Ambition — Ferris

The long flight gave me some time to process the fact that my life is over. Now, as I lay frozen in crystal, waiting for the new chieftain to finish his speech so that I can be pushed into a dragon’s gaping mouth, it seems like a fitting end for me.

I never believed that I was meant for greatness.

I would take a last breath, but sadly I cannot breathe. I can’t deny that the feeling of powerlessness is awful, but I’ve already given up. I have accepted my fate.

So, when Maribelle appears out of thin air, a gleaming smile on her face, my brain hiccups.

She is older than before, and so much taller. She wears pristine grey robes that billow in the wind. Her hair has grown long enough to reach her waist, and decorating it is the very same sunflower that I gave her a couple days ago. However, the flower’s color has changed. The golden petals have become crimson.

What is happening?

With a graceful leap, Maribelle flies over the crowd of drakelings, landing right in front of me.

Red smoke erupts from the flower in her hair, materializing into a sword in her hand. It’s a sword I recognize instantly, the destructozonicus tail bone I gave her. Of course, it too has changed significantly. There are now swirling red lines carved into it. The alien pattern hurts to look at. I’ve never seen anything like it.

She strikes my crystal prison with her sword, and I immediately feel a colossal surge of entropomantic power ripple around me, tearing through the crystal, but avoiding my flesh.

The crystal shatters, and I am free.

Before I can react, the red drakeling that was meant to kill me pulls out a dagger and slits my sister’s throat.

My eyes go wide and my stomach drops. No! Maribelle!

Then, she punches the drakeling in the face with her free hand. The wound on her neck moves. It rapidly slithers down her arm like a bleeding snake, then goes right into the drakeling’s head. His brains explode out of the back of his skull, and his lifeless body drops off the platform, falling right into Kalamath’s mouth.

What the fuck was that? Entropomancy? Did she transfer the damage? That’s impossible!

“So, are you gonna roast some lizards or not?” She asks, magic reverberating in her voice.

Yup, it’s definitely her.

I nod, not quite ready to talk. I form a flame blade at the end of my spear, preparing for battle. Maribelle clicks her tongue for some reason, shooting me a glare. Did I do something wrong?

Two drakelings leap up onto the platform, the powerful brawler and that damned crystal mage. All of the other drakelings watch apprehensively, hesitant to attack the new enemy, especially considering the sudden freedom of their long time nemesis.

“The green one’s mine,” my sister says, a terrifying ferocity in her eyes.

I have no complaints. If there’s one drakeling I want to kill, it’s the one that froze me.

“Sounds good.”

Maribelle is the first to move. She springs forward, the air crackling around her blade. As she swings her sword, the brawler dodges. Following the path of her blade, the earth shatters and trees splinter in a swath of destruction across the mountainside. Upon seeing the might of their foe, the gathered crowd of drakelings scatter, dust and mulch raining down upon them. Only a few choose to fight.

A weak but brave drakeling with yellow scales tries to ambush Maribelle from behind. My sister snaps her fingers and his head explodes. It makes my stomach lurch. The sheer indifference she held towards her foe’s attempt at her life, and how she killed him, reminds me of Malazo.

She looks at the brawler with a thoughtful expression on her face, and snaps her fingers again. The brawler winces in pain for a moment, but seems otherwise unaffected.

“A shame. It would have been so satisfying to kill you like that,” she says to him.

The brawler hisses in rage and charges toward my sister. The blue drakeling raises his crystal, preparing to assist in the fight against Maribelle at an opportune moment.

No you don’t.

I dash towards the crystal mage, flames bursting from my ankles. I slash at him with Radius’s flame blade.

He teleports behind me, retaliating with a surge of crystalizing light which I dodge by blasting fire out of my side. Shit. Teleportation is the worst.

‘Rain of Ten Thousand Fists!’

The brawler activates his manifestation on Maribelle. A storm of illusory fists bear down on her.

With a cocky smirk on her face, she just stands there and takes it, holding her arms out to her sides as she welcomes the blows.

Every fist smashes into her body like a meteor, breaking bones and crushing organs. I wince, still pushing through the pain of my cracked ribs from when I took just a single hit from that attack earlier today.

When the storm of fists is finished, Maribelle is broken and bloody, yet somehow she still stands, her body held up by the force of her will, despite the clearly lethal damage.

“Nice try, lizard,” she says.

Then, her will becomes thunder as she unleashes her own manifestation.

‘Divine Retribution.’

The wounds covering her body leave her flesh, becoming black lightning that swirls around her, amplifying in intensity as she returns to perfect health. The black thunderbolts look like cracks in the world itself, damage in its purest form. Maribelle swings her sword, and the black lightning flashes across the battlefield, striking the brawler and ripping apart his body.

He explodes, instantly reduced to shredded flesh and a mist of blood.

Holy shit. How can she even be killed? A single powerful attack that ends her instantly? Some kind of curse magic or something that seals her aura? Against a physical fighter she seems all but invincible. She’s terrifying.

“Are you just going to let him go?” She asks me.

I now notice that the crystal mage is running away, repeatedly teleporting ten meters at a time as he tries to escape.

“Yeah. I’m not going to kill someone who’s turned his back to me.”

Maribelle winces slightly at my words, then she smiles. Her sword evaporates into red smoke which gets sucked into the flower in her hair.

“We won, then,” she says.

That’s when I feel the ground rumbling. My heart stutters when I realize what’s happening.

“No. It’s not us he's running away from,” I say.

The ground shakes violently as the great dragon moves for the first time in centuries. Large fissures form in the earth as trees are uprooted. The air fills with a cloud of dust.

Kalamath towers overhead. The mountains that formed around his body are toppled, house sized chunks of stone rolling around like pebbles.

I drop to the ground, paralyzed. Old memories come rushing back again. Kalamath leans over us, looking down with his huge violet eyes. His stomach bulges out of his body unnaturally, stuffed from centuries of lazy feasting.

He brings his head close to Maribelle, and inhales deeply, taking in her scent. It reminds me of Chelsea, I want to protect her, but I can’t move. I’m a child again.

Maribelle looks up at the dragon, unflinching and confident. She crosses her arms.

“You smell… of the grey witch… human,” Kalamath growls.

“Yeah, she’s my friend,” Maribelle says.

Kalamath raises his head back up to the sky.

“I see… the pawns are being placed… the time has come… my feast must end.”

He spreads his massive wings, and beats them. Wind shreds the landscape, tearing trees out of the ground and forming tornados of dust. I cling to the ground to stop myself from being blown away. The dragon takes off into the sky, flying at a shocking speed despite his engorged form. Within seconds, he soars behind the nearby mountaintops, suddenly gone. Now, the only sign of his presence here is the dragon shaped pit in the ground and the obliterated terrain.

I sit still, staring at the sky for several minutes, unable to take in what just happened.

“Ferry, are you okay?”

Maribelle’s words snap me out of my daze.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

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“We’re safe. It’s over,” she tells me.

I stand up slowly. I take a deep breath, rubbing my face with my hands.

“What happened to you, Maribelle?”

She grins mischievously.

“Wouldn’t you like to know? Let’s just say I did what I needed to do to save your butt.”

“Thank you, Maribelle, I mean it, but you have to give me more than that. Was it some kind of time magic? How old are you now?”

“Yeah, obviously time magic was involved. I’m fourteen now, going on fifteen.”

I find it hard to breathe. I missed two years of her life somehow. She’s seems so different now.

“I’m sorry, Maribelle.”

“It’s fine. What happened was good for me. Though, will it still be possible for me to enroll in Salsvale academy now that I’m so much older?”

“You’re still thinking about school? You would be on the older side of the incoming class, but still within the range. Why do you still want to go there? You’re powerful now, unreasonably so. What would you even study?”

“I have to go study archeology. It’s important.”

“What? Archeology? That’s the last thing I would have expected from you.”

“I promised to help a friend find an ancient artifact. That’s the price of the power I gained.”

“I was afraid you had sold your free will, or sworn your loyalty to a demon or something.”

“All I did was make a friend. She lives in the bottomless rift, and she helped me after I fell in trying to save you. Her name is Bez, and if things go according to plan, you’ll meet her in a few years.”

So, I wasn’t too far off the mark. Some kind of ridiculously powerful being assisted her. I’m not at all comfortable with that, even if she does seem to be okay.

“What is she?”

“A species you’ve probably never heard of. Primordial cambian.”

I have heard of that species, courtesy of my mother. The known members include the entire white pantheon.

“She’s a god. You got help from a deity.”

Maribelle’s eyes briefly widen in surprise at my deduction.

“Maybe, maybe not,” she says, acting all mysterious.

“You’re like the ancient heroes. It’s said they received seeds of power from deities. Some of them were supposedly able to rival dragons. I think that’s probably hyperbole, though.”

“Oh, I refused that power seed thing. I’m going to surpass the dragons anyway, though.”

I do a double take at both of her statements. Not only was she offered the power of the ancient heroes, but she refused it, and despite her refusal, she plans to obtain godlike power anyway.

I should dissuade her before she ends up killing herself.

“Maribelle. That’s impossible. There are limits to what humans are capable of. You can’t—”

A sharp pain goes through my cheek as my little sister slaps me across the face. It hurts a lot. She’s rather strong.

She speaks, her spirit echoing every word with a fierce declaration.

“If there are limits, I will break them. If supreme beings stand in my way, I will surpass them. If people look down on me or my dreams, I will leave them in the dust. I won't stop until gods kneel at my feet, until dragons run like frightened lizards, and I have conquered all creation.”

I stare at her, not sure of what to say. Did she just declare that she’d conquer the universe?

“So, Ferry, will you be by my side, or behind me?”

The terrifying force of her will presses down upon me. She speaks of becoming a tyrant, an unstoppable conquerer, the kind of being that killed my family and people. On the other hand, she’s my little sister, and I know from the bottom of my heart that she’ll never hurt me.

More importantly, she dares to believe in herself in ways I never could. I never dreamed of avenging my family. I never imagined defying Malazo, let alone surpassing him. Maribelle dares to do the impossible. It’s a childish goal, a fool’s ambition, but it is beautiful. There is a flame burning within her, a special kind of flame that was extinguished within me long ago. I want to see it grow. I want to see her rise victorious.

“Maribelle, I’ll obviously be by your side. No matter what.”

She hugs me, wrapping her slender yet strong arms around my body. She smiles as she presses her face into my chest.

“I missed you,” she says.

“It’s been a long time for you, huh. Want to go see your mom?”

She looks up at me, a conflicted look on her face.

“No,” she says.

My stomach sinks. Something about her refusal disturbs me. Still, I don't push the matter.

“Okay. We’ll go to Salsvale then?”

She nods.

“We don’t have any supplies. We should look around this area. The drakelings might have had some things we can take,” I say.

Maribelle smirks at me, pulling something out of her robe. It’s an old rectangular piece of stone. She hands it to me.

“That’s how I got to you. I asked Bez for her spares. You’ve been to Salsvale before, right? Just think about the city while you break the teleportation talisman, and it will take us there.”

“Maribelle, this is insanely valuable. We could sell this for so much money if we walk instead.”

“I know. We can’t do that, though. That teleportation talisman is like a million years old, from the era before the pantheon wars. Selling it would be a public safety hazard. If someone were to analyze the engravings on it, they might learn things that would make the gods smite them. I wouldn’t want an innocent scholar to die because of me.”

For the millionth time today, my sister baffles me.

“I see. Okay then. I guess we’re teleporting to Salsvale.”

Maribelle grabs my wrist as I hold the talisman in my free hand. I’m a bit hesitant to just break the ancient artifact.

“Just do it already,” she says.

“Wait! Take me with you! Please!” A desperate voice screams from across the field of rubble.

A ragged man is running towards us. He is short and plump, bald, and covered in dirt.

“I’ll starve to death if you leave me here! You can’t leave me here!” He cries.

Maribelle and I stare at him as he stumbles over the rubble trying to get to us.

“I’m begging you!”

He gasps for breath, collapsing on the ground in front of us.

“Who the fuck are you?” I ask.

“My name is Tornilius. I was in the area, and I got captured by the drakelings a few days ago. They were about to feed me to the dragon, but then they showed up with you in the crystal, and they put me in a cage instead. You saved me!”

Tornilius bows down.

“Oh, great heroes, Ferry and Maribelle, I beseech myself to you. I am but a humble traveler, please have mercy on me! Let me to return to civilization!”

“My name is Ferris, not Ferry.”

“He must have heard our whole conversation. Annoying,” Maribelle says.

“We’ll take you with us, but don’t tell anyone what you heard here, okay?” I say.

“Of course! My lips are sealed, great heroes!”

“I don’t believe him,” Maribelle says.

“How worried are you about secrecy?” I ask.

She shrugs.

“I guess it’s fine. I’ll have a target on my back sooner or later.”

My eyes widen slightly. What does she mean by that?

“Hey, Tornilius, if you tell anyone anything about me, I’ll kill you,” she says.

Tornilius nods vigorously. Maribelle sighs.

“Whatever. He can come, I guess.”

“Alright, grab my arm,” I say.

“Thank you! Thank you! I owe you my life, Ferris.”

He grabs my arm. I break the teleportation talisman, thinking about the road just outside Salsvale. The city itself is probably warded against teleportation, and I wouldn’t want the valuable talisman to go to waste.

Space warps around us, and we suddenly stand on a cobblestone road running through a swath of farmland.

Salsvale stands before us, towering in the distance. Vertical walls made of heavy stone bricks extend up a hundred meters, encircling the city. Thin spires can be seen peeking up above the walls, the tips of ancient palaces in the heart of the city.

“Incredible, we really teleported! Good grace, I’m finally home!” Tornilius exclaims.

“You live here?” I ask.

His smile fades, as if he’s remembering something.

“Well, yes, hopefully. My master will not be happy that I failed my mission. I don’t look forward to my punishment.”

“Your master?”

“I’m a slave of the Valbeck family. I was tasked with delivering a message to their heir, Damien. I was searching for him in the mountains, but I failed to find him.”

I draw a sharp breath. This man is more dangerous to us than I expected.

“Did this guy travel with a man named Harry and a woman named Catherine?” Maribelle asks.

“Yes! Do you know of his whereabouts?” Tornilius asks excitedly.

Maribelle laughs.

No don’t tell him!

“He’s dead.”

Tornilius goes pale.

“Oh, this is bad, very bad! What happened to him?” Tornilius asks, panic in his voice.

“Maribelle,” I say with a cautionary tone.

“He hurt my mother, and suffered the consequences.”

Tornilius gasps, staring at Maribelle with wide eyes.

“Tell your masters that their idiot heir offended someone he couldn’t afford to offend. When they ask who it was, just say that it’s not their place to know,” she says.

Tornilius freezes. He looks like a statue of a man. His helpless brain is torn apart.

“Well?” Maribelle prompts, crossing her arms.

“If I tell them that… I’ll die.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” she says.

“I…,” he stammers.

Maribelle turns and walks towards the city walls, giggling to herself.

“Don’t do this to me, Maribelle! Please, let me at least hide from them and never tell them anything! I just want to keep my mouth shut! I’ll go make a life for myself in the slums. I’ll never show my face to nobility again!”

“Sure, whatever. That’s fine too, I guess,” she says.

“Thank you! Thank you, kind hero.”

I lean in to my sister, speaking quietly.

“I can’t believe you said that. You shouldn’t just tell people that kind of thing.”

She just smiles at me. It’s a smile that says she would do the same thing every single time.

“Your words have consequences,” I say.

“That’s why I speak them,” she replies.

“Did Bez teach you the art of being cryptic, too?”

“Absolutely.”

I can’t even tell if she’s joking.

When we reach the city walls, there is a heavy pair of closed doors, accompanied by two guards holding spears.

“What is your purpose in the city?” The guard asks.

Tornilius hides behind me, shrinking down to seem as small as possible.

“I’m here to join the adventurers guild, and my little sister will be enrolling in the academy.”

The guards look at Tornilius.

“And he’s our slave,” Maribelle adds.

“Very well. The entrance fee is two silver,” the guard says.

Crap. All my money was in the backpack. I’ve got nothing.

To my relief, Maribelle pulls a couple rusted silver coins out of her pocket.

“Will this do?” She asks.

The guard takes the coins.

“These are… antiques,” he says.

“Yeah, so?”

“Uh, sure, I think it’s okay. You can pass.”

I look at my sister, raising my eyebrows.

“What? Bez gave me some pocket change.”

The guard opens the door, and we walk through the stone tunnel that leads into the city.

“Teleportation talismans, an enchanted weapon, pocket change, you’re like a noblewoman.”

She smirks.

“I look the part, too. I even have fancy robes,” she says.

We step out into the city of Salsvale. The street is bustling. Vendors are selling all sorts of fruits and vegetables that I haven’t seen in years, shouting at the passersby. The people range from emaciated children in rags to people dripping in jewelry and wearing extravagant, brightly colored garments. One woman is wearing a bright orange hoop dress, and the man by her side is in a suit that shimmers like peacock feathers, followed by two awakened bodyguards wearing shiny plate armor.

“I don’t think grey robes are in style right now,” I point out.

“Hmm. That’s a pity. Wait, where did Tornilius go?”

Looking around, the little bald man is nowhere to be seen.

“He must have slipped away the moment we entered the city,” I say.

Maribelle laughs.

“Told you we couldn’t trust him,” she says.

“Says the person who confessed to murdering a noble in front of him.”

“I did no such thing. I confessed your murder.”

“Let’s just hope he hides in the slums like he said he would.”

Maribelle shrugs.

“So where’s our first stop?” She asks.

“Well, Natalia told me about an old friend of hers that might give us a place to stay.”

“That sounds good,” Maribelle says.

“Yeah, but I’m not completely comfortable asking for a room from her old mistress.”

“Mistress?” Maribelle asks, an innocently confused expression on her face

“You don’t… Natalia never told you what work she did when she lived here,” I realize.

“She was a barmaid, right?”

“No, she wasn’t, Maribelle.”

“She lied to me?”

“Yes.”

“What? Why?”

“That’s… Well, she was a courtesan.”

“What’s a courtesan?”

“Hold on… You must have hit puberty by now. Did Natalia teach you about, you know, woman things?”

“Oh, that? Yeah, Mom warned me about the bleeding the night before we left, but she didn’t say much. When it started happening, Bezvillia said it was because of inferior human biology, and she gave me a lecture about mammalian reproduction.”

“Hold on. Are you telling me that the one who explained sex to you was Bez?”

“Uh, yeah. Is there something wrong with that?”

“Well, it’s okay. It doesn’t matter. The point is that a courtesan is a woman who wealthy people can pay for a night of, well, company.”

“You mean… Mom did that?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, ok.”

“Anyway, the contact she gave me is the woman who ran that whole… business.”

“Huh,” she says.

“So that’s why we’re going to find a different place to stay.”

“No. I want to meet her,” Maribelle says.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

She nods.

“I want to know what it was like for her back then.”

She looks so determined. I let out a heavy sigh. I’m not looking forward to this.

“Ok, then. I guess we’ll go find Adriana.”