The Martial Unity

CLACK The door opened as some of them entered the air-conditioned office, feeling a suffusion of relief at the pleasantly cool air. The other hemosapiens in the room turned around with raised eyebrows as they found themselves studying the young lady and man who had entered the room in the middle of a meeting.

“Friends of yours, boss?” One man asked casually, sizing the two of them. “They’re quite impressive, to be this strong at that age.”

He had a powerful, muscular body with veins that popped out of his hands in a manner that Ria found to be very hot, though she kept the thought to herself. Though she hadn’t missed that, as powerful as the man was, he paled in comparison to the sheer intensity of the power that hid within Arastia’s body.

Arastia smiled. “They’re some talented pathwalkers that I tapped into for this operation, Schoel.”

“You plan to bring them along?” Schoel knitted his eyebrows. “Boss… I don’t think we should bring a bunch of teenagers with us. For this mission, even Martial Masters won’t be sufficient.”

“Consider it an investment in their potential,” Arastia remarked, unfazed by his objection. “They will be a liability,” another man warned.”

“Do not underestimate them, Lenand,” Arastia replied. “Rest assured, if they are liabilities, they will be booted off.”

“If you intend to bring them along, have them sign the liability waiver,” another woman spoke with a firm tone. “We cannot take too much responsibility.”

“That, I will ensure, Maria. Regardless, my decision is final, as long as they themselves accept.”

The men in the room heaved a sigh, nodding in a slightly deferential woman while the other woman remained unfazed. An unusual dynamic took place in the meeting. Both Runark and Ria could sense greater power from the women than the men, and it reflected in their body language and nonverbal communication. There was a marked inverse in the kinds of power dynamics that weren’t too uncommon in other races.

“I believe that finalizes everything else,” Arastia remarked, skimming through the document once more. “In which case, this meeting has come to an end. Get to preparing. This will be an important operation if everything works out.”

The three blood humans nodded, getting up before leaving the room. The two men directed a curious glance at the two Martial Artists as they passed by, while Maria seemed entirely uninterested. CLACK

The door closed as the three of them left. The familiar hum of the jamming field reactivated at the shutting of the door, protecting the privacy of the office.

Arastia’s relaxed as her expression softened and her eyes lit up. She got up as she walked over towards the two of them, heaving a deep breath. “The two of you have grown up so fast. It feels like yesterday when the three of us were playing in the gardens of Quarrier Orphanage and in the streets of Quarrier Town.”

Those words made Ria feel melancholic as she recalled a time in her life when life truly felt like paradise. It was just her, her parents, her family, and her friends.

The tranquil happiness she felt then had ironed itself to become a core memory in heart and mind, defining who she was and what she yearned for, even after all these years.

Arastia could sense Ria’s emotions as her hands wrapped around them.

PAT

“I’m happy to see that the two of you have grown up well and strong. I’m so proud of you two.”

She turned towards Ria, cupping her face in her hands in a maternal way, before pulling her into a deep hug. Ria reciprocated, hugging her aunt tightly as she basked in her affection, before finally letting go.

“Come,” Arastia gestured at the seats at her table. “Let’s have a chat. We have much to talk about.”

The moment the three of them settled in their seats, Runark immediately chirped up with curiosity.

“Are you guys planning a big operation?” he asked with alacrity.

“Yes, we are,” Arastia remarked with a knowing expression. “I’m sure you’ve seen the news about Planet Amadeus III. We believe that it is an infected world, and if that is the case, we must get our hands on it. We’re already slightly late compared to the first-takers, but we’ll get there in time to collect a substantial amount of esoteric ores and potentially negatron matter.”

“Who is the commission for?” Ria raised an eyebrow.

“Nobody,” Arastia replied simply. “We are undertaking this operation for ourselves with the hopes of getting our hands on some powerful resources. It is worth it to stockpile on some esoteric ores, since the only supply of them is from tier-one Gaia offspring. Esoteric matter is a very precious resource, and getting our hands on it will allow us to gain an edge against our enemies. I look forward to kicking some alien butt this time around. I’ve been too involved in the political side of things recently.”

She was referring to the Blood Cult, of course. A constant cold, and often very hot, war ensued between the two sides as they constantly maneuvered for any advantage that they could get their hands on. “Wait, you’re participating too?” Ria’s amber eyes lit up with excitement.

“Of course,” Arastia smiled confidently. “It’s the perfect time of the month when I’m at my peak power. It would be a waste not to put it to use.”

Instantly, Ria grew immensely jealous of her aunt. The fact that what was a nightmare for every other woman was a source of great power for hemosapien women was just deeply unfair, as far as she was concerned. She sometimes wished her mother were a hemosapien so that she could inherit this amazing trait instead of the usual deal.

Runark simply scratched his head awkwardly, unsure of what to say to that. Though he had to admit that it was quite reassuring that the strongest hemosapien would be participating when at the very peak of her power.