They were inside the little cabin on the boat. There was a table, chairs, a drawer, a sink, a small walled-off bathroom, a water dispenser, a sungka board, and a chess board.

‘What the hell, Pana, you tore that darkling’s heart right off its chest!’

Pana giggled. ‘You liked that? Next time I’ll go for the head.’

Elam imagined mashed brains in Pana’s gauntlet, and shuddered.

‘You don’t like that? How about the neck?’

Elam changed topics. ‘Furthermore, you forgot to take back your arrows.’

‘What?’

‘Your arrows, that you shot the darklings on the island with.’

Pana smiled. [They all like to smile.] She was still dressed in shapeless cargo pants and a large T-shirt, just like Elam. Discounting her stunningly beautiful anime countenance, her clothes made her look like Elam, a boy, only a head taller. ‘I only have one arrow. It’s an extension of myself like all ingrown combat avatar weapons. After use, I imagine retracting it back to myself, and it does so in a rigidly structured reality shift. See?’ She held out her hand. A shiny blue arrow appeared on it. The tip was like a frozen flame. ‘Every time I draw my bow, I can make it appear in firing position too.’

Tahum interrupted. ‘Pana stop trying to impress Elam. We better change clothes before we dock. Everyone knows that Salig Commandos have gauntlets that can punch right through diamond. Also your head looks like a volleyball that’s growing fur that had mustard spilled on it. Please fix your hair.’

Tahum went to the clothes drawer. Pana followed, frowning and mumbling unintelligibly. They changed clothes right in front of the gaping Elam.

‘How about Elam?’ Pana asked.

‘Cargo pants and T-shirt is fine. The Iladistanis dress the same as Alogostanis. Potential brides don’t. In Iladistani culture, potential brides dress sexily.’

‘This is stupid,’ Pana grumbled, combing her hair and looking down at her silky thin blue micro mini and tube top. ‘There isn’t even any undergarment. Is this how they do buya, arranged marriages?’

Tukib rolled up his eyes. ‘You were raring to go for this mission, Pana. You want to jump out and swim back to the Shield? Besides, after 40 years of looking like a tomboy in shapeless trousers and large shirts, who would have expected you to transform into a jiggly juggly long-legged bombshell?’

Pana glared at Tukib.

‘Seriously Pana, if we encounter a darkling, you want us to just die? We need a defender.’

‘Stop engaging in useless discussions,’ Tahum interrupted. ‘We’re nearly there. We’ll have to dye Elam’s hair. No one in Tera has hair like his. Thick, straight, black.’ She took a small packet of dye from the drawer, led Elam to the sink, and proceeded to wash and dye his hair dark blue.

They made for the nearest small pier. ‘All islands in the Sanag river belong to Alogostan as stipulated in a 300 year old treaty. But once we touch that pier, we’ve crossed National boundaries. Elam stay inside the cabin and keep the shades closed. If anyone sees you, we’ll just claim you’re a cabin boy, but you might as well stay hidden,’ Tahum instructed.

She went back to the drawer and withdrew five small but tough paper bills, about 10 cm by 5 cm in diameter. ‘Five thousand pesos. Our last intel indicates that pier supervisors ask for 3000. This should be more than enough for grease money and we have 2000 left for buying food and stuff for a couple of days. The aim is reconnaissance. We look into the reports of preternatural creatures for a couple of days, and afterward go back to the Shield. Based on intel we collect, we then formulate a plan to seek out Guba. Unlike Pana, I think this is going to be a fast and safe mission.’ To Elam’s surprise, Tahum casually lifted the front of her micro mini and placed the bills inside an inner pocket there. [Damn, the avatars don’t seem to feel any human shame when exposing their anatomy. They must really be computer programs.]

Tukib turned toward Elam. ‘We’re about to dock. You must be informed of the command structure of avatars in these missions Elam. Father put Tahum in charge. That means that Pana and I are compelled to obey any of her direct commands. I’m Tahum’s second. Pana is third. That means that Pana is compelled to obey any of my directives, unless Tahum says otherwise. You might find us weird interacting under these rules, because inside the Shield we act more naturally. You are a free agent though, we can’t command you, we can just offer suggestions. Being our resident prophet who sees the future, please do not hesitate to offer your own suggestions.’

There was a large covered court on the shoreline that looked as though it was the Pier’s terminal, and a two story building opposite it that looked like a coast guard station. Small improvised wooden stalls were scattered all over the dock. Half of them were occupied by vendors. Small boats were scattered around. On the bow of the nearest boat a man and a pretty young girl waved at them. ‘They’re Alogostanis, probably with the same business as ours.’

Tukib placed the boarding plank in position beside an empty stall. He joined Tahum and Pana at the bow. After about 15 minutes, the ugliest man Elam had ever seen approached their boat. He wore a white and black uniform that could barely contain his protruding belly, shiny polished black boots, and a gun on a belt holster. He had a pale face covered by warts and pimples the size of finger nails, under a mop of green bilious hair. The man spoke to them politely in a language none of them could understand. Eliciting no reaction, he spoke again in Esperanto.

‘I’m Pier 13 Supervisor Hikap. If I may ask, what’s your business in Iladistan?’

Tukib bowed and answered in a firm confident tone. ‘We are from Alogostan. I am hoping to get a good bride price for my two daughters.’

As if on cue, Tahum snuggled up Tukib’s hunky right shoulder and ran her right hand up and down the sharply defined muscles of his chest, abdomen, and thighs. The green headed official leered at them, and noted something in his tabcom. ‘Don’t worry. The authorities turn a blind eye on men with business such as yours. All they require is some stats on how many boats and how many girls to keep track of things.’ Tahum turned toward him, smiled naughtily, and bent low, allowing Hikap a momentary peek down her tube top. Pana grimaced in disgust. ‘Your daughters are exceptional beauties. If you and they consent, I would marry them now for an hour or two, and then divorce them. I promise I will bring you very rich candidate grooms.’

‘I am honored. I will think about it. We’re tired and will rest for a while.’

‘Very well then. We require a small fee for the security guards. Robbers frequent these piers you know. Just ten thousand pesos.’ Elam silently gasped behind the shades.

The avatars looked at each other and began talking in muffled whispers. Finally Tahum called out. ‘If it pleases the Honorable Supervisor, would he consent for me to have a private word with him?’ Hikap nodded.

Tahum sashayed her way down the plank. In front of Hikap she said ‘I have your 10,000 pesos, here inside my skirt’s pocket. I also promise to wed whoever you want me to marry, and also you of course, after we get some rest. Could we talk in a private place?’ Hikap grinned. He placed a meaty arm over Tahum’s shoulder and walked her back to the shoreline. They disappeared inside the guard’s station.

After around half an hour, they came out of the building. Hikap escorted Tahum back to the Tandayag.

‘Hey, Father placed me in charge of this operation, Tukib. I decide when to stop. Don’t you appreciate me anymore? See I saved us 5000 pesos; he didn’t charge me a single centavo.’ After a few more seconds she announced, ‘However you’re right, we have more work to do. Stay here, Elam. We’re going to talk with our neighbors from Alogostan for more info about this place. Text us if there are any problems. This might take some while.’

Tahum, Tukib, and Pana walked over to the neighboring boat. Elam could see them chatting with the man and his daughter.

It did take quite a while. Elam arranged the chairs in a line and took a nap on them. He woke up to the sound of the 3 avatars’ footsteps on the plank. A red sun was sinking on the horizon.

Tahum briefed Elam. ‘Our neighbor Butig comes from the Offshore Islands. That’s the archipelago of large islands between the smaller Eastern Islands and mainland Alogostan. His adopted daughter Walay is Sayabi like us, from a remote islet. We might have an opportunity. Early this evening some people from some Unitemplist sects are due to arrive. He and his daughter are going along with some middlemen to a dinner meeting with potential grooms. He’s invited us to join them.’

‘At any rate, once we gain more info in this dinner party, I plan to abort this mission and return to the Shield before the Supervisor comes back to claim me. We are obviously not prepared for this mission.’

[Whew! I was beginning to worry.]

They waited. Pana and Tahum played sungka. Elam and Tukib played chess. The cloudy red sky of the setting sun shaded into black. There were no lights on the dock. The guard’s station was illuminated by a single LED lamp on a room in the second floor. Tahum announced she was getting hungry. Tukib suggested a light snack, so they would still be able to eat at Butig’s dinner. Elam went out to buy some food from a vendor who had taken up position in the stall near their boat.

The vendor was a woman, but she was veiled, as some religious married Iladistanis were, and Elam could not see her face. She seemed pretty young though. She spoke Esperanto in a muffled voice through her thick veil. Elam paid her one of Tahum’s paper bills. The obverse side featured the words ‘1000 Peso Promissory Note’. The reverse side read ‘Iladistan Currency Series 420.’ [Must be from an old stash in the Shield’s basement.] The vendor handed him food and some change, all in bills.

They each ate half a bowl of rice and a small piece of fish. They washed and ate with their hands in the manner of Sayabi fishermen. Elam found out that he was automatically employing the same technique as the avatars. [Wrap the first four digits around the piece of rice, slide the thumb up pushing the rice in front of it into one’s mouth.] Afterwards they washed their hands again.

‘They’re late,’ Pana complained. ‘The Supervisor might be coming in anytime to get you Tahum.’

Someone called up from the dock. ‘Tukib! It’s me Butig. Can we come in?’ Tukib assented.

Butig came on board followed by 4 heavy-set well dressed men. ‘Here are the friends I was talking about. Walay and I are going along with them tonight. You might want to come along.’ He began introducing them.

‘Dayon, come in and welcome! Please take a seat and make yourselves comfortable.’ Tukib bowed and conversed with them in Esperanto on the topic of dinner and prices, displaying an outwardly upbeat manner. Pana stood scowling near the door to the stern, as though ready to leave the cabin anytime. Tahum sat on an armchair and draped a perfect leg over one of the armrests, a bad girl smile on her face.

However it wasn’t Tahum that attracted Elam’s attention. The vendor from whom he had procured their dinner was walking up the boarding plank. Without any word, she entered their cabin and produced a silenced 9mm pistol from underneath her thick robes. She shot all four Iladistanis through the chest in quick succession, then turned the gun on Butig.

Lili was back sooner than later.

‘We have a problem,’ she said, worried. My agents have just found out that there is another Righteous Fire meeting later at 3am. Some sort of preliminary testing of the summoning spell to be used for the big one tomorrow. I should monitor it, but I and my agents need protection in the strong possibility that darklings will get loose. The darklings will sense my Seal, and will go straight for me. I broke protocol, trying to contact the three avatars with my tabcom, but no one is answering. Do you have any emergency line to them?’

‘Uh no.’

‘S__t. I’ll just have to go to them.’

Lili started for the cabin door, then paused. ‘Elam, you better come with me. I don’t want leaving you here all by yourself. A darkquake is coming. Or if one of the people in this Pier tries to communicate with you, they’ll find out there is no bride in this boat, and they’ll grow suspicious. I’m getting bad vibes on all this. I’ll transfer you to one of our safe houses temporarily after we get them.’

They locked the cabin and de-boarded the boat. ‘If anyone asks, you’re my idiot mute younger brother who can’t speak.’

There was another vendor near the exit who apparently knew Lili. They exchanged words in fluent Iladistani. Elam raised his eyebrows. Lili noticed. As they proceeded out of the Pier, she explained ‘Iladistani is one of my childhood languages. I was an email-to-order bride at age 9 to 12 in Dulonan City, the westernmost part of Iladistan, on the border with the central mainland Nations. My assassin husband practiced his profession mostly in those nations. I actually have two citizenships, Alogostani and Iladistani, and I am registered as a member of the Iladistani Unitemple since age 9, because I was legally married. Other Alogostani DATA agents that work in Iladistan routinely convert to Unitemplism, although we usually use native Iladistani talents. That vendor I talked to is one of my paid informers in this pier.’

‘What the hell, are you a Unitemplist?’

‘Of course not. No living DATA agent truly is. Minister Kusgan and I execute those who sincerely convert. In Iladistan and in front of other Unitemplists I just pretend to be a Unitemplist. Legally I am, and I know all their common worship rites since I’ve been attending their Temple services since I was 9. When I wed, I received a marriage certificate and a Unitemple membership ID, where I am identified as Labay, the Iladistani name my husband gave me. Those are all the Iladistani papers that I have until now. I have found out that they’re all I need for my job as a spy as long as I maintain a low profile, keep completely off the grid, and always wear the traditional long sleeved robes and veil of religious married women or widows, which hide my Seal and face. Fortunately there are no other members of my Order here. The Iladistani authorities don’t know that I am a Maestra and that I actually live in Alogostan. For them, I am but one of thousands of faceless street vendors or beggars. In fact, I am even better off than some of them who have no papers at all.’

Elam was puzzled. ‘From what you tell me, you can just decide to live a normal life in Iladistan. You have the basic identifying papers and you speak Iladistani like a native. Why did you have return to Eastern islands and become a spy?’

‘I could not stand being in Iladistan after I freed myself from my spouse. I hated this place so much. If you must know, my husband most often was employed by the Iladistani Unitemple to terminate Iladistani secular exiles, key government officials in neighboring central Nations that were opposed to Unitemplism, and rival Unitemplists from other theocratic Nations. He used his brides to do much of his wet work, but since I was so good at it, in a couple of months he was using only me to do the actual killing. He also routinely passed me around to all his Unitemplist guests and clients. I intend to make the Iladistani Unitemple pay for ruining my childhood.’

‘Hmm, if I may ask, how did you, hmm, free yourself from your husband?’

‘Maneho go to Promenade Hotel. We can’t contact the avatars by tabcom.’ She spoke in Iladistani. Elam got the gist of the message. Promenade Hotel. The agent immediately turned on the car and took off. The small shoreline road they were on joined a bigger highway; there were more houses and buildings to either side. Since it was nearly midnight, the highway was nearly deserted. Ngit-ngit City was the biggest city Elam had ever seen, but then again it was the only big city that he had ever seen in his present occurrence.

Elam noticed Lili check on her pistol. ‘I was totally shocked when you shot those men. You seem to be too, ahem, young to carry that.’

‘In most wars in history, ordinary foot soldiers are teenagers,’ she replied tersely.

Suddenly Lili’s tab com rang. It was Tukib. He spoke in Esperanto. ‘I’m cooling my heels in the lobby of Promenade Hotel. It’s cool outside.’ It was code for ‘There’s something fishy going on.’

‘OK, I guess we better join you.’

Something clicked in Elam’s mind as they approached the hotel, a memory of a hotel room with a monster in it. ‘I’m coming with you’,’ Elam said. ‘Manong Duro was quite clear that I must never leave the avatars’ side if a crisis occurs, and I think this hotel has appeared in my memory.’ Lili did not object.

Maneho parked in the hotel basement parking lot. Lili got out of the car. So did Elam. They left Maneho and the car and climbed up the stairs. In the lobby next floor, they saw Tukib. He was in an animated conversation with two young women in a lobby restaurant. As soon as he saw them, he suavely excused himself and joined them on a sofa in the lobby.

‘What’s the matter?’ Lili asked as he sat down. ‘Proposal dinners usually don’t last until midnight, and if the girls refuse, they are immediately brought back to the Pier. The Iladistanis observe strict courteous protocol in bride buying, or they’ll scare future brides off. The girls must agree to it.’

‘According to those two GROs I was talking with, they’re imported Alogostanis by the way, he’s a frequent customer of the hotel karaoke club. They say he can get pretty bossy. They also say that one of their friends disappeared after a night with him; no one ever found out what happened to her. I’m worried. I called you as soon as they went up. There’s nothing we avatars could do. He has 4 human bodyguards with him that I’ve seen, and the Pier Supervisor, and you know what he is. Pana as a combat avatar has the strength and speed to escape if she were alone, but we spies don’t. I’m strong and fast but if his guards shoot, I can’t whack a bullet out of the air like Pana. Neither can Tahum. If Tahum is a hostage, Pana will have to bend to their wishes and attempt no escape or they could murder Tahum.’

‘Tahum and I have agreed on a protocol if she gets kidnapped forcibly in this Buya bride charade. Just before they entered the suite, she would have vehemently refused. If she were forced against her will, she would send me a pre written code- 000. I have just received that text before you came in.’

Lili thought for a few seconds. ‘The Righteous Fire meeting begins 3 hours from now. I’m worried for Tahum and Pana. Veteran avatars usually first go into auto mode when confronted by human aggression. They’ve probably turned into compliant automatons by now, and even Pana could get murdered in such a condition. This will be a frontal approach. You knock on the suite’s door and insist on coming in. Try to distract them. While they’re trying to handle you, I go in and shoot them all down.’

‘What!’ Elam yelped.

‘Few people expect an 18 year old girl to shoot them down. In my business, I have found it’s the most effective method in emergencies such as this. OK. When we reach the top, turn your faces down, so you won’t get caught by the CCTVs in the top floor lobby. The suites themselves do not have CCTVs. The moment they open the door, we all barge in yelling in Alogostani, that we must see our sisters. At least two guards should be in an ante room. You two are to argue with the guards, while I position myself. They won’t shoot you because they think you Tukib are the foster father and handler of the girls and you Elam are a mere child. The guards will probably call out the others in the inner chambers if you create enough trouble. They’ll close the entrance door in order to prevent a scandal if we get heard in the other opposite suite. Tukib, go to one side of the ante room so that they will have to face you toward that direction if they talk to you. I will go to the other side. I will now be facing their backs. Once all guards are in the ante room, I’ll shoot them from behind their backs. Understood?’

Tukib nodded.

‘Ahem.’ Tukib was up in front of the little gathering in the Command Tower and gave an asian bow.

‘The sect or cult we are targeting is called Righteous Fire. Its leader is Guba, formerly a high Amo cleric of the mainline Unitemple. Righteous Fire began as part of the Iladistan mainline Unitemple. Approximately 10 years ago, it was purposefully but secretly split off from the mainline Unitemple, and given the specific task of stirring up an insurgency in the Iladistan-Alogostan border against the Alogostani government. The present low intensity conflict on the border in fact is being carried out by many Alogostani citizens who have converted to Unitemplism and have been recruited by Righteous Fire. It is now one of the fastest growing cults of Unitemplism.’

‘Two years ago, the WDF detected an artificially triggered darkquake on the Iladistan border city of Ngit-ngit, the second largest city in Iladistan, located at the west side of the mouth of Sanag River, across the Alogostani city of Sanag. It was ascertained by WDF intelligence agents that Guba carried out a forbidden ritual wherein he attempted to summon a Bound Demon King into Tera. If successful, he was planning to summon an army of bound Demon Kings, and use them to destroy all Bugu coin Mints, Maestros, and avatars, and also in the process convert everyone in the world to Unitemplism, after which he would de-occur the Demon Kings by unbinding them at the edge of a rigidly defined Tela tear.

‘What an utter idiot!’ Oisa exclaimed. ‘Doesn’t he know that Demon Kings are next to impossible to control? Even if he succeeds, who’s going to calm the next darkquake if there are no more Maestros and avatars left?’

Tukib shrugged. ‘Veterans of the Dark War, like us, know that Oisa; but that was 400 years ago, and the present generation of humans have forgotten.’

‘To continue, the artificial darkquake began as a Decimal, but then grew to magnitude 1 when Guba lost control of it. That triggered WDF detector stations. WDF as per protocol informed the Bounty Hunter’s League, whose Maestros neutralized the quake and the low Dan darklings it brought. The Maestros found a Bounded Pentagon, inside of which a Demon King was still held. The King claimed that only Guba commanded it because it was he who summoned it. Fortunately the King was still bound to the Pentagon, and the Maestros did a simple Impulsion of Passage to transport the King back to the Realms of Darkness. If the Demon King gotten loose in an overpopulated city, hundreds of thousands could have been killed.

‘In the subsequent WDF clamp down, the Iladistani government was forced to ban the Righteous Fire sect. However, nearly all of its leaders and ideologues successfully went underground, mainly thanks to their close links with said government.’

‘Unfortunately, we know next to nothing of the Righteous Fire organization, of its leaders and ideologues, except that it is still based in Ngit-ngit city.’

‘In brief we need more information. Although we are regarded as citizens of Alogostan, as avatars we aren’t allowed to apply for any visa because we are regarded as property of our Maestro, similar in status to slaves in the few Nation-States that practice slavery. In traveling between Nations, it’s our Maestro that applies for a visa and his avatars just tag along as personal baggage. However, Tahum and I are planning to go to Ngit-Ngit, posing as an Alogostani man seeking a good bride price for his adopted daughter. By tradition no one will question.’

‘After we get more info, then we can make more detailed plans on targeting Guba and the Righteous Fire leadership. In brief, this is going to be a reconnaissance mission.’

The Professor shifted on his seat. ‘That means I have to stay in Sanag City across Ngit-ngit. Just to make sure.’

‘What for, manong?’ Elam asked.

‘Iladistani social norms require a man to pay a bride price to the families of the girls he wants to marry, of which there is no limit to numbers if the girls originally are infidels. It’s well known that impoverished Alogostani families often sell their daughters to middlemen who temporary adopt the girls; then they in turn sell the girls to rich Iladistani clients for a profit. The Iladistani clerical authorities turn a blind eye to the illegal visa-less presence of Alogostani middlemen selling their adopted daughters for a bride price inside Iladistan along the borders. From their point of view, the daughters represent more converts to Unitemplism because all sold brides are converted by force. Tukib can pose as my adopted father looking for a high bride price for me. This strategy has an intrinsic advantage with regard to Righteous Fire members. The cult requires a male member to convert at least one infidel to Unitemplism before he can enter a demon-free paradise. The easiest way is to buy a bride along the Alogostan border.’

‘I can marry an Iladistani Righteous Fire member, and so infiltrate the organization.’

‘Tahum, that can be dangerous for you! What if your husband whisks you far away from the border for any reason?’

‘It’s a small risk Father. I can simply escape into Tukib’s boat, which can cross back to Alogostan anytime.’

‘But you’re being sold!’ Elam blurted out.

Tahum laughed. ‘It’s alright, pang-ga my love. It’s just a little spy game. As soon as I get some info, I’m going to escape back to Tukib’s boat.’

‘You’re spies?’

‘Yes pang-ga my dear. Tukib and I were designed for that purpose.’

‘I don’t get it. Why are Alogostani women being sold to Iladistanis?’

It was Prof himself who explained. ‘Market forces. Alogostan is a relatively poor Nation. Iladistan, or at least its ruling caste, is a wealthy one. There is a standing wave in the Tela tied to the Trough Region in northern Iladistan, where dark energy can be easily accessed through a stable Tela trough. The region is divided into scores of smaller land lots owned by families that make up the leadership clique of the Iladistani Unitemple. In each lot there are mints run by foreign Nations that pay the families rent through various credit lines, in order to gain cheap access to dark energy. These families form a virtual aristocracy within the theocracy, and never run out of money. Almost all of the clients in the buya bride business are rich members of this virtual Iladistani aristocracy.’

‘I thought the Unitemple did not like Bugu mints?’

‘That’s the official line, and Bugu currency is publicly banned. In practice, most of the Bugu coins used in the eastern parts of the Central Continent come from mints in Trough Region of Iladistan. In fact Alogostan’s main National mint is located there. Although it looks paradoxical, the system represents a practical compromise with the WDF, which would never tolerate the existence of any National Government that is thoroughly hostile to Bugu currency. The Iladistani aristocracy benefits from the arrangement, and so protects the system in a manner that can only be regarded as schizophrenic. It publicly demands the abolition of Bugu currency, yet much of it is manufactured in Iladistani territory. In essence, what the Iladistani aristocracy really wants is power over people it converts into its brand of Unitemplism.’

A slim golden form shot like a cannonball on his right and hit the darkling. The darkling missed him by a foot. The two figures fell down the stern’s floor. Pana rose up, covered in an armor of iridescent golden scales beneath her clothes, from shin to neck. Her hands and forearms were covered by glittering gauntlets that sprouted sharp spines all over; her feet with rubbery boots studded with steely spikes. She pulled out the tip of her bow from the darkling’s head. Elam suddenly noticed that the tips of her bow were pointed like ice picks, and the sides of the bow’s limbs were sharply serrated like steak knives.

As she rose she spun like a ballerina. Slashing her bow around, one of the limbs caught the other darkling near Elam by the temple. Grayish brains and fetid ichor gushed out.

Another darkling that had landed on the roof of the cabin on the boat leaped at Tukib. The avatar threw himself down on the floor. The darkling hit the side of the stern instead. Pana, still spinning from her previous attack, continued her movement onto the side of the darkling. One of the bow’s limbs hit the darkling on its neck, nearly shearing it off except for a bit of skin.

Another darkling that had landed on the roof of the boat’s cabin began to leap. Pana, continuing her motion, shot it through its skull with an arrow like blue lightning.

Pana jumped onto the roof. Three more darklings from the bow deck simultaneously leaped at her, fangs bared, snarling like mad dogs. Pana shot one of them through the head, as the second landed in front of her. It slashed at her neck with its right claw, but Pana was already lifting her left shoulder and flexing her head to the right and downward. The darkling’s talons glanced off her shoulder’s armor, missing her ducking head. In the same movement, Pana was also laterally rotating her right arm. Her golden bow disappeared, but not her brilliant blue gauntlet. She drove her arm medially as though doing a forehand volley. Her gauntleted hand crunched right through the darkling’s iron hard skin and sternum.

At the edge of his visual field, Elam could see a blue and yellow tornado whirling around the Garage ramp. Out of the whirlwind, a mace and a sword kept on protruding. Every time they appeared, they connected with a darkling head. Pieces of brains and skulls splattered around the ramp. After the last one was disposed off, Bantay stopped his spinning. He talked into his tabcom.

‘Anymore incoming?’It was in broad com mode. Every one could hear it.

‘None. There are a dozen more bogeys on the island’s shore facing you.’ Sugo’s voice.

Elam looked . Grayish figures were crouching on the shore of the island about a hundred meters away. On the roof of the cabin on the fishing boat, Pana began shooting rapidly with her bow in a flowing uninterrupted movement. It was uncanny. One shot, one hit. Always. In a moment, all the figures were down lying in the muddy water, hearts lanced by her arrow.

Prof’s voice spoke from everyone’s tabcom. ‘Alright you got them all. I can feel that the darkquake’s intensity has suddenly dropped. Avatars that stay behind, go get their auras before they dissipate. You’ll infuse it into Aya later. Launch the Tandayag mission. Lili is to know nothing of this. The official line is that we lured the darklings into their deaths by opening the stern ramp into the darkquake zone thus revealing ourselves. It’s pretty well known that low Dan darklings tend to rush into the first human or avatar they see without thought.

Bantay began absorbing the dead darklings’ auras on the ramp. The bodies had already dissolved into nothing. Husay clambered aboard and did the same for the ones Pana had slain on the Tandayag. Above the fishing boat, Elam saw two Wings soaring. Alwana and Bodhi. Oisa must still be with Lili, babysitting the DATA agent. The Wings landed on the shore and began absorbing auras.

Tukib went up to him. ‘I guess you’ll have to disembark Elam.’ Tahum was already starting the motor at the stern. ‘Thanks for the warning. I hope we see again. I think this is going to be a dangerous mission for us.’

Instead of answering, Elam spoke into his tabcom. ‘Manong Duro, I have to go with them. Now.’

‘What!’

‘This vision of darklings attacking us from the water is continuous with one where I join them in the Tandayag mission.’

Prof didn’t answer for a few seconds. Then ‘Do what you must have to do. Join them Elam. I think your vision is a sign that you must be present in all the critical phases of the mission. Don’t leave the avatars’ side if a crisis occurs. Avatars, you must always take Elam with you in your critical missions.’

Nitpick: in your last post, note 'Do what you must have to do'. :)

A question for your consideration - what subgenre are you aiming for? Nothing exactly written in stone about it, but usually when the protagonist is a youth (even if mostly just physically), the author has the juvenile (these days called "Young Adult", I believe) target audience in mind, and this may indicate some restraint to be expected on adult themes. Although lately, YA literature may not be nearly as "sheltered" as it used to be - I'm not really up to date on it.

Another thing, the extremely technical medical terminology you're using in places - that may be everyday language to you, but it's going to leave a lot of your readers looking cross-eyed. ;p

The social themes in the book delve with issues that probably can't be found in the typical 'sci-fi for young adults'. Many of these issues are either quite disturbing or too radical. It's why I have written many passages in this book in a light hearted bantering manner. The purpose is to sugar coat some of the more serious issues being referred to.

Tera is essentially a world where colonialism, nationalism, and authoritarianism have run all the way to their logical conclusion.

The avatars aren't young humans. My first thought in creating them is the theme from Zelazny's 'For a Breath I Tarry'- a computer program that tries to incarnate into a human being. In the book's case, I thought incarnated Japanese animes would look cool. That's what the avatars are. So the avatars are not young adults.

BTW, since Japanese animes have multicolored hair, avatars also have them. To make things simpler, I decided that Terans should have multicolored hair, even hu8mans.

Elam himself isn't just a child. He is an adult living in a child's body, with memories of past lives. I planned on him as a kind of Alia Atreides in Dune, on whom however the Professor is able to imprint his own ideals.

I enjoy it myself, and if the general reader takes up a book written by a doctor, they may be expected to at least suspect what they are in for, nor would it hurt them much to learn something... just thought you should be aware of this point, in case you're not.>

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I write on charts everyday, and using medical terms is the natural way I write. I can suppress it, but not totally. Some medical terms are bound to show up sooner or later. It might result in paragraphs where medical terms are used, side by side where they aren't used. I would end up having to scan the whole book, 'translating' the medical terms that I originally used into more mundane words. The alternative is to simply write in medical terms and hope the reader catches up, and in so doing learn a few things about the human anatomy too.

I am not sure how to resolve this. Maybe in the final version, I could try to remove some of the more technical words.

On the other hand, how else should I criticize the massive flesh trade hereabouts? Even children as young as 10 to 12 engage in it, younger than even some of the supposed age of the avatars. It's a taboo topic, as is the language issue. No one talks about them in public, although it occurs commonly and publicly. Note: if you try talking about these things openly in some of the other pages here frequented by my countrymen, you are in for a lot of flak.

There is also an ongoing low intensity conflict in my country. Some of the 'insurgents' are college students. Young people.

The other alternative is to write a preface, warning readers it's not a 'young adult' scifi novel.

Yes, I'll check up on him. If you have more comments, I will also wait for them.

I would be really grateful for your help on two points:

First, how does one spell the location (also the name of the club, and the pertinent tournament) "Rishon Le'Zion?" I took that spelling from Wikipedia; CM Kasimov spells it "Rishon Le Zion." (He is originally from Lithuania, lived and played in Israel for some years, where the Israeli Chess Federation awarded him the title of National Master in 1979 for his results playing first board for "Bat Yam" in the Israeli Premier League, and now lives in Canada.) I don't speak, read, or write Hebrew, and I'm not familiar with transliteration from Hebrew, and I know you are fluent in Hebrew, and live in Israel (at least that's what I recall from your profile), so I'd be grateful for your input.

Second, how does one interlard the PGN moves with the annotation? What I mean is, does one put the text in parentheses? Is there a specific way to "grey it out"? I read my Chessgames.com Editor's Guide, but didn't find an answer there.

Any help you might provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, and I hope you're doing well. :)

Vladas Jonovich Mikenas, Alexander Macht, Matafia Scheinberg

Rishon LeZion (without space) is probably the best transliteration, although Le'Zion or Le-Zion would be fine too.