Affect Circumplex
Chapter 9: Finding Logic in a Godly Equation
Abyss Lake, 1 hour & 25 Minutes before the Erasure
After finding the incoming locomotive's roof ripped open, as well as finding Lieutenant Flireis together with the Ether Brake, Althii commanded everyone with her to head for Abyss Lake. Vhie and the rest had no qualms to the orders, since they are currently in a "safe" position given the turn of events that happened earlier. Everyone still had questions that needed clear and objective answers.
"So where do we begin?" Eilmahn said after everyone was able to rest by the lakeside. Everyone turned their heads towards him, and then looked away, as if thinking of a question. Seeing no progress from the group, Eilmahn "volunteered" to start first. Everyone gathered around the sage and started listening. The sage knew the repercussions of sharing the information he was a bout to tell the group, but that did not matter anymore for him. Everything that happened during the day is enough proof that something is wrong with the world.
"Listen carefully. Vhie and I found out something horrible during our spying in Juno. While it looks unimportant, leaving it as is will make matters worse." Eilmahn began. Vhie gazed at her mission partner, finding how much he had changed overnight after escaping from Juno at daybreak. She moved in closer toward him, listening earnestly.
"Everyone knows what Hetarium is, right? It is an element abundant in the area surrounding Veins. When subjected to the right heat and pressure, Hetarium becomes a useful power source. But what happens if you go beyond that?"
Shahiv and Braer felt a shivers down their spine as they remembered that Hetarium powered their very own Archdam.
"Lenard told me earlier this morning… that when Hetarium is subjected to immense heat and pressure, it becomes something else. It becomes a material powerful enough to make cities float for millennia. Such a power source exists in the very core of Juno…, which we all know as the Heart of Ymir. That explains the bag he was carrying earlier… it was a mixture of Hetarium and pieces of it became converted to Hearts. I saw that Lenard wanted to make money out of it, so I tried to stop him. He doesn't know the consequence if someone manages to contain the Heart and use it for their ambitions."
Althii, Nelsvee, and Nellyne began talking amongst themselves. Somehow, Eilmahn's revelations were making sense.
"Vhie and I discovered that the Academy itself is researching to utilize the Heart in order to create a mechanized army in order to spread Juno's influence in Midgard. Klaus appeared to be cooperating with a certain Lord from Morroc and if our hearing didn't fail us, the two of them are planning to start a war sometime in the future."
Everyone fell silent at Eilmahn's claim, for all knew that Klaus von Streisand was a respected figure not only in Juno, but also to the rest of Midgard. Hearing that the renowned sage was planning to start a war was terribly disturbing. What was he after?
Shahiv raised his hand to indicate that it was his turn to speak. Everyone gazed at him after he took out a glowing material from the Archdam's engine.
"As you can all see, I am holding a piece of the Heart in my hands. Earlier this afternoon, Braer and I traveled from Veins carrying Unrefined Hetarium as fuel. But after the engine overload that we experienced during the previous chase, our power source changed into THIS. If everyone is doubtful of Eilmahn's statement, then I'm going to back him up with physical evidence."
Vhie took out a similar substance from her coat and showed it to everyone. After inspection, it appeared that both of them are carrying pieces of the Heart. Vhie explained that her piece is from her and Eilmahn's earlier spying missions, and delivered this morning by the Ether Brake.
Braer coughed to signal the group to listen to him.
"You might all be wondering. What is the Heart's role in these events right? Then let me tell you a story I heard during my travels as a mercenary. As legend would have it, a Heart piece can power up a weapon by a thousand times, thus making any injuries the weapon inflicts to be virtually irreversible. A single wound from that weapon will immediately kill any target… human or otherwise."
Shahiv patted Braer's shoulder and gave him a scroll that he took out from the Archdam's compartment. Braer scanned the document, and began to speak again after showing it to everyone.
"That weapon is the deadliest weapon known to humanity and the gods. Unlike Promeon-based weapons, Heart-based weapons will literally kill a human instantly. The gods will likely weaken and die afterwards if they were further exposed. That weapon's name is Catastrophe… and supposedly crafted by fusing a "mythical" sword named Bloody Eater along with the "still-missing" Blue and Red Edges of Naght Sieger. One has to power up Bloody Eater with four "unknown energies" and then release Bloody Eater's next form before it can be fused with the Edges."
Althii stood up and borrowed a scroll from the twins. She began to speak after everyone quieted down.
"I believe that all of your revelations had sense… but something is disturbing me. We just heard about the conversion of Hetarium to Heart pieces, as well as an extremely deadly weapon that can annihilate humanity. We all know what Bloody Eater is according to our history books. That "mythical sword" is one of the possessions of Thanatos, the champion of humanity. Are you telling me that Klaus plans to use it?"
Hugel, 1 hour and 10 Minutes before the Erasure
Savech and Siria continued to head towards their Division's Headquarters. Earlier, the three apprentices ran away from them after following directions from a glowing sword. The two did not feel any need to follow them, for they believed that it was none of their business. The two decided to head back and rest instead.
Upon entering their quarters, Savech held the cook's hand and apologized for his rowdy manner earlier in the station. Siria shook her head and consoled the young man. There was silence between them for about a minute. Both of them felt too shy to speak up. No one seemed to be around to bother them… no sign of a mission or any feedback from their superiors. They finally had time to be with each other.
Siria signaled Savech to proceed to the kitchen with her. Savech kept teasing her for being to quiet, but stopped after the cook took some ingredients out of the cupboard. Upon inspection, Savech realized that Siria pulled out a jar of honey.
The young man somehow understood what the cook wanted from him. He did know of her preferences, but he rarely gave in to her requests.
Savech opened the honey jar and scooped a handful of honey. The yellow, sticky fluid was trickling in between his fingers. He moved the jar away after the trickling stopped, and looked at Siria, who was now sitting on top of the kitchen counter. Savech smiled at her, and she smiled back.
Siria opened her arms and invited the young man to come closer. The young man responded, and went towards the kitchen counter, taking care not to spill any honey on the floor. Siria waited patiently until the young man was only a foot away from her… and then proceeded to hug the young man with all her might. She felt a cold and sticky fluid travel down her cheeks down to her mouth, and reached for it with her tongue.
The honey spilled all over the cook's clothes, and the young man apologized profusely. Siria shook her head and took Savech's hand that was drenched with honey. She stared at it for a few seconds, and smiled. Savech knew what to expect.
Slowly and eagerly, Siria started licking the remaining honey from Savech's hand. Her tongue traveled across the young man's palm down to the fingertips. She repeatedly licked Savech palm and then focused on sucking his fingers. Siria kept on staring at Savech's eyes as she sucked back and forth… as if begging something from him. She made her way towards the young man's waist, and pinched hard.
Savech could not hold out much longer. The pinch itself was a signal that his lover wanted more. He looked around one more time and listened to the surroundings, making sure no one was there to disturb them. He had locked the doors earlier, making sure that the two of them can have their privacy.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Flireis, Arnulf, and Audrey finally reached Hugel Station and began to head towards the Division headquarters to rest for the moment. The earlier chase left them exhausted and confused, if not shaken.
Everything was supposedly ok, until Sleipnir alerted Arnulf to focus his sight towards the eastern part of Hugel.
Flireis reacted immediately after seeing a plume of smoke coming from the village's Ore Refinery. She knew that the refinery produces smoke at a regular basis, but something felt off with the situation… for the smoke appeared to be larger, thicker, and darker as usual.
The Lieutenant sprinted off towards the refinery after thanking Arnulf for the ride. Arnulf then decided to head for the village's infirmary and let Audrey stay there for the time being. He knew he had to investigate the situation as well.
Upon reaching the infirmary, Arnulf found out that no one was around. He felt cold sweat flow down his nape. Something was wrong, but he did not even know what it could be. He looked around him… and saw no one. Where was everyone?
Things were still happening near Hugel's Ore Refinery.
After a quick deliberation, Jervy, Christine, and Ivan agreed to give Bloody Eater to the old man claiming to be a representative of the Midnight Messenger. Feeling that they had no responsibility or the capability of killing a god, the apprentices decided to leave the supposed fate of humanity to better hands.
Thick, black, smoke was coming out of Bloody Eater.
Jervy stepped forward and offered the old man the Bloody Eater. Earlier, the said sword managed to save their lives from a being who called itself the Odium of Thanatos. With a little bit of luck and strategy, the three managed to kill the creature… for the sword moved on its own and killed the creature by absorbing it.
The old man eagerly took the Bloody Eater in his hands and thanked the three apprentices for valuing his time and effort.
Finding no reason to doubt the old man's integrity, the apprentices decided to leave.
No sooner, after they turned around that the old man began laughing maniacally. Only then did the apprentices felt that they had done something terribly wrong.
The old man drew out a tome and released three glowing orbs from it, and started to chant. A few seconds later, the orbs fused with the Bloody Eater and it transformed into a weapon comparable to a rapier. The old man smiled and called it "Sylvia".
Thor's Volcano, 44 Minutes before the Erasure
Eric gasped for air as he staggered to stand. He had not expected this to happen. Never in his whole life had he made such a failure at such a significant moment.
"Why?" Eric asked himself repeatedly in his mind.
Minutes earlier, he had attempted to warp himself to Payon using his limited knowledge and strength. He knew he had screwed-up when he found himself in the desolate area at the foot of Thor's Volcano.
A certain man said, "If anything can go wrong, it will." Eric was about to realize the truth of that statement.
The Librarian struggled to gain a foothold on one of the crags that littered the foot of the volcano. From his location, he could clearly see the entrance that off-limits to anyone except for certain government officials. For years, the areas surrounding the volcano were fogging with speculation and rumors.
Eric remembers one of the rumors reaching as far as Juno and it supposedly said that one of Naght Seiger's Edges is deep beneath the volcano. Though he felt nothing weird within the vicinity, his instinct was telling him that something was terribly wrong.
His instinct was right.
Eric stared in horror as he saw a familiar figure stepping out of the volcano's blocked entrance. Of all times, why now? What was the figure doing here in the first place? What was he scheming?
The Librarian walked backwards slowly in order not to attract the being's attention. He knew that the consequences would be dire if the figure saw him.
After another step backward, Eric felt a sharp pang in his ribs. The pain was agonizing enough that he could not help but scream for help. Then, he began to realize what he had just done. He was now cursing fate for what was happening to him.
Eric slowly tilted his head up and stared at the setting sun on the horizon. The entire afternoon passed by quickly after he escaped the destruction of Juno Academy, rested in Aldebaran, and finally got accidentally warped to Veins. He could not bear to look at the figure standing at the entrance… for he knew that by doing so, death was the price.
Eric tried hard not to, but somehow… he could not help it.
He was now gasping for more air as his lungs tightened, his ribs squeezing his heart as if they were going to break. Eric was no stranger to pain, but this one did it.
The Librarian's pain slowly turned into horror as he saw the being turn its head towards him and smile sickly.
"My, my… what are you doing here, my "faithful" servant? I knew I told you to run from the destruction of the Academy, but NOT this far…" said the being as it walked slowly towards Eric.
"You… what are you planning?" Eric asked. His knees were getting weaker, and his breathing was getting shallow.
The being smirked at Eric and grabbed him by the hair. Eric felt more pangs coming from his ribs and other joints. The pain was very unbearable. If he did not have enough training, he was sure that he would have been dead earlier. Eric stared at the left blind eye of the being that grabbed him.
He knew the being too well. He knew of it too well that things came down to this.
"You know what, Eric? I could've forgiven you for escaping from Juno… but you just did something that can never be forgiven…," said the being as it stared at the Librarian mockingly.
"I only did what was right… I have no regrets in giving humanity an option." Eric said.
The being frowned at the Librarian and shook its head. It pulled on the Librarian's hair even more, thereby making the man suffer more pain. The being seemed to be enjoying its actions.
"Tell me, Eric… why did you give the Doomsday spell to an ordinary mortal? You do know that by doing so, you have leaked information reserved only to your rank and to that of the gods, right? Explain it clearly to me, Eric… I might forgive you if you manage to convince me…"
"I have no explaining to do to you, Odin… I have already sensed your plans… and I—" Eric said. He stopped midway as Odin gouged out his left eye.
Eric screamed in pain once more, as he felt his eye sockets burst and gush out a puddle of blood that trickled down his cheeks.
"Humanity can never surpass the gods, Eric. I clearly told you that ever since our first meeting… but you… you have forgotten that." Odin said.
"You are no god, Odin… you are but a megalomaniac." Eric said.
"Is that all you have to say?" Odin said. Another second passed, and he summoned his ravens to carry two swords, one red, and one blue… then disappeared.
?, ?'s Territory 30 Minutes before the Erasure
Locke confined himself in a gap situated between time and space. When he had nothing to do in his realm, he visited this place always. The gap was the home of a certain warrior that fought for the future of humanity millennia ago.
That very same human race that he defended had forgotten his name.
"It's been a while since I've seen you…" Locke said to an ethereal being whose only visible feature was that of a young man's face. The being's eyes were that of burning brimstone, and his hair that of a starless night.
Locke clearly saw the expressions present in the being's eyes. It was mixture of happiness, regret, longing, as well as hope.
"I see that you call yourself Locke these days…" the being said.
"I am hiding from someone, you see." Locke said.
The being frowned and changed its form to that of a young child. The being bore similar features to that of the previous form.
"Is it Odin? What happened? I thought you and Odin were good friends?" the being asked.
"He felt threatened by my increasing power. He couldn't believe that I will be able to surpass him in the future… so he decided to hunt me down and kill me, before I do anything wrong." Locke said.
"You wouldn't do anything wrong, would you?" the being asked.
"The only thing that I did that he considered wrong was befriending humans." Locke said.
"That's typical of him. Odin is bent on acquiring the power to dominate the nine worlds as quickly as possible… as if being the All Father wasn't enough for him." the being said.
The being then changed its form to that of an old man.
"Why do you keep changing form every time I talk to you? Aren't you satisfied with one form?" Locke asked.
"I change because your thoughts and feelings change as well. I reply with the form mirroring your current feelings. Ever since the day I banished the great demon from Midgard, I lost my sense of humanity as a price…" the being said.
"You became crazy?" Locke immediately asked.
"No, you got it wrong…" the being said after transforming into a young lady.
"There you go again… changing your form. I really wish I could do that to fully hide my pointy ears." Locke said.
"Practice more. Anyway, didn't become insane… because if I did, I wouldn't be able to talk to you like this in the first place." the being said. Locke nodded in agreement. The being did have a point.
"Please tell me what happened." Locke requested.
"Alright… You see, after I managed to kill the great demon's physical form, his spirit lived on and was able to escape the seal that I made. I felt guilty not being able to fully save humanity, for the great demon's spirit lived on, transferring from one human container to another." the being revealed.
"I understand how you feel. Go on…" Locke said.
"The great demon, as humanity back then knew it, called itself Morroc. After ten days and nights of fighting him, I was able to kill him and prevent him from ever returning to Midgard in full power. The spirit of Morroc was contained by one of my friends… he told me that he will rebuild the area where I killed the demon and name it Morroc for humanity to never forget the disaster… as well as the salvation that happened."
"Who was that friend of yours?" Locke asked.
"If memory serves me correctly… his name was Marcus Brifon… after rebuilding Morroc, we lost contact with each other… as I was suffering from the effect of Morroc's defeat. The last thing I heard of him was that he managed to ask Odin the gift of foresight and prolonged mortality." the being said.
"Are you telling me that the current Lord of Morroc is this same Marcus Brifon that you are talking about?" Locke asked in disbelief.
"Yes. If you have noticed, then he is at most, more than a thousand years old… and the other lords know nothing about it. He simply appears and disappears from history… but always presenting as an old man. He leaves to make everyone believe that he is dead. He returns to gain power once again in a newly established society." the being said.
"I have to go now... I'll see you next time, Thanatos." Locke said.
"Come back safely, Loki." the being said.
Folkvang, Freya's Sanctuary 21 Minutes before the Erasure
After a brief moment of rest, the Pope of Rachel called upon Freya for guidance. She then chanted a prayer exclusively taught only to every Pope in order to summon the goddess from her realm in Asgard.
The young Pope felt the Temple's walls shrink towards her, but paid no attention to it. All she needed was Freya during this time of uncertainty. She was her last bastion of hope... and her eternal protector.
Being a Pope has its benefits, she thought.
The Pope closed her eyes and waited for a familiar voice to call her. She waited until her senses became numb. The moment she felt her heart flutter, she opened her eyes.
Finding her self in a space void space, the Pope walked towards a throne where a beautiful and elegant woman was sitting, clad in the finest fabrics of the multiverse. The woman smiled at the Pope, and signaled her to come closer.
Beside the woman was another female clad in armor. The Pope recognized her, but could not remember her name. It had been a long time since she last visited this realm.
"What brings you here, Beatrice?" the sitting woman asked the Pope.
Beatrice shivered. Nobody called her by her first name except her sister. Then again, she realized that she was talking to Freya, who knew everything about her… even her constant longing for the outside world.
"Merciful goddess… I have come to ask you for guidance." Beatrice said.
"Please do not hesitate to ask, Beatrice." Freya said.
Beatrice took in a deep breath and sighed. Freya's smile widened. She then motioned the armored woman to leave them for a while so they might be able to talk in private. The woman nodded and left immediately.
"Goddess Freya… I found out that Odin is planning to kill Loki. What should I do? If none of my kind moves to avert this disaster, then there is no point at worshipping a supposedly benevolent god."
"I understand your situation, Beatrice. However, as a goddess, I am not to interfere with human affairs." Freya said.
"But how come Odin does anything that he pleases?" Beatrice asked, being careful not to raise her voice.
Freya stood up and walked towards the Pope. Beatrice was expecting to get punished by her remarks. Saying such a thing while in Asgard was a taboo that meant death for anyone who dared to break it.
Beatrice felt a warm hand caress her head.
"Allow me to help you when the time is right. I know Odin may seem invulnerable, but as his wife, I know one thing that can stop him from meddling with humanity." Freya assured Beatrice.
Freya pointed to her necklace and showed it to the Pope.
"This is Brisingamen, Beatrice. I shall lend it to you to aid you with your crusade. You must fight for what you think is right for the sake of humanity." Freya said.
Beatrice nodded and took the necklace. Freya assured Beatrice that the necklace would automatically vanish and return to her realm once she finished her business in Midgard.
Freya patted Beatrice's head and warped her back to Midgard. Beatrice specifically wished Freya to warp her to a certain temple located in the east sea surrounding Hugel.
After Beatrice left Folkvang, Freya called upon the armored woman that she dismissed earlier.
"Prepare my warriors." Freya ordered.
"I understand, your highness… but…" the woman stammered.
"What is it, my peerless warrior?" Freya asked.
"I have a bad feeling about this…" the woman answered.
"There is no place for feelings in a battlefield. Is that clear?" Freya said.
"I understand." the woman said.
"I sense your doubt, Randgris." Freya said.
Silence enveloped the hall were the two women were. Freya knew she had to act subtly, in order not to attract Odin's attention. All that she needed now was a pawn in order to make a gambit.
"If Odin ever commands you to fight, I expect you to weigh your decision, Randgris." Freya said.