All Will Know

Everything feels so strange... I sense the world returning to me in bits and pieces.

Sound... I hear a loud whistle rattle my ear drums. Touch... my face feels whips of wind, nearly forcing my body to slide against the stone-cold floor. Sight... my eyes gradually begin to open, but everything at first is a blur; my vision is smeared, like some abstract painting I didn’t mean to bring. Smell... my nose begins to burn from the wafts of burnt air I breathe in; smoke is very close by. Taste... the waves of iron swish around in my mouth… It's fresh too. Now I need to figure out where I am... so where am I?

I see a room rattling around, throwing my vision into a state of delirium. Papers are flying from left to right, and the ceiling has a massive hole. Streaks of white appear between the large spaces of ethereal blue. Suddenly I see blotches of darkness too... There is definitely smoke. Towers of luggage shift and bump against one another. This is absolute chaos.

Everything hurts so much, it’s hard to sit up. Looking around, I see through the windows that everything is passing by... this room is moving.

“I’m… on a train? How did I get here? What...is going on?”

I dug through my pockets, but left empty-handed and confused.

“I don't have a train ticket so...why am I here?”

Standing up I try to get my footing, but the car of the train won’t stop shaking. As I lean against a crate to get balance, a door slides open and two people run in. Xing... Zuno... is that you? Xing looks at me.

“Tiba, there you! Oh geez... they got you bad, man.”

Running over, he gives me support on one side of my body. Zuno comes to my other side, and she does the same thing. She sighs before saying,

“We were so scared... we thought we lost you.”

I shake my head, looking in both of their directions before finally being able to catch my breath and ask,

“What... What happened to me?”

Xing gasps before replying,

“Wait, you don’t remember anything?!”

Zuno looks over at Xing and asks,

“You didn’t see what they did to him, did you?”

“What did you see that I didn’t?”

“Xing... the Remorbys.”

Completely bewildered, I barge into the conversation.

“Guys, I know you two aren’t exactly on the same page at the moment, but I missed a few chapters; help me out here!”

Xing sighs and drops his head toward the floor.

“Oh no... he made contact with the Remorbys.”

Zuno smiles and replies,

“But it doesn’t appear to be that bad of a case.”

Annoyed, I shout,

“Guys, I’m still catching up here! What the hell is this Remorbys?!”

Returning a smile, Xing replies,

“Yeah, it’s definitely not that bad of a case.”

He darts his eyes around, vigilant. What is he looking for?

“Zuno, let’s get into another room fast and help Tiba; you know they’re somewhere very close. We have to hurry.”

Pushing the door open, Xing fixes his supportive hold on me, and Zuno follows suit as we all cross the gap together to enter the next car. They help me onto one of the seats and help patch up my wounds. Everything aches and stings… What happened to me? They sit opposite of me. I catch my breath and then ask,

“Okay... now please... of all that is still holy in the land of Zenyuron... Can you tell me what the hell is going on?!”

Picking his pockets, Xing takes a moment. Finally he reveals a simple, but beautiful, artifact. The cube, almost appearing to be crafted of cubic zirconia panels and titanium edges, possesses an effervescent sapphire glow. Its light resonates and gives the entire room a new aura... it’s so beautiful.

“Tiba, this is the Remorbys, and this is why we’re here.”

“What... what is it?”

“I wish there was time to explain... but I can show you instead.”

Leaning across the table, Xing grips the Remorbys at his fingertips. He brings it closer and closer to my face... What is he going to do?

“Everything will make sense again. I promise.”

I feel its warmth against my forehead, and suddenly everything goes dark. He said it will all make sense... I trust him... I guess I will see.

…

Sitting at the shadow circle, I can’t think... my heart cannot take this pain right now. Why did this have to happen? This isn’t right... None of this is right... please take all of this away... I wish this wasn’t real.

The rustle of the curtains behind me catches me off guard, and I see that it’s Xing. We make eye contact, and he sighs before he says,

“I had a feeling you would be in our meeting room. You’ve been spending a lot of time here... you’re almost attached to it... more than any of us. I understand, Tiba; we’re all still coming to grips with it. It hurts... it really hurts; this is all going to take time... so much time.”

Taking a seat beside me, Xing holds onto my hand. I tighten my grip on his, rubbing his fingers with mine before saying,

“Xing... I miss Yusame.”

“I know... I do too.”

He leans over and hugs me, almost feeling like he’s trying to squeeze the pain out of me. It temporarily relieves the ton crushing me... temporarily. Letting go, he looks at me and says,

“I wish we had more time... we haven’t even had the opportunity to have a proper burial or anything... but this mission is of the utmost importance and is being ordered by Yusame himself.”

Confused, I look at him and ask,

“What? How could that be?”

“Take a look at what Our Shadow Chapter left for us.”

Xing hands over a scroll, tied up with the shiniest ruby ribbon, and a small container crafted by the finest fabric and creating the most intricate floral designs. The top of the container bears the Shadow Lotus insignia: a single, black lotus flower centered in a circle of white.

“Read that, Tiba. It was the final thing written by Yusame, and it’s the reason why we’re leaving; this was his mission.”

“The one where he…”

“...Yes…”

Caressing the scroll, I take a deep breath before I tug on the ribbon. It unravels in silence, and as it releases its grip the parchment unrolls itself. It’s in Yusame’s handwriting... This must be his final letter. I start reading his message:

“Dear fellow members... my dear friends... of the Lillisang chapter to the Shadow Lotus Society,

“This was a letter I was hoping no one would have to find. But given how crucial this mission was not just the safety of our village, but really all of Zenyuron, I needed to make sure the next to carry on and finish this mission was fully aware of what they were about to get themselves into.

“A major disturbance has occurred in our land, and it was at the hands of none other than the Scarlet Shuriken Brigade. This national mafia of thugs, criminals, and monster tamers are at it again, but this time they attempted a profoundly heinous crime that could have had dire consequences for us all. Fortunately, I was able to apprehend one of their squads before it was too late... but since you’re seeing this letter... so was I.

“Emperor Asahi, from our glorious capital Lumaria, informed all of the chapters that the SS Brigade had robbed him. But this wasn’t any ordinary item of luxury that was taken; it’s a relic with a special power.

“With this letter, you will find the Remorbys, an ancient artifact that has remained within Lumaria’s walls, guarded by Asahi’s predecessors, for millennia. But one truly cold and calculated attack was enough for a group of the SS Brigade’s most skilled mercenaries to bypass our defenses and slip through the fingers of the capital’s Shadow Lotus militia.

“Why is this Remorbys so important…so special… so much of a threat to every village like Shroomoss and Gailand and every metropolis like Mechroton and Lumaria…so much of a threat to our very way of life? This Remorbys is a special artifact with the ability to rob anyone and everyone of a little or as much of their memory as desired, and the longer one makes contact with it... the more that is taken away.

“No one realizes yet, but this seemingly small and insignificant object existing on rumor and superstitions has destroyed many lives... ended civilizations... and has brought Zenyuron to the brink of extinction on more than one occasion. This time, we are nearing another chance of pure, irreversible discord that could very well end us this time.

“The goal: utilize the Remorbys to make contact with Lumaria’s sky guardian, the immortal dragon Zenyurokame. They think that negating the knowledge and abilities of Zenyuron’s strongest safeguard will simply allow the SS Brigade to take over, nullifying the Shadow Lotus Society and overthrow the Emperor to rebuild Lumaria in their image. But the fog of their selfishness, greed, and lust for control blinds them from the truly serious consequences.

“Attempting to harness the memories of Zenyurokame could have one of many horrific outcomes, from a backfire that destroys the Remorbys and no concept of the radius or severity of damage it could cause, to throwing off the balance of nature being protected by our guardian. The very fabric of our physical plain could be put at risk, and the inhabitants will all, without a doubt, suffer in ways I cannot yet fathom.

“While I may have been able to retrieve the Remorbys, as evidence of this letter being found, it was not enough to return it back to its rightful place in Lumaria. That is where you come in; whoever receives this letter and the Remorbys, was chosen very carefully. On such short notice, every Shadow Lotus chapter, as well as Emperor Asahi and his Elevated Council, premade the decision to have a specific group from any village or city for this.

“You, my friends, must finish my mission. All of Zenyuron not yet knows of this catastrophe in the making, but once all is said and done they, along with Zenyuokame themself, will be eternally grateful. Be ready, stay alert, and make your way to the center of Lumaria where Emperor Asahi waits.

“In even the darkest of any hour, the lotus of light will take advantage of every shadow as it navigates the world, maintaining its beautiful light along the way. Always let that light guide you.

“In honor of The Shadow Lotus Society, In honor of Emperor Asahi, and in honor of all of Zenyuron, even in this darkest hour, let that light stay strong in each and every one of you.”

Meishu Yusame

Pushing the scroll away from me, I can’t help but break down into tears. Just as I lose control, another person walks into the Shadow Circle Room: Zuno. Her feet, as light as air, help over to wrap her arms around me. She has always had that warmth... even the glacial plateaus of Northern Aurocia couldn’t stand a chance against it. I hugged her back.

“Thank you, Zuno,”

“I could tell you had read it too; I had to.”

She lets go of me, and we both look at Xing. He nods and says,

“We are all in agreement with what we need to do. We must be hasty; Lillisang Village has been on high alert since SS Brigade units have infiltrated our defenses. They know the Remorbys is here, and our only way to remain out of sight to keep it safe is by train.

“Our chapter has informed us that Jade Station is the route we will need to take to bring us directly to Lumaria. While we may be prepared to fight... it’s best we do everything to avoid that last resort. Waiting here any longer is dangerous for us all; it’s time we take leave. Tiba…”

He hands me the home of the Remorbys and says,

“Yusame loved all of us dearly, but of all of us he would want you to be its vessel the most. Protect it with your life, my friend.”

Together we bow and Zuno nods. We follow behind Xing, and together we leave our concealed Lotus Lair, and into the roads of Lillisag we enter. Zuno looks at me and smiles.

“Jade Station is on the other side of our village, and we’re on a time crunch. You know what that means?”

I return a huge grin and reply,

“Scale Ryders it is.”

Xing scans the area before replying,

“Agreed, but remember our mission and why we need to stay off the radar; staying in the shadows is now more important than ever before.”

Out of our bags emerge small dragons, only a quarter our size, climbing all over our upper bodies. Their scales shimmer in the sunlight, and their eyes roar with the energy of fire. Zuno giggles as her purple pet tickles her shoulders, and Xing grins as his tightens its grip around his upper torso using its yellow extremities. I watch as mine flutters its red wings. Together we all ascend above the Lotus Lair and take flight.

The cerulean sky above Lillisang releases joy for us as we laugh above every building and road. Our scale ryders squawk and squeal, performing little airborne stunts and entertaining us along the way.

Up ahead appears Jade Station, one of the many branches contributing to the Jade Rail System, Zenyuron’s largest transportation network stretching across the land. Its cherry wood beams stretch into the sky, and the shoji panels by the hundreds adorn the walls between every set of tracks.

Xing looks at the other two and states,

“It’s time we make our descent; the SS Brigade has been reported to be closely surveilling the station. We will need to land a few streets over and walk our way over. Remember: we are regular tourists taking a trip to Lumaria. We will buy our train tickets like any other passenger getting onboard, and we are like every other citizen of Zenyuron: no threat to the SS Brigade. Defense and attack are, and I will reiterate this if needed, an absolute LAST resort.

“I know you two aren’t kids anymore and I sound like a Meishu, but you would be amazed at how many veterans in our society slipped and that was the last slip they ever made. No one outside of either party is aware of the Remorbys’ existence, and we must do everything in our power to keep this in the shadows as Yusame intended. Do I make myself clear?”

We both nod as our Ryders all once again seek refuge in our bags. Zuno points at a nearby restaurant, The House of Nori, and says,

“There’s our place to put on our disguises.”

I nod and reply,

“Let’s do this.”

Emerging from the eatery minutes later, we are all dressed in our civilian apparel. Zuno wears her beautiful, emerald kimono, accompanied by her carefully dressed bun and fabric fan. Xing and I are dressed in our hakamas, the vivacious red allowing us to blend in. I look toward the station.

“Now it’s time we get our tickets.”

Xing nods.

“Agreed; the next train to Lumaria leaves soon.”

Inside the terminal we approach a booth, and we are greeted by a Panduras. Man-like in stature but panda in appearance, another one of the fantastical Anthypromids in Zenyuron. Products of magic and curses alike, these intelligent creatures have always fascinated me.

As Xing speaks to them, I look around. There is a man... three of them... they watch us... they stare at us... they won’t look away. It’s not obvious to the untrained eye... but I know... I’m getting goosebumps... they’re here. I discreetly nudge Zuno and she slowly sees with her peripherals. Her eyes dilate... She knows... I know... we are all in serious danger.

Without warning, a large chain flies toward us from their direction, and as Zuno jumps back, I grab Xing and move him out of the way. The chain smashes so violently against the stone, it cracks as the metal screech rings out. We fall onto the ground, but are almost as quick to get back onto our feet.

Together we sprint out of the terminal, pursued by the SS agents. I huff and groan, without looking back, and shout,

“How did they find us?!”

Xing quickly looks back and replies,

“I don’t know... the only thing I could think of is there is a rat in our chapter. I don’t like to think that way but... there’s no other way… I know this isn’t part of protocol, but we have to escape now! You know what to do.”

We command our Ryders to come back out, and as soon as they secure themselves we take flight, quickly ascending into the skies above the Jade Station.. But it’s not long before they are trailing behind us, bearing winged pets of their own.

A bellowing whistle echoes throughout all of Lillisang. I look down and see a train beginning to pull out.

“We missed our chance…”

Xing shouts,

“No! It’s not too late; we can still fly to the train and hide in one of the cars. Now that we’ve been spotted, traveling to the capital by air or on foot are no longer even last resort options; we’ll never make it. Quick, follow me!”

The three of us begin our descent toward the train that is starting to depart from Lillisang. We approached the last few cars, suspended just a few dozen meters above. But Zuno screams, and we look around to see she's dragged away from us by a chain.

I rush toward the scarlet captor, tackling him as hard as I possibly can. I see the chain release its coil from Zuno. The two of us exchange fists as we slowly drop closer to the moving train. He aggressively wraps his hand around my throat, and he gives me a disturbing grin.

“Thank you for picking up where Yusame left off. The Crimson Commander will be very pleased that a few shadow grunts led us right to the Remorbys. I’ll put in a good word for you when we rebuild Zenyuron.”

He takes the box out of my pocket. How did he know it was there? Dropping the container, the soldier pressed the Remorbys against my head.

“We will be seeing you again very soon.”

I swipe my hand, knocking the cube from his hand, and I deliver a viscous punch that shocks him. He quickly drops below me, straight down onto the tracks. Looking forward, I have trouble staying in flight... seeing. The last thing I see is the caboose right below me... everything goes black.

…

I hear the kling of the Remorbys against the table. All I can manage to do is gasp, dropping my head and taking some deep breaths.

Looking around, I see we’re back in the cart Xing and Zuno brought me to. I comb my fingers through my hair, shaken... but aware once again.

“I remember... How long was I gone?”

Xing clears his throat.

“Another part of the mysterious powers driving the Remorbys is its distortion of time. It felt like you were thrown back into time for well over an hour, but really you were gone for only a few seconds. This is exactly why I did this; now you’re caught up and we can return to our mission. I’m not sure why, but the train is also accelerating; we’re at serious risk of derailing. We have to handle this now or else we’ll never make it to Lumaria.”

Searching the car, I ask,

“Where are the SS soldiers that were following us?”

Zuno chimes in.

“The one you were in combat with... didn’t make it. As for the other two, we aren’t sure. We intended to lose them, but where they are exactly now is unknown; it’s possible they're on the train with us right now.”

“Indeed.”

We all jump from our seats, seeing two silhouettes at the other end of the car. The other SS guards stand there... in a stance... ready to pounce.

I shout,

“Unless you want to end up like your friend, I suggest you don’t attempt to mess with us any further!”

One of them chuckles as he fiddles with his shurikens.

“I’m not worried because you managed to make one of our rookies croak. Besides, you’re nothing but another little lap dog for that skittish and pedantic ruler in Lumaria. He’s nothing but a fool who was mistakenly given the reins. As for you, you don’t intimidate me; I see nothing but another errand boy that will fall as easily as all the others. Isn’t that right, Xing?”

As my eyes dilate, I feel a violent shove before I crash into a wall. Zuno shouts my name as she runs over to me. We watch Xing make his way over to the SS guards... willingly. Is he... no… it can’t be. I look at Xing.

“Why?”

As he draws his weapons, he smirks.

“Yusame, like every other member of the Shadow Lotus Society, was a fool not just for always favoring you over the rest of us, but for his ideology. He constantly defended the Emperor’s ideals of order in and out of Lumaria, limiting the freedoms of every citizen in Zenyuron. But the SS Brigade taught me that it doesn't have to be this way; we can rebuild this world.”

“You knew... that’s how they apprehended us... that’s why you urged me to carry the Remorbys... that’s how your teammate knew it was with me.”

“I planned every step of this apprehension. A genius mind for a genius operation was all that was needed to stall you without your knowledge.”

“And what did your little buddy mean? Yusame... what did you do?”

Xing doesn’t say a single thing... nothing but an evil smile shows.

“How could you... all of those years he watched and guided you...he cared for you... you monster... I’LL KILL YOU!”

One of the men draws a massive silver rifle, but Zuno and I duck before he fires. Large blasts create massive craters in the seats protecting us. Xing chuckles as his comrade reloads his firearm.

“Wiping away your memory again will entertain me. We’ll reassign you as a pet for our commander; she will enjoy this additional homecoming gift. And Zuno... ah, a silly child like you is not worth the power of the Remorbys. While Tiba was Yusame’s little pet, you were nothing but the weak link. Like a lotus flower... you might be beautiful, but you’re just as weak as one too; you'll crumble like one as soon as a hand takes hold.

“The Asahi Dynasty... 1574 to 1889 AD... a tyrannical entity that will now finally meet its well overdue demise. For over three hundred years, Zeyuron has suffered at the hands of this dictatorship. But once we have subdued Lumaria’s mascot, Zenyurokame, the empirical clown will be served on a silver platter to the SS Brigade, and the Crimson Empire will be born!”

He releases a quiet gasp... that's all he can do. Looking down, he sees a growing stain of red on his chest... and a giant star planted right in his heart. Zuno makes prolonged eye contact, giving him an ice-cold glare.

“You are wrong. You hurt many people... and you made many mistakes... but one of the biggest was taking me as weak. Under the wisdom of Yusame, I was already stronger than you’ll ever be.”

Unable to speak, Xing drops to his knees before falling forward onto his face. His pool of blood grows, engulfing him as he lays lifeless... gone.

The two men charge us, one shouting,

“When we deliver you to the commander, you’re dead!”

“SILENCE!”

We all stop... knowing none of us said a thing.

Zuno darts her eyes around the car.

“Tiba... who said that?”

“I... I don’t know.”

The entire train violently rattles, and I look outside, seeing that nearly everything zooms by... the train is going even faster... we’re going to derail.

Without a second of hesitation, I flip the emergency switch, and we’re all deafened by the blaring alarm that echoes through the car. One of the men charges toward us, but I immediately throw a metal star that hits him directly in the forehead. As soon as he moved, he also dropped to the floor.

Zuno peeks outside the window and says,

“Tiba, the emergency parachute pods deployed! The civilians onboard are safe! Now we need to leave!”

She struggles as the remaining man grabs a handful of her hair, and she flails as she tries to get him to release his grasp. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I shout,

“Get your filthy hands off of her before I cut them off and deliver them to your precious commander! That’s my gift to her!”

We all crash to the floor as the car nearly derails. I feel something sticky on me… it’s pouring down everywhere. it looks like... saliva? Looking at the ceiling of the car, I gasp... is that... skin?

I quickly get up onto my feet and look around. The walls slowly generate slimy columns of tissue and flesh. Borders and window sills slowly sink and are replaced by massive veins that pump blood. The carpet gradually disintegrates and becomes a floor of pulsating muscle. I look toward the front of the car to see the door is gone... every single door is gone.

Several meters up ahead, through the dark, organic corridors, I see an opening… it flies from side to side... and it’s bordered by rows of teeth. I rush to pick up Zuno before screaming,

“THIS ISN’T A TRAIN! WE HAVE TO GO NOW!”

The remaining SS soldier tries to ambush me, brandishing a large knife with a blood-orange handle. His blade misses my neck and as I dodge, Zuno surprises the man with a swift punch to his jaw. Shellshocked, he drops his knife onto the floor of the beast’s body.

With one powerful kick into his chest, the man flies through one of the last intact windows. The beast screeches as it repairs the wound, engulfing the broken opening before regenerating its scales and skin.

As we jump out of the closing hole, we are caught by our Scale Ryders. Looking outside, we see what the beast really is. Zuno can’t believe it.

“Tiba... are my eyes deceiving me? Have I gone mad?”

“We must have gone mad together, my dear friend.”

There they fly... Zenyurokame... They were the train all along.

We approach the head of the dragon. They see us almost immediately as we come close, and they release a gentle growl.

“My friends... I am glad you and everyone else are safe.”

I finally understood.

“You intentionally sped up the train... you were there with us all along hiding in plain sight as we brought the Remorbys back to Lumaria.”

“The disturbance came to my mind knowing your friend would betray you. I wanted to be nearby and intervene when needed to help you. I’m well aware of the risk I took, but it was a bigger risk to not take one at all.” Zuno gasps,

“Tiba! The Remorbys... Do you?”

In my hand, it glows, and I raise it into view as I smile.

“It was a close call... but it’s back with us once again.”

Zenyurokame smiles.

“Yusame would be extremely happy with both of you. Above Zenyuron, he looks down with the pride of a million Meishus. Tiba... Zuno…”

We both look at him.

“He misses you too.”

I can’t help it... I shed tears... I miss him so much... I’m glad Zenyurokame has the powers he does to tell me Yusame feels the same.

Zuno points into the air and shouts,

“Look! Up ahead!”

I direct my sight and see what we have been waiting for: Lumaria.

The monumental metropolis stands tall and proud, bearing every single stone tower. Lanterns by the hundreds in color and the thousands in quantity begin to glow as the sun meets the horizon. Life can be seen between every architectural masterpiece, humans and Anthypromids alike populating the streets. This is beautiful... this is breathtaking... this is paradise.

Zenyurokame grunts and smiles.

“Emperor Asahi awaits our arrival, and he will help direct you to the proper place where the Remorbys need to be safely stored. The Crimson Commander remains a major threat, but you must know of the significance of your actions today. What you prevented today was a turning point... had it not been for your bravery and sacrifice, the Orbirial War would have, for the first time in centuries, been in the SS Brigade’s favor.

“After the loss of a great man in the Shadow Lotus Society, the grand Meishu Yukame, his brightest pupils took the lead. Even in a time of grief and despair, you two fought against a traitor tragically corrupted by the minds of our enemies, and you have saved a relic with power we are still learning to fully comprehend.

“We still remain in an ideal position in this eternal conflict, and you... you saved me. Lumaria will know... all of Zenyuron will know... the profound deeds you have fulfilled today... they will stay with us for an eternity.”

Together we approach the beautiful capital, and we all prepare for the final step in our mission for Yukame. Lumaria will know... all will know.