Movement 2: Strategic Air Supremacy
Flying with the Angels. Maybe it’ll make you forget the real world…and how naïve you really are.
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The sun was setting. It cast an orange glow over the sea before them. The winds pushed softly at Alisson’s face. He took a deep breath, and turned to the apprentices. It was time.
“Make yourselves comfortable. This will be a lot to take in.”
Celis pat her lap, motioning for Ashlynde to sit, to which she reluctantly did, seemingly not having a choice. Ashylnde was immediately locked in place by Celis’s arms, hugging her tightly as Celis hummed with glee. Marenix simply stood looking at him, frowning.
“There is much to say, so let us work backwards from the questions you have at the forefront of your mind. Ask, and I will answer.”
Marenix stood for a moment, furrowing his brow. “Why solitary? Why did you indict yourself of a crime you didn’t commit?”
“There are two benefits. One, with Sidonian forces in Ahvaratsu believing I am in solitary, they won’t question as to why Alisson Vi Nuam is missing. They will report back to the homeland that I am in solitary, and thus Sidonia will also think that is where I am. Thus, I have an alibi in meeting with Seraph Michaela. Second, by bringing dishonor to my name, I have a path into the 56th ‘Blackened’ platoon, which I will use to take command of army to destroy Irine with.”
Marenix blinked several times as Alisson spoke. “…Why do you want to meet with Seraph Michaela?”
“To formalize an agreement as I did with Queen Tsuhagara. An agreement to aid me, in exchange for destroying Irine.”
“Aid you in what…?”
Alisson closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “They will aid me in marching south, to destroy Sidonia.”
Marenix’s eyes widened. “No way…You’re a heretic…” He muttered. “A traitor…” Marenix backpedaled a little, and Alisson could tell he was deciding whether or not to draw his weapon.
All the same did Ashlynde suddenly become uncomfortable in Celis’s grip, and squirmed.
Alisson sighed. “Please continue asking questions before you make your judgement. Me and Celis are not affiliated with the common heretics that commit acts of terrorism and petty violence.”
Marenix was quiet for a while. “…So then why…? Why do you want to…Destroy Sidonia? You’re a Nekomata like us…your friends and family, your comrades…they’re Sidonian, are they not?”
“Make no mistake. I want to destroy our Lady Sidonia. I have no malice against our country or people.”
“…Why?”
Alisson took another deep breath. “With this knowledge, you will become traitors like myself and Celis.” Marenix swallowed nervously, but Alisson continued, “Sidonia sent us on a mission to the north, as you know. It was to find a supposedly important structure in the Freigat Jungle, the most dangerous, beast ridden place on the earth. She ordered us to travel up the entire continent, alone, with no support, to the most dangerous place on the earth.”
Alisson crossed his arms, staring deep into Marenix’s eyes. “Upon our return, I surmised from Sidonia’s reactions that she already knew where this structure was. She also didn’t expect us to be at the evacuation point provided to the Machavelli. Thus, I have concluded that the mission from which myself and Celis spent more than half a year bleeding and fighting up the content…” Alisson’s voice was now a deep, primal growl, “…Was an excuse to kill the both of us.” His eyes glinted some kind of deep rage, or determination. “However, she made a miscalculation. We returned.”
Marenix was frozen still, but still Alisson continued, “While on our journey, we learned much that Sidonia would not want any in her service to know of. Chiefly, the reason why we serve her. Have you ever wondered why?”
Marenix was clearly in a state of shock, and his body gave the default response that Alisson could’ve imagined himself giving a year ago. “Because we must…We Nekomata need her guidance to survive in this world. We agree to absolute loyalty in exchange for her support and leadership. She is the brain of our organism. We must protect and follow her, if we want to move as one, and survive.”
Alisson nodded. “Yes, yes, a very logical deduction to make.” He leaned into Marenix, “But have you considered why? Why do you follow her? Why would you throw your life away for her? Why do armies of thousands of our kin die for her? Why have we never rebelled against her? Why is even thinking to rebel met with death, despite never speaking or doing anything with those thoughts? Why is the loyalty of the Nekomata so powerful that we alone stand as the most united species and nation? Do you really think that we are so different to other species? That we are all monsters of fanatical rationalism, and they are not? And what of the humans who serve Sidonia? Why are they looked at with such suspicion despite their loyalty? Why are they forever barred as second-class citizens?”
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“I…I…” Marenix looked side to side. “I don’t know.”
Alisson turned, and looked out across the sea. The sun was now below the horizon, and it was growing darker as the minutes passed. “We Nekomata have a vulnerability that Sidonia has used for thousands of years to exploit us. She has an Influence over us. A great power that emanates from her person, that compels all with Nekomata blood to follow and listen to her. An Influence so great that by merely being face to face with her, she would be able to see your thoughts and memories. I don’t believe it to even require a conscious action on Sidonia’s part, if she thinks something, you will think it as well.”
“…W-what? That’s…that’s brainwashing! That’s not possible!” Marenix replied indignantly.
Alisson nodded sadly. “For one reason or another, it is the truth. Indeed, the next time you stand before Sidonia, she will see this conversation, she will see that this knowledge which she believes poisonous has infected you, and she will sentence you to death.”
Marenix backpedaled, and fell down to his knees. “Why…No…This is…” He cuffed his face in his hands. “If this is true then, why!?” He looked up, suddenly in a rage. “Why have you told us this!? Now we’re going to die! I never wanted this! Ever since graduating, my whole life has just been stolen from me!”
Alisson, with his hands behind his back, still spoke with a solemn, quiet tone. “I understand. My reaction was the same as yours when I first had the truth revealed to me. But, it was thrust upon us, and now, we must live with it. Our only choice now, is to fight.”
For a moment, all was quiet, until Marenix spoke up once more. “No…There’s another choice that you could’ve made. Confess, and remain loyal.”
“…And then die?” Alisson asked quizzically.
“…Dying while upholding your honor, and your loyalty, is that not what we all strive for?”
Alisson turned to Marenix with dark eyes. “Would you like to test your resolve?”
Marenix shook his head quickly. “No…I’m just giving you the other choice that you didn’t take…I don’t want to risk death either.”
“Good.” Alisson exhaled. “I don’t want to have to mark you up as missing on this ‘training’ exercise that Celis is escorting you on. That goes for you too, Ashylnde.”
Ashylnde, who had been listening with dull, glazed eyes, jumped at her mention, but was kept still by Celis. “I don’t know what to think.” She shook her head.
“Just follow your master and everything will be okay.” Celis said, idly running her hands through Ashlynde’s hair.
Marenix looked down into his lap. “So the third best swordsman in Sidonia is really a traitor…And now I’m an accomplice…What’s to stop Sidonia from just mind controlling all of us?”
“Unfortunately, there is nothing that stops the two of you from being susceptible to the influence. There may come a time when you will be unable to act on your own will, and attempt to attack us.”
“You say that like you and Celis have something we don’t…”
Alisson looked into the sky. “On our journey, we met an elder Nekomata, tens of thousands of years old, who lived in isolation as a hermit. They freed myself and Celis from the Influence, and Sidonia cannot see our minds or control us.”
Marenix frowned. “Then that must make the Law of Meaning a lie as well.”
Alison nodded. Nekomata that were slated to grow older than one-thousand years of age were taken and ceremoniously released of service every few years. That was, they were killed. It was said that Nekomata who grew older than one-thousand suffered intense pain and were deformed horribly. That, and biological immortality was said to strip one’s life of meaning. Hence the name.
“As much as I’d like to take you to the hermit in question, so that you may be shielded like us, I fear that is out of the question, for they reside in the Dead Zone, and may or may not even be alive anymore. But, it sounds like you are beginning to understand our situation, Marenix.”
Marenix still looked down into the ground. “Yeah…’our’ situation…”
Alisson sighed. “You don’t have to agree with my decision to turn against Sidonia, but you do have to listen to what I tell you. We will take measures to keep the both of you out of Sidonia’s sight, lest she learns that all four of us are traitors.”
“That means…” Marenix muttered, “She assigned me and Ashlynde to be eyes for her.”
Alisson bobbed his head. “She probably also wished to slow us down by tethering two ‘problematic’ apprentices to us. But I will teach you. I will make you more than she ever estimated you capable of, that I can promise. We have the element of surprise.” Alisson rose a fist, and clenched it. “We must grow in strength, build our alliance, and then crush Sidonia in one swift and decisive action. Until then, we must hide our strength, and avoid suspicion. Now, come. I believe that’s enough lecturing for today. I can tell you more as we travel. The beasts will be upon us this far from the city come the moonrise.”
Alisson began to walk away, but was interrupted by Marenix. “I have…Just one last question…You’re already strong, right?” Alisson stopped in his tracks. “Why do you need an army…Why not just go to the Rolaign, and kill Sidonia? You would have a window to take control and then maybe make up your own story, or a million other things…”
Alisson exhaled a deep breath. “…Who do you think is the most powerful being in Sidonia?”
“Well…Since you have your Bacilla, and now the Moonlight Cannon, and since you have the experience of that mission…I feel like…Wouldn’t it be you?”
Marenix asked, but Alisson shook his head, still looking away. “You are correct in assuming that just because Ardinand and Lady Salchyon are ahead of me in the official ranking, that they are not far from my level. Similarly, Lackadaisical isn’t out of reach either. That should only leave one person you’re overlooking.”
“There’s the top ten…and the elite units and all the regulars are factored into that…But there’s two…Who aren’t in the ranking anymore.” Marenix thought aloud. “Lackadaisical used to be the number one, but he was captured and hasn’t been heard of since, so he got removed. Which leaves…”
“Serendipity. The strongest being on Sidonia’s side. Perhaps one of the strongest in the world, if not the strongest humanoid entity.”
“But isn’t she…”
“That’s right. When I was an apprentice, ‘Serendipity’ was my master and trainer…That would be the alias of my older sister, Apophria Vi Nuam. She, is the reason we cannot attack the Lady directly. We know the Lady is not aware of our intents simply because we are still alive. Apophria would’ve already killed us all if she was aware.”
With that, Alisson continued into the darkness of the forest.
The most powerful. One that had been stricken from so many official rankings and documents. One that only lived in Sidonia’s shadow. Alisson could picture her twisted smile.
Even with an entire army, a coalition, on his side, even if everything went perfectly, and everyone gave him their strength, he still wasn’t sure if it was enough to bring that monster down.
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