Welcome to Gaia! ::

Nope. You are seeing 'your' color. It's the color that... defines you the best... is the best way to describe it, I think... I said with a nod. I'm a blue color. That's the color that describes me the best.

I glanced back at my family before returning my attention to Eva. As she watched me the tint eventually faded away.

I think that's enough for today. Don't want to overload you. Besides, I think my family wishes to talk to me.

I gave her an encouraging nod, then turned and made my way across the clearing to where they stood.

You wish to speak to me?

North is requesting a leader from our faction. And we've decided the best person for the job is you, Scarlet.

I opened my mouth and stared at them blankly.

... do I get no say in this?

Dad laughed. Think of it as something new to learn.

And Eva?

I will take over training her. Odessa piped up.

So when am I leaving?

Immediately. We have your things packed, and the escort is getting ready to leave.

My father handed me a set of clothes. There are two other sets with your things. You will be their monarch, and their colors are red and gold, but we added white in there for good measure.

I nodded and vanished into the nearby foliage, and emerged shortly thereafter wearing the new gold, white, and red armor. I adjusted it.

It's more flourishes then what I'm used too...

It's North. What do you expect? Your normal armor would not have worked there.

I had found that my plasma gloves had blended into the new armor and anchored it there. I wondered how the armor would affect it.

(( Scarlet's new Armor))

Odessa went and hugged Scarlet, who returned it and waved a goodbye to Eva before the young redhead vanished into the trees.

Odessa then ventured into the clearing and approached Eva.

Well, Living wind, yes? A very interesting path for you, but one that fits.

Odessa nodded, before gesturing to Eva to walk with her-- whether it be around the clearing or continue around the forest, is unknown. Her parents had already vanished from the trees.

Tell me Eva... what do you know on the nature of souls?

~~~

It wasn't long before I had reached the truck that was my escort to the Northern boarder. There were two Longeyes in the back of the truck, (sniper users) and one driver. I climbed into the cab and found a brand new dead blow mallet and sniper rifle of my own between the seats-- each colored to match my new armor.

I smiled and put my seat-belt on as the truck rumbled to life and rode out of the trees, heading off towards the Northern boarder, ready to encounter the escort there to take me to the North faction...

North's leader, Layla, is here at Northwest. She needs a great deal of healing-- healing that will only come if she lets herself heal. They asked our mother, Isabella, to take over, but Isabella decided to send Scarlet instead.

Upon Eva's answer to her own question, Odessa smiled.

Kind of. It was the Christians and Catholics who came up with the word Soul. The greeks, our people, and the others of paganistic thoughts described it as life-force, spirit, energy, consciousness. We are... bridges, you could say-- between Heaven and Earth. Thus we can interact with both physical beings, and spiritual beings. A big part of what our people learn is the fact that once you open a door you cannot close it-- which means if you encounter something nasty, you must deal with it-- you cannot flee like you can physical beings.

Odessa saw Eva's desire to go with Scarlet. She thought for a moment. Would it be a good idea to send Eva after her? Scarlet had accepted the role of teacher, after all.

The environment and one's experiences do play a big part... but think of the soul as the pilot. The mind or brain is the control interface-- like a computer. The body is the machine.

Odessa then glanced at Eva.

How do you think a being gets a soul?

~~~

It was a half hour before the Northwest truck approached the boarder between the two factions. I leaned out the window, and the Longeyes were on alert, (as always). I enjoyed the feeling of the wind whipping through my hair as I looked out over the darkening landscape, looking for my North escort...

A half-hour passed more when we finally reached the boarder. There, three mechs and a old SUV waited.

The NW truck came to a halt and I climbed out, my new rifle over my shoulder and my hammer across my back. I waved goodbye to to my Longeye friends, before collecting my luggage and climbing into the back of the SUV.

The NW truck drove away, and the North SUV and the mechs start the journey towards North. As I lazed in the back of the vehicle, feeling it rock and bounce over the terrain, I wonder for just how long I will be at North. A few months maybe? Layla's issues are not the type to be resolved overnight. Or perhaps for the rest of my life?

Either way... it's a good learning experience.

About an hour later of lounging about the back of the SUV, in the respectful silence of the Notherners, I finally stuck my head out the window to see the great walls of North rapidly approaching...

The city glittered with brilliance in the night. Every building was brightly lit and draped with red and gold banners, each mech was newly cleaned and repaired. Not a single civilian appeared truly impoverished, which was quite the oddity in the world's current state. North was no doubt the faction of extravagance. As the group approached, the gargantuan wall parted at the center with the movement of hundreds of large golden gears.
Within, countless mechs aligned either side of the main road, each knelt down on one mechanized knee and with the head bowed slightly forward. Beneath the hulking figures were large groups of citizens of all types, each with curious eyes and a peaceful smile. A couple of young women tossed dried flower petals into the path, and the strong scent of lily filled the air. Despite the high population, however, there was a distinct lack of excited uproar; the Northerners were perfectly content to maintain the respectful quietness, the grace which they were prided for. Instead, the melodic tune of the faction's anthem floated across the town, its source unknown.

((I can't find a totally fitting soundtrack, but this one is pretty close to what I imagine North's anthem would sound like.))



Eva nodded along as Odessa explained. She frowned at the next question, "...Aren't they just born with souls? Like how portable computers come prepackaged with a battery installed?"
The more she thought about her own response, the more she found herself considering the Caretakers. If a soul was something a creature is born with, and everything else was a powerless shell, then what were Genesis and Nova? By definition, they were objects. But no... that didn't seem quite right to her. They were too lively, too real.

Gradually, the long road widened out into a large, rounded court. The concrete smoothed out into a bronze-colored metal, disturbed only by the creases of electric cables which reached outward from the court's center to the city districts. The middle was a raised circular platform, enclosed by a glass-like top; underneath the glass emanated a bright, multicolor light that seemed to pulse as if it were a living heart. This was the faction's power source, a nuclear core which had been salvaged from the world prior.
The group followed along the outer diameter of the court, then continued onto the main path on the opposite side of the circle. The buildings' heights began to decrease further in, forming a staircase pattern that led down to the palace. This section was another wide circle, fenced in by a delicate gateway which separated it from the surrounding buildings. Most strange, though, was probably the rows of metallic trees which aligned either side of the path. Reaching no taller than any mech, each "tree" was crafted of a different type of metal, and every individual bare branch spawned glowing LED lights of many colors. In the darkness, the pulsing lights almost looked like the twinkling of a fairy's wings.
A short distance in, the actual palace resided. Its design was based off of the ancient Chinese temples, with multiple floors, a raised entryway, grand pillars of red and gold, and elegant rooftops that sloped down into definite curves. The sounds of bells filled the courtyard as the wind blew, coming from the strands which hung from both the structure and the surrounding trees.

When the SUV came to a complete halt, a young Northerner leapt down from her perch atop the roof. She was very sure-footed despite the plummet which would make most people flinch at the mere sight of, and displayed equal grace as she motioned straight from her landing into the same bow that the mechs had. Her face was mostly shadowed by the hood of her cloak, but a pair of golden eyes and loose strands of greying tawny-brown hair were evident. She was the newest of the royal guard; not much of a warrior, but exceptionally talented in the art of crafting. The young woman glanced up to Scarlet as she exited the vehicle with her escorts, "Welcome, my lady, to your new place of residence. I am Rey, a manipulator of metal and mechanical life, and I hope to be of great service to you."


((An avatar of Rey:
))




Layla stirred restlessly about the room for a few hours, unable to ever escape her thoughts. She had this awful feeling gnawing at the back of her mind for no discernible reason, as if the world's sorrows had only yet begun. With a bit of sluggishness, she cleaned herself up in the bathroom and got dressed in a clean set of plain clothes left by the Northwesterners. No longer had she the right or desire to bear her royal armor.
It wasn't long before she decided to take a walk through the caverns, to explore and distract her overactive mind.

Rey nodded once and silently rose, making a gesture for Scarlet to enter the palace ahead of her. Something caught her attention, however. A distinct whirring, rhythmical and interrupted by occasional clicks. She glanced up in time to see a mechanical bird lazily gliding just above their heads. Rey waited until it was closer to her before she jumped up and snatched it right from the breeze.
It rested motionless in her palm, nothing more than a small, lightweight statuette of a Sparrow. Its details were almost perfect, including the fact that real feathers were used to color its exterior, and only the noise of its flight would ever give it away as a puppet. She tugged lightly on one of the folded wings, which caused both to spread outward for inspection. Once she decided its structure was still satisfactory, she raised it higher and gently tossed the bird into the air. It faltered for only a second, then again started up its flapping. It circled playfully above Scarlet a few times before floating off into the city.
"I do so hope you'll enjoy our crafts, lady Scarlet." Rey spoke with a hint of excitement in her tone, "Lady Layla had always insisted on perfecting our arts, so that our people wouldn't become Deadened like the prewar society. We may be blessed by most of the same technology, but we shall never lack creativity, either." She smiled.
A few more members of the royal guard now stood at the top of the stairs, ushering in Scarlet and the escorts. It was time for the feast and ceremony.



Eva pondered this concept in silence; it made a great deal of sense to her, actually. She watched blankly as the woman played with her blade, escaping any injury.



Layla watched the smiths and cook with detached interest, but did not completely halt her walk. Both, in a roundabout way, reminded her of her own faction; Northerners were not gifted with supernatural talent such as this, but their technology helped them achieve a similar lifestyle. She began to wonder just how different these two factions really were, when one stopped to think about it. Sure, the themes of nature and machinery were opposing concepts, but the basic human imagination seemed to rule both. Northwesterners can manipulate life, and Northerners can create life.
The sight of the class, however, shook her from her thoughts. This was one of many things she so clearly recalled from her past, and mixed feelings affected her view on it now. Layla stopped at the edge of the cavern, arms crossed and head tilted to the side as she watched the students move their flames. She recalled the many times that Aerilo had made shapes in the bonfire, particularly the star — it was his favored symbol. She stared listlessly at the nearest candle flame, wishing once more for her youth to return. She only held bitterness for the fact that she had let her best years fly by without recognition. There was an utterance of excitement from the student whose candle was just accidentally snuffed out.

((Aha! So the Northwesterners even have Athames! Cool. 3nodding I would have gotten one when I came of age, but by that time I didn't really identify as pagan anymore. I was atheist then, and to some degree, still am... ))

The small group followed her inside. The interior was just as grand, and had a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. Within the entrance hall was a small theatre stage set in the midst, where the silhouettes of inactive characters stood motionless. Rey pulled back her hood and nodded toward the stage as they passed, "Occasionally, we'll put on plays for visitors and important individuals to entertain and reenact history. Except, we don't use people. Like that sparrow, all of the characters are machines, or 'living puppets' as some like to call 'em."
They veered off to the right, down a short corridor, and into the feast hall. Here, the rest of the guard —including the young man in blue from earlier— waited for Scarlet to fill the head seat at the long table. The heavenly smells of many different cuisines filled the room; several different types of curry, roasted meats, freshly baked bread, fragrant jasmine rice, candied fruits, pastries, fresh juice. Rey quickly found her place at the table, withdrew a small box from her pouch which she handed off to the man in blue, and gave him the signal that he would be the one to present it to Scarlet. It would contain her monarchy emblem, a golden pin depicting a leaf set upon the Northern gears.



Eva nodded in understanding, and surveyed the table's contents with great care. She wasn't sure how to find it. At first, she just started randomly picking them up, one at a time, to feel them in her own grip. No. No. Maybe? Wait, no... After a while, she got a bit frustrated. How on earth was she to know which one was the right one? What if she picked the wrong one on accident?
She sighed and lifted another from the table, before her eyes wandered to a different one closer to the edge. Its blade's shape was considered a kris — narrow and winding, elegant but fierce. The metal was a very light silver, almost closer to white, and the handle was simple wood that seemed to curve along with the blade. It was plain in appearance, yes, but the flow of its shape intrigued her. Eva set down the other one gently and grabbed the kris.

((I imagine her blade looking close to this ))



Layla couldn't help but smile as the phoenix was formed... all of these teachers were show-offs. She examined each of the emblems from afar, aware that to some degree, the symbol represented the personality. It wasn't exactly a surprise when she saw the star, as that was a common shape, but it was a bittersweet sight. She halfhearted tried to recall what shape it was that she had made so long ago, but failed to. It was something meaningless, no doubt. Probably something like a sword or wild animal. Part of her wanted to try it again, to see what would show up.