Chapter 4: Paradis
"I caught it, dad! I caught it!"
A young boy shouted in delight as he came sprinting up from a glimmering stream with water dripping from his sleeves. His drenched clothes clung to him tightly and his crimson hair was stuck to his forehead. A huge grin was plastered across his face.
After reaching the top of the small hill, he held up a small creature like a trophy.
A breathtaking young man with raven dark hair spilling over his shoulders and emerald eyes that mirrored the boy's own glanced over at him with a smile beneath his dark beard and mustache. Despite the twin suns' scorching heat, his skin was smooth and flawless, almost like he had never worked a day in his life.
"That quickly? Good job, Arbus! Was honestly expecting you to struggle a little longer." He said with a soft laugh.
The boy, Arbus, pouted as he slowly opened up his hands.
In them was a small colourful Mornan-like creature with thin green wings on its back and a single eye. A pixie – creatures that were very common on the planet of Tarok.
The pixie sprawled lazily in Arbus's palm, already accepting defeat after flying around so much to frustrate it's captor.
"Oh, a green one. How lucky," the man exclaimed, leaning forward slightly. "It's said that those who manage to capture a green pixie are blessed with boundless luck and great fortune."
Arbus's eyes gleamed, his lips curving into a wide smile.
"Really? That's awesome!"
"…But what do I do with it now? It took me a while to catch it, but I don't really want to put it in a little cage or something," he added, looking stumped.
A faint smile appeared on the man's stunning features. He was pleased by his son's reaction.
"Don't worry about that. You don't have to keep the pixie to receive its boons. Catching it is already enough."
"After that we usually just let them go," he said, gesturing to the pixie to take flight.
The creature fluttered its cute wings and rose into the air. When it got far enough, it turned back one last time and stuck its tongue out at Arbus in a final act of defiance before flying off as fast as possible.
Arbus wasn't sure if he was completely okay with it leaving just like that, given the time and effort it had taken him to catch it. Still, he was glad he didn't have to take away its freedom just to be lucky.
The man chuckled as he stood up, brushing away the dust from his robes before patting his son's head softly.
"I know you're a bit sad, but you really shouldn't be. Tell me the truth, didn't you enjoy yourself more when you were chasing it around? I'm sure you weren't satisfied just watching it sit idly in your hand, right?"
"...No" Arbus murmured.
The man looked towards the bright colourful stream, then back at Arbus.
"Something I want you to remember, son, is that the journey is often more interesting than the end result. That's why you have to make sure to enjoy it while it lasts."
He glanced up at the twin suns and realized the day was already coming to an end. "That's enough for today. We should head back home now," he said to Arbus as he pulled two bracelets from his pocket.
Then, he placed one of the bracelets on his pale arm. The bracelet gave a soft glow as it slowly spread over his entire body, turning his human skin crimson, until it was hard to distinguish him from a Red Mornan.
After that, he fastened the second bracelet around Arbus's wrist and turned it on, causing his son's skin to shift in the same way.
Arbus frowned at the bracelet. "Dad, why do we always have to wear these? Is it really that bad for people to see our real skin?"
The man's expression turned somber for a moment. "Listen to me, Arbus. No matter what happens, you must never take off your bracelet in front of others. I know that you hate them, and the fact we have to do all this, but sometimes… you have to endure certain things for the greater good. No matter what happens, no one can know that we're human. If they ever found out… everything would change."
***
Arbus blinked his eyes open as he pulled himself away from his racing thoughts. A melancholic expression crossed his face for a moment. The days leading up to the incident that forever changed his life were truly peaceful times. But knowing what he knew now, he couldn't find it in his heart to wish for those times again.
"You're such a terrible liar, Dad," Arbus murmured as he thought of the pixie. The myths didn't seem so accurate after all considering how his life had turned out.
"Are you talking to me?" The Knight sitting across from Arbus asked as he gestured to himself.
Arbus glanced over at him.
He was a Red Mornan with neck-length green hair that framed his idol-like features and ocean blue eyes. Arbus could also tell that he had a east-Mornan accent, which usually meant he belonged to a family of class in the main galaxy that the Mornans ruled.
At the moment, He was being escorted by this Vanguard team to meet the Sentinel of the star system.
He wasn't sure how to feel about that, given his currently tempestuous emotions.
It reminded him too much of the last time something like this had happened.
Arbus didn't answer for several moments as he surveyed the rest of the crew.
Unlike the Vanguard, all the Knights present had taken off their masks when they had boarded the ship.
A female Mornan with flowing dark hair sat sprawled in a chair with her hair draped over the backrest. There was a melancholic and vacant expression etched across her face.
An old Mornan with a towering physique unusual for a red Mornan stood against the wall at the edge of the room. His suit was far more bulky than the others. His wide shoulders were slumped while a sad expression coloured his features.
The youngest looking Knight present beside the female Mornan seemed visibly distraught. Arbus was sure he was no older than seventeen. It was understandable that he would feel that way considering what they had just witnessed.
He finally glanced to the very edge of the room, where a young Red Mornan with dark blue hair sat next to the Vanguard with folded arms and crossed legs. Arbus could feel the Knight's gaze burning into him intensely. He wasn't exactly sure why this Knight felt so strongly about him, but he guessed it had something to do with another human. Arbus was used to people directing that kind of hatred towards him.
He turned back to the handsome Knight who seemed to be handling witnessing the aftermath of a genocide the best out of everyone. "I was just muttering to myself."
"Oh, okay then," the Knight replied with a small nod.
Silence descended upon the ship once again as Arbus took in the look of the vessel.
It was the most colorful Vanguard ship he'd seen, with bright walls lined with a mix of green, silver, and yellow hues.
A sad look appeared in his eyes for a moment. Arbus had always been a fan of colorful things.
"Nice ship," he muttered under his breath.
The Knight's eyes glimmered when he heard that.
"It is! Isn't it? That's what I said too! I'm the one who designed it by the way, since it was too bland before," he said with a hint of pride in his voice.
He leaned back, facing Arbus fully. "I'm Bridge by the way, what's your—no wait, I guess I already know your name from the files. Arbus, right? There was nothing about your last name, so I was a bit curious about that. Or do you not have one?"
Arbus stared at the Knight silently for a few moments. His casual demeanor caught him off guard. "It's just Arbus. That's my name. Don't ask about the last part."
"Oh.. um, sure. My bad," the knight replied apologetically.
An awkward silence settled over the room.
Bridge considered his words before speaking up again. "I hope you don't mind me asking another question. It's just that... I can't seem to get my mind off of this."
Arbus just gestured for Bridge to go on.
"How did you do it? Kill the human, I mean." He said, finally asking the question on the minds of everyone.
Arbus stared at Bridge with an aloof expression as he wondered if there was any need to answer.
Bridge noticed his hesitation and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry if that was too direct, it's just… after seeing everything that human did. All those lives he snuffed out in mere hours. It's a bit hard for me to wrap my head around how he died."
Arbus stared at him some more before responding. " It wasn't as impressive as you're imagining it to be. I simply waited for him to exhaust his soul-essence before attacking."
His eyes fell slightly as he went on. "Ronin arrived in front of our base hours ago, after he'd already massacred the rest of the planet and the other Renegade stations."
"I'm guessing his energy was already in the red by that point. We didn't get a single emergency call while his massacre took place. We didn't even realize the planet was under attack until it was our turn," Arbus felt his teeth clench as he spoke. "Something he had with him must have been blocking our communications."
His expression darkened. "He didn't attack at first. He simply sat outside and watched us. As if he was toying with us."
The other Knights in the room glanced in Arbus's direction as they listened in on the conversation.
"When the battle started, Commander Mits led the charge. Despite the difference in speed, he managed to keep up with Ronin evenly, exhausting his ability even more."
"But unfortunately, that wasn't enough to stop him. Ronin ultimately won the battle, and then went on to clean up what was left of us."
"He noticed me after he slaughtered everyone in the station. And naturally, my half-human appearance, as well," Arbus muttered as his eyes falling on his blood stained hands.
"He'd found my situation comical, and decided to play with me more, since I was the last person left to toy with. I made sure to give him what he wanted too by constantly taunting him. And when I was sure he couldn't activate his ability anymore, I made my move and killed him. It's... as simple as that, I suppose."
Bridge stared at Arbus with a stunned expression. "…Simple! Wait, do you actually think something like that was simple? Seriously?"
"Everyone knows how much Ronin enjoys torturing his enemies brutally. How did you even survive that in the first plac—"
"That is enough, Bridge. No more talking with our guest," came Yome's voice from across the room.
Arbus glanced over at her just as she finally took off the helmet. His eyes widened the moment he saw her.
She was stunning. A Mornan with dark blue hair that flowed freely like a waterfall and stood out against her bright crimson skin. Her features were breathtaking, her cold expression highlighting her oval face and striking eyes.
But it wasn't just her beauty that had shocked Arbus. No, it was her resemblance to someone precious to him.
when he looked into Yome's bright orange eyes, It was as if he was seeing her again for the first time in years. If not for their different races, he would believe the Vanguard was actually her.
Memories Arbus preferred to keep buried slowly came flooding back like a tidal wave.
"We're not authorized to ask him anything about what happened on the planet yet. Not before he is questioned by the Sentinel himself," the Vanguard continued, her gaze locked on Arbus.
"Oh, sorry, Yom—I mean, Vanguard Yome," Bridge muttered, giving Arbus an apologetic look.
One that Arbus didn't seem to notice, since his gaze was glued to Yome.
Bridge's shoulders slumped as he sighed. He still had a lot to ask Arbus. The most pressing being how he had managed to survive for so long against Ronin. And why he was uninjured, despite the blood and tears in his suit.
Several minutes later a knock sounded from the cockpit, where the ship's designated pilot sat.
"It seems like we've arrived," Yome said, glancing out the small window to the side.
Bridge, Arbus, and the crew followed her gaze. There it was, the largest moon in the star system, as big as two planets in one.
Paradis, the home of the current Sentinel of this system.