Chapter 025

Day of Zero

The groaning locomotive zipped across Esteras’ grassy landscape, following snake-like trails that bent and molded according to the natural environment. According to the announcer, they would arrive in Savannis City in approximately half an hour. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, they might experience some delays in their schedule. Ebony suspected this had something to do with James’ missions. He was noticeably vague on the current status of the mission and his strike team. What only she knew was that her presence, as well as Rune’s, was desperately required.

Speaking of, the girl with dark hair snuck a curious peek at the mage sitting across from her. They hadn’t spoken much since the journey had begun though, of course, she had already expected this. After their mission took a turn for the worst, everyone wrapped themselves in an aura of anxiety and regret. She chose not to show it but, Daze was the first instance of her experiencing the loss of a teammate. As a combat mage, she knew she’d eventually have to suffer death and peril. To actually experience it was a different story altogether.

When it came to her, she hardly was familiar with the mage calling himself Daze Springs. He specialized in lightning magic and possessed an equally “sparky” personality to match. Even still, she could tell his heart was in the right place. She only imagined the minute income of grievance she garnered towards his murder was multiplied tenfold in regards to her partner. Rune and Daze originated from the same mage bracket and so, naturally, she assumed they were rather close. As such he recognized the pain he was concealing behind his unbothered stare. A plain, unchanging expression.

Approached by James who told her that Rune would ultimately assist in the mission, she didn’t know whether or not to have faith in his words. He made it quite apparent he only ever acted with his self-interests in mind. So it came as a genuine shock to her when Rune came to her claiming he wanted to finish the mission he himself had derailed. Even now, as the two resided on a silent train headed towards a stage of despair, she couldn’t grasp the logic behind his reasoning.

Falling victim to her intrigue, the girl asked bluntly, “What made you change your mind?”, even if she didn’t expect him to answer.

Astonishing her yet again, Rune looked her way and answered with a smile, “Funnily enough, I’m not entirely sure. Daze once told me he bore no hard feelings towards my old man. Said he saw him as a hero and remembered him for his altruistic deeds rather than the traitor he eventually became. To him, the title “Everburn” was a symbol that brought light and hope, and so my father kept his respect.” Glancing down at his lap, he smirked, “He was an odd fellow, that Daze. For the most part, I found him annoying. Oftentimes I’d disregard his kindness and push him away. For him, I was his mentor...and I betrayed his trust.”

Ebony dipped her head.

“But, it’s like you said. I have to take responsibility, right?” Rune continued, offering to her a half-baked smile. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive myself for what happened, for what I’ve done. We could’ve stopped Thatch that night, thus putting an end to his path of destruction. Though, I suppose it’s useless to dwell on what could have been. For now, I’ll keep my eyes forward and focus on the present.” He stared longingly out the window beside him, an orange gaze harboring a vision she remained ignorant of. “I can’t run away from this, Ebony. I just can’t. The world might curse my name and heritage, and deep down, I might truly be the monster they perceive me to be. Still, if I don’t fix the problems I’ve started, then, what kind of man would that make me?”

“Perish the thoughts of others. Trust me, they’ll do you no good.”

“Believe me, I’m aware,” Rune chuckled. “When I was young, I was inspired to be a combat mage not for the fame and attention. I just wanted to save people who couldn’t save themselves. The symbol Daze thought my father was, well, I aspired to be a symbol of peace as well. I haven't a clue if that dream is attainable anymore, even so, I...I...”

“When I was only a little girl, I became a murderer.”

Rune glanced at her, his face veiled by surprise. “...What?”

“You asked me why I chose to enlist in the military, remember? Back at Star Bell? Well, I never gave you my answer.”

“There were rumors...that you killed someone. I just didn’t want to buy into them...”

“Always will there be rumors by those who take pride in their ignorance,” Ebony said, lowering her chin. “In this case, the rumors are true. When I was a little girl, I was somewhat of an outcast. My family saw me as a failure, a mistake. The other nobles treated me like I didn’t exist. I only had a single friend to confide in...and I killed him. My magic, I lost control, and it resulted in the death of a cherished friend. That’s why I became a combat mage, I want to repent for the mistakes I’ve made by safeguarding the peace of our country.”

“What happened to your...friend, isn’t your fault. Magic rejections attack everyone, especially the inexperienced.”

“Death is death. I have blood on my hands whether I choose to accept it or not.” She projected a fragile smile at Rune, a semblance of sadness failing to blend in with the rest of her facade. “At least, in your case, there might be a murderer to take accountability for your tragic past. With me, there’s no changing reality. Long ago, I accepted the kind of person I am, and who I long to become.”

Rune admitted a chuckle. “What a pair we make, huh?”

“We both are deviants of convention, if that’s what you mean,” Ebony snickered, promptly tucking her dark hair behind her ear.

“Still, we’ve got a mission, and a responsibility to see to its completion.” Staring out the window again, he said, “Let’s show the people of Esteras that even oddities like us have our uses.”

Ebony smiled. “Indeed.”

“The hell?” Leones grunted.

James was forced to the ground by the earth’s pulsations. Crouching on a knee, he glanced up at it, the massive, diamond-shaped pillar of ice piercing the sky with its sharpened head. He’d seen many ice mages in his days, but this was the first instance of him witnessing a spell so bizarre. Sprouting from its base, the pillar spread an armored plating of ice that slowly began consuming the city. In little under five minutes, the entirety of the Deliverance Tower City Park had felled, immortalized in spiteful frost. Even worse, Trevor had disappeared, fleeing elsewhere and leaving them with his mess. Citizens were promptly escorted out of the premises by a squadron of soldiers as warning sirens belched their alarming screams.

“Sir!” said Sabine, appearing beside him. “Another five ice pillars have been reported in multiple districts in the city. So far, there are ten of them in total.”

“...Ten?” James repeated.

“It seems as if Thatch isn’t pulling any punches.”

“Apologies, sir,” said Hazel, helping a downed soldier to his feet. “If I hadn’t gotten distracted, we would have been able to capture Thatch for good.”

“Fret not, Nightingale. He caught us all off guard.”

“And I presume you’ve got a plan to fix this, aye, Griffin?” inquired Rikter.

“Yes, yes, just...give me a second,” the major grumbled, clasping his forehead. “I need to think.”

Currently, his biggest priority was the security of the citizens. The common man wouldn’t last long in a duel between mages, he couldn’t risk Savannis turning into a warzone. Not with the sheer amount of pedestrians they'd have to take into account. Additionally, there was also the sovereign and his family as well, the most important people in Esteras. He figured they’d be relatively safe within their mansion, though, even their lives might be put in danger if nothing was done about Trevor's spell. And speaking of the Gyrakian and his followers, if the ice pillars were somehow destroyed, would he not merely activate the spell again? It’d be meaningless to put an end to “Day of Zero” without first and foremost taking out its creator.

Soon, James discerned another problem, adding to the increasing pile of complications constructed in his mind. Per Damien’s request, a bulk of their military forces stationed in the city were absent. Sure, there were still a large handful of Blues, but all the combat mages in Mage Bracket 1 had accompanied Damien on his campaign. This meant, James could only count on the mages he’d with him currently. But would that be enough? He side glanced at Sabine, the woman conversing with Striker about their limited supply of options. Her magic was unique as it was powerful. He was confident her abilities could come into handy. And as an added bonus, they’d also have the unparalleled strength of Rikter Leones, the Ironheart Mage. And, if they were to somehow come into contact with mages outside the city, they’d be able to lend their assistance as well. When taking everything into consideration, their counterattack should prove to be largely successful, assuming, of course, if the rules behind Trevor's spell weren't entirely true. If the Day of Zero was, in fact, irreversible, then all would be lost, and what all they were doing was meaningless. James cursed to himself. He would address that issue once the time called for it. For now, only one question remained: Would they be able to put an end to this before Savannis was completely covered in ice?

“Leones!” James shouted. “How many combat mages have you got with you?”

“Two, I’m afraid. Had I summoned any more, the military would have surely taken notice of our plan. Not to mention, my annoying little brother would pop a blood vessel,” Rikter informed. “Anderson! Dallas!” In response to his cries, a pair of Blacks approached them, both sporting the similar, muscle-bound design as their commanding officer. One was an Esteran while the other sponsored the dark-colored skin of the Eywanese from the south. Providing their commanders with salutes, Rikter snorted, “They are some of my best men, their magic isn’t anything to scoff at.”

“Really?”

“Yes, sir! No weaklings are allowed into my Mage Bracket 6!”

“Nor had I expected that to be the case.”

“Regardless, I don’t know why everyone’s making a big deal out of this. They act as if they’ve never seen ice magic before.” Slamming his boot onto the ground, James watched as Ironheart permitted his essence to run wild. His tome exploded with mystical vitality, shooting in front of the mage and rapidly flipping its pages. “Gravis Darum!” he bellowed from the bottom of his gut. As he placed his palms onto the ground, in a flash of silver light there appeared a battery of car-sized cannons, each directing their heads in the direction of the ice pillar. The mage’s distinguished smirk widened as one after the other, the cluster of magic weapons fired their fast-flying projectiles at the target. Shards of ice and the clapping of metal meeting ice rung throughout the area, manifesting sprawling winds and a thick spray of mist. All the while, Ironheart gave a hearty laugh at the havoc he was causing.

“That’s General Leones, for ya!” said the Eywanese mage. “Nothing on this earth gives him more joy than a real challenge.”

“He’s impressive, no doubt, but I don’t think it’s working.” True though it might have been that not a single of the cannonballs missed their mark, after an entire six minutes of constant fire, the ice pillar had yet to collapse. The pieces of itself that were blown to bits were restored mere seconds later. The numerous craters Rikter had decorated onto its hide vanished before their eyes.

“Dammit!” cursed Rikter, ceasing his assault. “No matter how many times I hit this thing, it just keeps repairing itself! What kind of dirty spell is this?!”

“No, it has less to do with the spell and more so to do with the manite crystal?”

“What nonsense are you spouting, Griffin?”

“Think about it. Why go through the trouble of kidnapping mages and collecting these crystals? It’s because their entire operation would fail without them.” James pointed at the pillar and smirked, “There isn’t anything special about this spell of his. Not in the slightest. Thatch is only using the enchanted manite crystals as a foundation of the ice pillar’s power, kind of like a golem’s hearthstone.”

“So if we destroy the manite...” pondered Sabine.

“Then theoretically these frozen towers will all come tumbling down.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Rikter sighed. “Now that you mention it, I can sense a concentrated pool of energy stored deep inside of the pillar. But we won’t be able to reach it if the damned thing can repair itself. Savannis will be history by the time we make any substantial progress.”

“Not if we find Thatch,” James countered.

Rikter wiped his mustache. “Thatch?”

“Yeah, he’s the artifice for this chaos. The manite crystal and the ice pillar’s freezing effects are the results of his spell. And just like any other mage, once he’s dealt with, his spell should deactivate, or at the very least be weakened.”

Sabine folded her arms. “An enchantment of this scale must have required a large sum of his essence. He’s probably using an additional manite crystal to provide him with a consistent supply of magical energy, of which he then uses to support the ice pillars.”

“My thoughts exactly,” James nodded.

“So in other words, if we bag the bastard, then the day is saved, right?” asked Striker.

“From what we can gather,” replied James.

“Argh, we better be getting a promotion after this.”

James stepped to the front of his team. Swiping an arm through the air, he announced, “Alright, soldiers, we’ve got our objective! Leones, you and your men stay here and continue attacking this pillar. You won’t be able to destroy it, but you can slow it down.”

“Consider it done,” Rikter replied.

“Nightingale! You lead a squad to the northern districts and deal with the ice pillars that have spawned there!”

“Yes, sir!” she sounded off.

Turning to Sabine next to him, he continued, “As for you, Zenobio, contact High Command and update them on what happened. Instruct them to send out as many available soldiers as possible to help with the evacuation efforts.”

“Y...Yes, sir.”

“Dolton, you’re with Zen and I. I’ve got a plan I’m going to need your help with.”

Striker sprouted a wild grin. “Now this sounds exciting! Count me in, sir!”

“And what of Thatch?” inquired Rikter.

“Don’t worry,” James replied, retrieving the golden pistol strapped to his side. “You can leave him to me.”

Philips kicked open the door with the sole of his boot.

Inside, he found a quartet of unprepared Gyrakians, caught in the middle of loading a set of magazines into their firearms. Only thirty seconds passed before the quickest of the bunch pointed a finger at him and shouted something in his native tongue. The others reacted by grabbing the nearest rifle or pistol prior to taking aim at their mageborn intruder. Though, none of them would even receive the chance to pull the trigger. Glancing at the tome hovering beside him, Philips chanted the enchanted phrase, “Relligar.”

Thrusting his arms forward, three sparks of bright, blue light were birthed above him. Launching from each of them were fast-moving, serpentine chains composed of magical energy. They bolted across the room and towards his enemies, not hesitating to bind them where they stood. The chains wrapped around their waists and then slithered to the other portions of their bodies, constricting them to the point where all they could do was curse and struggle to break free. Two of the men were chained together, another was captured and knocked to the floor, while the last had his arms permanently strangled to his abdomen, tinkering knees fighting to prevent the man from falling.

“It’s pointless,” Philips announced. “Once they have you, my chains cannot be broken. No force in this world is strong enough to shatter their bonds, well, other than me, of course.”

“Filthy Esteran!” a man laying on the floor grunted.

“Keep your gibbering profanity to yourself. Now, onto the topic at hand, where can I find Trevor Thatch?”

“Like we’d ever tell you anything!”

“I don’t think you get it. There isn’t a version of this where you walk free, content with the completion of this operation you’re so infatuated with. Make it easy for yourselves and talk. Tell me everything, and you’ve my word your sentence won’t be as...forbidding as your leader’s.”

“Jump into the Abyss, Esteran scum!”

This was pointless, there’d be no getting through to them when they were like this. He’d studied that Gyrakians were an especially loyal bunch. Apparently, this also applied to their terrorists as well. If only Will were here. Then they wouldn’t be able to keep any secrets from me. Other soldiers started infiltrating the room and started escorting the Gyrakians out. One of the men greeted Philips with a salute, stating, “That’s all of them in the building.”

“No leads on Thatch, I take it?”

“None so far, sir.”

Philips exhaled. “Well, this day just keeps getting better and better. I’ll have to report back to Major Griffin.” Bringing his radio close to his ear, the mage started, “Sir, we’ve taken out the Gyrakian outpost, per your request. Regrettably, our prisoners are particularly adamant about keeping Thatch’s affairs a secret.”

“Unsurprising,” James muttered. “I want you to disregard those terrorists for now. We were too late, we weren’t able to stop Thatch in time. He has already activated his Day of Zero.” I suppose that explains all the commotion I heard earlier. James had instructed him to lead a strike team on a munitions factory in the westward part of the city. Thanks to the information he received from the Gyrakians he captured in Star Bell, they were already made aware of this hidden outpost.

From their investigation, they also knew how Thatch had planned to attack the capital. Although none of them ever went into explicit detail about the specifics of their leader’s objective. Peeking out a nearby, broken glass window, he spotted a frigid, silver tower that had spawned close by. His ears also detected the sounds of countless innocents’ screams of terror. Their confidential mission had indeed taken a turn for the worst. “I presume you’d like me to dispose of those icebergs, correct?”

“It would be helpful, yes.”

“Need I remind you, sir, my magic isn’t exactly designed for combat. I wouldn’t be of much use on that front.”

“It’s fine,” James reaffirmed. “I but only need you to establish a safe zone a relatively close distance from one of the ice pillars. When I give the word, you are to bombard it with everything you’ve got.”

“Alright, I’ll handle it. Expect a follow-up report when I...” His voice was drowned out by the explosive firing of rifles. Putting away his radio, he and two other soldiers rushed out of the room, down a lonely, battle-ridden passageway, and to the main entrance.

Philip’s eyes widened as he arrived just in time to bear witness to the massacre. One by one, they exploded out of the ground, inflated, blood-thirsty roots that knocked pieces of spiraling debris across the square-shaped room. Unaffectionately, the roots targeted every man standing. Blistering shots of lead contributed little to stopping their advancements. Soldiers screamed and cursed as they were skewered alive. The tip of a root pierced a man’s chest, another lost his right leg, and the soldier closest to him, a female with short, chestnut hair, had her spine eviscerated when a dermal tuber breached out of her back. Droplets of blood and viscera stained Philips’ uniform and cheeks alike.

Momentarily astonished, he stood trembling in his place as the men and women he’d spoken with only five minutes ago dropped like flies. What he was staring at was a sea of corpses and crimson. Regaining his nerves, he prepared himself for the worst. “Flagelleo!” he shouted. Sprouting out his wrists and forearms were numerous energy chains. They rose above him and arched the upper portions of their bodies. Like their master, they too were ready for a fight. “Stay close to me!” Philips instructed his pair of companions. No sooner than he issued his order did more of the predatory roots appear. In a split second, the soldier to his left lost his head and the one stationed on his right was gutted in the stomach. Before he too could fall victim to the enemy spells, Philips launched from his spot, nearly avoiding a massive root smashing the ground where he once stood.

Landing in a crouch, Philips screamed, “Relligar!” as each of his chains swiftly sprung into action. They chose a target, each of them. Slithering their esoteric necks around the exposed roots, Philips had managed to restrain all five subterranean serpents in a single spell. Closing his right fist, the mage spat, “Confract!”. At his command, the chains began tightening themselves until, in a splurt of green slime, all of the roots present were bisected. Their upper halves were flung into the air before landing back onto the dirt with a massive bang. Meanwhile, their torsos lashed and flailed like headless avians only to follow suit and perish shortly after. Philips lowered his arm, feasting on bubbles of air. It was true, his magic was mainly meant for capturing his foes, not fighting them. That being said, every magic, if utilized in the proper fashion, could be transformed into a dangerous weapon. Philips’ was no exception.

Analyzing his surroundings, he uttered, “Major Griffin...has to know...about this.” Then, the mage sensed it. An overpowering aura accompanied by a surge of magical energy. He wasn’t alone. Shifting around, Philips found the mage responsible for the slaughter. He sauntered without saying a word, followed closely by a floating, bronze-covered tome.

“Chain magic, huh? What a rare gift. And your utilization of it is ever impressive. Someone of your talent must have slipped under our radar, I’d imagine,” said Jacob, stroking his goatee.

“Colonel Andrew..?” Philips stammered, his mind struggling to make sense of what was happening. “I...I don’t understand...why would you attack...”

“What is your name, boy?”

Philips gulped. “I am...First Lieutenant Leland, of Mage Bracket 13.”

“Thirteen? There’s a thirteenth bracket?” he inquired, in a voice of genuine confusion.

“We’re relatively new. Now, start explaining yourself, sir! What reason did you have for killing these soldiers?! All of us are on the same side!”

The mage dropped his head. “Are we really?” he muttered, bawling his fists. “Seeing as how you’re a combat mage, you must want what’s best for Esteras, yes?”

“I...I do.”

“Good,” Jacob smiled. “Then I will offer your life to its glorious overhaul.”

Pointing a palm at him, a root shot out of the ground and impaled Philips through his chest. As the blood splattered out his body, he felt his essence signature starting to fade. Lying in a scarlet pool pouring out his sternum, he weakly glanced across the dirt and at the Arbor Mage who had taken out a radio from behind his waist. “Yes, it’s me. Huh? Is that so? Looks like the military isn’t as incompetent as I imagined,” Jacob said. Though, in his state of fading consciousness, Philips was only able to decipher every other word. “Calm yourself, I’ll check on the pillars and make my way towards you. Try to lay low until I arrive, damned Gyrakian.”

“...Traitor...” Philips managed to spew, the sides of his mouth leaking rivers of red.

Jacob acknowledged his victim with an uninterested stare. “Oh, still alive are you? I suppose being a mage saved you in the end. No matter, not even a mageborn can survive that. You’ll bleed out eventually. Pray to Ryas in the meantime, yeah? Maybe she’ll forgive you for being a mindless puppet.”

“You...you won’t get away...with this...Major Griffin....he’ll stop...”

“Griffin failed to recognize that enemies had long since infiltrated his inner circle. His incompetence as a leader knows no bound. He’ll hardly prove to be a threat to us,” Jacob muttered, striding towards the exit. “And the Day of Zero is already underway. Once this wheel of fate started spinning, my victory was assured. Now if you’ll excuse me, First Lieutenant, I have a country to save.”

Crawling on the ground, Philips reached his hand at the shadow disappearing into obscurity. He wanted so desperately to do something yet he was restricted by the limitations of his perishing body. With every discarded second he felt more of his soul being ushered further into Ryas’ domain. Little by little, piece by piece.