Chapter 21 - Maelström

I remember the last days of the war as if it was only last week and, in truth, for me, it was only six months ago.

No more spec ops, no more infiltration or subtle ploys.

At that time, Entropy had only one last bastion remaining, on the large Rainbow Caldera.

The place was once a superb touristic spot before an Entropic crystal appeared over it and corrupted the nearby cities. Or at least I was told so, as I only remember it from after Entropy’s arrival.

It was a long and dirty battle full of mines, machine-gun nest, snipers and artillery bombardment, the sky set on fire by our fight for the aerial superiority, battleships and carriers falling from the firmament as the ground forces were slowly but surely marching forward, blood drenching the very soil they were pressing on.

We could have done it slower, with fewer casualties, but we had intel full of reasons not to do so, and we were thus rushing it, with all the blood and the tears this came with.

It did help a bit, in the end, but not as much as we could have hoped for.

When enough dead bodies had paved the way, creating bridges over rivers and roads through the mountains, we won. The logical conclusion of a fight lost from the start by Entropy’s side. You can’t fight against an entire world with only a few cities and some mines.

And that was it. We won. Now, what was left was to rebuild the world and our lives.

Or so we thought. It’s only a month after the final battle that we discovered it, the last fuck in our face that Entropy left behind, the reason why it had defended this caldera more than other, better strategic places.

The caldera was at a crossing of a huge Laylines hub and a territory of high volcanic activity.

And this motherfucker had corrupted the Laylines to create a chain reaction that would set all the volcanoes of the planet ablaze all at once, destabilizing the tectonic plates and basically transform the world into a molten ball of lava.

But our lightning victory had given us time. Enough? I still don’t know what the answer is.

And so began Operation Evercore. All our brightest sorcerers united their intellect to design a gigantic spell to stop the chain reaction from happening. But even with the tiny advantage our quick victory had snatched us, we were running short on time.

The construction of a gigantic magical circle had started in the middle of May, tens of thousands of sorcerers working on it with the resources of a whole planet, if a weakened one at the time.

But the problem was the caldera itself. We needed a core to make the spell work, and this core needed to be physically present over the centre of the caldera.

Only one thing could survive in the magmatic inferno the place had become.

My Gyakusatsu, mine and Radiance’s, as we had created the blueprint together. The very same ship that made us win so many battles

The Gyakusatsu was a flying dreadnaught built using experimental Ljósálfars and Entropic technology. Organic hull, counter-magmatic thrusters, gravitational vortex shield, we had put every last bit of experimental/secret/forbidden tech in this baby, just in case.

In fact, it should have been a very big and extensive proof of concept for a lot of those techniques, before streamlining them and incorporating them in our standard ship, but the war ended before the plan was set in motion.

Yet, once more, our baby was the thing that would save the day. The Gyakusatsu was the only vessel able to survive the environment of the caldera’s core, where fountains of komatiitic lava could be seen going up to two kilometres in height, and the average temperature was around 1500 °C.

When me and Radiance volunteered for the mission, we already knew that it was a one-way trip.

Even as sturdy as she was, Gyakusatsu couldn’t stay the time we needed to perform the ritual, and be able to fly out of it.

I did not really feel anything while facing this idea. Death.

The war had emptied me of energy, and betrayal had crushed my emotions. Most of them, anyway.

Radiance was a bit more reluctant, but she always had a hero syndrome. And what was more heroic than saving the world by sacrificing yourself?

I remember my last minutes, last seconds. We were in each other’s arms, deep inside Gyakusatsu, surrounded by the black viscous tar of the synchronisation chamber, its tentacles wrapped around us yet inactive, as we had disconnected ourself from the ship, unwilling to feel its burns anymore. Gyakusatsu was a ship you fused with to pilot, and you could feel everything happening to her as if it was your own body.

We were just there, floating, hugging each other in silence, eyes closed and hearts beating the same tune, a peaceful song. I was thirty-four, I think, without my childhood memories, wiped out when Entropy took me and corrupted me. I had only around twenty years of memories, ten with Entropy, ten with the Alliance, twenty years full of war, and the person I was hugging was one of the three last friends I had, all the others dead, killed in action or by a knife in the back.

That’s when my memories end.

Now here I was, listening to someone who had been an ally, then an enemy, and now a servant of mine.

After you destroyed the last Hive Crystal, all the unit still connected to the main cluster received a violent backlash, and a part of my soul was damaged.

I did not directly understand what losing a part of my soul would imply. It was bad. It created cascading personality disorder, and I needed to use other souls to mend mine, as to not break down.

However, before I could start to work, the world suffered a catastrophic event. Operation Evercore, as you named it, only partially stopped Entropy’s world-ending ploy. A massive number of volcanoes still erupted, but that in itself did not cause a lot of damages.

It was the ashes. With so many volcanoes active, ashes clogged the sky, inducing a…

A volcanic winter. I answered, deep in my thoughts.

Affirmative. I rushed the production of a hibernation pod, but the winter lasted for longer than I had expected, making me lose most of my body. I had even less than what you saw the other day, and this body of mine is already quite pathetic. To be forced to take a humanoid form… Whatever, I’ll build my body back when I have the resources.

And so, what happened next?

With the pod’s malfunction, I was trapped in sleep for who knows how long. I only woke up thirty years ago, and found myself buried deep under volcanic remnant and other geological strata. By the look of it, I slept more than a hundred years, but I can’t be any more precise.

Okay. Standby for now.

Understood.

Psaï, a thought?

Well, we’re starting to get somewhere at least. Operation Evercore was only a half-success, and a volcanic winter ensued, putting every race under severe pressure. Very severe, by the look of civilisation around here.

And it would also be a start of explanation about mana density.

Indeed.

Okay. Lebaclas, what is your status right now?

I have absorbed a decent amount of soul mass from my assault on the city. I think I’ll be able to stay awake for three months with that.

Don’t process it yourself. I answered quickly. I’ll do it for you, it will be more efficient.

Yes administrator.

By the way, how did you harvest the soul mass?

I used the same method as you during the Great Harvest of 2344, but I am not as proficient as you wer-

No. No! I DIDN’T DO IT! The mere allusion to this incident sent me into a boiling madness.

I WAS TRICKED TO KILL THEM! IT WASN’T ME! DON’T YOU DARE FORGET IT!

Lebaclas couldn’t even answer me, as I was in such a rage I was crushing its soul with my metaphorical hands.

Morgana!

I DIDN’T DO IT! I screamed in my head, impervious to Psaï’s words as whispering voices started to fill my mind, echoes of my own guilt, singers of my errors, memorial to my hubris.

NO YOU DIDN’T! Screamed Psaï back. FOCUS ON MY VOICE!

In the maelström of fragmented noise, Psaï started doing something she hadn’t done in a long time. She started singing, softly. And yet, it was enough to fill my whole mind and, like a boat lost in a storm, I started following the lighthouse that was Psaï’s voice.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

As if she was extracting me from quicksands.

I fell in her arms and closed my eyes as we melted together.

Sleep, at once.

***

Headache.

I hate headaches.

You’re not the only one.

Yeah, sorry about that. Lebaclas took me by surprise.

I know, mom. Just don’t think about it for now, okay? We’ll deal with this later.

Yes. Okay. Thanks, Psaï.

You’re welcome.

I had slept the whole night, nightmares plaguing my sleep, nightmares of lifeless bodies. Better not think about it.

Instead, I revelled in my current state, which was laying on top of Vivianne. I could hear her heartbeat. I could feel her breath. My head nestled in her neck, I enjoyed her body warmth all the while looking at everyone sleeping.

I always loved to look at the people I loved while they slept.

No. I always loved looking at the people I loved. Just, you know, being there with them.

I felt happiness surging in my mind. However broken this little life already was, I was still extremely lucky to have it, to have them.

Psaï?

Yes?

Let’s try to not mess this up, yes?

Of course. Psaï was radiating warm and tranquillity. She was happy, too.

***

January ended, February started.

It took ten whole days for Mom and Dad to discover what exactly their children were doing during their ‘Shi training’. That was, of course, because everyone was still running around trying to fix everything, Mom and Dad included. In fact, I am surprised they took only ten days to discover it. Maybe someone told them?

Discussion ensued.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Was the first question that Mom and Dad asked them, as worried as they were mad.

“Because… I don’t know. It didn’t fell right.” Noa was the one answering.

“You lied to us!”

“No!” The boy was quite offended by the accusation. “We are training our Shi with teacher Ophelia!”

“But you’re training for battle!” Intervened Dad, clearly keeping ‘for fuck’s sake’ in his mouth with all his might.

“Yes, we are.” Answered Crisnée.

“And that’s it? You’re way too young to do that!” Mom squinted her eyes at the young lady, her emotions taking hold of her actions.

“It’s your fault isn’t it? You’re the one that put that idea in Vi and Noa’s head!” She said with a slightly violent voice.

Bad idea.

Vi and Noa both took a step forward, placing themselves between Mom and Crisnée as to defend her, like a rampart.

I mean, even I was frowning at her. I know being a parent is hard, but that’s no way to treat a child.

“No.” Vivianne answered.

“We choose to do it.” Added Noa.

This snapped Mom out of her anger and, realising what she had said, she took a step back.

However, she quickly gathered her wits.

“You should have asked us. You lied to us and, if I knew what you were doing, I would have forbidden you to do so.”

“That’s why we didn’t say anything!” Exploded Vivianne, still shielding Crisnée.

“I was sure you would have said that.” Muttered Noa, his frown deepening.

Mom, as well as Dad, was left speechless.

Before Mom could talk again, Dad stepped in and took the conversation in his hands.

“Why do you want so much to train for battle?” He asked, diplomatically.

“Why?” Exclaimed Crisnée. “You’re really asking why?”

“We nearly DIED!” Screamed Vi at her parents.

“Just like the woman in the basement.” Noa looked his Dad in the eyes. “If we had been better, maybe we could have saved her.” He said, tears in his eyes.

“I don’t want to feel like that ever again.” Added Crisnée.

“I don’t want to cower in a corner, waiting for a monster to eat me.” This was Vi.

“I don’t want to stay behind and let people die.” And Noa, of course.

Mom and Dad were completely taken aback. Do you imagine that? Children seven years old, saying that to you?

Seeing their parents gazing at them in silence, they huddled together and took a few steps back, not sure what to do.

Finally.

“You shouldn’t worry about that. You’re safe here. You don’t need to train now. Wait a bit more, okay?” Said Dad, still trying to be diplomatic.

“No. You’re wrong.” Denied Crisnée, eliciting another squint from Mom.

“We’re not safe anywhere.” Added Vivianne.

“And even if it was true, I wouldn’t care. What about next time? Will we hide again?” And Noa.

“It’s not your job to save people. And I can assure you you’re safe here. It’s true, just believe me, okay?”

This only upset them more, in particular Vivianne.

“If we find a monster in this house, will you let us train?”

“What?” Answered both Mom and Dad.

“If I prove you’re wrong about being safe here, by finding a monster in the house, will you let us train?”

“What is this nonsense you’re spouting?” Mom’s emotions were still pretty vivid, in particular her worries-fueled anger, and she reacted quite violently to the question.

Dad patted her over the shoulder and took the lead once more.

“Sure sweety, if you find a monster, I’ll talk to your mom about letting your train, okay? But I can assure you, there are no monsters in the house. I would have found it by now if there was one. I’m a monster hunter after all.” He smiled at them, which made Vivianne even angrier, as if she was watching a fool walking in a trap she nearly literally said was right in front of him.

She let her rage flows as she stomped the ground violently, making the snarling sound she used to tame the Yiburis, but way louder.

“What are you do-” Started to ask Dad in surprise, quickly interrupted by a clicketing sound.

Mom and Dad turned their eyes toward the door at it opened to let the big Yirubis enter, all its four dorsal limbs drawn as if it was ready to fight.

Just before it launched itself on our parents, Vi growled powerfully, rage still seeping in her voice, and the Yirubis stopped, retracting its limbs.

In the meantime, Dad had unsheeted the dagger he always kept on him and nearly jumped on the monster, stopping only because he saw how it reacted to his daughter. Mom had taken more than a few steps back in fear.

“Here!” Vi ordered it to come at her, and it obeyed, lying down at her feet like a well-trained dog.

“Look Dad. I found a monster in our house. Can we train, now that I proved that nowhere is safe?”

She can get pretty intense when she’s upset. Never saw her like that.

Indeed. Lily was like that too.

Yeah. Seems like she took that from her mother, no? Mom can also be pretty intense.

Yes, but I’m sure we never saw her as angry as she is now.

That’s because of her fear. She’s afraid for her children, and it fuels her anger. It’s not really the best way to deal with the situation, but I can’t really blame her.

Yeah, it’s not like you don’t have anger issues.

Let’s not talk about it.

Of course mother.

“I… what is this thing doing here?” He had a hard time recovering from his surprise, his dagger still in his hands.

“This thing is my friend!” The Yiburis, following its master’s emotions, started getting on its feet once again, but a click from Vi’s tongue stopped it.

“I tamed it when we were in the barrack. It fought alongside us.” Added Noa.

“Saved us. Stopped a surprise attack.” And Vivianne, in her laconic style.

“Yes, it saved us too. And it has been in the house for two days, without you feeling it, Dad.” Vivianne’s voice was more and more venomous.

“I…” He looked at the group, then at his wife. My god, in time like this, you could see that he was only 25. So young, in a way.

He looked once more at the Yiburis. “You’re sure you can trust this monster?”

“Shhhra!” Vivianne exclaimed, and the Yiburis put its bladed limbs on its head. You could even see pearls of blood appearing where its sharp tips where piercing its skin.

“Shh…” And it took them back. “Yes. I am sure.” She simply said.

“Okay. I believe you.” Dad couldn’t really say anything else after this display.

“WHAT?” Exclaimed Mom. “N-”

“Dear! Not now! All of you, go to your room. Mom and Dad need to talk.” The children looked at each other as Dad was pinning Mom in place with his gaze, Mom looking at him as if she was saying that he would pay for that. Maternal instinct is pretty wild alright?

We quickly left the room to go to ours. It was the afternoon, and the sun was already bloodying the white landscape, making it sparkle like the sea.