Magmar stretched and began rereading his new documents.
He'd been in the library pouring over the manual Shariz had given him
for over an hour, occasionally taking a break to check his email. As
he read the chapter about Combat Week for the third time, he heard a
soft 'ping' on his computer. He almost dropped the manual on the
floor as he scrambled to check his email. Scowling, he dragged the
new message about the Golden Rule political party's fight against
unemployment into the virtual trashcan and returned to his reading
material.
The library was nearly empty, with most exams having
finished the day before. The only other occupant was Cotus, who had
his Calculus II book open on the table next to him while he graphed
some equations. It appeared he had indeed been granted a retake.
Magmar wondered for a minute how different his own future would be if
it was him sitting there with a “History of Faylix” textbook
writing out an essay. But he had no feelings of regret.
He scanned through the list of physical requirements in
his book. As he highlighted the 3k run time of 15:45, Magmar heard
another 'ping' on his computer. Hoping it wasn't another political
message, he cautiously opened his mailbox. The new message read
“FWD: FMSOB Orders for Magmar, 3438.”
A rush of excitement washed over Magmar as he opened
his mail. Scanning it thoroughly, he found his start date:
03/02/104. He glanced at the calendar on his computer. Friday,
February 20 was displayed on the task-bar. Pleased, he leaned back
in his chair and read the rest of the document at a more leisurely
pace. A week and a half was a small window of time to develop a
fitness regime, but it also meant he could jump right into things
before any nerves got the better of him.
The rest of the document contained information on where
to report, length of the training, and his chosen UMC. Magmar
printed it, gathered his papers, and headed back to his dorm. On his
walk back, he tried to think of the best way to tell his mother he
was coming home soon only to say goodbye for an undisclosed amount of
time. “Hey mom, so I'm gonna go rip my soul out and kill people
with it for six years or so”, he thought. Even in his head it
sounded ridiculous. While he pondered a few less alarming ways to
explain his new commitment, he heard a familiar voice from behind.
“Hey, Magmar, did you get the email yet?” It was
Kataka.
“Yeah, just printed it. Did you get March 2, too?”
Magmar asked.
“Yep. I just got off the phone with my dad. He's
actually really happy I joined. I'm kinda glad we're not able to
include the job description though...he'd be freaking out.” Kataka
grinned.
Magmar nodded. “Still trying to think of a way to
tell my mom. I know she'll freak out. I was supposed to be going
for a solid six-year degree, not a six-year military contract. Then
she'll freak out more not knowing what's in that contract.”
Kataka laughed. “Good luck. Anyway, I'm heading
home right away tomorrow. I was thinking the three of us should go
out tonight and celebrate. Maybe Psyche's around nine-ish?”
“Psyche's?” Magmar gave her a wary look. “Isn't
that where all those weird punks hang out? The ones that wear all
black and think every day is Whisperia Day?”
Kataka laughed again. “Ok...it was Vandosu's idea.
But hey, why not visit the place at least once before we leave? It's
not like we'll be around to hear if anyone saw us.”
Magmar shook his head, but he was smiling. “Alright,
fair enough.” He waved her goodbye and continued the trek back to
his dorm. Upon arrival he placed his papers next to his neatly
stacked boxes and retrieved the phone from his pocket. Sighing, he
scrolled through a rather short list before finding “Mom” and
selecting it. It rang only twice before she picked up.
“Hey. Is it alright if I come home tomorrow?”
Magmar could feel his throat starting to close as he listened to her
voice. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that he'd technically
failed a final exam and was no longer eligible for university.
Instead, he made it sound as though he'd just waltzed into the
recruiter's office and signed up. He reassured her everything was
fine, and that his decision was based on the militia's need for star
performers like him. He talked about his new friends, she told him
how proud she was, and they both ended the conversation feeling
satisfied. Relieved he'd successfully cleared that hurdle, Magmar
decided to go for a walk.
After stopping by a few places he'd been to
frequently...the game room, the cafeteria, and the book store, he
decided to visit a few of the places on campus he'd never visited.
The chapel had a wedding ceremony going on...and judging by the size
of the crowd it was likely an impromptu event. The gym wasn't busy,
so Magmar gave it a try, lasting 30 minutes before hitting the
showers. He continued his tour, stopping by a peculiar building that
he'd passed by many times this semester without ever learning its
name. An ornate sign on the door read “Fine Arts”.
The walls inside were covered with all kinds of art,
mostly from former students. As Magmar browsed the collection, one
section of wall caught his eye. There, in a golden frame, was a huge
map of Faylix. It was hand painted, with some rather curious
renditions of the five provinces. Zainu's territory was on fire,
with the landmarks portrayed as burning buildings and flaming rivers.
It's neighbor, Daltu was underwater. As he scanned the other
provinces, he concluded it was a creepy representation of the
elements. In the middle of the map, where Centralia was supposed to
be was a shadowy figure holding a marionette with the five elements
dangling from it. Yep, creepy. He looked for the artist's name and
found 'Lucas 9999' inscribed on the bottom. Magmar took a few steps
back and contemplated the name for a moment. If this was painted by
the last Lucas on Faylix, it was well before his time. Guess he
didn't have to worry about the creepy bastard after all.
Magmar yawned and checked the time on his phone. Nine
texts and two missed calls. Oops. He hurried out the door, sending
Vandosu a quick “On my way” and stuffed his phone back in his
pocket.
****
The driver-less taxi stopped outside an eerie looking
nightclub. The name “Psyche's” was glowing in purple cursive on
the front, but the rest of the building was black as coal. As Magmar
stepped inside he knew right away this was not his normal crowd. A
sleazy looking woman greeted him immediately by sniffing his neck and
muttering “Ooo...type O...delicious.” Magmar gave her a
perplexed look, half amused, half disturbed that the hussy had
guessed right. He quickly removed himself from her sight.
He found Kataka and Vandosu sitting at a high-top near
the dance floor. One look at Vandosu and Magmar laughed out loud.
Vandosu was wearing a long, embroidered black cape clasped with a
silver brooch. His burgundy vest matched the ribbon in his hair and
his ornately buckled boots reached his knees. Upon closer
inspection, Magmar noticed the brooch contained the same symbol as
Vandosu's earring.
“God damn, man.” Magmar commented, still laughing
as he joined them. “Come here often?”
Vandosu grinned as he sipped his cocktail. “Hey
don't piss in the punch yet, this is terrific place to see a
different side of someone.”
“I don't know...” Kataka gave Vandosu a sideways
glance. “You look the same to me.” All three laughed.
“Point taken.” Vandosu acknowledged. “Still, the
theme behind Psyche's is to show your true spirit. I figured it was
a good place to show you guys being that we'll be seeing a lot of
each other over the next few months...maybe even years.” He took
another sip of his drink, his eyes drifting to a couple tearing up
the dance floor dressed like furry cat-girls.
“So... you're saying your true spirit is a vampire?”
Magmar asked, eying Vandosu's attire accusingly.
Vandosu closed his eyes and set his empty glass down.
“Well, Magmar, I'm not sure. My spirit can't seem to settle on a
single identity. One day I feel love for everyone, and the next I
want to bleed them all dry. Some days I wonder if there's more than
one soul, in constant battle for domination of my physical body...”
Magmar looked at Kataka. “How many of those has he
had?” He whispered quietly, gesturing towards the empty glass.
“Four.” She coughed.
“Ahhhh...” Magmar nodded in comprehension. He
turned his attention back to Vandosu. “Well, kid...” But
Vandosu had left his seat. Hoping he wasn't going for another drink,
Magmar scanned the floor and soon found him, dancing with one of the
cats he was watching earlier. Magmar shook his head, but couldn't
help but feel admiration for the guy. Scoring a dance with a
stranger in under a minute was a task Magmar doubted he himself would
ever accomplish.
“Gonna get this party started, then...” Magmar
said to Kataka as he gestured to the bar. “Want anything?”
“Yeah...I'll have whatever he had.” She waved in
Vandosu's general direction.
Magmar laughed and headed to the counter. As he handed
his New Order Card (NOC) to the bartender, he looked up and nearly
dropped his glass. There, on the wall behind the counter was another
painting of Faylix. Or rather, Malmormia and Faylix in a grotesque
portrayal of yin and yang.
“That artwork...” Magmar began as he put his NOC
back in his wallet. “Is it by a Lucas 9999?”
The bartender gazed at him through her indigo veil.
“Of course. Are you a believer?” She asked, in an accent that
Magmar couldn't place.
Magmar gave her a shifty look. “Let's just say I'm
uninformed for now. I saw this kid's work over at the university.
I'm guessing he wasn't a big fan of government.” He said as he
studied the picture. He concluded this one was more about angels and
demons than the elements. But still equally creepy to the one on
campus.
“November second. What do you think that holiday is
really about?” The bartender questioned as she twirled a string of
glittering beads.
“Ghosts and stuff.” Magmar replied knowledgeably.
The bartender giggled. “You're a cute one.” She
gave him a wink and turned her attention to another patron at the
counter.
“Is she your type?” Kataka asked as Magmar
returned with their drinks.
“Nope. Wanna dance?” Magmar replied before he
could stop himself. He was glad he didn't.
“Hell, yeah!” exclaimed Kataka.
The rest of the night turned into an increasingly
disorganized jumble of entertainment in Magmar's memory. There was
another cat person, a cage, a really burly guy making moves on
Kataka, a poorly played game of nine-ball, a ninja, the bartender's
hands in his shirt, and a few different sections of floor that stood
out in his mind. By the time they were ready to go, Magmar could
barely remember who he'd gone out with.
“She put something in your drink, buddy.”
Vandosu's voice echoed from another universe.
“She's fucking awesome.” Magmar replied to nobody.
He was inside a vehicle. Vandosu was next to him,
Kataka across from him. Magmar attempted to focus his eyes a little
better. “Wow...is there a spider behind me? You look terrified.”
He wasn't sure if his words came out right but he assumed Kataka was
able to decipher enough.
“No, there's no spider. Do you remember the
bartender, Magmar? Did you see what happened to her?” Kataka
still looked panicked.
“Nope. I remember the floor.” Magmar said as he
put his hand on his head, trying to massage a pounding headache away.
“What happened?” He glanced at Vandosu and was surprised to see
an expression of equal concern.
Vandosu turned and stared out the window. “She was
assassinated.”
~ ~ ~
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