Chapter 1
Jade took a deep breath as he approached the arena, gripping his artificer's staff tight. Today, he'd finally get paired with an artifact to fight for the Jzeda Republic.
hoping they'd be matched with a powerful artifact that could help turn the tide against the Sliez Empire. Jade knew he was one of the best students in his class, having mastered channeling his energy into weapons and armor. But he would need the right partner to make a difference.
The crowd's loud cheers broke Jade's focus as the artifacts were led into the arena below. They varied greatly - from a broad-shouldered boy with crackling electricity between his fingertips to a petite girl surrounded by floating orbs of water. Jade analyzed each one, picturing which abilities would complement his own.
Then he saw her – a dark-skin girl with flowing silver hair and eyes that shone like pale sapphires. She moved gracefully, and a piercing intelligence was behind her gaze. When she lifted her hand, metallic liquid pooled above her palm, shimmering in the morning sunlight.
Jade caught his breath. A metal element artifact - and a strong one at that. With his skills and her powers, they could be an unstoppable duo. As her eyes met him, Jade knew she was the one. His instinct had found his perfect partner.
Now, he just had to prove to her they were meant to fight together. Gripping his staff, Jade strode confidently into the arena toward the silver-haired artifact. As he got closer, though, he realized with embarrassment that the graceful figure was a boy. Jade felt his cheeks flush red - Clearing his throat, Jade introduced himself, trying to regain his composure. "I'm Jade. You're a metal element, right? I think we'd make a great team."
The silver-haired boy gazed at Jade appraisingly. "I'm Silver. And I don't need anyone's help to be a great fighter."
Silver demonstratively formed a shining silver spear in his hands, then flung it across the arena, impaling a training dummy through the chest. The crowd oohed their appreciation.
Jade's eyebrows raised, impressed but stung by Silver's dismissive tone. "Well, let me show you what I can add to the mix."
Jade focused his energy on his staff. He had been practicing a new move that would surround Silver in an armored exoskeleton, amplifying his metallic powers. But as Jade prepared to release the energy, his concentration faltered. The armor materialized only halfway before puttering out in a spark of light.
Some of the crowd giggled at the failed attempt. Jade felt his face burning even hotter now. That move usually came so quickly to him - why did he have to mess it up in front of Silver like that?
Silver gave a wry smile. "Not bad, but you'll have to do better than that if you want to be my partner."
Jade clenched his jaw, embarrassment turning to determination. If dazzling Silver with his skills wouldn't work, he'd have to prove his worth in combat. Gripping his staff tightly, Jade launched himself at Silver, ready to show the arrogant artifact what he could do.
Jade swung his staff at Silver, attempting to catch the artifact off guard with a swift attack. But Silver was ready, forming a shield of glinting metal to block the blow. The force of the impact reverberated up Jade's arms. This wasn't going to be easy.
Silver went on the offensive next, sending spears of metal flying towards Jade in rapid succession. Jade deflected them with bursts of energy from his staff, the clanging of metal on metal ringing through the arena.
As they exchanged blows, Jade realized he may have underestimated his opponent. Silver was highly skilled, wielding his metallic powers with practiced ease. Jade was struggling to mount any kind of effective offense.
Panting, Jade channeled his energy into the ground, causing jagged spikes of stone to erupt around Silver. But Silver lifted off the ground, propelling himself on a swirling platform of liquid metal. He shot shards of metal at Jade like bullets, peppering his body with painful blows.
Jade cried out, falling to one knee. This fight was not going according to plan at all. Silver was simply more potent and faster than he had anticipated. As Silver hovered over him, ready to deliver the final blow, Jade knew he had mistakenly underestimated this artifact.
"Had enough?" Silver asked, a competitive grin on his face.
Jade nodded ruefully. It stung his pride, but he knew when he was beaten. "You got me good," he conceded. "I definitely won't make the mistake of underestimating you again."
Silver's smile grew. He offered a hand and helped pull Jade to his feet. "You've got some skills," Silver said appraisingly. "With more training, you could be a decent partner."
Jade and Silver turned as a man in military attire entered the arena. Instructor Jeu Liu was the strict but fair common soldier in charge of training all the new artificer-artifact partners.
"That's enough for today," Instructor Liu called out, his voice booming through the amphitheater. "Report to the barracks to receive your room assignments."
Jade and Silver followed the other pairs out of the arena, chatting lightly about combat tactics. Though they had gotten off to a rocky start, Jade started to feel they could work well together.
In the barracks, Instructor Liu consulted his clipboard. "Silver and Jade, you'll be in room 14. And your training monitor is..." He checked his notes. "Ah yes, Ming."
A petite, dark-haired girl stepped forward. Jade guessed she was around the age of 18. As a common, Ming didn't have any special abilities, but her quick eyes and lean frame made her well-suited for stealth operations.
"I look forward to working with you both," Ming said with a slight bow. Though she spoke formally, her eyes showed a glint of humor.
Jade and Silver settled into their sparse barracks room as Ming pulled out a clipboard.
"I know you're both eager to start training, but protocol requires an initial interview first," she explained. "So, Jade, have you determined what kind of weapon you'd like Song Silver into yet?"
Jade hesitated, glancing at Silver. In the heat of battle, he had pictured turning the metal wielder into a sword or shield. But now that they were partners, that felt wrong.
"I...haven't decided yet," Jade said slowly. "That's probably something Silver and I should discuss together."
Silver looked surprised but pleased by Jade's response.
Ming raised an eyebrow. "Most new artificers can't wait to Song their artifacts. You don't have a preference?"
Jade shook his head. "My priority is learning to work effectively with Silver as he is."
Silver gave Jade an appreciative smile. "I'm not interested in being Songed into a weapon," he said firmly. "I can protect the Republic just fine with my abilities."
Ming nodded, making a note. "Very well. We'll revisit the topic later on. For now, let's discuss your training regimen..."
Ming led Jade and Silver out of the barracks the next day toward the city's edge. "It's time for your first field training exercise," she explained. "We're going to work on capturing hollows."
Jade tightened his grip on his staff as they approached the gates. He had read about the savage, spectral creatures but had yet to see one in person. Harvesting their soul stones would be an essential practice for the war ahead.
They arrived at a clearing right outside the city walls. The once-lush meadow was now a dusty wasteland, and the vegetation withered from hollow attacks. Jade could feel his heart pounding as he scanned for any sign of movement.
"There," Ming said, pointing toward a corpse of brittle trees. A wispy shadow darted between the trunks, accompanied by an otherworldly screech. The hollow was humanoid in shape but moved erratically, as if flickering in and out of their dimension.
"I'll trap it; you two finish it off," Ming instructed. She vanished into the trees, her footsteps utterly silent. Moments later, a net woven from void energy sailed through the air, pinning the hollow to the ground as it thrashed angrily.
"Now!" Ming yelled. Silver acted instantly, spearing the creature through the chest with a well-aimed metal spike. The hollow let out one final shriek before dissipating into smoke, leaving behind a shimmering soul stone.
Jade and Silver were in their barracks that night after training, adrenaline still running high from the day's events.
"That hollow today was intense," Jade said. "You took it down so quickly, with just one shot!"
Silver grinned. "I gotta make it look easy if I'm going to impress my new partner."
Jade chuckled. "Well, it definitely worked. And the way you formed that shield to block its attack when it first broke free? That was smooth."
"Thanks; I've been practicing shaping metal quickly for defense." Silver paused. "That weapon enhancement you attempted during our match was pretty innovative. It caught me off guard. With some adjustments, it could be mighty."
Jade smiled, appreciating Silver's praise. He hadn't expected compliments from the standoffish artifact.
"Yeah, I'll get there eventually. Just take it slow with me, okay?"
Silver rolled his eyes. "What, am I your momma now?"
Jade laughed. "Sure, why not."
Their banter died down as the moment stretched on. Jade looked thoughtful, lost in thought. Finally, he spoke.
"This might sound weird, but this past week has been the most fun I've ever had."
"Really?" Silver responded.
"Did you come from the silos or the academy?" Jade asks.
Silver looked at Jade curiously. Jade shrugged.
"From the Silos?" Silver replied. "Where did you come from?"
Jade looked down. "The academy," he mumbled. His gaze returned to Silver. "What happened to your parents?" Silver asks.
"The War," Jade replied quickly. Silver glanced away.
Silver studied his partner's face, seeing sadness and guilt in Jade's expression.
"Sorry," Silver said quietly. "I shouldn't pry. You told me to be patient with you."
Silver rubbed the back of his neck.
The next day during training, Jade noticed two older recruits working together to defeat a simulated hollow. The muscular young women looked almost identical, with shaved heads and intense gazes. Yet one wielded lightning while the other amplified those electric attacks with her artificer staff.
After the demonstration, Jade approached the duo. "That was amazing teamwork," he said. "Are you two sisters?"
The electric artifact shook her head. "I'm Storm, and this is my partner, Wind. We just resonate strongly."
Storm continued, "This resonance allows us to perform powerful combo attacks in sync. With enough training, you may even find your appearances changing to match your partner's."
Wind nodded. " I could compose the Song on Storm to change her form suited to harmonize with our energies."
Just then, Instructor Liu approached. "Well demonstrated, Wind and Storm," he said gruffly. Turning to Jade and Silver, he continued, "Unlocking your resonance potential shall be the focus of our training. Resonant pairs like these two will be vital to winning this war."
Jade met Silver's gaze, both stunned. Still, a spark of excitement rose in Jade. If they could achieve that kind of synergy, they would be an incredible force for the Republic.
Later in training, Jade noticed another pair effortlessly demolishing every combat simulation. The burly, bald-headed young man wielded swirling torrents of sand while his wiry, spectacled partner amplified them with precise artificer techniques.
Instructor Liu nodded approvingly as the sand-wielder battered a simulated hollow into submission. "Excellent form, Sand and Glass. You two may just be our most promising pair."
Jade and Silver exchanged a look. They would clearly have some fierce competition.
Once the simulation ended, the sandy duo approached. "You're the new recruits everyone's talking about, right?" the muscular one boomed. "I'm Sand, and this is my partner Glass."
Glass pushed his glasses up his nose. "We hold the top spot among the trainees currently. But stick with us, and we'll ensure you learn quickly." His tone was friendly, but Jade detected a hint of condescension.
"We're looking forward to nurturing everyone's potential," Jade replied diplomatically.
As the pair walked off, Silver shook his head. "So those are the teacher's pets? If we unlock this resonance power, we'll need to blow right past them."
Jade nodded firmly. "Let's show them and Instructor Liu what we can really do."
