split in half, opening slowly. The other four members of my squad lined up behind me, watching the ten-meter-high, laced iron bars separate within the marble walls, creating a pathway to the outside world. Every step echoed through the short hallway, and the pressure of the Barricade looming above our heads felt like it would crush our bodies and souls at any moment. The claustrophobia of walking under a tunnel had no hope of comparing to the fifteen meter walk under the massive Barricade. Footsteps echoed and fused with other footsteps of my friends close behind me.
As I took a final step out of the gateway, the Sun's burning glare greeted me, flaring in my eyes. The untrimmed grass softened my steps, creating a feeling like nothing within Devarden. My vision readjusted to the light, and my hand returned to my side. Behind us towered the structural masterpiece known as the Barricade, but in front of us loomed the natural masterpiece of a forest, expanding out as far as naked eyesight would allow. The only land not overgrown by untrimmed trees was a clearing of fifty or so meters forming a hemisphere around the gate. Past that, nature roamed free unbound by human restrictions. Even the air felt more real, more refreshing than it had a minute ago.
Nicole stepped forward, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "It's... beautiful. The cloudless sky is untarnished by human waste, despite existing directly next to civilization. It's almost as if the Barricade has created its own, separate ecosystem for humans within its confines, and outside the walls are where nature and its creation can exist in peace and harmony." The poetic, antisocial Slayer, Nicole Minas. Strangely, her kill count of Shade was equal to that of a farmer's, and nobody I asked could ever say they've even seen such a deed.
"Yeah, it's pretty cool," admitted Francis.
"It's so pretty!" Isabelle giggled, waving her hands through the sky as if wading through clear, untarnished water.
"It's nice and all, but when do we get to the killing? I'm dying to see some Shade already, so can we quit dilly-dallying?" Kazu impatiently paced around, hands shoved in his jacket pockets.
Suppressing a sigh, I patted his shoulder as I walked past him. "Don't worry, Kazu. You wanna see fighting and killing? Check it."
The forest had lost its serenity while Chang Squad had been admiring the beautiful scenery: the sound of yelling and swishing of metal sliced through the peaceful atmosphere, erasing all feelings of tranquility. The barrier of trees separating the forest and the clearing broke apart, and two Aberrants stormed out, waving their arms around the backs of their necks. On closer inspection, a girl was crouching on top of each Shade, dodging their frantic swinging. The one on the right, a girl with short, brown hair, whipped out two curved daggers, before injecting both blades into the neck of her mount. It roared in response, falling face first onto the ground, and into the other's path. As the second tripped over the fallen Aberrant, the second girl, with similar hair, pulled out two long staffs from her back.
Her smirk was visible even from our vantage point, as she drove them into the back of the beast's throat. It roared, then went limp. The two girls dismounted their motionless Shade, sheathing their weapons and sighing simultaneously. Facing away from the Shade, they looked at each other, and started to giggle from the adrenaline. As they distracted each other with the bruises on their faces, the creatures behind them began to pick themselves up, the napes of their necks regenerating. Lifting an arm each, they threw their hands down in hopes of crushing the girls who were preoccupied with each other. As the massive palms smashed the ground, the girls leaped out of their trajectory with no time to spare, drawing their weapons. The girl with the daggers threw a blade to her friend, and the staff girl tossed one over to her friend. Both girls caught their gift perfectly, and attached their daggers to the tips of their staffs.
"Dammit, I thought the nape was a weakness!"
"I guess the textbook had a typo or something!"
Chang Squad could only watch in awe as both girls wielded scythes identical in their dimensions. The only difference between the weapons was the daggers' colors, each matching the other owner's outfit. Both girls cried out in unison, charging forward. They climbed up the arms of the recovering Aberrants, and lifted their scythes in the air. With one final cry, they swung their weapons, decapitating the giants in one fell swoop. As they landed in a crouch, the Shade behind them collapsed backwards, lifeless. Both warriors were panting heavily, sweat dripping down their cheeks as they stood back up and faced us.
They were looking at Isabelle.
The one in blue ran forward, despite her clear exhaustion, and lifted her free hand high in the air. Isabelle's face brightened further, and ran over to meet the girl, returning her high-five. "Hey, Isa! How've you been? I was gettin' worried for a minute that we'd hafta continue on without 'cha!" The girl winked with a bright smile. She had a pretty face, but one that lacked hesitation if the situation called for action.
"Hey, hey, hey, Kadie! We were looking for you, but you went on ahead without us! Meanie!" Isabelle put on a pouty face, crossing her arms.
"Hah, nice try. We know ya better, Isa. I bet'cha would've gone ahead if we were late instead, eh?"
Isabelle looked away, a whining noise exiting her lips. Meanwhile, the other girl had recovered, and stood next to Kadie. "Hey, c'mon Isa, Kadie. Let's not do this right now, okay? It is great to see you again, though," she looked past Isa at the rest of us, "and you guys, too! Nice to see Coma Boy up and at 'em!"
I stepped forward, and decided to ask about their comrades.
"Actually, they were just he—"
An explosion cut her off, shaking the ground.
"That came from the forest!" More explosions shook the ground, and smoke pillared into the sky. Suddenly, two figures burst through the trees, landing on the ground in a crouch. They were facing the forest, where the trees they had just passed through were now growling angrily. In an instant, the trees were ripped from their roots, flying into the clearing as two centipede-shaped Shade rushed towards the two students. They were gigantic: at least twenty meters long and five thick. Two drooling, black pincers contracted and extended, screeching horridly. The two Quakers crawled closer to their prey, legs working in unison to catch their elusive targets.
As the Quakers stormed over to the duo, the one on our left crouched again, lifting a naginata in both of her hands. She ran forward, leaping in the air with a war cry that practically matched that of the Quakers'. As she reached the peak of her ascent, she thrust her spear arm forward, hurling the weapon high ahead of her, and right between the pincers of one of the Quakers. It reared up, screaming in agony. The moment she landed, however, she continued her charge, until she reached the furious creature. She jumped onto one of the legs, using each as a stepping stone as she bounded her way up to the head of the giant. One final leap, and she grabbed onto the handle of her spear, which was still lodged in the Quaker's mouth. She ripped the weapon out, jumped in the air one more time, but this time used the spear to slice through the side of the centipede as she fell, creating a tear all the way though the length of the serpentine body. Blood spurted out from the wound, and the Shade screeched one final time before collapsing in a heap around the girl.
She looked up, and we all turned towards the boy, who had been dodging the other Quaker's attacks the entire time. It would curl up, jet out its head to grab him, then give chase. He, on the other hand, kept running, sweat brimming on his face. He took one giant step suddenly, and turned towards his pursuer with a scowl on his face. It lifted its head in the air above him, and shot downwards, pincers drooling hungrily. Instead of running, however, he leapt in the air to meet the beast, lifting a halberd behind him in a stance to thrust it forward. A battle cry roared out from his very being and he lunged forward in midair, the halberd making direct contact with the mouth of the beast. The shaft between the axe blades opened up while inside the mouth, and flames jetted out, engulfing the head of the Quaker in a fiery explosion. The man hit the ground with a thud, followed by a much louder thud of the Quaker's roasted corpse. Parts of his face were singed from recoil damage, but that hardly seemed to bother him. He looked up, as if just now noticing his audience.
Matthew looked to Sarah, then back at us, then at Sarah again. His gaze drifted over to Kazu, and he waved.
"Hey, Lazy-Ass! Finally come back to the land of the living, huh?"