Chapter 18: Questioning

The air inside the small apartment was thick was a heavy atmosphere. The Kid tried to crack a joke or two but her mother would not budge. No smile even a forced one could be seen on the Doctor’s face either. He simply continued to change her bandage slowly with his shaking hand. As the wrapping was undone, a heavy scent of oil assaulted one’s noses, disturbing Carina. The Kid was used to this smell, however, as she had been bandaged by the Doctor countless time before. Enduring this stench was a byproduct of her childhood filled with energy and mischief.

The small room was packed with people, asides from the four. Captain Meredith, Warden Jaren and X plus the prisoner Snowdrop. Even the deformed medic was presented, although the young man had no idea why he was ordered to be here.

They were all looking for an answer, about the Doctor, about the Dolls and of the true scope of this whole event. But the man with the answer was now too busy to shed some light.

They all stood around, unmoving asides from X who was messing with a piece of fabric. The Doctor continued to take care of the Kid, asking of how she came to be infected with this iron. So, the Kid decided to tell the tale of what happened after she ‘died’. All with the theatricality Doc would use when telling her of the legends of the West. But first, she needed to get the others up to speed.

“The night I was born was one of great calamity, of the dead roaming the land of the living.” The Kid said, trying to put on a ‘grand’ voice. “They yearned for my flesh but, alas, I survived…”

“Mind, they wanted your mind, not your flesh.” The Doctor chimed in.

The Kid glanced at him then continued, trying to maintain her flow. “It left me with a birthmark, I was branded by the frozen night!” By this point the novelty of speaking like this had ran its course. “It tells me of when something of eldritch nature is nearby.”

It was thanks to this ability that the Kid could react to X’s attack in their first meeting, not out of inhuman reflex. The young scout was willing to believe the latter, however.

The Kid then explained how this also marked her for collection. The moment of her death, the girl was taken away to join the frozen horde. But it was not the only eldritch that haunted her since birth. The mother, fearful of what the brand would do, prayed to another deity to watch over her child. The eldritch of the deep ocean, Scy’lla, the patron of the mayor’s adoptive father.

The mother prayed and her words were heard. The spiral dragged her child out of the frozen night, to their place of purpose. All those who became part of the horde were mashed together to become stronger. They would then be sent to a battlefield covered by an eternal winter to take out a single fighter, still standing. Engaging in a battle that had lasted for eons as the horde tried to snuff out the last of a once mighty civilization.

Then came the place of the dead. “It was filled with people, similar to that lone fighter. There weren’t people, that’s for sure. But I guess it didn’t matter, all of them were killed by countless iron spikes.” The Kid finished her story. “Then I had this hunch, it told me to try and prick my finger with this iron. I did! And... I woke up, all powered up!”

Throughout her story, not once did the girl mention the kingdom she visited every night. It was a secret to even those close to her. Perhaps she wanted a small secret of her own.

“Magical iron? A prophecy about the end of the world?” X said with a smirk. “Talk about a journey you had there, girl, nice. I wonder if it had to do with that brat in helmet.”

“You mean my brother?” Snowdrop asked.

The executioner replied with a simple shrug. “Yes, him. His metal had this strange nullifying property, just like those Blind assholes.”

That sentence reminded almost everyone in the room that they did not know what X was capable of. Even her apparent companion, the Warden still had no idea. If anyone who would know asides from X herself, it would be the Doctor. Spoke of the devil, he finally decided it was time to reply to the executioner.

“Because it is the same kind of steel, and so is the one infecting Claudia right now.”

“Wait, are you saying that there’s a raider walking about with the ability to control Blind steel! Their biggest secret.” The Warden could not contain his curiosity.

The Doctor answered “There are many sources for that kind of metal, they are also used by the Ranger. All of my bullets are also coated by the thing.”

“That explains a lot.” X muttered, touching her face while making a pained face. “You two really like to go for the cheek. A girl face is her greatest asset you know.”

Everyone promptly ignored her.

“Will she have the ability to control it as well? How does that even work?” Jaren asked.

A reasonable question, for those who could understand it which excluded the Kid herself and Snowdrop. Blind steel was a powerful material, capable of nullifying all eldritch power and magic on contact. There existed no method to get around this ability asides from straight up physical protection.

Then there was the prospect of using metal with one’s body. To manipulate that kind of material that freely, some kind of magic must be in use. But how could that be if it dispel all sort of arcane, even the all-powerful eldritch.

The Doctor was her to clear up the matter. “It’s a misconception that this material is a kind of metal to begin with. While it does have that metallic shine it is an organic material to begin with. Capable of breaking down to travel in the bloodstream to hardening in an instant. The blade you described coming out of that raider youth was more akin to a tumor than a sword.”

Imagine a kind of cancer that one could use to stab another to death. That was the first image flashing in Jaren and the medic’s mind. It was… strangely comical. Little did they know, the metal was that and so much more.

It was also disease, whom the Kid unlikely caught from the Iron Child. After all, this material resisted all form of power, including the ability to be trans-dimensional. Was the girl prickling herself was a way for the metal to awaken from its dormant form? But how did it infect her and not others fighting the Iron Child? Perhaps it was due to an inherent compatibility. The Kid was silent about this speculation of her, as there was a question she did not know how to ask.

There was still one more revelation to be revealed. One that seemed to put the Doctor in a strangely forlorn mode.

“The source of this ‘metal’ they all came from a being called… [The World’s End]. It is said that when a civilization rises to the limit, they shall be descent upon by the deities. [The World’s End] is an entity that opposes them, it will bring about the end time before the eldritch could. Sometimes it won the race, sometimes not. But whatever the cause, the end will come and a new civilization and occasionally a new dominant race shall rise in the ash of the old.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“Woah, so in my body is the power to end worlds!” The Kid chimed in. “Ohh, I could feel my body burning up, am I reaching a new height of power!”

“There’s nowhere enough metal in your body to end even one world.” The Doctor came in to dash that delusion of power. “And you already spent most of it on that shot already. The heat is just the remaining metal clashing with the spiral in your body.”

Only those two remained as the girl was now forever freed from the horde. The sign was that her birthmark now no longer stung around X, something the Kid considered as a loss. The girl was still somewhat happy about this change, however. Even though being marked by the horde never truly bothered her till now, the Kid did not enjoy having that brand.

Then there was the spiral, another seed of eldritch power swirling within. While the Kid also wanted it gone, this time was more complicated. She did not want to lose her visiting to the king, at least the girl wanted to meet one last time, to say goodbye.

Captain Meredith decided it was time to interrupt the academic talk. He was her for a different question. “The Dolls, they called you Father. What are they capable of?” He could no longer wait as one of them was still out there, preying on his troops.

“Father huh, it was a nicknamed they had given me. I found those twin as slave, stricken with a dreadful disease. They were being thrown out and I accepted them, cured them of their ailments. Those two would then volunteer for my modification experiment, meant to enhance a human’s capability to survive the harshest of situation. We parted way afterward.” The Doctor replied. “Asides from what you have known, they are also capable of rapid regeneration, especially by consuming flesh and blood.”

Doc did not make any comment of their doll-like exterior. This did not escape the Kid’s attention but the girl remained quiet. Her mind was still swirling with emotion and her body burning up like a heavy fever. She still did not know how to feel or what to think about her mentor, this person who was supposedly familiar.

“What help can you provide us with for tracking down and eliminating the other Doll? Assuming that you are willing to help.” Captain Meredith stepped forward, looming over the Doctor who was sitting down.

Doc simply sighed. “The twin, even though they still looked the same, I could not recognize them anymore.” He replied. “I am no longer in a condition to help directly, she will try to avoid me and Lottie… X, anyway. But I am willing to provide any supply that I might have.”

“I will take up on that offer later then.” Captain Meredith said. “Now for other matters, why this is all happening in the first place. Snowdrop told me of the two strangers that came to his raider clan, the two started this mess. Ghost and someone he wanted to tell you directly.”

Asked and you shall be answered, the Doctor gave the Captain what he wanted. “I did not recognize the moniker Ghost, but from the description… I might know who that is. As long as there is not another person with white veil over his face.”

The whole room waited with bated breath for this story. For years, the outlaw called Ghost had plagued all the land under Atlas. Having no need for material goods, he thrived upon creating hatred, fueling the flame of vengeance. Only to drop those fire that he ignited with a quick shot. It was mostly never a challenge.

“When I met him, he was mauled rather badly by some raiders. I simply gave him a prosthetic leg and fixed his eyes. That guy sure as hell was not a gunslinger much less an outlaw, I have no idea what happened with him.” The Doctor told the ‘tale’. “He seemed to be attached to a piece of white cloth I put over his eyes while treating it, taking it with him after discharging. Not without asking though, he was a polite sort.”

Now that was a prime example of underwhelming. The Doctor did not go into further detail, even the time of the meeting, but he was adamant that man was completely different from this ‘Ghost’ back then.

Captain Meredith wanted to drill the Doctor for more information. But from his demonstration against the door and apparently beating X so badly she could not even retaliate, provoking such a man was not a wise idea.

It was time for Snowdrop to reveal the name of the other stranger, his benefactor. The person who killed Father Foxgloves with ease. Someone even the Ghost seemed to be wary of.

The raider did not budge under intense torture, waiting till now to reveal that name.

“Rohan.”

No one in this room could recognize that person. X was certain she once slept with someone with that name ages ago but he might have ‘accidently’ fallen on her blade the next day. Even Snowdrop himself knew next to nothing about that person’s past asides from his apparent to hunt for a certain someone.

This ‘certain someone’, who was sitting in this very room, recognized the name instantly.

“Rohan the Adjudicator.” The Doctor said with a grim expression. “I should have known…”

X could sense a potential meal. “For you to be this worry, this guy seems strong.”

“Very much so, fight him and you will perish. Even I would not come out of an altercation with Rohan as the victor.” The Doctor spoke the truth.

Hearing made Captain Meredith’s blood boiled but he hid his emotion. All of these people, seemingly all powerful were waging wars against each other in this meadow. His company with its ranks populated by young recruits, were caught in the crossfire.

Doc continued to describe the man known as Rohan the Adjudicator. “He is the leader of a small tribe in the far West. But his name is known all throughout the region, even the biggest powers brought him tributes. As the name suggest, he is also a judge, one who is always on the side of justice and truth. Rohan would never lie nor would he let an innocent suffer.” There were many more to this man, his deeds could be recorded in several giant tomes. But the Doctor knew the people here cared not for that. “Rohan is also an acolyte who can absorb the soul of the dead around him, taking in their experience.”

And living in a region filled with strife, the Adjudicator had taken in numerous lives. Each one honed his sense just a bit sharper, enhancing his strength slightly more. Over time, they all built up to create a man rivaled by few.

“Worry not.” Doc told the Captain. “Rohan is a man of honor, he would not harm your people in the slightest. You can trust that this raider is speaking the truth.”

“Then why is he hunting you! And what does that mean for us who are harboring you?” The Captain was not convinced yet.

“That’s… because I had wronged him deeply.” The Doctor replied with his head low. “But I am sure he would not let his pursuit of me get in the way of helping you. This chase has been going on for no one knows how long, a few more years would not make much of a difference. After all, he never attacked the town where I am in.”

Captain Meredith was still not convinced such a person could exist. But from what he had seen in this campaign, perhaps it was time for an open mind. Still, such high praise for this Rohan also served as a condemnation for the Doctor. For a man of that caliber and virtue to chase him to this land, there was so much more to this ‘wrong’.

“Hm, we have disturbed the young miss rest for long enough.” Captain Meredith said. “It’s time we excuse ourselves. I also have something I need to talk to you about, Doc.”

With it, everyone took their leave one by one. Carina reluctantly did so, she cared for her friend but there was orders to be heard. Alessia also had to go to address her own people about the situation and its direction.

The last to leave was the Doctor. “Rest well.” He said.

The girl nodded silently. But as he approached the door, she could not keep the silence anymore. Claudia asked a question that had been burning in her mind. “Doc… this metal within me… Were you involved?”

In her there was a niggling fear, slowly eating away until a black hole of doubt remained. Was what the twins said the truth? Perhaps, the girl was truly their sister, she was simply unaware of that fact. Was this compatibility with the metal a deliberate modification?

Doc turned back and gazed into her eyes. “I have patched you up more times than I can count now. But not once did I change anything, you are perfect the way you are.”

“Hee, even with this praise I still ain’t telling where’s the wine stash.” The girl replied in jest.

Of course, she was not no longer a person who could blindly trust others, not even her mentor. This was a choice, the girl wanted to trust him.

The Doctor smiled and slowly closed the door. Inside, he was burning with guilt, hotter than any hellfire. No, that was not a lie, he never experimented on her. But he had told other lies and to have the girl choosing to trust him. It was painful.

Outside the building, Captain Meredith was waiting.

“What do you need?” The Doctor asked.

The Captain answered without hesitation. “Something the West is known for, explosive.” The scene was now set for a confrontation with the deadly Doll. Captain Meredith had willed, no matter what, his people would be tormented and hunted down no more.