I wake up after having worse nightmares than usual. I dreamt that...hmm... I walk down the hallway to Kiyoshi's room and quietly push the door open a crack. Aimi is sleeping on the bed, and I lurch to the floor as reality hits me again. It really did happen and I really do have to face her every day now.
After a dazed minute I pull myself to my feet and follow the sounds of Kiyoshi doing his sword forms. I lean against the doorway with crossed arms until he finishes. He really is an amazing swordsman. His abilities of concentration alone put nearly everyone I've known to shame. He finishes and says good morning. I return the nicety and cut to the chase - before a certain someone can interrupt us.
"I hope that you really care for Aimi; because she loves you, and not like I love you." I give him a meaningful look. "If you don't respond in kind she may do something worse than try to kill herself." For a moment Kiyoshi pauses, and looks almost vulnerable, "But she's so young." I can tell that he does indeed care for her, but still holds on to his stupid Allskin sensibilities about how things should be. "I think you're going to have to look past that brother," I say gently.
Great Sages how I hate to be the one to encourage my brother to treat Aimi well! But after he (with some help) saved her from self-inflicted death, he can't just keep her as a friend or sparring buddy. He might not get that, but I've seen how she looks at him - or tries not to look at him. Kiyoshi is the person who cut through years and years of horrid training by Mama Pain and Dr. Soren. She's not going to let him be anything but her everything.
Kiyoshi nods, "Yes, I will care for Aimi." I smile supportively, but my heart creaks a little. Now I have to share my brother. I ask if he'll spar with a me for a bit to try and shake off my dreams... If only my dreams didn't follow me out into the daylight.
All of us separate on various tasks. I go get some clothes for Aimi to wear (deciding on some assassin-proper leather pants and a short kimono to tie over the top), as well as a few sundry extras. I place her clothes by the door and work on sharpening Griever after I punished it so sorely on my bed frame.
Late in the day, we all start trickling back in, and Aimi (thankfully garbed) pops into the room with us. She's painfully cheery saying hello to us all. My better nature thinks to ask if she's hungry. Suddenly realizing that she is, I beckon for her to follow me. We walk down the hall side-by-side, and I hear a some murmur from Kiyoshi about maybe not such a good idea... "Is there something besides birdseed?" she asks. I make a face, "Blech. I normally eat meat. Raw. Which you might not like either. We'll find you some normal Cheldrun food."
We sit eating together for a good while. Her asking me either very ignorant or very intentionally embarrassing questions. I try to answer as if I was talking to an innocent adolescent, which she is not, but it helps me keep my temper under control. Just when I get up the guts to ask about her motives for helping Namie, the rest of the group joins us. She asks Moses if he's going to start moralizing with her now too. "Uh, no." he stammers, then goes to leave. That surprises me; I thought for sure Moses would want a serious talk/smack-down with her, but then again the poor man is extremely overwhelmed.
I take him some food on my way to bed. He asks for the fork, then commences shoveling the food into his mouth extremely quickly. I guess he's been hungry! About ten seconds later an empty plate clatters to the floor, and he exhales. We chat for a bit about what he's been doing, and his main problems. I tell him I'll see if I can get crops to speed grow so that the people can take them for supplies. Wishing him goodnight, I wonder why I even bother adding the 'good' anymore.
Waking up, I find that Aimi has spread an entire arsenal out on the large table in the common area. "Wow." I can't help but say. She asks for a couple opinions, then I finally have presence of mind to ask,"What happened to your gauntlet-thing?" Her face kind of falls, "Oh, I smashed it. I don't know where it is." "Hmm." I mutter, "I think Rei had something like a gauntlet with her, but I'm not sure if it's yours." Aimi looks a bit surprised, "Rei didn't mention it to me." I shrug. Great, the sibling tiffs begin already!
I spend four oh-so exciting hours standing in the middle of a field, letting the energy from Karia flow through me, when finally the crop is ready for harvesting. Actually thrilled at the last, I fly quickly to our departure point to tell Moses about my success. Being a bit late I just land quietly on the stage and wait for Moses to say his piece. He bows his head at the end, holding Zipporah's hand. The sky begins to ripple (with water?), and I hope he knows what he's doing this time, because that box on his back is ticking again.
Suddenly the city grows. I mean everything that could possibly flourish - does. Giant trees, vines and bushes suddenly reach maturity, flower, bear fruit, then wither, leaving behind sustenance for his people. And then all the rail cars sprout arms and begin filling themselves up with the food! I am absolutely amazed, and then I am really upset.
I walk up behind Moses: "You could have told me you know. I could have done something more beneficial than growing a two-kilometer-diameter crop the whole morning - apparently." Moses looks sheepish, as he is so good at doing, "I didn't know what was going to happen." I try and look put out, but he didn't know what the first two 'things' would do, so why would he expect this one? "Oh, okay then. It's really amazing Moses." He nods humbly.
***
We all make it onto the Senin and head for the Grand Chantry for the regrettable (in so many ways) task of delivering Mokuzai's head. Several hours later Kiyoshi finds us a nice open landing spot right near the remains of Inari's Grandmother. Even this far away from the Chantry, we are greeted by Zipsum emmmisaries as we deboard. Sings-Like-Frog welcomes us and begs forgiveness for the lack of several (only-the-Prill-worry-about-them type) formalities.
We proceed first to the Choir of the Dead and Mokuzai's grandson - Twilight. He greets us warmly despite the reason for our visit. Many of us offer condolences, and he chides us all gently; he reminds us that it is he who should be doing the comforting - not the other way round. We are offered to stay vigil, or time to speak with a choir member, or freedom of the Chantry as we desire. Rei and I chose to be heard by the choir, each in separate rooms, for much of the night. I have the loss of all my people and guilt over not saving Mokuzai to unload. The idea of facing Elder Moon the next day seems much more daunting than the oni that killed her mate. The Prill that speaks to me at long length wonders what would give me closure, would a ritual help?
I nod. It seems just the thing. I think I would warm my heart beyond measure to know that anyone but me cares that the Vorax are all gone. After the sun rises, Mokuzai's effigy (with his real head) is processed out for the Prill death rites. Just as with elder Winter, at the end of the ritual, Mokuzai's remains turn into shining motes of light that disperse into the world. At least Karia has Peace, if not us. I try not to see Elder Moon standing stiffly to receive condolences from many Prill. Much to my horror, after the crowd disperses, she comes over to us.
"Would you join me for the reception?" She doesn't look angry or bitter towards us, and we guardedly accept her invitation. After some exchanged niceties and polite conversation I can't hold in the guilt any longer. "Elder Moon, we can't express how sorry we are that we couldn't save him. We really tried." I try not to cry as to make a mockery of her much greater grief. She actually smiles sadly and says, "Child, I have never been able to keep Mokuzai from doing what he wanted to do. I certainly don't blame you for his stubbornness." I exhale and nod solemnly.
We decide we're going to leave the next day. It seems that I will miss witnessing the Vorax farewell rite, but other matters are more pressing than my cultural ego. We say our goodbyes, including to Moses' new good-family. Apparently he survived meeting Zipporah's kin. As we enter the open area where the Senin rests we see Inari's Grandmother surrounded by the Choir of the Dead. One comes to ask if I have some memento of the other Vorax, or some feathers of mine own. I am loath to part with the book of Vorax that visited the Grand Chantry (that was given to me that morning) so I give a handful of my feathers. They are more Vorax-y anyways.
The Choir continues in a spectacular ritual which culminates in a glowing ghost-image of Inari's Grandmother standing up, and its leaves filled with flying Vorax...tons and tons of them. Tears fall gratefully down my face. A Choir member approaches me and I hear something about "always tended" and "Vorax never forgotten". I try to vocalize an unspeakable thankfulness and slowly join the others on the Senin. As we fly away, it's long minutes before the shining light from the new memorial disappears from view. We will be remembered.
Showing posts with label Una. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Una. Show all posts
Episode 32: The Very Long Night of Daitokuji Kiyoshi
I was running down a dark hallway with grey metal walls. (That's still new for me. Before I came to Geneva Prime, my dreams never had long dark hallways.) A loud booming noise followed me, metal footsteps. They came closer, closer, closer....*gasp* I sat up in bed with a sheen of sweat on my forehead. I was about to lay back down when I realized that the booming noise was real, and going down the hallway past my room.
High Dive had already left our room, so I peeked my head out and ran towards the source of commotion. To my surprise Aimi was in Kiyoshi's room - naked. I could tell by his face that he was in the Void now. And whatever came before, just now Kiyoshi seemed to be trying to capture his pink-haired (it's apparently natural by the way) charity case. Interestingly enough, Aimi said that she didn't want to fight any of us. But that didn't stop High Dive from running crazy circles around her to try and bind her. Some progress was finally made in that regard, when Rei stepped up to touch her sister. We stopped that little idea pretty quick. All of us had waited waaay too long to get our hands on Aimi.
As High Dive tied the last knot, Rei mentioned that Moses was fighting mecca by himself out on the street. What?? I glance at Kiyoshi, who glances at Aimi. "We must go help Moses," he says. We all agree and run out the door, leaving Aimi alone with knots and a dubious fate ahead of her.
I shifted into Vorax form and reach Moses just after High Dive. We are lucky enough to gather that Moses is badly hurt, just before seven more mecca come to join the fight - and not on our side. While I healed our mechified friend, and did wicked damage to a mecca trying to beat him down, two more mecca appeared as well as Rei and Kiyoshi. Luckily the two new mecca were fighting with us and Rei learned some nasty new trick that turned several mecca into rag dolls. It was rather unnerving, but as is her way, she was quite proud of herself. Certainly none of us were complaining at the moment! We made short order of the last of them, and Moses x4 molded a mecca pilot cage out of rebar.
He carried the enemy pilots back to our lodgings, and Kiyoshi, Rei, and myself each carried the inert body of the pilots who had helped us. Part of the walk back I was by myself strolling down an alley, when I heard someone say my name. Not knowing whether to expect friend or foe I set down the mecca pilot against a wall. I stepped forward a bit, "Who's there?" Quite suddenly Aimi appeared in front of me. Yes. The Aimi who I just found out had escaped. Griever twitched. "What do you want?" I heard myself ask.
"Kiyoshi isn't listening. Give this to him," and she handed me a sealed envelope. So now I'm a messenger for a teenage assassin's angsty, misguided farewell letter to Kiyoshi?? I tucked the letter bitterly under my armor, and she turned to walk away. Catch her! Finish her off! My mind cried to me. Why aren't you moving? Why indeed...
The look on Rei's face when she found out about the death of Sever and Stitch still haunted me, even though they deserved the death that High Dive and I dished out. What would happen when I told her Aimi was dead too? Also, Kiyoshi had captured her for judgment. My dear brother thought she deserved a trial, but the execution seemed inevitable - she admitted to killing Amuro Naimi. Not to mention all the other lives she's ruined. If I was just willing to kill some unknown mecca in a street brawl, why in the hell am I hesitating?
I feel energy begin to thrum. I am full of it. I know I can obliterate her, right now. But every step she takes from me feels like a pain in my heart. Speaking of, I shout out, "You broke Kiyoshi's heart you know." I thought she should know that Kiyoshi wanted to love her, before I killed her. She is laughing and crying as she takes another step. Right now Una! Let the power of Karia turn her to ash! Then I remember:
Karia wants Forgiveness. I scream inside my head. Nooo! Countless people have died in these last few weeks for far lesser crimes than hers! Another step. I remember Rei when we first met her, and how hard it had been for her to learn to respond to emotions with something other than violence. Step. Why in Karia am I letting her go?!? Step...Step. Moses is going to kill me. Rei will thank me. Kiyoshi will judge me. Step...Step...Step.
Time turns to sludge as she nears the corner of a building. This is my last chance. I can finish off the bane of Aimi once and for all. I begin to raise my hand as part of my brain knows what it should be doing, but my will evaporates...and so does Aimi. I stand trembling in the middle of the alley. What have I done???
After some painful number of heartbeats I remember my task. I gather up the mecca pilot just in time to hear sounds of battle from ahead. Did I let Aimi go just so she could immediately destroy us all? How could I have been so horrible and so stupid? Oh Karia, I hope you know what you're doing. I arrive at the next plaza just after some loud explosion went off. The pilot is set on the ground once again as I see that Rei is there, grievously wounded by shrapnel. I take the energy that would have atomized her sibling, and use it to force bits of rubble from her and heal her body.
There's no time to dally; there's obviously plenty of people left out there who want us dead, in a bad way. I'm told the final explosion was a suicide bomber of all things. We return to our lodgings. I remain in an agonized stupor while the others discuss tactics and plans. Something has been agreed upon, and people are about to depart for bed. "Wait," I say. I turn towards Rei while drawing forth the envelope, and poke her chest with each word, "Don't ever say I don't love you!" My voice nearly cracks with strain at every syllable. So I simply hand the note to Kiyoshi, and glance fearfully at Moses. "Goodnight," I manage to say and high-tail it to my room.
The next hour I spent with Griever, furiously attacking the rail of my bed. All the violence and anger that I should have showed to Aimi was visited upon that poor little bed. Why did I have to feel forgiving at that moment in the alley? Now I feel fear that she will kill many more people in her life, and that Moses will hate me for it. Heck, I'll hate myself for it. Why did she have to look so damn hurt and sad in the alley? And after she had just been completely non-violent with us! Can't I just enjoy getting back at someone, even once? With no pang of guilt? Please??
I sighed, and slumped exhausted against my shredded bed. I dozed for who knows how long, when once again my name was called out. But this time it was Rei calling my name. Oh Great Sages, what could be wrong now? I ran down the hallway (with Moses close behind) and saw Rei with Kiyoshi carrying a body.
It's Aimi.
I screamed in horror and jumped back. My head shook a negation. This can't be happening. They couldn't be asking me to heal her. I could see that she was very nearly dead. "She didn't kill Amuro Naimi, she saved her. Please help her," Kiyoshi said very seriously. He looked like he hadn't slept at all, and there was a pain in his voice that tells me that she really is more than his charity case. Moses was still furious that she was there and slammed his door shut. I was too confused to hold her body as I normally do, so I placed a ginger hand on her chest. I trust my brother, and I truly hoped he wasn't mislead.
Glowing blue tears mingled with salty tears of agony as Aimi's life is restored. I was this close to killing her. I would have destroyed someone trying to make a noble change, someone who my brother loves. If this was supposed to be a brutal lesson about the power of Forgiveness, Karia, consider the message recieved.
High Dive had already left our room, so I peeked my head out and ran towards the source of commotion. To my surprise Aimi was in Kiyoshi's room - naked. I could tell by his face that he was in the Void now. And whatever came before, just now Kiyoshi seemed to be trying to capture his pink-haired (it's apparently natural by the way) charity case. Interestingly enough, Aimi said that she didn't want to fight any of us. But that didn't stop High Dive from running crazy circles around her to try and bind her. Some progress was finally made in that regard, when Rei stepped up to touch her sister. We stopped that little idea pretty quick. All of us had waited waaay too long to get our hands on Aimi.
As High Dive tied the last knot, Rei mentioned that Moses was fighting mecca by himself out on the street. What?? I glance at Kiyoshi, who glances at Aimi. "We must go help Moses," he says. We all agree and run out the door, leaving Aimi alone with knots and a dubious fate ahead of her.
I shifted into Vorax form and reach Moses just after High Dive. We are lucky enough to gather that Moses is badly hurt, just before seven more mecca come to join the fight - and not on our side. While I healed our mechified friend, and did wicked damage to a mecca trying to beat him down, two more mecca appeared as well as Rei and Kiyoshi. Luckily the two new mecca were fighting with us and Rei learned some nasty new trick that turned several mecca into rag dolls. It was rather unnerving, but as is her way, she was quite proud of herself. Certainly none of us were complaining at the moment! We made short order of the last of them, and Moses x4 molded a mecca pilot cage out of rebar.
He carried the enemy pilots back to our lodgings, and Kiyoshi, Rei, and myself each carried the inert body of the pilots who had helped us. Part of the walk back I was by myself strolling down an alley, when I heard someone say my name. Not knowing whether to expect friend or foe I set down the mecca pilot against a wall. I stepped forward a bit, "Who's there?" Quite suddenly Aimi appeared in front of me. Yes. The Aimi who I just found out had escaped. Griever twitched. "What do you want?" I heard myself ask.
"Kiyoshi isn't listening. Give this to him," and she handed me a sealed envelope. So now I'm a messenger for a teenage assassin's angsty, misguided farewell letter to Kiyoshi?? I tucked the letter bitterly under my armor, and she turned to walk away. Catch her! Finish her off! My mind cried to me. Why aren't you moving? Why indeed...
The look on Rei's face when she found out about the death of Sever and Stitch still haunted me, even though they deserved the death that High Dive and I dished out. What would happen when I told her Aimi was dead too? Also, Kiyoshi had captured her for judgment. My dear brother thought she deserved a trial, but the execution seemed inevitable - she admitted to killing Amuro Naimi. Not to mention all the other lives she's ruined. If I was just willing to kill some unknown mecca in a street brawl, why in the hell am I hesitating?
I feel energy begin to thrum. I am full of it. I know I can obliterate her, right now. But every step she takes from me feels like a pain in my heart. Speaking of, I shout out, "You broke Kiyoshi's heart you know." I thought she should know that Kiyoshi wanted to love her, before I killed her. She is laughing and crying as she takes another step. Right now Una! Let the power of Karia turn her to ash! Then I remember:
Karia wants Forgiveness. I scream inside my head. Nooo! Countless people have died in these last few weeks for far lesser crimes than hers! Another step. I remember Rei when we first met her, and how hard it had been for her to learn to respond to emotions with something other than violence. Step. Why in Karia am I letting her go?!? Step...Step. Moses is going to kill me. Rei will thank me. Kiyoshi will judge me. Step...Step...Step.
Time turns to sludge as she nears the corner of a building. This is my last chance. I can finish off the bane of Aimi once and for all. I begin to raise my hand as part of my brain knows what it should be doing, but my will evaporates...and so does Aimi. I stand trembling in the middle of the alley. What have I done???
After some painful number of heartbeats I remember my task. I gather up the mecca pilot just in time to hear sounds of battle from ahead. Did I let Aimi go just so she could immediately destroy us all? How could I have been so horrible and so stupid? Oh Karia, I hope you know what you're doing. I arrive at the next plaza just after some loud explosion went off. The pilot is set on the ground once again as I see that Rei is there, grievously wounded by shrapnel. I take the energy that would have atomized her sibling, and use it to force bits of rubble from her and heal her body.
There's no time to dally; there's obviously plenty of people left out there who want us dead, in a bad way. I'm told the final explosion was a suicide bomber of all things. We return to our lodgings. I remain in an agonized stupor while the others discuss tactics and plans. Something has been agreed upon, and people are about to depart for bed. "Wait," I say. I turn towards Rei while drawing forth the envelope, and poke her chest with each word, "Don't ever say I don't love you!" My voice nearly cracks with strain at every syllable. So I simply hand the note to Kiyoshi, and glance fearfully at Moses. "Goodnight," I manage to say and high-tail it to my room.
The next hour I spent with Griever, furiously attacking the rail of my bed. All the violence and anger that I should have showed to Aimi was visited upon that poor little bed. Why did I have to feel forgiving at that moment in the alley? Now I feel fear that she will kill many more people in her life, and that Moses will hate me for it. Heck, I'll hate myself for it. Why did she have to look so damn hurt and sad in the alley? And after she had just been completely non-violent with us! Can't I just enjoy getting back at someone, even once? With no pang of guilt? Please??
I sighed, and slumped exhausted against my shredded bed. I dozed for who knows how long, when once again my name was called out. But this time it was Rei calling my name. Oh Great Sages, what could be wrong now? I ran down the hallway (with Moses close behind) and saw Rei with Kiyoshi carrying a body.
It's Aimi.
I screamed in horror and jumped back. My head shook a negation. This can't be happening. They couldn't be asking me to heal her. I could see that she was very nearly dead. "She didn't kill Amuro Naimi, she saved her. Please help her," Kiyoshi said very seriously. He looked like he hadn't slept at all, and there was a pain in his voice that tells me that she really is more than his charity case. Moses was still furious that she was there and slammed his door shut. I was too confused to hold her body as I normally do, so I placed a ginger hand on her chest. I trust my brother, and I truly hoped he wasn't mislead.
Glowing blue tears mingled with salty tears of agony as Aimi's life is restored. I was this close to killing her. I would have destroyed someone trying to make a noble change, someone who my brother loves. If this was supposed to be a brutal lesson about the power of Forgiveness, Karia, consider the message recieved.
Contemplating Forgiveness
It happened right after. I was in the flophouse basement basking in the sweet atmosphere of vengeance. The bodies of Sever (without a jaw) and Stitch (without a stomach) lay upon the ground. These boys who had caused so much pain and harm were finally dead. I thought I couldn't be happier. Then I glanced over to Rei. Someone wouldn't be very happy about this.
{{{FORGIVENESS}}}
The word echoed in my head like a gong. I tried to shake it away as I picked up Rei's vivisected body. How could forgiveness for horrible Cheldrun like Sever and Stitch possibly help Karia achieve the answer she desires? She gave me the power both to hurt and to heal. What does that mean?
My mouth sings a lullaby, and glowing blue tears flow down my chest and arms onto Rei's body as I run out of the smashed basement. Maybe forgiveness doesn't mean not fighting, but what does it mean? Moses' essence is blissfully self-explanatory. Do I just stand there and the end of days and tell everything, "I forgive you"? That can't be all there is to it.
Rei became conscious, and I had to affirm that her 'brothers' were truly dead. She ran off, and I wondered how I would feel if she hated me for killing Sever. I wondered if it would mean the world to me... If indeed it would mean all existence to me...
The word echoed in my head like a gong. I tried to shake it away as I picked up Rei's vivisected body. How could forgiveness for horrible Cheldrun like Sever and Stitch possibly help Karia achieve the answer she desires? She gave me the power both to hurt and to heal. What does that mean?
My mouth sings a lullaby, and glowing blue tears flow down my chest and arms onto Rei's body as I run out of the smashed basement. Maybe forgiveness doesn't mean not fighting, but what does it mean? Moses' essence is blissfully self-explanatory. Do I just stand there and the end of days and tell everything, "I forgive you"? That can't be all there is to it.
Rei became conscious, and I had to affirm that her 'brothers' were truly dead. She ran off, and I wondered how I would feel if she hated me for killing Sever. I wondered if it would mean the world to me... If indeed it would mean all existence to me...
Episode 29: The Man in White
I hugged Griever to my chest wondering how soon I would have to use it. High Dive had been gone almost ten minutes just trying to find a way to spy on Katashi Blade's office. It doesn't normally take her so long, but then again Katashi Blade doesn't have your everyday kind of office. And then there was Rei tucked down behind one of the console-desks; where had she been? The fact that she brought Balder with her certainly went a long way towards her credit. If she had searched out Balder, then she probably wasn't planning to come back just to wipe us out for the First Minds.
My thoughts were interrupted as the elevator by my shoulder began to indicate an impending visitor. I hoped for Kiyoshi and Moses, but prepared for Katashi Blade. What I got were two Hei-Shi and some scared looking office guy with an ear bud. "Bamuna of the Reikoku nest?" he stammered. I nodded, "Yeah". "I was told that a Rei and Balder would be here as well... Where are they?" I informed him that my companions had done what they wanted to do. (In this case it happened to be hiding behind desks in the room, and staying hidden.) He wanted to escort me to my fellows in the main plaza. "Are they still alive?" I asked with a sardonic twist to my mouth. Much to my chagrin, he checked with his ear bud to inform me that they were indeed still alive. Yeah, but for how long? I promised him that I would take myself to the plaza, and took a flying leap out the broken window. Man, I would have loved to look back and seen his face...
I dove down in Vorax form to the plaza expecting the worst. On the negative side there were six squadrons of Goshi soldiers in the plaza facing my friends, on the positive side they weren't attacking yet. I called out to get Kiyoshi's attention and braced my talons to show him my intentions. He didn't move away, so I took that as permission to take him out of there. Moses was standing at the focal point of all the soldiers. Damn. It's so frustrating not being able to just pull him up out of trouble too. At least he can take a lot of scrapes and come through okay.
Then things got strange. A wind started picking up the the sky was filled, and I mean filled from horizon to horizon with stone-colored? stuff. This was immediately after one of Moses' shields appeared in front of me and some crazy red lightning danced around him. Great. What in the heck is happening now? If Moses thought we needed protection then something nasty was coming. I booked it to the roof of the nearest building with some sort of shelter.
We landed, and Kiyoshi was about to expound upon his suggested plan of action, when some beflagged strumpet in black and yellow strolled up. She spat something about clan honor and Kiyoshi and all companions needing to be killed. I rolled my eyes as her (lovely I must admit) bracers activated to shift her into a mecca. Kiyoshi and I jumped off the building planning on a smooth getaway, but the woman jumped!
She managed to land a slash on me while I was carrying Kiyoshi, which made me slam into the side of the nearest building. With the extra weight, this unfortunately sent me into a barely-controlled dive/spin to the ground. So there, back in Goshi plaza, all of us but High Dive faced off four stunningly dangerous creations... as it began to rain nevergems. Long, sharp, nevergems. Was this really what Moses intended to do?
Faced with people that we really didn't want to kill, Kiyoshi began to glow silver and laid a thick layer of guilt upon us all. Should I have physically restrained my brothers and sisters from the Last Flight? I'm sure I could have saved at least one... In the end, one mecca joined us against the others, but the other three remained stubborn. The crystal storm was also getting intolerable. High Dive showed up under an overhang, so we all hunkered under Moses and dashed that direction. Kiyoshi told Rei to teleport us to Geneva Minor, and as our little group touched High Dive we disappeared in a whiff of smoke...
...and appeared not in Geneva Minor. We were by some train station outside of Geneva Prime. I gave a questioning look to Rei, wondering if I gave her too much benefit of the doubt upon her return. "I told Surgeon that I would meet him here," Rei explains. Ah. Baldur and Surgeon. She's either really understanding who should stick together, or she's really kissing our arses so that she can catch us all unawares later. I of course prefer to think the former, but still worry about the latter.
Trainload after trainload of people arrived fleeing the city, as we contemplated the poster with 35 years for Kiyoshi's head. (High Dive was very annoyed that she wasn't regarded as equally as dangerous, and proceeded to draw up her own poster which portrayed her as a squirrel having a very very bad hair day and worth tons of years.) Moses spoke briefly with the crowd about what he felt was the right course of action for them, and then Surgeon was put in charge of making arrangements. Moses' people were supposed to go to Stardown it seemed. But of course, we had to figure out how to get rid of Katashi Blade first so that they weren't all slaughtered on the way.
Speaking of Katashi Blade: While we are at the station amongst the throng, the screen alongside the track illuminated to show the face of the man in white. A very very very angry man in white. Mr. I'm-So-Cool proceeded to lay out the most rabid string of insults and threats you could imagine. I didn't know he had it in him, literally. He reaffirmed that he would not let anyone leave the city upon pain of death, and that Moses was welcome to come and get him. I liked that last part best. Aww, he wants to see us again, how sweet! I touch the handle of Griever reassuringly, "Maybe it's time we introduced you two to each other."
After our resident machine-people affirmed that could not send an equally taunting message back to the entire city, we linked hands once again and puffed off to Geneva Minor. We landed a bit away from the flophouse, so Rei went to check that everything was on the up and up. She came back to affirm that it was indeed on the down and down. What a perfect day - sheesh. We decided that Moses and Kiyoshi would go to get the Senin (Kiyoshi had one of those "I will be okay by sheer force of will" looks on his face as he departed for the deeps of the bay). I sighed, but I knew that Moses wouldn't let him get die. Baldur and I waited in view of the front door in case things went bad, and Rei took High Dive to sneak (green glowy sneak? Oh. No. Smoky shadowy sneak.) into the basement room where all of our companions were being held hostage.
This could all go really smoothly, with us all on the Senin before a single (conscious) Goshi soldier knew we had been there. But as Baldur and I waited in the too-quiet dark, I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach...
My thoughts were interrupted as the elevator by my shoulder began to indicate an impending visitor. I hoped for Kiyoshi and Moses, but prepared for Katashi Blade. What I got were two Hei-Shi and some scared looking office guy with an ear bud. "Bamuna of the Reikoku nest?" he stammered. I nodded, "Yeah". "I was told that a Rei and Balder would be here as well... Where are they?" I informed him that my companions had done what they wanted to do. (In this case it happened to be hiding behind desks in the room, and staying hidden.) He wanted to escort me to my fellows in the main plaza. "Are they still alive?" I asked with a sardonic twist to my mouth. Much to my chagrin, he checked with his ear bud to inform me that they were indeed still alive. Yeah, but for how long? I promised him that I would take myself to the plaza, and took a flying leap out the broken window. Man, I would have loved to look back and seen his face...
I dove down in Vorax form to the plaza expecting the worst. On the negative side there were six squadrons of Goshi soldiers in the plaza facing my friends, on the positive side they weren't attacking yet. I called out to get Kiyoshi's attention and braced my talons to show him my intentions. He didn't move away, so I took that as permission to take him out of there. Moses was standing at the focal point of all the soldiers. Damn. It's so frustrating not being able to just pull him up out of trouble too. At least he can take a lot of scrapes and come through okay.
Then things got strange. A wind started picking up the the sky was filled, and I mean filled from horizon to horizon with stone-colored? stuff. This was immediately after one of Moses' shields appeared in front of me and some crazy red lightning danced around him. Great. What in the heck is happening now? If Moses thought we needed protection then something nasty was coming. I booked it to the roof of the nearest building with some sort of shelter.
We landed, and Kiyoshi was about to expound upon his suggested plan of action, when some beflagged strumpet in black and yellow strolled up. She spat something about clan honor and Kiyoshi and all companions needing to be killed. I rolled my eyes as her (lovely I must admit) bracers activated to shift her into a mecca. Kiyoshi and I jumped off the building planning on a smooth getaway, but the woman jumped!
She managed to land a slash on me while I was carrying Kiyoshi, which made me slam into the side of the nearest building. With the extra weight, this unfortunately sent me into a barely-controlled dive/spin to the ground. So there, back in Goshi plaza, all of us but High Dive faced off four stunningly dangerous creations... as it began to rain nevergems. Long, sharp, nevergems. Was this really what Moses intended to do?
Faced with people that we really didn't want to kill, Kiyoshi began to glow silver and laid a thick layer of guilt upon us all. Should I have physically restrained my brothers and sisters from the Last Flight? I'm sure I could have saved at least one... In the end, one mecca joined us against the others, but the other three remained stubborn. The crystal storm was also getting intolerable. High Dive showed up under an overhang, so we all hunkered under Moses and dashed that direction. Kiyoshi told Rei to teleport us to Geneva Minor, and as our little group touched High Dive we disappeared in a whiff of smoke...
...and appeared not in Geneva Minor. We were by some train station outside of Geneva Prime. I gave a questioning look to Rei, wondering if I gave her too much benefit of the doubt upon her return. "I told Surgeon that I would meet him here," Rei explains. Ah. Baldur and Surgeon. She's either really understanding who should stick together, or she's really kissing our arses so that she can catch us all unawares later. I of course prefer to think the former, but still worry about the latter.
Trainload after trainload of people arrived fleeing the city, as we contemplated the poster with 35 years for Kiyoshi's head. (High Dive was very annoyed that she wasn't regarded as equally as dangerous, and proceeded to draw up her own poster which portrayed her as a squirrel having a very very bad hair day and worth tons of years.) Moses spoke briefly with the crowd about what he felt was the right course of action for them, and then Surgeon was put in charge of making arrangements. Moses' people were supposed to go to Stardown it seemed. But of course, we had to figure out how to get rid of Katashi Blade first so that they weren't all slaughtered on the way.
Speaking of Katashi Blade: While we are at the station amongst the throng, the screen alongside the track illuminated to show the face of the man in white. A very very very angry man in white. Mr. I'm-So-Cool proceeded to lay out the most rabid string of insults and threats you could imagine. I didn't know he had it in him, literally. He reaffirmed that he would not let anyone leave the city upon pain of death, and that Moses was welcome to come and get him. I liked that last part best. Aww, he wants to see us again, how sweet! I touch the handle of Griever reassuringly, "Maybe it's time we introduced you two to each other."
After our resident machine-people affirmed that could not send an equally taunting message back to the entire city, we linked hands once again and puffed off to Geneva Minor. We landed a bit away from the flophouse, so Rei went to check that everything was on the up and up. She came back to affirm that it was indeed on the down and down. What a perfect day - sheesh. We decided that Moses and Kiyoshi would go to get the Senin (Kiyoshi had one of those "I will be okay by sheer force of will" looks on his face as he departed for the deeps of the bay). I sighed, but I knew that Moses wouldn't let him get die. Baldur and I waited in view of the front door in case things went bad, and Rei took High Dive to sneak (green glowy sneak? Oh. No. Smoky shadowy sneak.) into the basement room where all of our companions were being held hostage.
This could all go really smoothly, with us all on the Senin before a single (conscious) Goshi soldier knew we had been there. But as Baldur and I waited in the too-quiet dark, I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach...
Emo Champion: The Last of Her Kind
The Emo Champion Award goes to the character who most players agree provided the most emotional drama through roleplaying through the entire season. This prestigious award is accompanied not only by the trophy emblem (right), but by 5, count them 5, of the coveted green Never Gems. The honored recipient of the third ever Emo Champion Award is Una, the saddest character ever.Bamuna of the Reikoku clan is the saddest character ever. She wins this award because she is the saddest character ever. If you need proof, read this.
She started the campaign as a lonely, slightly crazed and bloodthirsty Vorax searching for others of her kind. The first other Vorax she found became the first eyeless of the campaign. The next Vorax went crazy, starved himself and died in her arms. Then she found a flight of dozens of other Vorax only to learn that they were the last Vorax on Karia and they were bent on suicide. At the start of this season she made her break with the Last Flight, desperately hoping it wouldn't come to fruition, but they did at last immolate themselves above Omexon before turning into an Oni and a flock of eyeless in front of her.
When preparing for my interview with Una I made sure to bring four boxes of tissue.
Everyone in the group treats the subject of Una's situation with great tenderness.
"I don't really know what it would be like to be the last one..." Moses said.
Kiyoshi nodded somberly, "None of us do, but..."
"but it must suck, because she's always crying!" High-Dive interrupted.
Kiyoshi scowled, "I was going to say, but she has been incredibly courageous, fighting on like this..."
"And her tears have magical healing powers," chirped the squirrel.
"... many others would have given up..."
"But I'm glad she didn't because she gives the best belly-rubs!"
(At this point Kiyoshi chased High-Dive from the room).
Rei tried to get us back on topic, "Look, Una has experienced, in a way, what we're all facing - extinction. Una knows better than any of us the cost if the Enemy wins, which is why she keeps fighting, I think."
Everyone nodded and fell silent for a bit then.
When Una walked in she saw everyone sitting in silence and hesitated, "Why is everyone looking so glum? Did someone die?"
Awkward looks were exchanged for a second.
"Oh no! It's Kiyoshi isn't! I knew I wouldn't be able to save him!" the tears came rushing right out...
As everyone jumped to correct her mistaken assumption I thought to myself - this is why she is our Emo Champion. She is Una, the last of her kind.
Episode 24: Where Dusk Falls
"Land ho!" shouted one of the crew members. It finally came into view; after over two months at sea, we found our fateful destination. I am wracked with conflicting emotions. The old Una, Bamuna, who had a feathered family, is thrilled beyond her life that she will actually set foot on the isle of the most revered Dusk Sages. The new Una, who watched her entire race destroy itself and was attacked by a Dusk sage trap at the Grand Chantry, feels her stomach roil with anxiety. Do they really still want us dead? Or was that just an outdated and forgotten image we saw? Either way we are here to uncover truths...and the truth can hurt, maim, and kill - at least in our experience.The island seemed to give off 'green'. When we got closer it appeared as if the entire island was made of green nevergem. Goshi mining corp. would have a field day with this thing! I scouted ahead a bit to see if there was anything obvious to avoid, and I obviously should have avoided the razor-beaked hummingbirds. Ouch! By time I swung back to the ship it was making its way down an inlet to a lovely green-sand beach at the bottom of a waterfall. Some blessed person (at least to my flightless companions) had carved stairs to the north and south of the waterfall.
We made it to the top of the falls where we found minor 'game' trails and a river a mile wide. While looking out over the water, something smacked Rei in the back of the head. I whipped around to see the air full of black projectiles. Who knew what they were? They could be poison or worse! I put all the oomph I could muster into a kata meant to conceal us from the enemy a bit and chucked it into the jungle.
Whooosh-Pbbpbppbpbbpb. *Pleh* I sputtered as we were suddenly immersed in a storm of feathers. Damn, I still didn't throw far enough. True, we weren't getting pelted by any more black things, but the feathers were a bit ridiculous, even for me. After a few seconds I released the kata in case any of my companions had stumbled toward the river in the confusion. I hoped I looked sufficiently sheepish to my friends as the feathers disappeared. Luckily the primates that were flinging (what was apparently poo) were awfully scared by the feathers and ran off.
Feeling a bit safer after dealing with poop instead of Dusk Sage wrath, we debated upon the best way to continue. We decided that it would be worth it to haul a small boat to the top of the falls somehow. As usual, Moses did an awesome job rigging a system to pull it up and did the grunt work as well. Zipporah and I stood watch while her love machine tugged at the rope. I was smiling blithely thinking about how cute they were together when some thing, and I mean that in the truest sense, came crawling up toward us.
It looked at first like one of the primates, but with a huge bite-shaped piece missing from its side. As it dragged itself along it also changed into some dark humanoid creature, then into a sloth; each of them missing a chunk out of their sides. It looked so hurt, Zipporah tried to cut open the festering wound to let it drain. But despite all attempts at explaining her reasons, the thing did not like her ministrations and turned into some huge, hairy, four-footed beast.
I took one last ditch attempt at healing it and finally managed to perform the kata that Susanoo had let me use back at the Gogajin village. Amazingly the wound did appear to improve, and the creature calmed down and went to the river. It shifted once again (still missing a piece of side) into some large rodent with a flat tail. Wow, this island is full of weird stuff!
Enough excitement already! We piled into the boat and set off westward. (Keibatsu seemed to think that Kiyoshi was meant to go in that direction, which was more lead than we had with any other cardinal direction.) After a while on the boat, and glimpses of strange shadows, we ran into a tree. Huh, no. A talking tree? Try, oh dear - now it begins, a Dusk Sage. The One Who Sets Lately told us to go back, that there were those that wanted to harm us. We tried to explain that we needed answers or Karia would perish, and we started trying to decrypt his answers to the questions we began to pelt him with.
Unfortunately, right in the middle of our conversation (as it was) two more Dusk Sages approached us. One in an onyx mask launched himself from the shore and sunk his hand in Mr. Lately, tearing out rainbow light of some sort. The onyx mask absorbed it, and as he did so, our would-be savior crumbled into ash in the river. From there on out things just got nasty. Inari, Amaterasu, and Susanoo all showed up - eventually, as usually. We were able to do some damage to onyx and shell mask, but they were both finished off by the first two kyo-tee-shee. Unfortunately (I think?) both Dusk Sages were turned into kyo-tee-shee themselves and Susanoo would not harm them. They shifted into water animals and swam away (after one took a good try at Miss Poo-head's mana).
We got in the boat again and collected Kiyoshi and the others he had so admirably saved. (When does he ever do anything not admirable? Well, I guess when he told us all to piss off about Aimi, but that was the exception.) We tried to dry off and had a lively debate about whether the kyo-tee-shee were worth it or not. And just when things seemed normal again, we spotted fifteen or so dusk sages on the northern shore. Of course we made for the southern shore rather quickly.
I don't think five steaming tons of primate poo is adequate to describe our situation now...
To Set a Course
At some point during our sea voyage, at night, Rei speaks up to the rest of the group. She looks thoughtful, and somewhat troubled. What she says is as follows:
"I think we need to talk. All of us. We've gone too long without explaining anything about what we're doing or where we're going. I know we're heading west, but why? Because the Dusk Sages live there? These 'Dusk Sages' haven't been helpful to us so far. They're extremely dangerous at best, and they may be actively hostile towards us. Why are we going to their retreat? Do we want their assistance? Are they likely to give it? Are we going there to kill them if what we saw is correct and they really are causing this Cataclysm?"
"Are we just following an arrow in the sky? But who put it there, and why? Are arrows in the sky trustworthy forms of guidance? And then there's the Enemy to think about. Almost every place we've visited has been attacked by the Oni. Does it advance our cause to bring the same fate down on the Dusk Sages?"
"I don't know how traveling west will help us deal with Katashi Blade and his DisLocators. He's summoning Oni, using the Enemy to gain power, isn't he? Provoking war between the Cheldrun cities? There's Nero to think about, too. He's out there, planning something. I think of the two he's the more dangerous." Rei looks at Una. "And he hasn't forgotten what you did to his arm." She waits a beat. "... Before we met up again, I gained access to the computer core of the Bosphorous. I used the ship's sensors to scan the planet and its immediate surroundings for Enemy signatures. There are now Enemy signatures in most of the Cheldrun cities, some scattered across the wilderness, some in the wilderness surrounding the Grand Chantry. But those aren't what worry me. What worries me is the source of Enemy signatures in orbit of the planet, where they're clustered so thickly that the ship's sensors could not distinguish individual signatures."
Rei looks up at the sky and points to the wandering star. "There they are now," she murmurs.
"And if they're sitting there in orbit, what are they waiting for? If I had a position in orbit of a world capable of resisting my invasion, and my goal was the destruction of everything, I would bombard the planet with asteroids until it had suffered so many Extinction Level Events that there was no chance of anything surviving. Why haven't they done that? What do they want if not our deaths?"
"The point is, we're flying blind, unless one of you knows far more about the situation than I do. We have to deal with the Enemy somehow. How are we going to do that? We aren't exactly an army ourselves. I'd like our odds a lot better if we had more people under our command, but we can't do anything about that right now. What are we doing? Why are we sailing west? What do we intend to do when we get there?"
Rei looks at each party member in turn, waiting for an answer.
"I think we need to talk. All of us. We've gone too long without explaining anything about what we're doing or where we're going. I know we're heading west, but why? Because the Dusk Sages live there? These 'Dusk Sages' haven't been helpful to us so far. They're extremely dangerous at best, and they may be actively hostile towards us. Why are we going to their retreat? Do we want their assistance? Are they likely to give it? Are we going there to kill them if what we saw is correct and they really are causing this Cataclysm?"
"Are we just following an arrow in the sky? But who put it there, and why? Are arrows in the sky trustworthy forms of guidance? And then there's the Enemy to think about. Almost every place we've visited has been attacked by the Oni. Does it advance our cause to bring the same fate down on the Dusk Sages?"
"I don't know how traveling west will help us deal with Katashi Blade and his DisLocators. He's summoning Oni, using the Enemy to gain power, isn't he? Provoking war between the Cheldrun cities? There's Nero to think about, too. He's out there, planning something. I think of the two he's the more dangerous." Rei looks at Una. "And he hasn't forgotten what you did to his arm." She waits a beat. "... Before we met up again, I gained access to the computer core of the Bosphorous. I used the ship's sensors to scan the planet and its immediate surroundings for Enemy signatures. There are now Enemy signatures in most of the Cheldrun cities, some scattered across the wilderness, some in the wilderness surrounding the Grand Chantry. But those aren't what worry me. What worries me is the source of Enemy signatures in orbit of the planet, where they're clustered so thickly that the ship's sensors could not distinguish individual signatures."
Rei looks up at the sky and points to the wandering star. "There they are now," she murmurs.
"And if they're sitting there in orbit, what are they waiting for? If I had a position in orbit of a world capable of resisting my invasion, and my goal was the destruction of everything, I would bombard the planet with asteroids until it had suffered so many Extinction Level Events that there was no chance of anything surviving. Why haven't they done that? What do they want if not our deaths?"
"The point is, we're flying blind, unless one of you knows far more about the situation than I do. We have to deal with the Enemy somehow. How are we going to do that? We aren't exactly an army ourselves. I'd like our odds a lot better if we had more people under our command, but we can't do anything about that right now. What are we doing? Why are we sailing west? What do we intend to do when we get there?"
Rei looks at each party member in turn, waiting for an answer.
Four and twenty Vorax made into an Oni...
I go to my bunk and shut the door. My angry confrontation with Kiyoshi all but forgotten for the moment. Sitting down on the bed, I very deliberately pull out my 'nest'; a feather for each Vorax that participated in the final dance. I am momentarily startled by the lack of Cataclysm browning my right arm, but the memory of it draining out of me during the Last Flight soothes and bothers me at the same time.
The feathers are laid out in curved rows in front of me. I stare at them. My mouth opens to talk to them, admonish them, comfort them for all they became. Then an oh-so-small voice whispers, "It's just your feathers, not even theirs...the rest of your race is no more." No more. Last. I am the.. For some reason I force myself to say it, blankly, "I am the last Vorax."
Red rage blinds me, blue loneliness freezes me. "It cannot...it cannot be...I cannot...I cannot be the..." I feel like I'm suffocating. Part of me wishes that I would die, here, now, in my anguish. My bed in front of me is soaking wet. I'm so used to crying that I no longer note the moisture descending down the well-traveled planes of my face.
I gather up the feathers that are mine but really should be them. Them that I gather to my heart, not feeble plumage. I walk to the deck clutching my sanity for all it's worth, and shift forms. There above the deck of the gunship Sennin the very last funeral flight of the Vorax is performed, as feathers drift down into the cold, unforgiving sea.
The feathers are laid out in curved rows in front of me. I stare at them. My mouth opens to talk to them, admonish them, comfort them for all they became. Then an oh-so-small voice whispers, "It's just your feathers, not even theirs...the rest of your race is no more." No more. Last. I am the.. For some reason I force myself to say it, blankly, "I am the last Vorax."
Red rage blinds me, blue loneliness freezes me. "It cannot...it cannot be...I cannot...I cannot be the..." I feel like I'm suffocating. Part of me wishes that I would die, here, now, in my anguish. My bed in front of me is soaking wet. I'm so used to crying that I no longer note the moisture descending down the well-traveled planes of my face.
I gather up the feathers that are mine but really should be them. Them that I gather to my heart, not feeble plumage. I walk to the deck clutching my sanity for all it's worth, and shift forms. There above the deck of the gunship Sennin the very last funeral flight of the Vorax is performed, as feathers drift down into the cold, unforgiving sea.
Episode 21: The Day Una Died Inside
Rei!? Of course. How else? It all happens whether we want it or not.
***
I think that being a pirate has made me a little crazy. And...I didn't really think about how big the ship was going to be. It's like a huge lizard-Vorax thing. It's...I don't even know how they built it.
Doesn't matter now. We're on a barge carrying a load of blackrock onto the ship. We're going to capture it, and go west, and maybe get some answers.
Or make them up, like we have been.
The taste of salt spray makes me glad, one more time, that I switched out my alloys. The shaped titanium is rust-resistant. And it still stops bullets.
The soldiers guarding the barge when it comes up into the ship aren't a problem. I feel a little bad for them because...it doesn't seem fair. But I know how this works - we'll have more than our share to deal with sometime today. All of Goshi's enemies are meeting in one place. The Vorax are going to...do something to themselves and try to blow up the meeting. Or something. And we're stealing the biggest ship on the oceans.
Someone, or something, pretty nasty will have to notice that.
***
Squeezed into a storage locker, I've got a lot of time to think. The nice thing is, I don't. I doze off. I wouldn't have done that before, but I do now. Whatever is coming for us is going to happen, and we'll deal with it. Oni, Hei-Shi, crazy Vorax...whatever. Everything will work out.
I realize what I'm thinking, and that's when I really get nervous.
I hear the fireworks! It's time.
Swelling, surging up and out, it goes past where I think it will, and suddenly I'm looking down on the ship; the others are like mice swarming around my feet - except for one. He's not Kyoshi's brother, but he looks like he means business. He's fast, but it's like fighting a Zipsum - I'm too dense for most of it to get through.
I notice little bursts of black cloud in the sky, and...my heart leaps. I admit it.
I want them here. The mecha-fighter and I agree - first things first.
I squash and scatter blue-beetle Hei-Shi, and the mecha slices them up. I can't tell, behind his mask, but I know I for one am smiling.
For just a bit, I think - I want to go back to Geneva Prime someday, and do this until there aren't any Hei-Shi left.
***
We clear the deck, but there are something like a million soldiers on their way. But this ship has other ships inside of it, and we head down to one of them. I'm eager to get on our way before we get swarmed, and we're all tired. (Well, not Highdive). We go down into the hold - I'm carrying a huge container of blackrock. We reach the smaller ship, still bigger than anything I've been on but the blackrock barge, but someone's beaten us there. Kyoshi goes down to deal with whoever it is...
Aimi.
I remember when we first met, and I made her a promise.
I keep my promises.
She's tricky - she's going to stab Kyoshi so he can't move, and then probably run when she sees Rei - I don't think she can fight them both. So I hunker down next to the door to grab her when she goes past. I know my one shot is to just smother her and not let go until...
Well. I don't wait long. I time it so before I even see her pink hair I'm on top of her, using my weight and size. Rei is coming up after her. Everything goes red-tinged, and I'm back in the blackrock mine, fighting Goshi, seeing people die, smashing Hei-Shi and eyeless, and here she is, all the way from that past I wanted to leave behind. I can end it here. Kyoshi will be furious, and she's Rei's sister, but Aimi will never learn. Titanium is a lot harder than bone. I -
"Moses, don't hurt her!"
Aimi goes limp under me, and Rei is there, but I don't look up.
And I realize...I don't want to kill her. I just want her to leave us alone.
But she never will.
Rei and Kyoshi and Aimi talk, and I start building a steel cage for her out of the broken container of blackrock. She laughs at the ropes Rei takes out.
Lets see her laugh at being bolted to the deck.
***
Outside, the clear, bright air fills with wonder on wings - a flight of Vorax, the last flight, circling and dancing on the thermals, flitting along the paths of the breezes, turning and falling and climbing, twisting around each other. Una is watching.
She watches as they dance, trying to remember, to save this moment forever.
And then it changes. The dance turns. The Vorax are swooping down and tearing into people down below. But one of them swells and grows. His aged skin splits and his entrails pour out of him, wrapping around, crawling across his swelling form, viscera and tendons and muscle glistening sickly in the sun
His beak unhinges, swells, grows, thickens, his eyes bloat and slide out of their growing sockets, followed by gouts of thick, dark blood.
A voice shakes the air, so that we all hear it, the city hears it, Una hears it as if she is the only one there.
I am Karaku-Oni, The One Who Burns!
Una might try to forget, but she won't.
***
I think that being a pirate has made me a little crazy. And...I didn't really think about how big the ship was going to be. It's like a huge lizard-Vorax thing. It's...I don't even know how they built it.
Doesn't matter now. We're on a barge carrying a load of blackrock onto the ship. We're going to capture it, and go west, and maybe get some answers.
Or make them up, like we have been.
The taste of salt spray makes me glad, one more time, that I switched out my alloys. The shaped titanium is rust-resistant. And it still stops bullets.
The soldiers guarding the barge when it comes up into the ship aren't a problem. I feel a little bad for them because...it doesn't seem fair. But I know how this works - we'll have more than our share to deal with sometime today. All of Goshi's enemies are meeting in one place. The Vorax are going to...do something to themselves and try to blow up the meeting. Or something. And we're stealing the biggest ship on the oceans.
Someone, or something, pretty nasty will have to notice that.
***
Squeezed into a storage locker, I've got a lot of time to think. The nice thing is, I don't. I doze off. I wouldn't have done that before, but I do now. Whatever is coming for us is going to happen, and we'll deal with it. Oni, Hei-Shi, crazy Vorax...whatever. Everything will work out.
I realize what I'm thinking, and that's when I really get nervous.
I hear the fireworks! It's time.
Swelling, surging up and out, it goes past where I think it will, and suddenly I'm looking down on the ship; the others are like mice swarming around my feet - except for one. He's not Kyoshi's brother, but he looks like he means business. He's fast, but it's like fighting a Zipsum - I'm too dense for most of it to get through.
I notice little bursts of black cloud in the sky, and...my heart leaps. I admit it.
I want them here. The mecha-fighter and I agree - first things first.
I squash and scatter blue-beetle Hei-Shi, and the mecha slices them up. I can't tell, behind his mask, but I know I for one am smiling.
For just a bit, I think - I want to go back to Geneva Prime someday, and do this until there aren't any Hei-Shi left.
***
We clear the deck, but there are something like a million soldiers on their way. But this ship has other ships inside of it, and we head down to one of them. I'm eager to get on our way before we get swarmed, and we're all tired. (Well, not Highdive). We go down into the hold - I'm carrying a huge container of blackrock. We reach the smaller ship, still bigger than anything I've been on but the blackrock barge, but someone's beaten us there. Kyoshi goes down to deal with whoever it is...
Aimi.
I remember when we first met, and I made her a promise.
I keep my promises.
She's tricky - she's going to stab Kyoshi so he can't move, and then probably run when she sees Rei - I don't think she can fight them both. So I hunker down next to the door to grab her when she goes past. I know my one shot is to just smother her and not let go until...
Well. I don't wait long. I time it so before I even see her pink hair I'm on top of her, using my weight and size. Rei is coming up after her. Everything goes red-tinged, and I'm back in the blackrock mine, fighting Goshi, seeing people die, smashing Hei-Shi and eyeless, and here she is, all the way from that past I wanted to leave behind. I can end it here. Kyoshi will be furious, and she's Rei's sister, but Aimi will never learn. Titanium is a lot harder than bone. I -
"Moses, don't hurt her!"
Aimi goes limp under me, and Rei is there, but I don't look up.
And I realize...I don't want to kill her. I just want her to leave us alone.
But she never will.
Rei and Kyoshi and Aimi talk, and I start building a steel cage for her out of the broken container of blackrock. She laughs at the ropes Rei takes out.
Lets see her laugh at being bolted to the deck.
***
Outside, the clear, bright air fills with wonder on wings - a flight of Vorax, the last flight, circling and dancing on the thermals, flitting along the paths of the breezes, turning and falling and climbing, twisting around each other. Una is watching.
She watches as they dance, trying to remember, to save this moment forever.
And then it changes. The dance turns. The Vorax are swooping down and tearing into people down below. But one of them swells and grows. His aged skin splits and his entrails pour out of him, wrapping around, crawling across his swelling form, viscera and tendons and muscle glistening sickly in the sun
His beak unhinges, swells, grows, thickens, his eyes bloat and slide out of their growing sockets, followed by gouts of thick, dark blood.
A voice shakes the air, so that we all hear it, the city hears it, Una hears it as if she is the only one there.
I am Karaku-Oni, The One Who Burns!
Una might try to forget, but she won't.
Episode 18: Mysteries Unraveled
We stood under the central plaza in the Grand Chantry, awaiting whatever unknown horror might come out from behind it. Other people might have been expectant of great knowledge to be revealed (tomes tucked away for our perusal perhaps), but we knew better - or at least we had come to expect nothing so optimistic. Mokuzai's tension was palpable as he began to sing.
The doors opened to blackness. Not darkness. Blackness. It was alike a nearly-palpable wall of night. After some careful prodding, then HighDive's 'ballsy' rush in, we followed in kind. What we witnessed was some sort of ghost-view of a trial that happened long ago. A Dusk Sage in chains was being judged by the rest. His mask was torn off...the same mask Elder Winter had passed on to Mokuzai.
The captive Dusk Sage only had time to apologize for what he was going to do (that didn't give me warm-fuzzies) before his chains broke. I ran hell-bent from the room, Mokuzai managed to close the door, and we waited. Only to find that he had floated through the ceiling of his chamber into the plaza above. He floated above the ground, but we all jumped at him to see if we could deal any damage at all. I put on his old mask and found that I could see a unique spot in his torso - that is where Griever found its mark. While we all tested our battle theories, we also started to attack each other...WTF?
Not hand-to-hand, but it felt as if our kata-karianas were ripped from our bodies towards our allies. Thank goodness the Onis hadn't done that to us! And just when things couldn't get any worse, a crud-load of Hei-Shi just *appeared* all over the Chantry. Bullets, blue blades, and katas were flying everywhere. Damn it, just die Sage! I jumped up to attack, and I don't remember hitting the ground...
***
I woke up on the top of a mountain. Lovely. There was a Hei-Shi beside me. Hmm. He had his blade halfway through my neck. (Gather malice) **NNNOOOOO**
As I lost consciousness again I was treated to the sight of a horrible Goshi soldier turning inside out in a spray of blood.
The doors opened to blackness. Not darkness. Blackness. It was alike a nearly-palpable wall of night. After some careful prodding, then HighDive's 'ballsy' rush in, we followed in kind. What we witnessed was some sort of ghost-view of a trial that happened long ago. A Dusk Sage in chains was being judged by the rest. His mask was torn off...the same mask Elder Winter had passed on to Mokuzai.
The captive Dusk Sage only had time to apologize for what he was going to do (that didn't give me warm-fuzzies) before his chains broke. I ran hell-bent from the room, Mokuzai managed to close the door, and we waited. Only to find that he had floated through the ceiling of his chamber into the plaza above. He floated above the ground, but we all jumped at him to see if we could deal any damage at all. I put on his old mask and found that I could see a unique spot in his torso - that is where Griever found its mark. While we all tested our battle theories, we also started to attack each other...WTF?
Not hand-to-hand, but it felt as if our kata-karianas were ripped from our bodies towards our allies. Thank goodness the Onis hadn't done that to us! And just when things couldn't get any worse, a crud-load of Hei-Shi just *appeared* all over the Chantry. Bullets, blue blades, and katas were flying everywhere. Damn it, just die Sage! I jumped up to attack, and I don't remember hitting the ground...
***
I woke up on the top of a mountain. Lovely. There was a Hei-Shi beside me. Hmm. He had his blade halfway through my neck. (Gather malice) **NNNOOOOO**
As I lost consciousness again I was treated to the sight of a horrible Goshi soldier turning inside out in a spray of blood.
Episode 14: Innocent Bystanders
*gurgle* Ow. These Zipsum are too damn fast. The horror that was once Leaps-over-lakes drags his poisoned blade from my gut, I fall back utterly frustrated, but in no shape to garner a second attack. Everything was a bloody blur for a while...I know I healed myself at some point...then...huh? Rei? Rei was standing in front of me, blocking an attack from another abomination. I think, "Wow, Moses is really getting into her..." Then she was brutally cut down, and my fury at the destruction of a beautiful sentiment in action rose me to my feet. The rest of the battle was a whirlwind of blades and energy. How quickly a holy place falls.
As soon as the dozen or more altered Zipsum were dead I flew up to be sure there were no more coming. I can't explain my relief when I only saw two Gogajin at a dead run towards the top of the mountain. People gathered, and we all headed back toward the village. Turns out several of us were poisoned, and Mokuzai wasn't sure how to heal it. Great. I take this happy moment to notice that the discolored spot on my wrist has spread all the way to my elbow. Great. Can the day get any happier? Oh yes! Kiyoshi delightfully informs us that the Leaps-over-lakes said that all who helped us would be destroyed. Dare I say it? Great.
There seem to be Cheldrun visitors in the village that Larkin and company aren't too thrilled with, but at this point an impending Zipsum invasion weighs heavily on our minds. High Dive tries to brew an antidote to the poison, but too soon hordes of Riverswift are seen running toward the village. The large Gogajin drums beat ominously. A happy youthful Gogajin tells Edana there will be a big party because the Zipsum are coming...I just hope he doesn't die.
He can't die. There has to be something I can do. I am tired of my impotence against these unnaturally powerful beings. I fly high as the rest of my friends prepare for what seems like a hopeless battle against several hundred soul-sucking Zipsum. I felt hot tears boiling over my cheeks as my heart desperately hoped for some way to stop the onslaught, my ire rose, and I flew. I flew over the center of the seething mass, looked them in their non-existent eyes and screamed like I have never screamed before. I saw light shining impossibly brightly and then I was drawn into the black. "Please," my dying consciousness pleaded, "let me have saved my friends..." I blessedly didn't have time to consider the unlikeliness of that outcome.
I came to far from the battle, and didn't take time to wonder how I got there. I flew up and right back to see how I could help. To my horror I saw Kiyoshi unconscious at the tip of another man's blade. I silently dived toward the man to knock him off the roof, hoping to mess him up, as well as get him away from my nest-mate. Annoyingly, the man landed with a graceful roll, and still in possession of his blade, but at least he was farther from Kiyoshi. Blessed Edana picked up Keibatsu and Kiyoshi so that I was free to retrieve High Dive from the fray.
Rei was having fun with some sort of tornado effect she had whipped up, but we still decided that given our grievous injuries we should head for the cave in the quarry with the others. We arrived at the cave to find many badly injured and poisoned. Moses and Mokuzai were unconscious. Poor Mokuzai was just drained from the stunning things he had done with lightning, but Moses had a hole through his head and a life force that was barely existent. I cracked my proverbial mana-knuckles, and walked over to begin some much needed healing.
As soon as the dozen or more altered Zipsum were dead I flew up to be sure there were no more coming. I can't explain my relief when I only saw two Gogajin at a dead run towards the top of the mountain. People gathered, and we all headed back toward the village. Turns out several of us were poisoned, and Mokuzai wasn't sure how to heal it. Great. I take this happy moment to notice that the discolored spot on my wrist has spread all the way to my elbow. Great. Can the day get any happier? Oh yes! Kiyoshi delightfully informs us that the Leaps-over-lakes said that all who helped us would be destroyed. Dare I say it? Great.
There seem to be Cheldrun visitors in the village that Larkin and company aren't too thrilled with, but at this point an impending Zipsum invasion weighs heavily on our minds. High Dive tries to brew an antidote to the poison, but too soon hordes of Riverswift are seen running toward the village. The large Gogajin drums beat ominously. A happy youthful Gogajin tells Edana there will be a big party because the Zipsum are coming...I just hope he doesn't die.
He can't die. There has to be something I can do. I am tired of my impotence against these unnaturally powerful beings. I fly high as the rest of my friends prepare for what seems like a hopeless battle against several hundred soul-sucking Zipsum. I felt hot tears boiling over my cheeks as my heart desperately hoped for some way to stop the onslaught, my ire rose, and I flew. I flew over the center of the seething mass, looked them in their non-existent eyes and screamed like I have never screamed before. I saw light shining impossibly brightly and then I was drawn into the black. "Please," my dying consciousness pleaded, "let me have saved my friends..." I blessedly didn't have time to consider the unlikeliness of that outcome.
I came to far from the battle, and didn't take time to wonder how I got there. I flew up and right back to see how I could help. To my horror I saw Kiyoshi unconscious at the tip of another man's blade. I silently dived toward the man to knock him off the roof, hoping to mess him up, as well as get him away from my nest-mate. Annoyingly, the man landed with a graceful roll, and still in possession of his blade, but at least he was farther from Kiyoshi. Blessed Edana picked up Keibatsu and Kiyoshi so that I was free to retrieve High Dive from the fray.
Rei was having fun with some sort of tornado effect she had whipped up, but we still decided that given our grievous injuries we should head for the cave in the quarry with the others. We arrived at the cave to find many badly injured and poisoned. Moses and Mokuzai were unconscious. Poor Mokuzai was just drained from the stunning things he had done with lightning, but Moses had a hole through his head and a life force that was barely existent. I cracked my proverbial mana-knuckles, and walked over to begin some much needed healing.
Kick-Ass Queen: One Vicious Raptor
The Kick-Ass King/Queen Award goes to the character who most players agree did the most devastation in the coolest way through the entire season. This prestigious award is accompanied not only by the trophy emblem (right), but by 5, count them 5, of the coveted red Never Gems. The honored recipient of the first ever Kick-Ass Queen Award is Una the Griever-wielding Vorax.Despite being a member of the most fragile species of Karians, widely regarded as the symbolic bearers of the vitality of Karia, Una makes a statement with her 7' long double-ended Scythe known as a Griever. Carrying a weapon that is taller than she is and standing with a jaunty pose that says, "I know 101 ways to disembowel people who annoy me," Una consistently made her foes, eyeless or otherwise, regret their decision to tangle with a feathered funnel cloud of fury.
Party members recall with admiration and horror moments like the time, after she had buried one curved blade in the neck of an eyeless abomination on the balcony above her, she ran along the wall twisting her weapon till the head popped off and it rained gore.
"Yeah, I was scarred for life by that one. I still see it in my dreams," Moses said.
Not everyone was necessarily negative about it though. Rei, for example, had this to say, "With Una, it's really a spectator art. To the untrained eye one bisected torso looks just like another, but those of us who can appreciate such things notice delicate aesthetic sensibilities."
Even Moses concedes that she really took it to a new level though once she acquired the Blood of the Fallen Vorax technique and began flaying her opponents from the inside out. Mentioning her malice focusing talent gets every head in the room nodding.
"I'm not sure I fully appreciated the potency of that woman until I saw her turn Nero's arm into a gore spattered skeleton," Kiyoshi said, speaking for everyone, in the group. "There's something about that kind of power that demands respect."
"Respect, hell she scares the shit out of me," Rei quipped. "When Mama Pain had Kiyoshi here in the pleasure seat she let me know in no uncertain terms that she could pop my head off like a cork."
High Dive, munching on some candy, perked up then, "Gross."
"Like a cork. Pop."
That's One Vicious Raptor, and our very own Kick-Ass Queen.
Mama Pain
Mama Pain is dead.
I don’t know what to think about that.
Part of me doesn’t believe it. How could she be dead? She’s Mama Pain. She IS.
I remember after I’d Awakened, twelve years old, strapped to my bed while Mama Pain ran test after test, probing my mind again and again, making incision after incision to see if I was really aware of my self or just a more stable gestalt mind. Every day for a month, and her never satisfied with the results, always determined to make me be Everyone again, or to make sure I wouldn’t be Everyone again.
I remember pain.
I remember my room. I had to be shielded or else I’d read everyone’s minds every second of every day. I remember session after session with Mama Pain, and every session another corner of my Awareness seared away with psychic coals until aside from my self I could only be the people I was looking at. She beamed with pride, then. For a moment. She was proud of me. I know she was.
I remember Doctor Soren, and his training. Gentle. Kind. I always wanted to work with him. He protected me. He protected all of us.
Except Aimi. She never needed to be protected from Mama Pain. Mama Pain always loved her better than me. She wasn’t defective. She wasn’t broken.
I remember all the years I spent following orders. Being them. Being who they made me. I remember being on the outside, never included by Malicious, Sever, Stitch, Nero, or Aimi. I remember my first mission. I remember my second mission. My third. My fourth. My fifth. Seeing the life fade from Typhon’s eyes.
I remember Moses.
I feared for my life. I feared for my mind. I feared for my soul, if there is such a thing as a soul. I thought I’d lose those things if I came Home. I thought I’d lose my freedom if I came home. That I’d wake up after a session with Mama Pain and discover that I was no longer who I have always been. And yet... and yet... I wanted something more than this, this hollow reunion. I wanted closure. I wanted to know that I wasn’t a mistake. That I wasn’t defective. I wanted to know that Mama Pain loved me.
I wanted to rescue Kiyoshi.
I had to rescue Kiyoshi. I had to rescue him for Una. I had to rescue him for Kiyoshi. I had to rescue him because Moses thought it was the right thing to do. I don’t understand what that means, but it feels... right, to do this ‘right thing to do.’
They’re my family.
I wonder if she had any contingencies in place for this eventuality. I would have, if I were in her place. I can think of a dozen things she could have arranged. Did she?
Who knows? It doesn’t matter. She was never really my mother. Biomade don’t have mothers or fathers. We’re made to be better than that. We have outgrown the old obsolete concepts of filial obligations.
Mama Pain is dead.
I won’t cry.
I won’t cry.
I won’t.
----------------
Episode 3: The Writing on the Wall
Mickey was waiting at the new hiding spot. He welcomed us home, with a slightly odd tone to his voice, but it was the runes scrawled all over the walls that really grabbed our attention. The chalk-graffiti actually confounded us so much that it took a brusque reminder from the surgeon to get most of us moving in to action. We'd have to figure out what it meant that the runes were all the way down here, but Surgeon was right, keeping people from dying came first...especially Kiyoshi.
The rest of the day was a haze for many of us. Rei and Kiyoshi were still unconscious, Sue and Moses were bleeding so bad that they were barely conscious (despite Moses' patch-induced protestations to the contrary), and Surgeon kept High Dive and me busy assisting him. When time to sleep came, I collapsed under the table that Kiyoshi lay on. I wanted to be nearby in case anything bad happened.
I woke up to the *dunk*...*splat* of Moses... what? mopping?? Oh no! The big overly-helpful lug had washed off every single rune in the room. Damn it. He said it was biomade stuff so it had to be bad. *sigh* Maybe he had a point, but it still would have been nice to know what it said. Moses and Sue looked better, but the other two were still out cold. We continued fixing up wounds, including some nasty infections in Rei, and preparing to move to the next spot. With the biomade being able to read minds, I wonder why they aren't already knocking down our door.
The next morning things are going smoothly when Kiyoshi started going into spasms. Great Sages it was scary! Surgeon put some nasty big needles into him, apparently expecting improvement, but his convulsions continued, and I started to get very worried. He could not die! I have watched too many of mine die! At this point my skin started to tingle, like I was going to sweat acid or something, and I started to - I kid you not - glow blue. All over. I grabbed Kiyoshi's hand thinking it couldn't make him worse, and fervently prayed it would make the seizure stop. The whole room filled with the blue light, then shrank back into me. I think it focused to my hand, but at that point I passed out.
I woke up to Moses shaking me like a rag doll. I told him he could put me down and he dropped me. That guy is too good at following directions. *grimace* I looked over and Kiyoshi was talking in urgent tones; I was just overjoyed that he wasn't in a coma anymore. I walked over to him and noticed that his bullet-wounds had healed up dramatically. Wow, blessed blue light! I tried to think about what happened, but the conversation around me started to sink in slowly.. What? Going..? Oh! We're going NOW-now. Crap, and through what!?! This escape is going to be the death of me.
We all ungainfully manage to shimmy down a 160-degree shaft and drop down to a VERY high I-beam, into the most polluted air I've ever experienced. The molten rock from the room that was bombed right behind us is still searing painfully into my thigh, but that's the least of my worries as a whole bunch of biomade soldiers come out of nowhere and start hassling us.
By the time we've dispatched with those soldiers, the bullet-spitters in the refinery are sufficiently intimidated by the massive mob outside that they refrain from attacking us. Sue leads us outside and gives an incendiary speech, cuts open the gates, and lets the throng into the horrible, horrible refinery. I hope they melt it down. Completely.
Sue and Amos say their good-byes. Mickey will lead us to the new hidey-hole. I hope he's up to the task. Back down further into the caves. Sometimes I feel like the whole weight of Karia is pressing on my chest. It's been so long since I've seen the sky...
We follow Mickey down, down, down until we reach a point that's too narrow for some mechifieds to go through. Odd that Mickey doesn't remember not being able to go through part of the passage. The fact that he had a run-in with a mind-warping biomade is making me very nervous at this point, but Kiyoshi sees First Mind runes and assumes all must be cheery. So Moses carves a new tunnel, boy I think we should turn back, but we all enter the next "room". Mickey looks up, and true there is a blue light like he's been looking for...but where's the hideout?
Rei opens the biomade door that lets us through the acrylic wall marked with First Mind runes. It looks lovely, but what is it doing way way way down here? We enter and are greeted by yet another self-important teenage punk, standing with his hand on white stone. Natural stone very much like what was suspended over my fellow vorax before the world exploded... He demands access to Rei's memories; it seems to be yet another brother. We all hold a breath as we wait for the word from Rei to defend her, but she seems scared. Honestly scared.
She acquiesces. Hopefully this guy isn't too clumsy while he's fishing around. I would NOT like to be around a biomade assassin when she looses every shred of sanity left of her already meager supply. Everything seems to go okay. Rei retains consciousness, and this guy - Nero, just leaves. Rei looks like she just barely avoided brawling with an angry supernova. That pretty-boy can't be that powerful, can he?
Once tension in the cavern room drained out, we took interest in the white stone again. Moses tried to get off a chunk with his ridiculously clunky and smelly machinery, but to no avail. Then Kiyoshi took one of his 'special' deep breaths and - wow - a minuscule shard brakes off. No wonder there's so much of this special stone here, if only runic First Mind blades can chip it! The stone tingles when I touch it..."mana"...he said. What is it?...
Moses and I peek out the door, after finding out from Nero that HE altered Mickey's mind to get us here, so now we had to find the real safe house. A couple of steps later *WHAM* I kid you not, a cart full of black rock hurtles past me and plows into Moses. A voice, "Stop trying to recruit us, we're not interested in fighting your battles!"
To make a long story short, the voice belonged to a Gogajin who was the de facto leader of a large bunch of male donkey-sons. I'm surprised that I didn't pass out from the excess of testosterone in one cave. This leader and Moses admired each other's ability to play catch with carts of ore, then they took us home and got drunk. They got drunk, most of my lot rested, and much dancing and revelry was had at the finding of - well- me. The first vorax they had seen in a very long time. *sigh* What bittersweet revelry.
The rest of the day was a haze for many of us. Rei and Kiyoshi were still unconscious, Sue and Moses were bleeding so bad that they were barely conscious (despite Moses' patch-induced protestations to the contrary), and Surgeon kept High Dive and me busy assisting him. When time to sleep came, I collapsed under the table that Kiyoshi lay on. I wanted to be nearby in case anything bad happened.
I woke up to the *dunk*...*splat* of Moses... what? mopping?? Oh no! The big overly-helpful lug had washed off every single rune in the room. Damn it. He said it was biomade stuff so it had to be bad. *sigh* Maybe he had a point, but it still would have been nice to know what it said. Moses and Sue looked better, but the other two were still out cold. We continued fixing up wounds, including some nasty infections in Rei, and preparing to move to the next spot. With the biomade being able to read minds, I wonder why they aren't already knocking down our door.
The next morning things are going smoothly when Kiyoshi started going into spasms. Great Sages it was scary! Surgeon put some nasty big needles into him, apparently expecting improvement, but his convulsions continued, and I started to get very worried. He could not die! I have watched too many of mine die! At this point my skin started to tingle, like I was going to sweat acid or something, and I started to - I kid you not - glow blue. All over. I grabbed Kiyoshi's hand thinking it couldn't make him worse, and fervently prayed it would make the seizure stop. The whole room filled with the blue light, then shrank back into me. I think it focused to my hand, but at that point I passed out.
I woke up to Moses shaking me like a rag doll. I told him he could put me down and he dropped me. That guy is too good at following directions. *grimace* I looked over and Kiyoshi was talking in urgent tones; I was just overjoyed that he wasn't in a coma anymore. I walked over to him and noticed that his bullet-wounds had healed up dramatically. Wow, blessed blue light! I tried to think about what happened, but the conversation around me started to sink in slowly.. What? Going..? Oh! We're going NOW-now. Crap, and through what!?! This escape is going to be the death of me.
We all ungainfully manage to shimmy down a 160-degree shaft and drop down to a VERY high I-beam, into the most polluted air I've ever experienced. The molten rock from the room that was bombed right behind us is still searing painfully into my thigh, but that's the least of my worries as a whole bunch of biomade soldiers come out of nowhere and start hassling us.
By the time we've dispatched with those soldiers, the bullet-spitters in the refinery are sufficiently intimidated by the massive mob outside that they refrain from attacking us. Sue leads us outside and gives an incendiary speech, cuts open the gates, and lets the throng into the horrible, horrible refinery. I hope they melt it down. Completely.
Sue and Amos say their good-byes. Mickey will lead us to the new hidey-hole. I hope he's up to the task. Back down further into the caves. Sometimes I feel like the whole weight of Karia is pressing on my chest. It's been so long since I've seen the sky...
We follow Mickey down, down, down until we reach a point that's too narrow for some mechifieds to go through. Odd that Mickey doesn't remember not being able to go through part of the passage. The fact that he had a run-in with a mind-warping biomade is making me very nervous at this point, but Kiyoshi sees First Mind runes and assumes all must be cheery. So Moses carves a new tunnel, boy I think we should turn back, but we all enter the next "room". Mickey looks up, and true there is a blue light like he's been looking for...but where's the hideout?
Rei opens the biomade door that lets us through the acrylic wall marked with First Mind runes. It looks lovely, but what is it doing way way way down here? We enter and are greeted by yet another self-important teenage punk, standing with his hand on white stone. Natural stone very much like what was suspended over my fellow vorax before the world exploded... He demands access to Rei's memories; it seems to be yet another brother. We all hold a breath as we wait for the word from Rei to defend her, but she seems scared. Honestly scared.
She acquiesces. Hopefully this guy isn't too clumsy while he's fishing around. I would NOT like to be around a biomade assassin when she looses every shred of sanity left of her already meager supply. Everything seems to go okay. Rei retains consciousness, and this guy - Nero, just leaves. Rei looks like she just barely avoided brawling with an angry supernova. That pretty-boy can't be that powerful, can he?
Once tension in the cavern room drained out, we took interest in the white stone again. Moses tried to get off a chunk with his ridiculously clunky and smelly machinery, but to no avail. Then Kiyoshi took one of his 'special' deep breaths and - wow - a minuscule shard brakes off. No wonder there's so much of this special stone here, if only runic First Mind blades can chip it! The stone tingles when I touch it..."mana"...he said. What is it?...
Moses and I peek out the door, after finding out from Nero that HE altered Mickey's mind to get us here, so now we had to find the real safe house. A couple of steps later *WHAM* I kid you not, a cart full of black rock hurtles past me and plows into Moses. A voice, "Stop trying to recruit us, we're not interested in fighting your battles!"
To make a long story short, the voice belonged to a Gogajin who was the de facto leader of a large bunch of male donkey-sons. I'm surprised that I didn't pass out from the excess of testosterone in one cave. This leader and Moses admired each other's ability to play catch with carts of ore, then they took us home and got drunk. They got drunk, most of my lot rested, and much dancing and revelry was had at the finding of - well- me. The first vorax they had seen in a very long time. *sigh* What bittersweet revelry.
Pilot Episode: Goshi's Prototype
The flight to the city went fairly smoothly, despite the gagging clouds of smog that emanate from Geneva Prime. I felt like I'd have to clean out my sinuses with a giant pipe-cleaner, but I regress.. When I placed High Dive on the roof and my own feet landed, I suddenly felt the firm possibility that I might see another Vorax again, on this very day! My rising excitement could barely be contained, and all that HD's pipsqueak brother could go on about was how his neck was in so much trouble, and how he would only go so far with us. There was so much love between them that one of their fingers could have been chopped off, and the other wouldn't offer help. Man, the things you take for granted when your population is booming.
*sigh*
Despite my grumbling, he really was perfect at getting us safely to the site of the lab; well, at least around the corner from the lab. We had to knock out the three guards that were grumbling about how they were there on duty, instead of getting knocked up. We gave them a close alternative, I think. After getting in the lab a sing-songy voice called to us from behind a door, and HD immediately did some stellar work with cloth, chemicals and a lighter to get the door open.
Imagine my gigantic disappointment (literally) when therein resided some bedsore-ridden hulk of a man that was not the elegant Vorax I was seeking. Arghh! Luckily despite his bulk (and balls that High Dive's brother could have really used) he knew exactly how to get us where we wanted to be. So up the elevator we went until we hit a ceiling door that HD was more than happy to destroy.
When she set the explosive, Tanuki the hulk and I backed out into the hallway, only to be greeted by Ravers'R'us (TM). One guy was wicked with his floating chain and the other very nearly severed my head from my body. *whew* It was way too close. I got a couple good cuts in myself, but I was very glad when some girl dragged chain-boy away.
By the time I made it through the hole in the elevator, I was in a large room filled to the brim with havoc. Bullets were flying everywhere. Bless HD, she was already running toward my fellow Vorax, standing in the middle of the room. He was horribly chained and at some strange half-way point in his shift. What had they been doing to him!?!?! I made my way through the barrage with a few lucky rolling flips and noticed Tanuki spinning on his toes and making his blithe way to the white stone hanging above my fellow's head. I heard Tanuki happily exclaim, "Mana!"... Then there was nothing.
Everything went white, then came back, but without the noise. I felt like I was walking through cotton air. Now a white and glowing cloud floated in the center of the room, and I quailed as red tendrils came from the cloud and began to wrap around my Vorax. No! I ran to push him out of the cloud, but some mechified beat me there. Luckily the smoking-man didn't seem to intend any harm. As I ran, I smacked the glowing purple blade of some guy chopping it up way too close to my compatriot. Just a warning, no time for anything else now.. I caught up and took the Vorax's hand - finally - and he squeezed back. Exaltation! He's going to make it!
Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. When he opened his eyes to look upon the mechified, blood poured out, and incomprehensible words flowed from his lips. The mechified dropped him as if he'd seen his own ghost - and ran. I tried and tried to call back the Vorax that I knew was in there, but the red tendrils possessed him. Everything in the room began to levitate like the creature.
I made to run away as well..the mechified beckoned to me..but then I realized that my dear, dear fellow Vorax had become an aberration and had nothing of noble avian left in him at all. These formative moments might be the only chance anyone had to destroy this new creature, so I turned around and struck out with my scythe. I struck true. Breath. Then some incredible force emanated from the creature and he rushed out the window, with me still attached. We had well over 300 stories to fall, then into the mine. That was just the beginning of a very looong adventure.
*sigh*
Despite my grumbling, he really was perfect at getting us safely to the site of the lab; well, at least around the corner from the lab. We had to knock out the three guards that were grumbling about how they were there on duty, instead of getting knocked up. We gave them a close alternative, I think. After getting in the lab a sing-songy voice called to us from behind a door, and HD immediately did some stellar work with cloth, chemicals and a lighter to get the door open.
Imagine my gigantic disappointment (literally) when therein resided some bedsore-ridden hulk of a man that was not the elegant Vorax I was seeking. Arghh! Luckily despite his bulk (and balls that High Dive's brother could have really used) he knew exactly how to get us where we wanted to be. So up the elevator we went until we hit a ceiling door that HD was more than happy to destroy.
When she set the explosive, Tanuki the hulk and I backed out into the hallway, only to be greeted by Ravers'R'us (TM). One guy was wicked with his floating chain and the other very nearly severed my head from my body. *whew* It was way too close. I got a couple good cuts in myself, but I was very glad when some girl dragged chain-boy away.
By the time I made it through the hole in the elevator, I was in a large room filled to the brim with havoc. Bullets were flying everywhere. Bless HD, she was already running toward my fellow Vorax, standing in the middle of the room. He was horribly chained and at some strange half-way point in his shift. What had they been doing to him!?!?! I made my way through the barrage with a few lucky rolling flips and noticed Tanuki spinning on his toes and making his blithe way to the white stone hanging above my fellow's head. I heard Tanuki happily exclaim, "Mana!"... Then there was nothing.
Everything went white, then came back, but without the noise. I felt like I was walking through cotton air. Now a white and glowing cloud floated in the center of the room, and I quailed as red tendrils came from the cloud and began to wrap around my Vorax. No! I ran to push him out of the cloud, but some mechified beat me there. Luckily the smoking-man didn't seem to intend any harm. As I ran, I smacked the glowing purple blade of some guy chopping it up way too close to my compatriot. Just a warning, no time for anything else now.. I caught up and took the Vorax's hand - finally - and he squeezed back. Exaltation! He's going to make it!
Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. When he opened his eyes to look upon the mechified, blood poured out, and incomprehensible words flowed from his lips. The mechified dropped him as if he'd seen his own ghost - and ran. I tried and tried to call back the Vorax that I knew was in there, but the red tendrils possessed him. Everything in the room began to levitate like the creature.
I made to run away as well..the mechified beckoned to me..but then I realized that my dear, dear fellow Vorax had become an aberration and had nothing of noble avian left in him at all. These formative moments might be the only chance anyone had to destroy this new creature, so I turned around and struck out with my scythe. I struck true. Breath. Then some incredible force emanated from the creature and he rushed out the window, with me still attached. We had well over 300 stories to fall, then into the mine. That was just the beginning of a very looong adventure.
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