I Reign Supreme

CHAPTER 18: AWAKENING

In The Commanders' Office –

Bam!

A lady dropped her splayed palm on top the office desk and bellowed, 'You could've caused more damage than we could handle if we hadn't arrive on time!'

Mordecai sat at the visitor's sit, disconsolately watching the marble floor. 'He was going to hurt Bobby.'

'There are other ways to deal with situations like this.'

Surprisingly, this person speaking was Commander White Bird, miraculously healed. As she spoke, her ponytail dangled with her movements, completely looking soldier-like, even on a better black scale armour than before that had more holsters for paper scrolls. 'You almost took laws into your tiny paws.'

'It something I've learnt this past few days.' Mordecai didn't look at her. He stared down and replied slowly.

'Well I'm not sorry Mr Zanzelot, I'm going to have to give you a break. A long one...'

Few Minutes Later, Outside The Commander's Office..

Mordecai looking pale as ever walked out from the office. Due to the scene earlier some of the Squires gathered around the Commander's office, waiting for Mordecai. Not like they had any thought on the matter or wanted to talk to him, they just stood there watching as he walked away, one step at a time. The good news was they didn't follow him. They only watched as he got lost, far off in the long hall.

At a time he stopped. Exhaled deeply and tightened his fist before continuing to walk. When he got to his room, he obliviously ignored his friends at the door and packed in his belongings then left. His two friends at the door thought he was going through a lot and decided to keep their thoughts for themselves.

After another little stroll in the cloister, he reached Bobby's room.

'Yuzan wouldn't be a problem… least for now.'

'I'm sorry.' Bobby said, sitting faced down on his bed.

'Take care.' Mordecai's last words came out slow and steady. He adjusted his backpack and calmly walked out of the room.

BOBBY these few days struggled to become tough as possible. As for all Squires, sparring against each other was a must. Occasionally the officials would arrange sparring contest for them instead of requesting for a spar themselves. Four weeks had passed since Bobby last saw Mordecai; he had to improve on himself. During this past days he fought seven matches and won four of them. Usually not something of his previous capabilities.

At night he would train till dawn then momentarily, he'd take a break to the district's outskirts to visit Vester's grave. This he had been doing for the past one month. Each time he remembers the death of Vester and how useless he was, he would use this anger to his advantage and train harder. One time he dug his hands inside a tree, three metres wide and pulled out its eight feet root buried deep in the ground.

The most thing he realised was his strength was increasing exponentially. He could destroy huge rocks countless times bigger than him, leap extraordinary height. His Heracles Mantra was beginning to last a while longer than it used to. All these was thanks to constant practice of opening the Energy Gates in his subtle body.

Energy Gates were only present in the joints or around the point of more than two bones connecting. They were like turbines, spinning neverending in the subtle body's joints and drawing an immense amount of Mana mainly to invigorate the section of the connected joints. Opening these Gates means enhancing the Gates {Turbines} and the enhanced section of the subtle body's output is greatly increased.

Take for instance, Bobby opened the Energy Gate in the joint of his ankles and this resulted to more Mana circulation in that particular section. And as more Mana is regulated in his ankle section, he is capable of leaping seven to eight times a m.a.t.u.r.ed man's height.

..

After Mordecai left the Ascension Society, he went back to live with his mother. She was more than joyous to see him. He used his suspension as a lie to his mother; telling her he took a break to come home and visit, warming the heart of an incapacitated woman; knowing the fact she had a loving and caring son.

Middays, Mordecai's mother would give him some tutoring and sparring lectures. Despite her wheelchair, non should neglect the fact that she was still an Ascender. She would show her son various silent battle stances, some for defense while the others for offense. Also, imparting different countermeasures for if necessary, life or death situations.

Mordecai couldn't deny the fact that the tension he had weeks ago were dissipating with his mother everyday around him. He understood more, listened more and trained more with his mother as a teacher. It was mind-relaxing for him. He couldn't also deny the fact that the level of vengeance within him grew everyday by day. Seeing his mother like this, she was meant to be greater. Taking those people down was imperative in his life: and if Sentinel Morgan had something to do with his mother's pitiful state – there would be no Sentinel. Morgan. Any. Longer.

During this passed days, Mordecai hasn't visited Vester's grave. All night what he did was to re-execute every sparring exercise from his mother. All night his mother watched him secretly from a window, she had a sixth sense that something was wrong with her boy and this thought was firmly established when she saw him run out from the house into a moonless night. She only hope he would be safe.

WHEN Mordecai approached Vester's grave, he could swear it looked different. Unlike the rest of the forest floor, this one was besieged with colourful flowers and well trimmed grasses. It wasn't obviously noticable that it was a grave, but it definitely informed by-passers something happened.

He saw Bobby sitted with folded legs beside these flowers.'I thought you bailed?' Bobby sounded calm.

'I didn't. Never will.'

Bobby didn't answer. He remained silent with his eyes shut.

'Love what you've done to the place.'

'Figured he deserved more.' Bobby kept his replies shot and steady.

Mordecai got close to Bobby and squatted beside him. 'He would get more. More than this burial.'

Once again Bobby didn't reply. It took a while before he asked again, 'What do you plan on doing after all this?'

Mordecai exhaled calmly and replied, 'You were right Bobby. I should carry my own burden. Whatever I do is my choice, my decision. I don't have to ask for help.'

Bobby kept silent, he mildly understood Mordecai. He thought typically for Mordecai to talk about choices, he had something not so beneficial he wanted to pursue. He shrugged away the thought.

'What about you?' suddenly asked Mordecai.

'I don't know.'

Mordecai didn't want to go any further. He ended his questions there.

So the two sat side by side till dawn. Mostly meditating. All knew Mordecai wanted vengeance. But as for Bobby, it was quite a mystery. When it was time to leave, the two only bade themselves goodbye by nodding once and parting ways. They were supposed to always leave early; usually before sunrise, so as to avoid unnecessary attention to their whereabouts.

Mordecai went home and as for Bobby, he went back to the Ascension Society, where to continued his training programs.

The day was just like every other day, busy with trainings and sparring exercises. Like Bobby, he was almost done getting ready to leave his room after wearing his padded armour when suddenly, something occurred.

There was a loud noise. A very loud one. Like the earth was filled with nothingness and the end time's dragon's roar echoed in every corner of the world. Buildings were wrecked. The ground torn apart. People were flung around.

Bobby energetically held unto his room door. While the Squires outside all fell on their butts. This phenomenon lasted for roughly ten seconds before the world came back to its original calmness.

..

Mordecai was resting on his rooftop when suddenly the noise came. The funny thing was the noise came and lasted for a moment then the destruction followed. Throwing him down to the ground. His mother fell from her wheelchair chair, but as much as Mordecai tried to rescue her, the floor seemed to make his feet wobbly and the furnitures around came crashing into his way.

..

Admiral Gabriel who found affinity for the temple stood on top it watching the morning rise. It was the end of the night shift so he should be preparing for the next when the noise resounded.

He grimaced at the noise. It was like thunder, but thinner like the cry of a beast. The follow up was the rumbling of the temple. Admiral Gabriel held his stance despite all the shaking of the other colossal effigies that stood apart inside the temple. He calmly stared far ahead of him. Since he was high up, he saw a bright twinkle once in a far off distance then silence followed. And after the silence a streak of multicolored lightning came down from above, striking the unseen floor and causing the earthquake. He was the one who saw what happen. He was the one who knew what caused the earthquake.

Knowing fully well he couldn't directly transport himself there because his Mana was not infused inside any paper scroll for transportation in that area, he had to get there the old fashioned way.

Assembling a cavalry, they lead them to the outskirts of the First District. While he gave orders to the remaining Seraphim warriors under him to help the people of the First District.

His men matched at his back, all saddling their white horses at full speed. Everyone, everything had to clear from the way when they saw them ride through the District's streets and into the open area.

Just in few minutes they arrived at the scene. Admiral Gabriel was short of words. He whispered 'My God' when he saw were the lightning struck. The trees, grasses, the ground, they were littered everywhere. Countless chunks of rocks laid around also with the smouldering barks of trees after the explosion. The surrounding dust and smoke billowed into the air.

They couldn't get a clear picture of what it was. They knew it was one section of the forest, but this place was more like a battle ground.

After measuring the circ.u.mference of the destroyed part of the forest and calculating its diameter, they were able to pinpoint the center of the explosion and postulate that the explosion initially detonated from under there.

One of the Hands showed Admiral Gabriel the centre of the explosion and explained to him, 'Sir, we believe the cause of all this started with this area.' he said pointing downwards.

Admiral Gabriel squatted to take look closer at the diminutive pit below, 'So whatever this is, was because of a thing in this hole.'

'Affirmative, Sir.'

'Then we shall find whatever came through this hole to cause an explosive this severe.' he said with both his brows centimeters from connecting.