'My father is not a traitor,' said Jaden sharply.

'No. For all his ignorance, he was not a bad man, but he was used. Of that we can be sure.'

'You can't be sure of what is not true,' Jaden interrupted quickly, shocked at the disrespect being shown toward his father.

'Your father told you he was brilliant, no doubt. He was not. We all knew what he was doing. The ones that destroyed our home were the same ones he was in talks with, of that I can assure you.'

'Then why didn't you stop him?'

'We tried, boy,' said Kal harshly. 'He fought us. We let him win thinking he would not succeed. We are too far from any threat to the Alliance. There was no advantage to take our land. Your father must have been more gifted in speech than we gave him credit for.'

Despite his distaste for such petty insults, Jaden felt slight relief. It didn't make sense. He could breathe. For a moment he had almost thought it could be true. 'I don't believe you,' he said, his tone containing the previous venom of hatred used between the social clans.

But Kal was indifferent to it. 'Believe what you wish. Your home, my home, they are no more. They came from the west, the same way your father had left. If he were not killed then, he would have been by one of their scouts. Go after him if you must, but he is dead.'

Jaden fought hard at the feelings of despair rising inside. It was hard to oppose one older than he was, even if it was a man he despised. And worst of all, there was logic behind those words. Deep inside, at the core of his being, he could feel himself being persuaded to believe the same, no matter how much he didn't want to. The fact of the matter was that he didn't know what had happened to his father, who he had been talking to in the other nations or if this army was the one he was hoping would protect Callibra. For a moment Jaden had found himself believing that this army was from Kobin's doing, while his father had another on its way. One thing Jaden and Kal seemed to agree on, though, was that this army was of the World Protection Alliance, and if that were true, any army his father could bring now would most likely have little to no chance of success.

'So you'll just sit here and wait for death?' Jaden asked desperately. 'I will not stand around while the Alliance goes unpunished.'

'And what would you do?' asked Kal, now showing slight agitation. 'They are a trained military force. We are but humble farmers at best.'

Jaden thought a moment. 'We will not defeat them, but we must try! We can use their weapons against them!'

'Weapons?' Kal almost laughed. 'How will we get these weapons?'

'I will get them. I know the village better than they do. They will not find me.'

'Just like your father. You live in fantasy. You do not yet understand what the Alliance is capable of. If it were possible, I would have fought them in my homeland, and I would not have brought my family to Callibra. Let it go, boy, we have been beaten. We will move on from here when we are sure there are no other survivors.'

Jaden was silent. There seemed to be no hope. Everything he could think of was being pulled apart, as if nothing he could do would matter, that it was all lost. He was at an end without anywhere else to go.

No. He couldn't accept it, he couldn't return to the pain, the helplessness and self-pity. It couldn't be this way. It just couldn't. He had to try, something ... anything!

'If I am able to bring you weapons, will you fight them with me?'

Kal took some time to reply. 'It will do little good, but if you really believe you can, we will help you. I am tired of being pushed out of my home by them anyway.'

'I will not fail.'

'For your sake, I hope not. Once you have entered their lines, there will be nothing we can do to save you. You have until dawn tomorrow.'

'I will be back by this night.'

Kal seemed to want to disagree, but then simply waved his hand. 'Whatever you say, Daiyus. Be gone, we are still in mourning.'

Jaden bowed and exited the cave entrance. He had what he had come for. A purpose. Now he could go on living; he had a means of revenge. The Alliance would not go free from this crime.

'I will return soon,' said Jaden, stopping briefly at the man outside.

'That is a return I hope to see,' said Don warmly.

Jaden looked hard one last time at the wise elder in front of him. He had expected something more to be said. This man did not even attempt to stop him from going to almost certain death, as if he already knew there was nothing that could have been said or done to prevent it. As always, Don had showed perfect understanding of the people around him. Jaden nodded once in a gesture of both respect and farewell, and then without looking back, set out into the trees.

It was up to him now. He could make a difference. He could fight those who had destroyed his life. He would avenge his family's death, or he would lose his life as they had.

As he neared the village, he became more cautious in his steps. He had made good time down the mountain side, but suspected there would be many scouting groups searching for survivors here. Any mistake now could cost him his chance at getting the weapons he needed and even mean his death. He had found it best to travel in random intervals-stopping erratically to be sure there were no other sounds apart from his own movements in the forest.

Everything was damp, giving off the familiar musty scent of wet wilderness as the usually crisp and dry foliage now acted as padding for his footsteps. He was able to move somewhat freely by this, but he would not throw caution to the wind with so much at stake. His father had taught him never to take risks when there was no other option but victory. It was why it could not have been true that the army his father sought had attacked instead of defended the village. His father would never have made such a mistake.

But Kal was right. Their homes had been destroyed. How could it have happened? Could his father have forgotten to practise the rules he had taught so well?

No. That couldn't have been right. His father had said it was Kobin who was handling the matters. Perhaps that was his father's mistake. He had let Kobin manage the negotiations. Kobin would not have taken as much care in them. It could have been by his actions that Callibra was gone.

Jaden shook his head. It seemed to make more sense. His ill feelings against Kobin had probably been right all along, and now they had all paid the ultimate price; they had lost what was most dear to them. If this was the army they had set out for, then both his father and Kobin would most likely be dead by now, and there would be no chance of salvation with the coming of a second military force.

Jaden grabbed at the trees to help himself up the steep slope, making sure he did not slip on the muddy surface. This was the final hill before the fields. It would not be long before he was within reach of the Alliance. Already he could hear the occasional shouting of orders and strange machinery in the distance. He began to feel sick by the sound alone, knowing the evil that it represented. He would need every ounce of strength he could manage to stay focused now.

He froze. His jaw locked and a sickening burn became apparent inside his stomach, as if the acid within had now turned upon him and was trying to escape. He had reached the top of the hill. He could now see what had become of his village. The acid from his stomach then felt to be lifting up into his throat, burning all it touched, and his hand reached out instinctively to the tree beside him, meeting with its bark as he fell to one knee.

It wasn't there.

The buildings ... his home ... the many gardens throughout the village ... none of it was there. His entire village had been destroyed. He had not thought of what he had expected to see. It was as if he had refused to believe that anything had happened at all, and that by the time he reached this hill, he would simply see his village the way it had been the day before. Now the reality struck him deeply, making him feel weak, unsure and frightened. What had they done to his home? Even though it was before him now, he could barely believe that it was real.

With the little strength he could find, he looked up and searched among the piles of rubble left in place of the buildings. It was a smoking graveyard, barren of any structured form. The only thing standing was a military fort, occupying the heart of the Tennagen field.

They had used the sacred land. As the final insult to his people, they had built upon that which was to remain untouched. Anger began to boil at this realisation, his fear and uncertainty losing strength. He could not put into words how he felt. There had been grief to the point of breaking him inside at the deaths of his people. The loss of his mother and siblings had torn his heart, making him feel helpless. The destruction of his village had made him want to collapse in shock. But none of that was enough, and now they had ruined the only land he had ever known as sacred.

With the anger taking control of his body, he stood and continued on his path, his mind empty of all but a destination. A goal. A purpose. He would find his way into the heart of the village, over the cracks in the ground from the earthquake, to his beloved Tennagen field, and then he would enter the fort and retrieve the weaponry he needed. Then he would do whatever he could to bring down the Alliance.

As he entered the village, he took the route past the smoking craters. He would risk coughing in hope that the soldiers would be elsewhere. The stench of burning dead made him feel ill as he passed the many broken houses, but he did not stop or turn away. He kept on-his determination growing with the lives he knew had been lost in each. He slowed his pace as he closed in on the fort. Much of the vegetation was still intact here, as well as a couple of buildings that had been close to the Tennagen field. He was able to slip through a band of trees into a small dip in the ground, where he found shelter under an area of large ferns until the next thin band of trees. Beyond them was his destination, the military fort of the Alliance.

He did his best to keep below the fern leaves as he made his approach. If he touched them, the moving tops would be visible to the lookout towers set up around the area. He could see bright beams of light scanning over the land from them, and occasionally a soldier or two moving around up on the walls. The walls were dark metal, a demonic presence compared to the light sandstone houses of the Callibrai, and stood at just over two storeys high. As he knelt down at the final band of trees before the fort, Jaden was able to see through the small gaps in the shrubs ahead of him. In each direction, he could make out forty yards of the wall if he leaned forward enough. It was a towering, unassailable fortress, with slick polished metal in the lower sections and lines of barbwire near the top. Even with his determination, he could not have climbed them.

He had to find an alternative. There was only one entrance in sight, north from where he knelt, but even from here he was able to see that two heavily armed soldiers guarded it. He could walk around the fort until he was able to find a weakness, but even then he did not like his chances of getting inside. The Alliance was a trained force, remaining protected in war was what they specialised in. It was why they controlled three of the five inhabited continents.

Jaden sat back, thinking over all of the stories he had heard. They had all told of amazing escapes, where people fled from the Alliance and lived to tell the tale. None had ever mentioned someone attempting to attack them, to seek revenge and enter one of the forts. It seemed he would be the first, if he could find a way.

With the same care as he had moved with earlier, he decided to make his way toward the opening he could see in the north. It took him close to twenty minutes to make it there, needing to stop continually to suppress the nervousness. He had never been so close to his own death. He knew what a potential slip could mean for him. When he arrived, he sat almost directly in front of the two soldiers, who were now only fifteen yards away at the wall. They almost didn't seem real. They stood so completely still even their breathing was invisible. The roar of the machinery had drowned out the few sounds Jaden made as he moved through the ferns. The guards were oblivious to his presence. From here, he could wait and watch. He was not sure what he would see, but knew he would need to study his enemy before he was able to defeat them.

Close to an hour passed without any change. There was more daylight now, allowing him to see more clearly, with even the different shades of green on the guards' uniforms now becoming apparent. Jaden used the opportunity to learn more of the guards. The guard on the left of the opening was a thin man, not much taller than Jaden if he stood, and on the right was the typical soldier the Alliance was known for; broad shouldered and a giant in height. Both had hardened, unflinching expressions and were completely upright. He could make out several of the lookout towers clearly now, one or two of them empty, while the others had turned off their spotlights. This would be his last chance to move before sunrise.

He had been contemplating one possible route into the fort. It had hindered his movements in Tennagen matches, but now it could come to his aid. The stream ran directly through the centre of the field. If he could get to it, he could swim underneath the fort's walls. It was only another twenty yards from where he sat. It was a risk, and he needed to be able to hold his breath for at least a full minute as he swam gradually forward, but it was a chance he could not forgo. It may have been the only one he'd ever get.

Again with as much care as possible, he made his way north through the ferns. He had done this many times in the past as a child, pretending he was wandering through mazes as he hid from his friends. It brought back fond memories that warmed his heart a little, but the feelings did not, knowing that those he sought to hide from now would do more than just capture him. For every second he was here so close to the Alliance, his life was in constant danger.

He reached the stream a few yards from the tree line. There was better visibility here. He could be seen easily. He wanted a safe place to enter the water in case he gasped audibly from the cold. He put one foot in first, sliding it onto the bed below before putting his next foot in and allowing most of his body to submerge. The water was not as cold as he had expected, but it had been polluted with oils and debris from the attack. He would not swallow any, nor would he open his eyes when he was under the surface, in fear of what toxins might poison him.

He waded forward along the bank, using the rocks to pull himself along when he could, and then at the outer band of trees, he took one final deep breath and kicked to the bottom. He stayed along the edge, even under water, hoping to be hidden by the rocks that he used to move himself forward with. The wall was only another ten yards away, but he needed as much of his breath as possible to come up for air again without making a sound.

Blindly he swam, trying to feel a difference in pressure or judge the light around him to know that he had reached the wall. When both failed, he guessed that he had reached it by how far he had swum and quickly came up for air. The surface was broken only slightly, not enough to rouse any attention, but he was still several feet from the wall. Taking another breath, he swam downward again, this time touching the wall but then coming to a halt. Halfway under, he found he could swim no further. There were bars, crisscrossed all the way along the width of the stream, blocking his entrance to the fort. He swam left and right, up and down, but it was no use. The entire way was barricaded. The fort was secured, even to the stream.

Quickly he swam back out from under the wall to get another breath, his heart almost skipping a beat as he broke the surface another time. There was a man kneeling just a few yards away from him. If he were to look over his shoulder, he would have seen Jaden immediately. Jaden guessed he was saved only by how little sound he had made when he came up, and the low visibility underneath the wall. But neither seemed true, as the man was quite busy doing something on the ground with his ears covered.

Jaden swam to the other side of the stream to get a better look. The man was using several instruments, each in a seemingly random order on top of a black box. Without warning, the man quickly got up, taking his instruments with him and then placing the black box another fifteen yards away to the east. There he repeated the process, taking several minutes to complete it. When he was done, he stood up again and moved to the next position, another fifteen yards south. Jaden glimpsed a red beam come alight between the first two points before dulling again, two black devices now evident.

When he heard a shout from behind him inside the walls, his curiosity of the devices disappeared and he made his way back underwater. He soon returned to the place outside the opening, where the two men still stood guard. He had been even more cautious in his return, as the man who used the strange instruments seemed to be making his way along the entire wall. Jaden had had to wait for him to finish and move on before he was able to go forward, making the journey back even longer.

With his clothes wet and energy used, Jaden began to feel tired, and slipped slightly as he knelt down, crushing a small dead fern branch a little.

'Did you hear something?'

One of the guards had roused, waving his torch all over the trees. Jaden had to remain as quiet as possible, completely still to avoid capture.

'No, calm your nerves,' scorned the second guard. 'I won't warn you again.'

There was a pause, and Jaden began to wonder at the cowardice in the voice of the first guard who had spoken. He was the smaller of the two, the one on the left. Everything about him seemed uncertain now. His posture was weak and actions fearful. This was not the kind of soldier expected in the Alliance. He was a man, just an ordinary man fighting in a military unit. He was not the monster of the stories, the bringer of death and hate. Maybe the Alliance soldiers weren't as invincible as had been said, he thought; they were men after all, and as always, all men had their weaknesses. Why should these men be any different? But then, both had spoken his language. The first might have been from Lassah by his accent, but the second accent had been foreign. This meant the weaker of the two was perhaps new to the Alliance.

The first guard swallowed nervously. 'Understood.'

'Our replacements are coming, let's go.'

The first guard nodded, checking one last time into the trees before following the other's lead into the fort. Moments later, two more guards took up the post. Jaden watched on eagerly. It was a slight opening in their defence. For almost ten seconds, Jaden would have an opportunity to gain entrance to the fort. All that was left now was to wait until the guards changed over again. He had said he would be back by this night, but the other survivors had said they would wait until morning. He had time. Gathering some fist-sized rocks, he looked for the black device the man had planted ahead of him, and with a plan firmly set in mind, he rested his head against the dirt, getting what little sleep he could before the next change of guards.

In the coming hours, he would have his revenge.

Chapter Nine.

If not to an ideal, to what can one grasp?

January 15, 997 R.E.

General Alkon Zaccarah walked forward on the fort's wall, his hands pressing firmly onto the metal railing as he looked out over the wilderness. Beyond these few bands of trees were the many mud fields, broken houses and deceased-the fruits of conquest. He had ordered for these trees to remain, to give a glimpse of what it might have been like to live in these parts.

Someday, he thought. When his service to his nation was at an end, he could then find a place such as this, build a home and perhaps raise a family. It was a simple dream, a common desire among his men, but that day would not come for a long time, not while there were those that dared threaten the world still at large.

He shook his head slowly, staring aimlessly ahead. He had come a long way since the early days of the war, when he had just been a boy following his father around the military camps making routine checks and planning new assaults. In those days, the Resistance had not been formed, nor had the Alliance. In the home continent of Phaiross, the nations had been warring for many years with one another, some of the reasons petty, minor disagreements of religious belief and political gain, other reasons more significant, of pollution levels and agricultural rights. It was not until the fall of the great three nations of Phaiross that the smaller nations were able to band together to form as one, and give birth to the Alliance.

For the last decade, this was the only life Alkon had known; always on the road, never able to call a place home for longer than a few months at a time. Since his father was outcast, he had not even had a close friend to confide in. It was a lonely world, but it would only serve to drive him further toward reaching the goals set for him. He would ruthlessly conquer nations in a matter of months, even weeks, knowing that at the end, someday, when there were no more threats, he would be able to return home and live out his dreams.

'Your desires are not met.'

He was startled by the voice. He had not heard any approach. He turned then to see the man standing behind him.

'Kobin ... how did you get-'

'Your mind was elsewhere,' Kobin cut him short. He walked past Alkon to stand on his left before putting his right hand on the railing, his left arm still in the sling. He stood silent a moment, looking out into the wilderness as Alkon had done, then said casually, 'There is a place for dreaming, you know.'

Alkon hesitated, turning to face forward once more. There were many things he did not understand about this man. What he said seemed harmless enough, but his tone contained bitterness and rebellion. It was almost scolding. 'Your apparent authority speaks louder than your words, my friend. Your place is not next to mine in these walls. I will have you removed if you continue.'

'Authority,' Kobin gave a small chuckle. 'I know not what you speak of. Perhaps it is a reflection of yourself that you see.'

'You try your luck. You are not so new to our order, Callibrian, but I will forget this for all that you have given to us.'

Kobin was silent in his stare, as if he had not even heard Alkon's warning. Alkon waited a moment for a response, but soon turned away when it seemed it would not come. It made him wonder at the unanswered questions he still had about Kobin-why he failed to address superiors in the proper manner, why his tone contained such arrogance and disrespect, how he could live like this, and why he had helped them at all.

At first, much of it had appeared as cultural difference. Now, he was not so sure. There had been countless newcomers to the Alliance, but all had learnt the proper customs in a matter of weeks. This man had taken years and still failed to show any sign of change. He was distant, away in another world, but his words often revealed that he was more than aware of what was around him. Alkon could not decide if what he possessed was a threat or an asset to the Alliance. He had helped in many ways already, but if he were given an army to command, what then? Would he hold as strongly on the battlefield as he did in person? Would he be able to earn enough respect to be able to send men to their potential deaths with his apparent ignorance? The High Council of the Alliance had already shown great interest in him. They seemed to believe him capable, but would anyone else?

'I do not understand why you would want to be rid of all this,' said Alkon, nodding to the trees. 'The land here is beautiful.'

Again there was no response. Kobin's eyes continued to wander about as if nothing had been said.

Alkon turned to face him. 'I am sorry to hear of your companion's fall,' he said. 'He was a good man.'

'You would find no better,' said Kobin darkly.

'On that, I do not doubt you. He would have made a fine addition to the Alliance.'

Kobin seemed to have no objection, and both became silent once more. It was only when Alkon moved to walk away that Kobin spoke again.

'No more could I stand this life,' he said.

Alkon stopped and turned back slowly. 'Does it not pain you to see your home in ruin?' he asked.

'This was not my home. My home is the future. I wish only to build anew.'

Alkon nodded in understanding. 'For your service, I will see to it that once we have finished, this land will be given to you.'

Kobin shook his head. 'If I were an artist, the world would be my canvas. That is why I have joined you and your order. With your help, my dream may be possible.'

'Your wish is to change the world?'

'It cannot go on this way.'

'Ah!' said Alkon with a smile, clapping Kobin on the back. 'It is good to see others who share our dream joining with us. You will do well here, my friend. Together, we will create a better place. Come to my quarters later, the High Council has given orders for you to begin private lessons with one of our leading commanders.'

Kobin bowed slightly in gratitude, and Alkon turned to walk away once again. But he had walked no more than five steps when Kobin called out in a hushed tone, 'Halt!'

Alkon turned quickly in surprise at the order, ready to gently remind him of the proper manner in which to address a superior, but held his tongue when he noticed Kobin looking down over the walls of the fort. Kobin was signalling for Alkon to come forward.

'What have you seen?' asked Alkon curiously.