Chapter -21: Simmering Down
"Ha...! Ha...! Ha...!" Vermilion runs alone through the hot wastelands, her body swaying around left to right, unable to remain centered.
Her right foot was being dragged along behind her, a trail of drying blood in her wake.
The look in her eye was normal, fragile even, to the point that she looked like someone else wearing her clothes.
She spun back, feeling she was being pursued, "S-Stay back...!"
She ended up tripping and crashing onto the ground, immediately pulling herself back up and running again in a mad pant.
Her wound had dried out in the high heat but she had already lost enough blood to lose part of his vision. She was sick to her stomach, hurtling vomit ahead of her until her mouth was so caked up in it she had to stop completely to wipe it onto her sleeve.
Then she kept running, further and further to lord knows where, just as long as it wasn't here.
The look in her eye sharpened as she growled in anger, "S-Stupid...bleeding hearts...! S-Stupid...brat...! S-Stupid...fucking...Lilith...!"
Nothing was going her way, NOTHING! The look in her eye got weak and she started sniveling from all the pain clenching her heart.
"Ha...! Ha...! No...no no no...!"
She tripped over onto her arm so hard the bones crunched, "AAAUUUGH!"
She rolled over onto her back and squirmed around uncontrollably. Then she laid out atop her stomach, her eye regaining it's ferocity and her fingernails scraping away at the ground.
But it couldn't last more than a moment before her vulnerability showed through once more, and she saw herself as a little child running through the land.
Smiling and carefree, her shadow-faced father following close behind, laughing and telling her to slow down.
Vermilion grabbed the ground and clenched her chest in the other, "Shut up...! SHUT UP SHUT UP...!"
She dragged herself back onto her feet, where the next step saw her stumbling forward across lava-filled cracks until she fell down once more.
Her panting turned to whimpering as she punched weakly against the ground, seeing her father looking down over her with a big smile on his face.
She squeezed her eyes shut and spoke in the voice of her childish save, desperately bashing against these reminders she had longer buried, "You died...! YOU ABANDONED ME...! Y-You were supposed to be there...forever...!"
Vermilion bashed her fist against her chest multiple times while shouting, "Shut up...! Stop...talking like this...! I'm not that pathetic...LITTLE GIRL...!"
She looked up to see her younger self wandering the wastelands again, but this time she was alone, her small, chubby face now burnt by the trauma of seeing death for the first time.
"...Father was going to tell me something important. I came out here to try and learn what it was."
The young Vermilion turned her head towards the volcano and faster than the blink of an eye, a wild lava-colored bat zipped out of the magma flow and tackled her eye, biting down hard and ripping it out.
"What I learned was that nature doesn't give a SHIT how small or big you are. Fuck up once and it'll maim you."
The young Vermilion came into the wasteland again with bandages over her eyes and her clothes torn and covered in soot.
She was nothing more than a wraith wandering.
"So I decided..."
When the young Vermilion turned around, her face was rabid, her eye glaring at an incoming herd of Ashen Mares with nothing but her bare hands clawed at the ready.
"To accept I was in Hell..."
The Ashen Mares stampeded over her until the point where she was supposed to be dead. But when they left her smeared on the ground, a fire flickered on in her brain, and she arose with an inferno raging inside.
"And burn hotter than it ever could!"
The young Vermilion lunged through the air and tackled a young mare to the ground, throttling it by the neck to kill it's neighs, then dragging it's head into the lava flow until it was nothing but bones.
"That was what my father was going to teach me. That to survive this world's cruelty, you had to become STRONGER than it...!"
Vermilion saw herself flying at the rest of the herd and the memory retracted upon her squeezing her eye shut, pounding away at the ground in frustration.
"W-Why am I seeing this crap...?! Get out of my head...! I don't care...! LEAVE ME ALONE...!" Her wails would go unanswered to her petulant whining.
Her heart started racing, making it harder for her to breathe and see. She gasped and straggled for any strength inside of her.
"P-Please...!" Her eye turned tender. It saw all it needed to. The only reason she would be having these useless visions...
Her ferocity flickered back on, but died to what the heart truly felt. In that moment, she was no longer a demon, but a frail little girl, screaming and begging for rescue.
"I-I don't want to die...! Don't take me...! Please...! Aaaaaahh...! WAAAAAAAH! Father...Father...!" She reached out and in the fog, saw her father's figure standing in front of her, made up of blue flames.
"I want you to remember the sight of this flame, Vermilion..." He said in a comforting voice, "Even in a bleak world, we can always find something beautiful to believe in."
His memory started to burn out, and she desperately clawed at the air, "NO! DON'T LEAVE ME AGAIN...!"
"You...you dead bastard...! How could you do this to me...?! How could you be so weak...?!"
Both the demon and the child were at one with their feelings, bleeding out the last of their tears in the hopeless, searing heat.
As Vermilion's last strength waned, she heard a faint voice call out to her, "MASTER...!"
"What the hell was the point of any of this...?"
"MASTER...!" Roared Solaris, his voice empowering her with one last pip of vitality to let her open her eyes and see him falling to the ground to help her up.
He was exhausted, but mostly furious, "Who did this to you?! Damn it...! I'll tear them to shreds...!"
He grabbed and hauled her up. There was no life in her eyes as she mumbled, "Y-You...came...for me?"
"No shit! We're a team!"
Vermilion let out a few teary, unhinged chuckles before mumbling in a somewhat fond tone, "You damn...softy..."
Solaris helped keep her up against his body and not a moment after, Carolina floated down from the sky.
Solaris immediately swung his other hand out and drew his sword, gnashing his teeth, "DID YOU DO THIS TO HER?!"
"D-Damn it, brat...!" Vermilion coughed viciously, "None of us in any shape...to fight..."
Carolina had put on a quick makeshift blindfold from material in Canofloe. Vermilion glared at her and said in a tired tone, "Whaddya want...?"
Carolina whispered, "Lil...ith...What is she...planning?"
Vermilion scoffed, "...Like I fucking know..."
She was being sincere, which surprised Carolina.
Vermilion then had this to add, "She wants the Wellsprings..."
Carolina lowered her head and murmured, "Torren..."
"Hmph..." Vermilion cracked her head back slightly and remarked, "...Don't bother. Hate to say it, but Lilith's stronger than me. Except she's also a lunatic."
Vermilion then closed her eye and jabbed Solaris in the chest with her elbow, "This day's sucked. Get me out of here."
"Ok...!" Solaris left, but not before glaring at Carolina.
And Carolina was left wondering how much of a victory this really was...
Back in Canofloe, the citizens were dealing with the aftermath of battle.
The dead were being carted off to be put to rest as ashes in urns, the wounded rested in the comfort of their homes.
Maidens wept, it was a sorrowful affair for all and yet, one symbolizing the last trauma that needed to be shared among them.
Tomorrow would be a day to celebrate, for at long last the demon had met her end.
Valflame kneeled in his castle court, putting the lid upon a very special jar, belonging to his old companion. This was to be buried at the foot of the volcano out in the wastelands where he roamed wild and free many, many years ago.
It was the best respect he could pay to his loyalty and sacrifice, his tears moistening the ash in the jar.
He wiped them on his sleeve and stood, the two men under his command picking up the jar and carrying it off.
He hadn't the strength to do this final task...for he no longer had the use of his best hand. But the handicap didn't affect him, much.
He smiled towards the city he loved, tending to it's burns and wounds. And then with a deep sigh, he looked up towards the volcano again, waiting for that young man to finally return.
His arrival came to be heralded in the form of a gentle breeze at his back. Valflame turned around to see him standing there, hurt but in the midst of recovering.
Valflame widened his eyes and gave them a quick rub, "Dare I ask...are you real?"
Sarajin smiled and gasped momentarily in relief as he laid his hand over his chest, "I-I honestly was worried you wouldn't make it."
"Well..." Valflame tried to lift the shoulder of his damaged arm, "Not fully."
Sarajin was stunned and then quickly wandered over to check the damage, immediately bringing up the idea, "When Auris gets here, I'll have her-"
"It's fine. Lady Carolina already offered her aid...I humbly declined." Valflame whispered, not a hint of sorrow or hesitation in his voice.
Sarajin backed away with a look of surprise, "But what about your dream?"
Valflame replied, "I still have one good hand, and my mind is clearer than ever. However...there's something else I wish to do first."
Sarajin began to turn his head when Valflame gestured at him and remarked, "But that can wait. Surely, your return signifies a worthwhile degree of celebration, no?"
Sarajin looked away while rubbing the back of his head.
Valflame started to get a little nervous on the crown of his brow, "You...did manage to sway our Titan, did you not?"
"Uhhh..." Sarajin said with a brief point behind him.
Valflame turned around to see a small fiery furred simian laying on their back atop his perimeter wall, picking magma out of his ears.
Upon becoming the center of attention he flicked the gunk away and leaned into his elbow with a smirk, "Let me guess..."
He flattened his hands against the side of his face and gasped, "How can you be our Titan when you're so small?!"
Magmankey flicked his wrist out and smirked, "Go on, be honest about it and I won't immediately singe your butt."
Valflame shivered and then fell on one knee, "L-Lord Titan...! I...I am beyond honored that you would present yourself before a humiliated man such as I."
Magmankey directed his smile more towards the side and snickered, sitting upright with his hands laid out above his crossed legs, "Yer a funny kid, gutsy too."
Valflame raised his head part way and wondered, "...Can I be permitted to ask you one question?"
The Titan sensed a slight lack of reverence in that voice but shrugged it off, "Eh, sure, why not?"
Valflame braved the being's intimidating aura of fire to say, "Is it...true what my compatriot told me? Was there never really a grudge between you and the Titan of Cryofloe? Were we...merely toys for your amusement?"
"Yep!" Magmankey's instant answer left Valflame devastated while looking at him.
The Titan then hopped off and started to walk towards him, "Buuuuuut, I'm gonna try and be more of a good sa-mandarin and less of a dick."
Valflame's expression became a total blank.
Magmankey wiggled his hands out and mumbled, "C'mon, good samaritan, good sa-mandarin. Because a mandarin is a type of monkey and I am..."
When Valflame continued to give him dead eyes the Titan slapped and stretched down the front of his face with a groan, "Ooooy vey. Ok, we're gonna hafta give you guys a sense of humor first and foremost."
"Ya wanna spread some 'peace and love'? Laughter's a good start."
Valflame rose to his feet and glanced over his shoulder at Sarajin, acting all bewildered about this, "Are you...sure this is our Titan?"
Magmankey put his hands behind his head and groaned, "Sheeeeeesh, whaddya want from me? Not like I got any mark to prove it."
The Titan closed his eyes and gave a very deep sigh, "...Alright, I'm sorry all those people died under my watch. It won't happen again."
He then winked one eye at Sarajin, "I owe this kid that much."
Sarajin then waved his hand out and remarked, "And?"
Magmankey slanted his brows and scowled, "Don't push your luck, I may be tired, but I can still finish you off if I want."
Sarajin flinched and the Titan chuckled playfully. He then turned around and started walking off, "We'll talk more about fixing up our society later. I wanna talk a stroll, see things from the ground for a bit."
The Titan hooted and hollered his way into the city.
Valflame then turned around with a completely drained look in his barely lifted up by the surprise he felt towards the young man standing before him.
"So you...actually managed to defeat our Titan?" Valflame could still only see the same humble figure he always knew standing before him, despite the awe-inspiring feat now beholden to his name...
Sarajin have a happy smile and laughed it off like it was no big deal, "I guess so? I kind of lost consciousness for a while there..."
Valflame dropped his hand and smiled, a couple tears wrung from his eyes. He remembered a young boy whose words uplifted him out of the darkness, and now, finally, he had earned the courage to step back onto into the light.
"Thank you, Sarajin...for everything." He whispered all to his lonesome.
"Huh?" Sarajin looked his way.
Valflame smiled and waved his hand out, "Oh yes, I almost forgot. Your son's resting in my quarters. He fought a hard battle today, just like his father."
On their way inside the castle Sarajin was a little shaken, torn between confirming his concerns in person or pulling them out of Valflame now, "I-Is he...ok?"
"You should have seen him out there," Valflame said, his voice beaming with praise, "He was courageous against all odds, fighting tooth and nail to be a man worthy of your respect. He stepped in the demon's path to save my life, with no thought spared to his fears."
"Without him, I feel I wouldn't have won this battle..." Valflame stopped at the top of the stairs to face him with a smile, "It confirmed to me, without a doubt, that he was always meant to be your son."
Sarajin was left with a wrinkly smile and a warm feeling in his cheeks and chest.
A feeling that was replaced with relief when he entered Valflame's room and saw his son snoring away under the sheets.
Sarajin bent down and rubbed the side of his face. His son smiled and then went back to sleep.
"Good job, son." He whispered, providing him fuel for great dreams.
Valflame whispered from behind, "Sarajin..."
The two went outside the room and upon the shutters being closed, Valflame remarked, "I have given it a lot of thought now and decided...I am going to leave my village for a while."
"Y-You are?" Sarajin said."
"Yes...The world is becoming a safer place, all thanks to you and your friend's efforts. And I am not the young man I once was...I want to be able to experience the things you have while I still have a chance. And who can say? Perhaps my travels will inspire me to create new, wonderful pieces of ash art."
"Hey," Sarajin reached out to touch his shoulder and smiled warmly, "Just be careful out there. And whenever you want to go to my home, I'll take you."
"Wherever you may soar Sarajin next, look down, you're bound to find me somewhere."
With this conversation between good men settled, it was time to truly relax and deal with the repairs of the city.
But on the opposite side of the mountain, Cecilia Frost was stuck alone to deal with the affairs her victory over Colrez set in place.
Hundreds of lost and confused citizens, struggling to think of a purpose outside the scope of war.
They were pitiable in this regard, but she didn't want to show them too much mercy. They were still culpable in Colrez's acts, and there were some scars formed by them that she simply would not be able to heal.
For now, she had set the younger men to task dismantling the palace, and exhausted herself trying to deal with the many women who had become liberated from her actions.
She needed a brief respite off on the side of the mountain, wondering to herself, "I'm going to need to enlist some help here...There's a lot of work that needs to be done."
She heard some light movement in the snow and made a sharp turn to her right, only to be surprised by the presence of a small, fluffy armadillo waddling up next to her.
It sat down in a depressed slump and let out a sigh.
Cecilia's mouth went agape with a stutter, "Ummm...What...are you?"
"The Titan here..." Said Chillo Dillo, "But I sure ain't feelin' it right now."
"You're joking." Cecilia said bluntly.
"Haaaa...that's what I mean..." Chillo curled up into a sad sack, "Nobody wants to look up to a cuddly armadillo."
Cecilia was prepared to get up and walk away, then the Titan continued talking, "I was buddies with my citizens way back when. We made ice sculptures, threw snowballs, and drank beer together."
"But when the Rot happened and everyone was panicking, I heard a lot of people yelling 'Where is our Titan?', 'When will we help us?'"
"...Nobody wants a soft face protecting them. They want a big strong beast...So I just...gave them what they wanted, a big, strong bear in the sky to look up to."
"..." Cecilia sat back down and murmured, "But that's not what you wanted."
Chillo unfurled a bit onto his back and bobbed around, gazing up at the sky, "I miss having friends. It's so lonely at the top. And now that my brother's been convinced to come down...I ain't got no one."
Cecilia closed her eyes and turned to face the village, "Then start over."
Chillo sighed, "What's the point? I'm made for cuddling, not for hate."
Cecilia curled her hands into the snow and leaned her head back, "I thought I could never be accepted for who I was. That I had to become something else, someONE else, just to keep living..."
"But that was naive. Learning to love myself for who I am...has been more liberating than caging myself behind a false name."
She then turned to Chillo and remarked, "Show them who YOU are, and if it's meant to be, then you'll get what you want. But if not here, then somewhere, you'll find someone who will accept you."
Chillo sat up and murmured, "You really think so?"
Cecilia nodded with a smile.
"...Huh." With a bit of pep in his step, Chillo wobbled towards the village, right into the line of sight of the other villagers.
Everyone was silent and stared down at him with a series of awkward, penetrating glares.
"Uhhhh..." Chillo wagged his little paw up and said, "Sup?"
Nobody was saying anything. His heart immediately began to sink. He slowly reached into his fur, and pulled out a small icy mug full of beer to hold in both hands.
"...Anyone wanna have a drink with me?"
He clinked around the ice in his mug and in due time, a couple of the citizens smiled and broke through the crowd to approach him, "Sure we would, little guy!"
It warmed Chillo's cheeks and made him chuckle.
From afar, Cecilia leaned into the scene with her hands on the sides of her face, "Perhaps this is the way to go...One step at a time."
Around nightfall, Auris returned to Canofloe and met with Sarajin outside of the palace, "Feeling better?"
Sarajin looked at her with surprise and then rolled his arms around, not a single crack in his bones, "Surprisingly, yeah? I recovered quick."
"Hmmm..." Her hum was laced with the slightest hint of worry as she nestled up next to him and laid her hand atop his.
"How about you? Did everything go ok?" Sarajin wondered.
"Solaris gave me a tougher fight than I expected, but he's all raw power and no technique. He could use a little of my training." It was a bit of a humble boast, but perhaps the levity of her attitude was needed to fully help it set in that the battle was over.
"Heh, well, seems you're a good judge for when someone's ready to fight," Sarajin looked straight ahead, "Our son beat Vermilion after all...I wonder if it's ok for me to feel proud of that."
"We shouldn't make a habit of doing this, I agree. But it saved this Tribe, and helped lift his spirits."
Sarajin nodded, and after a short pause Auris rubbed the side of her head and let out a sigh, "Forgive me for being late, on that note. I wanted to look around a little bit, confirm that no one else would try to take advantage of the fighting to go up the mountains and snatch the Wellsprings."
Sarajin looked surprised, "Nobody did?"
Auris shook her head.
"Huh..." Sarajin crossed his arms and wondered, "I would've sworn that was the main reason for this fighting to begin with..."
"This doesn't disclude the possibility of the other Tribes being attacked. We'll have to check on them tomorrow."
"Right, the other Tribes..." Sarajin nodded with little worry in his eyes, and began to grow a smile, "I still can't believe it...Heh! We stopped the endless war between these two Tribes."
Auris gestured at him and murmured, "You pulled most of the weight...beating a Titan of all things."
"Huh, yeah, I guess I did do that!" Sarajin said with a mildly cheerful smile.
Auris pulled away and was a little hostile towards the casualness of his response, "You...do understand how big of a deal that is?"
"I-I know...!" He waved his hands out and looked embarrassed, "But does it matter? It's not like it's going to change who I am."
Auris' pupils dilated and with a quick cough she turned aside and was now on the receiving end of embarrassment, "Sorry...I don't know what I was thinking."
Sarajin reached for her shoulder and smiled, "I never would have gotten this far without all of you guys. And I'll still need you. No matter how long I live."
It brought a tear to Auris' eye that she wiped onto her glove. Then with a smile she nodded his way, "Of course. And I will always be there for you."
Sarajin's smile couldn't really hold back the anticipation he was feeling inside, "We're so close though. Saving these two Tribes was a major step forward. Now all we have to do is stop Lilith's plans, and get through to your father."
He shook his head and calmed down a bit, "No. It's going to be a much longer journey than that."
"..." Auris knew his hope would never die, and for as long as she could see the future, she work strive to keep the light of hope shining.
"And yet..." She closed her eyes, peering through the vast, many tunnels of the future...So, so many of them, reaching a dead end in darkness.
"What could possibly cause this to happen?"
Solomon? Lilith? Or perhaps...something still left unseen.
Next Time: Torren and Brine