There was an assembly in another clearing, hundreds of soldiers all standing before the man in black uniform, who continued to call out loudly. After another speech to which the men responded as they had before, a strange machine was brought out into the open on his request. He held his hand up for silence before signalling for three men to come forward. Two of them were soldiers, but they dragged with them an elderly man from a group of people held at gunpoint. They stood the elderly man upright against a post in front of the machine.

'Don,' whispered Jaden in disbelief, recognising the elder of Callibra immediately, who now had a newly gashed cheek and badly bruised neck. Don had been captured. The other survivors had been found-they made up the group from which Don had been dragged. How had this happened?

The soldiers were now tying Don's hands behind his back as Jaden looked on in terror from his place of hiding, helpless to do anything.

The man in black uniform continued his speech, and then called for silence again as he stood as far back as possible. The soldiers moved away from Don, leaving him standing alone against the post, and then the machine that had been brought out flared up with various lights. With a single command, there was a flash, forcing Jaden to turn away as a sound like thunder came. When Jaden looked back he could see Don was still standing, but knew instantly something had happened. Even from this distance, he could see there was now a large hole through Don's chest. The pole he had been leaning against had been cut in half, the upper piece now lying next to him, and soon Don slumped over and fell lifeless to the ground.

The soldiers gave a cheer so loud that not even they had heard Jaden calling out. He was left in shock, involuntarily staring at the gruesome scene that had just taken place. Then he closed his eyes, while he mourned the loss of another good man.

It wasn't fair. How could the innocent be so brutally destroyed? Why did it continue to happen?

The World Protection Alliance really didn't care for humankind or even peace. They were greedy, evil conquerors that preached goodwill to all only when it suited them. Jaden had now witnessed their true nature and knew that it had to stop. It couldn't go on like this. He understood why his brother had left to fight in the wars against them.

In a hate-filled rage, Jaden leapt up and ran to the first truck. He jumped into the back, grabbing a rifle, then ammunition, and then a backpack that he slung over his shoulder after filling it with grenades and items he didn't even recognise. All he could think of now was becoming one of the heroes in the stories told of brave men or women who rose up against the soldiers of the Alliance and shot them dead. He would avenge his village, he would avenge his people, and he would avenge the wise and trusted elder, Don.

With more weight to hold, he lowered himself down from the truck carefully and readied to fire upon the assembly, but stopped as he saw much of it had disbanded. He searched out the greatest gathering of soldiers as his target near the centre, took aim and pressed in the trigger. There was a loud bang that sent him flying backward, causing the gun to fall and hang around his chest.

But he hadn't fired the gun.

What had happened?

Jaden looked up in a daze to see a soldier standing in front of him.

'Well, what do we have here?' asked the soldier with a sneer. 'Get up. Now, peasant!'

Jaden struggled to stand, slightly concussed and confused. He felt dizzy, lost, and fell backward once more as the soldier struck him again.

'You defy me, peasant? Stand up!'

The soldier readied a deadly blow to Jaden's head with the back of his gun, holding it high before swinging it downward. Through blurred vision Jaden saw the blow coming and only just managed to duck and roll out of the way. He used the wall to help himself up, expecting the soldier to be on him again, but the man had remained where he was as a deafening roar came from above and a black triangular-shaped jet with blue flame streaming out the back swooped low across the fort. The soldier turned in a half-circle, following it with his eyes as an expression of fear washed over him. Five more jets immediately followed, and the entire fort was lit with explosions as bombs found their targets on the ground, while the centre was protected with a shield of orange light.

'Enemy fighters incoming!' yelled the soldier in alarm, but then realising Jaden was making his escape, forgot about the commotion in the sky and gave chase.

Jaden ran away at full pace, too quickly for the soldier to catch him, the thought repeating over and over in his mind, they're here ... they're finally here!

The soldier followed him until he reached the ramp he had come down earlier, and then, as if deciding it was too hard to take the same route, gave up and ran back into the heart of the fort, allowing Jaden to go free.

Only minor damage prevailed from the initial air strike, but a lone jet soon made a hit on one of the defence shield towers, sending it crashing down upon panicking Alliance troops.

The men cried out that the shield was down, but it was no use; for each repair effort attempted, another strike would further the damage already done. Men were losing their lives rapidly. The Alliance had been left almost completely defenceless against the attack. Soldiers took cover while others began to man anti-aircraft cannons, and it appeared that they had successfully hit one of the supersonic aircrafts as a large load of fuel began to fall across the fort. The soldiers cheered in victory, but they were soon silenced, as the craft was able to gain altitude once more and retreat over the mountains. The soldiers then focused on the next low-flying jet, doing their best to stay focused as the roar deafened them again, but they soon fled, as a bomb was released at the beginning of the trail of fuel left by the previous jet. An entire strip through the heart of the fort exploded then in tall orange flames, and just as the Callibrai had before, the Alliance men now screamed in agony as they fought desperately to extinguish themselves any way that they could.

Alliance Koda fighter jets were soon airborne from the badly damaged runway in the north, flying after the blue-flamed demons. Those on the ground launched anti-aircraft missiles, making two hits as they were rewarded with speeding balls of flame crashing into the mountains.

The fire that engulfed the centre strip soon spread to some structures, causing further explosions as the dangerous materials within were met with the intense heat. The Alliance were quick to put these new fires out and managed to contain the initial burning strip, but their forces in the sky were allowed no such luxury. The Koda fighter jets could not match the superior and overwhelming power of the three remaining dark triangular jets, being brought down two at a time. All they could manage was to draw the enemy fighters away from the fort, forcing the chase to continue far from the valley and high into the clouds.

Contact with the last Koda fighter was soon lost, and the enemy fighters returned for another strike. The Alliance launched more missiles, preventing the jets from unleashing any weaponry of their own, and as quickly as it had begun, the attack seemed over, and the enemy fighters flew away over the mountains to the east.

In the heat of commotion, General Alkon Zaccarah ran up the same ramp Jaden had used to escape, but stopped at the sound of a casual voice speaking to him.

'What are you doing?'

Alkon turned to see the familiar yet unexpected face of Kobin Guyde standing below. He said nothing in reply, simply staring down at him.

'Trying to save yourself?' continued Kobin.

'You should concern yourself more with being amidst an attack,' said Alkon.

'Your fort has been damaged, should you not be commanding your men?'

'I have already given the orders. Repairs are being made. The wounded are being tended to. I came here to find the boy you allowed to escape.'

'I allowed to escape?' repeated Kobin with almost a laugh. 'If your soldiers were more disciplined, the man I sent to get him would have brought him to us. Apparently the birds in the sky were of more interest.'

'Do not patronise my men, Callibrian. You still have a lot to answer for.'

'Your security was breached. He was helping himself to your weaponry unnoticed. If I had not sent a soldier to him, I do not think it would be I who had a lot to answer for. It is by luck that we have discovered this flaw in your men.'

Alkon released his breath, lowering his brows as he made his way back down the ramp. As he reached Kobin he stopped and inclined his head as if to speak directly into his ear. 'That strike caused the deaths of many men,' he said. 'The soldier was right to be distracted. Remember, it was by your request that I left this place unmanned. And yet you will stand here ... daring to criticise?'

Kobin grinned. 'I requested that the boy be left alone, not for this place to be unmanned. I will be informing the High Council on my next report I am asked to give.'

'Do what you will, Callibrian,' said Alkon, glaring at Kobin, 'it matters not to me.'

Before Kobin could say another word, Alkon stormed off to a building that was unharmed, leaving Kobin to do as he would outside and ending the conversation. Once comfortably seated inside, Alkon summoned his second-in-command. Lieutenant-General Liet Revarn entered the small office like room a short time later.

'Why didn't we see them coming?' yelled Alkon, hitting the desk in such fury that most of the pens and other items on top fell onto the floor. 'Is our radar worthless?'

'It appears so, General,' said Liet. 'But what I find of more interest is how they knew we were here.'

Alkon seemed too enraged to hear him. 'We can expect more attacks! Make sure all positions are manned at all times. I will not have any more deaths under my command. Is that clear?'

'Yes, General, it is how it should have always been.'

'My mind flies faster than any fighter right now, my friend, please do not insult me. The High Council will not be pleased with this. It is the first blemish on my record, my first failure!'

'They will be lenient. You still have the chance to prove yourself at Waikor. This may even work to our advantage.'

Alkon calmed, taking his seat and looking into nothingness, his mind's eye becoming his only vision. 'Advantage...?'

'Indeed. We are now able to call for reinforcements. Our claim is simply that more than half our force was killed in a freak attack. No general could have suspected such a thing in these circumstances.'

Alkon's eyes jerked upward at Liet. 'Do you not know how many men have died? Do you not realise the amount of loss we have suffered? You are a heartless man, Lieutenant. Soldiers are not replaceable machines! This is not our advantage!'

Liet remained without expression, waiting, and Alkon's features soon lost their hardness.

'I apologise, my friend, I am still a little shaken. You are right ... you mean not that we are to simply replace them, but that we must do what we must to ensure victory. The force given to us was too small. I will call for reinforcements.'

'Ask for ten thousand,' said Liet.

'Ten thousand! The Alliance cannot afford to give us ten thousand more men!'

'The war with the island of Cralun has been won. There is a force awaiting deployment.'

'How can you know this?' asked Alkon.

'My sources are to remain private, General. Please accept my apology, but I cannot jeopardise their lives.'

Alkon nodded as he raised his elbow onto the armrest and put his head against his fingers. 'Very well. You make the call. I will take no responsibility for the High Council's wrath when they refuse.'

Liet bowed, and Alkon sat in silence, deep in thought.

'General, there is still the matter of how they knew our location,' said Liet.

'What?'

'How did the enemy know our position?'

'I do not know. A lucky guess?' asked Alkon, making random circles in the air with his hand. 'Scouting crafts? I cannot say. Scouting crafts would not have brought such weaponry, unless...'

'What is it, General?'

'I have only just now seen Kobin. He seemed more interested in degrading our men than his own safety.'

'You think him a traitor?' asked Liet.

'He betrayed his people, why would he not betray us?'

Liet was thoughtful. 'Perhaps the question is why he would betray his people, only to betray us a day later.'

After a moment's contemplation, Alkon gave a final wave of his hand. 'You're right,' he said. 'There is no sense in it, but I still do not trust him. Have him put under continual surveillance. I want to know his every move.'

'Yes, General.'

'You may go, Lieutenant.'

Liet bowed and exited. As the door closed behind him, Alkon sat forward and leaned on the desk, burying his face in his hands where he remained for the rest of the night, dreading the coming weeks and the next report he would give to the High Council.

Chapter Eleven.

The journey is long only until seen from the end.

January 17, 997 R.E.

Jaden's heart sank as he watched the last of the blue-flamed jets disappear over the mountains, his hopes of the force being sent by his father vanishing with it. It had flown east, the opposite direction to the way his father would have gone. They must have been of the Resistance, too far from Callibra to send any troops by land.

The jets had brought him some peace with their attack, at least. The Alliance had been punished for their crimes. But now he realised no punishment would ever seem enough in his eyes. They had taken everything from him. All that he had left now was the desire to fight, to wage war against the Alliance until his own death.

He took a final look back over his shoulder at what was once his home, and then made his way down the hill and up toward the mountain. He took the path slowly, in no hurry to get where he was going. The other survivors had been captured. There was nothing left for him here anymore. He could only have managed a little damage without help, not nearly enough for the revenge for which he had yearned. It seemed there was only one option remaining; make his way to Corsec and join the fight against the Alliance. With their military might, he could have a chance at the victory he could not achieve alone. The journey would be long, but he had no other choice.

Like him, his father had failed in his mission, too.

After two hours, he reached the cave high on the mountain, but he would not stay. He had come this way only so that he could say goodbye to the last remaining piece of his childhood. Lowering his eyes from staring into the darkness, he turned and walked around the mountainside and then made it to the top. Here he sat in contemplation, looking toward the horizon that the jets would have disappeared over. There lay his destiny, far beyond where his eyes could see. To his right, he could see the coastline. To his left, he could see vast mountain ranges. Each seemed as devoid of human life as the other. It did not matter which route he took, they would both lead him to where he needed to be most-away from this place, away from the memories-but only through the mountains could he find the Resistance.

In the faint light of the rings peering through the clouds, he began to plot his path. There was dense wilderness, entire forests standing in his path. If he did not take care, he would get lost easily. The first destination point was a clearing in which a large rock protruded just over the trees. He decided he could perhaps climb it when he got there and use it to better see the way he needed to go. After that, there was nothing more than the thicket of green he would have to push his way through to get to the mountains ahead, to the two highest peaks he could see straight ahead of the clearing.

The two highest peaks...

If he followed the path directly toward the two highest peaks and tracked the stream north, he would reach a mountain. That was where his grandfather had wanted him to go. Vennoss had said he would be safe there.

Jaden thought hard for a moment. He was not sure if safety was what he wanted anymore. He had felt a burn inside him ever since the attack, an energy that needed to be released somehow, by fighting-seeking revenge against the Alliance. But he didn't like to disobey his grandfather's advice, and now that all were gone, it was the last bit of direction he had left. He would not stay where his grandfather had told him to go, nor would he explore too far for the cure to his illness. He would go only so that he had not disobeyed his grandfather, and then he would leave.

Hours passed. Jaden remained seated on the mountainside until first light before laying the rifle down next to him and then taking off the backpack. He needed to shed any excess weight before he went any further. Anything that he couldn't use on the way he would discard. Opening the top, he found that the grenades he had taken were no longer there. He had thought he had felt them roll out when the soldier had hit him, but at the time he hadn't been sure. Underneath were the rolls and clips of ammunition and various tools he didn't recognise. He tossed most of these aside, keeping only some ammunition for the rifle. He would need a means of defence for his travels.

In the side compartment was what he was hoping for. Folded neatly inside was a soldier's uniform-clean, dry clothing to replace his torn, wet and blackened Callibrian garments. He quickly changed into it, leaving the jacket aside, keeping only the black undershirt and the dark green trousers, which he had to roll up around his ankles. The uniform appeared to be for one of the smaller soldiers of the Alliance, but it still seemed big on Jaden.

He checked through the last compartments, finding a flask of water and some rations of dried meat. He drank as much as he could, then put the flask down and sat back as he chewed on the dried meat. The spices burnt his tongue and throat, but the flavour was not unpleasant. It was the first time he had eaten anything since the attack.

He took another drink of water to cool the burning and then looked toward the shoreline. He could hear a hum in the distance. Something was behind the trees. He began to edge forward to take cover behind a rock, unsure what could be out here. Whatever it was, it could not have been friendly. Seconds passed, but still there was no sign of anything. Jaden held his breath, as if to wait for it to make the first move.

Suddenly he saw it, a black helicopter rising into the air but keeping low. Patrols, he thought, searching for him, to take him prisoner or even kill him. He had to run, to find a better place of cover. He had gotten up but stopped as he turned to see the helicopter was travelling eastward. It stayed low the entire way, until it disappeared from sight on the horizon, leaving Jaden confused.

Where was it going?

He didn't want to stay to find out when it returned. Putting what he needed into the backpack, the rations, water flask, ammunition and his old clothes, he readied to leave. A light breeze traced over his cheeks, whispering what almost sounded like words to him. He remained still for a moment, listening to the strange voice, as if somehow able to understand it. Realising he could not, he began his way down the steep, rocky slope, trying to think as little as possible about the attack and the patrolling helicopter along the way.

He felt drained of energy, sick from the emotion that had tormented him over the past days. He had never felt so much hate, so much anger or so much grief before, and now it seemed he had no more tears to cry.

He travelled most of the day at a leisurely pace, changing the position of the rifle several times along the way so that it did not seem so heavy. The cloud cover kept him cool as he went, but he stopped at any stream or waterhole that he came across, splashing water onto his weary eyes and refilling the flask. He reached his first destination point several hours after nightfall. He had not wished to risk losing direction by resting for the night, and using what little moon and ring light there was, he had managed to navigate through the remaining forest. The clearing was great in size, being almost one hundred yards in length, with the large rock at the opposite end slanting to the left, as if it had been pushed over by some divine force but defiantly fell no further.

To Jaden's right, there was a stream gently trickling down from the rock, seeming like glistening sapphires rolling over the earth as it made its way into the forest. He walked to it over the many small stones and knelt down on the pebbled beds to refill his flask, then scooped up some water to drink and splash over himself with his hand. His thirst satisfied, he stood and walked along the stream to the rock. It was too dark to see the way to the two highest peaks this night, and his body ached from the distance he had travelled already. He would climb it in the morning, he thought, but for now, he would rest, if he could find a place of comfort.

Circling the rock, he found his way to where it slanted above ground, creating an open cave-like area. He threw the backpack and rifle against one of the smooth white and gray ledges and then hopped up onto it, lying back and using the backpack as a headrest. From here, he was able to stare back to where he had entered the clearing, thinking of how far he had come. He had never been so far from his home before. He had never seen what was outside of the valley. Under different circumstances, he may have been able to take solace in the beauty, but in this moment, it meant nothing to him. He was content simply to be able to lie down and close his eyes, forgetting that anything else existed, and drift into a deep sleep.

Abruptly, Jaden sat up straight. He was ready to run, his eyes searching for anything near. He had felt something, something close ... something alien. It was sharp, almost to the point of inflicting pain. It almost felt like a spear such as there had been at the waterfall in Callibra.

His eyes darted right. He had seen a flicker. They darted left, this time he had felt something move. He stood up and backed away from the rock, trying to keep his eyes focused on everything before him.

Silence.