Dodge: Serial 70

Sansat delivers the fruits of his research to Govan, just in time for war.

Serial 70: Sword of the Soul

March 2nd, 33 S.D.     08:39     Henron-Prevati Border, Central Plains

    On horseback, Prime Lead Govan looked out across the plains, panning his head from left to right. Before him, thousands of Henron soldiers made their way into Prevati territory. Under ordinary circumstances, such a massive show of force would have been seen as a perilous threat to the Prevati. They had, however, proved quite receptive to this otherwise unheard of idea.

    The Henron would pass through a small sliver of Prevati land to attack Sventa from the south. The Prevati had little love for their northern neighbor, and by allowing the Henron to wage war, they could damage the Sventa without assuming any risk. Henron would do all of the fighting, sustaining any losses on their own. The Prevati could deny any responsibility in the conflict by simply claiming their own meager army had been too weak to stop Henron from marching through. Sventa could hardly afford to retaliate against Prevati in any case.

    Beside the Prime Lead, Core Leads Lisk and Vitna sat upon their own horses.

    “Things are proceeding smoothly,” Lisk noted, flipping through several pages on a clipboard. “At this rate, my order will be prepared sooner than expected. We can stage a position southeast of Sventa quickly.”

    “Naturally, my order is ahead of schedule as well. We can make good time towards central Sventa,” Vitna added.

    “Any word from our gracious hosts, the Prevati?” Govan asked.

    “As a matter of fact,” Lisk began. “An envoy bearing the Guarded Arms just arrived to deliver a message. It is from the Chief Councilor of Prevati himself.”

    “Contents?”

    “He gives you warm regards. It is his hope this blow will put the ‘arrogant Sventa’ back in their place. I do not know the exact situation between Sventa and Prevati, but it seems to be tense.”

    “A lot less than ours, Lisk. We are at war, after all,” Vitna pointed out. “Although the passive-aggressive temperament of the Prevati’s relationship is nothing to smile at.”

    “From what I understand,” said Govan. “Sventa has been able to gather many minor clans in the area into friendly alliances with it. A number of them previously only interacted amongst themselves and Prevati. Though minor clans do not hold much sway in large-scale matters, it irks the Prevati that these groups are now declaring themselves ‘neutral’ to all parties. The Prevati would rather these minor clans affiliate with no one else but them. It is a reasonable sentiment given that these minor clans essentially live on Prevati grounds. But, the Prevati can do nothing; it represents a waning of their power.”

    “That makes sense then,” Vitna nodded.

    “Prime Lead,” Lisk said, holding up a pair of binoculars to his eyes. He’d steered his horse all the way around, looking back in the direction of Henron. “There is something you ought to see. It is Koter the Velhast Hound.”

    Govan raised an eyebrow slightly. “I thought I assigned Koter and his squad to your order, Lisk.”

    “Indeed, Ver Govan. He should be up ahead with the rest... He seems to be escorting someone,” Lisk said, pulling the tool away. “That damned dog! He can never follow anything anyone ever tells him...”

    “Do not be so hasty to judge him,” Govan said. “If he acts outside a given directive, it is never without cause. Let us see who it is he is bringing along. Look, he comes here this way.”

    True enough, Koter eventually came riding straight towards the officers. His partner turned out to be none other than Sansat Romos. The doctor had a curious object strapped to the back of his steed. About a meter long, it was tightly wrapped in a black tarp, bound all over with rope.

    “Ver Govan,” Koter announced, trotting to a halt. “I received an emergency request from Binfort. As you can see, they asked that I bring Sansat to you as promptly as possible.”

    “What is this all about?” Lisk frowned. “Koter, you work directly for Prime Lead Govan. Who is Binfort has the authority to detain our only remaining member of TRIBLADE?”

    “Actually, gentlemen, it was something Heigon Henron decided himself,” Sansat said as he slowly dismounted. “Binfort merely passed along the message.”

    “Heigon?” Lisk blinked.

    “Sa,” Koter spoke up. “I am not exactly the type to disobey the head of our entire clan, so I stayed back when we deployed. They had us rejoin you as fast as we could. Looks like we made it in time.”

    “What could be so important as to... wait,” Lisk paused. “Do you mean to tell us that we have finished that research Govan mentioned earlier?” he asked, looking over at Sansat, then Govan.

    “Indeed. At least we have completed enough to provide you with a fully usable prototype.” Sansat began handling the lengthy item he’d carefully covered.

    “Prototype?” Govan echoed. “It is not truly ready then?”

    “No, no. I would not have rushed all the way out here if that were the case. While a more refined model would take years to perfect, what we have here is something that can reliably be used on the field right now.” He turned around, holding the thing in both hands horizontally. “We put it through a host of tests, and we believe it suitable for combat operations.”

    “So, it has been weaponized...” Vitna mused.

    “But just what is it?” Lisk demanded.

    “Sa, I was just about to show you.”

    Although whatever Sansat possessed was intricately tied up, all he needed to do was pull one loose end to unravel the whole design. In an instant, the rope piled upon the ground as the dark cloth unfurled itself. Revealed before them was a most unique sword. The blade looked like any other double-edged razor, however, it was entirely black in color. Its polished surface reflected a fine sheen. Where the guard began, a somewhat bulbous device had been implanted. Various wires ran underneath a metal box-like enclosure, seemingly burrowing deep into the rest of the sword.

    “What is this?” Govan asked aloud, dropping himself from his horse. Slowly, he stepped towards Sansat; his hand raised as if to touch the sword. “This material... It is not metal,” the Prime Lead observed, stopping and running his fingers over the broad side.

    “Is this the same substance you showed me at Binfort?”

    “Sa. We were correct about our suspicions. The Forbidden Grounds contained a fair amount of this newly discovered ore. It is called serastone, aptly named for its ability to hold seras.”

    “Serastone?” Koter blurted all at once; his eyes whipped open swiftly.

    “Sa,” Sansat said, glancing over at the Field Lead. “Is something wrong?” Koter simply looked down at the doctor from his horse. “No. It was nothing.”

    Sansat shrugged and went back to explaining his work. “As you may recall, Ver Govan, I first demonstrated this to you in a much smaller form. After hours of engineering, my team and I have been able to come up with this: the serasword.”

    “It does look like a sword,” Govan said as he folded his arms. “But I know enough to tell it is far more than that. How have you improved the technology since last time?”

    “Plenty. Magnitudes,” Sansat smiled. “That little rock barely had a fraction of the seras contained within this sword. Back then, we also had only vague comprehensions of what serastone was and how to best utilize it. All of that has changed, thanks to no small amount of studying.”

    Govan looked down at the weapon. “How much has changed, doctor?”

    “What say you for a brief display of its powers? Koter, you handle these blades well enough. Care to give this one a swing or two?” Koter’s brow flashed up and down for a fleeting moment as the doctor turned to him with a grin.

    “Sa... I am handy with many tools, but swords are not particularly my fancy. If you all had made me a knife like before...”

    “Come now, Field Lead; I do not expect you to do anything crazy.”

    Koter frowned slightly to himself as he threw his legs over his horse and came aground.

    “All we need do is activate the battery stored here,” Sansat said, pointing to the box grafted onto the guard. His finger played with a small dial. It clicked, and then instantly the blade surged with sparks, if only for a time. “Now that that is done, the sword is ready.” Sansat offered Koter the grip. Taking it in hand, Koter held the blade upright, examining it at arm’s length.

    “So, what precisely is it ready for?” he asked.

    “Ah, I see you are not aware of its potential. This will allow you to wield the seras inside as your own, granting you the might of serialization. You should feel the serastone’s energy flowing. The enhancements we added allow for those even unversed in the art to manipulate the power of seras. Go on; try it out. Just be sure to aim it over there, away from anyone else.”

    Koter looked at the rest before turning towards the empty plains. Raising the sword, he swung it downwards, but nothing happened.

    “Try it again,” Sansat said. “Visualize what you want to make. You fought Losha before; you know what serialization is capable of.”

    “Ksh,” Koter said as he shrugged. He tossed it in the air, flipping it end over end.

    “H-hey! Be careful!” Sansat cried, throwing his hands up as if he wanted to catch it.

    Effortlessly, Koter caught the falling sword with one hand, stealing it with a single motion of his arm. Quickly, he twirled the sword around, slicing an imaginary target. As if he were a saw, Koter swung the blade in a series of loops and curves, spinning both himself and the weapon in dance. With a few more elaborate slashes, he suddenly came to a halt. He held the sword in front of him, turning it around in his hands.

    “It feels a bit weighty on the bottom; that messes with the balance, creating additional strain on the wrist. It may slow down one’s striking speed if they are unused to it or have a weak hand. Other than that it seems like a decent sword by all accounts. Nothing special happened though.” Koter faced the others as Sansat growled.

    “You probably tampered with the power supply,” the doctor fumed. “It is a delicate device after all. You cannot just go tossing it about like that!”

    “Then what purpose does it have as a sword?” Koter asked, walking back towards them.

    “That is just the form we molded the serastone into! It can serve as a melee weapon, but it is supposed to primarily be used as something that allows people like you and me to perform serialization.”

    “Hmmph!” Koter huffed. “So it is all for show?”

    “Sa, much like you.”

    The Field Lead snarled, however, Govan stopped them. “Let me see this so-called serasword,” he said, picking it up from Koter. He too held it upright before his gaze, looking at it with scrutiny. “If this is the same as the one you developed earlier, then should it not-”

    Cutting into his sentence, an abrupt sensation all at once overwhelmed him. It were as if something had rushed into his being, flooding his very core and essence. An unseen force grappled with his soul, wringing its pressure tightly around him.

    “Ungh!” Govan grunted as he stumbled. His vision wavered as his limbs slackened a bit.

    “Prime Lead!”

    “Ver Govan!” they cried, drawing near. However, a brilliant flare kept them at bay. The serasword burned with a white, golden aura. It moved, pulsing like waves but flicking like flames. The light gradually crept up the Prime Lead’s arm, enveloping him all the way up to his shoulder.

    “Govan! Let go of that thing!” Lisk yelled, jumping from his steed, bravely reaching forward. Govan’s eyes split wide open, as if he’d seen something at last.

    “Stay back, Core Lead!” he barked, surprising everyone with the strength his voice carried. “I think I am alright... Just... taken aback, I suppose. It really is different this time.” Slowly he straightened up.

    “What is going on, Doctor Romos?” Vitna asked. “Why have we not seen such a reaction when Koter used the serasword?”

    “Every soul is unique,” Sansat said. “Naturally, the manner in which two souls handle this weapon will vary. None of us experienced anything like this, however. Even after hours of internal testing, we hardly came close to seeing this sort of phenomenon. I would posit that some of us are innately more adept at handling serastone than others. That would give us the gap we see between the Field Lead and the Prime Lead.”

    “How do you feel?” Lisk asked, glancing up and down Govan’s arm.

    “Sa... It is an unusual state, but nothing I cannot properly manage.”

    “Care to have a go with the sword?” Sansat asked. Govan nodded, walking past them all.

    Dormant fields stretched into the gray horizon, a perfect testing ground for such a destructive tool. Govan swung the serasword forward, pointing it level with the earth. A number of dots of light materialized around his arm. Guided by some kind of magnetism, they gathered at the tip of the sword. As more appeared, the light coagulated into a single mass, an orb that grew greater by the moment. A high-noted humming reverberated throughout the area, increasing steadily as Govan’s attack gathered power. At last it finished charging. The large orb winked out for a second before it exploded.

    A beam shot forth from the sword, soaring over the land. Far into the distance it traveled, a kilometer and a half in only ten short seconds. Then, upon reaching a certain point, the line of light erupted into a searing column of flames. Blasting high into the sky, fire roared to life, towering above all. Govan fell to one knee as his arm dropped to his side. The aura summoned around him withdrew to the sword. Immediately, everyone fled to his side.

    “I think... I went too... did a bit much...” he said in between breaths.

    “Shrieks...” Lisk mouthed. “Did we truly witness that just now? Doctor, is this real?”

    Sansat laughed and grinned. “Sa, sa! There, everyone! We have just seen the dawn of a new age!”

    Gradually, Govan came to his feet; his arm trembled still. “Bring me a sheath,” he ordered. “I will carry this serasword into battle.”

    Behind them, a number of Henron paused and looked back at the tall crimson form scorching the sky. Although they had strict orders to move onward, few could help but marvel at the sight. A great wave of chatter rolled over their ranks as whispers, murmurs, and banter ran wild. The Range Leads tried to maintain discipline, yelling at their subordinates, but even these high officers were not immune to staring in wonder at the Prime Lead’s deed.

    “Try not to push yourself, Ver Govan,” Sansat cautioned. “We still have no clear idea what the effects of prolonged or intense use are, if any. Furthermore, we have no data about the limits of the serasword.”

    “Doctor Sansat Romos, I must thank you for your efforts. With your discoveries, Henron will be able to march forward, not just to victory against Sventa, but all of our enemies.” Govan turned around rapidly, sweeping his free hand over the plains to the west. “By my command, have all units move out on the double. They can gawk at this weapon when we join Sventa in combat. Let us hurry for them at once!”

    Lisk and Vitna took to their horses, dashing off to enact the Prime Lead’s will. Koter and Sansat mounted up as well.

    “What will you do now, Sansat?” Govan asked as he slid the serasword into an empty scabbard. He placed it on his left to use as his primary weapon; his normal sword switched over to the right, his offhand side.

    “I will accompany you for the duration of the campaign. I may have to do maintenance work on the serasword. For example, the battery might need to be replaced. I brought spares and can install them as needed. And I need to see how it performs under real-world conditions.”

    “Excellent. Let us go, you two.”

    The Field Lead and the doctor rode closely after Govan as they continued onto Sventa. Briefly, Koter looked to their rear at the red spire Govan had created. He frowned to himself as he turned away; his gaze fell to the ground.

   

    “So, you did that everyday?” Liveta asked, peering through the bars at Losha.

    “Not everyday. However, that was more or less how life was like at my school.”

    “It makes my time at the academy sound like a party.”

    “Not at all,” Losha said. “I am sure you went through your own vigorous training to get to where you are now.”

    “Ksh. Some training...” Liveta said, waving a hand at the surrounding walls of her cell. “Look where it got me now,” she grinned.

    “Ha, I could very well say the same thing,” Losha laughed.

    Recently, they’d been exchanging personal information with one another, getting to know their stories. It had started slowly, but it seemed to have caused Liveta to regain her spirits. As a result of this discourse, Losha had learned of the Core Lead’s connection with Koter, how she’d raised him after the death of his mother, how she’d introduced him to the Henron army. The revelations certainly put his character in a new light, but that didn’t change the fact that they’d crossed paths as two opposing forces and were likely to in the future...

    At any rate, the three of them had gotten to know themselves over the weeks, although Alant’s role in the coming rebellion was purposefully never mentioned. Liveta had been given hints of what was going on behind the scenes, but neither Losha nor Alant had explicitly explained the matter. Both conspirators only felt secure communicating such sensitive details in Gandian, a language the Core Lead was unfortunately unfamiliar with. The day would come soon enough, and Liveta seemed eager to make her escape at any rate. Losha had shattered the depths of despair that had reduced Liveta into the shell of a soldier. The officer was ready to live for something now, to fight against those who had put her in Navaran. Still, the only thing they could do right at that moment was talk.

    “Say, what were the mountains like up there? I am curious to know, since everything around here is so flat,” Liveta wondered.

    Losha opened her mouth to speak, however, she stopped all at once. It were as if a presence suddenly crashed through her mind. She breathed in silently but sharply as she gritted her teeth. Immediately, she bolted straight up to her feet. Her eyes drove around the cell as if searching for something. Then, Losha spun about, facing the wall by her bed.

    “Losha... what is it?” Alant asked, noting her strange behavior.

    “It... it was like I felt something just now, an immense seras frequency. It came from the west.”

    Could that have been someone like Nabel Viska or one of his men? Surely they could exert their tremendous amounts of seras across large areas. However, she didn’t recognize the frequency; it didn’t belong to anyone of those present when Nabel had descended upon Palostrol. Were there other serialists just as strong out there, or perhaps... Her thoughts spontaneously jumped back to Sansat and his strange stone.

    “Shrieks,” she said lowly, balling her fists together. This was not a welcome conclusion, but it seemed the most probable.

    “Losha?” Liveta asked, tilting her head. “What is the meaning of your concern?”

    Losha frowned as she sat back down, wiping her palms slowly over her face. “It means we are in for a great deal of trouble when our time arrives,” she sighed. “Someone is playing with power they hardly understand, and that will make our battle all the more challenging.” She looked over at her calendar for a moment. She could break out now, disregard their established plan altogether, and stop whatever Sansat was plotting. However, Suvla’s voice ever chimed in her ear. 47 days... She had no desire to tempt fate though.

    “Ksh. I do not like the way this strikes me,” Losha admitted. “However, it is no matter; we will fight soon enough. We must yet wait, but only a little while longer... Just a few more days...”

Author's Note

In the reaches of Aste, deep within the grasslands of the Central Plains, 14 warring clans mount constant warfare against one another. Through endless bloodshed, the people are forever rooted in a cycle of conflict. Returning to the place she once called home, Losha leaves Palostrol to go back to her family. Yet in their embrace she finds a world teetering on the brink of devestation. As King's words echo through her mind, she must decide if serialization holds the answers to peace. But are the consequences of failure are worth it? The path of the Continent's greatest struggle has only just begun. The Age of Serialization starts now.

The next installment comes May 13th, 2015. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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* Govan is right-handed, so he draws his sword from the left. His offhand sword is placed on his right, in case he ever needs to draw with the left.

* Take note of Koter's behavior in this serial. One could think he's actions described at the tail-end of this serial represent a sense a disappointment at not being able to use the blade like Govan could. Looking deeper, readers can even suggest that his skills are repeatedly getting "one-upped" by serialization. That is one interpretation, but as always there is more to this scene than what's written.

* Serastone -> Serasword. Simple, right? ;) No need for fancy mumbo-jumbo words.

* Next Serial: Breakout! Everyone loves a good jail bust.

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Any feedback is welcome. Just writing because I like it. Always wanted to make a weekly series, so I'm doing it.