The Master Protocol pt. 2

Cherize continues her fight to prepare future generations...

Cherize arrived at the looming building after protector training ended in the afternoon. The tech lab was slated for deconstruction in the coming months. After all these years, Cherize couldn’t help but worry about how Dantly was taking it. They were best friends for so long after all. They spent their entire childhoods raising each other up. Now she didn’t even know what he was up to. But somehow Salla did. 

She stepped into the building and felt the immediate oppression of a building on the threshold of deconstruction. The walls that were typically lit with unseen white lights behind them were dim and gray. The floors were littered with garbage. The receptionist's desk was empty. This was the fate of all buildings in the city before they were demolished.

Cherize walked down the hall, deeper into the building. Once she broke through the double doors that separated the hallway lobby from the belly of the building, the walls became glass, revealing a mixture of offices and laboratories inside. People were running around trying to finalize projects before they ran out of time. Cherize felt a pang of pain for them. Protectors were always needed, but people like this? What good would a scientist or a technician do when the gods wanted to break civilization down to its most bare components? She supposed they must have answers, but she didn’t have one.

After walking past several labs, she saw Dantly. He was sitting at a desk typing something up. She found it strange. The power grid was taken down. The only thing’s that still worked were either solar or battery powered, but the labs here were still up and running. She pushed open the glass door and stepped into Dantly’s work space. When he saw her, she could feel his heart rate speed up from across the room. The perks of being the champion of gods was that some of her senses were tuned up. She could feel how surprised Dantly was. She could also feel his concern. His fear.

“Dantvara…” She said. She held back a smile.

“Cherize. To what do I - what do I -” He paused and took a deep breath, “What are you doing here?” He had barely aged a day. It was so strange. After all the stress, all the struggles, he still looked so young and full of life. Just like he was when they spent every waking moment together. He looked tired, sure. And his hair didn’t have the same bounce it used to - in fact, it looked a little thin if anything - but it was still Dantly.

“I just wanted to check in. I saw the little Lao yesterday. He told me you came to see him.”

“Yeah. I just wanted to see how he was doing. Seija is so busy and - well - you know Taj…”

“Yeah.” There was an awkward silence. Dantly shoved his hands deep into his lab coat pockets and leaned back in his seat, trying to look casual.

“Seriously, what’s up?” He asked again. “Not like you to just pop in because you heard about me from Veru.”

“You caught me,” She replied, raising her hands in defeat. “I heard you were working on something.”

“Working on - well yeah, who isn’t, right?” He gave a nervous laugh. “Deconstruction has us all running around. The numbers they’re having us crunch, the last minute redesigns, the amount of stuff we need to build and put out. We have less resources, and more to do. Do you know how hard it is to tear down a building without causing damage to the surrounding ecosystem?”

“Nope.”

“Okay, well it’s hard.”

“Why not terraform afterwards? Would solve the problem.”

“Not without risks, Cherize. Besides, we lost the tech. Broke it all down, it’s gone. No more terraforming bombs. No quick solutions.”

“You could make more though, couldn’t you?” Her hopes rose and she felt a smile spreading across her face. She could tell he could make more. Not that she needed more terraforming equipment or the likes, but that could mean they have access to even more tech that they might be hiding.

“Well, sure, but we’re not allowed to - hey, what are you getting at?” Dantly shifted with discomfort.

“I don’t know.” Cherize paused, watching Dantly’s face closely. “Am I making you nervous, Dantly?” He chuckled, trying to hide the terror he was feeling. She could see the sweat pooling around his forehead.

“Not nervous, just confused. Just tell me what you want.” Cherize smiled,

“Gods, I miss this. Don’t you miss this?”

“Miss you bothering me? No.”

“Come on, you miss this.” She teased.

“Cherize, please. I’m really busy.”

“Really busy going against the council’s wishes I hear. They call that heresy these days, you know.” Dantly froze. Cherize leaned against a desk in the office space. She heard the metal of her armor roll across the glass of the desk. It made the hair on her arms stand on edge, but she didn’t let it break her casual grin.

“So that’s what this is about…” Dantly tried to breath in, but she could see the terror crossing his face, forcing the air out of him. Cherize raised her hands in innocence,

“Kind of, yeah.”

“Look, I’m no heretic or whatever extremist language the council is throwing around these days. You know that. Seija knows that. Everything I do, I do in the name of balance. I’m devout. I follow the will of the Five. I’m loyal to the end.”

“In your own way.”

“Just like you.” He added.

“You’re right, slit jockey.” She smiled. She hadn’t used that nickname in fifteen years. It made her cringe, but she held it in so she could keep needling her friend. Dantly turned red then shook his head, trying to hide the smile.

“It was a stupid name, wasn’t it? I never came up with a good name for it, then you came up with that ridiculous nonsense.” He said. Cherize shook her head,

“So stupid. Cool little ring though.”

“Well, the name might end up lost, but at least the rest of it will live on.” Dantly announced with a grin. Cherize raised an eyebrow,

“What’s that mean?”

“Promise not to arrest me, or whatever?”

“I don’t arrest people - Fates, Dantly, I’m a protector, not some two-bit cop from some primitive city-state. Come on, tell me.” Dantly gestured her over. Cherize joined him at his desk. The holographic screen embedded in it came to life.

“You can’t tell anyone about this, okay?”

“Please, if Salla knows then you must be telling the wrong people.” Cherize said with a snicker.

“Salla knows? Her brother must’ve told her… damn it, Dehmen.”

“It’s fine.” Cherize waved it away.

“You guys good by the way? I heard the wedding’s coming up in a little bit, right?”

“Well, we’re six months out, but yeah it’s - wait, we can talk about this later, Dantly, focus.”

“Right, sorry. Well, anyways, I’ve been worried about this whole deconstruction thing, and I’ve been thinking about how to preserve our advancements. Then I had an idea: With the remaining bandwidth we still have on the network -”

“Wait, I thought the network was taken down last month.”

“It was for people not in the tech department. Anyways, with the remaining bandwidth of the network, I decided to send out blueprints. Lace them into other city-state’s systems and hope the right people find them. Everything from the PCAD -”

“Slit.” Cherize corrected.

“Yes, your name for the PCAD was included in the design notes - to our skyscraper engineering. We didn’t send out everything, but me and some of the other techs just don’t want all the progress that’s been made to be forgotten. Even if we’re lost to time, maybe the things - the good things - the Valley did will mean something to someone out there one day. When they’re advanced enough to understand it” Cherize nodded,

“I like the way you think, Dantly.” She sat in silence thinking of what undertaking the people in the tech sector were doing. Finally, she let a smile rest on her face, “I think you could help me.”

“Hm?” He said, wheeling around to look at her.

“I want to try and save the Protectorate ideals and beliefs along with training regiments so that future protectors will be able to keep the people and the tome of Oran-Koh safe. You know, maintain the Five’s balance. But the council said any preservation of our beliefs not passed through word of mouth would be heresy. I came up with a written report for ways that we could do it either through keeping it written or keeping an information terminal active, but they didn’t want to hear it… I just want to keep the protectorate going. I want to keep our people safe.” Cherize spoke with as much passion as she could muster, but the feeling of hopelessness pushed its way to the front of her mind. It was still the most animated Dantly had seen Cherize in a long time. It forced him to take it seriously. After a few minutes Dantly spoke up,

“I’ve got a sort of crazy idea if you’re interested.” 

“I’ll listen at least.” She replied.

“Okay well -” Before he could finish, Cherize looked at the time on his screen,

“Is that time right?” She asked. Dantly nodded.

“Uhuh…”

“Damn it, I told Seija earlier I’d start picking up Veru from school more.”

“Did she mean today?”

“I’m -” She thought back on the conversation. Was she supposed to take him home every day? Just yesterday? She wished she could just send her a message and ask, but neither of them had access to the network like Dantly did. Cherize sighed, “I’m not sure.”

“Well, let’s just go and find out.” Cherize raised an eyebrow,

“Let’s? Like together?”

“Like you said, I do miss this.”

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They arrived at the school building a little before sundown. Veru wasn’t anywhere to be seen, but there was a concerned teacher and Juni, the Lao family’s head protector, talking outside.

“Juni!” Cherize called.

“Master!” Juni replied. They bowed their head to Cherize with a solemn look on their face. “Thank the Five that you’re here. It appears our young Lao has gone off on his own.”

“Like he ran away?”

“I wouldn’t say that…” The teacher added, his face flush with embarrassment. “Nobody was here to take him home. I insisted he wait, but he said he could get home by himself.”

“That’s the problem,” Juni added, “He never came home. Seija came and talked to me, and I came here to get the story. And Taj… you know how my uncle is.” Cherize nodded in disappointment.

“Dantvara and I will go have a look around in the forest. The boy probably just went for a walk.”

“Okay, Master.” Juni said with a small bow of their head.

“Head back to house Lao and comfort Seija and Taj, would you?”

“Yes Master.” Juni left in a hurry, jogging down the dark dirt road towards house Lao.

Cherize and Dantly took off quickly into the forest, leaving the teacher standing alone outside the school. Cherize tried not to kick herself for not picking up Veru. It was just a miscommunication, a misunderstanding. It wasn’t her fault, and if it was her fault… she’d deal with it.

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The two walked through the quiet of the forest, looking for Veru. “He could be anywhere…” Dantly said with worry in his voice.

“When we find that boy I swear I’m going to -”

“Take it easy, Cherize.” Dantly cautioned. “He probably just needed some space. Think about his life right now. His mom is never around, his dad is barely alive, he doesn’t have anyone. We need to be there for him.

“I guess…”

“Remember, we’re his family too. He probably just needs to be heard if he’s out here at all.”

“Probably.” Cherize agreed mostly.

“You know, I’ve missed being with you.” Dantly said. “Under different circumstances, it’d be nice to just go for a walk in the woods together again. Like when we were kids.”

“You know it’ll never be that way again. Without…” Cherize trailed off and shook her head.

“You can say her name, you know.” Dantly replied.

“I choose not to.” She replied.

“You’re not letting yourself grieve. You’re like the opposite of Lord Taj.” Cherize glared at him,

“How?”

“He let his grief consume him. You know he hasn't left that hut since they made it? He’s falling apart at the seams and he won’t let any of us help him. He won’t take care of Veru. Seija is raising him alone. Taj is just there. All he thinks about is Veyeni and it consumes him.” Cherize shook her head,

“Everyone grieves differently.”

“Cherize, it’s been almost 15 years. He’s not grieving anymore, he’s letting himself die with her. And you… you never once grieved. You never let go of her. If we can’t move past her, then we can’t live on in her memory.”

“It’s not about that. Look, let’s just find Veru.” Cherize snapped. She shoved the emotions deep in her chest down, and walked slightly ahead of Dantly. Dantly sighed and shook his head, but let her go ahead of him.

As the evening continued on, the mosquitoes became thick and the sound of crickets rose out of the darkness of the forest. Dantly reached into a pocket and pulled his ring out. He placed it on his finger, and a light projected out from the slit of it.

“Ah, so you do still have one.”

“Best thing I ever made. How could I get rid of it?” He said with a wry smile. 

“Now it’s just a fancy flashlight.” Cherize grunted. “Come on, he’s gotta be out here somewhere.” The tree line broke and they were standing at the lake. Dantly shined his light further down the coast. In the distance, they saw a small figure hunched over the shoreline, the water coming up and lapping at their feet. The two approached cautiously until they were certain it was him. Then they quickened their pace to get to Veru.

“Hey, bud.” Cherize began. He looked over at them. His face was beat red and covered in streams of tears. “What’s going on? Your parents are probably worried sick, you know.”

“Momma’s working and dad’s in bed.” Was all Veru said.

“Yeah.” Cherize replied. She sat down next to him. Dantly sat on the other side. He put an arm around Veru.

“It’s getting cold, isn’t it?” Dantly asked.

“I’m not cold.”

“That makes one of us.” He said through a shiver.

“Two,” Cherize corrected. “Protector armor is pretty well insulated.” She banged her chest plate with a smile. Veru didn’t respond. “You wanna talk, bud?” She asked him. 

Veru shook his head. 

“Okay. Well, can we go home?” 

He shook his head again.

“Hmph.” Part of her wanted to grab him and drag him off. Take him home whether he wanted to or not. It was her job to protect him, not give him what he wanted. Before she could carry him off, Dantly spoke up,

“Did you know I tried to run away from home when I was your age?” Veru looked at Dantly, his purple eyes wide with wonder,

“Really?”

“Yeah really! What, you don’t think I look like someone who would? Look at me, I’m a serious man with serious problems!” He made a funny face and Veru smiled, giggling through his tears. Dantly’s voice turned serious as he squeezed Veru on the shoulder, bringing him in closer, “Yeah, my mom… she was real sick. My dad wasn’t taking it so well. Doctor’s thought he might be losing his grip on reality without her around. I felt so lonely… so scared. I just wanted to get away from it all. I thought maybe I could make another life somewhere on the outside. Somewhere away from the Valley.”

“Did you do it?” Veru asked.

“Well… kind of. I made it to the tree line,” Dantly said with a laugh. “Right where the Valley gives way to wasteland. Back then we had stealth tech wrapping around this whole valley. I looked out on a world that couldn’t see me and I… I was scared. It was the first time I ever saw the outside.” He shook his head, the subtle motion hidden in the darkness. “Then your sister and your auntie came and found me. Oh, I was crying. I was crying real hard. I could barely see them through the tears. They took me back to your old house. They told me I wasn’t alone, and that we could get through it all together. Then we sat together all night. We talked and talked and talked until the sun came up. Then we talked some more.”

“I remember being exhausted during training the next day.” Cherize added with a melancholy smile.

“And I remember missing school because I was so tired,” Dantly continued, “but that’s not the point. The point is, they reminded me I wasn’t alone. We were all in it together. And that’s still true. We’re like a family… all of us in the Valley. That’s what community is about. Opening up your family. Your sister taught me that.” Veru nodded. He wiped away his tears and sniffled. They trio looked out on the lake. The beautiful vibrant sky reflected back on the lake, giving them a show of glimmering celestial light only disrupted by the shadows of distant trees.

“What was she like?” Veru asked after a long pause.

“Who? Your sister?” Dantly asked.

“Yeah. Sometimes I get scared because - well - I think I’m supposed to be her. But I don’t feel like her. I feel like me. But maybe I am her, and I just can’t tell because I don’t know her. Dad only talks about her, but I don’t know her. How am I supposed to be someone that I don’t even know?” Dantly and Cherize shared a concerned look.

“Buddy, you’re not her. It’s not fair for you to ever feel like you have to be anything like her either. You’re you. That’s all you are or ever need to be.” Cherize said with a solemn voice.

“Yeah. Your sister was… she was a really important person to a lot of people. Nobody handled her passing well, but you’re your own person. She was someone else, and you are you. You’re Veru and she was Veyeni.”

“Tell you what though,” Cherize began. Veru looked at her, the moon reflected in his eyes as he stared at her with wonder, hanging on her words. She brought an arm around him. Her and Dantly both held the boy together, “if she ever met you, you would’ve meant the world to her.” They looked out on the water together. The stars and the Fates twinkled on the water, shimmering across the gentle waves of the lake.

“Okay, so maybe I’m not her, but… can you tell me what she was like?” Dantly looked at Cherize, waiting for her to begin. Cherize took in a deep breath. When she let it out, her breath quivered. The feeling of mourning falling over her. She couldn’t push it down this time.

“Lady Veyeni of house Lao was a force of nature. She was smart, sassy, clever, thoughtful, compassionate, and a leader… and I loved her with all my heart. So many of us did. She always fought for what was right. She always -” She felt the words get caught in her throat and she took a deep breath to try again. “She always knew how to make a bad situation better. She took control when things went wrong. She showed compassion even in the worst times, and she believed so fully in balance, she’d sacrifice everything for it. More importantly than all of that, she was so full of love. Veyeni was… the best thing that ever happened to me.” She felt Veru begin to hug her back. Tears began to stream down her face. Cherize took her free hand and wiped them away. She tried to breath in but found herself gasping for air.

“If she were here right now, everything would be different.” Cherize whispered.

“But she’s not…” Veru said, his words mourned someone he’d never know. “So we have to make the best of what she left us.”

“Where’d you hear that?” Dantly asked. It sounded like he had been crying too, though Cherize couldn’t see his face.

“I don’t know. Just makes sense.”

“He’s got you there.” Cherize smiled as tears streamed across her lips. “Come on bud, let’s get home.” 

Cherize stood, cradling Veru as she and Dantly took him home to his family. She wiped her tears away, took a deep breath and thought about what he said. They did have to make the best of what she left them. And as she took Veru home, she knew exactly how.

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It had been a week since they sat with Veru by the lake and Cherize had given Dantly the time to enact their new plan. It took some time, but they both figured out exactly what Veyeni would’ve done: Ask for forgiveness rather than permission.

“Okay, explain to me one more time how this works.” Cherize asked. She sat in a chair in his lab, electrodes and scanners all around her body. Her head was encased in a large black tube.

“Why bother? You won’t get it anyways.” Dantly replied as he focused on tinkering with something on a holographic screen.

“Well, let me try at least.” Cherize insisted. Dantly smiled, though his oldest friend couldn’t see it,

“Go ahead. Try.”

“You scan my brain, then you take the brain wave patterns and use them to make my personality and memories into a program?”

“Nope. Close enough for a six year old maybe. It was a solid effort. Cherize, this is complicated stuff. Don’t think too hard about it, just trust the process.”

“Can’t say I didn’t try, I guess.” Cherize conceded.

“You don’t need to know, you just need to let it happen and by the end, we’ll have exactly what you want, okay?” 

Cherize nodded. 

“Hey! Don’t move.”

“Sorry, geeze!” Cherize resisted the urge to readjust herself and stared into the blackness of the tube that encapsulated her head. The tube began to fill with static lights that popped and fizzed around her head. She wasn’t sure if she was truly seeing it or if it was merely the remaining pulses of her brain trying to make sense of the collection of electric needles inspecting every fiber of what made her who she was.

“Okay. Initiating the protocol… now.”

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In the days since the procedure, Cherize set her plan into motion. Now she and Dantly stood before the council together, their resolve hardened. They were ready.

“Master protector, we hear you have a new proposal for us.” The Great Mother said, kicking off the hearing.

“Yes, Great Mother, I do.” Cherize replied with a forced smile.

“Let the record show I am recusing myself.” Seija announced.

“Thank you, Lady Seija. Please continue.” The Great Mother said.

“Thank you.” Cherize bowed her head. “I would like to take this opportunity to propose what I’m calling The Master Protocol. This will be a time capsule of sorts -”

“Excuse me,” The councilor of house Manu interjected, “Is this another attempt to commit heresy, Master Cherize?”

“No, no of course not.” Cherize smiled, “In fact, I’ve planned this hearing to… ask your forgiveness.”

“Our forgiveness?”

“Yes. Your forgiveness.” Cherize’s eyes ignited with passion. “You see, councilor, I forgot my place. I am not only the Master Protector, but I’m also champion to the Five, chosen by both the elements of fire and metal. The Five have honored me, and bestowed upon me this authority.”

“What are you saying? The Manu councilor snapped. 

“I am invoking what we will be calling The Master Protocol.” Dantly approached the table, bowed his head and placed a file down in front of the matriarch of the Valley. The Great Mother leaned forward and began to skim the papers, her wizened face contorted into surprise as she read it.

“Children…” She gasped. “You’ve done this?” She asked.

“Yes… I’m sorry, Great Mother, but it has been done. Please forgive us, but as Master Protector and champion of the Five, I’ve done what I’ve seen fit to maintain balance as is the ultimate will of our gods. I’m not here for your approval. I’m here to tell you what I’ve done. Forgive me.”

Though her words were filled with apology, her voice was aflutter with joy, relief, and happiness. Whether the council liked it or not, Cherize had just saved the Valley. May the gods have mercy for what she and Dantvara had done.

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At the end of a very long week, Salla and Cherize walked into the home of the Lao family. Dantly was already there, sitting on the floor drawing with Veru in his notebook. When the boy saw Cherize walk in, he ran over and wrapped around her legs in a hug. She ruffled his hair and Salla greeted Seija with a hug.

“I brought bread.” Salla said to their hostess.

“Great, put it in the… kitchen with everything else.” Seija gestured to the corner of the hut she treated as a pantry. She then walked over to Cherize and gave her a hug. Cherize squeezed her back. She wasn’t wearing her armor, but she had the emotional armor she needed for the day. She crossed her legs and sat by the solar light. “Dinner isn’t quite ready yet but it will be soon.” Seija announced. Dantly acknowledged her with a thumbs up and started talking to Cherize about recent developments in his conservation effort. Salla joined them and the conversation continued, only stopping now and then to talk with Veru. 

“How often do we get days like this? All of us together just talking about whatever?” Dantly said.

“Never.” Cherize replied.

“Well, let’s make a habit of it then, huh kids?” Seija said with a smile as she joined them. “Cheri, hunny, can you do me a favor?” She placed a gentle hand on Cherize’s shoulder. She leaned in and whispered to her, “Maybe you can talk to Taj? See if he’ll come out? Just for a little?” Cherize looked at her, confused. Why her? What could she do? Cherize wanted to protest, wanted to fight, but she saw the look in Seija’s eyes. She took in a deep breath,

“I’ll try.” Cherize got up and walked to the bedroom. She opened the door, but only enough to slip in. She shut the door behind her and stood in the pitch black of the room. The oppressive smell of must and the weight of the silence immediately pushed down upon her.

“Taj, you awake?” She asked.

“Yeah… yeah.” He replied.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“You wanna come out? We’re doing dinner.”

“No, that's okay. Give them my best.”

“Taj, come on…” Cherize pushed. He didn’t reply, but she heard him roll over. “Can I sit with you for a while?” She asked. No reply again. She sat down at the foot of his mat. Her eyes had adjusted enough to make out the shape of his body curled up in the darkness on the floor. “Veru is growing up so fast…” She said in a low voice to him.

“He is.”

“And you know that?” She asked. She was needling him, but she knew she had to start somewhere.

“Of course. He’s my son.”

“He is. He is.” Cherize thought for a moment. She felt his defenses go up so quickly, she decided to try something else, “Hey, you remember when we were teenagers?”

“We?”

“You know who.” Even after everything, it was still hard to say her name. “Anyway, I remember this one time, I was supposed to escort… escort V -” She gulped, then continued, “- back to the house. ‘10 sharp’ you said. We rolled in at 10:07. You remember what you said to me? You said ‘When the walls fall and invaders are upon us, we’ll all die -”

“Because you took 7 minutes to get the next Great Mother to safety.” He finished her sentence as he rolled over. She could barely see the glistening of his eyes in the darkness looking at her. She laughed remembering it,

“You cared so much.” Then she felt the weight of sorrow come back to her, “You challenged us every day. You always wanted us to think carefully, thoughtfully, and with confidence. You wanted us to be ready to fight because nothing came easy and you made sure of it. Nothing ever came easy. You’re the reason I am who I am today. You’re the reason Dantvara is who he is too. You were the dad we both lost. You always wanted us to be better. Always wanted us to succeed.”

“I did.” He managed to say.

“What happened, Taj?”

“You know what happened.”

“That’s not what happened to Veru though, is it?”

“What do you mean?” She heard the defensiveness creep back into his voice.

“You know what he told me the other day? He told me to make the best of what Veyeni left us.” She saw Taj shift with discomfort. “I loved her. You know I did and always will, but he’s right. And you know what that boy needs? He needs the father that fought and pushed and made us learn those hard lessons. You need to fight for him just like you fought for all of us. He needs Lord Taj, not the man trapped in mourning. Please Taj, you can’t let him do this without a dad who’s willing to fight for him like you did for V. He deserves it just as much as she did.”

“What do you want me to do, Cherize?” His voice was flat. Tired. Dejected. 

“I…” She found the will not to yell. Not to raise her voice. She didn’t push it down. She took a deep, labored breath, and redirected everything she had been feeling into one simple request, “I want you to come have dinner with us.” 

Cherize stood up and reached her hand out to him in the darkness. She waited for him. He was thin and lanky under the blanket that fell off his bony body. He once had the body of a protector. Before he was a lord, he was a great protector -  a rare switch, but not impossible. Now he was neither. He was barely Taj at all. He wore a robe that was too big for who he had become, but was enough to keep him covered. His hair was in a bun that barely kept it out of his face, and his eyes were bloodshot.

But he took her hand. 

On shaky, unsure legs, she guided him through the darkness. She opened the door out into the bright living room and a hush fell over the room. Until a single boy with bright purple eyes and a beaming smile shouted, “Daddy!” And ran for Taj, wrapping around him in a warm embrace. Conversations resumed with more excitement than before and life was breathed into the moment.

Cherize knew the years ahead would be hard. There would be much mourning, much fear, and even more uncertainty. But as she looked around the room at everyone she loved more than life itself, she knew they’d be okay. She knew everything would be okay. She knew as long as the generations to come had the same love, hope, and will to be better in their hearts, they could make it. They could survive.

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Generations pass in the blink of an eye. Society collapses then rebuilds then collapses again. By the end, the population falls into the hundreds, then stabilizes. Seven hundred long years of a collective people’s struggle to survive. They sacrificed much to please their gods. Stories of what once was falls into myth. The people of the Valley have survived with their faith intact. More importantly, something else blooms from the destruction.

Hope.

They trusted in their ancestors to lay the groundwork they needed to survive every step of the way, and when the worst came, they only needed one to be fully prepared for the trials that lay ahead.

The Trials of Astra…

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“As you unsheathe, bring it across your body. Good! Now stabilize with your other hand before bringing it back around and downward. Perfect! Adjust and - yes! Now, brace. Get low. Sweep, then explode forward.” The voice rings through the training room as a teenage boy practices making careful and precise movements with a short wooden training sword. He wears comfortable leathers and shoes made from plant fibers. His skin is brown and his features are sharp, but plump with eyes so dark they’re nearly black and long pin straight hair to match. He has a wide bridged nose, and the focused intensity of someone deep in thought as he moves across the room with focused precision.

“I think…” The booming voice contemplates. The boy looks around the room. The walls are a dark metal and the floors are a black with web-like tiles crisscrossing their way around the room. In the center of the room is a single square pedestal glowing a faint purple. On the edges of the walls are five people dressed similarly of varying shapes, sizes, ages, and sexes, but all in peak physical condition. The boy turns to them and bows his head, waiting for the voice to continue. “He is ready.” It announces. “House Lao, prepare your protector.”

A man stands up and rolls his shoulders. He looks much like the young boy, but with broader shoulders, a confident grin, and piercing purple eyes. He grabs a cudgel off the wall and walks past the boy to the other side of the pedestal. 

“Young Lao, this is your final physical test. Are you ready?” The boy nods, his features unchanged, his focus unmatched. “Then let us begin…”

Before the boy can move, the man is upon him, preparing to swing his wooden cudgel down on him. The boy shifts his weight, ducking and spinning behind the man. The boy steadies his back foot and brings his front foot up, kicking the man off balance. He then readies his practice sword, holding it carefully with both hands in front of him. He shifts his feet. Had they been in the dirt, he would’ve been digging his toes in deeper, but here on the smooth floor, it does nothing. 

The man whips around, swiping the cudgel at the boy, but he glides away on his toes, landing in a crouch several feet away. As the man approaches, the boy steps to the side. Just as he steps away from his opponent, he braces his hands against the practice sword and slashes it across the man’s arm. The man grunts, but does not yield. He turns and begins using brute force to swing as hard as he can. The boy brings his sword up horizontally, and holds it on either end, letting the man slam into the  wooden sword over and over again, trying to break through his defense.

Just as the boy begins to feel his muscles fatiguing, the wood splintering, and the fear of failure creeping into his mind, he decides he must act. The boy shifts his weight to one side. As the next blow comes, he lets one arm flex, forcing the cudgel to slide downwards, knocking his opponent off balance. As the man stumbles forward, the boy crouches, turns the practice sword towards his opponent, then with all the force his body can muster, jams the wood into the man’s stomach. 

The man lets off a loud grunt as he drops the cudgel and grasps at his stomach. The boy turns to the man and bows his head in silence. The man struggles to regain his composure, coughing and hacking. When he recovers, he locks eyes with the boy and smiles,

“That… was a kill shot.” The other protectors in the room nod in stoic silence. The boy keeps his head bowed,

“I thank you for the challenge, uncle.” The man chuckles, but before he can speak, the voice booms again,

“Your test is not over young Lao. You have displayed excellent skills in combat. Your hunting prowess is renowned. You are known for your patience, and you have assisted in repelling many wanderers and plunderers from our forest. It’s clear to me and anyone who sets eyes upon your works, that you are a protector at heart. But you have one final question you must answer.” The pedestal in the center of the room flickers to life. A projection of a stout, strong woman adorned in ancient armor with sharp features and eyes like fire appears before the six people in the room. The elder Lao backs away with his head bowed. The boy steps forward and drops to one knee. The hologram grins as she needlessly adjusts a sword on her back, crosses her arms, and leans against a nonexistent wall.

“Tell me, young Lao, what does it mean to you to be a protector?” The boy nods, as if in deep contemplation. Then with the thoughtfulness of someone who had spent their entire life reflecting on this very thing, he replied,

“A protector is compassion for our people, our home, and our valley. We are the first resort and the last resort. We are everything we must be to do what is right by the people who wish to survive. We are warriors, hunters, servants, and caretakers. We do it all because we must protect those who follow the Five and pursue balance in their lives. Our people are the living will of our gods, and the protectors are the hands of those gods, keeping each precious breath safe from the cold of chaos.”

“My my, young Lao. If I’d known any better, I’d think you’re a lord with such words.” She replied.

“Thank you, Master. I’ve thought much about this.” The boy continues as still as stone with his head bowed to the hologram.”

“As you should. One more thing…” The hologram says, her face turning serious. “What if you fail?”

“Fail? Master, it isn’t an option.”

“No. You will fail. We all fail. Maybe you will be late taking your assigned lord home on time. Or maybe the one you’re sworn to protect - Ade of house Tien is your charge, I believe - dies because of a mistake you made. We all fall from time to time, young Lao. What will you do when you do?”

“I…” The boy looks as though the thought never crossed his mind before. Perhaps he had heard such things before, but he had never truly considered it. He trained his whole life for this. How could he possibly fail? Silence falls over the sparring arena. It lasts a little too long, and with disappointment across their faces, the protectors begin to stand up. Then, the boy raises his head, stares at the hologram of the woman, and with a face of absolute certainty, he replies, “I will get back up, Master.”

“That you will.” She replies. She smiles, “Now, rise Seijun of House Lao, lead protector of a new generation. Many lords, ladies, protectors, and great mothers have come from the bloodline Lao, but you are the newest and so in this moment you are the most important. As your uncle passes his torch to you, I want you to remember this: the fate of this Valley and its people are in your hands.”

The boy smiles as only a boy can as he jumps up bows profusely to the hologram, then turns and hugs his uncle. The mask of stoicism crumbles as tears tumble down his cheeks and his heart swells with pride. This boy, Seijun of house Lao, will be the youngest elder protector in many generations, and at this moment he can’t wait to tell his family. 

The boy runs out of the building, into the sunshine that cascades through the canopy of the forest. On the outside, Seijun is standing outside a small hut built in an ancient fashion. Around him are much newer huts. A large community-built fire burns in the evening air, and the lake of the Valley is filled with protectors in small canoes searching for the evening’s dinner. Seijun embraces his mother and father as his family cries tears of joy for their son. The now retired protector of house Lao approaches the hologram of the old Master. He looks at the hologram and nods,

“My time is over, Master.”

“It is. Just as my time passed long before yours and many more passed before us both.”

“But you continue on.” He replied.

“And so do you. We do it for our people. Even when we are long passed, they’ll continue on too. As will the next generation. And the next generation. And the next generation…” The hologram of the woman needlessly breathed in, and as she breathed out, a smile crossed her face. Once more, she fulfilled her purpose. She fulfilled The Master Protocol.

---

Hey everyone! Wow, I don’t know about you, but this story was a heavy one. It grappled with things I don’t normally grapple with and I absolutely loved it. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. In the next couple weeks, we’re taking a little Astra break, but don’t worry, still plenty more coming. Including some sci-fi stuff and maybe a little bit of horror? We’ll see…

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Otherwise, let me know how you’re feeling about this story! It was so great to put this story out there and I for one cannot wait to explore where this transition takes us next! Thanks for reading!