Fantasy Sangfroid: Keepers of Light and Dark

[RustyTI-85]

Settled in a remote corner of the Kosmos was the world of Aspis, an advanced metropolis known for its Keepers, the initiation of Keepers, and bringing the wonders of the Stellar Railway to its sub-sector of the Kosmos. The people of Aspis so loved Keeper initiations, so much so that they organized a festival each time a Keeper was to lose the title of Initiate, and would come to bear the title of Knight. This festival has been held ever since the world's liberation from the clutches of a Saint by the name of Meridel. Since then the Keepers of the Blade kept a large force of their people on-world, and held initiations there in honor of the liberation. This mutual understanding led generations of Keepers to pass through the gates of Aspis, and would be no different for the latest batch of initiates. Two dozen initiates began their training not too long after their arrival, and it looked to be that the initiation and ceremonies would be held in the winter months. Under the tutelage of Keepers Alitus, Madryn, Voor, and Errick, nearly half of the initiates either decided that they were not up for the task and were released from their training, or they simply abandoned Aspis and their tutors. In the end, only ten initiates remained.

This is the story of them, those that stayed.

The initiates' time there was peaceful, with the most combat they came into contact with being with one another and their mentors for training. The people of the local area treated them in a similar light as a celebrity, and with it, all of the stigma. They had no problems with the populace as a whole, but there were incidents where more concerned members of society without a grasp of the true nature of their work questioning the purpose and cause of the Keepers. It was then so quickly illustrated through reminder of the oppression that once had deep roots in Aspis. Whether they had been there for a week or for over a year, they were ensured an experience of both critical training and comfortable downtime between training sessions. They were free to peruse the city and do what they wished within the confines of their laws. It was a good, peaceful existence.

Then came the 8th of May, Year 2056.

The day in the Keeper Sanctuary started at the crack of dawn, when every remaining initiate was informed of their respective mentors for the day. Brawlers to Alitus in the courtyard, Lancers to Madryn in the atrium, Guardians to Voor in the undercroft, and Magicians to Errick at the Kosmodeck. Those initiates that had been there long enough knew the lay of the land and were able to get to their places rather quickly, so most everyone knew where to go. Mealtime would come soon after, and the initiates had at least an hour to spend before they were to report to their assigned mentors. If they wished so, they could seek a mentor early for specific guidance or teachings. Perhaps they wouldn't do that at all. After all, at least two of them were going to have a ceremony in their honor- a smaller one than the usual, it was early for the year- but a ceremony nonetheless. It was not so clumsy or random as the others that wouldn't be turning to full Keepers thought- the two in question were truly ready. They were Devyn, a Guardian and Charles, one of the Brawlers. That was not to say that any of the other initiates were inadequate, they simply either did not have the required levels in their souls, or they were still being taught the basics. For some, it was both. But to some, those details didn't matter. They were there of their own choice beyond a certain point, and they would see their training through no matter what. It would only be a matter of time until something would change, for better or for worse.

 

[Hunter Zero]

​

<New note: meet with Keeper Madryn in the atrium in one hour.>

So the voice rang in his head, as it always did whenever he made a mental note of something. The neutral, metallic, androgynous voice of the AI built into his body kept Blaise aware of things, and made sure he never forgot anything he made the system cognizant of. Some small text of the note remained at the bottom left of his HUD, which was currently devoid of all else. He liked it clear whenever he wasn't doing anything in particular or trying to get some rest, even though he supposed he didn't need sleep. Not as much as he used to.

Blaise wasted little time in making his way to the atrium, figuring it was best to arrive early. He didn't need any special training from Madryn. Much of what was being taught here was a nice refresher from what the Keepers of Vosika had trained him on before they'd decided to ship him off to Aspis. You'll like it on Aspis, they'd said. They're more effective trainers, and it'll remind you of home at Guildenstern.

Except Blaise didn't want to think about home. Not today. Not until he was a full-fledged Keeper bearing the title of Knight. Would I be Ser Blaise, then? Or do they drop the formalities?

His boots softly clanked against the ground as he kept on at a leisurely pace. He knew the Blades' facility well enough, and had outlasted half of the other initiates. They hadn't given him much grief, apart from a few odd looks and remarks, but he didn't have to say a word to them in return. Instead, he just outperformed them, and made them realize that maybe being a Keeper wasn't the right line of work for them, or that they didn't have the same drive or desire.

Once he'd arrived at the atrium, however, he simply remained outside, leaning against the wall and fiddling with his HUD, making sure the clock, soul reading, and compass were aligned as he liked. Blaise considered dispelling the note, but decided otherwise, figuring he'd do it when he actually reported Madryn. Instead, he simply waited, silently observing any who went past... even if there were only nine other initiates.

 

[SolusFalcon]

Having only been on Alpis for a week, Morrigan was surprised that out of all the initiates, there were only a measly ten remaining. Were the others simply that weak, or was this kind of training actually hard for beginners? If it was the latter, then he certainly felt they weren’t cut out for being a Keeper, because if they couldn’t even keep up with bare basics, then they’d probably die at the sight of anything threatening. In a way, he felt their absence was probably for the best... though Morrigan supposed it wasn’t really his concern either, after all, he had better things he needed to do than think about the failures of past initiates, things like meet up with Errick at the Kosmodeck for his training. Or rather, he supposed it was more along the lines of a simple review session that was more often than not laughable in difficulty. Feeling today would be no different, he wasn’t exactly in a rush to get to the Kosmodeck, but it never hurt to be early either. After all, the sooner he could start, the sooner he could finish and do whatever he wanted at this place, which was just another way to say he wanted some peace and quiet.

Putting the final touch to his appearance, Morrigan readjusted his gloves and visor before putting his headphones on, exiting his room and heading off towards the Kosmodeck. I’m a bit intrigued as to what Errick has planned today, and isn’t there some sort of ceremony going on for a couple of initiates? I’ll be sure to not send them my regards. If they're really worth anything they won't need it. he thought, shuffling quietly through the facility.

Had it not been for the sudden presence he felt as he walked towards the Kosmodeck, he probably would have just continued onward. But his curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to see one of the other initiates, though Morrigan did his best not to scowl or grin at the sight of the android himself. Or was he more like a cyborg? Honestly, Morrigan hardly cared for the correct word to describe the amalgamation of machine in front of him, nor did he really know the cyborg either. Just another initiate roughly his age, and seeing as he was in the atrium, Morrigan could deduce he was a Lancer. Either way in the end as he stared onward at Blaise, his expression gave no real indication of how he felt about the cyborg outside of curiosity, and Morrigan didn't really have any real opinion about Blaise outside of why. But, he was simply passing through, and if he didn’t hurry, he wouldn’t be super early. Feeling he'd spent enough time there, he began his trek once more off towards the Kosmodeck.

 

[RustyTI-85]

​

Zell found it to be something of an oddity that she was one of the ten remaining initiates. No combat experience helped her. No experience with Light or Dark helped her. She supposed it was some small feat involving her resolve, but even that seemed an out of place answer. The other remaining initiates had reasons to join, and good reasons at that, she assumed. Some of the more vocal ones went to go and compare their hardships, but they also were on the younger end of things, so their bragging- if it could be called that- was justified. In that respect, she herself could have and should have been gloating. It was her family that helped build the Stellar Rails going from Aspis to the rest of the Kosmos, her family that linked the Kosmodeck of that very estate she stayed in to the Stellar Rails, it was her family that made so many things possible for the people of Aspis and by extent the Keepers housed there. Then again, it wasn't her job or place to gloat. That would be tacky, and she wouldn't want to be more out of place. Perhaps it all holed itself in her head. After all, similar thoughts likely filled the heads of the initiates that left. Her still being there was more than enough proof that she was meant to be there.

A self fulfilling prophecy. How cheery; the kind of stuff heard in nursery rhymes. Introspection, however, was not a required skill to be a Keeper. The only sort of self evaluation they needed were that of the balance within and that of one's own resolve, or so they said.

In that regard she left her weighted headpiece in the quarters in preparation of the upcoming session with Madryn. If she remembered correctly, it was to be a battle royale of sorts, so the extra speed would help, even if there were only three other Lancers. If Madryn kept her promise, then the winner would be pushed to Knight rank and mentioned in the ceremony alongside Devyn and Charles. A bold move, but if it worked, there would only be seven of the initiates left for the next season. When that would come was depended on everyone else though, and the people of Aspis had no issue with dropping resources into festivals. If the next season for knighthood started next week nobody would bat an eye, and that only garnered mild concerns about the necessity of the public's treatment of the event. She supposed that the exposition was a good thing. It helped to expose the glamors of Keeper life to the public, and anyone that could be chosen would have a higher chance of being picked up as an initiate. Quite the devious and cyclical plot.

That could be a reason for so many initiates leaving. That and the competitive nature of the training.

With that railcar of thought coming to an end, she made her way to the atrium. It never hurt to be early. Regardless of work ethic, she wanted to see how many of the other initiates would have turned up at such an hour. It wasn't particularly early or late in the day, but it was an odd time between when she would get lunch and leave the facility to explore some of the less industrialized parts of Aspis. She wouldn't have been surprised if some didn't show up at all due to the closeness to lunch time, but then again, not everyone ate lunch, or at all. Blaise was an example. A semi-perfect fusion of man and machine, he was fascinating, but did raise questions. Many questions that the Keepers themselves couldn't particularly answer. How did his soul work? Did his soul work? Can he experience soul growth? How and why do his fabricated munitions carry over the properties of the soul? She had her own questions, but those were the ones on the table, and the ones that interested the Keepers the most. What interested her most was him as an individual. It looked like she would get a chance to break the ice. He too was early, and waited outside of the atrium. She needed only to speak. That was the first step, the first words and first impressions. They had met before, but she could not remember if they had ever spoken before. If they hadn't, it was surely her own fault.

But it wasn't the time for blame. She supposed that she might as well pass the time with a little small talk, with no romantic intent. Not yet. "Good afternoon Blaise." She started, not knowing how to follow up. "Do you think anyone else will turn up?"

Hunter Zero

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SolusFalcon
​

The hall leading to the Kosmodeck was quiet. Not surprising, given that Morrigan was the only remaining Magician that season. The door was open, leaving Morrigan to see that signature bluish glow that the room emanated when someone was using it. As he drew nearer he could see Keeper Errick standing in the room's center, using the interface to observe other worlds. He had not noticed Morrigan yet.

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The Keepers of Aspis were not the only Keepers and similar individuals that bumped between Light and Darkness. Another, scarcely heard of group known as the Shades of the Kosmos had their own following and plans. That did not mean that they had a following on par with the Keepers of Blades, no, they were not even close. They operated in the shadows, their true intent unknown save to those on the inside. They organized themselves in a way loosely based upon most military organizations, and the population of Firebase Novox was no different. The people of note were few and far between, but that allowed for everyone to know the plan ahead of them.

There were the professionals to ensure that everything with the plan made sense, two researchers. Benjamin P and Benedict B were their names, with the former specializing in Kosmology and the latter specializing in Soulurgy. The person looked up to as the primary muscle among the grunts, Orian, knew the plan well enough to where she could tell her fireteam what to do if things went south. Then there was Richter, who was brought in to act as an extra buffer against the worst possible outcome. Among them all sat Alessiya Elgarde, who among the grunts, was seen as the unlikely leader of the motley crew. She was in charge of Richter, Orian, and subsequently, all of them. The only people above her were perhaps the researchers, and that was only due to their specialty on the subjects. The plan that all of the notable people knew of was largely unheard of by their underlings, and it seemed that the researchers were soon going to remedy that.

"Excuse me, residents of Firebas Novox, may I have your attention?" Benedict started. "Now, we've disseminated out next move among the commanding officers of the base, but it is in your best interests that we inform everyone of any and all changes. The move to overtake one of the frontier worlds has become more refined, and the target world has become Aspis, nestled in the Rho Cluster. I however, regret to inform you that we no longer have Reaper Soris to help lead the charge against the world, he left not too long ago. That means that all anti-Reaper countermeasures can and should be deactivated to boost efficiency." He said. "The Grim Reaper, however, has grown ornery in his absence, so we must move quickly. Ixii will flock to it more than anticipated, so we cannot use the Stellar Rails to reach Aspis. We must rely on Doctor Benjamin's technology to beat the Reaper there."

"That's correct. I've outfitted each ship with a warp drive that generates a level of light emissions that will cause the Grim Reaper to give chase to us at a rapid pace. Do ensure that you are going as fast as possible. We would like to keep our record of casualties, civilian or otherwise, clean." Doctor Benjamin said. "For more information, report to Elgarde or Orian."

 

[Hunter Zero]

​

<Scanning... ... ...>
<Scan complete: Zell Mechanox, fellow initiate and Lancer. Age: 19. Soul: 33.33% light, 66.66% dark. Vital signs: optimal.>

Oh. This is the girl with the mask... but it seems she's left it behind. Odd.

The absence of her headpiece made Blaise tilt his head slightly out of curiosity, but once she spoke, he straightened up. "If they do, there can't be that many," he said, his eye twitching once in irritation at the metallic sound of his own voice. "At this rate, there will be more instructors than initiates, if there already aren't." There was reason to suspect that attendance would be short today, even if there were only a few other Lancers besides Blaise and Zell, but that said, they were the best of the best of their class of powers so far.

Well, maybe that wasn't quite correct. If it was, they'd be the ones being Knighted, and not Devyn and Charles. There was also the one in the platinum hair -- Morrigan, was it? -- that had stared Blaise down before going off to wherever he was going as Zell arrived. Each class had their own perks, though. Perhaps the Knighted pair were more cut out for whatever theirs was than the others. Or maybe they just got lucky.

That said, Blaise and Zell were still formidable in their own regards, and were surely on the path to being Knighted as well. If Blaise didn't know any better, he'd think they would be before the day was out, no doubt through the course of some battle royale or combat trial. In truth, he was eager to test his skills against the other Lancers', and see if the Hornet's sting could match the barrel of a smoking gun or two. He'd not seen true combat yet, even during his time with the Keepers of Vosika. He knew that he wasn't quite on their level yet, but in the end, that was the goal, wasn't it? To become a Keeper of himself, and Zell no doubt had the same aspiration. She wouldn't be here otherwise.

 

[SolusFalcon]

Ah, the Kosmodeck. Peaceful and serene due to the lack of initiates, well, outside of Morrigan that is. Honestly, he didn't find that very surprising, being able to manipulate one's soul to cast magic is much more difficult than simply summoning a sword or gun and aimlessly fighting. No, it took a special class of people to be able to properly tap into their true potential, and if Morrigan was the only one who could do it this training round on Alpis, well then it meant to him that he had every right to feel slightly better than the rest. Of course, not everyone has the training he had either, so perhaps they were destined to fail where he had not.

Regardless of all that, the Kosmodeck itself was strangely in use. Perhaps Errick was inside using it in preparation for the lesson? Though Morrigan highly doubted they'd use what was essentially a glorified observation deck for learning, and he certainly hoped it wouldn't be used to remind him of his past failure. He frowned at that thought, that, seeing he was the last magician, he would be asked something related to that cursed, blackened planet. The very thought of Valheim made him repulse, and while he wanted to interrupt Errick and blatantly ask what the Keeper was hoping to gain by observing other worlds, he needed a small amount of time to collect himself. Taking a few steps back, Morrigan took several deep breaths and meditated for a brief moment, calming his mind just enough to mask the pain he felt.

Feeling confident enough now, the Magician boldly walked into the Kosmodeck, holding around him an air of confidence and a slight case of smugness. As he drew closer to Errick, he almost considered tapping on the Keeper's shoulder before he started his own introduction, but he ultimately decided to just start instead.

"Well if it isn't Keeper Errick, I'm surprised you managed to beat me to the Kosmodeck! Having fun looking at other planets, are you?"