“…Ever since I laid eyes on you…I’ve been helplessly in love…this is the least I can do…I wish it could have been different…I was looking forward to traveling with you…even if I was only your property…Still, save some love for me, okay?”
…
Things had turned out better than he’d expected. Despite the run of bad luck, it’s payed off, most certainly.
Alisson glanced over his apprentice.
That hardly mattered though. Alisson turned away, and got back to digging.
…
My eyes fluttered open.
“Celis!? Come on! You let us sleep in again!”
I felt a shake on my shoulder. Before my eyes was a girl my age with cyan hair, and bright, similarly colored eyes. On the bottom bunk of a small bed, I was tucked in with immeasurable comfort. Leaning over me, was the one who’d woken me.
“Ukuri?”
I stared through her. She gave me a suddenly perplexed look.
“W-what’s with that expression? It looks like you’ve aged ten years since last night.”
I ignored her words. I looked up blankly instead.
“Am I dead?”
I asked. Silence followed. The window to our room shone with bright sunlight, and I could hear the excited chattering of the other apprentices in the dorm down the halls. I could hear the Capitol brimming with activity, birds chirped and wagons rolled outside.
Ukuri broke her surprised stare with a shake of her head, pouting.
“What kind of question is that? Just what kind of dream did you have this time?”
“She’s said that before Uki. Don’t get worried.”
Odariss said from across the room.
I lifted my hands up from the covers into my vision. They were soft, and small. They weren’t callused over, and dirty.
“Was it really all a dream?”
My hands shook.
“A dream Celis, a dream! Get over it!” Ukuri bobbed back and forth impatiently. “Come on and help me put on my gear already!”
“Alisson…”
I muttered, my eyes wide, staring into my hands.
Ukuri tilted her head in confusion. “Huh? W-wait! W-why are you crying!?”
My head shot to Ukuri.
“Alisson! Alisson Vi Nuam! Do you know him!”
Please. It couldn’t have been. It can’t’ve been. There’s no way it was all a dream. Is someone like Alisson really that? So impossible, so implausible, that I could’ve only dreamt of someone like that? Someone who cared for me…someone who I liked…someone who I died for…
“Y-yeah I know him…isn’t he the commander of Storm troops? B-but why are you asking! And why are you crying!”
I put my hand to my head. Is this purgatory? Heaven? Hell? I couldn’t tell.
“The Nursery…Freigat…Crimson…”
I looked up to Ukuri. Except, she wasn’t there anymore. And I wasn’t in a bed anymore. I was on the ground, a cold, hard ground. In front of me was a person laying across the ground. It was dark in all directions, and I couldn’t make anything out. Their limbs were destroyed, twisted and inverted in horrible ways, and blood sullied their bright purple hair. She was staring right at me. Her face was so wounded and bloodied, I almost couldn’t recognize her.
She mouthed something.
I started to breath faster, hyperventilating.
…
I opened my eyes and sat straight up, gasping. I breathed heavy, quick breaths. My eyes darted around, cold sweat across my body. Tall trees, a hard ground, blood all over my ripped clothes and armor…
I looked down to my abdomen, and didn’t see the large gash that was once there. Instead, I saw my left arm, holding myself up as I sat straight, without even realizing it. There wasn’t any armor on my arm, or any clothes.
I couldn’t feel my arm at all. More evidence.
Directly next to me, curled up by my side, was a mangled corpse. It was Berein. I was propped up against a stone step, and out in front of me, I saw the large corpse of a Nursery, as well as an abundant amount of blood-stained ground. The sun was low…But it was setting, not rising as I remembered. It’s been a while.
My eyes were drawn to the body next to me. She looked so peaceful, so content, all curled up near my side, like I was protecting her.
Her words suddenly shot through my head. I put a hand to my mouth, and my eyes widened at Berein’s body. My body was overtaken in a hellish shiver. I couldn’t stop myself from throwing up. Because of my lack of sustenance, nothing really came out.
She’s dead…she’s…
A heavy footfall sounded on my other side. I looked, and saw a familiar pair of boots and shin plates. In pure shock, I sat, watching as Alisson knelt near me. He drew a small white cloth from within his cloak, and wiped my mouth wordlessly. Before I was able to look up into his face, he stood and turned away, sheathing his handkerchief.
“W-what happened?”
I asked, still not believing what was going on.
“That…” Alisson sounded stern, and his voice surreal. “…Is a story you’ll have to tell me.”
He glanced back at me and Berein.
“When I awoke, you two were like that, and we were both healed. I didn’t want to disturb you.” He turned back away, adjusting his collar.
I stood, my eyes wide, staring at Alisson’s back, my mouth parted. I glanced to Berein, and only then did liquid finally started welling in my eyes.
…
Alisson suddenly heard a cry behind him. He turned quickly, to see Celis with tears streaming down her face. Her shoulders were limp by her sides. Alisson eyed the surrounding forest undergrowth, wary for any Darkwalkers as he knelt back near his apprentice.
“What is it?”
He asked, staring into his apprentice’s sobbing eyes.
“You’re alive…I’m alive…I thought, I thought-!” She was overtaken by sobbing before she was able to finish her sentence.
Alisson held both of her shoulders.
“Calm down Celis. Start from the beginning. What happened after I was caught?”
Alisson hadn’t wanted to bother his apprentice as soon as she’d regained consciousness with questions, but evidently he had to know something urgently.
“You…I…I blew off my own arm…like you said…”
Alisson tilted his head. He didn’t remember anything of the sort. Seeing his expression, Celis redoubled,
“Y-you must’ve been delirious then…B-but, I managed to kill the beast…”
“And?”
“And…and….We were both going to die.”
Celis said suddenly, and the world fell silent for Alisson. His eyes widened, and he stared at her intensely.
“I only had one healing scroll left…and no mana…I, I was going to die…you, you were gong to die…I put the scroll on you, and then, and then…”
Alisson closed his eyes.
His apprentice triumphed. But she was going to die. She saved him in her last moments. She fell unconscious then believing with her very being that she’d just given her life to him.
He pulled Celis closer.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for making you go through that.” He took a deep breath. “But thank you.”
Celis warily looked to her side.
“You should be thanking her…”
Celis said, and then quickly wiped away her tears. Alisson nodded.
“I’ve already dug a grave. She deserves respect, even more so now that you’ve told me this. Even if she was only a tool, she was a Sidonian tool.”
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Alisson saw the black trail of dry blood across the ground that led out of the undergrowth. Berein must’ve…while both him and Celis were on the path to death…
Alisson shook his head, and stood. He grabbed Celis’s baselards that he’d retrieved. He dropped them into her lap. She stared at them for along moment, as if wondering what she was supposed to do with them.
Alisson had retrieved them from the scene when he’d awoken. He saw for himself all the blood and guts that were there. They were human, leaking out of the Nursery. Alisson didn’t think it was Celis’s but now…
He glanced at her.
They probably were. If that was the case…He could only imagine how terrible a state her body had been in. On top of all that, using her last healing item on him, and not herself…
He felt the sudden need to embrace her. He wanted to hold her tightly, and caress her hair, and tell her that she did a good job, and of how grateful he was. If Alisson did that though, he knew that he wouldn’t want to let go.
He took another deep breath, and glanced to the structure behind him.
I have a job to do.
They could return to Pūshkinskaya, and cuddle in a bed all he wanted when the mission was complete. Or better yet, return to Daigoro, with Tsuhara again. Or maybe even…the Nuam keep again…the streets of the Capitol, his 51st…
He tightened his fist.
The structure was what they were looking for. It had the symbol. They’re objective, was now officially half complete. Now, to find out what the hell was inside. Alisson glanced over at Celis.
…After some time to recover of course.
Alisson sat down next to Celis, and sighed. He recalled the events that happened up until that point. He awoke, with tendrils everywhere, restraining Berein and Celis and him. Berein fired off magic, and freed all of them. Celis was still unconscious, so him and Berein followed the tendrils back to Nursery in a frantic scramble, wanting to kill source of all the tentacles as quickly as possible. Berein launched off only a single barrage before she was cornered, and dragged off into the forest, leaving Alisson alone against an enemy that he didn’t think that he could win against.
It was so stupid. Why of all fighters, some beast is his toughest opponent so far? Unless he counted the Darkwalkers, or other anomalies of nature. In which case, the Nursery was far from it, seeing as though it was dead now.
He’d been watching the area ever since he’d awoken for a second time, making sure nothing would disturb his apprentice. He was sure that she was the sole reason that he was alive, but her story redoubled that fact even more – His life had been saved by two people who were not himself. How frivolous a thought that was, and how rarely it came into his head.
…
I sat there my back against the steps of our objective for a long while. It was quite cold out. That’s probably because of the surrounding lakes, and the fast approaching winter. With one of my arms being blown away, I lost my clothing for that limb too.
I shook my head.
I’m thinking about stupid stuff again. My head was empty, but my body was oddly relaxed, despite all the traumatic damage its endured – Thanks to the healing, it’s like none of it happened.
I watched as Alisson dumped dirt over the hole he’d dug. My scroll pouch was a little heavier than before. We’ve stripped Berein of any valuable items, unfortunately, none of her scrolls were healing ones. She exhausted all of them on me – It explained all the paper parchments stuck to my skin when I had awoken.
I really thought Berein wasn’t going to die.
Her feelings, and the fact that Alisson decided to declare her a Sidonian asset. I thought that, I thought we’d be returning to Sidonia together.
Even after she’s gone, I still don’t know what to think about her. I know she liked me, but why? Why me? Why did she give her life to me? She could’ve easily healed herself, and left the both of us to die. Sure, she probably would’ve died later on without our help but still…Why would some random human do that?
Alisson strode toward me, Enhérejär clicked back into a rapier in his hands from being a spade.
Enhérejär. You devilish weapon. You only act when your user’s life is on the line. You didn’t care when I was going to die, but all of a sudden when I was freed, you used me to save Alisson.
At least that’s the bitter impression I got. My opinion of that weapon has dropped substantially.
I sighed.
I guess I’ve just been screwed in head for the past while. I did think I was going to die after all. But here I am…
I finally picked up the baselards up off my lap, and sheathed one. The other now no longer had a sheath, so I just slipped it in between my belt and my armor on my right pauldron. My armor is a total mess, and so Alisson’s. Our cloaks are ripped, and dirtied with many layers of blood.
“Are you ready?”
Alisson asked. I nodded, and reluctantly stood on shaky legs. Not because I was scared, but because all the healing my body had undergone. So many new nerves and muscles, it’s like I have to reteach my body how to move again in those areas. My arm looks the exact same as it did before, even though I knew for a fact that it was made up of completely new tissue and cells. I can really see how strong my arm is now. Just tightening my fist, and my forearm bulges with muscle. I can only wonder how my legs look like…
Blegh…Will I still be pretty with a bunch of muscle?
I shook my head. I followed Alisson across the stone basin toward the large door on the structure. It had an extremely intricate design, but I made out that symbol Alisson was talking about: Three circles in triangle pattern, connected together by lines, with one small circle in the middle.
“I don’t exactly see any door handles.”
Alisson remarked. It was quite large, big enough for a carriage to fit through. What Alisson said wasn’t wrong. There weren’t any perceivable ways to open the door. Upon closer inspection though, on one of the three circles, was an oddly shaped indent.
“Here.”
I said, running my hand over the indent. It looked to go quite deep into the door. It’s odd shape, combined with large circular indentations around it, made it seem like it was a keyhole of sorts.
“Hmm…This looks like something that you’re supposed to put your hand on.”
Alisson placed his gauntlet on the door. After a moment, his brow furrowed. He stepped back, frowning.
“What is it?”
I asked.
“I just lost all of my mana.”
“W-what!?”
Alisson looked to his hand. “It’s like it was sucked out of me. I didn’t think I had regenerated much since the battle but, it seemed I was actually full to brim.” His mouth furrowed even more. “I can already feel my mana regenerating too.” He looked to me. “Give it a try – You have a larger capacity after all.”
I nodded and took his place, and put my bare left hand against the grooves in the door.
I saw a sudden blue aura from my hand. From the indents in the door, some kind of shining blue filled them, but only about an inch in all directions from my hand. It was a like an empty river, and I had only poured a cup of water into it.
Before I knew it, I was completely out of mana. The sensation made me realize that I’d actually been completely full as well, just like Alisson – And my mana was already beginning to rejuvenate at an incredible pace.
As I stepped back, the blue streams in the wall went dead, and all returned back to how they were.
“Judging from how large these indents are spread…It would require someone with unparalleled mana capacity to fill everything.” Alisson sighed. “If this is the only way to open the door…I don’t think we’d ever be able to get in – No one in Sidonia has magnitudes more mana than you and I.”
I looked to Alisson. “So then we force our way in?”
Alisson nodded. We both stepped back. I fired a single Pict spell. The door stood unharmed, not even a scratch on it.
“Tch…” Alisson crossed him arms. “We’re all out of Reysarke scrolls too…We’ll need some seriously heavy firepower to open this door.”
“Or a lot of mana.”
“That too.”
Alisson put his hand to his chin.
“Well.” He started. “We know it exists. We’ve found it. Let’s mark it down on the map. Supposing of course that we are where I think we are.””
I nodded. Alisson swung his canister around his shoulder, and withdrew one of maps. As he was scribbling something down, he stopped suddenly. He gave a few quick glances to the door and to the map.
“…Alisson?”
He lifted the map up, and walked to the door. He flattened the map across the center of the door.
“It’s the same pattern…” He mumbled to himself. He suddenly looked to me. “Give me the mana plot map.”
I nodded, and handed him the map that was filled with blue dots and streams.
It lined up perfectly with the three circles on the door. The circle that we had tried inserting mana into, the left one, was the most prominent of them. Alisson lifted a finger to the right circle.
“Daigoro.”
He then lifted his finger to the top circle.
“Halaruth capital, Ferstadt.”
Slowly, he brought his finger to the left circle.
“…The Deadzone.”
Interpolating from the door onto the map, the blue circles over the Deadzone matched the indents on the door. Alisson’s hands dropped, and held the maps to his side with a frown.
“This center circle too – It’s here, in Freigat. Perhaps at every one of these locations, something like this resides.”
“Then what about Daigoro or Ferstadt? If there was something like this, don’t you think they would’ve found it?”
I put in. Alisson shook his head. “We can’t make that assumption. Just look at this place around us. It’s above ground, out in the open. Here we thought the adventurers would’ve found something like this already. The Deadzone location I understand, – It’s right in the middle, no human has ever been there. But perhaps at Daigoro and Ferstadt, they’re underground like we thought this place was. That’s my only guess.”
Alisson turned to me, furrowing his brow. “Or of course this is all misplaced speculation and we’re wrong about this. “ He shook his head, and knelt, spreading a map across the floor. “Either way, we’re heading to Scratskoslovotskaya to link up with our comrades.”
His finger drifted to the Deadzone.
“If we get the chance…”
He shook his head. “No, what am I thinking? There’s no way we’re going there.”
After a moment of silence, he sighed, “…Then again, Sidonia did order us to find a way inside. I think that by notifying the homeland, a larger force with heavy equipment should be able to get through this door. But even then, I don’t know if even a Reysarke spell would be able to scratch it…”
Alisson frowned, and lifted his hand toward the door. He fired off a Pictunee spell, almost in anger. It had no effect, not even a dent. “Damned ruins…”
He muttered.
“Such fast mana regeneration…” I murmured in awe. I could already feel myself a good portion of the way rejuvenated, even though its only been a few minutes since I was drained.
Alisson nodded to me. “I can test that.”
He drew Enhérejär, and threw it up. The blade split midair, and a dozen thin slivers fanned out in all directions. Enhérejär managed to spread itself about six meters in radius.
“This is largest field I’ve seen with Enhérejär, it makes sense.”
I tilted my head at Alisson. “What do you mean?”
“Enhérejär is dynamic in its range of mobility, sometimes its quite large, other times not at all. Perhaps with places of higher mana concentration, it works better.”
“Those dots all along the continent…” I thought audibly.
Alisson’s eyes lit up. “You’re right. Those must be mana concentrations as well, that would explain it. They’re so orderly though, it can’t be natural…”
“These ruins can’t be natural either.”
Alisson put his hand to his chin on my comment. “…What came first, the chicken or the egg?”
I shrugged. “I don’t think we can tell.”
Alisson sighed.
“Whatever. This is speculation for Lente Li Arquis and the like, not us. For now,” He pointed to Scratskaslovotskaya, “We’ll move to reunite with our comrades.”
He went silent for a long moment, obviously deciding about the Deadzone question. Whether or not we should act on the hunch that the way to open this door is in there.
Alisson looked down in thought.
“I just don’t know if Sidonia would want us to act on this on our initiative. I’m too far away to hear her voice.”
I remembered that time in the Capitol, where Alisson acted as though he’d heard Sidonia even though she was nowhere near. There’s a lot of Nekomata that have that ability – I’m not one of them. Infiltrators, the same Nekomata who can’t use their Opensens, also usually can’t hear Sidonia like that either.
“Well you know how she is…She likes it when we act on our own.”
Alisson concluded. We sat for a long moment of silence, in thought.
Here we are. I thought we’d’ve been done, but here we found a fake dead end.
“Well, no matter what,” Alisson flicked the pencil he had at me. I caught it deftly. “You’re an artist.” He flicked his eyes at the door. “Copy that. Every little detail, no matter how small.”
He flipped the map around to its blank, white side.
“…This isn’t exactly a tool that can capture fine detail.” I said, staring at the rough, charcoal pencil.
Alisson nodded in understanding. He rose his hand, and Enhérejär formed back into a rapier and fell into his hands perfectly. He broke apart the handle of Enhérejär, and tossed me it. It clicked into an oddly shaped ink pen in my hands.
“Use blood. It’s the only ink we have here.”
I nodded. The tip of Enhérejär was extremely thin, and fine. There was no doubt I’d be able to make minutely thin lines.
So, as I got to scribbling down the design of the door, Alisson crossed his arms, and stood watch over me.
“Our next objective before us now, is getting back through of this hell. This time, without a battering ram.”
My eyes wandered to the mound of dirt that had recently been displaced.
So, we emerged from a tunnel twice. Once was fake, but the second time, it brought us straight to where we wanted to go. I can only hope that the tunnel is two-way, but I knew that this place was not as nice as Ipithid – We’re not going to be getting an easy way out.
***