Chapter XXXV: The Big Man!

 

After docking inside Cario, everyone gather in the platform as Omenege, together with his four bodyguards, arrives. Omenege is a high ranking official other than Agent Mikage or Col. Ken II. During their arrival, Anna Jane noticed something wrong to Jason, but she doesn't want to ask him with everyone.

 

When Omenege faced Agent Mikage and Col. Ken II, he gave them a smile. But as a responds, the two officers and other soldier gave him respect by giving him a slight bow after giving him a three finger civilian salute.

 

"Sorry if it took long for us to responds."

 

"Its alright." she said after she carries off their salute, "I believe it was his plan, was it?"

 

"Yup, even a creepy dreamgazer can't match against a dangerous tactician like him." Agent Mikage she introduces everyone. After Agent Mikage introduces Jason and his friends, then Omenege introduce himself.

 

"My name is Lord Omenege Strongman...please to meet you"

 

"You mean...you're the heir of Pamilyang Rachu!" Col Ken II said since it's his first time to meet a royalty at the battlefield. When the colonel said this, it got Robert's ego.

 

"He'll be my ticket to Pamilyang Rachu's technology..." he thought.

 

"That's what they say...but you can call me Omenege. Anyway, the commander is waiting for you." They followed him to a floating platform. This floating platform looks more like a mechanical version of Purere so it can also lift people up fifty feet above. Then they walk to the hallway after it stops at the hallway, reaching the captain's cabin.

 

"They're here..." he said after knocking twice.

 

"Come in..." when they entered, they saw the Big Man in person. This Bruno J. Global wannabe has his left arm and his lower limbs were amputated from burn and few of his flesh has rotten, that's why half of his body was operated by machine. The mechanical arm and legs enable him to do anything, but since he's a giant, his body is not proportion. So his right hand reaches the floor and he has no thigh and he can only walk on his feet by a caterpillar tracks.

 

In Robert's view, his mechanical body is the most innovative achievement in terms of engineering and prosthetic medicine, which means big profit. He can't wait to get his hand to every single part of it.

 

"Welcome to our mothership Cario, rune bearers," he said, "we're very sorry for giving you a hard time getting here. I'm Commander Thour Foolaban, currently the Vice President of Rakuen and current commander-in-chief of Orowerreior and AGENT. And as you see, I'm a Gigiantos, a giant race, so don't be so scared of me." He said when Nina goes behind Glennalyn and figured that she's scared of his appearance.

 

"So what are we going to do, now that we arrived?" Paul asks directly, but it was interrupted when someone knock the door.

 

"Come in." Darry and Josse together with two other agents enter and as they salute, he reintroduces all the agents with a big smile.

 

"Everyone, I like you to meet our special agents. I believed that you already meet Special Agent Joselito Tenderheart and Special Agent Darius Brightheart at the embassy."

 

"Nice to meet you again children..." Darry said.

 

"Both of them are in charge of your journey going here," Omenege said, "but I admit, we didn't expect some trouble on your way." Then Thour introduce the two other agents.

 

"This two are our undercover agents, they are Lito Loyalheart and Ricardo Lotsaheart."

 

"You can call us Lily and Rica in the field." Lito said

 

"Omenege, why won't you show them around for a while, they'll get lost in this big ship. We'll talk about our plan later; get some rest for a while." Thour suggested.

 

"Okay, everyone, please come with me..." Jason and the rune bearer went out and few moments later, Thour's treatment to the four agents becomes cold.

 

"What's our current status?" he asks.

 

"We lost contact to our agent at Gafantanis and he was probably they caught after sending Agent Mikage at the castle." Rica said.

 

 "Have we heard anything from that ‘shadow agent'?"

 

"Nothing so far," Lily responds

 

"How about Kzeda, what's the news from our undercover agent?"

 

"According to their team leader, they need more time to verify what's happening inside Kzeda."

 

Then he ordered, "We'll have a briefing with the rune bearers to explain the current situation at 190000 hours."

 

"Yes Commander!" when he dismisses all four agents, and the commander walks out of his cabin. While looking around, Anna Jane and Naomi saw Thour entering Jason's room

 

"Can I come in?" he said after entering his room but Jason came out on the bathroom.

 

"You're inside already, why would you need my permission? This is your ship anyway." he laughs at Jason.

 

"It's will be yours soon if you've become a fuehrer." He said with a big smile, "I like that attitude of yours; you're so serious. You're like your father; he never smiles when he's thinking."

 

Then he asked, "Can you tell me more about him?"

 

"Yes I can, but I think someone also like to listen." then he opens it. Anna Jane and Naomi were listening outside together with everybody.

 

"Guys, what are you doing there?"

 

"Um....we thought he's going to do something to you..." that ridiculous reason makes Thour laughs louder.

 

"That's normal if you see someone like me, but you're too funny, why would I do that to my Godson?"

 

"You're what!" they end up having lunch with Thour at the cafeteria exclusive for them.

 

Thour told Jason few things about Jeresey. One of them are Jeresey is one of the survivors of Camp Magdiwang Massacre and falsely accuse of being a traitor even though it wasn't true. He also told Jason how an ex-soldier becomes the fuehrer of Rakuen.

 

The atmosphere however was too scary especially when Thour is in front of them while eating a savory stew known as Red Gruel. Since the soup color appears to be crimson and few of its ingredients were sausage and cellophane noodles, everyone lost their appetite because of what they imagine so to get over with it, Thour starts to compliment them.

 

"I heard everything that happened during your excision. I was so amazed that you were able fought face to face with the Dark Sorcerer's associate and survived. You've also took down the monstrous Klendathu, which during our time, one platoon is enough to kill one."

 

"Thanks for the compliment..." but since they got out of Osyra, Jason looks distorted because of what did the dreamgazer to him.

 

"Is there any problem?" Even though he wasn't there, he has an idea on what happened inside Osyra from Jason's looks so he asked, "You've been restrained by Glassy, am I correct?"

 

"What!" Thour hit him directly when Jason suddenly glares at him; even Agent Mikage who never senses it was also surprise how she manage to get inside Jason's head. When she looks at his HP-1, one of the horns was broken by the Kraken.

 

"So what happened...will you share to me what you're thinking right now?" Thour listen well to Jason.

 

"Was coming here...the right choice?" he said with a low tone voice.

 

Thour suddenly scowls and starts getting to look more serious and asking, "Why?"

 

"Because..." He recalls everything that happened not only in the castle, but on the port and on the forest. Because of him, few people got hurt at the Castle Libra, and on the forest, he got berserker when Bathala killed a child and ending up being rescue instead of rescuing someone.

 

"Making impossible promises, telling things without even thinking...charging without knowing who the enemy was, knowing that I might do it." He said, "But in the end... I couldn't do anything; to make maters worst...somebody gets hurt."

 

Then the commander suddenly said, "If I ask you why are you here... will you rather say you want to protect the people of Rakuen from Kzeda, or to you want help everyone to get them back from where you came from. Or will you would rather say you want to accomplish everything...?"

 

They thought he's going cheer him up but Thour's statement got hot when he said, "...even though I knew you'll never say that you have doubt if you can do it?"

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"You're going to give up just because you've fail?"

 

"I..." but he doesn't know how to answer him. Thour was correct about what he said.

 

"So what all the promises you made back there at the castle was a complete lie is that it?" Omenege and the others felt that tension is going to building up between them, but even Agent Mikage was speechless and the moment.

 

Then Thour rise up from his seat, raising his voice saying, "And you feel down because you don't want to lick what you've already spit...is that what you're saying?"

 

"Commander Thour Foolaban!" Thour is already taunting Jason so Agent Mikage shouted.  They were all speechless, they might not stop their argument, but Thour have already expected this to happen and he was the first one to back down and shared something to them.

 

"I met a person just like you before, he said he never desire to become a soldier to protect his country, or he don't want to lead people because don't want to let them down, he even made some mistakes and he lost his friends. But in the end... he became a hero, and he led a country...you know why?"

 

"If he gives up, he'll lose everything important to him."

 

"You know kid...the only thing that confuses you from isn't what you did back there...it's what she has put into your mind. That's why you've forgot the things you want to do here." Then he remembers that they were sent by Ana to save Jeannette's life. To end his conversation, Thour goes out of the room but Jason stand up.

 

 "Commander!" When Thour look back, he senses an aura coming out of Jason. Anna Jane also sense it, it was the same feelings she felt when she was first save by Jason from the first time they met and during their first encounter at the castle but it feels different.

 

"You're right about that...I must not give up so easily..." then he apologized to everyone.

 

"Sorry I've said these things and made you all worried...I just forgot that I need to do something important here."

 

Then he looks at Thour like he's going to challenge him, saying, "I do have someone important here, and I need to do something for her.... that's why I need to be here!" He said as he looks at them, and then Thour smile back at him and replied while leaving with Omenege.

 

"So be it!" Rocky was also looking at Jason that time like he already knew that this will happened, that's why when the dreamgazer took control of his mind, Rocky was ready to grab the steering. While walking, Omenege wonder why Thour did this to the son of the fuehrer.

 

 "Why did you do that to the next fuehrer?"

 

"To see if my suspicion was right..." Thour said, "So that thing won't happened again to Jason...ending up like him." when he said that, Omenege remember what happened eighteen years ago before the disappearance of Jason.