Affect Circumplex
Chapter 11: Validity and Reliability
Hugel, 20 Minutes before the Erasure
A bluish hue filled the area where a certain old man continued casting a binding spell. Earlier, he had managed to collect three souls connected to the Memory of Thanatos, and finally gained the last requirement to unleash Bloody Eater's second form –Sylvia– by simply requesting a small group of apprentices to hand the weapon over. He couldn't help but chuckle at the events that his god had instigated over the entire day.
"Isn't it nice, Marcus? You have once again proved yourself worthy of Odin's favor." the old man said to himself.
Marcus gazed upward and marveled at the blue rapier-like weapon that motionlessly hovered in between two thin blades. Sylvia was just supposed to be an ordinary sword, until a certain sage from Juperos reformed it and fused it with a piece of Ymir's Heart. Now, it was about to be transformed once again, making it more powerful than it already was.
"I should go ahead and finish this spell. My arms are getting stiff."
Meanwhile, somewhere near the village's port, a young man clad in a butler's uniform is busy making the final preparations for his journey. After somewhat reconciling with a delivery boy and asking assistance from two mercenaries, the young man knew he was ready. Only one thing was left out before he could start moving to end a certain god's madness.
"You're asking me to disassemble my Archdam? For what reason should I do that, Locke?" Shahiv asked.
"Simply take the Heart piece out of the engine and I shall transfigure the alloy of your Archdam to forge a durable armor."
The mercenaries looked at each other, apparently baffled by the butler's request. They hesitated for a moment, but complied at the behest of the Ether Brake. Shahiv and Braer took out the Heart piece as fast as they could, and followed the butler's instructions on how to handle the material.
"Everything's set, Locke. What are you going to do now?" Braer inquired further.
"Step back and close your eyes. The process might blind you."
Arnulf and the mercenaries didn't hesitate at the order. Seeing that Locke touched the radioactive material with his bare hands was more than enough proof that he was serious… and entirely not of this world.
"I hope Audrey will be able to forgive you after this." Arnulf said.
At the same time, three individuals were at the verge of defeat by two large ravens. They continued to struggle in order to break through the barrier that the creatures erected, but to no avail. One of them however, had a plan. She took out a shining material out of her coat and focused her energies on it.
"What are you doing, Vhie? We still can't control the Heart piece!" Eilmahn protested.
Althii could only wonder how powerful the material was after hearing all the stories earlier during the day. She didn't know how to handle such kind of materials, but nonetheless, she knew that her help was needed. Slowly, she went over where the two sages were. She simply wanted to show some genuine concern once in a while.
However, the three had been too preoccupied with the Heart. They barely noticed that one of the ravens had landed in front of them and knocked them over, taking the Heart piece immediately after the collision. Without another word, the ravens left and headed eastward.
Marcus once again saw the ravens of Odin fly overhead. Interpreting it as a signal to start the plan, he clasped his hands and chanted the final verse in order to fuse Sylvia with the Twin Edges.
"You who have suffered shall suffer more. Come forth, Catastrophe… and show to the world that there is no such thing as mercy."
The bluish hue immediately dissipated from where Marcus stood. In his hand, he now held a thin, serrated blade emitting a grey aura. Marcus decided to leave, but was stopped after Catastrophe's aura gripped his arm and pointed it towards the port's direction.
"So the poor, little guy managed to forge Thor's Armor in this mortal plane? Grey would be envious of such a feat… I wonder if he's done with his part of the mission"
The ravens sped faster eastward and flew over the docks where Locke and the rest simply observed them. Locke noticed that one of the ravens was carrying a shining material that he immediately recognized.
"The time has almost come. I want to thank all of you for helping me. Without your help, I wouldn't be able to make it this far." Locke said.
"I already heard that line." Arnulf snapped back.
The two smiled at each other and bid their farewells. The mercenaries hopped on the delivery boy's enchanted bicycle, and watched Locke board a wooden boat towards the island located to the east of Hugel.
Odin's Temple, 13 Minutes before the Erasure
Randgris felt excruciating pain surge through her body at the very moment that the misty being pulled out its sharp fingernails out of her bleeding abdomen. She did not waver at the thought of dying; knowing that being a Valkyrie automatically gave her more immunity to death. She stared at the being's smug expression, and then turned at the frail maiden behind her. Somehow, the Pope wasn't harmed in any way.
"Run."
Beatrice didn't hesitate to leave immediately. Knowing Odin's tendencies, he could've simply brushed off the Valkyrie away and proceeded to kill her. Something felt off, but she couldn't discern what it was. She hastened her footsteps. Faster and faster, along the island's craggy shoreline, the Pope didn't look back at the scene she had left.
Thoughts of home flooded her mind. The citizens of Rachel… no, the entire world was in great peril. Only a few humans knew or had little idea what had just transpired over the day. Everyone expected the world to end, but not this early.
"I don't see the reason why you have to stand in my way, Randgris. Are you telling me that you're switching sides?" Odin asked.
After kicking the Valkyrie as an expression of courtesy, Odin turned back and sat on one of the large rocks that littered the island's shore. He continued to stare at the horizon, as if waiting for something to arrive. Below him was a bleeding Valkyrie… no, a woman whom he never gave the freedom to think for herself.
"It sure is fun watching you writhe in pain. Stop acting like a sick animal and stand up. You're far stronger than that."
Randgris struggled to stand. She gripped on the edges of the giant rock that Odin sat upon, and stared at the misty composition of his superior. Why would he do this? What was the point of messing up the flow of human interactions?
Finding enough leverage, Randgris stood up firmly and called out to Odin. The god however, didn't seem to be interested with anything she had to say. His eyes were focused on the horizon, ignoring all possible interference from disturbing him.
"What are you waiting for, my Lord?" Randgris inquired.
Odin turned his head and stared at the Valkyrie below him. After a few seconds, he turned back to look at the horizon again without mentioning a word. Feeling insulted, Randgris took a step forward as a sign of aggression. Before she could start to charge however, she caught a glimpse of a shining object coming towards their direction.
Odin outstretched his arms and smiled as the Valkyrie stood still in wonder. Randgris never saw her superior smile like this way before.
Meanwhile, Beatrice was making her way out of the island when she noticed the glowing orb coming towards the shoreline. She couldn't make out what the object was, and tried her best to remember what it could possibly be.
As the orb came nearer, the Pope was finally able to discern the object in question. She shivered after realizing that the material could only be a fragment of Ymir's Heart. As if finding a piece of the Heart was enough, Beatrice worried even more at the sight of the ravens carrying the Heart piece. What was Odin really planning to do?
"Beautiful isn't it, Randgris?" the god asked.
Odin's expression was indescribable. From Randgris' viewpoint, it was so sickly that no human could possibly stand it.
The ravens soon reached the shore and dropped the Heart piece in Odin's hands. The god played with the material as if it was just a normal ball. His excitement grew even more after the ravens informed him of the situation in the little village beyond the horizon. He couldn't wait any longer.
"Mistress Freya will never approve this." Randgris asserted.
Odin jumped down from the pedestal and landed in front of the Valkyrie. Randgris raised her guard and waited for any incoming attack.
"I don't need any approval from the other gods. I am the best there is, and it is I who shall dictate on all of you. Do you understand that?" Odin said.
"I have no intention of disobeying your orders, but don't you think you've gone too far?" Randgris said.
"You don't? Your actions are different from your words…"
"Just give out an order. I will make sure not to disappoint you."
"Kill Loki for me, will you? I hate getting my hands dirty."
"But that's impossible considering my status. I won't even be able to lay a finger against him. How do you expect me to accomplish that?"
"Worry not, Randgris. I have prepared for this situation long before you were even conceived in my mind."
"You don't mean…"
"I have prepared the weapon that you'll need."
Veins Shoreline, 10 Minutes before the Erasure
Drops of blood littered the sandy shoreline of Veins as Eric continued to find help. He had miscalculated the severity of the situation, and failed miserably to defend those he held dear. If that wasn't enough, being blinded by the one he hated most would be the killing stroke he needed to lose his pride and dignity.
"Damn it... I lost my diary… my spells… everything. He shall pay…"
Eric could only feel pity for the corrupt bureaucracy of Juno, especially for the individuals who pushed him to the brink of self-destruction.
"It's not fair. After all the hard work I have done for them… someone must answer for what happened to me. Some one must right the wrongs of the world…"
The former Grim Librarian gazed on the horizon with his only remaining eye and tried to find anyone who could possibly help him. Even a desert wolf will do if he managed to find no one. He just wanted to survive a little longer. Longer enough to avenge himself and redeem his dignity.
Feeling famished, Eric now looked for food. He didn't get the chance to eat anything during his brief stay in Aldebaran, and didn't feel the urge to do so. He turned at every possible location where he could find a little insect to chew, but to no avail. He only saw the towering plateaus near the southern shoreline.
Eric closed his eyes in resignation, and simply waited to die naturally.
Located above one of the plateaus however, where three men clad in Stalker uniforms who have been busily training away from the eyes of the Guild. They sought to perfect techniques that can only be learned by the best among their ranks. They have been in this location for at least a year, and have grown acclimatized with the area.
"I think we should rest for now, guys… if Red was here, he could've scolded us for overworking ourselves." said a Stalker who went by the alias of Athet.
"Come to think of it, all that training today really made me hungry. If only our little Mhart here could find a Desert Wolf and butcher it for the time being…"
"Endzeit, I came here to train, not to hunt food for both of you."
The three continued to bicker with each other until they decided to settle near the plateau's edge. A cold breeze brushed against their bodies, enough to make their weary hearts and minds feel at ease for a little while. All their worries slowly faded into obscurity as they closed their eyes to take in the next incoming breeze.
However, they were disturbed by a flock of crows that rushed towards the shoreline. The noises not only irritated the three, but gave them the idea of what to cook.
"So, would you guys mind having Fried Crow Intestines for tonight? Those birds down there should be enough for us for the next week or so." Mhart said.
"I thought you came here to train…" Endzeit remarked.
As the two continued their small talk, Athet noticed something being surrounded by the crows near the shoreline. He couldn't make out what it was, but for a flock of crows to swarm like that, there had to be a pile of meat lying down there.
Upon further inspection, Athet called the attention of the two Stalkers and ordered them to carry their weapons with them.
"We're going down there. Hurry up."
The three Stalkers jumped from the plateau's edge and used their daggers as support. They jumped at even intervals, bashing their blades against the rough wall to stop their fall. Eventually they reached the bottom and rushed towards the gathering flock of crows, which have increased to more than twice their earlier number.
Athet dashed as fast as he could to get rid of the crows. He slashed left and right, leaving a bloody trail behind him. Enzeit and Mhart remained behind and picked up the dead crows, stuffing them inside a small bag made of goatskin.
The ruckus was enough for the former Librarian to wake himself up from a brief sleep. At first, he thought what he was seeing were warriors clad in the finest armor, and thought that he might have reached Valhalla. He blinked, and discerned the image of three Stalkers standing beside him.
"What else could you want from a dying man?" Eric asked weakly.
"Watch your tongue. Even "evil" guys like us have standards." Athet snapped.
Mhart was the first to point out to the others that the man was severely bleeding. He found that the man's left eye had been brutally gouged out, and almost puked at the thought of someone being skinned alive. He asked Endzeit and Athet for assistance in order to help the man.
"The nearest infirmary is located in Veins. We should take him there immediately. Hey, would you mind telling us who you are? The personnel might question us when we get there…" Endzeit said.
"My name is Eric, and…there's no need for me to go to an infirmary. Take me to Payon, now… please. Also… my diary, it was…" Eric replied.
Finding the request absurd, Athet hit the Librarian squarely on the head, rendering the man unconscious. He then ordered the others to proceed to Veins with him.
Thanatos Tower 13th Floor, 4 Minutes before the Erasure
Grey Emyll Foxx gazed at the clouds above and below him as he stood at one of the platforms on the highest floor of Thanatos Tower. Having discovered that the place was totally deserted a few years ago, he decided to make one of its floors his personal hideout, secluding himself from any contact from the outside world.
Visitors were severely rare, and only a single person could possibly know where he was at any given moment. That man did come today, but didn't get the chance to talk much with him. It didn't matter. Grey already felt what was coming down.
"You always knew that I'm bored up here, right? Why don't you just give me something worthwhile to do while you're busy in breaking the Seal on the top floor?"
Grey was totally bored. After hearing the old man's request, he decided to wait for him to leave so he could work in peace. He was really irritated when the old man bragged at the three Fragments of Thanatos, finding him way too noisy. Then again, he just waited for the man to leave the place.
"You want me to open a distorted dimension so you can have fun?"
Grey couldn't forget the old man's expression. He knew what the man was planning, but this was way too early. Sure, there were a lot of dimensional holes scattered across Midgard, but most of them are small and close after a few years or so. The existence of such anomalies in between the dimensions baffled even the gods themselves, which they didn't plan to build at all.
"You're not planning a vacation or anything, right? Morroc isn't even resurrected yet. If I open up a large hole, I can simply go there and explore the eight other worlds as payment."
The eight other worlds were separated from Midgard in time and space. The presence of dimension holes also gave existence to "Hoppers" who travel across the nine worlds at will. They are rare, however. Grey managed to meet only one during one of his journeys in Amatsu.
Grey fully agreed to the plan for one reason.
According to the accumulated research well hidden in the vast libraries inside the Tower, there exist dimensions in between the nine worlds, and the power of the gods never reaches those areas.
"Maybe this time, I'll find one that will suit me. I need my rest."
Grey stared coldly at the clouds once again. The First Seal of Thanatos had been broken by Marcus earlier, so all that's left was to break the second and weaker one. With a single stroke, Grey broke the seal. A dark portal appeared immediately in its place.
Folkvang, 1 Minute before the Erasure
Finding Odin's actions extremely childish, Freya decided to stand up from her throne and look for her husband. She parted the clouds below her, and focused her sights on Midgard. The other worlds looked extremely fine from her perspective. She could only wish that her husband could be a little more considerate with the beings that they created, and not interfere with them just for the sake of passing the time.
"You're willing to endanger other people just to feed your boredom?"
Freya scanned the land and continued to look for Odin. What she saw only made her frown.
"You went this far? How could you…"
The goddess wasn't able to hold her temper any longer. She grabbed the nearest object she could find and threw it at the void. To her surprise, the object didn't go far, and came back as if there was something blocking its way. Freya soon realized that his husband had set up a barrier so none of the other gods can interfere with his plans.
She tried to break the barrier, but to no avail.
Freya could clearly see the people below, going about their everyday lives, unaware of the incoming danger. If left unchecked, their annihilation could come shortly after. The end was too early to say the least.
She panned to the left, and found adventurers about to meet each other. They seemed to be in hurry, and looking for more details about several unexplained incidents.
On the other side she found a boy driving a bicycle as fast as he could, together with two other men. They too, seemed to be looking for someone.
Freya focused on one of the islands and found Beatrice struggling to pull up some planks that were washed ashore in order to build a raft. She couldn't help her, even if she wanted to.
A quick pan to the right, and Freya found someone whom she rarely talked with in Asgard. Loki.
"He's going to kill you… and I couldn't be there to protect you. I couldn't do anything. Please forgive me."
She turned away, and focused on another site. There she found Randgris and Odin still talking to each other.
"Finally…"
Mt. Mjolnir Base, 1 Minute before the Erasure
After passing the tight security of the military outpost located in Aldebaran, Princess Shi Yin and her half-brother decided to take a stroll at the foot of the Mjolnir mountain range. They were currently on vacation… away from their busy kingdom in Payon. It really didn't hurt to have some fresh air once in a while.
"This is seriously boring, Kim. You should have at least allowed Sei to come with us! You left him alone back there!"
"Bah. Of all people I should consider taking along, why would you choose that painter? What are you, some kind of slut for him?"
The occasional sarcastic and demeaning remarks didn't matter to Shi Yin anymore. She had grown used to the treatment of her half-brother over the years she had lived in the castle. Kim Yin's badmouthing simply passed through her ear to the next.
On the other hand, her only qualm was that Kim didn't even consult her about the vacation. He didn't even invite Sei, the royal painter even if she begged him to. Heaven knows how much Kim hates the guy, even though he has the painter's collection hanging in the castle's spacious corridors.
"Stop spacing out. You're fantasizing about him again aren't you? We're supposed to enjoy each other's company and yet you have the nerve to jerk off, think about him, and climax anytime you want when I'm still here?"
"If you want me to pay attention, then at least consider in listening to my requests once in a while."
Disgusted by her half-sister's reaction, Kim deliberately picked up a rock and threw it towards Shi's direction. The princess dodged the projectile effortlessly, and regained her composure immediately after.
"That wasn't for you, Shi. Look behind you."
Shi slowly turned around and found an unconscious guard sprawled at the bushes. Apparently, the guard had been spying them ever since they left the border of Aldebaran.
"Is he from under Commander Hyatt's battalion? What do you think, Kim?"
"Look closely. He's wearing a different uniform. If he wants to spy on us, he should've tried at least. I don't see any effort in simply following people around and bugging them. It's just like you and Sei…"
"Talk about him like that again, and I'll kill you instantly."
"You would? But before you do… care to check that book he's holding?"
Shi then inspected the unconscious guard's hand and found a small book. The manuscript looked like an ordinary sage's handbook, but for some reason the manuscript wasn't written in any known human language.
"This is Sacred Lettering, brother."
"That's half-brother to you."
Ignoring Kim's remarks, Shi flipped the book's cover and started to look for a name. Whoever left this book, he or she surely was able to understand Sacred Lettering, if not completely… then partially.
Shi flipped another page. Focusing her vision on the upper left corner of the page, she found text written in plain script based from that of Juno. She started reading…
"This is my one and only treasure. Everything that I have learned throughout my life as a Grim Librarian will forever be remembered in these fragile pages. Eric."
The name sounded familiar. Earlier, before she and Kim decided to take a stroll, a High Wizard took in an unconscious sage straight to Commander Hyatt's satellite infirmary. After a little questioning from the High Wizard that attended the sage, the two found out that the man's name was Eric.
"You think this diary is from the same Eric earlier? Any thoughts, Kim?"
"I don't care about some old man's diary…"
Shi flipped another page, and found astonishing illustrations and diagrams. Carefully explained in detail, was the owner's life inside the walls of Juno.
"It sure is a diary… but it also contains vast information that I never knew existed… You should take a look at this, Kim."
"I already told you. I don't care."
"If I tell you what this page means, maybe you'll pay attention."
"Try me."
"This page has four detailed maps of a hidden, underground complex."
"Not interested."
"That place is Juperos."
"You're kidding me! Give me that!"
