Chapter 2

Brave New World

July 19th, 2017 AE

The young Ark Knight rode his steed across the verdant expanse. The morning sun hung over the kingdom like a silent guardian, shining bright as it rose in the distance. The cool, summer air blew through the fields and caressed the traveler's skin. And with the sky painted cerulean blue, he and the realm had fully awakened from their slumber. A new day began.

He had woken up that morning happy, even after staying in that dirty, roach-infested inn in the last town. For the last three days, he traveled across the region on this horse that he borrowed from home. While it was just as hard leaving his home and his family, he felt liberated being out in the world and on his own for the first time. Once he reached the top of the hill, he saw his destination standing tall and proud from across the valley.

As the capital of Astrelm, Newtown was a walled metropolis brimming with life. Divided into two sections, the majority of the city was within the Outer Ring between two stone walls. In the Central Ring stood the glorious Citadel, where the Royal Family lived and ruled over the kingdom for centuries. And with the most advanced technology protecting it from the Empire, Newtown was the greatest stronghold on the planet.

The Ark Knight arrived at the southern gate to the Outer Ring at around eleven o'clock. After leaving his horse at a rental station, he bought a ticket for the train that would take him to the Central Ring. Riding high above the streets, he looked out the window at the green fields stretching beyond the city boroughs. He was amazed to see a gigantic lake capturing it all in its pristine reflection. That all vanished once the train entered the pitch-black tunnel in the Central Wall. This gave him time to process what he just witnessed. Though he only saw a preview of the capital, it already seemed like paradise. But once the train emerged shot out of the darkness, he finally saw the city's true splendor.

He was in awe of the colossal skyscrapers grower ever taller. Dozens of billboards crowned these buildings, shouting their advertisements at him. The one that made him most excited greeted him with the colorful tagline:

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW!

Winding highways branched throughout the city like vines in a jungle. Fleets of cars filled these roads as they made their commute across the capital. All the wondrous sights sped past his gaze until the train reached Crown City Station in a grinding halt. His first step off the train was his first step into his new life.

The Central Ring was lined with buildings painted a rainbow of colors. Hundreds of citizens traveled throughout the streets, each of them adding to the city's exhilarating spirit. While a storm of cars crowded the roads, rows of merchants filled the sidewalks with their stands as they sold their wares. Each of their conversations powered a loud, energetic noise that echoed throughout the city. This was the voice of Newtown.

Amidst all this commotion, he didn't know where to look first. He walked down the street captivated by the liveliness of this grand city. A pilgrim in an unfamiliar land, he continued to explore until he saw a "FOR RENT" sign in front of a small, brown building. He knew this would be a good place to start.

The Ark Knight stepped inside to see what looked like a run-down shop. Many boxes and sacks filled to the brim with goods were piled up behind the counter. Their contents included a variety of foods, exotic spices, elixants, textiles, and even weapons. He could tell that all these goods belonged to a bountiful merchant.

"Hello?!" he yelled.

The next thing he heard was a thump coming from under the counter.

"Ow!"

A young man, about his age, stood up behind the counter, rubbing the back of his head. He had brown hair and was wearing a red vest, light brown pants, and brown leather boots. With a small scimitar hanging off his left leg and a revolver off of his right, he bore the image of a professional hunter. He immediately went from having an irritated frown to a welcoming smile.

"Oh," he said. "Are you here about the rent?"

"Uh...yeah," he said, warily. He thought for a moment about how much he should reveal about himself. "I need a place to stay."

"Well, you're in luck! It's cheap, and we're movin' out today. Oh, right. Sis!" he shouted up towards the stairs to the second floor. "We got a buyer here!"

"I'll be right down!" a woman's voice responded.

"My name's Jesse, by the way," he said.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jaden."

As they firmly shook hands, a spark rippled through Jaden that he couldn't explain. Jesse had a face that you'd would only come across once or twice in a lifetime. It somehow seemed familiar to Jaden, though it wasn't like he had seen it before. It was a face Jaden felt comfortable with, one that he could trust. His smile was that of someone that seemed to have known him for his entire life, despite having just met him. He could tell he had traveled all over the world and welcomed it with open arms. This was the face of a true friend.

"Oh, hi there."

Jaden looked up to see a pair of brown, leather boots scaling down the stairs. Wearing them was a young woman, also about his age, she resembled Jesse a great deal. She had short red hair, sported a blue, leather jacket with jeans, and was carrying a cardboard box full of medicine in her arms.

"This is my sister, Kaylah. Sis, this is Jaden. He's new to town."

"How did you know that?" Jaden asked him.

"I can tell. You got the face."

"The face? What's wrong with my face?"

"Nothing," said Kaylah. "You look fine. I mean, not fine, you just..." she shook her head as she forced herself out of that awkward moment. "Welcome to Newtown!"

Kaylah held out her hand, and Jaden officially greeted her by shaking it. He was so captivated by her great beauty, he almost choked up inside. He could see the resemblance between her and Jesse, but she was something else. She looked like she was painted by an artist in what would be their masterpiece. Her stunning, red hair glistened in the sun seeping in from the window beside him. Even her hand felt as soft and delicate as a rose, and his heart was in full bloom.

"Thanks," Jaden said, having just gotten out of his daze. "So I am interested in renting this place, as long I can afford it"

"Well, the rent is twelve-hundred Cal," Jesse answered. "But you seem like a nice guy, so I'll make it ten-hundred."

Jaden was surprised to get such a generous offer from a complete stranger, even when he didn't know him. Though he was only in the city for almost an hour, he already knew that he was one of the nicest guys in the city.

"Wow, thanks."

"No problem. And since you're new here, how about we give you a tour of the city, and we can get some lunch?" Jesse offered.

"Really?" he asked in amazement. "Uh...yeah, sure!"

* * *

The three of them walked to a cafe on the other side of the city. They tried a variety of foods that each had a delicious and unique taste. Out of all of them, Jaden's favorite was the sandwich he had for lunch. He had never eaten city food before, so he was worried it wouldn't taste good. But the combination of lettuce tomato, and roast beef caught him by surprise. The meat and vegetables were bought fresh from a ranch in the Outer Ring, and it was all served on a hot loaf of bread. Its soft, but crunchy texture filled his mouth with its warm flavor. The seasoned beef lit up taste buds like fireworks. He was so happy from eating that he was uncontrollably humming the entire time. It was the best meal that he had in the past three days, but nothing ever beat his aunt's cooking.

After they paid the bill for lunch, they spent the rest of the afternoon touring the city streets. Jesse showed Jaden some of the city's most historic landmarks. They passed the glamorous Royal Theatre, the Great Library of Aetherea, and the luxurious Crown City Hotel. This was the heart of civilization pumping the kingdom's lifeblood into the roads and highways that branched through its anatomy.

A few hours later, they stopped in Solana Park near the Village District just outside the main city. They sat down and relaxed in a large, green field in the center of the park. At around the same time, the bells of the city's Celestial Clock tolled for the third hour. Jaden was exhausted from the tour, but he was overwhelmed with happiness. It was the middle of summer in Astrelm, and the temperature and weather were just perfect.

"Wow," Jaden said in amazement. "What a day!"

"It sure was a hell of a time," Jesse responded.

They continued to watch the sun go down. To Jaden, it was the perfect end to a perfect day. He then turned to Jesse and asked something.

"Hey, Jesse. Why did you guys show me around town exactly? Were you trying to butter me up so I would rent your place?" he asked with a glance of humor.

"No way! We were just trying to be nice, since...you know, it's your first time in the city!"

"Oh, well...thanks." Jaden was utterly stunned by his response. So much so that he regretted even asking him that question. He never met anyone who had such a kind and generous demeanor.

"Our pleasure. Anyway, what are you going to do now that you're here in the capital?"

After a few seconds of thought, he said, "Honestly, I don't really know. I came into town to make something out of myself, but I just thought it was time for me to leave home."

"So then, what do you want to do?" Kaylah asked.

"Well, what I really want is to help people, you know? Make a difference like everyone else."

"Is that why you have that sword?"

Jaden looked over his shoulder at his trusty blade, sleeping within its sheath behind his back. He took it out and stared at himself in the sharp, reflective steel.

"Yeah. My uncle taught me how to use it, and I always dreamt of becoming a knight. I was actually the best swordsman in my village. It's the only thing that makes me feel like I mean anything."

"Can we see some of your skills?" she asked.

"Yeah! Sure!"

Jaden happily got up and moved a few steps away from them. Getting into a fighting stance with his sword in hand, he swung his right arm and let out a powerful slash.

"Hyaaahh!"

Jaden brought his sword down in front of him with lightning-fast speed. He followed that up with a few more slash attacks that blew through the air like a storm. He then held his sword and prepared for a spin attack.

"Yaaahh!"

His sword picked up a whirlwind as he swung his sword around himself like a tornado. He put his blade back in the scabbard hanging from his shoulder, and turned back towards his audience.

"Wow, that was amazing," Kaylah said in amazement while clapping for his performance.

"Awesome moves!" Jesse complemented.

"Thanks. But it was nothing," Jaden said modestly.

"Hey, you think you could teach me how to use that thing?"

"Wait, you don't know how to use a sword?"

"Not really. I'm not much of a fighter," Jesse answered while grazing the hilt of his own blade. "I mean, I have this sword in case any demons attack us, but I never use it."

"Well, I guess I could give a lesson."

Jesse got up and took out his sword, which he gripped like a vice. His body was as rigid as a rock, and his stance was off. He obviously wasn't experienced using it at all.

"Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your right foot forward. Relax and let your body take in the weight of the blade."

Jesse took in a deep breath and let his body relax. His grip on the hilt slightly loosened, and he felt the strength of his arm balance with his weapon. It was as if it the blade was being absorbed into his forearm, becoming a part of him. He then repeatedly swung his sword at Jaden, who quickly blocked each attack. Jesse turned his head to Kaylah as she smiled at them from the side.

"Jesse, just focus on me and on the rhythm of your attacks," Jaden said, "Like this!" He slowly stepped towards Jesse and softly swung his blade at him. "One, two, three!" Jaden said as he deflected each of his attacks. "Like that!" Jaden continued with more triplets of attacks to the beat of his chant.

"One, two, three! Keep it up!"

After a little time practicing with defense, Jesse got the hang of defending naturally, so he switched back to offense. He followed with the same measure of attacks as Jaden, and he slowly sped up his strikes until he got lost in the movement. Their swords were dancing with each other to the rhythm of combat.

* * *

After about an hour of practicing, both men dropped to the ground, completely. They sat with Kaylah next to a large oak tree on top of the hill, and watched the sunset. They were captivated by the sun as it painted the sky with a deepening shade of red and orange.

"Great job Jesse," Jaden said. "You're pretty good for a rookie."

"Thanks, but I'm still not as good as you," he said.

"Well, if you want to get better, you just gotta keep practicing."

"You know, Jaden. You could be a fantastic knight if you wanted to," Kaylah added.

"Thanks, but honestly, I'm not sure if I want to. I mean, I practiced swordplay every day for years so I can protect people, but I really don't know if I belong in the army."

As Jaden spoke, he stared out at the vast horizon bathed in the golden summer twilight.

"What I really want to do is to see the world. There's so much out there that I haven't seen yet. In fact, this is the first time I've ever left my hometown."

That was the thing Jaden wanted to do the most: to see the world. For all eighteen years of his life, his entire world was in a simple house in a simple town with his aunt and uncle. Still, he always had a thirst for adventure, and he wanted to discover his place in the world. Jaden knew that he couldn't stay in his village for the rest of his life. But now that he was there in the capital, he felt free to write a plan for himself.

"Well," Jesse said, "maybe you could travel with us!"

Jaden turned his head to him, so surprised by the offer that he could barely believe it. "Really, you mean it?"

"Yeah," Kaylah said. "We really just wander around the world selling goods to people."

"We go wherever the money takes us!" Jesse said jokingly. Jaden couldn't help but laugh a little.

"You sure you want me with you guys? I mean, we just met, and what about your house and the rent?"

"Hey, forget about it," Jesse answered. "We don't need to rent out our house. As long as you help us out, that is. I mean, that is what you want, right?"

Jaden spent a few seconds processing this momentous offer. No one except his aunt and uncle ever displayed this much kindness to him. When he came up with his answer, he gladly smiled and said, "Yeah, I'll do it!"

"Alright, you're one of us, now," Jesse proudly exclaimed.

He took out his hand, and Jaden held it tight. Kaylah reached for a hug, and he happily granted her one.

"Now we gotta celebrate this," said Jesse. "I know this little restaurant close to here with the best steaks! Do you like steak, Jaden?"

"Great! Let's go!" he replied.

They all got up eager to make their way towards dinner. But before they could start walking, they spotted a trail of black smoke rising up from the heart of the city.

"What is that?" asked Kaylah.

"I don't know, it looks like there's a fire in town," Jaden answered.

They heard the boom of a explosion right where the Royal Citadel was located. The trio recoiled in shock as a pillar of flames pierced the sky. Seeing this disaster unfold, they all started running towards the site of the fire.

And it was then, on July 19th, 2017, at 5:24 P.M., the Great War began.