Fractured – Chapter 10
Selka's vision was dimming as the vines continued to crush her small frame. She was held slightly above the ground, dangling like a rag doll. Taking a breath as best she could, figuring this would be her last chance, she said softly, "I've always loved you, Eugeo."
"Love is not meant for me," Eugeo murmured sadly.
"That's enough," Gasupht called out. "Put her down, Eugeo. Or do you wish to be responsible for another of my daughter's…removal?"
Eugeo halted his assault on Selka. Feelings of guilt, sadness, jealousy, and anger flooded him. He could not remember why exactly, as his mind was still fuzzy. But the emotions, those were real, and now, they were driving him to do terrible things. He could feel the other soul inside him stirring, fueled by his negative emotions, enjoying it all.
Eugeo shut his eyes, gripping the sides of his head. The vines from his back that had encased Selka shattered, then fell to the ground. Selka was dropped, landing hard, wincing as her ankle snapped beneath her. She drew in deep breaths; air had never tasted so good.
"Selka, get away from him and come here," her father commanded.
The young girl scrambled to her feet awkwardly, making her way to her father.
"Are you alright?" Gasupht bent down on one knee.
"I'm fine," Selka replied shakily. "But Eugeo…" she began.
Gasupht looked up warily at Eugeo. Was he back because he'd found out what he and Orrick had done? Icy blue eyes flashed, blue swirls slithering across Eugeo's skin, pulsing with a power unlike anything he'd seen before. Gasupht gave Selka a hard shove into the woods. Glancing back, Selka saw she had barely avoided the onslaught of ice that attacked the village. Unfortunately, her father was not so lucky.
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"Lady Fanatio! Lady Fanatio!" a lesser Integrity Knight came rushing into the conference room.
"What is it?" Fanatio looked up from her papers, a frown crossing her face.
"It's Rulid," the Knight panted out.
"Rulid?" Fanatio raised her brows.
"There's been a report that entire village is now covered completely in ice. Even the surrounding woods and forest are starting to crystalize." The Knight was visibly nervous.
"And?" Fanatio prodded.
"It appears to be spreading," he said warily.
"I see," Fanatio replied grimly.
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Fanatio immediately sent Renly, Leina, and I up north along the Ru River towards Rulid Village. She hadn't told us much. I wasn't sure if it was because she didn't want a panic to break out or she didn't want to influence what we'd find or how we'd react once we got to the village. I had a sinking feeling though.
Renly was at the helm of our small craft, using a steady stream of the sacred art Tail Wind, to keep our sail full. "So an Integrity Knight was sealed within the Blue Rose Sword, and through some ritual of Pontifex's, he woke up and now possesses Eugeo. Why him? Why now?"
"Other people have wielded that sword before. Bercouli, for example, and nothing like this had happened to him," Leina placed her hands on her hips.
"There has to be some type of connection," I muttered.
"Cardinal wants us to gather information and not engage Eugeo directly," Renly noted.
"What if he attacks?" asked Leina.
"We're not going to hurt him, just incapacitate him. Kinda like we did when Renly was possessed by that spider back in the caves," I crossed my arms.
"Must we bring that up?" Renly grumbled.
"It wasn't your fault," Leina placed a hand on his shoulder. "It could've happened to any of us."
"Anyways," Renly shifted the focus off of him, "How do we immobilize Eugeo?" Renly raised a brow. "According to Cardinal, he can't be hurt or killed."
"We'll have to set a trap," I replied thoughtfully. "Before we can plan anything though, we need to see and assess the damage to Rulid." I frowned. "I can't imagine Eugeo hurting anyone, but I can tell you that he didn't care much for Rulid."
"But it's his home, isn't it?" Leina asked.
"To him, it's just a place," I replied. "He once told me his home is with me, and wherever we go, that's good enough for him."
"Perhaps we can use that bond he's made with you. Assuming we can still get to him," said Renly.
"Of course we'll get to him," I snapped.
"Cardinal wasn't sure he'd still be in there," Renly countered. "You have to be prepared for the worst."
I didn't know if I could.
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"We're here," Sinon gestured towards the only building to contain two STL beds. "Although I don't think security is just going to let us walk inside and use them."
"Leave it to me," Yui piped up from Asuna's phone. "Once we're inside, I can tap into the security cameras and set up a loop that shows the beds empty, even though two of you will be using them."
"So, which two are going in?" Sugu asked carefully.
"It's my home, so I'm going," Alice deadpanned, ending any further discussion.
"I'm Kirito's girlfriend, so I'm going too," Asuna deadpanned.
"Fine," Sinon sighed. "Sugu and I will keep watch. Yui? Can you help them get logged into the STL?"
"Of course," Yui pumped her tiny fist. "I'm accessing any information on how it all operates. Though its few and far in between, I'll do my best to learn what I can. Rath is very careful in covering its tracks and technology."
"Do whatever it takes," said Asuna. She fell into thoughtful silence. Kirito's best friend from the Underworld, who was an artificial AI, now had a flesh and blood body, here, in the real world. What exactly did Kikuoka have planned for Eugeo? She highly doubted he'd simply let Eugeo walk out of those caves freely. Oddly enough, she felt a bit threatened by Eugeo. Kirito never told her about him, but from what she could gather, the two were close. Would she become a 'third wheel?' She shook her head no. "That's ridiculous," she muttered.
Once they escaped the caves, all four had headed back to Tokyo via the express train. Sinon had quickly hidden Kirito's bike before they'd taken off. Once back in town, they hopped a bus into Roppongi and had exited close to Rath. It had taken longer than any of them wanted, but it was what it was.
"Okay, I'm ready," Yui chirped, breaking Asuna out of her thoughts.
"Good, let's go," Asuna said determinedly.
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Selka hid behind some trees. Peering around them carefully, she wanted to cry out, but clasped her hand over her mouth after watching the ice barrel over her father and head into Rulid. It encased everything, the buildings, carts, animals, even the people. She'd never seen such arts before. She huddled into a ball, making herself as small as possible. Her body hurt from being compressed and her ankle throbbed, but she refused to make any noise to draw Eugeo's attention as he headed into the village.
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Renly looked up at the sky, eyeing the dark clouds that were moving in. It wasn't long before a cold, heavy rain began to fall. The wind also grew in intensity, tearing our sail and snapping our small mast. Renly cut off his sacred arts, choosing to focus on trying to keep the boat headed in the right direction. He wiped at his face, trying to get the water off, the green braids by his ears plastered to his cheeks.
"Maybe we should pull off the river and stop?" Leina suggested. "We might…" Bang! "…hit something."
"Hell," Renly muttered. He scanned the waters by our boat, noticing a shadow lurking beneath. Before he could react or alert us, from the depths rose two tentacles, one wrapping about his neck, and the other his waist. He was yanked off the boat and dragged under the water in a matter of seconds.
"Renly!" Leina shouted.
Grabbing my sword, I dove into the water. While the edges of rivers were only three to six feet, we had been sailing down the center, where the depth was much, much deeper. I squinted in the darkened waters, attempting to tread water as I got my bearings. My eyes searched frantically for Renly. Catching a glint from the boy knight's armor, I saw he was held captive by some type of large box jellyfish beast.
I swam closer to the creature, sword at the ready. Darting behind it, I used a Slant attack, my sword slicing across it. It flailed, releasing Renly from its grasp. I spun back around, grabbed onto Renly, and kicked hard to the surface. We broke the water's edge, and I drew in a delicious breath of air. Renly, meanwhile, was unconscious. "Leina!" I called, bobbing up and down.
"I'm here," she sidled the small boat up next to us.
"Let's get to shore." I pushed Renly up towards her, and she slid her arms under his, pulling him back onboard. He was unconscious. I was about to haul myself up when one of the beast's tentacles wrapped around my leg. It tugged me hard, jolting me backwards, back into the water once again. "I don't have time for this," I growled to myself. Swinging my sword, I severed the tentacle from the beast. It thrashed about, blood floating in the water. I wasn't sure what other types of beasts it would attract and I didn't plan on sticking around to find out. I uncurled the tentacle from my leg, and swam back up to the surface.
"Thank the goddesses," Leina said, relieved.
I gripped the side of the boat and began kicking, dragging us to the riverbank. It was slow going, but we made it, and I was able to touch the ground, muddy as it was. My boots sunk into the muck, but I was happy to be on solid ground. I looked over my shoulder, hoping nothing followed us.
Leina hopped out of the boat, and immediately went to grip my arms as her eyes surveyed me.
"I'm fine, really," I told her.
Not convinced, she reluctantly stepped back to look down at Renly. "He's so pale," she said worriedly. Looking around, it seemed we were at the start of a ravine. A large, rocky edge rose up to one side while trees thick with leaves and branches swayed in the wind. "I think I see an outcropping." Leina pointed ahead of us, towards a rather low overhang. We each grabbed an arm, and with Renly between us, slowly made our way towards it. We ducked inside, thankful to be out of the driving wind and rain. We carefully laid Renly down on the ground, then went to remove his armor.
"He's so cold." Leina murmured. "Generate heat element," The area was lit up, revealing a small depression into the rockface, complete with scraps of tinder. "These must've blown in before the storm started." She wasted no time in starting a fire. Relief was short-lived though.
I looked back down at Renly, eyes widening as I no longer saw his chest moving up and down. "Shit!" I muttered.
"What is it?" Leina asked anxiously.
"Renly's not breathing." I dropped to my knees at his side. I put my hands on top of one another, over the top of his chest. I began to press down, hard and fast. "He's swallowed too much water."
"Can't we use healing arts on him?" Leina asked.
"We don't know how long he's been out. At this point, every minute counts." After a few compressions on Renly's chest, I pulled back and went in for a few rescue breaths. I tiled his head back a bit, and lifted his chin. I pinched his nose shut, then brought my mouth down over his. I blew into it, side glancing to see his chest rise. I continued the cycle of compressions and breaths five times, until Renly began to breathe on his own. He opened his eyes, narrowed them at me, then rolled to his side, hacking up water.
"Kirito, that was amazing!" Leina said in awe. "What did you do?"
"Uh…," I wasn't really sure how to explain CPR in this world. "Just a little trick I learned from where I'm from," I finished vaguely.
Leina knelt down next to Renly. She began rubbing his back. "Are you alright?"
Renly got up on his hands and knees, then sat back on his haunches. His golden eyes turned to me, and grudgingly, he knelt towards the ground in my direction. "I give you my thanks," he murmured softly.
"Sure," I rubbed at the back of my head, feeling a bit embarrassed by the display of gratitude.
"Let's check out the rest of your wounds," Leina cut in quickly.
Renly pulled himself up, nodded, and went to remove his shirt. Ugly, purple welts had formed around his neck and waist.
Leina leaned in, her fingers trailing over the nasty wounds. She was careful and delicate. Her touch on his bare skin made blood rush to places he'd never admit to. Cheeks turning red, Renly reached out a hand to grab onto her wrist, halting her exploration of him. "I'll survive." He then released his grip, then looked away from us.
"But…" Leina began.
Her eyes met mine, and I shook my head, no. I could tell Renly's pride as a Knight was deeply wounded. Being close to death was damn scary too, and I could see his body tremble slightly. He gave himself a moment, then composed himself. "So, where are we?"
"Uh…," I was caught off guard by Renly's switch back into business mode. "I think we're at a place called Windcutter's Ridge. I remember taking Selka here for a bit of rest and relaxation. Showed her how to fish using her hands."
Leina sidled up next to me, purring, "I'm pretty good with my hands too."
My face grew scarlet. I chose that moment to suddenly find my wet clothes very interesting as I went to remove my black coat. My shirt was still wet, but at least it didn't feel like I had an extra thirty pounds on me.
Renly rolled his eyes then carefully shifted his armor, shirt, and twin-winged blades next to him. The stings from the jellyfish hurt, so he'd have to be careful for a while. He yawned, the exhaustion of his ordeal catching up with him. He leaned back against the wall of the cave. "I'm going to get some sleep while we wait out the storm." He closed his eyes, then peeked one open at me. "I'd appreciate it if whatever you do with this time, you keep the noise down."
Leina chuckled softly and I rolled my eyes. It wasn't long before Renly's soft, steady breathing indicated he was asleep. The fire continued to burn, highlighting our small space in reds and oranges. Surprisingly, it was also pretty warm despite the circumstances.
"I'm glad he's alright," Leina said, relief evident in her voice. "I was really worried."
"Yeah, me too. Despite how aggravating he can be, Renly's a pretty good kid," I admitted.
"Kid?" Liena blinked. "He's been a Knight for a long time, he's probably way older than either you or I."
"Hmm…" I stared into the fire. Renly was stuck with his fifteen-year-old body due to the Synthesis Ritual. The Synthesis Ritual…could I go through with it? Should I?
Leina scooted over to me, gesturing for me to put my head in her lap. I did as she wanted, and she stroked my damp hair. "What're you thinking about?" she asked softly.
My grey eyes met hers, and I wanted to tell her so many things. My fears for my best friend, what we'd find in Rulid, the Synthesis Ritual, how dangerous this mission was, my conflicted feelings for her while I had Asuna back in the real world, and those were only the beginning in my whirring mind. Instead, I brought my hand up to her cheek, my fingers caressing it. She leaned into my touch, her eyes closing.
"Kirito, when all this is over, I…" she began.
"Later," I replied softly.
She sighed, then brought her lips down to meet mine in a kiss that began slow and deep. I reached my hands up to cup her face, pulling her towards me, intensifying the moment. She pulled gently away from under me, careful not to hurt my head as she placed it carefully on the ground. She wasted no time in straddling over me, her thighs hugging my hips. She looked down at me with half-lidded eyes, lips swollen from our kiss. Her breasts hung close to my face, their outline easy to see. She slowly removed the white ribbon from her ponytail, letting her hair fall about her shoulders, damp but sexy. She leaned in close, whispering in my ear, "Put your hands above your head."
My eyes widened, but I did as told. She took her ribbon and tied it around my wrists. I raised a brow, as Leina went to pull up the hem of my shirt. She leaned down, and began trailing kisses across my exposed chest. Her hands rubbed up and down my sides, her fingernails leaving little indents along my skin. When her mouth got to one of my nipples, she bit playfully at it, then gave it a lick with her tongue. I moaned softly. Her mouth felt so good on me. Encouraged by my reaction, she continued to go lower, her kisses floating down my abs and heading further south. She reached for the waistband of my pants, looking up at me for, permission?
"I want to put my lips on even more of you," Leina purred.
My eyes glazed over with lust and I nodded slowly.
Smiling seductively, Leina's hand went to massage my crotch, then dipped inside my pants. She began to stroke at my ever-increasing erection, her thumb grazing across the tip. I was getting hard, and fast. Goddesses, she had such an effect on my body. My brain was scolding me. There was a reason though…Asuna…
Asuna? Holy crap! What was I doing?
Leina felt me tense, her brows furred. "Am I hurting you?"
"No, uh…it's not that," I replied quickly.
"Good." Leina went to shimmy my pants down my hips, setting my manhood free. Licking her lips in anticipation, she leaned into me, flicking her tongue along my length. I could feel her breath and the heat from her mouth had me throbbing with where I knew she wanted to go. Slowly and sensually, she began to suck up and down my length, her lips soft, her tongue slightly rough as it swirled around me. Her hands meanwhile, gently tugged and pulled at my balls. Goddesses, how was she so good at this?
My eyes glazed over with lust and my brain could no longer fathom any coherent thoughts. "Leina," I murmured, doing my best to keep my voice down. She continued to rock my world, until I couldn't hold onto it anymore. I released into her mouth, and she savored every part of it. I felt her shift, replacing my pants properly on my waist, as she rose to meet my eyes. I was panting softly, my face flush with exertion.
"You taste amazing," Leina whispered. She then went to remove her shirt, exposing her breasts.
"Do you do this with all your pages?" I breathed.
"Nope." Leina cuddled into me, her skin against mine, her ample bosom pressed up against my chest. "Just the really sexy ones," she winked. She reached over, and pulled her purple coat over the two of us. She pulled my arms back down, and snuggled herself between them. "We better get some sleep."
"You're going to leave my hands tied like this?" I asked, bemused.
"It's for your own protection," Leina answered sternly, but she was smiling.
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Eugeo stalked through Rulid, eyes icy blue, the tendrils across his skin pulsing with power. Ice flowed from him, encasing everything he passed in dangerous beauty.
"What the hell happened to him," Jink muttered, as he leaned back against the building he was currently hiding behind. He backed away as the walls became covered in ice, tendrils reaching out for him. Dodging and sidestepping, he managed to stay a few steps ahead of the growing ice. Was it chasing him? He continued to avoid the ice, until it stopped. Furring his brow, he looked back towards Eugeo, who was standing in front of a particular house.
Eugeo placed his hand up against the door, sending it flying inside. It shattered against the opposite wall. Ice trailed into the home and began crawling up the walls.
"What the hell?" said Orrick, leaning over his vast collection of shia. He was seated at a table near a fireplace, whose fire was instantly snuffed out.
"I see you're protecting what's always been the most important thing to you," Eugeo said flatly.
"Eugeo?" Orrick sputtered. His face paled, seeing the son he never thought he'd see again.
Eugeo's eyes blazed. "How much of that shia was earned by me?"
"Shia was about the only thing you were good for," Orrick scoffed.
Eugeo loomed over his father. The Blue Rose Sword had materialized in his hand, and he held it right under his father's chin. "I could kill you with a flick of my wrist."
"You wouldn't dare," his father challenged. "You were always soft."
"Eugeo, please," a feminine voice called out.
Eugeo's eyes slid to where the voice had come from. "Mother…"
Orrick warily eyed Eugeo, who had lowered his sword, though only slightly. In that second, Orrick had reached down and took hold of the fire poker resting next to the fireplace. He thrust it into Eugeo's chest, the sharp point going straight through his son's body. Eugeo spat out blood.
His mother came to stand next to his father, staring down at Eugeo. "It's better than you deserve."
Eugeo glared up at his parents.
"You were always a disappointment. Ever since that day, we've all despised you. You were no help on the farm, no help to me, your mother, or any of your siblings." Orrick spat. "What's worse, you left us. Do you have any idea how much it takes to run a farm like this? It's your own fault, I had no choice but to recoup my losses by handing you over to that woman."
Eugeo slowly pulled the poker from his chest. His parents were shocked, watching as ice covered the hole in his chest, healing it instantly. The blue tendrils on his skin flared as he called icy vines from the ground. They shot through the floor, snapping wooden floorboards, and encasing both parents, until only their head and shoulders were exposed.
"Damnit, Eugeo," Orrick growled, "What is all this?"
"I give you both five minutes before hypothermia kicks in. Though you'd be lucky to make it that long being as neither of you cannot expand or contract your lungs to breathe." Leaning in, he whispered, "It's better than you deserve."
Inside Eugeo's consciousness, Synthesis Zero continued to amplify Eugeo's deepest and darkest emotions, feelings, and desires. Pontifex tried to bury them all, but he knew how to expose them, twisting them to serve him. He relished in the death and destruction, all of this leading up to the main event in Centoria. It wouldn't be long now…
Jink had seen everything through a window of Eugeo's home. His plan had been to take Eugeo down and be the hero he always knew he was. However, after seeing a fire poker to the chest did nothing to even slow Eugeo down, he was seriously starting to reconsider.
"Jink, help us!" Orrick cried out.
"Shit!" Jink muttered, fumbling with his sword.
Eugeo glanced over his shoulder, staring directly at the man-at-arms.
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Renly was the first to wake, stretching his short limbs and stifling a yawn. The fire had dimmed, only the embers remaining. He looked over and saw both Leina and Kirito deeply asleep. Didn't take a genius to figure out what they were up to during the night. By why were Kirito's wrists bound with Leina's ribbon? Honestly, he didn't want to know.
Looking outside, the sky was just beginning to brighten, so he headed out. Thankfully, the map he'd been given by Fanatio, although now brittle, seemed to be intact. He studied it in the growing daylight mapping their route to Rulid.
"I wouldn't go that way, young man," came an old man's voice.
Renly jolted, his hands immediately going for his weapons.
"Slow down there, kiddo," an old man put his hands up in mock surrender.
"My apologies," Renly bowed slightly, sheathing his Twin-Winged Blades. "What were you saying?"
"I just came from that direction, hoping to sell some of my wares," the old man gestured towards his wagon. It was filled with various goods to be sold at a market. "However, I wasn't going anywhere near Rulid village after seeing a young man cover it with ice. I'd never felt or seen sacred arts at such a level. Strange thing was it looked beautiful, but deadly. Honestly, it scared the crap outta me and I turned the hell around."
"Do you think that person you saw is still there?" Renly asked.
"I'm guessing he is. I only left the village maybe about a half hour ago," the old man rubbed at his chin.
This was an opportunity. He had to go, and now. "Thank you, sir," Renly called over his shoulder as he headed out towards Rulid Village.
"You really should turn around. It's dangerous that way!" the old man called after Renly.
It didn't take long for Renly to see the gates to Rulid just up ahead, frozen in mid-swing. He approached the gate with caution, then heard a twig snap. Withdrawing his twin-winged blades, he slid into an attack stance. "Show yourself," he said.
"I'm Selka," a young girl crawled out from the nearby trees.
"What happened here?" Renly asked, eyes narrowing.
Suddenly, they heard ear-piercing screams. Renly went to move into the village, when Selka pulled on his cape.
"No, they are already dead," she said hollowly. "Just like everyone else in the village."
"As an Integrity Knight, I must try." Renly darted inside.
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"I wonder where Renly could've wandered off to," I said, raising my hand to shield my eyes from the sun. "He could've at least woken us up," I grumbled. I stretched my leg, noting that the sting from the jellyfish beast was only a dull throb now.
"I'm sure he's fine," Leina replied, coming out from under the overhang. She stood beside me, sliding her hand into mine. We both looked out towards Rulid. "You ready for this?" she asked, squeezing my hand.
I nodded, acting more confident than I actually felt. Eugeo was so quiet and reserved most of the time, but I knew he was at the same level as me. I believed that one day he could, and would, surpass me. I was lucky when I fought him before, when he had undergone the Synthesis Ritual by Pontifex. Going up against him now though, I wasn't so sure.
Leina was stooped towards the ground, her finger pointing out tracks. "It seems Renly has gone on ahead of us."
I followed the tracks, they were headed north, right towards Rulid. "He should've waited for us," I muttered.
"He couldn't have gotten that far," Leina stood.
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"Out of the way," Renly shoved Jink aside as a flurry of ice shards erupted from the house.
Jink hit the ground, but quickly rolled to his feet. "A Knight? Sort of…"
"I am a Knight," Renly scowled.
"Of course, you are," Jink smirked. "Keep telling yourself that, kid."
Renly's eye twitched, doing his best to remain professional.
"Did you find anymore survivors?" Jink asked warily.
"Not yet," Renly answered quietly.
Jink grabbed Renly by the collar. "You better do something about Eugeo," he threatened.
Just then, Eugeo stepped out from his house. Behind him, it began to crystallize into ice, then fell in on its own weight as it crashed to the ground. He locked eyes with the boy Knight.
"So, that's him," Renly narrowed his eyes. The similarities to Kirito were uncanny. He shrugged out of Jink's grasp, readying his twin-winged blades. "Get out of here," he snarled at Jink. The man at arms didn't waste a moment, sprinting out into the surrounding woods.
"You are responsible for the death of these villagers. Murder is forbidden by the Taboo Index. By order of the Integrity Knights, you will surrender and hand yourself over to the Axiom Church immediately," Renly barked.
Eugeo's response was to generate the Blue Rose Sword into his hand. His blue tendrils pulsed with power. He smiled, revealing small fangs. "Another Knight? I will cut you down just as I did the one in crimson."
"Crimson? He defeated Deusolbert?" Renly's eyes widened. For a moment, he felt his self-confidence waver. He took a hesitant step back, old feelings of insecurities and failure resurfacing in his mind. He stumbled, his twin-winged blades nearly falling from his hands.
Eugeo approached Renly, sword raised. "Shall we?"
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End chapter 10