Chapter 65: Field of Endless Futures

Now, as the three fuckers on the surface were calling each other gay, you’d might be expecting Vega and Krimm to be, I don’t know, doing something important with their lives.

But as you might also expect, trying to do something important while being carried through a tunnel of air is a little hard. So please, don’t blame them.

As they flew through the tunnel, the scarecrow took to reading. The book that she had gotten from the Tripolian shopkeeper wasn’t relevant to this particular situation. Well, there aren’t too many books about being sliced to pieces and being held hostage by an elf fairy, so let’s be fair. But the book was related to Kaliber.

The book, binded in a cheap animal skin, was a sort of abridged history on Tripolian studies of philosophy and science, where Kaliber was included as a footnote right next to Ani Arma’s gigantic chapter about ‘How One Should Rule’. Yes it included a lot of genocide, yes multiple crimes against sentience. And multiple recipes on candy delights. Take that as you will.

But there had to be more, it couldn’t have been a simple book. Searching any information about Kaliber she could, Vega wouldn’t leave any stone unturned, especially since she had nothing better to do.

“Ya heard any good-good stories?”

“Dude… no? What- I don’t get you.” Krimm didn’t bother to turn to speak, only blankly staring down the tunnel they were flying through.

“I think that’s the reason why ya like ya job. Don’t need-need to get people. Just kill!”

“IF YOU FUCKERS KEEP TALKING, THE ONLY things THAT ARE GOING TO GET KILLED ARE YOU.” The tower’s voice thundered, making Krimm cover her ears. “ALSO GOOD NEWS FUCKERS, NEXT OBSTACLE IS AS MESSED UP. THE RENDERING ISN’T A problem ANYMORE.”

The two, not waiting to bait out the tower’s wrath, kept quiet. Vega felt that this announcement still didn’t matter since she no longer had function of most of her body.

“HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS ARE ASSHOLES. SO NOW YOU GUYS CAN WALK AROUND. HOWEVER, I THINK YOU ARE REACHING THE END. WHICH MEANS THE BUDGET EXPENDED FOR THIS PLACE IS JUST ABOUT DONE. SO good luck.”

“...can… can we talk now-” Krimm slowly started speaking again before a blaring horn-like noise flooded their ears. Like a herd of elephants all trumpeted at the same time, and the sound kept reflecting off each other, never growing quieter.

As the horns blared, the tunnel darkened and the wind grew heavy and more powerful. If she wasn’t tied to Krimm’s black, Vega might have split apart and flew into a hundred million directions. A hurricane of night wind, and it felt like it would last an eternity. That she would not survive.

But the tower wouldn’t let her break apart. Not when she was so close to finding out what Kaliber had left for her.

In the darkness, Vega came upon a strange sensation. One that held a familiarity. Was it anger? Was it fear? Perhaps it was a combination of emotional distress, or even relief. Whatever it is, there arrived a bonding in her soul. Alike with when she had managed to use magic back in the first obstacle.

No one could have seen it. But however it happened, Vega was able to recover. Because of that, she felt grateful for having emotions.

Her body felt heavy yet comfortable, resting on some plush soft matter. There were jabs of spikes into her, likely a plant. As she opened her eyes, Vega found herself surrounded by a field unlike any other. All around, to the horizon, the scarecrow was in a field of endless roses.

Another thing, she was no longer ripped apart. Where there were tears and broken limbs, her body was fixed, as if she had never been harmed by Krimm at all.

“WOOOOOOO! I’m not broke-broken! Alright!”

“Whu… where am I?” Vega heard Krimm’s voice behind her. Sparing little effort, she ran up to the Assassin and hoisted her up.

“Look, I’m normal again! And at no cost of the environment!”

“SHUT UP. THERE IS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THIS OBSTACLE TOO.” The tower interrupted, its voice far less powerful, to the point of sounding muffled and underground. “THERE’S A SPECIFIC SOUL GEM HERE THAT’S REALLY messed up BUT I DON’T KNOW HOW. OR WHERE IT IS. SO GOOD FUCKING LUCK, YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO NEED IT.”

“Oh… well at least I’m fixed. That’s good, right?” Vega tried to kickstart a sense of relief in Krimm, putting her arm over her shoulder. But she appeared to be occupied. Her eyes were wide open, taking in this beautiful field. But the look on her face wasn’t that of awe or wonder.

Her emotions were that of shock.

“What… no. This can’t be it. Can it?” Krimm walked forward before meeting the stump of a tree. She stepped onto it and her head turned from left to right, as if trying to take in all of what she was seeing. Vega didn’t know what, but felt that this place was either a strange reminder or a straight out memory of a particular place that Krimm recognized.

Fearful that Krimm might break her apart just for the fun of it, Vega tested out her guitar, playing it low so that Krimm might not hear it. She strummed the strings, giving off a faint buzz sound. But no vines or hay grew on or around her.

“Aw dang it. Well, Krimm. Do ya want to get this over with or-” The Assassin threw off a knife which Vega was barely able to catch. Well, I say catch but it was more like stabbed into her hand instead of her face. Vega readied herself for combat but Krimm did not move from the stump.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

After waiting for the fight that never came, Vega understood what Krimm was doing. She wasn’t looking, she was listening. Attempting to hear, be a voice, a conversation, perhaps her name.

Sitting down and taking the rose from her head, Vega decided to compare the rose to the flowers. And it didn’t take long for Vega to find similarities for her rose and another in the field. If this field was related to Krimm, Vega imagined herself a tad closer to her.

And because of that relation, Vega wondered what the right words were, to tell Krimm. Krimm isn’t a good person. She’s a bitter killer that finds fun in hurting others.

But the look on her face made her think that despite her being a fairy, a literal celestial being, she had been trying to figure things out. That she was just a young girl, just like herself.

Vega looked up at Krimm and wondered about her fate, if Krimm’s life is to be her own. To be a tool for some evil man.

“...Hey Krimm-Krimm.”

“...”

“It’s going to be okay…”

“...Let’s keep going.”

Walking in a random direction, the scarecrow and the Assassin searched for the Soul Gem the tower mentioned. The environment was not too dissimilar to the first obstacle. Lonely winds blew past them, hills and sometimes trees dotted the landscape. Sometimes the two misinterpreted the wind for a voice. Maybe they both knew but they simply got their hopes up. Being alone is heart aching.

“It can’t be true…” Vega thought out loud. Krimm heard her but believed she didn’t want any more conversation. All that needed to be done was to escape and get on with her life. Krimm didn’t even want to question how Vega had gotten repaired. She wanted out.

But this out never came in the hours that roamed by. An endless wilderness that put memories Krimm repressed back into focus. A landscape of memory kept her there. If she wanted something else besides an exit, was how Kaliber mattered to this place. This once full of life and now barren.

This place used to have someone she loved.

“You know… I had a girlfriend once.” Krimm let it out. She was afraid, out of a lifetime of being rejected, that Vega would make that part of her a joke. She had every reason to, after ripping her apart and insulting her. But she hoped, if only for an instant, that Vega might respond positively. That she might be received, and accepted.

“...Neat! Does she look nice?” Squishing her face into Krimm’s own, Vega stared down the Assassin, ready to hear more.

“…that was not the reaction I was expecting.” Krimm turned her head slightly, trying to look at where she was going instead of Vega.

“Lady-lady, I have made friends with just about everything. Cities, abstract conceptions, even a snake skin guy. He died! That was pretty cool. A girl liking a girl is hardly anything to me.” Vega walked in front of Krimm and illustrated with her hands all the things she’s met on her journey. Her mild manners made the Assassin feel a little more talkative, and even a little more safe.

“That’s… mildly comforting. And incredibly disappointing that it's coming from a scarecrow and not actual people.”

“Sorry. Oh, another thing-thing, you also wouldn’t happen to like boys too, would ya?” Vega had a hunch.

“Yeah. Yeah, kinda sorta.”

“Huh, we are more alike than different.” Vega’s hunch was correct.

“Shut up, what the hell does that even mean?” Krimm shoved her aside and continued searching for a path, a sign, anything that led to something.

“Oh, ya wouldn’t happen to have any prejudiced over-over ghosts, would ya? Because those watchmen, wow! They absolutely hate ghosts.” Vega followed closely behind, holding her head high. She was glad she could talk with her, especially after being stuck in the dark for so long.

“The fucks a ghost? Is that what the Iozians keep referring to, that vague minority that the people in power say are super evil, super weak, and yet pervasive in all society? An analogy for any oppressed people or whatever?” Using her left hand, Krimm made a circular motion while she talked, as if trying to encircle the vague concept.

Also, she seemed to be talking to a vague audience. That’s weird.

“Yeah. And the-the way ya talked about that sounded like ya were trying to make a social commentary on something?” Vega raised a brow at Krimm, who recoiled at the implication.

“No! Well, no I don’t hate ghosts, but no to… social commentary?! That’s unthinkable! In our current year? Ha!”

“Aww, I was kinda hoping for that.” Vega hung low, disappointed.

“Stop hoping for anything and half of your life’s problems will be fixed. Trust me.”

“But to get back on track-track, how was your girlfriend like?”

“She was… mortal.”

“Really? I never knew elf spirits could get together with mortys.”

“Mortys? Hah, you’re stupid and funny. But yes… no one knew about it.” Krimm smiled, but not one of gruesome brutality or sadistic joy. A content smile, one that was full and enough to show she liked thinking about it.

“What is-is her name?”

“Was.” Krimm corrected.

“...I’m sorry.”

“No need. She was Kalio. She was perfect… she was mine… and I was her…” Krimm’s smile weakened as she stopped before a stream, flowing through the flowers. Her reflection, though faint, made her wonder how did her life end up like this? Why did it have to be like this?

Was she really happy? Or was she lying to herself?

Was it a lie that she believed it was true?

Krimm didn’t want to find out. She didn’t want a way out.

“Over dramatic gasp.”

“Why the fuck did you say ‘overdramatic gasp’?” Krimm stared at Vega, who had stopped in her place. Lifting her pickaxe out in front of both of them, Krimm looked to what she was pointing at.

“Look…”

Out in front of them, was a community. A community that Vega had never seen, but Krimm had seen so many times before. A grove of short trees, nestled between a set of hills, with ponds just outside. Small smoke came from it, and the sounds of battle were not too distant.

Stepping forward, Krimm approached this settlement, this memory of a place long past. There was no doubt about it. This is what Kaliber was working on. This was it.

“Krimm…” Vega reached out for the Assassin’s shoulder, but Krimm’s violent and powerful eyes skewered that attempt, telling all Vega needed. This place, whatever it was, mattered to the conversation Kaliber and Ena had before. If this truly was a memory that Kaliber had placed for her, there had to be some information she wanted to keep hidden.

The two walked forward, stepping closer to this grove of trees, with the flowers splitting on a dirt path ahead.

They walked towards a memory of people. A memory of the Galtian elves