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Battle in the Ruins

Some days after the skirmish with the Collectives, words started to circulate about the Agent's great loss and the Collectives' apparent mass suicide. It quickly reached Creolean Waters, where a public announcer talked about the news. Everyone in different settlements heard about it with grim mood. Now that the Collectives were gone, the Agents would surely attack them to hunt the mages.

Their fear was proven correct. Apparently out of grief and anger, the Agents massacred a whole town after blindly branding them as 'witches and mages', with their bodies being put on a cross to remind others of their power. However, this intimidation had no effect on the rest of the settlement, who, for three months while the Collectives finished their spell, had readied themselves and regarded the Agents as a 'shoot to kill' enemy. While it seemed that the Agents still had the power to conquer, their image was forever scarred by a 'counter-propaganda' that regarded them as the villain of all the plight the people in that city ruins had gone through.

Gone was the promise of a better future the Agents had sought of, and all because of their inability to finish the Collectives before their mission was completed. But, even if the Agents of Tomorrow lost their footing in that ruins, there were other, more pressing issue within the small settlement of Creolean Waters.

After getting the news of the Collectives' mass suicide, Aranis walked away from the herald podium and whispered, "Is this how you end things, Ganymede? Are you going to be the martyr for a future without rulers? In any case, you will surely be forgotten, for history is not appreciated in these times." She moved away from the herald and towards the bar, where people, both mages and non-mages, gathered and discussed their future, now that the Collectives were gone and the Agents had become their enemy. Just then, she heard a familiar voice, who shot his gun and said, "There's no use discussing about your future if one of them is still out there."

"What are you going to do?" asked one of them.

"What we are doing for the past fucking month. Defend this place," said Jek while putting his gun on the bar. "It's not like they go underground after being villainized, right?"

"Villainized?"

Jek sighed. "They are everyone's enemy now. Get to your defenses, and memorize the positions of the traps. I don't want to waste any one of the traps just because you're clumsy."

Some started going out and issued orders, while others stayed in the bar and chat a little more. Jek, knowing that some were freelancers, sighed and murmured, "Take your time. We are going to die anyway."

"I have never seen you so pessimistic before," said Aranis, who had walked to Jek's side.

"Yeah, well...this isn't my game," said Jek. "I don't like open conflict, but things are now in the low bottom, so I don't have a choice."

"Are you worried we won't get out from this?"

Jek became silent and drank the last of his drink. After exhaling, he said, "Things can happen without us knowing it, so yeah, we might not see the light of the day, or even tomorrow. But, one thing for sure, I cannot let Narati die."

"Narati, huh? I thought you like to tease him."

Jek made a solemn expression. "If I didn't know that he's unstable...I might just betray him back then to the slavers. It's not just me. Raine thought so, too."

"Given your notoriety, I am not surprised that you'd do such a thing back then. Glad that you changed for the better."

"Have I?" asked Jek. "Am I a good wolf? It depends on who you ask. People I help might say that, but how about people who lost someone because of me. Well, I might be beyond saving, but Narati...he is still a kid. I want to see him grow into the first Fa'ar I can truly trust, and see that his kind get the attention they deserve."

"So, you're planning to stay alive to the end?"

Jek smiled. "Well, of course I am. If not, I won't be able to see him grow, right? How about you?"

Aranis shook her head. "I'm resigning."

This surprised Jek. "Resign? Why?"

"By my prediction, we will suffer a great loss either way. My students may have known basic medical practice, but they don't know herbs the way wood elves do. If magic is truly banned, then I will travel to find a sanctuary where these herbs and medicine still grow. I know there is one in this wasteland. You just need to look at the right place. If that can't be done, then I'll help the people who had suffered from this battle."

"So, you're quitting as the Wanderers?"

"Are you suggesting that membership is permanent?" Aranis chuckled. "Either way, I'll be ready to help you with your settlement if you ask nicely. But, I might not be around that often. And besides, I will outlive you all, so why not?"

"How about Narati?"

"Narati, huh?" The elf then looked towards Jek. "I hope he understands. So, Jek. Have you think about the place and the name of your settlement?"

"I'm thinking about making it by an uncontaminated water source, so we don't need to import water from elsewhere. Then, for the Wanderers, I can hire some messengers to spread our offer for help. By time, if we grow, we can make dens in many towns for easy help. But if it doesn't work out, then the settlement is a nice place to retire and grow some crops."

"You? Growing crops?"

"You're not the first to remind me about that," said Jek. "Is it because of my race or is it because of my work?"

Aranis laughed. "Both."

"Shit," said Jek, who also started laughing. Both laughed together because of that remark, and it went on for a while, making other patrons thought they had gone mad. After a while of laughing and good vibes, they stopped, and smiled to each other.

"For a better tomorrow?"

"For a better tomorrow," replied Aranis. Both then stood up, leave muns on the bar, and leave the place.

Jek knew they had no moment to lose, but he felt like he needed to talk to Narati first before they start the battle. Narati had been working day and night procuring plans and placing traps in strategic places, to not arouse suspicions and to keep the advantage to the friendlies. He tried his best, along with Rezzie, but in the end, his barely 16 body exhausted himself and this made him sick.

Bedridden since three days ago, Narati had a high fever after not getting much rest and not getting the much needed water, all to plan the traps beforehand. As he was the only expert in traps, he exhausted himself as he was working a five men's work.

The wolfman walked into his room, where he was laying down, still awake, but very weak. He looked at Jek and weakly said, "Hey..."

"You shouldn't have forced yourself like that, you know," said Jek. "You're not the only one who knows bombs."

"But I..."

"Well, let's hope you recover tomorrow. Don't want your rest to be disturbed by your own explosives, right?"

Narati made a weak smile, but was unable to laugh. Jek smiled to him, but then his face became serious, as he had something to say.

"Narati, I'm sorry about our first meeting," said Jek. "I shouldn't have done that to you."

"It's fine, Jek," said the Fa'ar weakly. "It's all in the past."

"Yes, but I feel obliged to ask for forgiveness. I mean, we have gone through a lot of things for the past year. You've grown into a remarkable Fa'ar who is different from your own people."

Narati stared at Jek and said, "You've changed...a lot."

"Thanks, I guess," said Jek. "Thanks to you, Aranis, and Raine, I can find a family that I've never knew. For 15 years...I've been fighting alone, never trusting anyone, and kill those who crossed me. But you...your innocence and suffering made me realize that I'm not the most miserable person in the world."

"Okay, now you're flattering me. Stop that."

Jek laughed slowly. "Don't get over yourself, kid. Now rest well. Sooner or later, there will be an attack from the Agents. Let's hope that we can survive this and resume our travels together, okay?"

"Okay..."

"Rest well. Goodbye, Narati."

Little did Narati know, that it would be the last time he talked to Jek. The wolfman was so sure that he would see the young rat grew into a good rat.

Circumstances would lead to their separation, and it would change the young Narati forever.

***

Jek's prediction was on point. Two days after the news broke out, the scouts around that area reported an army of armor-clad Agents started to vandalize many towns that were unprotected. These towns were the ones who refused the offer to stand their ground and chose to support the Agents. Ironically, they were the first to fall. The Agents were now different, somehow was even more dedicated to destroy magic, and became ruthless.

On the other side of the fight, the Agents of Tomorrow were not losing, but instead they were commanded by none other than Donovan. After the loss in the Collectives attack, Donovan became restless and started to break down after realizing that the Agents failed. The other leaders were also upset, but they weren't as upset as Donovan, whose life had been dedicated in the witch hunt that caused the problems in the first place.

As Donovan became even more unstable, to the point of causing destructions due to stress and paranoia, he started to be shunned by the others. Argenon, who was in that room with him, became uncomfortable, as he relayed the whole story to Jared. Jared pretended that what he heard was the first time he heard it, so as to not arouse any suspicions of his bug (the bug was destroyed when Argenon's uniform was laundered).

"That madman is going to make everything the forefathers build into ruins," said Argenon over a cup of tea. "But I can't blame him for being like that. Our plan failed and we suffered great moral loss. Everyone made us their scapegoat and our plans to ban magic failed."

"So, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm not gonna stay with the losing side, right?" said Argenon after lowering his voice. "Will you stay?"

Jared had been thinking about betraying the people who helped him from depression, out of the fact that it wasn't the people who helped him anymore. They were nothing more than tyrants who tried to assert dominance by using technology. Jared did not want that. All he wanted was to develop technologies that were not dependent on magic, yet harmless ones. Apparently, his knowledge had fueled the militaristic people.

But he still had one thing to do.

"You go first," said Jared while standing. "I have to finish what I started."

"You mean the armors, right? I suggest you don't do it, for your own sake," said Argenon. "If Donovan knew you're involved, he's going to shoot you in the head the moment he knew. He is not the kind of guy who appreciate betrayal."

"I can see that already."

"And he's even more unstable now. Jared, I have a better idea. We can get out of this place and tell those people in the wasteland information. There may be people who are trustworthy enough to hear us."

"And if we don't, our heads are going to be on the spikes," said Jared.

"Not everyone out there is a lunatic. You know that, right?"

Jared nodded, but was still conflicted. He wanted to help Argenon, but he needed to do things right first. Either path would mean certain death, and he did not want to accomplish nothing.

But due to Argenon's persuasion, Jared relented, trusting his friend. They went out from an escape hatch at night, to witness an even worse atrocity the Agents had done.

Apparently, Argenon was right. Donovan, the security division's leader, rebelled against the whole Agents of Tomorrow by burning the inmates on a stake. After that, there was an open conflict between the main forces and Donovan's, but unfortunately, they managed to escape. Argenon and Jared looked at the carnage without words, as if witnessing the scenery of hell. Jared wasn't even able to cope and threw up after seeing the bodies and hearing the screams.

"Fucking psycho," said Argenon while growling (he's a canine race, fox model). "This is getting out of hand."

"So, everything is really..."

"Yeah. The Agents is over. I hope Jack and the others managed to seal the entrance."

"Seal the entrance?! What do you..."

Argenon turned towards Jared. "It's not what you think it is. Donovan and his followers have your creations, and they will destroy this whole ruins just to kill everyone he hates or he thinks to be witches and mages. If Jack and the others did not seal the entrance, they would return and take what's left of your research and use it to make the world even worse. Sabotaging your own work isn't gonna change things.

"For now, we must find anyone willing to accept us. The battle is going to start, and we must not let them win, or everything that the Agents have done will be reversed."

"Why are you doing this? I thought you're loyal to them."

"No, not to Donovan, but to Jack. You're not my only oldest friend, Jared," said Argenon with a smile. "Now hurry. We must reach the swamps."

"Why? What's there?"

"A fortified free-town, and the only one I am willing to place my bet."

"Why?"

"Because one of us is there."

The travel to their destination took only half a day, but they had lost so much of their initial equipment that they were found almost dead near the croc village of Creolean Waters. The crocs nursed them back to health, with Argenon waking up first.

Aranis and Jek were the first to get to them and asked the others not to disturb them. They locked the door and said, "You really think no one would notice your arrival?"

"I suppose so."

"If you're wearing that armor of yours, you might be able to get through the swamp..."

"It's not waterproof. A design flaw by the man beside me is the only thing that stops them from attacking you through that point. I need to speak to Grazen."

"Grazen who?"

"Grazen Jezick," said a voice behind them. "Easy, Jek. He's not our enemy."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know the person who started all this mess, and it's not him," said Graz. "Or are you also as blind as those around you?"

"Not always, but by choice only," said Jek while stepping aside. "But just to make sure..."

"I know, I know."

Aranis was silent the whole time, thinking about how the Agents could be so cruel while also very high-tech, making magic redundant. Argenon explained to the three about the technologies they were developing and their leader's attempt in appeasing both sides. For the Agents, they wanted magic to be outlawed, while to the locals, they wanted to help them grow. The reason why they had a lot of Chaos Races in their rank was that they believed no one's different.

After recounting everything, Jek said, "I know someone who's lying, and you're not one. But, when did they start trekking?"

"About half a day ago?"

"Half a day?! Why didn't you tell us this sooner?! By this point..."

There was a loud explosion that surprised them. Jek quickly ran out of the building and saw a billowing black smoke and noises of chaos outside. The Agents had come.

"Aranis, get Narati and Raine!"

"What are you going to do?!"

"Fighting at the front line...discreetly," said Jek. "I'm doing it my style."

"Be careful!"

"I know!"

As Jek left, Aranis quickly ran towards the hotel, where Narati, Raine, and Karkas were preparing to fight, too. Narati wanted to use the spear, but Raine discouraged him, saying, "It won't gonna work for you anyway. Do what you do best."

Karkas then took Narati and put him on his shoulder. It was surprising, even for the Fa'ar, about this maneuver. He felt like a small guy on top of a burly grunt. But he knew what the croc was trying to do. For a four feet person like him, it was also impossible to run in the battlefield without getting involved in a fight, even if he's small.

"Best of luck, you guys," said Raine. Narati and Karkas nodded.

When Raine and Aranis disappeared from their view, Karkas said, "Okay? Where to?"

"To the village," said Narati. "We'll get into the ruins from there."

"Alright. Hold on tight!"

Karkas ran as fast as he could with his digitigrade beast legs, almost throwing Narati off if he had not hold on. Despite of being big, Karkas's lean body was a factor of their speed. With Narati's coordination, they managed to dispatch some soldiers with carefully laid traps. Due to the nature of his construct, some of the traps had no trigger mechanism and needed to be manually deployed. But, with Karkas protecting him and Narati activating it, it made short work to most of the Agents.

But that strategy was risky from the start, and it was based on trust. Narati trusted Karkas's bulletproof back could protect Narati to an extent, like other crocs, but it wouldn't prevent Karkas to be injured. Normal bullets might've bounced over his back, but piercing shots like some of the Agents used were dangerous and could hurt Karkas and the other crocs., as evident when he saw a croc got killed after got shot from the back.

Narati could see Jek shooting from a ruined tower while trying to be inconspicuous. When his vantage point was compromised, he zip-lined across to a shorter tower by shooting a special grapple gun he had before even meeting Narati. It was his old strategy, which worked like a charm.

He refused the use of exploding bullets Narati had developed, since it wasn't his style, but the others used it without any problem, unless they were shooting it in close range. It blew the buildings and the Agents with it, and damaged the ones wearing armor. All in all, the weapons they used were very effective.

Then the robots came out, and the carnage became even more apparent. The battle was full of casualties from both sides, and everything became hell just 15 minutes since it started. It was made even worse by volunteers from other nearby settlements who, fed up for being treated like trash by the Agents, attacked them, and without proper equipment like Creolean Waters, they were the first to fall to the robots, who, without any operators and operating on cold logic only, killed anyone trying to attack them.

Not for Jek, however, who had been stalking the robots. Some of them had their brain casing exposed, and he shot the through it with his sniping skills, deactivating some of them. But, he could only dispatch some of them, and his position was quickly compromised. He wanted to zip-line to another building when a mortar-like shot hit the tower and shot rubbles towards him, injuring him and covering him in smoke.

Narati saw this when he was fending off an armored Agent. He shouted, "Jek!" and wanted to go help, but he was stopped by an Agent, who was ready to kill him if not for a well-placed trap beside him. Narati activated it and a sharp harpoon pierced the armor through the head, killing whoever inside.

Narati looked up again. He believed in Jek's survival, and tried to find him. He was relieved when the wolfman he was trying to find was dangling by the tower, dazed but still alive. He was, however, injured from the attack.

"Jek!" shouted Narati again. He wasn't sure if the Loup could hear him, but he needed to try. Karkas was not beside him as he was distracted by some of the Agents. Just before the tower collapsed, Jek regained his senses and waited for the tower to collapse near the ground, before he jumped to the side. Due to his beast legs, he was unharmed as he jumped from a height equivalent to a three-floor building. He was, however, blinded by his own blood.

That was a chance and a mistake that caused an attack to hit the wolfman. As his left eye was blinded by the blood trickling down his head, he did not see a robot beside him. The robot's lance-like weapon pierced Jek through his left lung, impaling him and pushing him to a nearby wall. He quickly coughed out blood as he was struggling to get the lance away from him.

Narati and Karkas, seeing this, ran towards him and tried to get the robot away from Jek, but it was too strong. Jek tried to shoot it with his gun, but the robot's other hand grabbed it and crushed it, causing Jek to howl in great pain.

"No!" exclaimed Narati. Karkas managed to grab hold off the robot and, with brute strength and a roar, he pulled the brain casing off and bite the brain in it, splattering brain matter everywhere and deactivating the robot. Coincidentally, it fell back and released Jek from its attack.

Narati scampered towards Jek and tried to find a pulse. Jek's heart wasn't pierced, but he was a wreck, both before and after the robot attack. He desperately tried to find a medic, but Jek weakly said, "No..."

"Jek, you'll be alright! Aranis will help..."

"I'm sorry...Narati...but I'm done for," said Jek while coughing. "My lung..."

Narati looked in horror in the gaping hole left from the lance-like weapon. It was large in diameter and was impossible to close. There's no way Jek could survive that.

Realizing that his friend was going to die, Narati started to cry, and desperately tried to close the gaping hole with his hands. Yet, it was useless, and Jek kept losing blood.

"Live...and see tomorrow," said Jek weakly, almost to a whisper. "Grow...and live..."

"No, no! Don't die! Jek, please! This is not happening! Anyone, help! Help Jek!" said Narati in desperation.

"I'm glad...," said Jek, now too silent for Narati or Karkas to hear. "You've..."

Jek exhaled his final breath, and his pupils widened. Narati, who a second before was trying to call for help, looked back and, in horror, saw Jek's lifeless body. He became desperate, and in panic, tried to jumpstart his heart.

"Come on, Jek, don't do this to me!" exclaimed Narati while crying. "You want to be a farmer! You want to find peace in a settlement! Don't do this, please! Wake up, Jek, wake up! Jek..."

"Narati, please stop!" exclaimed Karkas while grabbing the small Fa'ar. "He's dead! There's nothing you can do!"

Narati became frantic and lashed around, shouting incoherent words and tried to help Jek. Karkas knew that they were still in the middle of the battlefield, and they could not help Jek or even carry him, so the only thing he could do was to run towards safety while holding a frantic and sorrowful Fa'ar.

The war raged on, and chaos became even more apparent as friend and foe became blurred. So many people died and so many more were injured, to the point where Aranis was convinced that it was hell. She couldn't stop it, or even tried to make it right. All she could do was watch.

That was when she saw the leader of the Agents, which wasn't so hard to find given his uniform and his command. Seeing the leader made her realize that it was all because he had become insane, shown by how he acted and how he lashed out towards one of his people, even punching one. He talked things that Aranis could interpret as anti-mage, and slowly became a delusion that he had won and everyone he saw was a mage.

The elf knew he was beyond saving, and so, she ran towards a building, readied her bow, and, with one shot of great accuracy, pierced the unarmored human's skull, instantly killing him. His lifeless body fell to the ground, with his followers staring at it blankly.

"Who the hell puts the commander in an open field like that?" said Aranis. "He's the worst commander I've ever seen."

As it happened, the madness stopped as many saw the death of Donovan, the crazed leader of the Agents of Tomorrow. His death stopped the pointless battle. It was surprising how the commander was so easily killed, which only made people realize how pointless the whole battle was.

Everything ended, and so did the battle. Everyone who were on each other throats started to help each other, treating the injured and getting people to heal them. The Agents, who did not care about their philosophy anymore, let the healers heal them with magic. They discarded their armor, and everything stopped.

But at was cost?