079 Encounters · 14
Encounters · 14
“Y
|
ou idiot!”
Stumbling forward deeper into the forest canopy that she had
landed in, Chain dragged her sword along the ground. The whispering of the
Lucifalz and the image of the dragon of Darkness that filled her vision dulled
her senses. She could not think for herself at all, her desire to put an end to
the whispering driving her forward. Unfortunately, this meant that she did not
hear Squawk at first and the nāti raised his voice indignantly.
“ARE YOU ACTUALLY HAVING THE GALL TO IGNORE ME⁈ I DON’T CARE HOW HARD IT IS FOR YOU
TO FUNCTION RIGHT NOW, IF YOU DON’T WANT ME RAISING MY VOICE ANY LOUDER THEN
YOU’D BETTER RESPOND YOU IDIOT‼”
Squawk’s voice was a powerful tool indeed, perhaps too
powerful, as this time Chain heard it. It sounded distant to her through the
whispers, but she could tell that it came from behind her and not from within
the whispers. Turning around unable to believe that Squawk had made it to her
current location, she saw him sure enough strike a gloating pose as Maye seemed
impressed by him. Chain could not hear Maye at all over the whispering, but
even focusing beyond the image of the dragon was a difficult task and Chain
could barely stay standing. Her plight was lost on Maye and Squawk but Drop and
her were one, so for the spirit it was an easy matter to understand. Drop did
not settle for simple understanding however and swam through the air in a hurry
to reach Chain. Chain looked at her confused as her double reached her and was
about to say something but stopped as Drop grabbed her forehead as best as she
could in relation to her size. With Chain’s forehead in her grip, Drop leaned
her head and whole body back as far as she could. Chain recognized the action
and panic set into her eyes. Before she could retreat or reach up to block her
double, Drop lunged forward with all that she was and smashed her forehead into
Chain’s. The cracking sound from the collision could be heard clearly by Maye
and Squawk before they even came close to catching up with Drop and Chain. Maye
winced in response and questioned Squawk about it as he showed no response
while watching Chain fall to her knees clutching at her forehead.
“What exactly was that?”
“Nothing surprising considering this idiot. With a skull as
thick as hers it’s no wonder we heard the collision back here. Though it does
seem that the mini idiot has the advantage, seeing as she is able to apply that
denseness to a more concentrated point. However, I have no intention of being
distracted by this pitiable scene.”
Walking ahead of Maye, Squawk angrily placed his hands on his
hips. As he reached Chain who was still coddling her forehead, He leaned in
over her and raised his voice again.
“I HOPE YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW YOU IDIOT! AND YOU BETTER BE
READY! I’VE AN EARFUL FOR YOU FOR THE SHEER IDIOCY THAT YOU’VE MANAGED SINCE I
TAUGHT YOU ABOUT MAGIC!”
“Awawawawawawa~~~~~! Please don’t yell Squawk. I don’t know
how, but I can hear again just fine.”
“Harrumph! Is that so⁈”
Harrumphing loudly, Squawk doubted Chain’s hearing even as
she reached to protect her ears. Tears in her eyes she nodded in answer. Though
she did not vocalize a response, her voice coming from Drop did continue the
topic of Chain’s hearing.
“There is no need to worry. That part of us is hearing mostly
normally again as this part of us has taken as much of the burden of hearing
the songs of the world onto us as possible. Unlike that part, this part is much
better accustomed to handling the noise of the Lucifalz as a result and can
function just fine.”
“But did you have to headbutt me? My forehead really hurts
now… And how did you get down here in the first place?”
“We jumped, though I have to say that you look the worse for
wear heretic.”
“What do you expect? I’m an adventurer on an adventure so getting
banged up is bound to happen!”
“ARE YOU ALL TRYING TO INTERRUPT ME⁈”
With Maye taking her turn in the conversation and Chain
responding to her, Squawk had become all but forgotten it seemed. Raising his
voice again was more than enough to make sure that did not persist and that
they surely remembered he was there. With everyone’s attention again on him,
Squawk returned to his intention of chewing out Chain.
“Ahem! I doubt an idiot like you has noticed, but we did not
just jump, we used the principle born of your idiocy to enter Ambrosia! How you
managed a feat that has not been achieved since the Saint Herself entered
Ambrosia is beyond me, but it is to my understand that it is likely born of you
completely failing to understand the fundamentals I taught you of magic! And
then I hear that you can also likely open the Gates of others using the same
principle!”
“Eh⁈ Really? I can do that?”
“We should be able to.”
“What do you mean should? Didn’t you not to long ago suggest
having her open my Gate for me?”
Butting in again, Maye wore a frightening look as she
expressed her displeasure. Drop smiled awkwardly and tried to answer both
honestly and in a way that made it sound better than it was.
“Well, it seemed like it would make good practice.”
“Am I supposed to be your lab rat now?
“AHEM!”
Squawk clearing his throat froze everyone and the only
movement they managed was to slowly turn to look at him. Chain managed to find
the courage regardless to speak before he did, scratching her cheek with a
nervous laugh as she did.
“I know you’re mad Squawk, but wouldn’t it be better to
finish up here and leave before you yell at me some more? I mean, between all
of the monsters, the two Sa·B·ers who are after me, and that Foreigner, not to
mention the big monster I’m off to kill right now, this isn’t really the time or
the place.”
The look Squawk gave Chain could have froze water, and at the
very least froze her. Yet Squawk did not say anything, though the longer the
silence persisted the angrier he seemed to get. Watching him was akin to
watching the fuse on a bundle of dynamite and everyone got more and more
nervous until finally Squawk exploded.
“IF IT’S SO IMPORTANT, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR YOU IDIOT??‼”
“Heh heh… Right. Let’s go!”
Springing to her feet, Chain started running ahead fearful of
Squawk going off more. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to help as he just started
shouting some more.
“First you say it’s dangerous and then you run off with out
me! You idiot!”
Looking back to see Squawk, Maye, and Drop hurrying after her,
Chain laughed and scratched at her cheek. Slowing down she allowed them catch
up to her pace and laughed again.
“Sorry, and thanks for coming to get me.”
Looking back ahead of her, Chain furrowed her brow as she
continued in a not so cheerful tone.
“I almost lost myself in those whispers.”
Narrowing his own eyes, Squawk demanded an answer.
“What are these whispers anyway?”
“The voices of the Lucifalz.”
Speaking for Chain, as she had clearer understanding of what
was going on, Drop attempted to explain.
“They ring out like the songs of the world. To those who can’t
observe the songs they make no noise, but to those sensitive to it they are
deafening. To spirits who live within that song they are ignorable in their
annoying discord, but for humans who are not used to it… Even then though they
are weird. The whispers are so many voices, and within them we can hear our
voice as well. So many echoes speaking things we should know like our fractured
memories, but also teaching us things we should not know. The Lucifalz and its
song make little sense to us.”
“Yet for as little sense as it makes, she-devil, I might
understand your confusion. A Lucifalz as it grows begins to distort reality, so
it seems of little surprise that even history is distorted around it. It would
be best if we hurried and reclaimed its Light for the good of all.”
Maye’s words were humbling, yet there seemed little choice
but to press on. Lute found all of the information he could glean from the group
of utmost interest. Most if not all of it served no use in his current job, but
it was unquestionable that the information would be invaluable for future work
in a world twisted by the appearance of the Lucifalz. First though there was
the matter of dealing with the current situation.
The forest canopy they ran through seemed without end at
first, but it was more an illusion caused by the lack of monsters and the dread
of what awaited them ahead. The canopy itself gave way to a cave, a sizeable
tunnel that something extremely large could pass through, before they even
realized it. The tunnel was long, but not so long that the other end and the
light it held could not be seen. As they emerged beyond the tunnel, it was a
scene as unusual as it was unsettling.
Above the sky, the greater and lesser moons, the Eyes of Icarus,
looked down upon the Foreigner city that loomed over where the Forest canopy
became as a giant nest. Save for the distant edges of the circular platform
where their density was greater than even before, the flame petaled flowers were
not present in the tremendous clearing. There were stray flower petals drifting
on the wind that swirled about, but they were scarcely noticeable before the leafless
tree that grew out of the center of the nest. Comprised entirely of Light, it
stretched up and outward several dozen meters, covering a massive swath of the clearing.
Stopping as they stepped under its branches, Maye breathed out in both amazement
and disgust.
“Such a massive Lucifalz. I’ve never seen one so staggering
in size.”
“I have… I think…”
Clutching at her forehead, Chain fell to her knees. The
visions of a tree rising up from the face of Icarus to meet her so high in the
sky. It was unlike anything she could comprehend, but the sight of a crimsoned-hued
giant with wings of Darkness and a sword of Light faced her. There was
something familiar about it, but she could not place it as the thoughts were
pushed aside by the dragon of Darkness that plagued the space between. That
Darkness threatened to swallow her, but her voice from a place both outside of
herself and nearer than the Lucifalz provided her a way back.
“…don’t give in to the Lucifalz. The whispers are loud and distort
everything we are. Please come back.”
Opening her eyes, Chain found herself on her back staring up
at Drop, Maye, and Squawk. Relief washed over the three of them and Chain
blinked confused. Sitting up she grabbed at her throbbing head.
“Thank goodness! We did not lose ourselves! We made it!”
Looking at the teary-eyed Drop, Chain smiled.
“I’m fine now, really.”
“I doubt that you idiot. The blood pouring out of your nose
attests to a different tale.”
“Eh⁈”
Prompted by Squawk’s harsh words, Chain wiped her nose with the
back of her hand. Staring at the back of it, there was no denying the large quantity
of crimson liquid that streaked across her chainmail. With a smile, Chain rose
to her feet and blew it off.
“I probably just reopened the injury I got when the Foreigner
hit me in the face earlier.”
“Regardless heretic, it is probably best you leave the Lucifalz
to me. Though it will be a challenge to reclaim so much Light without the others,
it is unlikely they can even reach it to be of assistance. I am fully trained
in the recover of Light however and need only the time to perform the ritual.
During that time you should rest and only take action should something appear
which threatens its completion.”
“Like that?”
As Maye had been looking at Chain as she spoke and stepped
forward, she did not see what it was the maid pointed to. It was a matter as
simple as looking however, and she irritably sighed heavily at what she saw.
Pulling her rifle from her back, she checked the cylinder for how much ammo she
currently had loaded and then answered Chain.
“Yes, that would threaten the ritual.”
.
Copyright © 2019 Joshua D Tarwater
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