In this story, reputation is the only key of survival
Preface
Jessie opened his eyes deliberately finding himself laying on plain green grass in a strange unfamiliar forest.He spotted a few bruises on his right arm,he couldn't pick up any sound,only a loud irritating noise in his head and he came to a realization that he had hit hard. While struggling to get up he spotted a familiar young female of his age a metre apart who was grasping her shoulder while still laying down,he tried to peer much harder due to the gloomy darkness of the night and his vision which was still in blur "Silenna?",he lifted his head "Uhh,Jessie?What,what's going on?",she asked while in agony with her shoulder "Ugh damnit!!Is this how a lucid dream feels like?",Steven said with his right hand buried in his hair while he fought with himself to sit up "Can you all just shut up!!",my head its....pounding like,hell",Hailen yelled with both of hands grasping her messed hair "What the,what are you all doing here?How did we even get here?",Jessie stood up "I don't know,I don't recall a damn thing",Steven responded "How is this happening?What the hell is going on?Where are we going to go?What about my parents?Maybe they don't even know that I've disappeared maybe they're assuming that I'm asleep maybe we were kidnapped,why can't I figure out a DAMN THING!!",Hailen was boiling steam of anxiety,screaming and panicking at the same momentum "Hey!Hey!",Jessie cupped both of her soaked cheeks while she was trying to get hold of herself,"look at me,look at me,we're going to figure this out okay,everything is going to be alright,we just have to remain calm okay?",Jessie waited for response "Uhm,okay okay,now stop cuddling me like a dumb baby",she wiped off her tears "Well....maybe this is a good thing,you know,some of us need some privacy for once like,real privacy and this,is the right place....somewhat",Steven stood up facing up to the tall forest trees "Really Steve,you're serious right now?You're bringing this up now?At times like this?",Silenna grew apoplectically furious "Well....someone had to say it",Steven shrugged his shoulders then Silenna grasped a small branch beside her as she threw it unto Steven's back "Ahhh,what the....",Steven rubbed where he had been hit "Hey!Guys!For heaven's sake can we focus?",Jessie exclaimed "Well Silenna is the one who you should be asking that",Steven said with a smirk as Silenna grabbed a nearby stone beside her "Woah woah woah,okay okay,I'm sorry okay",Steven said with his hands forward "Did you really think I was going to hit you with this stone?",Silenna asked with a printed smirk on her face "Well....I wasn't sure but I wouldn't take that chance",Steven said "Huh,hitting you with stone would be polite,I prefer putting you on fire and spit on you while you burn",Silenna said while throwing and catching the stone in air again and again "You're watching too many movies are you?",Steven asked "I said SHUT UP!!I'm trying to...."Hailen yelled then she suddenly paused "Wait,I....uh,I'm,I'm starting to pick up something,....I assume we were just exiting,um,school was over and....uh",Hailen held her forehead "Hey,just....calm down,alright,take your time",Jessie touched her shoulder while she struggled to remember "Uh,we were just getting home,the four of us,we walked through the park....yeah,yes that's right I think its starting to clear now and um,Steven,you,you saw something,something shiny by the bush,a um a stone a blue one and....wait,it wasn't a stone,it was a bit glassy and....",Hailen widened her eyes "I think I know what happened....this might sound insane".
Chapter One
'New Age'
"Finally",Steven said as the bell rang stuffing his books in his bag. "Now let's go get our ladies and head home",Steven put his arm over Jessie's shoulder exiting the class. "Wait,what do you mean our ladies?",Jessie questioned. "Come on,don't act like you're not falling for Hailen,I've seen how you two react to each other,I know".Steven slapped hands with his by passing friend. "Oh yeah?What about you?So eager to tell me to get our ladies,it might seem like you and Silenna are in this....unrecognizable relationship but I know that you too are falling for her",Jessie said,Steven was a blonde guy of early twenties. "Well....I mean yes but,everytime we try to pop out a conversation we just end up arguing all the time",Steven elaborated,Jessie was black haired. "Haha,you have no idea what road you two are heading to huh?",Jessie questioned with a smirk on his face,they reached the other class,they entered. "Well about time",Silenna said standing by the desk.She had beautiful black hair while Hailen had her beautiful brown hair. "Yeah you're late?",Hailen grabbed her backpack. "Hey the bell just rang,is it that essential to be mad at us for being late for like,two minutes?Don't be narcissistic",Steven said. "Ohh,am I narcissistic or the person who always shows up in our class when the bell just rang just to take us home every single day,tell me,is it friendship or really something else enlighten me",Silenna folded her arms. "Well you said it yourselves,we always show up when the bell just rang,is it me or is the picture starting to get clear about who the narcissistic is?",Steven pretended to wonder while Silenna zipped off her backpack pulling out her other book then she threw it at Steven's shoulder. "Ahhh",he yelled. "Do you two ever stop?",Hailen asked. "I always wonder the same thing",Jessie said. "I think the real person that you should be asking is that imbecile right there",Silenna closed her backpack carrying it with her right shoulder. "let's just go....PLEASE!!",Hailen exclaimed. "Yeah yeah we are now going,right Steve?",Jessie asked. ".....Yes,yes let's....head out",Steven said rubbing his shoulder. "Gladly,oh and Steve can you get my book",Silenna requested while they were heading out. "What?Hell no",Steven declined. "Oh okay",she said. "Ughh,fine I'll get it",he went by the desk to pick it up. "Such a disgrace,a grown guy can't even make up his own damn mind",she snarled. They headed out of the school campus and they walked a couple of metres then into the green park. "I can't wait to graduate you know,sometimes its fun to be the seniors",Hailen spoke. "I know right,looking down upon those ditch scrappy juveniles",Silenna said with a smirk. "You know you were once that ditch scrappy juvenile back in the days",Hailen giggled a bit as they continued to talk.Steven took a knee by a bunch of leaves picking up a blue glassy strange stone. "Hey,come look at this",Steven yelled a bit. "Ugh,what now?",Silenna was bothered. "Well,its a stone,so what?",Jessie shrugged his shoulders. "Nah,nah I've never seen this kind",Steven was a nerd in geography and the study of stones,he was obsessed especially in those kinds,he also had a wide collection back at home. "Okay you can explore it when you get home,now can we go now?"Hailen said. When they were about depart,the stone started to glow redrawing strange curved markings. "Woah,check this out",Steven was astonished. "Woah",Silenna's words vanished from her mouth while being uniquely amazed. "What the",Hailen traced the stone markings with her fingers. "Okay okay,Steve,put that down,we don't know what it might......" Just right about when Jessie was about to finish his sentence the stone released a powerful blue white light and a thin effective noise. "Ahhh",they all yelled. "What is going on!!",Hailen shouted,all of them struggling to block the glinting light from the stone which was in Steven's hand. "Why are you still holding THAT!!",Silenna yelled. "I don't KNOW!!",Steven yelled back. "What do you mean you don't KNOW?!!",Hailen tried to reach the stone then they all found themselves falling at night twenty feet falling to the ground in a forest as they all hit the ground and here they are.Present time. "Well its um...beginning to make sense now,wait but....why is it making sense even though I still can't recall anything?",Jessie wondered. "Well its because it is exactly what happened and you just can't still recall yet",Hailen elaborated. "Okay so now what?",Silenna folded her arms glancing all over the forest and it's tall trees. "We find help",Steven said. "Well where's help?How can we find something if we don't know where we are,its freaking pointless".Silenna held her forehead. "Let's just....walk forward,and see what we will find,well that is if we find something....its worth a try",Jessie suggested. "Uh,okay",Hailen sighed. They all departed and began to wander in the dark forest with only their phone flashlights.They were extremely confused even though they were now quite aware of what had taken place earlier.Fright rumbled in their intestines.Anxiety illuminated their nerves and both cold and shivering came to play with them. The forest was another relm besides the usual one.A different dimension throughout galaxies and the blue stone was a gateway through it.Holding the stone for a couple of seconds while it scratches it's ancient markings all over was a way of opening the gateway to that relm.The stone itself was the lock and holding it as it finished it's ancient process was the key.As they all zapped from existence,the stone didn't pull them in but it pushed them to the relm passing through the gate. They walked a couple of miles,hoping for hope but they were hopless but they still had that eager of survival that made them to keep going.However they were not alone.Different kinds of species cried out at night in the forest,carnivores,herbivores and other predators alive.They all began to decrease their walking speed and they all stopped.Looking up while speechless with no one spitting even a letter from their mouths being astonished by a large metal equiped gate wall covering a wide large area in length. "Oh my God",Hailen spoke painting a complete shock on her face. "What the hell",Steven spoke delibrately as two equiped armored soldiers popped out of nowhere from the forest.They were both wearing black vests,black camoflouge,black helmets with a skull mask and glasses on the
face,unusual strange unique guns and weapons,black camouflage trousers and black boots "Hey!!,why are you wandering outside the gate at night?You know the rules....wait a sec,I've never seen any of you before,you're not from here are you?",the soldier questioned. "No,we're not actually and roughly we don't know where we are.We are trying to get back home,so please can you escort us safely to a store nearby and we will take it from there",Sileena elaborated. The two soldiers glanced at each other for a moment,"stores?There are no stores here",the other soldier spoke nearby to the one beside him. "I think they're the ones",he said. "Mmm,you think?",he asked as the other one nodded a bit. "Okay come with us",the soldier insisted taking lead with his partner beside him heading toward the gate. "Um Mr we um,don't have time,we need to get home now",Sileena pleaded. "Yes I heard you,that's why I'm telling you to come with us",the soldier said "Yeah but its just that we really......." "I said come with us",the soldier pointed his gun to them. "Woahh,woahh okay okay,its okay we're coming",Jessie raised his hands.They entered through the gate and the first thing that hit their first view was a large enormous enhanced flabbergast empire with black flags waving on top which represented their symbol,identification and reputation.Their reaction was flooded with astonishment. Servants,blacksmiths,maids,spies,lumberjacks,gun keepers they never stopped working,guards where strategically posted on every corner and every entrance.They entered the hallway pinned with a bunch of guards and others by passing "Hey,what were you thinking?",Sileena whispered. "I think I'm not the only one who just saw him raising a gun at us am I?",Jessie made his point. "Guys we can just run like now,let's knock them out and take their weapons then we head back to the gate",Steven whispered. "This is not some chinese kung fu lopsided wavy movie,this is reality you freaking imbecile",Hailen whispered while she mocked. The soldier stopped,"meet the general",he spoke and he turned then he opened the door.He stood aside and made way for them to enter,they stood in then he closed it and he stood behind it outside.They saw an office chair facing forward at the window with someone sitting on it.The person turned around facing them,a brown haired caramel complexion gorgeous woman wearing a black vest,a long sleeve black polo neck,a black camouflage tight trousers and black boots.She stood up facing them behind her table.She walked around it and stood in front of them. "I am General Shark Steel,the Leader of the Black Rovers",she stated. "She's hot",Steven whispered beside Jessie. "Well hot its just a matter of phenomenal sweetie",she boasted with a little smile,"you're not the only fugitives who has come across our state,they're quite a number of you actually...and we are glad",she took a bottle of scotch. "Wait what do you mean,a number of us?",Jessie questioned. The General fetched her pad as she swiped to the left and a transparent screen faced them as they watched,"Some others came across the Flute Empire with a blue flag and also their colour which is also their representetive,some came across the Elite Empire with a yellow flag and also their colour.Some stumbled at the Pirate Empire with a purple colour",she poured it into her glass. "And some...appeared at our dilemma,our competent rival,the Vice Empire,with a red colour and finally you also stumbled upon us,the Rover Empire",she took a sip. "What,so there are others out there also?",Jessie questioned. "Of course,long back there was nothing but ground with twigs and dirt,the surviving early age people buit their own state.The Floura state,it was built with wood and clay,it was the first state ever built,it was large,resourceful and affluent",she swiped again to the left showing images of her mentioning history. "They made ceremonies and rituals,whichever atrocious and obnoxious beliefs they believed in and made sacrifices to the King.Hell those days was like a cynical blood red bathtub.So as time flew as it usually freaking does,the people abandoned the place,some became old,some fell sick,there was an outbreak,unknown disease,we quite don't know what the outbreak was yet,they just started to cough out blood and it came out of their eyes also suffering in agony for thirty minutes maximum approximated time then after that,they went to a wedding with death" She poured another glass,"so when the state was fully abandoned,it collapsed,some of it's structures still stood but just a few.So in our late years technology improved and it became our engagement ring.Some regular settlers enhanced the state into far more much greater powerful enormous metal empire,it was now called the Flute. Empire,followed by another built one in the next year which is the Elite, the Rover,the Vice and lastly the Pirate Empire",she took a mouthful sip. "Um okay so,there are five empires,blue,black ,red,yellow and purple,so okay um,but why stick with the word empire,why don't you just name the place, a mansion or something new version since we are not in the past anymore?",Jessie questioned. "Well the old school might sound a little bit absurd,but it is also the definition of being classy",she answered. "Well okay but we just need to get home now,we really need your help",Jessie pleaded. "Home?Well,this is your home now,I'm sorry,about all that happened at your village,I'm truly am and I mean it",she held the glass close to her chest. "Wh-What village?",Hailen asked. "Yours,....that blast which exploded in the middle of it,of which we are still investigating the bombing suspects.The blast killed some of the villagers and the rest fell unconcious,and when they woke up their minds were...scrambled.Their memories were twisted up,bringing up delusional memories,like a dream which nearly felt real,that said...so the others are still flooded with unessential memories assuming that they had different homes and I'm guessing that you're some of them,right?",she took a sip. "Um,what wait hold on,we don't know how we got here and we don't live in some village",Steven elaborated. "Yeah,we don't even know what's happening",Sileena improvised. "My memories aren't twisted up,I still can recall what took place before we got here",Hailen said being so certain. "And let me guess,you all walked in a park and saw this mysterious blue stone then some light appeared?",she air qouted. "How did you know that?",Hailen asked,being surprised. "As I said,your brains have been stirred up.It made you think,experience like you had a previous life before...and that's because of the blast.Come on you need to see the leader",she placed her glass on the table then she opened the door for them to step out.She led the way through the corridor with two soldiers at the front and two at the back of them.As they were closing in to the destination they heard a noises of a large group chanting. "Where are we going?",Sileena whispered beside Hailen. "I don't know",Hailen whispered back. They arrived and there was a large crowd of people of the empire all standing,it was a large hall room,"Stay close and don't get lost in the crowd",The general said,the people made way for the General and Jessie's crew behind her,she stopped. "What is she doing,what's going on?",Steven asked. "Don't ask me man",Jessie shrugged his shoulders. While the general waited.Some metal stairs mechanically came out of the floor making it's way to some kind of a VIP space with couches and champagne,"sit",the general offered as they all sat with the soldiers standing beside them.They faced to a person who was on a big metal stage.He had a tattoo of a hawk on the side of his neck.He was wearing a black long jacket which almost reached his feet,a fancy white shirt,black trousers and a black glass shoe,he was a blonde man. He was in the middle of a speech,"who is that?",Steven asked. "That is Gerald Marshall,the emperor",the general said. "Wait so he's the leader of the empire?",Steven asked. "Yes",she responded. "But I thought you said you were the leader",he said. "I'm the leader of the black rovers army and he is the mighty one",she said. "We are seeking Greatness,nothing more nothing less,unlike some other Empires out there,some of them wants to absorb power,for themsleves while our goal is to unite all empires and become one.But I'm afraid that will never be accomplished due to certain circumstances.Only just because of the pirate and the vice empire which wants to solve everything with only just war.Well....and some of you are wondering what my response is to all of that,well....if they want war,we're going to knock on their gates and bring hell unto them",he spoke with a high voice as the people chanted,"YEAHHHH!!" "If they want blood bath hell we're going to vomit blood fire upon them",he spoke,"YEAHHH",the people shouted,"so,my final response and answer is....we are in,ladies and gentlemen,senories and senoritas,we....are in the Great War",he spoke raising his fist clenched,"let's destroy them all",a woman at the back yelled and the crowd yelled back. "We are not only just going to destroy them.We are going to dismantle them in shreds,piece by piece,we are going to massacre them all....and on that note.We also have new ones who just joined us",he raised his hand to the VIP direction,"they are one of us now,this is a new age of our undisputed empire,our new era",he spoke. "Come on all of you,take your drinks whines and beers let's make a toast",a maid appeared at the stage with a glass of champagne and lent it to the emperor. "Go on,take your glasses,we are about to make a massive toast",the general offered as Jessie and the others took their glasses. "To The New Age!!",The emperor shouted. "TO THE NEW AGE!!",the people shouted back. "We need to get out of here NOW!!",Hailen whispered.
