Broken

Moonlight bounced back and forth between the white and gray roads and buildings of Plata, glossing them in a vibrant silver shimmer. Ariel walked the night streets with a paper in her hand–a tip on the location and time of a Wyvern drug deal. How did she get it? She asked one of her fellow soldiers nicely after zapping them until they were shaking on the ground. The crime syndicate had plenty of them in their pocket; a scourge of corruption.

As she neared the location, a restaurant, she noted the mysterious lack of soldiers. It was in close proximity to the Red Fox district, its iconic red banners flapped eerily in the wind from the rotten walls of broken buildings. She approached the door and could hear a skirmish inside. She didn’t want to be rude, so she did the polite thing: knocked.

BOOM! She bashed the door with her fist and the hinges flew off. The door heaved a slow groan as it wobbled and unleashed a wake of dust as it hit the floor. The action inside was so intense they didn’t even notice her entry. Wyvern grunts surrounded a figure cloaked in shadow and a spectral copy made of cosmos. They stood back to back, coordinating their attacks, their katanas finding their marks with ease, ripping flesh asunder. Once all the bodies collapsed, they sheathed their blades and the spectral copy sank into the figure’s shadow. 

“Hi!” Ariel exclaimed with a wave. “Um, you’ve made quite a mess.” 

The figure stood unphased, in fact, it relaxed its posture as it took out a cigarette. A small burst of flame from a match revealed the young man’s autumnal, wavy hair with an oak leaf perched just above his ear, the red scarf around his neck, and his pointy ears. His silver eyes reflected the last glimmer of the match before he snuffed it out, leaving a small smoke trail around him. 

“Aren’t you a little too good-looking to be a janitor?” he smirked. He spoke in a low, gravelly voice as he puffed a smoke cloud. 

“I’m flattered. But you’re going to need to come with me. I can’t have some random vigilante running rampant around the city.” 

“Asking me out on a date? I do love a woman that takes the initiative.” 

“No, uh… that’s not what I meant…” Ariel chuckled.

The man strolled over to a table. “I mean, we’re already in a restaurant. Why not just grab a table and have some dinner!” 

He flipped the table at Ariel. Ariel dipped her shoulder and from the shield on her back, a blue wing made of mana sprouted. She batted away the table, sending it crashing into the wall. With an azure sparkle, Ariel teleported her spear to her free hand and thrust it at the man. He danced with a smirk around her attacks before parrying with his sheathed blade and closing the distance. 

As the man drew his blade, Ariel leaned back with a grimace. She leaped backward, letting go of her spear, but dodging his attack.

“Uh… I think you dropped this,” the man snickered, tossing the spear in his hand.

With a twitch of her hand, it left the man’s hand and returned to her own grip in a flash.

“Ah, I see you’ve bonded to it.” 

Ariel scooped the air in front of her with her wing and an updraft unfurled before her. 

The man’s feet were swept off the floor and he hit the ceiling, “Woah!” 

Ariel sprouted both wings and swiped across, unleashing a current that slammed him into the wall. Again, into the ceiling. The floor. The other wall. Back to the ceiling until he was dizzy. 

“Would! You! Stop! That!” he growled as he was thrown about the restaurant along with the tables. 

“Okay,” Ariel shrugged. The man fell from the ceiling and hit the floor with a thud. 

“Ugh, thank you!” 

Ariel held out a hand and lightning leaped from her fingertips. The man squirmed around the floor, showered in the blue streaks of electricity. 

“Oh, enough of this!”

The man’s cosmic spectre appeared next to her and slashed with its blade, sliding across her wing. The distraction bought the man a window to blink past her. He finally caught a glimpse at Ariel’s athletic build, her partially braided blonde hair, and the cyan highlights on her cheeks–a Goliath quality. 

“This was fun, but I don’t exactly have the energy to dance all night. Later,” he winked.

She hadn’t steeled her mind. A warmth flushed into her cheeks and her vision became rosy. The man’s eyes glistened and his smile was alluring. Her knees even buckled a little bit as she watched him run away, out of sight. In an instant, the spell was over. 

Shoot! How could I let myself be charmed like that?!

She raced out the door and leaped to the skies, her wings keeping her aloft. She scanned the rooftops, but there was no sign of him. 

****

The next morning, Ariel returned to the Plataspire, a large platinum tower that pierced the clouds like a spearhead. Green banners depicting an elk with an orange in its mouth decorated the walls; the symbol of the Klementine Dynasty, the current rulers. The upper floors contained the royal family’s chambers, the basement floors held treasure and prisoners.

Ariel stepped onto a circular platform with intricate runes and stained glass. With just a thought, the magic elevator teleported her to the library floor. Within the labyrinth of shelves was a closed-off section for more classified information. Ariel knocked and an eye slit was quickly opened. Awkward eye contact. Recognition. And Ariel was allowed inside. 

“Welcome back, girl scout,” the guard said. “How’s taking down the Wyverns going?” 

“Hello, Captain,” she sighed. “It’s going great actually! So how about you go back to delegating and just immerse yourself in that romance novel of yours?”

“You’re never gonna climb in this world if you don’t respect your superiors,” he scoffed before going back to his reading.

She walked past and found papers regarding any information the Guard had on the Wyverns. The information was limited, and the chain of command somewhat nebulous. However, one name stood at the top: Boss Dogranio. However, a few accessories to the organization based around Plata contained more details. Four captains appeared to be prominent: Dogran’sach, Tak Tuk, Shan’til, and Rex Vulpes.

However, she came across a similar face. A young man, an underling of Rex Vulpes who was described to be a Half-Eladrin Echo Knight: Sol Celeste. That must be the young man I ran into last night… Echo Knights are rare. 

One small discrepancy: he used his blade on Wyverns last night.

****

It wasn’t hard for Ariel to track Sol down once more, she only needed to follow the trail of blood he left behind. She soared in the skies when she spotted him once more, although his appearance changed since their last encounter. 

Flowers now blossomed in his wavy emerald hair which flowed in the nighttime wind like fields of tall grass as he hopped from rooftop to rooftop. The moon behind him created a silhouette with his big smile as he hummed a little song as he pranced around. 

Ariel dove, but Sol was ready. As she approached, she was met with a flash of steel and a chaotic glint in his now yellow eyes. She dodged the attack in the nick of time, blue feathers were ripped and floated away in the wind before dissolving. 

“Oh! It’s the tall lady Auburn made googly eyes at!” he exclaimed, his voice now higher-pitched, younger, and spry. 

Ariel skidded to a halt and brandished her spear. 

“Ooo! You wanna swordfight me?” he asked with a smile full of pure innocence. 

“This isn’t a game! I’m taking you in!” 

Sol cocked his head. “Aww, I was hoping I made a new friend…” 

Ariel shook her head, bewildered by the sudden change in personality and appearance. “Oh, enough of this.”

She charged forward and Sol met her halfway, his cosmic copy in tow. With the grace of a figure skater, Sol jumped in the air and flipped upside down, spinning and swinging his blade at Ariel’s head. Meanwhile, his echo dove with a slash of its own at her legs. Time moved slowly as Ariel watched the blade approach her eyes. 

She noticed, he’s using the back of his blade…

Ariel planted her spear into the ground, blocking both attacks. She used it to vault over the echo and kick Sol away. A twist of the body and she slammed the echo atop the head of a fist of lightning that crackled along its body at impact, disintegrating it. 

Sol teleported and appeared behind Ariel once more. Ariel hunched over, the blade glancing off her shield. She spun and created an updraft, tossing Sol up into a spinning vortex.

“Weeeee!” Sol cried, giggling along the way. 

Ariel prepared to shock him with lightning but was suddenly caught in a full nelson by a newly manifested echo. She let out a discharge around her body, but as the echo leaned backward, it swapped places with the real Sol, who hopped onto her shoulders and wrapped his legs around her neck.

“Blegh!” he exclaimed, leaning over and sticking out his tongue. 

Ariel threw him off with a grunt and he tumbled in the air. She took her shield off her back and hurled it like a discus, timing it perfectly with the moment he landed. It bonked him in the head and latched itself onto his back, sprouting wings and constricting him with them.

“That’s what you get for not taking me seriously,” Ariel scoffed. 

Sol struggled to break free of his bonds and Ariel tapped the rooftop with her spear, sending a current of electricity through his body until he plopped to the ground. She hadn’t forgotten about the echo, who finally swung its sword at Ariel’s head as it descended, but Ariel caught the blade with one hand and bashed it with a fist, dissolving it. 

“The back of the blade once more, why?” Ariel asked. “I thought your intent was to kill me.”

“Kill you? No, no, no,” Sol muttered. “I only kill bad people. And you aren’t a bad person, right?” 

“No, I’m not.” 

“See? You’re one of the good guys. I can tell! That’s why I was just having fun!” 

“How do you know? I was attacking you.” 

“But you’re wearing soldier armor! Knights of the kingdom! Heroes of justice!” 

“Not all guards are just, much less heroes,” Ariel sighed. “Is that why you’re killing all those people? Some twisted form of justice?”

Sol cocked his head again. “Well I mean, it’s not like killing is bad. When people die, they bleed, but eventually, they get up and start walking again! Sometimes they look a little different though…” 

“What are you on about, Sol?” 

Sol’s expression soured. “Sol?” he scoffed. “I-I’m not Sol. My name is Vernal!” 

“I read your file, your name is Sol Celeste, and you work for Rex Vulpes. So why are you killing Wyverns?” 

Something twisted glinted in Sol’s eyes. “I’m. Not. Sol. Sol died, along with Rex!” 

Ariel raised a brow and squatted to Sol’s level. “What do you mean, they died?”

“I killed them!” Vernal beamed. 

“Why? Was Sol a bad person?”

“Rex was. He lied! He said that he saved me. He said that my sister was dead, but he lied! And lying is bad,” Vernal expression was feral, full of hatred. 

“And what about Sol?”

He calmed down. “Sol was weak… and sad. He asked me to do it,” he spoke softly. “I drove a sword through his heart, as well as Rex’s. Sol got up eventually; we didn’t wait for Rex to get up. He’s probably somewhere far away now.” 

Ariel was bewildered at his responses. She couldn’t tell if he was lying or not, but his demeanor displayed nothing but innocence. Tears started well up in his eyes.

“Why would you say his name..?” he whimpered.

“Oh, uh, I’m sorry?” Ariel started to panic a little bit.

Vernal’s features began to change. He heaved a sigh, and slowly sat up, the flowers in his hair burst into flames and ignited his hair, turning it into the color of flowing lava. He opened his eyes with renewed vigor, revealing their new ruby sparkle. 

“You must be confused!” he boomed, nearly tipping Ariel over in surprise. 

“My name is Ember! It is a pleasure to finally meet you! What might your name be?”

“My name is Ariel. My Goliath name is Bluebird.”

“I must apologize for the rudeness of my other selves. I can shine some light on the situation.”

Ariel glared at him, but his big, earnest smile melted away her suspicion. She heaved a sigh and removed his constraints, the shield fluttering back to her. They sat cross-legged from each other, bathed in moon and starlight in the Red Fox District. 

“When I was a child, my father was indebted to the Wyverns. They came to our house and killed him, my mother, and my little sister… I was able to escape, and found myself in the arms of who I thought was my savior: Rex Vulpes. He taught me the ways of the Echo Knight, and I joined his squad of assassins. He lied to me, saying that it was a rival group that my father owed money to, and not the Wyverns. Six months ago, on my eighteenth birthday, he gifted me this sword.” 

His eyes glazed over it as he glided his hand across the sheathed weapon which was white as the moon above. 

“And you killed him,” Ariel finished. 

“Indeed. The moment I thrust this blade through his back and into his heart, was the moment both he and Sol Celeste died. Truly, the irony was poetic,” he chuckled. 

“So you’re killing Wyverns for what? Revenge?” 

He chuckled, “Quite the opposite. That night you met Auburn? The corpses were those of my ex-squad members, wanting revenge for Rex. What we’re after is much more profound…” He pulled out a magic photo of a young, teenage girl. Her hair was velvet red, and her eyes silver. She was hunched over in what looked to be a dark cave, eating bread. Behind her were piercing purple eyes, but the silhouette couldn’t be discerned. It’s my younger sister, Luna. For six years, I thought she was dead. I’m trying to find her.” 

Ariel fell silent, taking all of this in. A brilliant idea struck her mind. 

“Perhaps… we can help each other.” 

“What do you propose?” Ember asked with a raised brow.

“I came to Plata because I wanted to make the world a better place. Instead, I come to find that most of my peers don’t share the same vision. Whether it be lethargy or corruption. I want to stop the Wyverns. You help me do that, and I’ll help you find information about your sister. Do we have a deal?”

Ariel put out an open hand. Ember met it with his own and gave a firm shake. He laughed bombastically, his chest and shoulders bobbing. “We shall see it through, comrade!” 

****

Ariel carried Ember in the air as he pointed her out to his house: an unsuspecting and humble cottage. Inside, tea and noodles were served. 

“So, what do you know about the Wyverns?” Ariel asked between sips.

“I’m aiming for Dogran’sach. He used to be a part of Rex’s squad with me until he became a captain of his own.” 

“Do you know where to find him?” 

“Yes, he’s hiding in the alleyways of the Yellow Sun district south from here. I extracted that information from my ex-squad.”

“We can storm it tonight then,” Ariel said.

“Bursting through the front door is your style of doing things,” Ember chuckled. “And it is my preferred strategy as well, but…”

His hair cooled to a polar white, his eyes a crystal blue, and a snowflake formed above his ear. “The only way to make sure we get to Dogran is if we get the jump on him.” 

A moment’s pause and the new Sol peeped. “Oh, hi! Uh… ahem, my name is Frost. I-It’s nice to meet you.” His voice was chilled and lacked the confidence of Auburn’s as well as the energy in Vernal or Ember’s.

“Nice to meet you, Frost,” Ariel smiled. “Alright, so you can take whatever route you wish while I make a distraction.”

“Great, but I um, did want to mention…”

“Yeah?”

“Please be more careful about what you say to Vernal. He might have some issues, but he’s still how Sol wanted him.”

“How do you mean?”

“He’s the last sliver of Sol’s innocence.”  

****

Dogran’s hideout was a two-story manor–a luxurious abode.  Frost entered through a skylight and slunk around the corners and behind the furniture of the manor. A guard approached, absently walking the halls for any unlikely intruders. Unfortunate for him, there was one tonight. Frost focused on the sound of his footsteps, and as he entered the room, he plunged his sword into his chest and dragged his body under a bed to hide it. A few more moments of scouring and it was clear Dogran was not on the upper floor. 

A tumult filled Frost’s ears. He rolled his eyes. Surely, she didn’t… 

She most certainly did.

Frost left Ariel standing across the street from Dogran’s hideout. Her arms crossed, the wolf pelt around her shoulders rustling in the breeze. She tapped her foot over and over, pouting, waiting.

Wait until you hear a commotion before barging in, Frost said. If you barge in like last time, Dogran will be long gone. Let me approach him first.

“Screw that, he’s taking too long,” she scoffed. 

She summoned her spear into her hand and hurled it at the door to the large manor. A blast of lightning emanated from the spear, breaking them apart. Quite an alarm bell for the guards inside. They swarmed her immediately, armed with swords, hammers, and spears. Ariel got a hand around one’s throat and sprouted her wings, leaping into the air and choke slamming him to the ground. A shockwave of wind and lighting was followed by a thunderous BOOM as the other grunts were knocked off their feet. Ariel took to the air, shocking them with lighting and blasting them with wind. 

Frost watched the onslaught from between the railing at the top of the stairs. Panic flooded his thoughts, but through the chaos, he noticed an obscene amount of guards coming from the basement. Frost turned into Auburn. 

He vaulted over the railing and brought his sword down on a guard, cleaving his body and using the corpse as a landing pad. He wicked his blade of the blood as he sprinted toward the basement, summoning his echo to combat the Wyverns who stood in his way. 

“You impatient moron!” he cried to Ariel as he made it to the stairs. 

“You were taking too long!” she snapped as she batted away another Wyvern. 

Auburn shook his head as he leaped down the flight of stairs and hit the bottom with a tumble. A Wyvern was ready for him and swung his mace at his back, but Auburn’s echo spurred to life and parried the attack. Auburn thrust his blade behind him, killing him. His echo vaulted over Auburn’s back and engaged the other approaching Wyvern.

The basement was normal except for one large hole in the wall, which led to a tunnel system beneath the district. Down the torchlit tunnel, Auburn spotted a green Dragonborn: Dogran. 

“Barnes!” he roared, using Dogran’s true name. “Get back here!” 

Barnes didn’t stop running and turned the corner out of sight. Auburn continued his pursuit.

“Get away from me!” Barnes cried. “I don’t want any trouble!” 

“Me neither! I just want to talk, so will you stop running!” 

“I don’t believe you! First I hear you kill Rex, then your other squad members, and now you’re teaming up with a foot soldier?!” 

“Just a miscommunication! Kind of like what’s happening right now!” 

They rushed through the labyrinth of tunnels until Barnes came to a sudden halt. Auburn was right behind and skidded to a halt, grabbing his shoulders.

“Look, man! I just want to know if you know anything about my sister…” he trailed off. 

A circle of Dragon Poachers stood before them, dressed in Dragonborn-skin masks and dark cloaks. The Dragon Poachers were a religious cult who believed wearing Dragonborn skin brought them closer to their gods: who were dragons. And all their eyes were trained on Barnes.

“I’ll tell you everything I know if we make it out of this.” 

“I forgot, are you a pacifist?” 

The Dragon Poachers pulled out knives and began approaching.

Barnes pulled out knives of his own. “I’m a master of stealth, not combat. But, that doesn’t mean I won’t fight for my life.” 

“Well, that’s good. Because, while they might just be Dragon Poachers, the shear number of these guys–”

Auburn looked over. Barnes had vanished. 

He heaved a sigh. “I’m over this.” He switched to Ember. “En garde, you fiends! I shall burn you all to ash! Huzzah!” He roared with his sword over his head and a smile on his face. 

He teleported into the fray, fire leaping at the surrounding Dragon Poachers who were set ablaze. 

****

Barnes and Auburn stumbled to a nearby bar. They limped onto the stools and ordered drinks to ease the pain of their wounds. 

“I don’t know what happened to ya kid since I last saw you, but this form of yours… this is the most like how you were,” Barnes remarked. 

Auburn sloshed his drink longingly. “I don’t remember what it was like when we were all… ‘together.’ It’s like I memorized a biography of him cover to cover instead of experiencing it for myself.”

“You mentioned something about your sister?”

“Yeah… Sacho gave me a photograph of her in a cave.” He showed it to Barnes. 

“I’d be careful of that Sacho.”

“I know. He gave it to me for free…”

“It might be free for you, but a long-term investment for him. Information is his business after all.”

“That’s why I came to you. You’re the Underboss of the Wyverns. Surely, you know something.”

Barnes paused to think for a minute before finishing his drink. He tapped the bar for another. “The Wyverns is a large organization with a lot of subgroups. However, there’s a group called the Dograncon that records everything that goes on in the organization. They’d be the ones to know about the whereabouts of your sister.” 

Auburn nodded and was getting up to leave when Barnes stopped him.

“And I’ll give you one more piece of information as thanks for saving me from the Dragon Poachers: three years ago, in a Dragonborn town called Rathville in Cinero, someone titled Dogranea was killed in an honorable duel with a wizard. I’m sure aware of that country’s policy on dueling to the death. That’s pretty easy to piece together. That info comes from Boss Dogranio’s own mouth. Right from the top.” 

Auburn lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair. He let out a puff of smoke and watched it trail off toward the ceiling. “So you’re suggesting this Dogranea is my sister?”

“I’m afraid so. I know what it’s like to lose a sibling.”

Auburn let out a chuckle and put some coins on the bar to pay for the drinks. He leisurely strolled out of the bar with his hands in his pockets.

“You’re taking this better than I thought.”

“Death… can mean a lot of different things. Case in point…” Auburn stopped by the door and took a bow. “Barnes… why are you still with the Wyverns? You don’t seem like the type.” 

Barnes chuckled. “I made a promise to my brother. Nothing like family, right?”

Auburn chuckled. “Take care, you old lizard.” He waved as he exited the building. 

****

“Auburn!” Ariel exclaimed with a wave. She ran up to him. “Where’s Dogran?”

“I let him go,” Vernal sprung to life with innocent, jubilant eyes. 

“You what?!”

“He told me super secret secrets about my sister! But it’s okay, you can claim credit for Rex Vulpes and his squad!” 

Ariel grabbed Vernal by his collar. “I don’t care about credit! I care about making this city a safer place! Ember said we had a deal!”

“Yeah, you and Ember did?” Vernal cocked his head, confused. 

Ariel’s eyes widened. They really treat each other like separate people…

“Besides, this new info is bonkers! I wouldn’t mind teaming up! We could be like superheroes, yeah!” 

Ariel sighed. “What did he tell you?”

****

And so started a new friendship. For two years, they fought together. Ariel quickly rose through the ranks for her loyalty and her accomplishments in taking down the Wyverns. Since becoming good friends, the photo changed to reveal a floating femur bone above his sister. Sol and Ariel could not decipher its meaning.  It was the day of the Coronation, and Plata’s city streets bustled as they awaited the ceremony. 

“I suppose I can’t stand on stage with you?” Auburn asked. 

“No,” Ariel sighed. “You’re a vigilante I’m allowed to keep as a pet.” 

Auburn shot a glare.

“The King’s words, not mine,” she shrugged. 

Auburn sighed. “Your big promotion to Captain of the Royal Guard sure has given you an ego. We barely even go on patrols anymore.” 

“I know, I kind of miss being in the field. But I’ll keep using my assets to help you. We made a promise after all.”

“Thanks, Blue Bird,” Auburn snickered. “I’m off to quench my thirst. I’ll see you in the crowd.”

Ariel watched as Auburn sauntered away with his hands in his pockets. 

“Hey, Auburn? Do you really believe Sol is dead?”

Auburn looked up at the sky. “No, I think he’s just hurt and broken. We talk as if he’s dead, but I’m sure he’s deep inside us somewhere. There’s a reason he created us after all.”

“And why is that?”

“After Rex died, he was without the thing he cherished the most: a family.”