The Holy Nation

Honestly, I don't remember what happened. I just woke up in the hospital in an unfamiliar place.

"Shit." I said. I got up from the bed and felt a striking pain in my head.

I looked around the room to find myself alone. The sunlight broke through the dark room as the sun began to set.

"What the hell?" I yelled as I ripped the I.V connected to my arm and got off the bed.

"Hello?" I yelled as I walked towards the mirror across the room.

My long purple hair was messy and looked like it hadn't been done in months. My dark purple eyes stared into the mirror and looked down at the hospital gown I was in.

"Where am I?" I thought.

Suddenly, a nurse walked into the room and dropped the papers she held in her hand.

"Impossible! You're… up!" She said before covering her mouth.

I looked at her puzzled and started scratching my head.

"What do you—" I tried to say but she ran out of the room.

I sighed as I sat back down on the bed. "My head hurts like crazy." I thought as I stared out the window next to me.

I was in a city filled with flying hoverboards, futuristic cars, and trains. I was shocked to see so many people together and realized that I wasn't home.

"Does it excite you?" A gentle voice asked behind me.

I turned around to a beautiful lady with a black crown on her head. Her blonde hair was in a ponytail that reached her shoulders.

"Who are you Miss?" I said while examining her more.

Her black, sleet dress fit her slender body nicely while her cyan diamonds earrings glistened. She laughed softly as she took out some war fans and pointed at a chair.

"I am Pearl Valkarie, Queen of the Holy Nation. " She asked nicely.

Questions started to fill my mind and I started to stress.

"Relax, Mordecai Hashimoto." She said.

I looked at her immediately as she said my name.

"You know my name?" I asked, surprised.

"Ha ha ha, my dear. You really think I wouldn't know the boy who lies in my hospital bed?" She said as she covered her red lips with the war fans.

I gulped in response and started feeling uncomfortable as I looked into her cyan eyes.

"What do you want from me?" I said as I crossed my arms trying to act tough.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" She asked me.

A silence struck the room as I tried to remember.

"No…" I said while scratching my head.

"Well, time will allow you to remember. I found you dying in an abandoned slave camp a few miles away from the city. There were multiple bodies surrounding you." She said while shaking her head.

My mouth opened in shock as she finished the sentence.

"What?" I managed to say as I tried to find the right words. I started to scratch my head trying to remember what happened but I couldn't recollect.

"Mordecai!" She yelled.

I looked up towards the queen who looked worried. I felt a sharp pain in my head and realized that my nails were cutting deep into my head. I took them out and blood stains colored my nails.

"How are you feeling? Have you recovered all of your aura yet?" She asked as she took a first aid kit from the desk nearby and started tending to my wounds.

"Remind me what aura is?" I said while looking up at her.

"Aura is natural energy that flows in the air. Each of us have our own unique aura that we can manipulate to a certain extent." She explained.

I nodded my head in response.

"Why is it important for me?" I asked.

"Certain auras grant us powers that others aren't gifted with. Without aura, you will die. There are people out there who are capable of 'stealing' or 'eating' aura which is a necessity of life. No worries though, stealing aura is a forbidden art." She replied.

"Ah, I see. Sorry for not remembering." I said embarrassed.

"It's okay, darling. You can ask me any questions whenever you want." She said while smiling.

"This lady is nice, but can I trust her?" I thought.

"Listen dear. I have a favor to ask." The queen starts to walk towards the closet nearby and uses her fans to open it.

She took out a black hoodie along with some black cargo pants.

"I'm pretty sure you don't want to be in those hospital clothes. These should help you blend with the city's latest trends." She said while handing them over to me with her wind magic.

"Please change. I'll wait for you outside once you are done." She said before opening the door and walking out. I quickly put the pants on while trying to process everything.

"I'm in a place called the Holy Nation. Must be new, unlike the other places I've been too." I thought as I walked towards the mirror. I took off the hospital gown becoming shirtless and looked at the multiple scars that were spread across my body.

"Lots of things I forgot. Did I get this from the slave camp?" I thought.

I put the hoodie on to cover my wounds and fixed my hair in the mirror.

"Guess I have no choice.." I said as I opened the door and left the room.

…

Queen Pearl stood near the elevator down the hall talking to some of her agents. One of them noticed me exiting the room and pointed towards me. Pearl turned around and waved towards me to come as I walked down the hallway.

"The clothes look good on you!" She said excitedly.

"Does it?" I said feeling embarrassed.

"I'm not used to it yet." I finished.

"Don't worry, I'll personally make sure you are comfortable here." She said while pressing the elevator button up.

"I know you have many questions. Feel free to ask. But let's go to the roof so you can experience some fresh air." She said while we waited for the elevator.

"What exactly is the Holy Nation? I've never heard of it." I asked.

"The Holy Nation is a newly formed city that I have created with a group of people. It's unique since it's not included in the three districts." She answered.

The elevator opened and I let her walk in first following right after before it closed and ascended.

"What are the three districts?" I continued to ask.

"The first one is the Frozen Forest. It was the first one to be recognized by everyone. The people that live there are a bunch of old clans ruled by ice king Uno." She stated.

The elevator opened to the balcony of the roof that led to the view of the city.

"After you." The queen said while holding her hand out.

"Thank you." I said while looking at the giant city.

The wind brushed against my skin lightly and sounds of the city echoed through the air. I walked towards the railings and looked at the sun sink into the pink sky. The warm air made me tingle slightly and it felt great to get some fresh air.

"The second district is called the Uro Empire ruled by Queen Hitomi . This district was born by a couple of outcasts from the first district, and followed their own agendas despite how immoral they are. The final one is called the Jilav Alliance ruled by prince Ethan. A group of travelers created this city making it one of the best markets to ever exist. However, justice is not a common thing to be found." The queen finished as she watched the sun set.

"The three main districts that have ruled over the land for far too long. They each have their own selfish desires to take over the world while abandoning their citizens. I wanted to make a change. However, it was difficult in the beginning. I needed people who could follow me into this dream. People who shared the same passion as me." She said while holding her hand into the air.

"So, we started as a small village. I could count the villagers on my hand at the time. Eventually, we grew quickly into the city you're looking at now." She explained before smiling.

I turned around and faced the queen.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

The queen smirked in response.

"I need to keep protecting my dream. I have an army capable of protecting this city, but we're in need of new, young blood." She said.

I started to scratch my head questioning her answer.

"So you want me? I can barely remember what happened yesterday." I stated.

"While that may be true, you're only 17 years old. And.." She started to say. I stay silent while waiting for her to finish.

"Never mind." She said.

The elevator dinged and two female guards exited and kneeled on the floor. They were dressed in all black outfits that hugged their fit bodies. One wore a white mask while the other wore a black mask.

"I must go. The guards will bring you to your new home. Please be careful." She said as she looked at the I followed her orders and started walking towards the guards.

"Wait, I have a ——" I tried to ask but the Queen disappeared into thin air. One of her war fans fell to the floor and faded into thin air.

"Let's go kid!" One of the guards yelled as I started following them.

…

We went back down the elevator in complete silence and exited the hospital. The night sky was young with the full blue moon rising into the sky. Blue particles filled the air as we walked towards a black car with tinted windows.

"Is this always this beautiful?" I asked as we arrived in the car. The two guards turned around and nodded their heads.

"It's moments like this that enable me to protect the city." One of the guards said while opening the door.

I jumped inside the car and the two guards followed. The door closed itself slowly and we drove down the road. I looked out the window and watched as people conversed on the streets laughing together. "This place is peaceful like the queen said, but that doesn't mean corruption doesn't exist." I thought.

"We have arrived." One of the guards said.

"Already? I'm coming." I exited out the car and stared at the place in front of me.

"What exactly is this?" I asked while looking at a building in front of me. The guard with the white mask stepped out of the car while the other drove away.

"Mordecai Hashimoto, welcome to the Holy Armory." She said.

The wind slowly brushed my skin as she finished the sentence. I stared at a big red building built out of metal surrounded with high technology.

"What exactly is inside?" I asked.

The female guard ignored my question and walked forward.

"Follow me young one." She finished.

I listened and followed her up the steep set of stairs towards the entrance. As we arrived at the door, the guard stopped and pointed to the center of the door.

"Please step in front of the door and a camera will scan your retinas. This will allow you access into the armory." She stated.

I stepped towards the door and looked towards the center where a camera was shining a bright, yellow light. The light shone on my eyes and began echoing sound.

"Mordecai is recognized." The machine stated and the door opened to a dark room. "Wha..?" I thought as the guard walked past me and flipped a switch. A purple light dimmed the room and I noticed tons of equipment: computers, cell phones, weapons, servers, etc.

"This is a lot to take in, but this is where many of our operations are planned and our equipment is stored." The guard stated while I gazed around.

"I will show you to your room." The guard forcefully grabbed my hand and started walking towards a long hallway. Our footsteps echoed as we stepped on the metal floors towards the end of the hall.

"Where exactly is everyone?" I thought. We reached towards the end and a few doors stood in front of us.

"Mordecai, it is currently 11:11pm. Make a wish." She said in a monotone voice. I looked at the guard confused and started scratching my head.

"Huh?" I said.

"I'm kidding. You need to be up by 9am tomorrow for the operator test. Your room is all the way to the right." She continued in the same tone.

"Uh, that was not funny." I thought.

"Why do I have a ----" I started asking but the guard sighed and stopped me.

"Listen kid. I'm tired. I'll answer your questions tomorrow, okay?" She said softly.

"I'm sorry, miss? I don't know your name." I said awkwardly.

"My codename is Dove. I can't share my name because you don't have clearance yet." She said.

"Well Dove, I will leave you be. Sorry for bothering you." I said while walking towards the room.

Dove tried to reach her hands towards me but I already entered the room.

"I'm so bad with people." Dove thought while taking off her mask. Her white hair slowly fell in the air while she quickly took a breather. She put the mask back on and turned back to the hall.

Meanwhile, I entered my new room and a bright yellow light immediately hindered my sight.

"Goodness, I hate bright lights." I said while touching the walls and flipping the switch off.

I took off my shoes and looked around my new room. It was small but I liked it. The A.C was currently on and cooled the room during this hot summer night.

"Nice and toasty!" I thought. There were two doors to my left and the kitchen was to my right.

The kitchen had unwashed dishes in the sink but the place was overall kept clean. I could hear a faint humming sound from the far left door. Curious, I decided to open the door and see what I was behind.

"What is that noise?" I said while slowly opening the door.

A girl with long black hair laid on a bed with a towel only covering her butt. She didn't realize that someone had entered the room and was reading a magazine.

At first glance, I noticed a scar down the back of her slim figure. Her skin glistened inside the room and my eyes were glued to her.

She turned her head towards me and immediately jumped off the bed. The towel flew into the air and dropped slowly as I looked at her naked body.

Her face quickly turned red and she picked up the towel quickly and covered herself.

"Who the hell are you? Some kind of pervert?" She yelled.

I tried to say something but no words came out. The image of her body was still in my head.

"Well?" The girl asked.

"I-I'm sorry. My name is..." I tried to say but words still didn't come out.

White aura began to surround the girl as she opened her left hand and a warhammer appeared.

"Finish that sentence." She yelled. Her eye pupils formed into her own warhammer and she slowly walked towards me. I gulped and started to pull a little on my shirt.

"Mordecai Hashimoto!" I managed to say. She walked towards the door and pointed out of the room.

"Is it okay if I change in our room?" She asked.

"I don't recall sharing a room with anyone." I replied.

"Didn't they give you this information in the briefing?" She asked, getting more upset.

I shook my head and started to scratch my head.

"No. Anyways, I will let you change." I replied, trying to leave the situation.

I walked out the room quickly and did not look back.

"Nice, I messed that up." I said as I sat on the couch in the living room. I sighed as I looked towards the ceiling and started to ponder.

"Why can't I remember anything?" I thought. I lifted my hands into the air and noticed the marks on my skin. A long, skinny black mark on my right arm stood out from the rest and caught my eye. I slowly started touching the mark and a female voice echoed in my head.

"This mark represents my hatred towards you. You always mess everything up!" It said. Those words triggered me and I started to dig my fingers into my head to try and get the voice out. Blood painted my fingernails as I pierced my skin in rage. The door opened behind me and the girl walked out and noticed what I was doing. She was in shock after seeing blood race down my face.

"I'll get the first aid kit." She said as she ran to the bathroom.

…

"Here." The girl offered a glass of water in her hand and I took it from her.

"Thank you." I softly said.

She sat on the other couch opposite of the room.

"Naomi." She said out of nowhere.

"What?" I replied, confused.

"My name is Naomi Windhelm." She said confidently.

"Well, thank you Naomi." I said while nodding my head.

"Where did you get those scars?" She asked with curiosity.

"I wish I could answer that question but.. I don't remember." I replied.

Naomi tilted her head sideways with a confused expression.

"Mind if you explain how?" She asked.

"Idk. I just woke up in the hospital room about an hour ago and couldn't remember anything. It annoys me." I finished while scratching my head.

"That's unfortunate. However, I'm pretty sure they will return one day. So you just have to be patient, mkay?" She said with a smile. I was puzzled by her response and kept quiet.

"Why is she being nice to me? I just saw her naked." I thought.

"Oh, you're bleeding a little." Naomi said to break the silence. She stood up and walked towards Mordecai across the room.

"Can you lay down?" She asked with a smile.

"Honestly, it's fine. You don't have to —." I tried to say but she didn't let me finish.

"I said lay down." She demanded. I quickly laid down without fighting back and she rested her hands on the wounds gently.

"I'm gonna heal them quickly." She said with confidence as white aura surrounded her hands. The wounds steadily closed up and I groaned a little from the massive regeneration of my skin.

"Her hands are soft like a pillow. No, softer than that." I thought as she continued to heal.

"All done!" She said while lifting her hands in excitement. She grabbed my arms and dragged me to the bathroom with her.

"Look" she said with a big smile ripped across her face.

"I see." I said slightly awed while touching the newly formed skin.

"How did you use aura? I don't remember how to use mine." I asked, embarrassed.

Naomi covered her mouth and giggled a little.

"Concentrate your energy to a specific part of your body and release it slowly. The outcome will be different from mine since we're different. Why don't you try?" She said while turning me around to face her.

I focused a little of my energy to my hands and a spark of purple aura went off but nothing happened.

"Nothing is happening." I said impatiently.

"Relax. The source of your energy comes from your heart. Let it channel from there to your hands." Naomi said with a smile.

I focused and could feel the heat slowly rise around my palms before a purple flame lit in my hands. The flame warmed up my cold hands and I slowly started to freak out because I thought I would burn myself. However, Naomi grabbed my shoulder to calm me down. I stopped focusing my aura and my flame disappeared.

"Thank you, Naomi." I said as I turned around and looked into the mirror. My vision suddenly became blurry and tears raced down my face.

"Why are you crying?" She asked as she stood behind me.

"Honestly, I don't know.." I said while wiping them away.

"I'm going to head to bed. I'll catch you tomorrow." I finished while leaving the bathroom. I sat on the empty bed across from hers feeling a strange fatigue and lots of loneliness.

"Lots of things in this strange town.. the kindness scares me and I have no reason to be." I said as I put my head into the pillow and sighed.

Naomi entered the room in silence. She turned off the light and laid in her bed.

"Guess I should rest up for tomorrow." I continued as I slowly fell asleep.