‘Her continuing to work with DATA might actually turn to our advantage,’ Bodhi suggested.

Gold feathered wings unfolded behind Aya. ‘Huo. Give her a chance to redeem herself.’ She blurred off after Lili. She returned a moment later with the sea soaked Lili in her arms.

‘I Compel you not to kill yourself,’ Aya told her. ‘Now stop being a pathetic suicidal wretch, and do your duty; save our House. If Oisa and Pana have anything bad to say to you, take it like the brave woman you truly are.’ She dumped Lili on the floor.

Lili shakily got up. Her soaked clinging camisole had turned translucent, leaving her looking half naked, but she didn’t seem to care. Her yellow flip flops were gone. Feet bare, she took to her seat silently. Droplets of seawater dribbled down her bright red hair like tears down frozen fire.

Both Oisa and Pana were looking chagrined.

All the avatars stopped moving. Elam looked around, wondering if they had gone into freeze mode. Then Oisa stood up.

‘I am sorry Lili. Can we be friends again?’

After a few more moments, so did Pana.

‘You know you looked so funny down the side of Promenade Hotel. You looked like a sexy stuck pig on Bantay’s back. Elam felt like a scared sack of rice on my shoulder.’

Elam laughed. Lili began to smile, and then likewise burst into laughter.

First of Book 2 is my preference - maybe use just a small part of it as epilogue/teaser in Book 1 if you want to, but that doesn't really need an epilogue, it's finished nicely. :)

Yes I'll do that.

Meanwhile, I just re-read it and realized I made a major timeline error. The Shield was in Sanag City on the western side of Alogostan; suddenly it's in Buhi City in South Eastern Islands. So I incorporated a statement about Bugsay and his Rowers starting the outrigger engines, that implies that they got back to Eastern Islands.

I also expanded on the scene wherein Oisa and Pana were shaming Lili to commit suicide.

His bereaved Household decided to hold a lunch meeting the day the Professor died. This was at Aya’s suggestion, so everyone would have a chance to cool down.

They laid their Father's body on the bed in his deluxe eletrain, with non Veteran avatars standing as honor guard. Lili disappeared into her former house in the Hanging Gardens. Captain Sugo posted an obituary in the internet, notified the Alogostani MDE Society and the WDF, and sent personal emails and text messages to all of the persons that he found listed in Prof’s tabcom address directory. Majordomos Henloa, Tenloa, and Limpyoha and Engineer Husay led the Cleaner and Mechanic avatars in cleaning and fixing up the mess that the darkling attack left, including the Wings’ mezzanine quarters and Elam’s flight deck room. Bugsay and the Rower avatars started the outrigger engines, and began the trip back to South Eastern Islands. All the other avatars retired into their respective houses. Elam was visibly agitated, so Aya took his hand and led him into one of the functional hotel rooms of the Balanghay Boat. She had Elam lie down on a bed, then draped her fragrant soporific hair on his face inducing him to go to sleep. Afterward she joined Oisa, Alwana, and Bodhi in the latter’s small house in the Shield’s Museum in the Balanghay’s basement.

Aya found the other Wings sitting around a round table. Alwana was throwing dagger looks at Oisa. The latter was looking away avoiding eye contact. Bodhi sat looking uncomfortable in between them.

‘My dear sisters,’ Aya began.

‘Oh please, Aya. We don’t need your platitudes,’ Alwana snapped.

‘What do you mean sis? I was just trying to recall the events in the Battle of the Black Castle, when Oisa was marching up the citadel’s entrance.’

Bodhi perked up. ‘I was at Oisa’s left fending off darkling attacks from that flank. You were covering Oisa’s back. Can you remember where you were, Alwana?’

‘Of course. I was on Oisa’s right side.’

‘I seem to recall a battalion of darklings led by a huge Dan 151 High Demon King rushing Oisa from your side as she was fighting a Dan 173 in front of her.’

‘Yes, I remember that. I was with Bantay’s company. They sacrificed themselves in order to delay the darklings, so that Oisa could reach the castle’s entrance for her to issue her challenge to the Emperor of the One Night.’

‘Then what happened?’

‘Near the end, Bantay was the only one left standing. He was whirring his sword and mace like the Big Mov’s rotors, slicing up the darklings. The Dan 151 then knocked him out with a flying kick to the head. Bantay barely managed to avoid a direct hit which definitely would have brained him. Pana exposed her position high on one of the castle’s towers which she had infiltrated beforehand by firing an arrow at the High Demon’s left chest just as he was landing on the ground. As expected it got stuck on the High Demon’s skin, but I realized instinctively that it was just to distract it. As it reached for the arrow, I stuck my doble espada into its right temple, killing it. A platoon of darklings converged on Pana on top of the tower, and I last saw her falling off into a cleft in the Tela beside the castle. I thought that Bantay and Pana had been killed, but Bantay had merely conked out, and Pana later reoccurred with the rest of us. Oisa unleashed a whirling attack on the Dan 173 which sufficiently distracted it so that I was able to sneak up and skewer its heart by its side.’

Alwana gazed at Oisa, aggrieved look turned reminiscing. ‘Oisa was magnificent. She slew a hundred darklings more that blocked her way. She reached the entrance and issued her challenge. A succession of High Demons from their Central Committee was sent by the Emperor in order to test her and she slew them all in one on one duels.’

Oisa was now looking at Alwana, softly. ‘I cannot recall the battle but I do remember the feeling of gratitude toward you for rescuing my ass Alwana; and the pain of so many of dying that day, just so I could issue my challenge. Salamat. Thank you.’

‘Huo. We’ll fulfill his wishes. I never could understand the Alogostani custom of holding wakes that can last two or three weeks,’ Oisa stated.

The four Wings trooped out of Bodhi’s museum shanty house. Following Household rules laid by the Professor, they walked and climbed all the way to Café Pahuway in the stern’s starboard tower for the meeting, refraining from taking eletrain or flying. They arrived early. Only Lili was there morosely waiting by a table, apart from Chef Luto and his Waiters, who were busy cooking lunch in the kitchen on the other side of the tower’s staircase. Lili had changed her Iladistani robes for the avatars’ favorite apparel, yellow camisole, denim miniskirt, and yellow flip flops.

‘Father always wished to be buried immediately at sea, without embalmment, when it was his time to pass,’ Oisa announced.

Lili fidgeted. She opened her mouth to speak, and abruptly closed it again.

‘What is it Lili?’ Bodhi asked.

‘Hmm. It might not be a good idea. You know Alogostanis hold long wakes for important people. Perhaps we should give time for some of his colleagues to come and view him one final time. The Maestros have a tradition of attending the wake of one of their own. They’ll be expecting invitations.’

‘Are you deciding for the Household, Lili?’ Oisa asked belligerently.

‘No, of course not. I was merely suggesting,’ Lili replied quickly. ‘You do what you want.’

‘Fine. It’s settled. So we bury him this afternoon.’

‘No it’s not.’ Sugo, Captain of the Shield, walked in from the stern tower’s central staircase, together with Elam and the rest of the Veteran avatars. ‘The Alogostani MDE Society has replied. Following tradition, all Alogostani Maestros who are not engaged elsewhere are coming here for the burial. They’ll be paying for their own travel expenses, but by tradition we should refrain from charging them for board and lodging here in our Balanghay Household Boat. That’s additional costs for us, but it can’t be helped. We’ll have to wait a day or two Oisa. We can’t well antagonize them, not under these circumstances. Father would have understood.’

Oisa did not argue. They all took their seats by a long table on which Chef Luto and his Waiters were placing in their lunch. ‘Your favorite. Prawn, crab, mackerel, vegetable soup, alugbati, kangkong, and assorted spinach, and eat-all-you-can rice,’ the Chef announced.

‘So when are we burying Manong Duro?’ Elam queried. ‘Aren’t you guys discussing it further?’

It was Oisa herself who replied. ‘Oh no, iho. We often debate with each other, but once a clear course of action presents itself, we Veterans take it without much ado. Sugo is quite right.’

‘Hmm. Do you know that humans don’t just agree and act so quickly?’

Ihap, sitting beside Elam, answered him. ‘Huo. It’s another human characteristic that I have never comprehended.’’ She was back to wearing an office uniform consisting of short blue skirt, blue blazer, navy blue shoes, yellow button shirt with the tag ‘Avatar Ihap, C.P.A.’ on the left breast pocket. Her lustrous midnight blue hair was again set in an elaborate and elegant coiffure by a long blue hairpin that was her ingrown weapon.

Sugo raised his hand in order to catch their attention. ‘There’s a problem with some of the potential guests. They’re Father’s former colleagues from South Eastern Islands Provincial Academy and other Universities. A few seem to be students or new graduates, who have read some of Father’s writings in the internet about preserving minority peoples and empowering the local polities in peripheral areas. They don’t have the money to come here.’

‘Hmm, can I say something?’ Lili muttered barely audibly. Elam leaned forward to catch her words.

‘Lili what’s wrong with you? Your eyes are puffed up and Elam here can hardly hear you.’ Oisa was sarcastically yelling out at her. ‘TALK LOUDER PLEASE.’

All eyes were keenly watching the uncharacteristically nervous Lili. ‘Ahem. I have arranged for the Department of Anti-Terrorism Affairs to prepay all travel, board, and lodging expenses of all guests. Even those cashless students can come. All you have to do is to give my tabcom number to them. Once they enter an Alogostani airport they call me. I order the airlines to accommodate them as priorities for a flight to South Eastern Islands, using my authority as a DATA level 5 agent. DATA-owned vans are waiting at Buhi City airport ready to transport them to Buhi Port. There a DATA ship is waiting to transport any guest for free to this Boat.’

‘Hitting two maya birds with one arrow, eh Lili,’ Pana interrupted sarcastically. ‘Pretending to work for our Household, while still working for DATA?’ Her arrow appeared in her hand, blue fire glinting its tip. She mimed stabbing motions with it toward Lili. ‘I rue the day I saved your worthless life. I should have allowed Hikap to bite off your head, you backstabbing bitch.’

Lili grimaced, as if Pana had slapped her face.

‘Pana you saved me from that troll in the hotel. I thank you for it with all my heart. I owe you my life. You can take it any time you want. I admit to the murder of my Guru. I am guilty. All you have to do is report my actions collaborating with Righteous Fire to the WDF, and they’ll execute me. Or tell me to jump overboard and drown. I’m Compelled to do it. I’ll even do it without any Binding Compulsion.'

Without any further word, Lili stood up, and took a running leap out of an open window of Café Pahuway into the sea. Elam’s jaw dropped.

Aya stood up. ‘Oisa, Pana, stop picking on Lili. You both know well that if she dies, our Seal on her arm is gone and we die in 40 days.’

‘Her continuing to work with DATA might actually turn to our advantage,’ Bodhi suggested.

Gold feathered wings unfolded behind Aya. ‘Huo. Give her a chance to redeem herself.’ She blurred off after Lili. She returned a moment later with the sea soaked Lili in her arms.

‘I Compel you not to kill yourself,’ Aya told her. ‘Now stop being a pathetic suicidal wretch, and do your duty; save our House. If Oisa and Pana have anything bad to say to you, take it like the brave woman you truly are.’ She dumped Lili on the floor.

Lili got up shaking. Her soaked clinging camisole had turned translucent, leaving her looking half naked, but she didn’t seem to care. Her yellow flip flops were gone. Feet bare, she took to her seat silently. Shame had writ her face low. Droplets of seawater dribbled down her bright red hair like tears down frozen fire.

Both Oisa and Pana were looking chagrined.

All the avatars stopped moving. Elam looked around, wondering if they had gone into freeze mode. Then Oisa stood up.

‘I am sorry Lili. Can we be friends again?’

After a few more moments, so did Pana.

‘You know something Inday Lili?’

Lili looked up in surprise. Pana had used the Sayabi affectionate term for females before her name.

‘You were so funny down the side of Promenade Hotel. You looked like a sexy stuck pig on Bantay’s back. Elam felt like a scared sack of rice on my shoulder.’

Elam laughed. Lili began to smile, and then likewise burst into laughter.

[Event "rated blitz match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2016.06.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "NN"]
[Black "Quylthulg"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1865"]
[BlackElo "2046"]
[ECO "A10"]
[TimeControl "300"]

Halfway through dessert, Chef Luto looked at his tabcom and then turned on the café’s TV on a counter near the staircase.

‘A hundred people confirmed dead, more than two hundred wounded. Authorities have determined that the blast came from an improvised explosive device, cannibalized from a one ton old WW3 ballistic missile warhead and hidden in a cargo container. The spate of terrorist attacks in our glorious Nation of Alogostan has sharply risen over the past year, but this is the first time one of this magnitude has occurred in the North Eastern Islands. Amihan Port has been declared a disaster zone by President Tagas. Preliminary investigation has implicated the Fiery Path, a breakaway cult from the Righteous Fire sect, which the WDF itself has declared banned after recent events in Sanag River where more than a thousand children were ritualistically murdered. Now for news everyone has been waiting for about the blurred videos of a sex scandal between a showbiz celebrity and a janitor that have been circulating in the internet for a week. The celebrity has been identified as…’

Ihap turned off the TV. ‘I nearly forgot. We have to fulfill Father’s last message, just before the Dan 90 Demon Monarch took him from the Tower.’

Elam frowned. ‘Huh? What message. I didn’t hear Manong Duro say any.’

‘Oh, that’s because that damned Monarch was squeezing his chest. By the Tela, I wish I was the one to kill that bastard.’ Ihap glanced at Aya. ‘No offense sis. I’m still glad you decapitated it. Anyway, Father mouthed the words: Flash drive, safety box.’

Oisa swallowed a piece of banana. ‘Let’s go then. It’s not yet 1 pm. We can get it and be back by 3.’

Ihap dialed a number and began talking into her tabcom.

‘Uh excuse me, would anyone be kind enough to explain things to me?’ Elam interrupted.

‘It’s quite simple, iho. Father made a point to leave everything unlocked in the Shield. He said he would not keep any secrets from us, his children inside our Household. However, around 5 years ago, he told us he had composed a last message for us in a flash drive, to be read once he had passed away. Some of us accompanied him when he took the flash drive to a safety deposit box in the Provincial Bank of South Eastern Islands. That is what he was probably referring to. He wasn’t very secretive about it. He kept on implying that it was a reminder for us to continue his vocation after he had passed away.’

Ihap abruptly hung up. ‘I’ve already called up the Manager. He says only a human can legally open any safety deposit box. Father left a notarized letter stating that he wanted us to receive the message, and so the Manager agreed to let Lili or Elam open it for us.’

‘No problem, both Lili and Elam can come with us.’ Oisa finished her banana and stood up.

‘I don’t like it,’ Elam abruptly announced. All the avatars turned toward him.

‘Another vision?’

‘Yes but it’s vague. I must have had dozens of dreams, only a few of which were clear, while most were indistinct. One of them was about some kind of fight going on in a bank.’

Bodhi sighed. ‘We better make sure we win any fight then. All Wings and combat avatars better accompany Lili and Elam to the bank.’

In the end all of the Vetran avatars decided to join in, except Captain Sugo, left to man the Balanghay. They moved swiftly in their usual efficient manner. In 15 minutes, Sugo had docked the Shield in Buhi Port, and they were disembarking in a large van. Boylo was driving. Beside him were Pana, Tahum, and Oisa. In the second row were Bodhi, Tukib, Bugsay, and Husay. In the third row were Koryen, Limpyoha, Tenloa, and Alwana. In the fourth row were Bantay, Elam, Lili, and Ihap. In the fifth row were Luto, Henloa, Lupad, and Aya. All the Wings and combat avatars were seated adjacent to a window.

Five blocks further up the road was the main branch of the Provincial Bank of South Eastern Islands. The scenery had quickly changed from shanties to commercial buildings. The bank’s right and back sides were one continuous parking lot. Its left side was a small alley separating it from an adjacent building. Its front was a driveway for customers. Boylo parked their van in the right side parking lot.

Oisa turned back from the front seat. ‘I don’t know what Elam vaguely recalls. It could be an incident from another bank or another life, but let’s not take chances. Bodhi, Alwana, Aya, and I escort Lili and Elam into the bank. Luto go to the backside parking lot; Bantay to the left alley; Ihap to the front; Pana stays here on the right.’

‘Ta! Let’s go.’ Lili, Elam and the 4 Wings got out of the van and entered the bank. In it were a score of ordinary-looking clients and personnel. Lili and Oisa approached the Manager behind his desk and began talking with him. Alwana grabbed Elam’s hand and seated him near the entrance; Bodhi went over to the opposite side of the room, near the Manager’s desk; Aya to the center.

Alwana looked around. She began texting Elam on her tabcom.

‘Notice anything unusual about this bank?’

‘Only four very pretty avatars and one super sexy Hybrid,’ Elam texted back.

Alwana giggled. She typed in, ‘We know that already, but thanks for the compliment anyway. What I mean are the other people here.’

‘What am I supposed to notice?’

‘Nearly a third of them are Possessed and Abominations.’

Elam did a double take. He punched into his tabcom. ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’

‘Don’t call attention to yourself. Some have preternaturally sharp hearing. That’s why I’m texting,’ Alwana replied. ‘They usually can’t detect Veteran avatars and MDEs, but we can sense them. They probably don’t know what we are.’

Lili and Oisa finished talking to the Manager and went to sit beside Elam and Alwana. ‘The Manager is confirming with the bank’s President if I can open Guru Duro’s safety deposit box. It might take several minutes to contact him. We’ll just have to wait a few minutes. Don’t worry. If he makes us wait too long, I have Minister Kusgan’s permission to use my authority as DATA grade 5 agent to open the box by force.’

Oisa showed them a piece of paper. ‘He gave me this note though.’

‘My Dear Children. When I pass on, take my flash drive from this bank. It contains the secret to eternal life for darkling avatars.’

Before Elam could scream, Oisa and Alwana shifted positions in a blur. Oisa surgically decapitated the handsome businessman and the beauty queen beside Elam with a single sweep of her doble espada. Alwana’s strike hit lower, transecting the matron and the policeman beside Lili on the upper thorax, separating shoulder and head from chest. On the other side of the room, Bodhi skewered another fanged creature in the chest. In the center, Aya brought down her doble espada on top of another one, completely bisecting it from head to groin. The two halves of it fell apart sideways. The bodies of the Possessed began to dissipate, but not as fast as that of Natural Darklings. The avatars plunged their hands into the dissolving auras, absorbing them.

Oisa’s voice boomed out in Alogostani. ‘It’s alright; everything is under control, just stay where you are for your own safety and shut the @#$% up. To the Dark Kindred in this room, turn yourselves over to my sisters. They’ll slice you up if you try to escape.’

The bank’s security guards all had their guns out. Alwana sighed, blurred all round them, and reappeared beside Lili with their guns. Lili walked to the center of the room and waved her DATA badge. ‘Maestra Lili, Colonel of the Department of Anti Terrorist Affairs, grade 5. Guards, stand down. DATA is taking over here.’

Oisa walked over to the door into the bank’s inner chambers. Instead of walking in, she sprouted her golden wings, spun, and slammed them on the wall beside the door. The entire wall collapsed. Beyond was another room full of desks and office equipment. Farther back were two bank vaults.

Five bank employees sat on the floor in one corner. A huge hairy 10 foot tall humanoid monster stood over them, dressed in a tattered security guard’s uniform. He was bloodied all over.

‘Stand down, Kapre. You don’t have to die. Surrender yourself to my sisters.’ The Kapre bowed and began to transform back into human form. ‘Sri Arch Wing, respect to you. I wasn’t part of this. Werewolves and Vampires attacked us, and I was trying to protect these humans. If you please, let me change clothes first; I’ve burst apart my uniform.’ He pointed to his duffle bag on top of a desk. ‘I’ve an extra set of clothes there.’

‘Alright, but first tell me where the vault with the safety deposit boxes are.’

The Kapre pointed to the vault on the left. Oisa walked over to it. She again spun and slammed her wings onto it. Steel screeched and burst inward. She peered into the huge hole she had created.

Oisa knew exactly where her Father’s safety deposit box was, as the Wings had accompanied him when he deposited the flash drive 5 years ago. It was gone. In the vault’s ceiling was another hole, opening into the sky.

Alwana and Bodhi were suddenly beside her. ‘Yudiputa,’ Alwana cursed. ‘It’s gone.’

All their wrist tabcoms rang in the emergency band. It was Lupad.

‘Calling all avatars of the Sun and Sky. I am in pursuit of three Winged Humanoid Possessed and two Winged Caniform Possessed, altitude 1 kilometer, 3 kilometers north of the bank. They’re descending into the Basura landfill slum district. I’m going in.’

Bodhi yelled into her tabcom. ‘For Tela’s sake be careful Lupad! If they’re winged, their darkling donors must have been Adepts at the very least. They’ll tear you to pieces. Just follow them, do not engage, and keep your damned distance!

Oisa spoke into her tabcom. ‘Aya stay guard, while Lili takes control over the humans’ situation. Lili, use your DATA authority to temporarily transfer the Dark Kindred survivors into our custody. We’ll have to interrogate them.’

‘I can’t,’ Lili answered. ‘Minister Kusgan is personally on the way here with combat avatars. He has a dozen old ones that he keeps in reserve especially for situations such as this. He has already decided to interrogate the Dark Kindred himself.’

Luto walked in the door carrying the head of a wolf. ‘I terminated three Caniform Abominations as they tried to flee. Three Caniform Possessed sprouted wings and flew off, Werewolves that had been infected by winged darklings, probably Masters and Lords. I’m lucky they chose not to engage; or I’d be mincemeat by now. I would not have been able to handle all 6 of them attacking me simultaneously. The bodies of the Abominations are outside.’

He typed on his wrist. A recorded video opened in all their tabcoms. The view was from his perspective in the back parking lot. Six Werewolves burst out of the bank’s backdoor. Luto’s knife flashed in the air and buried itself on the chest of one, disappeared and pierced the chest of a second one. Three of the survivors sprouted wings and flew straight up. The last one quickly scampered to the right; Luto threw his knife into its back. The view shifted to the winged Caniforms flying off. An arrow suddenly appeared sticking into the thorax of one of them. It plummeted and dissipated on its way down. ‘That was Pana shooting one of them down.’ Another video appeared copied from Boylo’s vantage from the driver’s seat of their van. Three gray haired mighty dog-like forms with wings on their backs were flying up and away from the bank. Pana ran from where she was loitering near the bank’s front to the van’s driver’s side. Her bow and arrow appeared and she made her shot. In spite of the great distance and swift movement of her target, she hit it accurately.

Lupad’s voice came in all their tabcoms. ‘The winged Possessed have landed on the rooftop of the old abandoned slaughterhouse building. They’re entering a staircase and going down. I’m landing myself.’ Their tabcoms’ view shifted to that of a rooftop. There was a gray water tank on one side and a staircase beside it.

They could hear Aya’s voice in their open tabcoms. ‘Lupad, don’t go near them! Their infecting donor entities were high Dans. They will have much of their donors’ powers.’

‘No need to worry, sis. See all of them have gone down already.’

The staircase drew nearer as Lupad approached it. Suddenly the view spun around. A huge dog-like form was leaping down from the water tank. A maw filled with sharp serrated teeth filled their tabcoms’ screen. The view blacked out.

<Doc> love the new writing!

I'm noticing one stylistic issue you should pay attention to, though: try to avoid having "everyone", everybody", or "all" do anything, as much as possible.

It's awkward, and gives the feeling that your supporting cast is an army of robots (ok, so they are, but only partly, and even then they are not identical robots, and in any case, robots can make lovable characters, but they are never loved *for* being robotic). ;s

So even when everybody is doing the same thing, try to avoid using the above terms; they can be implied in many ways, instead.

Here are some examples, just on this page, with suggested rephrasings - feel free to rephrase differently, of course. :)

<Chapter 1:<>>

<Oisa did not argue. They all took their seats by a long table>

'They took their seats by a long table'

<‘I don’t like it,’ Elam abruptly announced. All the avatars turned toward him.>

'That got attention.' / 'He had their attention.'

<Chapter 32: <>>

<They all began to talk about Aya, but Lili cut them off.>

'Lili cut into the beginning talk about Aya.'

<Everybody seemed to relax. Lili walked up to Prof.>

'The group', 'the company', 'her listeners', or even 'the mood', seemed to relax. :)

<Everyone turned to Elam in surprise. Elam bowed his head guiltily at having been caught.>

<Doc> also this, from Chapter 1:

<<Elam laughed. Lili began to smile, and then likewise burst into laughter.>

All the avatars were smiling happily.>

Thank you for the critiques. I will incorporate them in my revisions of the novel. Looking forward to more of them.

In the second Book, the viewpoint has shifted from Elam to the avatars. That way readers will get an idea how they think, their psychology as you put it.

Having spent the last 40 years of their lives around Buhi City, the Wings knew exactly where the old slaughterhouse was. In a few seconds they were on its roof. Lupad lay cuffed to the stairs’ handhold. He gave them a tired and embarrassed smile.

‘Gago! You fool.’ Oisa cut off the bank’s chief security guard’s cuff off Lupad with her doble espada. She bodily raised him up and hugged him.

‘I thought you were dead!’

‘Yeah me too. Until an angel of astounding beauty and full bosom hugged and kissed me.’

Oisa pushed him back puzzled. Then she smiled. She gave him a three second smack on the lips. ‘There, satisfied?’

Lupad grinned at her. ‘Yes, thank you for rescuing me.’

‘You didn’t need to be rescued. They allowed you to live. Why?’

Bodhi came up and embraced and kissed Lupad too.

‘I don’t think any of us can give a satisfactory answer to this mess,’ Bodhi opined. ‘All we know is that Dark Kindred have stolen our Father’s USB flash drive. They might be fascinated by that eternal life letter of his. Personally I think he was just being metaphoric, and his message has something to do with preserving our legacy in the form of continuing our libertarian cause. He has always hinted at that.’

‘In any case, after Father’s funeral, some of us will have to penetrate the Dark Kindreds’ secret societies and retrieve the USB drive. Or they might even voluntarily give it back to us once they learn it’s of no benefit to them. They certainly don’t hate us. We’ve always respected their right to live peacefully and they left both Luto and Lupad alive and unharmed.’

Their tabcoms rang. It was Lili. ‘I can hear over your open tabcoms that Lupad is alright. Local DATA officials and personnel have arrived. Minister Kusgan has assumed direct command over them, so there’s not much more I can do. They’ve arrested all the surviving Dark Kindred, except the innocent Kapre Abomination who somehow managed to sneak off and escape through the backdoor, miraculously evading the vigilant eyes of Luto. Kusgan advised me to take a rest and concentrate on organizing Manong Duro’s wake. We’re going back to the Shield.’

‘Very well,’ Oisa replied.

Alwana grabbed Lupad. ‘My turn to hug you. Next time you pull another foolish stunt like that I’ll punch a fist-shaped pit in your perfect profile.’ The Wings flew back to the Shield, Alwana carrying the exhausted Lupad. The red sun was setting.

Captain Sugo, for the first time in years, began to receive requests for the booking of the Balanghay Boat’s hotel rooms. The Majordomo avatars, Henloa, Tenloa, and Limpyoha, and the Engineer avatars, Husay, Bugsay, Boylo, ad Koryen, with their large entourages of Cleaner, Mechanic, and Rower avatars, spent the rest of the night tirelessly transforming the Shield into a 5-star luxury cruise ship. Its hotels rooms were cleaned up, beddings prepared; and its restaurants, teahouses, cafes, bars, sports and entertainment facilities, theaters, swimming pools, likewise prepped. Ihap, on Chef Luto’s request, ordered nearly half a ton of food items from a local Buhi City food retail company.

At noon Minister Kusgan arrived on a DATA helicopter. Lili and the Veteran avatars immediately held a meeting with him in Café Pahuway. With him was an ordinary looking man dressed in black slacks and white long sleeved button shirt, who kept glancing at Oisa. They all sensed that he was a Maestro.

They sat down by a large round table. Chef Luto began placing in their lunch, including whole fish, squid, prawn, crabs. He sliced off pieces of the seafood upon request, and placed them on trays in front of their plates.

‘Careful with that knife, it’s really sharp,’ Minister Kusgan’s companion told him in Esperanto.

Luto chuckled. ‘Don’t worry Maestro. It only cuts fish, food, and darklings. Now everybody eat first before introductions.’

After lunch, Lili approached the new arrival. She did not know him, and so she offered her forearm in a Maestra’s greeting.

The newcomer rolled up his right sleeve and supinated his forearm. Lili gawked at it. An intricate black and white Seal adorned his forearm. It was the Seal of the Veiled Commission, the governing body of the World Defense Force. Minister Kusgan nudged her.

‘Oh excuse me, your Honor.’ Lili pronated her forearm onto the Commissioner’s Seal. Both of her Seals, the Autumn Sea and the fainter Sun and Sky, glowed. So did the Commissioner’s. Afterward they both retracted their forearms.

‘Hush Pana!’ Bodhi admonished beside her in a shocked voice. ‘Your pardon, Sri Commissioner. Pana here sometimes acts like a spoiled baby.’

Instead of getting angry, the Commissioner assumed a far-away silent look.

‘Pana,’ he repeated, ‘beauty and child; fire and arrow. No one would ever have thought that you were the greatest of all the Gisaligans.’

‘Uh, I’m sorry Sir.’ Pana looked confused.

There were a few moments of silence.

‘May I apologize for breaking protocol,’ Pana repeated more formally. ‘It’s just that Sayabis have this habit of saying curse words but we don’t really mean it. We’ve never seen a Veiled Commissioner before.’

The Commissioner chuckled. ‘Are you sure you haven’t? I am Commissioner Duwa, the Second Officer of the Veiled Commission of the World Defense Force. You are actually one of my heroines of legend.’

Everyone gaped at him, except Kusgan. The Commissioner frowned. ‘Don’t any of you recall the Battle of the Black Castle? Pana do you remember anything about your last mission?’

Pana looked at him bewildered.

Oisa answered him. ‘If you please your Honor. The Great Dark Shift has jumbled up our memories. Many of us recall bits and pieces of that Battle. I am on the extreme end. I can’t recall any of the details at all. Pana is not much better off than me.’

The Commissioner gazed softly at Oisa.

‘Oisa, the First.’ To everyone’s bewilderment, Commissioner Duwa bowed low before her. ‘You do know that of course?’

‘Your Honor?’ Oisa was looking as confused as Pana.

‘Hmm. So the rumors are true. The avatars of the Sun and Sky have had most of their memories veiled or deleted by the Tela. I can surmise that it was the same for your Father?’

‘Yes, your Honor.’ Bodhi tried to glare Pana into shutting up, as the latter was opening her mouth to speak again.

‘In any case, an event 400 years ago is not what I have come to discuss. It’s that audio-video that Lili took of Alogostani High Councilor Pugos. The Commission has determined that his confession is authentic. What do you think should be done Maestra Lili?’

Lili and the avatars looked at each other. ‘Protocol 999?’

‘In theory, that should be the priority option. The Righteous Fire Sect of the Iladistani Unitemple summoned a High Demon King. However, Tera is not in immediate danger right now, thanks to Oisa, Bodhi, Alwana, and Aya eliminating the High Demon King in Sanag River. Since there are technical problems in carrying out Protocol 999, the WDF may choose to postpone it.’

Duwa held out a hand before they could ask more questions.

‘Iladistan has a million, die hard Unitemplist believers who will probably choose martyrdom over apostasy. WDF will need approximately a thousand Dumot avatars, operating within their allocated 40 day lifespan, in order to terminate all of these in a manner that would convince the majority the population to leave the Unitemple religion or tone down their support for its more extremist sects. That can only be done if at least 50 Maestros each with 20 avatars die in a short span of time and all their avatars agree to become Dumots.’

‘In other words, the WDF has to eliminate the mass base of the entire Iladistani Unitemple, not just the leaders and the sects. Otherwise of the 1/3 of the general population that is always seriously religious, a further 3% will always radicalize into becoming future extremists ready to commit violence and summon Demons. Convincing them by talk alone to leave Unitemplism has never worked. Unitemplism recruits by coercion, and only by coercion can its nominal members be induced to leave it.’

He turned to Elam. ‘Tera has a population of over 30 billion. A million lives is next to nothing. Society is accustomed to darkling attacks and the WDF’s own strict enforcement of its rules in case a real threat to Tera crops up. You aren’t aware of it but just last year, a Magnitude 8 darkquake occurred in the crowded capital of one of the Southern Continent Nations. A million people got killed in three days. Three years ago, the ruling political party in one of the Westernside Nations of the Central Continent rebelled against the WDF. The WDF released Dumot avatars which terminated the entire ideological membership of the party, around a hundred thousand people. The rest of the population then forsook the party. The Iladistani Unitemple is essentially a political party, and eliminating it would essentially be the same action, multiplied by a magnitude.’

Elam opened his mouth, and then closed it again.

Duwa took over the explanation. ‘A less violent alternative is for WDF to declare the entire Iladistani Unitemple as an illegal political party masquerading as a religion, and impose fines or prison sentences on those that insist on practicing their beliefs. We’ve tried that before and it takes decades or centuries to work. Presenting the Iladistanis the option of leave the Unitemple or die is much simpler and solves the matter in a few years. Unlike your Null World, Tera is essentially a conglomeration of police states each of which would not hesitate to execute thousands of people for political reasons. Why would the world’s highest authority be any different?’

‘At any rate, you don’t have to worry Anachronista Elam. As I said, we don’t have the avatars to do it.’

‘Suppose there is a present threat to Tera in the here and now?’ Elam had to ask.

‘Then we ask for 50 Maestros to volunteer for honorable suicide. If no one will, we hold a lottery and the lucky fifty get executed swiftly and painlessly. One way or the other, we get our thousand Dumots.’

Elam gawped at Duwa, who continued talking. ‘What’s this political correctness idea from your Null world? Sounds intriguing.’

‘It’s nothing. I can’t really remember, Sri Duwa.’

‘OK. I came all the way here because of the seriousness of Maestra Lili’s allegations. You have given a valid justification to terminate the Iladistani Unitemple. If we had a thousand Dumot avatars, we could act decisively; but unfortunately we don’t. It would also help if the World Council of Nations would approve. Now if you all will excuse me, I have to return back to the Veiled Commission.’

The avatars accompanied him to the Shield’s Bow Hangar. Before he boarded he approached Oisa, and to their surprise snapped to attention. ‘May I take my leave, Lady First?’

‘Uh, sure. I mean yes, Sri Duwa Your Honor,’ a perplexed Oisa replied. Duwa backed up all the way to his helicopter’s landing ramp all the while facing Oisa, about faced, and then entered. The hangar’s roof opened and the copter took off. The avatars, Lili, Elam, and Kusgan were left standing in the hangar.

‘Damn. An all powerful Commissioner of the WDF came all the way here just to tell us they won’t act on the Iladistani Unitemple?’ Tukib gestured at the ascending copter.

‘I told you that WDF will not invoke protocol 999 back in Tandayag,’ Tahum said. ‘They love the Iladistani Unitemple.’

Lili shook her head. ‘It was not his only message. If somehow 50 MDEs were to die, then WDF may invoke the protocol.’

Alwana straightened up and faced her. ‘What?! You planning to murder 50 of your fellows Lili?’

‘No, of course not. I just said that was his other message.’

‘Really? Why should I believe you?’

Lili looked as if she were about to cry. ‘Please Alwana, I was just making an obvious deduction. You defended me from those Vampires in the bank. Why should I lie to you? Can we be just friends again?’

Per Alogostani tradition a vigil was held that night. The guests freely intermingled with one another, chit chatting, playing mahjong and cards for small bets. All the Veteran avatars took turns touring the visitors around the five star facilities of the Balanghay, and even Bodhi’s Museum and Alwana’s Laboratory in the Boat’s Basement, and Aya’s Clinic in the Tower. All of them were open and manned by Cleaner, Mechanic, and Rower avatars.

The last batch brought in by a DATA ship from Buhi port next morning was composed of a score of students and post graduates from several Colleges in Alogostan.

Henloa, Tenloa, and Limpyoha, as was their wont, greeted them in Sinayabi and then provided a translation in Alogostani. ‘Welcome to the Shield. You’re a little late though. We understand you had trouble getting your small party into airports in the Mainland quickly enough.’

Bantay closed the loading ramp, which swung up joining the ship’s outer wall. They began walking in the entrance side corridor toward the Main Hallway. He turned to the Mayordomo avatars. ‘Well, they certainly look youthful. I’m happy that young people appreciate Father,’ he said in Sinayabi.

‘Oh we follow his writings in the internet. We all have studied and understand the Sayabi language, thanks to the free on line grammar and audio book that Professor Duro has loaded into the internet. I am Tuman. I’m a graduate student in Anthropology, studying for a Ph.D. We’re from Kaluwasan organization.’ A bespectacled ordinary looking young man spoke up, in Alogostani accented Sinayabi.

The avatars looked at each other, and then all gave deep asian bows. ‘I don’t believe it. You guys are actually here with us. We’re your number one fan club. We read everything you write in the net,’ Henloa gushed out excitedly.

‘You do? How do you do that? Government agents keep on hacking our blogs and websites, deleting our writings. Mainstream mass media refuses to print them in their own websites, scared the Alogostan Tunga government will clamp down on them. You must know we’ve been advocating the devolvement of government functions centralized in Tunga Capitol City to the provinces, an idea that Alogostani authorities tend to regard as secessionism.’

‘Our Father wrote a search program that homes in on key words that you like to use, such as ‘devolvement’ or ‘decentralization’ or ‘ethno linguistic’ or ‘indigenous’ or ‘diversity’. We download them before they get deleted.’ Tenloa smiled. ‘We then scatter them about in other blogs and websites.’

A female student blurted out, ‘So you’re the ones that have been helping us spread our propaganda in the internet! I’m Sukola by the way. I’m Kaluwasan’s Secretary. Tuman is the President.’

‘By the Tela, you’re the one who wrote that article last month?’ Limpyoha closed her eyes and recited.

‘The government is divided into two levels, local and central. In general, the local state has a large degree of political, economic, and cultural autonomy. Central governments usually decide issues that concern the whole country. The following state functions are the prerogative of the central government: Defense (military), Foreign Policy, Immigration, Regulation of commerce between local states. The rest of the traditional government functions, including Taxation, Education, Culture, Public Works, Health, Industry, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and so on are devolved to the local state. By the Law of the Land, the central government may not encroach on the local government functions.’

‘Oh that was Tuman. I merely transcribed it and loaded it into one of our controlled blogs.’

Bantay looked worried. ‘We should not be discussing these things openly. Minister Kusgan is here. If he hears that, he could have Tuman and Sukola executed for secessionism.’

All the students froze as if they were avatars.

‘Uh, the DATA General is here?’ a male student asked timidly.

‘You heard him, Pangkot,’ Tuman answered. ‘Ok no one speak of these things until I say so.’

‘Hey talk to me. What‘s that all about? You’re speaking in good Sinayabi, except for the accent.’ The avatars and the students had already entered the Main Hallway. A young girl dressed in a silky blue micro mini and yellow tube top had broken off from a tour group led by Engineer Bugsay. ‘I’m from Layo Island.’

The Alogostani students gazed at her. ‘Excuse us Miss; but we’ve never talked to a native of the Far Islets,’ Sukola said. ‘You’re the only living Sayabi community left in Tera.’

‘You’re, uh, very pretty Miss,’ Tuman complimented the girl. ‘If I may ask, do all Islers look like you?’

Walay giggled. ‘Mostly only those from the easternmost of the Far Islets, such as Layo Island. Hybrids escaping from persecution from Nova Continent have been arriving on our shores for hundreds of years, and Sayabi culture has always been traditionally tolerant of other races. By the way thanks for the compliment.’