Southern Crescent Moon Convention, 1,028 (6)

  There were 5 people around a table, similar to the previous one in the hall Fox met the Sovereigns and their children, but this one had a golden surface and small spots. Those spots were to stand around, or even sit, with a little gear-shaped surrounding to allow only one person to accommodate in the middle of them. There were others walking around, but those 5 seemed excruciatingly essential.

  The one whose nature seemed to command more than respect and oozed authority was a woman with porcelain, creamy white skin and small, deer-like brown eyes. She also had hazel, long, smooth hair down to her small hips. This woman was short and slender, but she had a very mighty body, easily readable by experts like Fox and Nala.

  There was one thing from her, she wore inner clothing, the kind only special agents would and could use. It took care of her sweat, outside blemishes, and also helped a great deal when training or just exercising.

  It was of a supreme quality, with loose sleeves and pieces of fabric holding around her neck. She alone looked incredible, fantastic. But adding these, and the inner clothing to boot, this woman was an incredible person without her doing as much as moving out of her spot.

  The 4 others were members that could be identified as Captains in PSD. But just as Fox and Nala and Esme entered, the gates remained open for another group like theirs to enter, only not with the same nature. Lean, Kusmina, and Nikitina entered the war room and stopped almost immediately. They looked around before setting their gaze on the authoritative woman.

  “I suppose I can deal with 2 tasks at the same time,” the woman said, adding as she turned her head from them to Fox’s group. “But do be kind and sit before I go to you. I’m busy with matters that mean something.”

  “…” - “…” - “…” Lean and the other 2 said nothing, walking around to grab a few spots around the table. They took a few small chairs and sat, giving the woman a long, inexpressive look before checking the war room.

  Fox’s group turned their heads to them before returning their attention to the woman, who didn’t waste time and began speaking with an attitude more linked towards Zyckevele instead of KAA. She also didn’t have the features known from Dawn, but Twilight, and Zyckevele in specific.

  “I am Bai Natasha,” the unknown leader of the Heart Lake secret hoog organization exposed herself. Fox looked at her with a little more attention, and his polycoria eyes hardening. Nala looked at her from behind Fox’s shoulder, her eyes fully focused. Esmeralda remained neutral.

  “Supreme Leader of Heart Lake, and these are my Senior and Junior Members, whom I and the Heart value.” Bai Natasha extended her hand low and palm facing the ceiling to the other 4 around the table. She pointed at a white man with black hair and sharp eyes first. He was also tall and handsome, with a muscular figure and mature, charming, and looking quite polite.

  The man didn’t wait for her to introduce him, nodding respectfully and blinking as he said with his right-handed fingerprints on his collarbone, “Senior Member Li Yachi, an honor, Raging Blood.”

  Then, Bai Natasha gestured to a creamy light brown woman with small, pretty, aqueous, dull brown eyes. They were simply a marvel to just set one’s eye into. She was short and had equally short brown hair. This woman also had chubby cheeks, looking cute.

  “Senior Member Jue Soyeon, an honor to meet, you Fox and Loba. The princess of Lymoca, too.” She bowed her head, further to her waist when greeting Esmeralda. The respect towards her surprised Esme, who didn’t expect it.

  A white, short, and very ordinary fella looked at the trio and extended his left arm up with excited but restrained eyes, “I am Tang Wei, Raging Blood and Loba. An honor, miss Heartez!”

  “Hm,” Esmeralda hummed a response. She is supposed to be Mrs., but she wasn’t going to correct those who didn’t have to know.

  “I and that little idiot just now are Junior Members. I am Haoran Dongmei, it is my honor to meet you so soon, before becoming a senior. Welcome to our home,” the last essential person in the war room spoke. She orchestrated a quick but elegant bow.

  She is a white woman with short, exotic, light chestnut hair and eyes. Her height was on the regular side, and she had a mole to the right side of her mouth/chin, accompanying her naturally red lips. Haoran Dongmei had what the other 3 didn’t show, even though they were spectacular on their own: leadership.

  Dongmei had a talent for being charming, which further accentuated when she displayed an enchanting smile, showing those rows of teeth. Her body was small, but prominent, and her attire demonstrated it the most with proud peaks on her front.

  Even though she had the ideal nature and attitude to get whatever she wanted, she was calm but proactive, and it didn’t seem like she spoke out of despise for Tang Wei before. Moreover, her smile wasn’t trying to pull anything, knowing her place before someone like Nala, and knowing well Esmeralda’s little expressions here or there, inkling to something.

  As Haoran Dongmei blinked in understanding, and clever glints flashed in her eyes, Bai Natasha brought attention to herself. “I’ve been notified of your visit to the Sovereigns, and its contents. These 4 will be with you at all times, so if you need to pull all-nighters, be our guest.”

  “May I-” Lean stood up and spoke, but Natasha casually turned her head over and spat a, “No.”

  “For the time being,” Natasha refocused on Fox, “Heart Lake’s information is all Raging Blood’s hands, did I get that right?”

  Fox nodded. Paved Road should have already eased matters of how ‘PSD’ was working fully under Raging Blood. ‘Clauses’ such as not being related to neither Lymoca nor the District if something occurred, like risks, weren’t crucial so as to be mentioned. As long as both parties were on the same ground.

  “Good.” Natasha continued, “I will warn you, all our hypersonic missiles will be targeted to only overseas targets… that come ever near Dawn. Be it from the north, south, or the surface and underwater. Your drones won’t be that useful here. Another thing, you won’t touch a single soldier in my- in the Association. Understood as well?”

  “I already had ideas that concern only your intel and support. I am not dragging any of my agents to the frontlines.” Fox shook his head, reassuring Natasha a little, who kept looking at him.

  “As for the combatant drones, if you want my agents to help you, equip them with little toys. Zyckevele’s anti-fighter and bombers were just enough to deal with some things. If you give the gunships more ammunition, which is all they need, they will aid on any land you want them.”

  “They are all mine. Only my agents might use them. It’s not necessary to start the all-day and night sessions yet. But I will need your complete help if we are to move fast, and I want to move fast. Let’s start now.” Fox looked for a moment at Lean’s group to verify. Lean nodded, helpless.

  “…” Natasha looked at Fox and studied the young man’s face. She didn’t know why, but she felt a strange feeling of wanting to know this young cub, which can already make an adult like her feel danger, a sense of threat.

  … From the beginning, as the night had just commenced, both parties set their absolutes forth. Fox sometimes seemed subservient, at least compared to Natasha, but it was understandable, not subservient. This wasn’t his country, and even to Lymoca, he wasn’t so heroically patriotic.

  For the agents he brought, Fox was taking care of them and placing intense strict regulations to avoid their deaths or mistakes even before flying eastwards. One thing was to die in a war, even when it correlated to the secret world. Another was to accidentally ruin their side’s plans or efforts… in a war. That was simply out of any code and morals.

  They then went on to exchange some little information on what one could offer to the other in terms of efficiency and support. Needless to say, Fox was being granted too much, all except movement or requests from the Ziaca forces, but he could use their resources/supplies.

  Natasha was a little incredulous from the things she heard, but she understood all of these weren’t wrongful claims. She has heard and seen what others have through news, further confirmed with shared information as allies to Zyckevele.

  They didn’t go far as to plan for the matters regarding the western frontline and Raging Blood’s special agents’ work in case the east decided to attack KAA. Something very important was to discuss the redeployment of ‘PSD’ agents to the east to aid as well.

  Even if KAA and Zyckevele were to do everything on their own and keep things stabilized for a period of war of no more than 5 years; it was Lymoca who was undeniably recognized to be at the peak of wars with the secret world.

  Of course, they were also heavily handled by their enemies, who had more than double their hoogs and numbers than them. Especially KAA, whose Heart Lake wasn’t as numerous as Zyckevele’s Paved Road. But those things were for the longer and serious talks tomorrow.

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  Towards the end, Fox and Natasha had just finished explaining everything and stood before Natasha. He thought for a split second before asking her with his head up, “Can we use your training rooms?”

  “Of course.” Natasha blinked but replied soon after. She then asked, “Is the little gem of Lymoca getting her steps into the secret world?”

  “She is, and very good.” Fox nodded. He looked into her eyes before adding, “Esmeralda won’t be coming to the operations. I didn’t know anything about you until now. She will stay and continue planning, responding to our communications when needed.”

  The situation with Fox’s plans, slightly explained so far, were riddled with many complications. To follow with his plan, there would be a need for smaller teams, while the rest remain around KAA as reinforcements and for the sake of keeping long-range communications in a warzone.

  “Can you ensure her for me?” Fox looked at Natasha seriously. Natasha looked at those polycoria eyes and fell pensive, even though she intended not to. She said, “Are you sure you’d want that from me?”

  “We won’t be always outside KAA, if my ideas aren’t taken down, but her training will stagnate again.” Fox paused before lowering his eyes, becoming pensive for a couple of seconds before continuing, “When I was on my own, be it before joining my first secret organization or after entering the District, I was a complete solitary agent, but I had some with me.”

  “You’re saying?” Natasha shook her head and blinked, as if she couldn’t be bothered. Fox looked at her without embarrassment, “That we’re a little similar. If you train her on my and Loba’s absence, she won’t miss her necessary steps. Breath is still a shaky issue with her, and she might just have a special condition. I know nothing about them…”

  “So we are the same?” Natasha lifted an eyebrow. For some reason, Fox felt she was a little playful and more comprehensive than when he spoke of KAA’s possible, high-risk dangerous assistance he might request.

  “No,” Fox shook his head. He looked at her without emotion, “But we understand one another.”

  “…” Natasha said nothing, looking above Fox’s head and back down at his eyes for some seconds before slightly nodding. “I will see what is it with her, but basic training is all she is getting from me. I suppose you don’t want her ‘bound’ to KAA, is that correct?”

  “…” Fox said nothing in response. After a couple of seconds, with his eyes still looking into hers and not moving once, he uttered something. “I did not like that.”

  “…” Natasha blinked as Fox turned and left with Nala and Esmeralda. She didn’t feel she committed an offense, but this still happened. Likewise, she frowned a bit and felt an urgency to fix ‘something’. There was also a plastic-like thorn bothering her in her sternum.

  ***

  A few hours later, at SHC’s hall. Today, in this morning, the well-expected convention would take place. Everyone was in the room, and while it wasn’t transmitted live, it was on.

  Lymoca and the south were looked at more than yesterday, and ANS was a few times more ignored. They still received plenty of attention, especially from Marcoplix’s representatives, who didn’t dare to be too friendly to any nation.

  In fact, according to Marcoplix’s situation, they shouldn’t even be here, but they were allowed by SHC. Luis had been seated for over 15 minutes, more than the others here, except for ANS’s Laen Worfield, among a few others from the south of Moonblue.

  But at last, all the 8 senior council members of the City arrived through the towering doors and immediately received attention from every representative. Silence slowly emerged, with some mutters still ringing. The atmosphere calmed down.

  “Everyone!” The oldest but still as efficient as any of the other seniors members spoke at the wide glass microphone. “I now formally start the Southern Crescent Moon Convention on this 1,028th year, 4th month, 4th week, and 7th day’s mid-morning.”

  A light applause followed the elderly’s words. Luis felt a build-up on his sides, which he tried calming down. Lesly’s words and hopeful eyes helped him more than he did himself in his mind.

  “To clarify before engaging with the procedures of following development, as it has been conducted with my grandfather since back when the Green President showcased the Humane Key, we’ll hear the selective parties. To the understanding of all, we shall go through a 15-minute minimum and 30-minute maximum period for each lead representative to express and detail.”

  “Throughout this procedure, unfortunately the last perhaps before my departure, we may question at least once per group, but only up to 5 times per nation, and their time shall not be taken from their speech. The only nation to speak out of this procedure will be Lymoca.”

  “Let us hear, let them speak, and we shall come to a consensus for the better good of the world, and our feeble but resilient stability.” The senior member finished and looked at his comrades, who nodded at him, each of them to him. He then nodded and spoke one last time.

  “May Terka’s senior minister and the Ly Ters people’s community representative come forth?”

  “We are here!” A voice spoke out beside Lymoca’s seats before walking to the side to walk there. The old man pressed his lips into a smile, looking at the ‘young’ people coming to the stand with wise, tired eyes, “Thank you for beginning my last chance at seeing greatness.”

  The old man’s comments reached everyone. This was a person whose overall identity has brought him to stand in the council from junior to senior with the most stable yet recognized career. His grandfather was a man who out bested the Green President in the game of lifespan. But one of the major events in his life was conducting the session where the Humane Key was worldly recognized by all countries around the world.

  “Thank you, your honors,” Terka’s senior minister smiled and faced the senior council before facing the lots of most important figures in almost every country in the world. “As the senior minister of Terka…”

  … Terka’s senior minister’s speech was different from what he spoke in the meeting held at Cors. It wasn’t too much different, but it held the information he drilled into his brain to keep the people in the convention as updated as possible.

  While Argopolas and Melenon were now also Lymoca’s territory like Cerka and Torka, they weren’t more than a year-old in Lymoca’s borders like Terka. If there was a most influential list of facts that they wanted and would be useful here, it was Terka’s situation; pros and cons.

  The convention had only just started, but it became quintessential from the first facet. It wasn’t too entertaining, but for the sake of learning, and more so garnering experience, the adequate people were sent. Even if someone didn’t understand, since not even half is their expertise, and didn’t know how to compare or level out, their representative group would have someone that do.

  It went for the longest amount of time possible, which neared those 30 minutes. When the senior minister finished, the community representative spoke. He had a separate allocated time, which he only took the least amount of possible before departing.

  Both felt impressively nervous. The senior minister hid it better, having gone through some training, and speaking to the Ly Ters people for various occasions to present himself to them all. It was somewhat of a tour, but it was utterly necessary for someone like him.

  Fox’s emptiness set the bar high, and if he had not lived up to it, working his ass off like the people’s dog, he wouldn’t have even remained as Terka’s senior minister, let alone come here.

  On the other hand, the Ly Ters community representative didn’t feel inferior in the meeting at Cors, but being here in the sacred Safe Heaven City brought him multiple emotions. There was the sentiment of arriving here mostly from the respect he gained and eloquence. Then, there was the disbelief that he was stepping on such a stage, and with such a public at that!

  From then on, it was the other people’s turn. First were the participants of the beginning of the Radical Wars, Argopolas’s Marco P. and Melenon’s Gustavo Q.

  Cerka and Torka didn’t have anything to speak with, as their situation had only just ended, and the regulations didn’t allow for a representative to be valid. There were too many irregularities in such a short amount of time. Thus, Lymoca sent the Exterior Affairs Secretary to speak about the situation with them, but nothing more.

  They were allowed less time because of the circumstances. Then, it was time for the recently willing parties to move under Lymoca’s wing. They clearly expressed their concerns for their people. The south was home to 3 wars in less than 3 years, who could feel at rest?

  Nevertheless, while the situation in Cerka and Torka was favorable at worst as Lymoca commenced taking over and managing the enormous land they now earned from their enemies; the newly integrating countries showed not only fear from the ‘exterior parties’, but excitement as well. Even if they wanted to hide it better, they couldn’t.

  Mount Veneta and Collan were a surprise nobody wondered, not until it happened, and even the island countries and the nearest neighbors to Lymoca were the same. Hearing their presidents speak with such smooth honesty had the spectators feel… more convinced.

  At last, it was Endesa and Carnge’s turn to speak. President Richard P. from Endesa and president Carl F. from Carnge deliberately exposed their needs and Lymoca’s aid in every single one of them for the past decade and a half.

  The representatives were reminded of how the south usually asked for some light help every year throughout the 336 days. It only stopped… since President Luis Heartez started taking office in Lymoca. The longer he stayed in that seat, the less support the south requested.

  When the island countries’ presidents Pedro P. for Pyot Island and president Carlotta F. for Meztle Island began, they slightly dropped a bomb. ANS’s activity was confirmed on several occasions after some of their military executives were found to have somehow sneaked into their country.

  The reason? They lost special forces to the organized crime in the mountains. It was a notorious piece of news over 48 years ago, almost an entire set of 5 decades, enough for a generation to forget about it despite its impact back then.

  They retold the situation with Lymoca unwillingly sending mediocre help back then, only becoming consistent and to the point after Luis took over. It was no surprise. Be it propaganda or facts that only amounted to what Luis had done in public, on the exposing light of the world; he was always what these presidents’ speeches centered on at some point.

  Regardless, each of these people spoke their time as requested and presented their views. Furthermore, recent activity, news, and celebrations across southern Moonblue emerged, signaling the peoples’ reaction and understanding after enough time to consider.

  It was a bit too soon, sooner than usual, but with time, Lymoca’s party with the other southern groups proved they were not hasty, only timely and not taking any ‘wait a moment’ as an alternative. Instead, they proved their insight, and the people their will to join hands with one another through country borders and… cultures.

  Additionally, the presidents and community representative’s speeches were everything these other groups needed to hear. They were already considering Lymoca’s ‘atrocious acts and licentiousness’, as ANS preached on almost religiously, to be… what the south wanted.

  Luis could see the notion entering the other groups’ heads, but now, it was his turn to speak. The oldest council member chatted tiredly with the senior council before walking to the wide glass microphone. Then, he looked at Luis with a pair of eyes that dropped weight on his shoulders.

  It was his turn to explain everything and Lymoca’s… blood and heart.

  …