《Ravaged》 1.01 The land around Prys was dead and silent, and brown and uninteresting. The only thing worth an eye¡¯s look was a stranded Lectro: a four-wheeled vehicle plated with burnt copper running on the coldest oil that Arcadium had to offer. Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat was Gino Reynder, who had his beetle-goggles stuck up to his forehead and his scavenger attire on, a combination of black leather pants and a tattered jacket, and his eyes was peeled out towards the Tower of Prys in the far horizon. The look of Gino¡¯s eyes carried some semblance of confidence, for he was sure that he had found something that the Casaline needed, craved even. Finally, he had an upper-arm when there was none before. The sooner he exhausted his options, the easier it would be for him to become another cog in the aggressive Casaline machine. Those bandits know more than the sharpened tools that they have equipped, and Gino was smarter than to dance with them. But he wouldn¡¯t just be doing it for himself either; he would be doing it for his friends. Tough break, but it finally came, Gino thought. ¡°I like this,¡± Trinket, Gino¡¯s tiny, blue, rustic hoverbot in the shape of a flattened wheel, emerged from behind the seats, obstructing his view on the Tower. Trinket was carrying what Rudiger Gardner, Gino¡¯s accomplice in Renegade Rebels, had called a ¡®headphone¡¯ in its tiny slinking arms attached on both sides, ending at its hands which were steel grips. ¡°Play something,¡± the hoverbot insisted. ¡°I don¡¯t have ¡®something¡¯, Trinket,¡± Gino said. ¡°And please, I¡¯m watching the Tower?¡± His eyes landed on what the bot was carrying. ¡°And don¡¯t touch the stuff. Come on, we went through this.¡± There was nothing Gino hated more than to find his chunk box rustled and fiddled with. It just meant he would need to take another hour to fit everything in place again, and he would rather not. He would rather spend his time on other things, like daydreaming and sleeping. Trinket¡¯s blue dotted eyes plugged to a black digital screen began to blink rapidly. ¡°Rud said we could play music from this. Can you play music?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t. And I can¡¯t, because I don¡¯t have music, Trink,¡± Gino replied curtly. ¡°I¡¯m going to call Rud and he¡¯s gonna¡¯ smack you when we get back to RR.¡± Trinket began swinging the red matte striped headphone in his hands. Gino turned to face the hoverbot as an awfully wry smile appeared on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± he said. A loud electronic bass blared from Trinket¡¯s speakers, the same one that honks whenever trouble was about to hit the fan, and the same one that the hoverbot uses to annoy the living hell out of Gino. ¡°What?¡± He thought he was done with the bot¡¯s request. ¡°Play some music, human!¡± Trinket¡¯s volume was climbing, and if not properly fixed it could go over 100 decibel, which would be in the deafening range. The last time that happened was when Gino refused to explain to Trinket what a ¡®pizza¡¯ was. Instead, the poor hoverbot had learnt in its vocabulary that the word was a derogatory term towards all microbots, and should be mentioned only in whispers and soft messages between other humans.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I told you I don¡¯t have music, Trink. Rud¡¯s got the ¡®something¡¯ that you want and he¡¯ll play it for you when we get back to RR.¡± Gino¡¯s eye returned to the Tower. ¡°Fine,¡± Trinket said, folding its arms as the red headphone dropped. Gino and Trinket both watched as the item hit the rubber mat of the vehicle with a resounding thud. They looked up at each other, one of disappointment and the other of concern. ¡°You¡¯ve broken it,¡± Gino said sternly. ¡°No more music,¡± Trinket beeped sadly. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡± And then angrily. Mental note: never make a microbot angry, because it¡¯s going to kill me one day, Gino thought. A tremble surged and shook the grounds of Prys as the lights of the Tower in the distance beamed red like blood. The lights were accompanied by a wailing siren, and it was as loud as the last time Gino had watched the crushing of junk metal over and over. His eyes stayed on the Tower, staring intently. ¡°Wait, what about this?¡± Trinket hovered with the dropped headphone, held in its grip. ¡°Place it aside. We don¡¯t want to be bartering this, do we?¡± An annoyed beep came from Trinket. ¡°You barter this off and I¡¯ll make sure Rud punches you.¡± It flew into the seats behind, hugging the headphone close to its metallic chest. ¡°I¡¯m just asking, Trink. Relax.¡± The lights began to dim and the noise from the Tower slowly faded. Gino huffed a silent relief, which was unusual. The relief usually came after barters with Casaline¡¯s men, but this time he was unsure if there was any chance ¨C if any, at all ¨C that he¡¯d make it out alive from the Tower. Yes, he had done this numerous times and his fingers had ached the last time he had tried counting, but now it was different. If Casaline¡¯s men knew of what he scavenged, then hell would come raining down from the faded amber sky. But Gino was ready, as ready as he could have been. For the past three hours or so he had only been able to conjure up the scenarios in his head, playing alternative scenes over and over again, talking with Arnbor Groves, the leader of Casaline, and how each dialogue option would be different so he could gauge an imaginary response. No matter how hard he tried, he was not Vera Willough. A crush, a confidante and a friend. A powerful friend, too. Vera possesses the ability of dimensional travel, allowing her to witness future events through a warped portal, but also experiencing the different events that would play out. It all rested on how much Vera could use her ability, and to what extent she would use it for. There was only so much she could see before her sights blackened. She had made a promise to the Rebels: to never speak about what she saw unless she had to. The troubles it got Vera into were aplenty, and so she had decided to only use her traveling ability for important reasons, rather than for fun. Gino had wanted to ask her about his future, the next five hours from now, or hear what she had to say regarding what he had. In the end, knowing the answers may only prove to be a detriment, and he wasn¡¯t sure that he would want that exactly. ¡°Every big action stays the same. It is the minute details that mean so much,¡± Gino remembered Vera¡¯s words. Too much thought again, Gino thought to himself. Stretching his arms and straightening his posture, he drove towards the Tower of Prys. The sense of uncertainty snaking him began to tear away slowly. 1.02 As a scavenger, there''s a lot to get used to. Thankfully, Gino hadn''t. He had cursed himself, more oftentimes than not, asthe perils of scavenging have brushed past him like it was nothing. In Renegade Rebels, Gino was probably the best at it. His ability to seek treasures buried in heaps of trash wasn''t an ability; it was practice. Something he had done for over twenty years, and yet he was still practicing the trade of it. He never intended to stop, but even if he wanted, he couldn''t. With how Arcadium had been shaping up, and the different factions now forming and expanding, first discoveries could be worth a fortune to whomever got there first. It wasn''t like Gino had been looking for a way out his entire life. Sometimes, things just happen to pounce upon men who look a little farther. And that was just one of the things he didn''t want to get used to. The Lectro had covereda long distance driving underneath the amber skies of the Arcadium, or ratherunder Prys¡¯ skies. It was a desert, or a wasteland filled with gaping land holes that could trap any dweller that wasn''t watching their steps, and the Tower was located at the center of it all. That was where the men of Casaline had begun operation. They worked originallyas hunters, searching forroaming animals until they turned extinct, and then they moved on to crops when their first option became worthless. That didn''t work out either, and so they let the scavengers do the muscle for them. There were no good men in Casaline, even if Gino were to deny himself the truth that Breok Bee, a former friend and ally of Renegade Rebels, had joined the bastards in exchange for food and shelter. One part of him couldn''t let that blame slide. Breok had done what most people wouldn''t have: seek for help. As much as they were power-hungry in their ventures to rule Arcadium, the men of Casaline still had a heart. Even if that heart was iron and beating, and terrible. Gino parked the Lectro just by the steps of the Tower, its gleaming eyes still bleeding red. He grabbed his chunk box and slung the straps around his shoulders, flipping down his beetle-goggles in defense against the brewing sandstorm. Trinket buzzed out from the front windows, following Gino behind. As he climbed the steps, he noticed the history gleaming from the eyes. The Tower was built originally by the Kielbergs, a family of powerful Ravagers. They took over Prys, or rather, captured it by force from Johan Ryberg and his men, winning a convincing war with bloodshed and sacrifice. It sparked a revolution as Arcadium soon split apart with super groups under dubious names taking hold of a piece of territory. But now it has become a settlement for Casaline, as it had been for over twenty years, rightfully or not. Gino climbed the spiraling steps of the Tower, broken and dirty, thinking of his dialogue choices with Arnbor. Was he going to strike first? Was he going to mention what he had like a tiny nod? Or was he going to wait? Perhaps it was just better to leave the big surprise until the end. And so that was what he went with. ¡°Same as always,¡± he beckoned to Trinket as they made their way up to the foundation. ¡°This is the 198th time we''ve done this, Gino. I got this.¡± Trinket¡¯s buzzing quietened. They reached the foundation of the Tower, and standing in their way wasa guard and itstalldoors. The gigantic doors to the Tower was guarded by Keylor Dargle, a face that Gino had seen far too frequently. In fact, he could probably place his facial organs in order without any wrong pieces with no time to spare. Keylor had been safeguarding the Tower for as long as Gino had remembered, wearing his silver plated suit and equipping his trusty spear-hook. ¡°Gino Reynder,¡± Keylor said, adjusting the position of his spear-hook that was resting on his shoulders. ¡°That''s my name, yes,¡± Gino responded. ¡°Oh, and how could I forget, as always, this is Trinket.¡± Trinket honked twice with an uplifting whistle. Its sapphire eyes glimmered brightly at the guard. ¡°You can tell it''s happy to see you.¡± Gino smiled at Keylor. ¡°I can see that.¡± The Tower guard turned towards the small window frame in the window and knocked lightly with his bent fingers. The large doors creaked and swung inwards, revealing the interior walls of carved dragons and steel pillars, letting the Prys sunlight in, revealing a spiral staircase that leaddown into the dark depths of the Tower right in the middle. ¡°Enter,¡± Keylor gestured to his guests. As Gino and Trinket crossed the steps, the doors begun to close quickly. ¡°You better handle yourself down there,¡± Keylor spoke telepathically to Gino. He half-turned, looking the guard in the eyes before the door slammed and sealed shut. Have I never? The sunlight escaped and nowthe dimmed torches were all they had. It was clearly not enough as the rebel could hardly see down the whole way through with the steps. Thetorches lighting up the interiors of the Tower were of pale magenta, but they weren¡¯t glamorous nor were they bright. They were hardly shining, but Gino didn¡¯t concentrate on that. Like the usual: do your business and get out. He descended the stairs, entering the stirring darkness. With each small step, he realised that the brightness was not enough. ¡°Light, Trinket,¡± Gino snapped his fingers. Trinket¡¯s sapphire gaze lit up some of the steps further down, and it was enough for Gino to place his footing safely. With a clear trail before them, the duo descended the stairs slowly. *** A steel door soon came to block Gino¡¯s path at the bottom of the stairs. It was the final obstacle before he could meet with Arnbor, and his feet were quaking with trepidation. But only just. He had tried to move the fear out and block it, but it seemed impossible. So the next best thing was to limit it. He couldn''t let it dictate how he was going to react in the room with Arnbor, otherwise it would spell trouble -- a lot of it. Gino threw his arms on the door and knocked with his fists. He could feel a shift in the locks opening, and the small window at eye-level strapped open. ¡°My name is-¡± ¡°Shut up, Reynder,¡± the man behind the door spoke in a husky voice. ¡°Wait.¡± The man shut the window as the door cranked and swung open towards Gino. He watched carefully, stepping back and holding his chunk box close to his chest. The ceiling lamp was hitGino in the face, and so he signaled to Trinket to shut off its lights.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Smoke brew in the gaps. Merfyn Spiker, the figure that spoke, revealed himself behind the shadows in a white cloak and a scarred mask that covered only the left side of his face, preferably to remove any unwanted eyes to lay upon it. Nobody knew what happened that caused him to cover it, though suspected taleshad drifted in the past of what happened. It was a concoction of rumors, most justifying the Casaline''s torture rituals and others wearing the notion that Merfyn had once betrayed the group. But as they were rumors, nobody really knew what was true and what to believe. ¡°Mr. Groves will see you now,¡± Merfyn said. His hands gestured inward as the door opened, allowing Gino and Trinket to both enter together. ¡°Better not to keep a busy man waiting, Mr. Reynder.¡± A little too close. Merfyn¡¯s ability to hear any dialogue within 5 kilometers through force focus allowed him access to discrete information that was audibly spoken. But Gino was glad, though he wasn¡¯t checking himself every half-minute to see if he had mentioned in passing something wrong. He understood about the abilities of the Ravagers more so than he should have, especially the Casaline¡¯s. As a scavenger working regularly for the bandits, it was just something useful to pick up on. There was only one way in after the encounter with Merfyn, and that was through the hallway leading to a sharp left turn. In that room, sat in one chair on one end of the table was Arnbor Graves, in desired black hooding and long black pants, leaving an empty seat open for the oncoming Ravager. His striking pose made no doubts that he was indeed the leader of Casaline. The table he had was a little too small for the big man with a big reputation, but the only items placed on the table weren¡¯t his and so he couldn¡¯t be bothered with miniscule problems. Placed behind him was a sharp longsword. It was a priceless acquisition, as Gino came to understand which was not as it was described. It was left behind by the Kielbergs after they lost the war, and etched into its handle on the hilt was the iconic symbol of a rising phoenix trapped in a fiery ring - which was the emblem of the Kielbergs. By displaying it to his visitors, no matter how powerful or weak, showed Arnbor¡¯s intent: to invoke threat and fear. Even if he wasn¡¯t about to slice the scavengerin front of him with it, there was no way it wouldn¡¯t put themoff. The Rebel and his microbot companion soon entered the Casaline boss¡¯s view. Following behind them was his assistant. ¡°Mr. Reynder,¡± Arnbor spoke and raised his eyes. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Well, your fashion sense, mostly,¡± Gino replied and hopped downon the empty chair as he sees Merfyn move to thefront of the exit on the door to his right. ¡°And things to barter, of course.¡± He had tried to dispel the notion of jittery forming in his body language prior, but his attempts at using a mental block didn¡¯t work. The next trick up his sleeves was to act friendly. Though acting wasn¡¯t Gino''s forte. ¡°Show me what you got.¡± The Arnbor smiled wryly. Gino removed the chunk box slung to his shoulders and placed it on the table. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll love this,¡± he said and unlocked the box. As the scavenger searched, Arnbor waited. He was quiet, but impatient. A storm was only beginning to conjure in the leader''s mind. ¡°Alright, are you ready?¡± Gino looked at Arnbor. As expected, revealing my card too early won''t help me out. Arnbor shrugged his shoulders at the question. ¡°Are you wasting my time or yours?¡± The boss asked. Gino smirked. He pulled out four thunder chips in fine working condition and placed it on the center of the table. ¡°8,000 credits,¡± he said in short breath. The Casaline needed more chips to power up the Rovers, their top line of vehicles, and Gino was playing off of that fact. ¡°Fine. What else?¡± Arnbor sweptthe chips to his side of the table. From the chunk box Gino produced a dozen volt batteries, used to power up lights, serving as a form of energy capable of lasting over a week. ¡°50,000 credits," the scavenger declared. The Casaline needed the volt batteries for their shock weapons, and so Gino was working through their laundry list of wanted items just right. Arnbor released a short-lived sigh. ¡°Sure.¡± Just one more, but a little one first. Gino pulled out a cracked shard of an Espa Orb and placed it on the table, inviting wanted attention from Arnbor as well as Merfyn. The shard, glowing in crystallized green, had disturbed the Casaline leader. ¡°Where did you get that?¡± The glimmering piece was still in Gino¡¯s hands, but he hadn¡¯t named a price, and he wasn¡¯t ready to let that answer go. ¡°I¡¯m a scavenger. What do you think?¡± ¡°Location?¡± Arnbor asked. He was interested in more, not necessarily how. ¡°What¡¯s the point in divulging that information to you?¡± Gino smiled while Arnbor pursed his lips. It''s not everyday thatan Espa Orb, let alone a shard of it, would fall into the hands of a lowly scavenger in Arcadium. Yet, the guy in front of the Casaline leader had it. But he wanted to know where, and more specifically, how he got his hands on it. Scavenging was just an easy and lucky excuse. ¡°What do you want for that?¡± The leader¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t budge from the shard. Gino paused, thinking of his options. A few extralex cores for Trinket would make it enough for the microbot to last a few months, even a whole year, and scraps of all nature would enable Rudiger¡¯s working projects to take-off immediately. ¡°A dozen extralex cores and three dozen mechanical scraps,¡± Gino finally named his price. The Casaline leader laughed unabashedly. To think that this scavenger was about to have his way for a single piece of an Espa Orb? Does he not know that to reconstruct it would take at least seven other shards, and the Casaline¡¯s vault did not even hold a single piece? Probably not, now that he had time to realize. ¡°Six cores and a dozen scraps,¡± Arnbor replied. ¡°It¡¯s just a piece of anorb, Mr. Reynder. You overestimate your-¡± Now. With another hand into the chunk box, Gino pulled it out: a full eternal Espa Orb. Its radiant greenlight instantly enshrouded the room as itpulsated in Gino¡¯s grasp. ¡°Impossible,¡± Arnbor said. The leader was as stunned as his assistant, who had his jaw cracked open. ¡°How did you get it?¡± It was the raining hell that Gino had been waiting for. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. All you do need to know is that I demand a full price for a full-fledged Espa Orb: three dozen extralex cores and five dozen mechanical scraps.¡± Arnbor laughed silently. The Casaline didn¡¯t even ownthat many extralex cores, and not even three dozen scraps, yet he was being swung around in the scavenger¡¯s hands for this deal. This awfully one-sided deal. He was in trouble, but only for this short while. He was more concerned with not being in control. The scavenger was pulling all of the strings. The orb was the leverage - the ultimate leverage - in the barter, and there was no way he could walk away without losing everything in exchange. ¡°A dozen extralex cores, two dozen mechanical scraps and 100,000 credits,¡± Arnbor replied. If there was something that he knew was building up in the Casaline vault, it would be credits. It was the worthy - and only - offer that would make up for anything else that was lacking. ¡°Sure,¡± Gino said. If I was a fool, sure. Arnbor reached out to touch the Espa Orb, but Gino reeled his arm in like a fish-hook. It wasn¡¯t going to be so easy, now that he had the upper-hand. No. He wasn¡¯t going to throw away a golden opportunity just like that. ¡°200,000 credits," he improved the given price. This scavenger was biting off more than he could chew, but the Casaline boss had no choice. It wasn¡¯t everyday that an Espa Orb cameknocking, even if it demanded the entire vault. ¡°Deal,¡± Arnbor said and beckoned to Merfyn behind him. ¡°Get the cores, scraps and the credits for our rich man here.¡± His assistantnodded and disappeared behind the black curtains to Gino¡¯s left, shuffling his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s shake on it, shall we?¡± The scavenger requested. Arnbor stood up and shook Gino¡¯s free hand from across the other side of the table. It is done. Gino could feel a release that was tightening in his chest as everything was over. *** Merfyn returned with a large scruffy bag, containing everything that was in exchange for the Orb, batteries and chips. Gino checked the scraps, the cores and the credits, and ensured that it was all in order and that everything had been accounted for. Still sat at opposite ends of the table, Gino stood up and handed over the Espa Orb and the single piece to its new owner. ¡°What makes you so sure that you aren¡¯t going to regret this?¡± Arnbor asked, spinning the orb in his hand. The vibrancy and its pulse were foreign to the Casaline leader, and he took it all in. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Gino carried the bag and whistled to Trinket as they exited out from the door on the right, leading them to a staircase that would bring them back up to the foundation of the Tower. As the door closed shut, Arnbor signaled to his assistant. ¡°Prepare the Rovers,¡± he spoke silently. ¡°Call Ferdynand Axelsen. Task him to follow Gino Reynder.¡± Merfyn nodded and disappeared behind the curtains once more. As he eyed the Espa Orb, a wicked smile crept its way onto Arnbor''s face. 1.03 It was finally done. It was finally over. There was a sigh of relief, but also an air of confidence swirling around Gino. The Espa Orb, for what it was worth, were now exchanged for the right amount of cores, scraps and credits. Well, not for the cores and scraps, but credits. A lot of credits. 258,000 credits. It was so much. Too much. But having more is never enough, and never a bad thing. Granted, they weren''t all for the orb itself. It was still a satisfying number no less. All Gino could think about was what he could get with 258,000 worth of credits. How the Rebels would be set for life, the afterlife, the life beyond and all of that combined. A quarter million credits was no joke, but then again, so was the Espa Orb. Was it right? There was no way in knowing what the Casaline could do with the Espa Orb, but Gino had done his fair share of research. He knew that the bandits had not a single piece holding in their cell, and that a single orb to Arnbor would not really matter, until he chances upon another Ravager. As it is with all decisions, Gino could feel it haunting him for quite some time. Like a bad strain on his neck that would ache whenever he tried to twist it, it would remind him. The steps back up to the foundation of the Tower was another spiral staircase. After half an hour of climbing, Gino and Trinket eventually recognised the Prys sunlight that was cracking through the abandoned holes of the pillars, and so quickened their pace. Gino crept up the final steps to the foundation while Trinket flew, less tired than his human compatriot. The giant doors as he noticed had been left open, probably for a new visitor, but then there was something else at the entrance that turned Gino¡¯s eyes. In conversation with Keylor Dargle were two young kids, both in tiny jackets that were too big for their little bodies. The girl was in a white coif, while the boy had nothing to hide away from the Prys heat. Perhaps that was as it should be. The sunlight was a little too damning and a little too strong in the mornings, and the boy took notice. Whereas the girl, since they were Ravagers, no doubt, could have an ability to shelter herself from the sun. For Gino, there were also a few unanswered questions he had. Short and squat, but what are they doing here? It¡¯s not everyday - even if the occurrences were rare - where kids would roam the lands of Arcadium, of Prys no less, in their loose jackets and underneath the beating weather. It¡¯s not everyday that kids would even want to leave shelter, if they had one to begin with. ¡°What do you want?¡± Gino could hear Keylor¡¯s loud husky voice as he approached them. ¡°Food, shelter and some clothes,¡± the boy in a black jacket answered. The sweat all over his face made for a weary appearance. ¡°My friend here would like another request.¡± ¡°First of all, we¡¯re done giving away food, shelter and clothes. And whatever request your friend would like to have is out of the question.¡± Gino and Trinket walked up to Keylor, taking the attention that the kids had of Keylor to them. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± The scavenger asked. ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s none of your business,¡± Keylor said brusquely. The guard turned to the kids, his hands tightening the grip on his spear-hook. A fear tactic that worked. ¡°Now leave. And you too, Gino. And that bot.¡± The doors of the Tower closed shut as Gino, Trinket and the two kids made their way down the steps of the foundation. The slung chunk box was clutched tighter to the Rebel¡¯s chest. As Gino and Trinket followed the boy and girl behind, he could sense an inevitability. He squinted his eyes at the kid with the white jacket, and how she was walking was unlike the boy¡¯s. Power, he said to himself. It was growing, stronger and stronger. It wasn¡¯t the power that sent him into realization that this was something more, it was the power that the kids had within them that made him come to a separate conclusion. ¡°Wait,¡± Gino called out to the kids. They spun around, their loose jackets flapping and their eyes zooming onto him. He looked closely at the girl, but she was hiding her eyes from him. She was wearing a forlorn expression marked by a small scar resembling a cut of a razor that formed underneath her right-eye. For some reason, Gino could tell that she was special. ¡°What do you want? Are you a Ravager?¡± The black jacket kid spoke, taking Gino¡¯s look away from his friend. His face was still melting in the Prys sun, and that caused a distraction in the conversation. ¡°This is Arcadium. Everyone¡¯s a Ravager,¡± Gino explained. A sparkle broke in the kid¡¯s eyes. ¡°You have powers?¡± The boy asked. What does he want? Does he not know? ¡°We all have,¡± Gino replied. ¡°Ravagers have powers. We¡¯re all Ravagers, right?¡± The boy looked at Trinket with a suspecting eye. ¡°Even that?¡± He pointed with his short fingers. ¡°N-¡± Gino lifted his hands at the hoverbot before it could continue and made a spinning gesture followed by an open hand. He turned to the kids, mouthing the words ¡®cover your ears¡¯. Only the girl did as told, plugging her ears with her index fingers while the boy looked on, dazed and amused. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Gino pinched his middle finger and his thumb, and his companion jumped in the air. Trinket clicked its gears, sending a loud buzz in a small area for a split-second and promptly stopped. *** ¡°NO!¡± Merfyn screeched, tumbling to the red carpet of the Casaline vault as his ears streamed blood. It was minimal, but it wasn¡¯t everyday that it happened. The buzzing and the ringing that was drumming into his ears was permanent, even though the effect had been long gone. It wasn¡¯t the first time this had happened, but the droning on -- it had gotten far too painful and pathetic for him to endure. Merfyn had only wanted to listen in on Gino¡¯s conversation with the kids, something that Keylor had warned about under his breath, and so he focused on it. As such, he paid a price. ¡°MERFYN!¡± Arnbor thundered from the other room. The pain was amplifying all the sounds Merfyn was receiving, and so even the lightest clatter of pins and plates would immediately overwhelm the sounds in his ears. He was getting restless and so he laid his head down and his eyes up at the ceiling, just letting himself drift away from the pain. It was all he knew. And it would take some time to recover for sure. Momentarily after Merfyn¡¯s eyes dipped close, the Casaline boss entered the vault. ¡°Useless,¡± he whispered, watching his assistant¡¯s flailing hands come to a stop as the last of the bleeding trickled out. He shifted his eyes towards the spinning black axle on the ornate desk by one side of the vault, and then he remembered what he had told Merfyn to do. Arnbor¡¯s thumb sat on the red button located on the sharp side of the axle and it glowed crimson. ¡°I have a target for you,¡± he spoke into the axle. ¡°And you will be paid handsomely. Once everything is done, of course.¡± *** The ear-piercing buzz had stopped, but the boy in the black jacket who hadn¡¯t caught onto Gino¡¯s wide-mouth instructions suffered. ¡°What was that?!¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if he was frustrated or angry, or disappointed, but he was sure that it was a mix of the three. Gino reached into his separate chunk box, a smaller one, slung to his belt and produced two chipped ear buds for the boy. ¡°Wear them. I know it¡¯s a little too late but hey, cure is better than prevention,¡± Gino threw the buds to the kid. ¡°I believe it is the opposite,¡± Trinket chimed. ¡°You believe anything, Trink.¡± The four made their way down the last slopes of the steps while Gino brought them to a round corner, just before they made their way to the Lectro. He was already making another decision for today, and as he figured, he wasn¡¯t about to make a wrong one. Even if, he had considered, that selling the Espa Orb wasn¡¯t on a list of mistakes. ¡°You wanted to say something,¡± Gino halted the group¡¯s steps as they all turned to look at him. The boy, still suffering from the pain inhabited by the buzzing, pointed to Trinket, who was the source of his pain. ¡°Does he have powers?¡± ¡°Not he --it. And no, it doesn¡¯t have powers. It annoys you though.¡± Trinket honked once more. That mental note that was conceived prior hadn¡¯t been fully scorched into his mind, and so he made another note for that note specifically. ¡°I¡¯m a microbot, or a hoverbot, or you can call me Trinket. I follow big doofuses around the block, well, only one doofus-¡± Trinket pointed an electric stick at Gino, ¡°-him, and I can prove to be an unquantifiable ally.¡± As the girl shifted her jacket around, a shimmer appeared from her robe and caught the wandering eye of Gino. ¡°Stop. The girl,¡± he approached her slowly. The girl, who saw Gino walk towards her climbed behind her friend in defense. ¡°What do you want with her?¡± The boy demanded an answer. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose she is more than just your friend?¡± Gino watched the shimmer, but it was now covered heavily by the jacket. There was stunned silence between Gino and the boy. Possibly for fear of knowledge. Possibly for fear of understanding. Possibly for both. ¡°She is a friend. And only that,¡± the boy explained. ¡°So what do you want?¡± ¡°The brooch on her robe. I see it. Show it to me.¡± Gino¡¯s eyes widened, but the girl already had an impression that perhaps he wanted her for something else. There was a stench of hunger in his voice, but it wasn¡¯t the tone that scared her; it was the thing that the boy had warned of, and now she understood what he meant. ¡°And if she shows it to you, will you provide us food, shelter and clothes?¡± The boy asked. Fair exchange, Gino thought, if the symbol on her robe was as powerful as he had noticed. ¡°Perhaps.¡± The boy sighed. He understood that the man in front of him, a scavenger no doubt, could potentially hold the key to the safety of their futures, and so he had no choice. He held the girl¡¯s hand and whispered something into her ear. She nodded. The girl stepped aside slowly, now standing away from her friend, and pulled her white jacket off to reveal her silver robe underneath. And there, on her robe on her right-chest was a brooch with a symbol that Gino had seen earlier. It wasn¡¯t that the brooch was of anything familiar. It was because Gino understood how much the brooch actually meant. Arnbor¡¯s longsword. The Kielbergs. The rising phoenix. Suddenly everything that was rotating in Gino¡¯s mind came together attached to a loose string. Was this girl the potential heir to the Kielbergs? A daughter? An adopted Ravager? Impossible. They had been dead for long - too long, so long - that any possibility for the Kielbergs, or any mention of them for that matter, would be thrown out of the window. The brooch attached to the girl¡¯s robe in brushed steel, and the glowing phoenix, and - Gino had let himself get carried away again. If she was, indeed, a part of the Kielberg family, then what would he even do? He couldn¡¯t reunite Arcadium anyway; it was the reason that the world had been torn asunder. The Kielberg¡¯s rule was no good to any Ravager. For a second, he relished the idea of discussing with his team of Rebels, and see how they would come up with an answer to this predicament. ¡°So, how, scavenger?¡± The boy interrupted Gino¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I can offer you food and shelter. Clothes, on the other hand, maybe not so much.¡± Gino stood back from the girl, who was still watching him closely. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He asked. ¡°I want to know. Before we embark on anything.¡± The kids looked at each other. ¡°I¡¯m Cyril. She¡¯s Aurel,¡± the boy said. ¡°Right. That¡¯s easy. Follow me.¡± Gino waved onwards as he walked past the girl. Trinket zoomed past the kids, and slid up beside his doofus pal. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± It beeped with worry. ¡°You saw the brooch,¡± Gino whispered. ¡°God knows what she¡¯s capable of.¡± ¡°And if she is, indeed, who she is-¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re bringing them back. I can¡¯t make a decision on my own,¡± he interrupted the bot¡¯s sentence. Trinket flew to the front of him, the colours of its beam radiating in a multitude of colours. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°What if she lands in the hands of a Casaline member? They were so close to being there.¡± That conversation could have been totally different had I not stepped in, he figured. Gino halted as the Lectro reflected the Prys sunlight back onto them. ¡°Trust me,¡± he whispered to Trinket. ¡°I got this.¡± Gino tossed the bartering goods in the passenger¡¯s seat and climbed aboard the Lectro, and the kids followed suit. They took the backseat while Trinket floated above the chunk box, staring at the broken headphones that had been lying around. ¡°We need to get this fixed,¡± Trinket said. ¡°Sure,¡± Gino replied with a smile, a genuine smile. With the sun beating down on the vehicle and the rocky ruins ahead of them, they left for the hideout of the Renegade Rebels. 1.04 The gigantic doors of the Tower cracked again as a figure strolled in. Hung on the figure¡¯s face was a thinly veiled mask. A mask to hide a lot of things. A mask to simply erase an area of someone¡¯s memory of the figure: a facial recognition that would instantly make him unrecognisable. A mask that covered only the figure¡¯s left eye like an eyepatch. The figure went by a lot of names, but names were a different matter. Names were like streaks. Names are attached to regrets and mistakes, before the inevitable change and to start anew. The name was just an indication. It was the most recognizable thing on paper. But then the features, the weapons, the scars: those were fundamental. Those were designed to be seen, to be flaunted. The name was just there to be heard. The figure¡¯s darting eyes that revealed itself in the dark lit hallway made him impressionable. The dark strokes of his hair and the air of arrogance breezed into the room, the bartering room, with him, and settled as he did on the seat that was once occupied by the scavenger. He placed his scythe, broken but mended in fine arching shape, down by the side of the rocky table and laid his restless eyes on the Espa Orb that sat in the center of the table. ¡°You came,¡± Arnbor said with a smirk that caught the figure¡¯s eyes. ¡°You should understand only a few things interest me more than credits.¡± The figure slipped out his steel knife, his white hands and black leather gloves gleaming under the incandescent light. He begun to spin his weapon of choice, like biding for time or wasting it. ¡°And one of those things are indeed an Espa Orb.¡± ¡°Ravagers are only in this because of the Orb, Ferdynand. I could pawn off my set of statues and they wouldn¡¯t even fetch a price for it.¡± Ferdynand, as he was revealed, wasn¡¯t interested. In fact he was hardly listening. His beating eyes were concentrated on the glowing Espa Orb, and only that. So long had he tried to find one, and hearing all of the mystical ventures and troubles that one had to get to, and yet, here he is, only inches away from prying his ravenous hands on the Orb. ¡°I assure you, the scavenger has more,¡± Arnbor said. ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to track him down. He tells me nothing. No location. No place. Nowhere.¡± Ferdynand grinned back at the Casaline boss. Naivety was born in both idiots that made the deal. ¡°What about this Orb, now?¡± The figure¡¯s weighted eyes lifted, staring at Arnbor. He hadn¡¯t come because of a plan. He hadn¡¯t come because he knew that there would be more. He came because there was already one Espa Orb just out of reach. And he couldn¡¯t wait. Ferdynand stretched his arms and grasped the Orb, but Arnbor¡¯s reactive fingers pulled it towards himself. Ferdynand¡¯s eyes turned, and so did his expression. ¡°It¡¯s not for you,¡± Arnbor stated. ¡°Maybe if you track down Gino Reynder, there will be more.¡± His voice started trembling, as if knowing that one wrong step could lead him down a terrifying path. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The figure was confused but his hardened expressions didn¡¯t show. He was done being patient, and he was done being a slave. He didn¡¯t want more. He wanted what he could now. More can always be done later. More will always be more. It was now, and that was what counted. Ferdynand flipped his scythe up in the air as it now morphed into a deadly shotgun, and climbed up the table to catch it. With not a second wasted, he trained the barrel straight at Arnbor. In shock, Arnbor flew backwards, casting the Espa Orb aside but floundering as he crawled away from the figure, who was not going to let him off. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Arnbor shouted at Ferdynand, but he wasn¡¯t listening. He had walked over to pick up the stray Espa Orb, now rolling in his soft powerful hands. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s time,¡± the figure muttered. The Casaline boss could hide behind nothing. Not even a slab, or a rock, or the pillar of a table. Nothing. The sick, twisted grin appeared on Ferdynand¡¯s face again as the Espa Orb hopped in his curled fingers. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s time I¡¯ve done enough of the dirty work for you, Mr. Groves. Perhaps it¡¯s time the tables turned,¡± Ferdynand spoke with heft in his voice. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Arnbor shifted his feet about, the anxiety rising in him and fear popping out of from his chest. ¡°That was my original plan, but no. So many Espa Orbs have lead me here, but not a single one was true. Do you know how many Ravagers I¡¯ve killed for you to be in your position?!¡± Ferdynand paced about the room, one hand gripping the orb and the other on the trigger of the shotgun that was pointed at Arnbor. ¡°We can work this out. There are many more orbs where Gino is,¡± Arnbor said. He tried to reason, and he tried to get into his head. But it wasn¡¯t worth the effort and he knew. Sooner than not, the orb was going to crumble. ¡°Don¡¯t you realize? I don¡¯t care about the orbs.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, I do. The more the merrier, of course. But you,¡± Ferdynand¡¯s grip on the orb had grown tighter and tighter to the point of breaking, and Arnbor knew more than most of what would happen if it did. ¡°You mean a lot more than these orbs. And so, I¡¯m taking over from this point on.¡± Ferdynand crushed the orb in his hand and pushed the energy towards Arnbor. No. A flurry of energy torpedoed its way out from the orb and into the chest of Arnbor, digging into his very heart. There was no time wasted when the orb extracted the power of the Casaline boss and transferred it over to Ferdynand. Blood poured from Arnbor¡¯s mouth as the final essence of his Ravager power dissipated, ending in a blinding shock wave that slammed the room light shut. The hollow body was sent tumbling with no resistance as Ferdynand watched on, the Arnbor¡¯s power now wriggling within him. He felt good. So, very good. Power like he had never felt before, rolling like thunder in his veins. Merfyn popped out from the door on the from the vault, but he appeared astonished to find his boss lying down on the ground with every inch of life sucked out of him. Black spots and patches were planted and continued to grow on Arnbor¡¯s smouldering skin. ¡°Boss!¡± He called out to him, but the body laid lifeless. Merfyn turned towards Ferdynand who morphed his shotgun back into a scythe. He hadn¡¯t planned on killing Merfyn, even if his power was limited. He was still an asset. He turned to the Casaline assistant, eyes lit with satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯m your boss now,¡± Ferdynand said. ¡°And if you don¡¯t mind, which I¡¯m fairly sure you will, we¡¯re going to go finish what we started.¡± The sick, twisted grin re-surfaced on the new Casaline boss¡¯s face.