Live a fulfilling life and try to have few regrets.
The Empire of the Sun may visit your home one day.
— A saying within the Free Cities. Many variations.
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Martial Arena
Molam stepped away from Shurra, walking to the front of the group to face the OutCast. His eyes darted around, noting her injured hand and lame leg in addition to the way she pressed a hand to her lower left ribs. A tinge of blue on her skin and lips spoke of frostbite.
The Whale had brought her dangerously close to death before imprisoning her, but she had broken out. Molam swallowed down his trepidation. She hadn't attacked — yet. That means they could talk.
"Roxxa EarthCaller." He greeted her using her original Title, hoping for some goodwill.
"Don't ingratiate yourself with me," the OutCast took a limping step towards them. "I abandoned that Title long ago."
Well then. Molam pressed his lips together, his eyes flicking around the Arena in desperate search of something he could use. "If the Empire has business with me, then I'm perfectly happy to talk. I assume my friends here can leave? We are in the middle of the Festival of the Hero, and there's so much for them to see."
The OutCast seemed confused for a moment, then coughed in laughter, stopping only when she choked on her own blood. She eventually wiped it away and looked up again, the hint of a smile on her face. "Ahhh, I see, I see. So this is what Rei mentioned when she said the Dao rebellion's leader has quite the glib tongue. Very well then." She spared the merest glance towards the others. "I'll allow you to leave. The Festival of the Hero is a time for peace, after all."
Primrose and Shurra flanked Molam on either side, facing down the Titled One. "No. We're one group."
Molam turned on them, hissing an order before he could stop himself. "No, leave. I'm the one she wants." He couldn't say his plan out loud at this point, not with the OutCast within earshot.
Shurra paid him no heed, staring down the OutCast while Primrose pinched his elbow. "Don't be silly. You know what she wants. The Oracle may need another hundred years to choose another vessel."
Martyker stood forth as well, his greatsword drawn and at his side. "My honorable Master wants me to ensure your safety," the bearded man said in an almost apologetic tone. "I can't do that if I can't see you, right?"
I appreciate the camaraderie, but now is not the time! Molam bit back the words. "And you?" He turned to Madam Scarlette, hoping for at least one person with a sense of self-preservation.
"I agree with Primrose," she smiled from beneath her veil.
"It seems your friends aren't very grateful for your concern," the OutCast observed. "But it doesn't matter. I would like to minimize casualties." She pointed her weapon at Molam. "I'm only going to fix Rei's mistake of letting you live. If you come here obediently, I promise it will be painless."
Before Molam could speak, Shurra placed a heavy hand on his arm. He looked up to see her baring her teeth at Roxxa. "Traitor."
The single word almost made Molam flinch. He hadn’t thought anyone could put so much anger and pain into one utterance.
The OutCast's expression stayed impassive at the blatant aggression. "A daughter of the White Bear. What was your name again, kin of mine?"
"Shurra." She took a step forward, stomping her foot into the ground. "Shurra Lukkadóttir."
The full name made the OutCast's eyes narrow; her gaze focused fully on Shurra for a long while. Then, her eyes widened with recognition. "Lukka was blessed with a daughter who shares her brows and cheekbones," she nodded, lowering her weapon. "Why are you here? Are you not the heiress? Why are you so far from the HeartHome?"
"I didn't think you would still care for our customs, Traitor." Shurra drew her weapon. "Were you not the heiress who abandoned both your Title and the HeartHome you defended?"
The OutCast did not respond immediately, pondering Shurra with an inscrutable look of resignation.
"I wouldn't expect you to understand, Shurra." Roxxa looked down at the ground, as though recalling something, before she looked back up. "I hope my sister is well enough?"
"'Well enough?'" Shurra's voice echoed, hollow. "What do you think the other tribes said of us after you abandoned us in the middle of freeing the Frozen Saint? What do you think they said of my mother, who had to take your place in front of the Blue Rose only to fail? What do you think they said of the White Bears after you showed up at the Empire's side?"
Molam took the chance while Roxxa was distracted to tug on Primrose's sleeve, nudging his nose towards the Sage's Mirror. Primrose gave him an inquisitive look, but Molam mouthed: We're going there. She frowned, but nodded, then slid a foot in the Mirror's direction.
"You want to know if my mother is doing well, Traitor? She took on the role of Mother after you deserted the tribe." Shurra advanced, her weapon pointed up and at the ready. "The role she was never prepared for. The role meant for Roxxa EarthCaller, our… pride." She spat the last word, pointing her sword at Roxxa. "She publicly endured the humiliation you left for us! And through all of that, I was with her every single time she visited the Blue Rose, begging the Mother of Hjornheim to answer her. She can stay calm and put up a brave face for the tribe in front of the HeartHome, but you should know how your sister is when she's alone and thinks her daughter can't hear her. How do you think she is doing, Traitor?" Shurra's voice dropped to a silky whisper. "Did it ever occur to you that the tribe needed Roxxa EarthCaller all these decades? That Lukka needed her older sister?"
Roxxa exhaled a long sigh. "I don't expect your forgiveness either, Shurra. How could you forgive something that you don't understand?" Far away in the distance, thunder rumbled. All of the water in their vicinity trembled violently, then trickled away in the direction of the thunder. Roxxa's eyes followed the water, then her gaze became unfocused as she looked into the skies in the distance.
"It seems they were forced to engage the Whale in the end," she muttered, then lifted her poleaxe again. "Stay put, Shurra. We can have our talk about this later; after I kill the Oracle's vessel."
Roxxa's orange gaze refocused on Molam and the air changed — they had slowly shifted closer to the Sage's Mirror during this time. "And where are you going?"
"Shurra, buy us some time!" Molam shouted. Primrose grabbed him by the arm and they broke into a sprint for the Sage's Mirror. Normally, it would be an impossible command for Shurra, but the OutCast was severely injured. Even if Master Ji had been in a hurry to go after Nettie, he wouldn't have made the mistake of imprisoning a Titled One in something that could be so easily broken. Molam reasoned that it had cost her a substantial amount of effort to break out of her bindings. "Hold Roxxa back!"
Shurra charged forward at Roxxa, right out of the red Domain and immediately stumbled, dropping down to one knee. She looked back, surprised — where had that ridge come from? — then looked up to see Roxxa limping towards Molam's group. Gritting her teeth, she leapt back to her feet and rushed forward again. The earth shifted beneath her, but this time Shurra kept her eyes to the ground and reacted when more ridges formed, stepping carefully as she advanced on Roxxa.
"Stay there," Roxxa said, stabbing her poleaxe into the ground. "Don't make me hurt you, Shurra."
The ground in front of Shurra erupted upwards, forming a solid wall that prevented her from reaching her target. The ground in front of Molam's Domain cracked open as well, but the wall's formation stopped the moment Molam's Domain covered it. They rushed through the opening.
That explains why none of them could attack from afar, Molam thought as they stopped in front of the Mirror and its ethereal surface. They can't control any of the space in this Domain.
"Now what?" Primrose asked while Scarlette and Martyker backed into them, on guard against the approaching OutCast. "This better be good, Molam."
Scarlette seemed speechless. "Did you bring us here… to summon echoes that would fight us first?"
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A loud clang interrupted them; they whirled to see Martyker blocking Roxxa, who had already advanced up to the edge of Molam's Domain. Even with just one hand, the injured Titled One was pushing past the Oasian as their blades clashed, sparks flying through the air.
"Molam, will your Domain attack me if I use my aura?" Martyker shouted. The man's sword sliced in great arcs through the air, leaving a trail of silver light, matching Roxxa's own cleaving blows in a flurry of exchanges. Each strike saw their weapons parry and glance off each other as Martyker aimed for Roxxa's vitals or attempted to injure her even further, but was unable to gain the upper hand by himself.
"No, act freely!" Molam shouted back at the swordsman.
Silver aura lanced out from Martyker's hand as he deflected Roxxa's blow and returned a downward swing of his greatsword. Roxxa blocked it, but Martyker did not let up. Various metal objects flew towards them, drawn towards the silver gleaming in the air. Martyker leapt backwards at the very last moment and the metal objects crashed straight into Roxxa, blocking her vision.
The moment was brief, but enough for Molam to gesture commands at the two women. Madam Scarlette seemed none too impressed at the plan, but she nodded alongside Primrose.
The metal pieces vibrated and shot outwards. The others turned to deflect the pieces, Molam blocked his face with his arm; a shard sliced through his ear. Blood ran down his neck, then his ear itched. So that still worked too.
"I can respect the will to fight," the OutCast shrugged off the rest of the metal weights, her glowing orange eyes focused on Molam. "I can respect the desire to live. Why can't you people channel that towards the will to fight for a world worth living in? The Oracle chose a vessel once and it turned our world upside down; did none of you learn from history?"
The earthen wall behind Roxxa exploded in a shower of rock and gravel; Shurra emerged, rushing Roxxa with her sword held just above her head, tip pointing forward. "Fighting for a world worth living in? And who turned their back on the Frozen Saint? What right do you have to speak of anything, Traitor?"
"Impulsive and single-minded," Roxxa growled, meeting Shurra's charge with her own weapon. The two women braced against the ground, pushing into each other in a grueling contest of strength. "You inherited Lukka's worst traits; all action without thought." The poleaxe's edge bit into the sword, drawing a sharp keen from Shurra's blade. "DId you forget the wisdom of the Seers? A glacier with no destination is just destruction manifest."
Martyker dashed past Molam, greatsword cleaving through the air. Roxxa broke off a nearby spike to block the swordsman with an awkward grip from her ruined hand, but the stone crumbled under Martyker's blade. She hopped back, breaking off another spike and switching her position while Shurra and Martyker followed, their weapons whirling through the air. She met both of them again, this time blocking the greatsword with her poleaxe instead. The weapons held against each other.
"You speak of history, Roxxa the OutCast, but history has multiple writers." Martyker pushed his full weight down on his weapon, forcing Roxxa to one knee. Shurra stepped past Martyker, thrusting her sword down at Roxxa's weak-side; the blade caught against Roxxa's defensive arm, drawing a gash but did not go deep. With grim determination, Shurra leaned in, putting her weight behind the sword.
Roxxa coughed, struggling under the weight of both Shurra and Martyker, then stomped her foot forward; a pillar of earth erupted beneath her, pushing her above them all and disengaging her from the two assailants. Shurra and Martyker backtracked, returning to the safety of Molam's Domain.
She didn't attack them using her earth spikes, observed Molam. Did she choose not to, or is it that she can't?
"Martyker," Roxxa greeted, looking down upon them from above. She inspected her injured arm, then looked back down. "It is Martyker, right? I couldn't remember your name until it was shouted earlier. Did the Prince not promise to restore your arm if you would consider entering his service and work towards changing everyone's lives for the better?"
Martyker looked up at Roxxa. "You speak of a world worth living in, but how can anyone feel comfortable living under the same sky as the Empire?"
Roxxa's eyes narrowed at the accusation, staring down at Martyker from her vantage point. "You've seen the Empire. You should know that we do not mistreat any —"
"It's not about how you treat those within, but how you treat those around you too," Martyker interjected. "Ask the Free Cities. And even if it's just internal, what did the Empire do when Kamisukawa tried to go their own way? You know the history. You tell us."
The OutCast's shadow loomed over them, but she did not respond. Molam caught Primrose and Scarlette's questioning eyes, but shook his head. It wasn't time yet.
"I see none of you can be swayed then." The OutCast looked down upon them, the cadence of her words slowing down. "This is my final warning: step aside." She held up her free hand and clenched a fist; the ground shook and chunks of earth floated upwards, coalescing into a large mass above Molam's Domain. "Only the Oracle's vessel needs to die here. Your mothers labored to give you life; don't toss it away needlessly."
While the rest of the group looked up at Roxxa's threat with trepidation, Molam experienced a moment of clarity. He saw the entire battlefield within the Martial Arena as a board, the opponent's next moves almost as predictable as a predator sensing weakness and going for the kill.
"That's hardly the right thing to say to people who already distrust the Empire, Roxxa," he said in a mild tone, squeezing Primrose's arm for her to prepare herself. "It only makes them wonder why you are so interested in my death — and perhaps what the Empire stands to lose if I live."
All he needed to do was ensure Roxxa saw no other choice.
"You are just like the Frozen Saint." Roxxa's gaze hardened. "Willing to let others die to do the Oracle's bidding."
The words stung, but perhaps not in ways that Roxxa intended. Molam shrugged it off by pointing to the large earthen mass she had gathered above their head, enunciating clearly so that the others could hear. "When you drop that, Shurra and Martyker can easily block it for us. Then what? No one's going to die while my Domain keeps us safe."
"Such confidence in the outcome. So the source of your confidence is your Domain." The poleaxe lifted and Roxxa stepped off her platform, bringing down her other hand as she fell down towards them.
Shurra and Martyker acted immediately, leaping upwards to engage the chunk of earth falling down on them. Martyker went first; the greatsword swung, splitting it in half, then he ducked as Shurra pried the halves apart, sending them flying to the sides.
Roxxa landed on the ground while the two were in the air, then launched herself at Molam with a speed she hadn't demonstrated earlier. The flames making up the Domain converged on Roxxa the moment she entered, but she did not falter. Their group barely had time to process the raised earthen foothold behind her before she had breached Molam's Domain and was on them.
Scarlette and Primrose scattered to the side, throwing sharp projectiles at the OutCast. The charging woman disregarded the barrage of needles and blades as they bounced off her skin. She made a straight line towards Molam, who had only managed to retreat two steps in the time she had touched the ground.
"Stop." Primrose's voice rang out to no avail. Unlike Lyka, Roxxa did not even flinch at her Charm, her poleaxe cutting straight at Molam's neck.
A great thump exploded the earth next to Molam.
Clang.
Martyker had thrown his greatsword as he fell through the air, blocking the blow meant to sever Molam's head from his shoulders. Roxxa didn’t hesitate; she dropped her weapon and reached for Molam instead. Molam shook off the effects of the loud impact, backing up to the Sage's Mirror with no place to run.
When the grasping hand almost reached him, Molam crushed the stone from Kalle that had been meant for his flametool. The explosion of fire was larger than he expected, knocking him backwards and making his arm go numb.
And still it wasn't enough. He looked up to see Roxxa bearing down on him, then her movement jerked sideways as Scarlette leapt onto the OutCast's back, pulling Roxxa's head backwards to stab a needle into her neck. But just like the flames now surrounding Roxxa, the needles stopped just before it reached her skin, held at bay by a veil of aura.
With a growl, Roxxa reached up to swat Scarlette away, hand swiping the air while the woman fluttered backwards to avoid that deadly grip. Seeing Scarlette out of her reach, Roxxa turned back to Molam. His back touched the Mirror behind him. Roxxa stepped in and struck again, her punch aimed unerringly at Molam's head. Shurra tackled the OutCast out of nowhere, throwing off the attack's trajectory and causing Roxxa's fist to strike Molam's shoulder instead, sliding off onto the Mirror behind him.
Molam roared. The blow shattered his bones and the pain blurred his vision. He could barely think or recognize Primrose and Scarlette engaging the OutCast before she could finish his life; the agonizing pain was too great for his mind to focus. Dimly, he felt his working hand clutching at his broken shoulder while the fight raged above his prone form.
"Shurra, hold her down!"
The unmistakable sound of steel clashing. Grunts of pain. Enraged shouts.
"Molam's Domain is gone!"
"Molam needs to heal himself, just hold her down!"
By the time the itching sensation of healing kicked in, Molam had just registered two bodies thrown to the ground besides him. He looked up to see Roxxa free from the flames, holding Shurra down on the ground with one foot on her back while shoving away Martyker's greatsword. When the Oasian was pushed back, Roxxa leaned down on her foot and forced a struggling Shurra back down. When Shurra tried to rise again, Roxxa slammed her poleaxe's blade towards Shurra's face, halting it at the last moment, the steel gleaming in front of Shurra's eyes.
"Stay down, Lukkadóttir." Roxxa tapped Shurra's cheek with the flat of her poleaxe. Shurra struggled, but could not break free. "My lenience with you is the only reason your other friends are alive." Roxxa tapped her weapon on the ground — the earth snaked around Shurra's wrists and ankles, binding her down.
The Titled One looked up, her glowing orange eyes focusing on Molam. "Your focus is fragile if your Domain disperses so easily in battle."
Molam could only stare numbly at the OutCast, too distracted to focus on his dangling, useless arm and itching shoulder. Primrose and Scarlette lay on the ground, struggling against their own bindings. An injured Roxxa had defeated them all by herself in those moments the feather focused on healing him? And Master Ji had fought three Titled Ones by himself?
Roxxa stomped close, looking down at Molam. "Molam, was it?" She shook her head, almost apologetic. "It's nothing personal. You can blame fate that you were chosen as the Oracle's tool, if it makes this any easier. I apologize that this is how it needs to be."
She raised her weapon for the killing blow. Molam braced himself when a glowing hook yanked her wrist backwards, causing Roxxa to pivot and face the Mirror. The other end of the hook extended from the Mirror's black swirling surface, now glowing with an orange hue, the same color as Roxxa's aura. The hook extended as the orange echo stepped out, taking on the form of a man. The OutCast growled, trying to free her wrist when the echo twisted the haft of its weapon to pull Roxxa towards it, yanking their adversary away from Molam's group.
Martyker ran through their group, fragmenting their earthen binds with the flat of his blade. Primrose, Shurra, and Scarlette checked their limbs upon being released, but Molam saw Martyker's dumbfounded expression. He followed the man's gaze and felt equally shocked.
"Molam?" Primrose shouted. "Are you alright?"
Molam didn't know what to think as he watched Roxxa engage the echo. He had only thought of how to trick Roxxa into activating the Sage's Mirror, but gave no thought as to what she could possibly summon. It was a younger version, but there was no mistaking the imitation hooked staff with the ruby inset.
"...Master Flangel?"