"Do you remember our Mother's advice? To use the stars above on our journey to the Skyline Views?"
"..."
"If you are unable to see the "river of light" in the sky, then close your second eyelids."
My Sister was the one who taught me how to close my second eyelids. Like my Mother, I don't remember anything about her appearance. I only have a voice to go by. A voice that I constantly replay in my mind once I lost myself in that void. And in that voice, she continued...
"Traverse through the darkness until you can see the river of light underground."
It was an advice I took to heart.
"It is called the "Light Flow". A river of light that thrives in true darkness."
True darkness... 9 million years ago, the meaning of darkness was not without the meaning of light. She continued...
"This quiet, gentle darkness... provides for the "Light Flow". It is the only place the "Light Flow" can exist."
Balance was crucial. A true yin and yang. Concepts that had existed long before the Fourth Element, Life, came to be. What had happened since then? When has the abyss become a fearful thing to stare into?
"Should you lose your vision, you can always return here. Even without your eyes, you can still see the "Light Flow".
The heart of the advice was clear.
"Know that which is, is kin to that which is not."
…
…
An advice that was later incorporated into the Rigveda in many worlds. Her influence stretched that far back. From what the Red Robes of Nova Hazama told me, her influence encompassed the entire Asian continent, and then mysteriously stops at the European continent... Still, even she herself was influenced. The Rigveda that she created was inspired by our Mother's Skyline Views. However, for that one moment...
"Know that which is, is kin to that which is not."
…she was telling me only one of five points of the Skyline Views. The point of Chaos.
The Skyline Views isn't a physical place you go to, (though Mother says it helps to travel to a mountain peak for reference), rather it's a concept. That's why it was hard to understand what it was about. Sis was as confused as I was. That's why she tried to find a physical place for reference, even if helps with only one part of the Skyline Views, and eventually found the Light Flow within that darkness.
A darkness she calls the "Sweet Unknown".
Chaos had revealed itself to her and she used that Chaos to shape the Multiverse.
…
…
...
"Have you come to see the Light Flow again, dearest Shooting Star?"
It's her again...
"You'll burn your eyes. How will you see from the Skyline Views then?"
The woman with the rainbow eyes...
Aside from the golden river of living light, there are also... visitors. There's a lot of Light Flows in the Multiverse, but if you and some others see the same Light Flow, you're bound to see each other. But this woman... I swear... The moment I saw her twice, I ruled out the idea of a coincidence. There's an aura about her that rejects the presence of the Lower Domain and yet is intimately linked to it. She is exactly like that, along with 2 other people I've encountered before.
"Who... are you...?"
"You've journeyed through a lot. Will knowing my name add much to it?"
...
"Look at me."
…
She was as I envisioned. A curious, true goddess veiled in red. Hair of white, and if the stars allow, hints of pink. Red eyes. Upon a face, serenity given physical form.
"You were always able to see me."
...Always? No... I'm sure this is the first... The first I've seen of her whole form... I swear it's the first... So then, why? Why wasn't I able to remember her appearance in the previous visits? For that matter, why was this the first time I've ever asked her for her identity? You would think, after 77 encounters, I would've remembered how she looks like, let alone inquire about herself.
"Are you willing to hurt me again?"
...
"Choosing not to remember me? That's alright. It's hurtful, but..."
Do I remember her?
"My one, true fear."
"If I tell you my name, will you say it fondly?"
I chose not to remember her? Something bad happened between us. Something... Perhaps the better question is...
Is it worth my health to remember her?
"Will you write it down in that bundle of memories with joy?"
…
In this place void of laws, her tears were free to scatter. They fused with the Light Flow and became the source of all tears with regards to immortality and divinity. Stories would be made and passed down for generations about golden, glowing water that invokes tears.
"To say my name with the same severity as the chaos within your eyes..."
"..."
"That is my one, true fear."
"She looked at the sun and gave her a name that meant "Primordial Sun Princess".
"She looked at the stars and gave "them" a name that meant "Shooting Star".
"That was 10 million years ago. Well, in 10 days counting this one, it would officially be 10 million years. Yes, even now, that name stayed with me for that long. It was... really... the only thing in my possession..."
Liar.
"One...more...time... Shall we do it? My ninth and final introduction..."
~ NieR Automata – Peaceful Sleep (Instrumental) ~
The scene would play out so many times.
The blood and madness would seep into the land, sustenance for the lonely gray rose amidst a scorched earth. How many worlds have witnessed this play? How many corpses would dance around that gray rose?
"So let me officially introduce myself..."
Once more, the worlds tried to snuff out that gray rose. Imprison it, torture it, burn it. They're all futile attempts to erase its existence. Today, another attempt at its life was made. There, in that jail cell, the rubble had failed to trap it, nay, crush it underfoot.
Then, if the gray rose needed chaos to survive...
"As you can see, I am just a traveler. I'm not a warrior that wages war. I'm not a fighter that engages in fights. I'm not a hero that performs miracles. I am not a prodigy or a genius that gave convenience to daily lives. I am not a knight that protects the weak from the strong. I am a traveler with all my heart and soul, an ordinary boy that wants to see all there is to see."
Has the Kosmos ever tried to show the warm sunlight to this eternal gray rose?
"An ordinary boy that seeks the warm sunlight, that embraces the cold, tranquil snow..."
It was finally time to get up. He had enough of prisons. He should be. I mean, how often does one go to jail twice in one day? Or perhaps he had a different thought in mind. Did he even deserve to come out of his would-be tomb and bask in the morning sun?
"...that smells the crisp, fresh air mixed with the scent of leaves and trees and wood, that innocently dips his feet in the water hoping he would overcome his fear of the deep blue sea..."
"Really, now... They're a heartless bunch."
So he says as he sits on top of some of the church's rubble, perfectly content with watching the struggles of the Living. With so much death and destruction, Hellawes was bustling with more life than before. Gone was the sleepy town Hyoma previously described this place to be. The exorcists were no doubt keeping their hands full with the injured and restoration. At least they were indiscriminate with their first aid. That's a plus. And the citizens were far past the point of dazed and confusion. They pitched in to help as well. Then there was the type that outnumbered the determined folks.
The grieving types.
Everyone had something to do. A boy sitting on the ruins of a sacred place doing nothing but watching the suffering never existed in their vision. People walked past him and by him without so much as a glance. Children guided the exorcists to the rubble around Hyoma, attempting to retrieve the bodies beneath.
"You sure it's okay to just open the coffins in front of "them"?"
Hyoma didn't need to look behind as he said that. He was still perfectly content with watching the struggle. But his ears wouldn't fail him when it came to identifying the screams of the suffering.
"...!"
Although, no one ever said the screams would be vocal. They can be perfectly quiet, too. That long, drawn out silence was enough for Hyoma to know that they are screaming. There were many kinds of grief and knowing them all is just part of the journey.
"Please! Get the children of out here!"
Well said. Better late than never. That applies to you too, Hyoma.
Alright, fine.
And now the observer discards his throne and dusts off the dust from his coat. Yes, he would interfere once again. Was that necessarily a good thing? To many, the first interference would be the start of a series of unfortunate events.
"The coffeehouse... I wonder if it's okay?"
He wasn't in any rush. The damage was done, and the exorcists were many in number. There would be no shortage of manpower. The town would be back on its feet before long, though the same can't be said for those who had the unfortunate timing of watching flesh and bones get crushed by thousands of pounds of rock and concrete.
But he did notice a shortage of something. There was a heavy disparity in the work being done. Malaks, exorcists, ordinary people, they were all doing great. At cleaning up the ruins. But hardly any, perhaps five, six, seven people, half of them exorcists, tended to the wounded. While the displaced rocks were becoming few and far, blood continued to stain the snow the town is known for. It had become such a problem that Hyoma had no choice but to take a path filled with blood because there was no detour and no room for his feet to deftly maneuver through clean snow. Then after a while, he had stopped caring. Blood on his shoes was hardly a concern.
To him, it was a normal occurrence after all.
"You can't exactly have a town with no life in it."
Somehow, Hyoma knew he had to interfere more than just engage in mere conversation. But what can he do?
Hyoma continues to walk a leisurely pace, scanning everything and everyone. He was no different from a tourist. To those townsfolk, such an act was an insult. He had, once again, shrouded himself in contradiction. But it wasn't intentional. This kind of pace, Hyoma had been doing long before humans had even walked upright.
It was good to take in everything. That was the advantage of a leisurely pace.
"God almighty... Such clean yet brutal cuts... Not even the most skilled swordsman can do that."
"And you had the gall to show that to the children. How insensitive of you."
And you get to hear the talks of the town. However grim they may seem, it's useful stuff to know... Every time these kinds of scenes play out, Hyoma would always wonder how the "little war office" would react and act. She wouldn't hesitate in the slightest. These kinds of things were her domain and it was always a treat to see her work.
"...an ordinary boy that gazes up at the sky and admire the stars, those shining trail blazers that guided him for eons. That's a special one..."
"Where are we going to live now, mommy?"
One's mother wasn't even responding to that, much less moving at all. Ah, something even worse than their house burning down, he thought. The death of another child? The death of her husband? There would be countless of these exact situations all at once in this small place.
"With the way things are now, our little economy will collapse."
"Sigh... Here's to hoping the exorcists pull off a miracle."
It's almost like the exorcists blew this place up just to say "I told you so. You needed us all along". To create and or heighten their faith in them. Loyalty, slavery. However you want to put it. On that note, it's entirely possible there's some people that are thinking that exact thought. But that was wishful thinking. An entire organization with control over the western hemisphere didn't get here by petty schemes like that. Probably.
So what's your summary?
"Widows... Widowers... Orphans... Homeless... No work... Ideas of moving out... Injured... Dead... Ruins... Lack of medics..."
That last one was especially alarming. You've got an entire army in the hundreds and thousands range and only a handful know how to work a first aid.
"I wonder how they usually deal with this, then?"
Maybe they don't.
But that will be prioritized later. Hyoma finally reached his destination.
"...An ordinary boy that, when the stars have been outshone, gazes up at the clear blue skies instead, well, sometimes clear, sometimes cloudy, but most of the time, blue skies... that observes the suns with the same, fiery ferocity as the suns that observes him..."
"The coffeehouse... Ah...!"
Lying beside a stack of crates is the bartender from before.
"No... He's a barista. I've been calling him Mr. Bartender. Geez, at least correct me... Goes to show how much I go to those kinds of places... No wait, priorities..."
The closer he got to the barista, the worse the picture became. He had to kneel down to get a closer look, though, no matter how grotesque it was.
"Oh...! It's you."
…
"Don't talk."
Second-degree burns on too many places to list specifically... And a third-degree burn on his right arm...
"(Ugh... When was the last time I did first aid...?)"
When was the last time you needed to do first aid, is how you should've said that.
"(And I don't even have my crossbody bag... Where on earth did that go when I came here...?)"
Your "all-purpose" crossbody bag? Ouch. Probably got lost in the waters when you landed here. Maybe it sunk all the way to the bottom. Or eaten by local wildlife. Or better yet, someone's making use of it. Oh! If they did, they're probably reading your other journals too!
…
"I'm not doing too hot, am I?"
Facepalm.
"I don't know what you're doing out here, but the bitter cold will not help with your burn injuries. Can you please get inside somewhere warm? To the inn, perhaps?"
"I can... do that..."
Hyoma had tried to help the poor man get up, but his attempts were extremely clumsy, trying to grasp on to something that wasn't an injury. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to let him stand on his own. His arms are a "no-touch zone".
"And please tell the staff to prepare some cool water. Cool. Not cold."
The barista, despite his injuries, could still hold an analysis. The boy held a completely different aura than before. Gone was that tired persona of his and in comes a quiet, but firm attitude. His red eyes had determination, some kind of resolve. His sluggish, relaxed movements were replaced by purposeful actions.
He knew what he was doing. And knowing that, the young barista can follow his orders without delay.
"Can someone please escort him safely to the inn? Any exorcists available?! Please make sure he doesn't fall! And that goes with everyone else! Please head to the inn or anywhere that's not outside!"
"...an ordinary boy that softly caresses all plant life, whispering into them sweet nothings... that quietly respects all animal life and never once looked down on any of them..."
There were some doubletakes here and there. But the last thing anyone needs right now is less hands and less unification.
"Allocate any exorcists done with the rubble towards escorting the citizens! And any tasks with too many people, please pull some out!"
Well, that's good. If it's an exorcist shouting the commands, things would move more smoothly than some random outsider doing the same thing. Meanwhile, the outsider that was Hyoma became slightly more frantic with each passing second.
"(I don't have any supplies with me... The best I can do is apply cool water to minor burns, but that's all I can do unless I find something to relieve the pain and or cover them up.)"
He had been pacing back and forth in an alley, away from sight and away from people.
"...an ordinary boy that reached the peak of every mountain he laid eyes on, not for the challenge, no, no. He did it to see the world around him in its beautiful entirety..."
"(Then there's the severe burns... How do I cover those up? If I had some gauze bandages, that would really help...)"
Pace, pace, pace...
"(Ah! My journal!)"
Indeed, gone was his sluggish and relaxed movements and in comes the jitters. What he was doing was trying to find his journal, an item that had accompanied him throughout the ages, never splitting up from his side. An item that was just as much of a partner as his people-partners. But the way he is right now makes it seem as if he had lost his journal, an occurrence as rare as lightning and an asteroid hitting the same person at the same time.
"(Here!)"
And with an ungodly speed, flips through the pages.
"(Where is it...?)"
Eleanor hadn't had her share of rest. In fact, she hasn't slept at all. Especially not with what's happened so far. Being sent to search for an elusive green lizard, investigating the so-called "Night Parade" in Hadlow Hollows, and now this?
"Perhaps this is karma for healing the demon... But I... I didn't know...!"
After Teresa collapsed, the inn had offered the two exorcists a room to rest in. A private room, away from all disturbances so that hopefully they recover fast and begin managing Hellawes properly. Teresa was, thankfully, asleep. As long as she's okay, everything will turn out alright. That's why Eleanor had decided to watch over her, sleep not included. Although just very recently, the inn was getting too noisy.
"Praetor Eleanor!"
"Y-Yes?!"
And so the noise even personally reached their own little space.
"I apologize in advance for the disturbance! The inn is getting more crowded from people getting away from the cold."
"Yes, I understand! Please keep everyone safe!"
Eleanor was a praetor, but here she was, doing nothing to resolve the situation and selfishly taking away a high-class room from the people that actually need it. It hurts knowing that. But she was, in fact, far too fatigued to even move a muscle. It got the point where she was able and likely content with sleeping anywhere.
"Eleanor...?"
But one, weak voice was enough to jolt her back to life.
"Lady Teresa...!"
Back from the dead, I see. Teresa turned her head slowly towards Eleanor, her eyes a bit lacking in energy. She was struggling to fully open them.
"Is everyone... alright?"
"...an ordinary boy that loves to hear the advices from all walks of life, their stories, their struggles, their own journeys. This ordinary boy loved to hear everything about the stories of others, be they the trash of society, the higher ranking demons of hells, the dull, automatic angels of heavens, the strange and abnormal oddities of society, the commonfolk, and of course, other fellow travelers. No matter who or what or how they lived their lives, this boy wanted to hear everything."
"As..." She looked away for a second. "As okay as it gets. But you need to get better first if you want to help!"
Those words did the opposite. Teresa wanted to challenge those words and got up from her resting position. She hasn't been too badly injured aside from the fire spell Number Two set up beneath her. Aside from a few minor burns on her legs and a partially burnt dress, she was doing just fine. Especially now that she had her much-needed sleep. It's too bad she got her sleep in this way. Not from a hard day's work, but from cowardly collapsing from the stress.
"..."
That was a painful thought. Teresa wanted to push the events of yesterday into the back burner. Hellawes needed her. She had already failed once, she would not tolerate a second time, not even for herself. She looked to Eleanor. She, too, was looking worse for wear.
"I'm sorry... You haven't slept a wink because of me, did you...?"
Her sullen face was obvious and the cause, equally obvious.
"I..."
So Teresa laid her hand on Eleanor's shoulder.
"Get some rest. Can you do that for me?"
Teresa's voice was low and soft. It surprised the both of them. One wonder's when that kind of voice was last used? To lull her brother to sleep? To comfort anxieties? Bed time stories? Whatever it was, it was far more convincing than when she was shouting. Probably because it was rare for her to be like this. And if she was willing to use this voice on Eleanor, then she was dead serious. In a good way.
"I will... do just that..."
The decision to sleep was influenced by two things. 51% was from the allure of sleep, and 49% was Teresa. So maybe, just a tiny bit, that regardless of what Teresa says or does, Eleanor would go to sleep anyway.
…
…
…
So down the stairs she goes.
Down.
Down.
Do-
"This beautiful world... a place where everything and everyone is located in... a place that I call the "Living World"... This is the place that I love. Because I am a traveler, I journeyed towards the Skyline Views so that I could see the Living, Rainbow World and all of its colors equally."
"Hold still, ok?"
-wn...?
"KGGHHH..."
"If anyone still needs the water, it's here."
"I'll take it."
"It's clean now. Too bad we're out of soap. No antiseptics either. But thank goodness gauze exists here..."
The inn was lively with people helping people. Not one was seen doing nothing. But there was something else. A scene that should only play when heaven descends upon the land. In other words, never. There he was, the main cause of Teresa's lack of sleep and agitation. Her collapse also induced by him. Her hesitation, his fault too. And if convenient, the explosions, all him. She had every right to murder him in the worst possible ways, right there where he stood, in front of others. But no. She stood there, frozen on the stairs, unable to take a single step down. And before she could even muster up just enough energy for one step, the boy looked her way. His piercing red eyes drew her own eyes to them immediately. They didn't contain the insanity from before. His red coat was perfectly clean, though a small part of her wonders if there's some blood on it. Hard to tell. But if he was okay, then...
"Are you alright, miss?"
It was him. That unremarkable, meek, quiet, shy voice contained within the body of a young adult veiled in clothes suited for mischief. A mess of contradictions. Even amidst the clamoring from the helpers, the groans of the injured, and the staff moving around and blocking her view, it was unmistakably him.
"You."
It took one word for Hyoma to look away. It wasn't her voice or her tone or the way she looked at him, or even the word itself. She had been softened, and no traces of the rumbling thunder. She talked to him as she would talk to anyone else. But even so, he still looked away. It was so obvious what her story so far had been about and who the major culprit was. If he hadn't said those debilitating words to her back at the church, Hellawes would probably be better off than it is now under a healthy Teresa. So before he could do any damage-
"Wait."
Hyoma was ready to take off, but again, a single word stops him dead in his tracks.
"What can I do... to help?"
Not what he expected.
Liar.
"Um... well..."
God, this was tough. Hyoma was scratching his cheek, his face a mix of confusion and defeat. He was caught by the one person he was trying to avoid and now that same person is asking him for help. Such a mess should be sacrilegious.
"If you and your "servants" can do some healing spells, that would help a lot." Still, he did not turn around. "Please focus on those with third-degree burns and above. I'm not sure if your people have the supplies or methods to treat them normally."
"Servants". Malakhims, yes? She lost one of them. Perfect time for that... But any help should be appreciated at this point.
Teresa left a short and sweet announcement declaring her return and taking command. Her first order of business, well really, her only task was to unify the people. The orders she gave were orders already given to everyone else by other exorcists, who in turn were given suggestions by the boy with red eyes. Even so, her appearance alone was enough to motivate everyone to work even harder than before.
The boy of red eyes didn't suggest everything, though. Whether it was forgetfulness or by choice, there was no mention of planning funerals for the dead or aiding the ones most affected. Teresa came to suggest that instead. An original order for once.
But even with her and the Malak's help, treatment was slow. It's not that they lacked the medical supplies. They actually had too much. Too much of the wrong thing, really. Almost nothing from the supplies was for burn injuries. Understandable. No expects a burn injury in a place that can barely feel the sun's warmth even in summer.
"At least all the non-burn injuries have been taken care of. The arch, the two gates, and the storage have been cleaned up as well. Ease of movement in and out of the city should be restored by now."
Which means more helpers from the outside as well as allowing messengers from the inside access outside. Think positively I suppose.
What were we looking at again?
We were looking at the ship.
Why?
Because they have people Hyoma is interested in.
People sounds too broad. Only two of them are of any actual intrigue.
What a horrible string of words.
…
"You saw that, right? We totally mopped the floor with that town!"
"Woohoo! Another great chapter to add to the "Tales of Magilou"!
Ugh... Why was I stuck with these people...? Though I shouldn't complain too much. The recent series of events really did favor me. With the raid on Hellawes, exorcist activity should cease for the moment, giving us some room to breathe. Huh. Maybe I should show a bit more optimism. Their own cheers and laughter were enough to nearly make me crack my own smile.
Not nearly. You did crack a smile, Miss Velvet. But when you turn away from the crew and hold your smile with your demon hand, it really does seem like you're completely insane. More insane than you are now. Such covert, evil smiles.
Everyone was all accounted for. Rokurou, Dyle, Magilou (unfortunately), and...
"Seems we've an extra!~ Velvet, would you like to come on stage and tell us how this happened?"
That witch, I swear... It's a miracle I haven't thrown her overboard yet.
That extra she was referring to was the Malak I took with me. I didn't really have a plan at the time. My head was a jumbled mess. He was simply the most convenient and closest tool to stave off the exorcists, but I never actually planned to take him with me. I don't even know when I took him with me at all.
"You were holding on to him pretty tightly.~"
I was? Was I in such a dire situation that I didn't even notice what I had with me at the time? Not even noticing I held on to his tiny hands when I went onboard? That's the power of stress for you, I suppose.
"Soooo... Number Two, was it?"
Magilou knelt down in front of the small Malak, the teasing aura back in full force. He had his body turned to that witch, still with that same, dull expression he wore when he turned against his superiors. Whether killing or conversing, I don't think that face of his will change much. How extremely pitiful.
"Whether you like it or not, you're one of us now! After your little display of betrayal, no doubt the exorcists around the world have gathered in one big, scary place, discussing on how much money should be rewarded for your pretty little head.~"
"Magilou, enough."
If he was going to be one of us, we want him in good condition. Scaring him off like this wouldn't do any good for us.
"Well, well. I suppose so. Lucky you, Number Two. Big sis Velvet is here for you."
She stood up, dispersing that oppressive and toxic aura of hers, and turns to me.
"He's a useful catch. Nice job, big sis Velvet.~ Healing artes and powerful magic all in one, tiny bundle of joy!"
Sigh... I wasn't in the mood for retaliation. It's been a long, long day...
"I get that you want to keep him healthy for those reasons, but little old me has other thoughts on your thoughts.~"
I sent her the best glare I had given my condition. I wanted her off my case. Otherwise, she would just keep reading me like a book, like she just did right now. It was annoying. So damn annoying... Fortunately, she does walk away, picking a spot on the front of the ship, which I'm sure has its own term, but I'm not exactly a seafarer.
On the opposite side was Rokurou and Dyle at the helm. At least I know that. They were conversing with each other, hopefully about how to properly control a ship and our destination. If this little journey of ours fails again, I know exactly who to blame.
The Malak on the other hand, chose to remain where he was, though, staring at the sea now.
"Velvet! How are we doing with directions?!"
What? Weren't you the one with knowledge of the sea? You're asking a country girl about this? Sigh... let me see... The compass should be on top of some barrels... Here...
Sigh...
Hm...
…
Ugh...
I don't know how to use this.
"Actually, you're holding it wrong."
The Malak...? Was I so engrossed with my own incompetence that I failed to notice him in his new spot in front of me? He had been staring at me, then nervously pointed to the compass. I'm not going to hurt you. As if he was afraid of me lashing out, he spoke in a quiet voice...
"It's built to function even if the ship is rolling."
"Huh... That's... good to know."
"Velvet! Did you hear me?!"
Ugh... That's twice he shouted. Damn it, enough with the loud voices!
"The heading's fine!"
I said in a tone with far more annoyance embedded in it in retaliation for his own shouting. So then...
"Kid. What's your name?"
...
"Number Two."
I'm not surprised. I pressed on, though.
"Not that. Your real name. Surely you have one."
One second, two seconds, three... It took that long for him to shake his head "no". Of course he wouldn't have a name... Why did I even bother asking?
…
I looked at the compass for some escape from my small embarrassment. Hm...
"Do you want this?"
"...!"
That was the widest he had ever opened his mouth, for his standards anyway. He was prepared to snatch the compass with his extended arms, but held back.
"If... If that's an order..."
That's no good.
"I'm asking what you want."
"Is that... also an order...?"
Annoying.
"You really are tools."
His dull expressions were an insult. Annoying.
*Nod*
"In that case, keep your mouth shut."
…
…
…
Harsh, Velvet. So very harsh. So I'm not allowed to tease him, but you're allowed to torture him? What is with the double standards around here?! Then there's the disparity in morality where you said it's okay to murder everything on sight, then say it's not okay to break into Hyoma's privacy! Sheesh, woman! Control yourself!
That poor, ugly, tiny thing. The moment Velvet turned her back to him was the moment the boy knew of the feeling of rejection. And boy oh boy, did he display that rejection well. Dull expression? I think not! That gloomy, downward facing face is all the audience needs to read his emotions.
But why had she seemed so upset? And notice I said upset and not indignant. The latter was reserved for typical vengeful Velvet. The former? It should be reserved for a lecturing Velvet. Indeed, that upset expression of hers was more disappointment than anger, as if she had just finished lecturing the kid. As if... as if...
Nah.~ I wouldn't read THAT far in yet. No. Not just yet.
And so Velvet heads inside the ship's only shelter. The one underneath the helm. Yes, that one. Don't look at me like I'm clueless! I'm a witch, not a sailor!
Then, with Velvet gone, the play is over for now and the Malak boy returns to his post on the side of the ship to gaze at the sea once more with melancholy. And for the record, melancholy means sadness with no obvious cause. That word would've fit him perfectly BEFORE Velvet's little rejection. And now, melancholy was the least compatible word. Anyone could tell the cause for that sad look was from one, Miss Velvet.
And you too...? You too looked at the sea with the same sadness, like right now.
…
That's enough out of you all.
…
"Don't die now, Magilou."
…
I don't need you telling me that. I can survive just fine. It's you that everyone should be worried about. How would you have escaped from there? If you escaped at all, that is.
"...Hahaha... I'll be fine. I always turn out ok in the end..."
Always, huh... Wish I knew what that meant, but a part of me also wishes I don't want to know what that meant. It was a balancing act with him. That mess of contradictions, messing with my head. What am I supposed to believe?
…
He was the one who planned the explosions, a fact still unknown to the rest of the crew. So if he planned everything out, he should've lived. Did he plan his arrest though? Surely not. I was the one who got him arrested in the first place. I'd be crossing beyond the boundary of possibilities if I was to think that Hyoma also planned that.
…
"Never thought I'd see the day when the ocean became more vast and beautiful."
…
"If you're dead, then who else would be interested in hearing my stories?"
…
"I am tired..."
...
Hellawes, Northgand
Late Afternoon
Clear Skies
Quiet has yet to descend upon Hellawes. Even after the sun was preparing to exit the stage, noise of all kinds still dominated the town. It was a shame considering its other nickname as the "tranquil capital". Although the scenery has changed quite a bit. There were hardly any citizens outside. The exorcists have taken over the work (as they should, with their training and whatnot). The rubble had been cleared, though that's to be expected with a hundred-something exorcists working around the clock, but no amount of physical training was enough to eject some of the heavier rocks. Those would be passed over to the animals and their wagons. How quickly some things turn to the "primitive".
And boy, was primitive the right word. It was inescapable that certain animals would not cooperate.
"After this, you're all going to have a feast."
And that's why Hyoma volunteered to help. One last time.
"Hm... Or maybe I'll let you all escape?"
And I say one last time because if anyone heard him say that, he'd be exiled immediately.
"Are you trying to convince them to move?"
Well, doggone it. He was so busy kneeling down and whispering sweet nothings to the yaks that he didn't even hear the loud crunching of snow. Also he'd have red cheeks because he was almost caught talking to animals. Actually, he was caught and no amount of speed put into his head spin was enough to escape.
"They are the most uncooperative of the bunch."
He says as he looks to the other yaks that he helped move. Now if only they could give him a wink to thank him. That would make his day. Ah, but priorities.
"Are you a... prae...tor? You're not wearing any armor like the rest of the exorcists."
He says with such difficulty as if his vocabulary have been reduced to that of a high school student. Oh god, please no.
"Yes. I am Praetor Eleanor Hume."
"Hm..."
Hyoma wasn't convinced in the slightest, but if he showed it, he'd probably be speared.
"Those yaks haven't moved from Hellawes since 2 days ago. The owners said they were reacting violently."
So much for introductions...
"Do you know any commonalities?"
Aside from the fact that everyone in Northgand probably felt the avalanches?
"Now that you mention it, the owners were traveling near Hadlow Hollows, but that doesn't say much considering how many animals, including yaks, travel close there."
She knew about the rumored "Night Parade" but decided not to divulge the details to an ordinary person.
"..."
Hyoma turned to the animals again. He wasn't stupid or naïve. To think of yourself as being "close to animals" from a bunch of misunderstood signals. He knew the yaks probably didn't understand a word he said to them and it wasn't their fault. It's his. But when it's an animal trying to communicate to Hyoma instead, there are some obvious cues. They had all been looking at him, shaking.
"(They weren't doing that before...)"
Which means something about Hadlow Hollows triggered it. So he turned to the praetor. A praetor that was on a whole different level than Teresa. Whether that's good or bad, well, that's anyone's guess. Green eyes, reddish hair, standard uniform and a face that says, "I'm ready to help!" In other words, the "infectious with optimism" type.
"Where's the other praetor?"
And so he turns to the yaks yet again, observing their behavior.
"Do you mean Lady Teresa? She's inspecting the church. She says she was housing some criminals there and might've escaped."
That froze him.
"O-Oh..."
Wait... And why wouldn't a fellow praetor be told about it? Did Teresa not tell anyone yet? Or maybe she's planning to arrest me after Hellawes is back to normal?
"She also wants to see a "boy with red eyes, red coat, and messy black hair"... As she listed those descriptions, Eleanor eyed Hyoma up and down as if she wasn't wholly convinced it was this boy that Teresa wanted. "...which I assume is you. She didn't tell me why she needed you, though."
"(I'm dead.)"
Nice words for someone who isn't acting or behaving as if they were just sentenced to the death row.
"I'm still trying to help, so can you please tell her to wait?"
"Ah! Y-Yes...! Lady Teresa did say you were a big help, so I shouldn't be interrupting you for too long. So, thank you!"
So she bowed and ran off.
"Huh... She's NOT Teresa."
Why are you expecting every praetor to be as cold as Teresa!?
So that I could have an easier time?
Sigh...
…
…
…
"Alright, yaks, you asked for it. I'll go take a look."
The decision was made. Hyoma finally got up from his 15-minute-long kneeling position, the snow that clung to his right knee the perfect evidence. Curiosity had been his primary motivator. His intentions never truly lied in helping Hellawes, but the objective had been accomplished.
"Party time!~"
Facepalm.
"It's not a party. We're discussing what we all know."
We all took our afternoon naps, uninterrupted might I add. I think I might've seriously lost it if someone broke my silence. Now that it's night time, the waters are thankfully calm, the skies are clear, we can finally converge and talk, Magilou, Rokurou and I.
"Well, first order of business is our immediate concern. Velvet, you wanted to head to Loegres, right?"
"Right."
"Only one problem. The narrows between Northgand and Westgand is blocked off by a fortress called the Gate of Vortigern."
"And I'm guessing they won't just let us stroll right in."
"Nope."
*Munch munch*
"Luckily, we have barrels of food and—hey!"
"Nu uh! Ru wourdn't wanf mer dgropping thish and washeting it, wourd ya?!"
Sigh... Gross... Every word, there's food coming out of her. As you can see, to my right is Magilou, hogging the bed of course and sloppily consuming our food stocks. A total glutton and a freeloader on top of that. And to my left, well, now he's to my right fighting with Magilou, is Rokurou. This is my crew.
"Rokurou, just... Sigh... Leave her be. I'm already sitting on the barrels, so she shouldn't be able to get any more food than necessary."
"Oh yea? Try me!"
Relieve my stress, fingers that are now pinching my eyes. Now suddenly, I'm talking like her. The world's over, everyone. Go home.
"Ugh, stop talking. You're getting food everywhere. Now then."
"Velvet doesn't know how to read a compass!~"
"E-Enough!"
"Velvet, is this true?"
"Yes, daddy."
"Stop talking for me!"
"Then talk before I talk!~"
Facepalm.
"Look, a compass ain't hard to read. Just lay it anywhere and read it. That's all."
"I...!"
Gods, this was humiliating! Every damn word out of that damn witch is poison for the world!
"I'm not familiar with the sea." I said in a surprisingly calm voice. "I know nothing about the sea. I stopped caring to learn about the sea." I said, now in an unsurprisingly melancholic voice.
"And that's why I'm telling you this now."
"And I say I don't need it anymore once we reach land."
"..."
"..."
"...~"
…
"Next topic."
"Let's see... How about the thing Dyle was talking about?"
"You mean about the demons in Hadlow Hollows?"
I had completely forgotten about that. I did brush it off in favor of planning for more practical goals. But now that I remember...
"It was enough to make a demon himself shiver."
"Whoa, whoa, wait. You guys had an adventure without me?!"
""(And thankfully so)""
"You didn't miss much. We didn't even bother exploring. I suppose if we want more information, we should ask Dyle later."
Why are you looking at me like that? Like I said, we had more pressing matters. If you wanted to explore so badly, you should've gone on your own and kindly leave me out of it. I'm not about to waste time on a field trip when Artorius still lives.
Then what happens after you kill Artorius? Would you live a normal life? Enough normalcy that you'd finally go on field trips of some sort? Leisure time is useful time, not a waste of time.
…
"Darn. There's your chance for potential discoveries. You could've made a lot of money unearthing secrets. Instead, here you are, out in the middle of bumfudge nowhere, wasting away in a ship that we stole on the backs of screaming, suffering, hard-working citizens."
"Damn right. Wait, you made it sound even worse at the end there."
This is my crew, alright...
...
"Oh yea, where is your other party member? Did he die or something?"
…
"(Why would I... try to remember that...?)"
…
…
"...vet!"
"Huh...?
"Didn't you hear us? We're talking about Hyoma now."
"We're talking about you talking about Hyoma and talking about him to us. Get what we're talking about now?"
Him again? Why?
"Didn't I already tell you everything?"
Seriously... Enough about him... We have our own concerns and worries, we don't need one more to drag down our group any further. There's no use talking about the dead, anyway.
"So far, all you told us was about your encounter with him when he was thrown into your cell. He was light when you picked him up, seemingly immortal when you tried to crush him, though I think you're just delusional, and that he managed to get into Hellawes just fine. That part, I didn't know about."
"Then you know as much as I do now."
"Then what about when he-"
Seriously... Why are you all so concerned about some random boy that has not done a damn thing for us to warrant concern? Enough already... Enough... I've heard...
"I've heard enough. I'm going to bed. Magilou, move."
"Sheesh... Nice manners you've got there, Empress Demon."
...
I don't want to hear anymore... No more... Please... No more... No more of him... Don't talk about him...anymore...
...
"Hello there."
"What's your name?"
"My name?"
Odd... Does he... not know his name?
…
…
…
"Northwest of Hellawes and Figahl Icecaps... Then a cave..."
Hyoma had left Hellawes in favor of investigating Hadlow Hollows. He held on to the map the entire time, his eyes glued to the piece of paper, also the entire time, save for the few times he would look up and check to see his current location. Although a question arises. How on earth did he navigate through Figahl Icecaps without so much as worry filling his body? This was a place where demons could prepare an attack on Hellawes and so the exorcists do battle here, the engagements enough to kick up the snow and leave behind an artificial whiteout.
In a place like that, Hyoma simply strolled to his destination as if the makeshift gravestones and dead bodies were just as much of a tourist attraction as the plant and animal life.
He wasn't exactly covert on his journey either. The strong winds picked up his massive red coat every which way, making it seem as if he was one, big meal fearing for his life, an easy prey. But what does it matter?
"We're here."
…
…
The song of serenity has stopped.
…
...
Hadlow Hollows, Northgand
Night
Clear Skies
Blink and you'll miss it. The cave entrance was small and unremarkable. There were no distinguishing features or even any manmade signs that says this is Hadlow Hollows.
"Oh great, it's dark."
What did you expect?
"No footprints going in or out either. Must be from the blizzard yesterday."
How did you know there was a blizzard? Why are you suddenly THIS knowledgeable?!
"Hm..."
Hyoma had yet to fully set foot in the cave, content with standing on the edge of the chamber, the first of many no doubt.
"..."
His gentle, red eyes regarded the cave with warmth. It was his own, personal ritual. At every new environment, Hyoma would stay still and observe. It was a quiet ritual. Wordless. He wanted to let the environment know that he was intruding and apologizes in advance for any disturbances he might cause. He wanted to respect the environment he was in. Always. Respect, not admiration. Admiration of nature would be one's downfall.
"Alright, then."
Hyoma didn't bother to prepare rope or flags. For one thing, he didn't have them. And two, he didn't need them. He is hopeful that the cave would provide enough landmarks for him, but he wouldn't find any standing there, and so he moves on. Forward path has a gap, the right passage looks like a dead end, so the left passage it is.
"Although... This place isn't exactly the most attractive looking cave..."
Hyoma walked slow. A cave isn't a place for the hasty types. Even if it seems like the features are forgiving like this one is turning out to be, one shouldn't rush in a place that could kill you in various ways. A collapsing ceiling, random droppings of rocks in the shape of fangs, wildlife, terrain that can trip and break your legs and thus dooming your fate, the inherent labyrinth feature, so many things. And as Hyoma treads along, he couldn't help but drag along his hands on the walls.
"A blue cave... What an odd color... And these prisms..."
Indeed, by the time he reached a second chamber, Hyoma knew the strangest feature of this cave was going to be the prisms. Blue prisms that have seemingly replaced stalagmites and stalactites.
"I've explored a lot of caves, but I'm no expert. Still, I'm pretty sure there's not one cave without rocky fangs."
And another thing. These blue prisms are giving off their own light. Faint, but noticeable. Point is, they shouldn't be emitting anything.
"Hm... I should probably take some with me."
…
…
…
"That should do it. Now I did bring a bag with me, so where... Ah!"
And there you go. His first crime. It was for a good cause.
Not that rocks emitting light was strange for him, but it never hurts. This was a new "place" after all. Things will be different every journey and what better way to respect the land you're intruding than to thoroughly examine it?
"Now, about that wildlife..."
A split... To the right is the gap, forward is a dead end, so left... And now the third chamber.
"...Still no wildlife."
Granted, actively finding life in a cave is harder than you think. Not every cave is going to have your stereotypical bats hanging off of the ceiling staring at you with red, glowing eyes or snakes wrapped around fangy formations. But even if those situations are present, it is still quiet. That's one feature present in all caves and one that Hyoma loves. The serene silence mixed with the dripping of liquids responsible for forming the caves in the first place.
The other feature is their natural maze. Yeah, that. In other words, contact with people is rare.
"Not a single troglobite to be found... And what is this... Tar?"
His first, true obstacle. A gap filled with tar. Fortunately, there are some rocks protruding out of the liquid, making it easy for Hyoma to jump on them and eventually make it to the other side.
"..."
He turns around.
"...The light is slowly dimming."
That's generally the case. The further you are into the cave, the darker it gets, in fact, it's a miracle you can still see. Was that because of the light-giving rocks or...something else? And so, further down he goes until he encounters a fourth chamber. And like with any other cave chambers, Hyoma wasn't going to rush through it. He took the time to analyze the surroundings, even if the chambers all retained the same qualities so far.
"..."
Even indoor voices can travel a long distance in caves. Hyoma's habit of suppressed sighs through his nose was still considered loud here. That goes for his whispers, too. His sighs, though, were especially loud. They were symptoms of intense focus. This cave prompted it.
"Another split... Left and right are dead ends... Let's keep going forward..."
Rounding the corner, Hyoma was met with another obstacle.
"Great... A boulder..."
He looked to its left, to its right, and of course, not above. This thing was twice his height.
"..."
So he used his physical frame to his advantage and simply slipped to the side and being extra careful with his jump onto a rock above the tar. Not exactly the best place to do such a risky jump, but it's not like Hyoma can just push the rock somewhere and staring at it isn't going to help.
The next set of chambers and passages were easy to navigate through. They had no splits. It was a bit disappointing and boring, but no splits meant more thorough investigating.
"..."
Every prism, Hyoma looked behind it, above it, below it, around it. Any plant life living here was analyzed. The ceilings were carefully inspected, even the nooks and crannies. Something in here had to have caused those yaks to go ballistic.
The next set of the cave involved more jumping and...
"More tar... No tars in the passages, only in the gaps..."
The tars were becoming more frequent, however.
"..."
And it's only now that Hyoma began to seriously analyze the walls of the cave, especially the ground he was standing on. Anything beneath, he would brush off dust and pebbles and other things to see hidden layers.
"Dark spots... No, wait..."
The walls certainly have a layer of darkness, albeit difficult to see in an already dark place. And it was only a hint darker than the layer above. But the ground...
"..."
Hyoma, from his kneeling position that allowed him to analyze the ground, quickly took off, as if realizing a very important fact. It was easy navigation again with no splits until finally...
"...!"
His running slowed to a stop and his eyes lost their tired look, now looking somewhat energized. He needn't look around this one, big chamber to notice the darkness of the walls, ceiling, and ground. In here, the cave had lost its blue mystique, save for the pillar prisms, still in their blue luster. And of course, the main attraction.
"A lake of tar..."
…
…
…
"...!?"
It was rare for Hyoma to look panicked, and even rarer for his head and body to turn 180 degrees quickly. In a situation like this, it's probably because...
~Midorimono / Mushi~
"This song..."
…
…
…
…
"Mushi..."
Throughout this cave, one of the first things Hyoma was looking for was the presence of Mushi, but even those mysterious creatures were absent. So for them to appear now... With his back to the lake of tar, Hyoma was anxiously watching the only passage to this chamber, seemingly frozen. But when a white mist began invading into the chamber, the bad feeling had escalated to pure, genuine, fear. And that fear was enough for Hyoma to take a full dive into the tar without hesitation. Yes, a full dive. Everything submerged and lying prone beneath the tar's surface, with Hyoma carefully watching.
"..."
And when the white mist fully filled the chamber...
"(A Mushi Banquet...?)"
If we were doing a Mushi Banquet, do you really think you should be this scared? No. Something else caused your "fear". Please look again.
"(No... Not a Mushi Banquet... Those are... Souls...)"
Indeed. Human-shaped figures wrapped entirely in white robes, their faces, too, covered. To the outsider, they all looked the same. They were all in line... The leader of the line...not so different from the others...
"..."
The white robes... All the same...
"(Souls emulating a Mushi Banquet...)"
The line of Souls, or so they seem to be Souls for Hyoma at least, split up to form a circle. One layer... two layers... three layers... Three circles...
"(35 Souls for each layer...)"
So... 105 Souls total? How did you even count that fast and how did you even count them at all, given your position?
Only one Soul, the leader of the line, traveled to the center of the circle and placed a green sake cup there, before finally assimilating into the innermost layer of the circle.
"(If it's a Mushi Banquet, then...)"
Even if he was underwater, Hyoma's range of expressions were unhindered. The look of shock looked no different than if he was on land.
"(That smell... Sweet... with traces of...)"
…
…
"(...Rot...)"
…
…
"(It's not Kouki... It's Fuki...)"
And eventually, the smell of rot overpowered the sweetness, forcing Hyoma to cover his nose. It even began to sting his eyes.
"(No... Focus...)"
It was hard to tell if he was getting teary-eyed from the smell.
"Ereshkigal. Please. Drink. This banquet is for you."
…
…
There!
"(A Soul in its Shooting Star form?)"
Is that... surprising? There were plenty of Souls outside. They even roamed above Hellawes. Did you not already establish that this world has aspects of Hazama?
As if on cue, the Soul engulfed the sake cup within its form, drinking up the black liquid, Fuki as Hyoma called it. It had been a visual experience, considering Souls are translucent. But that wasn't enough. This was the critical period. Hyoma absolutely needed to see the process and its conclusion. Quickly, he lied on his back and watched the blue prisms' reflections, eyeing which one had the better angle. It was difficult to use them due to the lake of tar's inherent muddy traits, but it was enough for him.
The Soul had begun to take shape of the Vessel it once used in a past life.
A familiar shape.
A familiar figure.
A familiar person.
("Oh...goodness. Goodness... no...)"
A black crown that not only served as proof of her (former) deific status, but also served to accentuate the golden hair designed in the iconic flanking twin-tails.
And...
("A black coat dyed red underneath...)"
"If you won't let me borrow your coat, then you better feast your eyes on what I have in store!"
"Please don't. My red coat is all I have. If someone else wears a red coat, then I lose my uniqueness."
"Ereshkigal. This banquet is meant to allow your being into our world."
"..."
"Our purpose, your purpose now as well, is to sing to the moon. We have deemed your voice worthy of such a task."
"..."
"You can do that, can you not? Former Goddess of Death?"
"...Ah..."
"..."
The lying body, Ereshkigal they called her, had finally woken up. Eyes of red, slowly revealing itself to the world. Eyes that have slept for...so long... Her right arm, sluggish but smooth in its movement, reached up to the ceiling, as if trying to grasp something.
"...Ah... Aaaaahhhh...~"
…
…
…
And with her soft, weak, quiet voice, the curtain closed on the banquet, the white mist growing ever stronger before finally dispersing, leaving behind an empty, quiet chamber once again.
…
…
The song of green things has stopped.
…
...
~ NieR Automata – Peaceful Sleep (Music Box) ~
"To say my name with the same severity as the chaos within your eyes..."
"..."
"That is my one, true fear."
...
"To say my name with the same severity as the kosmos within your eyes..."
"..."
"For me, that is my one, true fear."
"My name is Hyoma Hokulei. As you can see, I am just a traveler. A sole, ephemeral traveler that journeyed towards the Skyline Views so that I could see the Living, Rainbow World. All the colors revealed themselves to me, and I gladly took in all of those colors."
"That was the ultimate, eternal goal of my travels. To feel the liberation of a rainbow."
"If I ever forget my story, I'll just say my name...
"...Hyoma Hokulei."
Personal Date - September 24, Year 10,000,285
"That should do for introductions. Journal closed."
…
…
…
…
...
"If you ever forget her story, just say her name... "
"...Hyoma Hokulei."
…
…
The song of serenity of the music box has stopped.
…
…
"What a wonderful world..."