The Repellum and Plans (Reedsycast)

Note: Please read part 1 of my Reedsycast (“Cornflowers or Roses”; link: https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/contests/86/submissions/60128/) to understand what’s going on in this part. 

For Abigail Cross. She is one of the people who were so supportive and excited about this Reedsycast. She’s also the first one to have submitted the Reedsycast form. This one’s for you, Rati!

https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/author/edbcba/

*~*~*

GALEN FROST

“Who is with me?” yelled Angelyn. 

Her words washed over me, more powerful than a tidal wave. I wanted to join and destroy the destiny system. It wasn’t even because of her magic. 

Here was my chance to avenge. Take revenge. I had been waiting for an opportunity for years.

Rage simmered in my stomach. The government. Those puppets. All they ever did was carry out orders from Queen Maia. It was like they didn’t have a mind of their own. 

I clenched my fists, remembering how they had slain my friends like it was nothing. They forced me to watch the light go out of their eyes and see the knives go through their heads. I remember their blood trickling on the ground. For years, I had wanted to end the queen.

So many people had experienced this. Someone close to them would get killed. They would get killed for disobeying the rules involving those idiotic destinies and flowers. A rebellion like this was long overdue. 

Dozens of people walked toward the stage, wanting to join Angelyn. The crowd seemed to snap out of their daze and surged forward with their weapons, ready to attack. On instinct, I rushed to defend the people that were going to join Angelyn, for I wanted to join them, too.

The others and I raised our weapons, ready to fight. But a clear voice —Angelyn’s— rang out.

“Lower your weapons.” 

Without hesitation, I dropped my sword. Several thousand other weapons clattered to the ground. ‘That’s some power,’ I thought.

As we climbed up the stage, I studied Angelyn, looking for signs of weakness. Indications that she didn’t know what she was doing. Or that she was hesitating and didn’t want to lead a rebellion. 

I didn’t find any; her eyes were as hard as steel. But they seemed to mask a dozen different emotions and identities: A scared little girl, afraid of what she had started; an angry and vengeful warrior, ready to hurt anyone in her way; a manipulative speaker, willing to command an entire nation; and a grieving daughter, still mourning the loss of her loved ones. 

Once we were next to Angelyn, several went instinctively to cover their ears while others shook her hand. They talked for a moment, and they seemed to form an agreement. 

I eventually stepped up to Angelyn. 

“Hello,” she said briskly. “I’m going to go straight to the point. Who are you? Why are you here?”

“My name is Galen Frost, a warrior. I have many powers of a werewolf. And as for why I’m here—” I shrugged listlessly, not knowing how to explain my reasons. “I’ve got some scores to settle.” 

Angelyn nodded. “I understand that. Are you willing to fight for the cause of destroying the destiny system?”

“Sure. But why are you even doing this?” I asked her. “Why are you here?”

Something about this girl still tugged at the back of my mind. 

“It’s quite a touchy topic,” Angelyn admitted, tugging at her hair. “Let’s just say that I’ve got some scores to settle.” 

Angelyn imitated me at that last part, failing miserably. She then yelled at the crowd, “Don’t move and don’t attack!” 

The crowd —who were slowly reaching for their weapons— stopped moving.

Angelyn’s expression turned serious. “The point is, I’m here now. I’ve made some bold statements, and I plan on following through with them. All I ask is that you remain loyal.”

I nodded slightly. Even if Angelyn was a wild card with her powers, I wanted to avenge my friends. Destroying the destiny system would be the way to do that. 

She turned to the group of people on the stage. “The government and Queen Maia have been poisoning our lives with the destiny system. Your duty —our duty— is to change that. I—”

“Do you even have a plan?” one girl spoke up. She had light caramel skin, dark brown hair with golden highlights, and a long scar that started from the edge of her mouth. She pulled a hunting knife out of her sleeve and started fiddling with it.

“We know we’re going to end the destiny system, but how are we going to do that?” the girl questioned. “It’s not like the destiny system is a person we can stab. What’s the plan?”

There was a moment of silence. I glanced at Angelyn, who had a scowl stitched across her face. I wondered if she even had a plan.

“The plan. Yes, I have a plan, Nainika,” Angelyn said quickly. I could almost see the wheels of her brain turning, trying to come up with something. 

“Wait,” a quiet voice said. It belonged to a short girl with pale blue hair. She had bangs that covered her eyes. “The crowd will hear your plan. So will the cameras.” 

The girl pointed up to the dozens of cameras and microphones. They were recording the ceremony for the people in their homes.

Angelyn frowned. “Good point, Ozia.” 

She pulled out a silver gun from the folds of her dress and aimed it at one of the microphones. Angelyn fiddled with a few triggers and shot a silver bullet, which smashed into the microphone and disintegrated it.

“Help me,” she said to us. I drew my massive longbow, and those of us with long-range weapons did the same.

Although the Artists weren’t that great fighters, they still did a decent job. All of the cameras and microphones were broken and destroyed in no time.

Angelyn nodded, satisfied. Then she grimaced. “If I tell the crowd to cover their ears, I can’t give them any more orders.” 

I glanced at the crowd, who was reaching for their weapons in slow motion. They attack; we’re dead.

Angelyn looked troubled, but she called out, “Stay still and do not attack! Cover your ears!”

The crowd stopped moving and covered their ears, but I could tell the magic was growing weaker. It was like an old sweater, getting smaller and smaller as you tugged on the loose strings. 

Angelyn’s knees buckled, but she managed to explain her plan. “There is a legend of the source of the destiny system. It is the source of the power that we possess through our destiny. It is also the source of the destiny system. I have never seen this source in person; I have only heard of it. This source is known as the Tree of Virtutum.” 

Murmurs broke out through us. No one had ever been to the Tree of Virtutum. It was outside the city borders, so no one in their right mind would go there. Even I hadn’t been brave enough to venture out of the city yet. It was too dangerous; dark spirits surrounded us. 

“If we go to the Tree of Virtutum,” Angelyn continued. “We can kill its roots. According to legend, that will destroy the destiny system for good.

“We are all connected to the Tree of Virtutum. Our powers depend on it. Legends say that this tree is a living force of nature. It spins the strings of fate and shapes our futures. The Tree of Virtutum has woven every one of your lives and all of your connections. So if we cut up the wrong roots…”

Angelyn didn’t finish her thought, but the words “We’ll die” hung in the air. I shuddered at the thought. No one knew what happens when someone died.

“But where is this Tree of Virtutm? How are we going to get there?” a guy asked. He was a thin but lithe redhead with messy hair. He held twin knives.

Angelyn shook her head. “I don’t remember that part of the legend, Ethan. But I believe we can still find that tree. We just need to find the first rose and cornflower in existence. They are now all-knowing spirits, known as Zhang Mi and Su Le. They are willing to help anyone who has a destiny by answering one question. I can use my question to ask for the Tree of Virtutum’s location.”

I remembered asking Zhang Mi and Su Le my question. Their answer had brought me nothing but fear and anger. Baggage that I didn’t need.

“But how do we get there?” an intimidating-looking tall guy asked. He had black hair with red tips. A short girl with brown hair next to him signed the same question.

“I was getting to that, Flint and Fawn. I wish Ivy were here. She could’ve made a portal.” Angelyn stared at one of the faces in the crowd longingly. “But she’s not here. We’ll have to travel by foot.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. We had a plan.

Ozia waved her hand, summoning a poisonous gas that knocked out the crowd, just to be safe. Sixty-nine pairs of shoes clunked against the pavement as we —Repellum, as we started to call ourselves— trudged toward the city limits. We passed homes filled with people staring at their black TV screens, confused.

A Warrior does not get scared. At least, we’re not supposed to be. But as we walked closer and closer to the gates, it struck me hard. I was leaving the city.

I had lived by myself in the edges of neighborhoods and woods for years, training myself to fight. But that didn’t make me prepared to enter the realm of dark spirits. The Teneti were the most dangerous monsters the world had to offer.

However, before we could do anything else, the guards at the gates charged.

I looked at Angelyn, waiting for her to command them to stop. But her eyes sagged with exhaustion, and she could barely hold her gun and knife. 

Nonetheless, she shouted, “Repellum! Attack!”

While most of my group charged to meet the guards, Ozia, some others, and I stood still and started shooting down the guards at the watchtowers.

“Don’t kill the guards,” Ozia muttered next to me as she clogged a guard’s nose with poisonous gas. 

“What?” I asked incredulously. “Why?”

“Just ‘cause,” Ozia replied. “Angelyn gives me that vibe. She doesn’t want to kill anyone if not necessary.”

“Wha—”

“Don’t do it.”

Ozia launched back into knocking out the guards without another word. I frowned but did as she asked. I aimed at their shoulders, and before I knew it, the guards at the watchtowers were all incapacitated.

New Fatum City could use a better guard system, I thought, surveying the battle around me.

Flint and Fawn fought together. Flint was slashing with his fire sword, almost burning himself in the process. He was covering for Fawn, who was drawing on a piece of paper. I thought she was nuts until her drawing, a deformed sword, materialized. She almost collapsed from the effort. She still joined the fight, picking up her sword and slashing it back and forth.

Nainika was alone and surrounded, but she was doing just fine. She blocked and attacked with a hunting knife and staff. She turned into a giant dragon with some difficulty, clawing at the guards.

Ethan sang song after song, and spirits obeyed his will. They attacked the guards and protected the Repellum. Ethan held twin knives, stabbing anyone who came too close, never breaking out of his song.

Angelyn shot and stabbed with her silver guns and knives, although she still looked worn out. Ozia was right: Angelyn didn’t kill a single guard.

The rest of the Repellum had split up around the gates. They were now knocking out wave after wave of the guards. I didn’t know how the guards could be such bad fighters. 

A spear hurtled toward my direction. I froze, for my sword was still in its sheath.

Before I could get killed, green gas engulfed the spear, dissolving it.

“Don’t make me save your life again,” Ozia said behind me. 

“Thanks,” I mumbled in response as I shot down more guards.

*~*~*

After a while, we managed to incapacitate all of the guards at the gates. It had been difficult, working with powers we barely knew how to use. We weren’t free of injuries.

As others tended their wounds, I stared at the guards’ bodies on the ground. I had never seen so much blood before.

Once we regrouped, Angelyn stared at the enormous red and blue gates in front of us. She inhaled sharply.

“All we have to do is open these gates, and we’re free from the city. The problem is” —she gestured at the locks on the gates— “how do we open those?”

Fawn clapped to get Angelyn’s attention and quickly pulled out a paper. She scribbled a few drawings, and we all got the message.

Anything I draw can come to life, remember?

Fawn then studied the locks and drew a key, which appeared in her hand a moment later. Beads of sweat popped up on her forehead.

Angelyn picked up the key and inserted it in the locks. The gate creaked open, and the black forest —Nigruvam— loomed over us.

Low growls of the Teneti echoed through the forest. Fear shook me to the core. I gripped my sword tightly as we walked into the Nigruvam and the gates slammed shut behind us.

There was no turning back now.