Novels2Search
Vega Of The Wastes
Chapter 58: Dead End

Chapter 58: Dead End

Chapter 58: Dead End

My dear student, where does one go when all roads are gone? Where does one go when all homes are closed? Where does one go when all hearts and hands cease to be open?

Nowhere. Nowhere but your own mind.

“What do ya mean ya can’t open the door?!”

“I can’t open it.”

“Ya telling me that ya can’t open the doors?” The scarecrow yelled at the monk, flailing her arms around.

“I didn’t say that, I-”

“Are ya sure you’re not blind or something?” Vega said, all confused. The monk went over to them, gave the knobs a hard twist that made a terrible squeaking. They didn’t budge.

“Ooooooooooh. That’s weird. Shit.”

“It is indeed, shit.”

“Then… how can help me? How can I… ya know?” Vega stared at the ground and started to kick it in boredom. The monk shook his head and sighed.

“When Kaliber left Ghost town, she didn’t leave many belongings. Ah, scraps of plans or odd trinkets, most of which Oligarch Naius confiscated. Except… what I have.” His voice went low, showing that whatever he was speaking about he gave great reference for it.

“Then what-what is it? Is it a Soul Gem or something?”

“Come… I’ll show you, little one.” The monk trotted on the ground, keeping his head low, which Vega soon mimicked. Bringing her over to the indoor garden which had the most amount of plant growth and symbols of the whole temple. A great pile of living matter. Nearby on shoddy wood shelves, there were random parts and glass shards. Most of it looked scientific, and yet to Vega it seemed a bit mad. Like the person who used this had to be some sort of disturbed.

“These parts may appear disunited, but I have studied some of the papers that were unclaimed by the Oligarch. These… are instruments once used by Kaliber.”

Instruments. Vega obviously knew that they weren’t musical, by that word gave her a greater sense of tethering. A tethering to Kaliber. They were broken but Vega tried to imagine what Kaliber would do with these things. She reached out for a glass bauble, of which the monk slapped her hand.

“No touch.”

“Sorry.” Vega bowed and rubbed the back of her head. “But… this belonged to her?”

“Kaliber was the only one in Ghost town that had any education. We ghosts weren’t ‘worthy’ enough to be taught. Too broken. Too dead. Too… awful. Ah… Kaliber was one of a kind.”

“Huh. She… was she good?”

“Good? No. She was the best.”

“Hmm. I like that.”

“Me too… as you can see, Kaliber’s disappearance has been tied to the towers. The one in Jantok Sky, the one in the Gambler district, and well, the one here. The only things left untouched.”

“How do ya know those doors lead to the second one?”

“Just as you saw them appear, I saw them too. After she had left. I have no doubt about it in my mind, that is the way to Kaliber.”

“I see.” She turned back to the direction of the doors. She was close, she could feel it. On the brink, on the verge of some revelation. Vega knew she’d find out something.

“Before you leave… I have something to give you. Rather, Kaliber has something for you.” The monk crouched down the plants and with one hand, parted the whole mass. Standing up, he held a piece of paper out to the scarecrow.

“For me? For me-me?!” Vega could hardly believe it. Something addressed to her, from Kaliber? Could it be true?

Snatching the paper out of his hands and immediately read it. It read…

“To the one who searches…”

The rest of the paper… was blank!

Anticlimactic, I know. But trust me, there is more than meets the eye on this one.

“What!? Where’s the rest? Do I have to-to pay ya or something? Is this a subscription based sevice thing?”

“Calm yourself.”

“But…but…why?” Vega’s emotions couldn’t take such a tempting thing. She wanted answers bad. Her hands gripped the paper hard, desperate to see more than a sentence. Something that could quell the Voice and her curiosity.

“As I told you before, you have already searched. But what you need to do, little one, is realize it.” As the monk finished, Vega tilted her head. She thought of all the drawings she did, all the writing and the letters. She thought of Skaldi and how they made the song together. All of it had to be filled by her. For now, this is a blank page. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have the capacity for great love and great answers. Vega smiled at that idea.

“I think I understand-stand. This page, like me, needs to grow. With people, but needs to grow for itself.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“...I think you are ready, Vega.”

“...how the fuck-fuck do ya know my name?”

“The plants told me.”

“...fair enough.”

Holding both her pickax close and the guitar at her side, the scarecrow finished preparing. This was it. She was ready to scream and shout!

“Thank ya mister! I’ll tell ya everything when I get out!” Vega gave the monk a thumbs up, before heading through the doors.

The two had quite a splendid time, I daresay. They smiled and laughed, discussed politics, and had a heartfelt moment or two. Well, I might be exaggerating for the sake of comedic effect, but you can’t blame me!

I mean, there wasn’t anything exciting happening at the same exact time, right? And certainly nothing having to do with explosions. Oh well!

“Finally, time to see what the second tower hold-holds!” Vega, without a second thought, gently pushed the door open, careful not to cause any damage. She imagined herself as not an explorer, but as an observer. Patient, she told herself to be. After all, she would be the only person here, she wouldn’t have any distractions or anyone to draw her attention.

Entering in, she found herself descending down a dark staircase. She blinked a few times and kept a smile on her face. And then, she entered into the tower.

“Hmm. I quite like her.”

“Hey-hey mister.”

A voice.

A voice came from the entrance.

A muffled one, sure, but there was a person outside.

“Hmm? Must be another one. I wonder what prayer they’ll ask this time?” The monk stepped to the entrance door and pushed it open.

What he saw confused him for a moment.

“Hi mister! Ya wouldn’t mind if I enter?” It was Vega! More cheerful and energetic than when she left, but it was definitely her for sure.

“Oh. It’s you again? Did the door lead outside or something?” The monk was oddly confused, checking back at the door to Kaliber’s tower. As he turned back to Vega, she had already brushed past and started to look around, not sparing a careful thought.

“Ah, this must be what-what a temple looks like? Cool!”

“I see…” The monk knew now that something was… wrong. As much as Vega looked normal, she didn’t move normal. Not odd, more natural. More like… a living humanoid rather than an animated scarecrow.

“Ya wouldn’t mind showing me-me where the door was-was again? Sorry, just lost my path. Kinda dumb and stupid like that, mister.”

“Right. Left. It’s to your left.”

“Hmm. Thank-thanks.” Vega had a sly smile and her eyes narrowed into pinpoints. “Tell me, is-is there anything else I should know?”

“...no…” The monk slowly backed up to the wall, realizing that the person he was looking at is deceiving him. That the Vega he is looking at isn’t true, isn’t being the truth. Manipulating it, not accepting it.

“Hmm. Good. Now before I leave, there is one more question.” Vega held up a finger and turned her head away.

“...yes?”

Her face morphed, melting and reforming like a bizarre mass. Her arms snapped and reassembled, her hair changed texture and color, and a hot and awful stench filled the temple. As the transformation was finished, a new voice spoke. That of the fifth Assassin.

“I’m begging, ghost monk, can you guide my way out?”

Locked inside, Vega screamed out for help.

“Help! I left my super special rock back there!” Keep in mind, dear student, the ghost monk was not a corpse. He was a faint smear on the ground surrounded by ash covered debris, and I know you can answer how that happened. I can say that the same smear is my favorite modern art piece in recent memory. Sort of like you look at a cloud and you imagine an image there. Except you're doing that with a dead man’s flesh parts that have been turned into paste, so… not as fun.

What was I talking about? Oh yeah, the scarecrow.

“Pretty please? I really liked that rock…” She punched the door all sad like before she heard a grinding in the walls.

“The fuck-fuck-fuck? Wow, that was a lot of stutters.” Vega slammed her pickax into the door a couple times, each being sent flying back. On the fourth time, she realized that there might be a reason she’s stuck. Soon the grinding came to a stop and Vega turned to see what had previously been a black wall, became a strange hallway.

Approaching it cautious and with her pickax out in front of her, she shuffled forward. A purple dark, with some of the strange plants lining the walls. As she moved, she felt her perspective to shift in a spiral. Checking her feet and the ceiling, she noticed that the very gravity had changed. The scarecrow was upside down.

“What the hell-hell-hell is going on? Again, another three?” Vega groaned and resumed walking normally. Afterall, Kaliber had to have this prepared. There would be no way that this would involve some type of death trap, obstacle course, or a means to test the might of the person who entered, right? That would be ridiculous! And certainly cliche enough that Kaliber would do something at least a little more clever, that would be silly.

“WELCOME construct TO THE TOWER.” Oh you got to be kidding with me.

“Hello! I’m Ve-”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP.”

“I-I didn’t even-”

“APPLYING HOLY WATER” As the tower spoke, an opening in the wall beside her blasted a heavy stream of liquid. One, as you might expect, removed all of Vega’s draw on features. Because, you know, that’s how holy water works.

“Mmh Mmmh Kmmh!” If you need the translation for what Vega said, good fucking luck because I still have no clue. The scarecrow pulled out a pencil and as she started to redraw her face, the tower began to speak again.

“THIS IS kaliber’s UNDERGROUND TOWER, ONE OF WHICH SHE HAS BEEN KEEPING SECRET FOR A LONG ASS TIME. TAKE PHOTOS, THIS IS THE LAST TIME YOU’LL SEE IT.”

“The fuck’s a photo?” Vega said through her half drawn mouth.

“SAVE ALL QUESTIONS FOR THE END. YOU’LL BE TASKED TO COMPLETE ALL THE CHALLENGES HERE, OTHERWISE THERE IS NO ESCAPE. THE ENTRANCE IS BLOCKED BY SEVERAL SOUL GEMS, SO DON’T FUCKING TRY IT. IF YOU BROUGHT A SMALL CHILD IN HERE WITH YOU, THEY’RE SHIT OUT OF LUCK.”

“Starting to feel it was a good decision to go alone…” Vega shrunk a little, disturbed by the rudeness of the tower.

“HOLY FUCKING SHIT STOP TALKING.”

“Sorry.”

“ANYWAY, IF YOU COMPLETE THE CHALLENGES, YOU’LL BE ABLE TO ESCAPE ALONG WITH GETTING SOME SECOND HAND SHIT FROM kaliber.”

“Hmmm.” Vega mustered herself, readying for what was to come. Be it fire, pitchforks, or whatever horror she might face, she was going to give it her all. “I do like shit.”

“ARE YOU READY?”

“...yes-yes.”

Gust of wind, gears turning. A mini earthquake happens, a Vega moves her stance wider and lower to the ground.

“...Opening level one.” As the wall in front of her opened, a purple mist wandered out, so thick that when it got near Vega couldn’t see her own hands. Undoubtedly, Vega was scared. This tower was made for her, for a construct. Kaliber, if anyone, had to know her weaknesses, what made her crack.

What could defeat her. What could make her a mindless tool?

“Alright-right…let’s go.”