Chapter 144: Back Home
Mercury could tell that there were dozens of notifications waiting for him in the system, but he pushed them all aside. They were still there, ready for him to check at a moment's notice, but he was a bit busy at the moment.
As the world crumbled around him, Mercury gazed at the spectacle. He was there to see a star die, even if it was in a dream, and the destruction was beautiful.
The silver line he carved into the sky was expanded, eating away at the world as the firmament itself dissolved, revealing the emptiness behind it. It began slowly crumbling away to nothing, yet at the same time, the places which still existed behaved.
Where it wasn't being devoured, the crimson sun wavered, its edges glimmering as it tore itself apart. It clearly wasn't an actual cloud of gas held together by gravity, given the fact that it seemed to fall apart. Like lava, strips of it began to flow down from the sky.
In moments, the once star had lost its shape, transforming into waterfalls of dying embers, turning black and grey as they fell apart in the sky, and were then devoured by the tear he had carved.
And it put a smile on Mercury's face.
Seeing something like this die was unlike anything he had experienced. It wasn't a star, no, but he doubted anyone else had ever seen something like it. And it was stunning.
As the liquid dripped from the sky and dissolved, it turned a cascade of warm shades, from crimson to orange, then yellow, down to a dull grey. The rend he had made had turned into a dark hole, its edges alight with silver, snaking forth and taking apart what remained of the dream.
On the floor, the ash around him crumbled, as did the stone beneath him. Nothing was holding them together anymore, and they dissolved into motes of light not unlike what the Dream of Starvation did when he unsummoned the weapon.
Bit by bit, it all dissolved, and about halfway through, Mercury could feel reality shift again. The dream had grown too weak to hold him, and he had no interest in staying behind. With a snap of disorientation, Mercury's
There, the servants had given up. His party had killed dozens, but there were still more left than there had been at the beginning. Sensing an attack on their lady, the servants must have stormed in, abandoning their hunt for sustenance in favour of immediate survival.
Yet, now their lady was nothing but a pile of dust on a throne. Her skin and bones had disintegrated the moment Mercury killed her in the dream, her mind too unstable to continue on, and the crimson sun no longer sustaining her. Her nightmare was over, and she would hunger no more.
Looking at the monsters he had previously feared, Mercury almost felt bad for them. They were cowering on the floor, their hands clasping at their heads as they howled in loss for their lady. Perhaps once, they had willingly served her, before their bodies became twisted. It mattered little; their minds were gone now, and Mercury knew they would die with this realm.
And the realm was dying.
Through the shattered windows, he could see the ashen plains falling apart. The floor cracked and splintered, great gashes forming and destroying the place. Mountains crumbled, their last roars a reminder of destruction. The sky above was black, the sun extinguished and dead, hanging there as a white circle, its body falling apart and blanketing everything in a facsimile of snow.
Mercury saw Jirluc's lips move. "How do we get out?" he was probably asking, but unfortunately the mopaaw couldn't hear it over the rumbling of falling mountains.
Somehow, despite the destruction around him, Mercury felt perfectly content. His mind was still processing it all, his victory, his ihn'ar, the fact he had interacted with the
Rather than panic, he stood there with a placid smile on his face. He knew things would be fine. And he was right.
[The wandering archway "Plains of the Crimson Sun" has been closed!]
[Due to its identity as a wandering archway, all individuals inside will be shunted to their perceived home. You are encouraged to share the information of your probable location data if you wish to meet up again.]
Mercury knew exactly where he would end up. There were so many people he had to see again, to show that he was not dead, yet if it was about his home, there was no doubt about it. He hadn't seen Kintra in so long, after all. Paying her a visit was only right.
He looked around at his companions.
Jirluc's face seemed somewhat impassive, but his body did not. The hunter was bracing himself against his spear, his legs shaking. He had been in here the longest, and there were tears welling up in his eyes even though his lips weren't moving. Mercury could see how much he'd missed his home.
Larash had completely fallen to the floor, lying on her back and shaking. She was laughing with all her heart, tears sliding down her cheeks. All the tension had drained from her, the fierceness in her features disappearing. She no longer looked intimidating, but simply elated.
Juno was licking her wounds, her gaze occasionally darting to Mercury or upwards to the sky. He couldn't read her as easily, but he had travelled with her for a while. She was both mourning the loss of the other wolves, and proclaiming her revenge over what killed them. It was a vow to them that she would move forward.
Finally, Ruvah walked up to him, almost calmly, and tapped his forehead with the tip of her liquidy tail. The smile on her face was wide enough to lighten up the entire room.
Mercury took it all in, only needing a few moments to do so before he considered the last part of their message. Right, he should at the very least offer them a chance to meet again. They had shared an adventure very few people could boast having shared.
With his Mp mostly refilled from the levels he'd gained, Mercury wove threads again, arranging them to form the letters in common. "Nevarzahri. Stormbraver. 1 Season."
He levitated it in front of all of them, turning specifically to Ruvah. He dove into ihn'ar again, and spoke the words as well. She nodded in reply. Their understanding of each other was not to be broken by background noise.
Locking eyes, all the five nodded at each other. They would meet. All of them had things to do and people to see, and they would take 100 days to do so, then reconvene at Stormbraver.
With that understanding gained, Mercury gazed up at the sky. The ceiling of the mansion had dissolved by now, revealing the inky blackness above. The snow that had once been the crimson sun was still falling, blanketing the ash and turning the black stone white.
The rumbles in the floor increased, now there were more gaps than land left. The once mostly even plains had become dotted with humongous ravines, swallowing up the land in sheer drops down to nothingness.
Then, as it was all falling apart, Mercury felt reality twist in on itself for a third time that day, and reappeared somewhere else entirely.
- - - - - -
Kintra stared at the words in front of her. She was completely in disbelief. For seasons now she had not once mentioned what happened back in Alywick. Talking about the blood eclipse was a quick way to invite another one.
Yet, in front of her, the words hovered.
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[The wandering archway
She waved her hand through the notification, trying to see if it was real, and it never vanished. It clung to her vision when she looked around, and even when she closed her eyes, Kintra felt the knowledge in her head. She didn't think or read about what had happened, she knew it.
Stunned, the woman kind of stood there. She'd been talking to a younger seeker, a fairly new recruit, who had just come to get a goblin clearing mission. Evening was approaching, but she wanted to set out early tomorrow, so she came to pick up the quest.
Now, Kintra was staring past her blankly, her mind racing and frozen at the same time. Her eyes passed over the words again.
The very thing that had ended her life as she knew it was... gone. Just like that. It would never ever happen again. When she was just about to finally wrap her head around it all, she heard a familiar voice, piercing through the air.
"Hey Kintra," Mercury said, his tone somewhat awkward, "I- I'm home." Tears trickled down his cheek.
- - - - - -
Yvette had been staying outside a city. She rarely lived in them anymore these days. After so many blood eclipses she'd become a virtual beacon for them, and never knew when another would strike.
It had been some time since the last one, so she was soon expecting it to happen again. Laying on a tree branch and gazing into the sky, she wondered if she should just forget about it all. Try to live a normal life again. see another city burn down.
She sighed. No, she shouldn't do that. People would die, and she would be sad, again. Her lips twisted into a frown as she tried to push the thoughts away and focus on the night sky.
The stars were beautiful. Twinkling white up there, painting the sky a dark blue. The moon was neither too bright, nor too dark, shedding just enough light to let her appreciate the scenery.
As a child, she'd loved camping for those exact moments. She still enjoyed them now, but they had somewhat lost their touch when they became less voluntary. Exiling herself from society had made her abrasive, and sometimes downright cruel.
Granted, she'd not been a great person before having her life fucked by the eclipses either, but they also certainly didn't help.
Yvette sighed again, closing her eyes and enjoying the faint dance of light against her eyelids. The forest was quiet, her fire long burnt down. She was beginning to slowly drift off to sleep when she felt a notification hit her.
The sound was quiet, but she knew it enough to open her eyes but a glimpse. The knowledge flooded her brain suddenly. She waited for it with mellow excitement, expecting maybe a Skill notification or her own level going up, but it was much, much different.
[The wandering archway
Yvette's eyes widened in shock as she shot up. Her movements were fast enough to almost toss her off the side of the tree, as she grabbed onto the trunk to steady herself. Her fingers tightened, her fist clenching hard enough to splinter the wood.
"What?" she muttered under her breath, eyes scanning over the lines again and again.
It didn't make sense to her at all. Something she'd been struggling with for so long, which had a habit of levelling any place she wanted to live in, was dealt with? So suddenly?
But at the same time, the information was seared into her mind, confirmed by the system. It kept secrets sometimes, sure, not showing every single thing. But it never lied. Not once. She sure as hell didn't believe it would start now.
All Yvette could do was focus on her breathing. She did as she practiced for the aura Skill, pushing her mana in cycles through her body, and expanding them into her sword. She meditated for all of five minutes, before she screamed.
The information had sunk in, and it had clicked. She was free! She was finally, finally free!!!
No more isolating herself, no more living in fuck-off forests, no more sleepless night with the wails of the dead in her ears. It was over, it was finally, finally over!
Yvette began laughing like a maniac, her voice ringing out loudly against the silent forest, animals fleeing one after another.
It felt as though the whole world was her oyster now. What should she do first? Yvette smiled. For now, perhaps she would be happy with a proper meal, and a comfortable bead.
The swordswoman took her things, slung her pack across her back, and began walking to the nearest town.
- - - - - -
The caretaker smiled as she saw the notification ring out in front of her eyes. The little one had, in fact, done it. Ended a story which had long since overstayed its welcome. It was good. She was, to some degree, proud.
- - - - - -
Old Dreamweaver felt the ripples of a world crashing. It was the second time it had happened within a day, and they knew exactly who the culprit was. Their pupil.
Indeed, young Mercury had once again met and exceeded their expectations. They had given but a hint of advice, yet the young one managed to make his way through. An expression of content found itself on them.
What would their tri'ht show them next?
- - - - - -
Yasashiku had felt his age more than ever. His arm still healed far faster than any human's from Earth, yet to him it felt like a snail's pace. But it was by far not the only reason he felt old.
The weight of losing his pupil so soon was hard to bear. It was not the first time it had happened, and he'd hoped it would not happen again. The grief had hit him far harder than he thought it would.
Of course, over the years he'd lost many people. Loved ones, close ones, family and friends. All of them aged, withered, or were claimed by the world. He saw it as a part of nature, as a cycle. Yet, to lose a pupil again was still hard.
He'd been spending the time with Alexander. The house was spacious enough for the family to have him stay over, and he was welcomed in immediately. He was like an uncle to Ria, and a grandfather to Marsh. And it helped calm his soul.
Over the pages, his heart settled down again. It had been hurt, and it had left a wound. He would no longer be accepting pupils, that much he knew, but he almost felt ready to go smithing again. He had taken up some orders to help around the village, but nothing that truly challenged him.
Yet, somehow, almost the day he resolved to properly pick up his hammer again, Yasashiku was faced with a message.
[The wandering archway
He read over it twice more, then closed his eyes. His mind may have been old, but it was sharp, and there was no mistaking it. Somehow, the mopaaw had lived. Somewhere out there, his final pupil still roamed.
Yasashiku felt his heart beat with excitement at the thought. He was shocked, of course. He felt surprised, and glad, and proud all at the same time, but most of all, he felt excitement.
His pupil was alive. The maniac had done it! Resolving himself, Yasashiku knew what he would do. He would seek out the young mopaaw, and ask Mercury if he still wished to be taught by him.
- - - - - -
Kintra almost immediately found herself crying as she heard Mercury’s voice. Swallowing her tears for a moment, she passed the young seeker off to a colleague and stepped out from behind the register, wrapping her arms around her friend.
“Y-You’re h-ome…” she stammered, burying her face in his fur. “You’re back!”
“I am,” Mercury answered, his voice quivering. He wrapped his front legs around Kintra as well as best he could, returning her hug. He didn’t mind it for a second.
For a long while, the two just held each other, the seekers around giving them privacy. Many of them still remembered Mercury, and those who didn’t were simply pulled aside. After they had some time to shed their tears, Kintra quickly dragged Mercury aside and up into her room.
She’d moved his cat bed there, and it was still covered with a few plush blankets. He laid down there for a few moments, resting his head on his paws while Kintra settled her breathing and got a chance to calm down a little.
After a few moments spent in companionable silence, she finally asked. “So, Mercury… what exactly happened? I saw a notification about you stopping the blood eclipses?”
Mercury stared at her for a few moments at that. If she’d gotten a notification, it meant that multiple people most likely did. Certainly not anyone, since most of the seekers had seemed rather calm when he arrived. So did anyone who’d been in an eclipse gotten the notification?
At any rate, Mercury nodded to her question. “I… yeah. That’s something I did, yeah. With a lot of help, of course, but I did. It’s uh… complicated.”
Kintra simply smiled at him and gave a wave. “I don’t think I’ll be doing anything else tonight,” she said.
“Well then,” Mercury smiled weakly, “let me tell you a little about an adventure.”
- - -
Telling her about everything that had happened took a long while. He started with the attempt at his life first, then explained all about his time in the ashen plains. How he took down the Nexus, and the Crimson Sun. Then he told her about his time in Stormbraver, about Lucia, Marcel, Avery and Iris, about Gilah and Elliot and their excursion to the arch, and about his journey to get Iris back.
When he mentioned Zyl, Kintra congratulated him on starting a relationship, though Mercury half waved it off. They were still just dating, after all, but he’d definitely need to visit again, now.
“What will you do next, then,” Kintra asked, eyeing her surprise visitor suspiciously. “You aren’t gonna tell me you’re leaving again already, right?”
“No, no, I won’t be,” Mercury shook his head. He’d thought it over while telling her all about things. “I’ll be staying here for a while, maybe half a page, maybe a full one. I mean, if that’s okay with you, of course!”
“You better,” Kintra grinned. “You can tell me more details in a little while, Mercury. Get some rest for now, I’ll grab you some food.”
Mercury’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. “Actually, I think I can digest vegetables again. And fruit. Is there… any chance we could get a full meal?”
Once again, his friend smiled. “You’re home, Mercury. Of course there’s full meals. Come along, I’ll make you something.”
Then, under a moonlit sky, Mercury had his first taste of human food in over a year. The meal was something akin to a mild curry, with lots of vegetables and served over this world’s equivalent for rice.
And Mercury wept more tears of joy. Not just because of the food, but because it felt like his place in this world had finally been carved out.