Chapter 62: Vega vs Vega?! (Part 1!)

Taking all bets, taking all bets! Who will win this fight?!

An emotional distraught farming implement or a shapeshifting assassin that carries bombs on hand?!

The result is going to blow your mind!!! You’re going to love this, trust me!

“Shall we dance-dance?” Vega whimpered, backing up into the wall. She had never seen her face before, and especially seeing it so fierce. As her back stretched on the wall, trying to find more space, she momentarily thought that her face didn’t look so bad. In fact, Vega thought her own face was pretty pleasant looking.

“What are ya doing?”

“Nothing, just… I look-look very pretty.” Vega complimented herself, hoping that it might make the Assassin laugh. Although it takes a few moments, the Assassin does and it’s awful.

Nothing like her own laugh, it's way too natural. It’s sadistic and violence, the animation of her eyes and mouth going wild and violent. And all of it, the Assassin was using a fake copy of her body. Using this chance to allow herself to stabilize her stance, Vega got ready. Whether to run or fight, she did not yet know.

“So, what is it that ya are here? Is it the nice air-air or the mountains or the-” Not allowing another joke, the Assassin threw a heavy knife into chest, splitting it open. A few gold coins fell out, along with a bit of her hay stuffing. Vega tried to pull the knife out, but it was firmly planted. Putting all her strength into her two arms, she tugged and tugged but stayed put.

“Come on… I know-know the reason why ya are here. Because of this Tripolian gal, this fuck. The one Ani keeps talk-talking about. The one ya BOTH have been searching for.”

“Huh?” Searching for it, Vega hadn’t imagined it. In fact, the idea seemed impossible to think up, until now. That the Voice, that Ani Arma had some interest in Kaliber. Remembering what Kaliber had and was still talking about, it makes sense! “But why-why? Why Kaliber, isn’t he ultra powerful or whatever?”

“Sure, but there’s always more-more ya can now, and all that.” The Assassin came closer to Vega’s face, close enough to make the scarecrow back her head away. If Vega didn’t know any better, she would think the Assassin would kiss her. “I thought ya would know already, but Ani can’t get-get everywhere with that voice of his.”

The whispering, that haunting whisper was chilling. Seeing her own face talk shit to herself was a little unnerving to say the least. Vega knew she had to get out, but she didn’t know yet how. She had an idea, a chance to buy time.

“Huh, never knew that! Well, what is that-that Ani Arma is looking for here?” Vega tilted her head, trying to feign a friendly tone. The Assassin stared at her with disdain, knowing that Vega was attempting to play her.

“The Galtian elfs have this ritual… it's a little funny. The Oligarch ruling over them, a Raiato or something, is researching it. It’s tough since most of the elfs don’t know Iozian, and even fewer Tripolian…” Kaliber’s mouth kept talking, the memory not taking into account the two scarecrows there.

“How… how does she…” The Assassin trailed off, turning away to look at Kaliber. To observe. To listen. To understand.

To realize.

You might expect Vega to use this time to come up with a bizarre and silly plan to get her way out. Which she was, but the way Kaliber was talking, she knew she had to hear it. After all, what else could she do?

“When a noble elder, or even a spirit reaches the end of their lifetime, the tribe gathers together in mourning. And this collective pain, this emotion, this… death makes something. Something beautiful and able to influence the world. A Soul Gem.” Kaliber spoke with great admiration and also a bit of sorrow. Both Vega and the Assassin could see it in her eyes, a sort of regret. The one that forms after taking something that is not yours or making a petty imitation of it.

“...what do you know about this?” Vega saw an opportunity. Not to escape, but to get information. Knowing that she was an Elf fairy, any clue or history she could find out would be crucial to discovering her weakness.

“What?”

“What do you know about what-what she's talking about?” Vega shrugged, showing no ill intent behind the question. What you see is what you get, and so the Assassin gave her one singular clue

“Gem Harvest was never meant to be… be a tool.”

Vega’s eyes opened large. A single sentence tells so much. A grief grave voice, like the Assassin had no choice. That she might not be all powerful afterall.

“A tool huh? Ha! Tell me about it-” Impacting with metal breaking force, the Assassin threw another knife, this time in her left arm. Hearing the steel in her arm snap a bit, she felt her shoulder come loose. Not enough to take it off, but enough to start to make her worry.

“Shut it.” Holding a finger up to Vega’s mouth, the Assassin continued to listen to Ena and Kaliber’s conversation. Here, she seemed more attentive than cruel, trying to stop up any distractions. I mean, who doesn’t want to listen to those sisters talk?

“Is it sad?” Ena leaned forward, making Kaliber turn away for only a second.

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“Well, it involves death! So, at least a little bit.” Kaliber snickers a little, which eases the tension.

“What does it have to do with mother? The Snake Skins and the elfs. What about it?”

“...there is great power in death. Soul Gems are rare, so incredibly rare. And so incredibly powerful. Enough to change a person to be capable of incredible feats. Or enough for me to get a boyfriend.”

“Heh, Kaliber, please.” Ena flutters her eyes, grateful for the humor but wanting to know what she has planned. To save her mother.

“Sorry. Snake Skins are your father’s creation, using a process to deprive the person of… personhood. Incapable of making choices or actions lest they are given orders.”

“Orders… ya sure Ani is a good boss?” Vega whispered, making a feeble attempt to prod at the Assassin, who didn't respond.

“It makes a Soul Gem, albeit it weak. He has a monopoly on them, but he has yet to give them power. Death can bring power, but it must have meaning. If you make someone a slave, they cease to be a man. They cease to have power. They become a tool. They don’t matter.”

“So the Soul Gems can’t be used to heal mother…” Ena speaks dejectedly. The Assassin leaned into the knife in Vega’s chest, tearing it open more.

“Who is the girl?”

“Ena. That’s Ena.”

“Hmm.”

“What is it?”

“Nothing… it’s just Ani Arma doesn’t like to talk about his family. Or at all.”

The way the two move is different yet similar. Ena moves with a tired grace, like a student practicing to be a princess. Straight and swift with the occasional misstep. And Kaliber with a sense of madness and method, with fingers tapping and stroking her hair whenever she gets the chance. These two are awkward and yet beautiful in a manner that is human.

All the while Vega repeatedly tries to pull the knives off of her, with the Assassin pushing them back in. Because the Assassin is a total fucking prick.

“However, Gem Harvest could be the key.”

“How so?” Ena’s question grabbed the Assassin’s attention once more, which gave Vega all the time she needed to prepare her plan. Just a minute, that’s when she’ll strike.

“Gem Harvest isn’t like how your father does it. Mourning, pain, hope, all are at an all time high during, which increases the chances of producing a Soul Gem. And of that Soul Gem mattering. Of that person mattering. And-”

“Ani Arma has to die.” Ena said.

Everything else in the room blackened, like the world was consumed by the night and all the stars died. The Assassin and Vega remained, but at a severe dullness. Their colors blurred and their forms disfigured. They didn’t feel any great pains or torments. But they felt exactly what Ena was feeling at that moment. And hollowing in their stomach, like oceans of acid boiling within her.

Ena had realized what Kaliber’s secret was.

At that moment, everything went back to normal! Nothing to worry about, all quiet on the homefront, and all that shit!

“What the fuck just happened?” The Assassin let go of Vega and looked around at the room, which suddenly turned back to normal. She was out of the loop.

The scarecrow understood what it was.

“Kaliber. Failure. I miss Kaliber and Ani Arma must die! Yippee!” Vega understood what had happened. All of these words, these events were Vega heard a distinct sound, all of them were Ena’s own words!

“By the gods, ya are annoying!”

“Hey, I’m not the one who pinned me to the wall.” Vega looked at her own face and gave the most contemptuous expression in all of existence. “Well, guess I did, technically.

“Ena, what are you-”

“No. I get it. Ani Arma isn’t a good man. He’s a cheat. He’s a slaver. And he doesn’t deserve anything more.” The little girl spoke the truth, as horrible as it was. Her own sister was planning, in secret, to murder her father.

“...wow… you are smarter than I give you credit for…” Kaliber couldn’t help but to rub the back of her head. I mean, it is a little embarrassing, to be fair. It’s not everyday you get caught planning a regicide. “Ena… do you want to say anything?”

“...Ani… father means something to me. I can’t deny that. But, everything you come back to, you send me letters and gifts… and all of this love… I'm starting to understand the puzzle. More pieces come into place. That my father, the person who made me, isn’t the man who I thought he once was.”

Vega felt unified with Ena, as a tear came to both of their eyes. Pinned, stuck, unable to act. As the one who has created you and might be able to give you the answers you have so much wanted, isn’t able to be there. That who they are is not what you believed them to be.

That the one they search for might not set them free.

“Kaliber… it hurts to say this but, you are a second mother to me.” The little girl’s voice croaked. “What you say, that father is trying to save my mom, but hasn’t even bothered to tell me what’s going on. With the plague, or the war, or nothing. I have been let out of his life. But you, you have let me into yours.”

“Ena… I’m sorry.”

“Hey Kaliber. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” Ena says this in a way that shows she doesn’t quite understand the reasoning of working with an Oligarch. Kaliber detects and grabs Ena’s hands firmly, as if trying to transmit her very feeling through touch.

“Ena… you know what I am. A… ghost lady, that’s what the Iozians call me. A lady that should be dead but is still alive. And I don’t want you to lose anyone, lose your mother, lose Ani, or anyone. It’s dangerous, but it's necessary. If I could wish it on the most powerful genie, I’d wish no one would have to go through what I did ever again. Especially for my little sister.”

Kaliber is smiling, trying to make Ena believe she’s doing the right thing. That whatever plan she has contained in her mind, in that soft circuitry of thought, is the correct course. Ena, in Vega’s eyes, is trying to believe. But that doesn’t matter.

It isn’t the truth.

“Ha… you’ve only been here an hour and you’ve already made me feel more love than I have in the past year.”

“Well, that’s Kaliber Scherezade for you… we can talk more about it later. Do you want to play a game?” Suddenly, Kaliber's mood picks up and she jumps up, as if she hadn’t spilled her guts just now. Ena hardly gets a chance to respond before Kaliber sweeps her off her feet and runs outside.

Vega reaches out for Kaliber as she leaves but stops herself. Afterall, it’s only a memory. A memory. A life. A life she was never a part of.

“OH MY GOD, that was so fucking boring.” The Assassin announced, turning back to see Vega not pinned on the wall. In fact, she felt a hand on her food. Looking down, she not only saw a hand, but a strange growth. From out of Vega’s hand came roses and thorny vines wrapping around her.

The Assassin realized it all too late!

The Scarecrow was using magic, pulling her down through the floor, holding her guitar in hand.

“I don’t want-want to dance, I want to party!”