Chapter 9: No Rest For the Wicked (Dear, Sweet, Precious, Innocent Ionela)
Running seems to be something that I doing an intense amount of lately, especially with how I've been running for days on end… Well two days now that the Colony Maker and I had left that Dark Zone Border town we'd stopped in.
Now that I think about, I might need to give the Colony Maker a name now that she's starting to break away from her programming. With the speed at which she's making progress, I might not have much time to come up with a good one, and "Colleen" is far too obvious.
We're about halfway to the lake that the ruins of what I hope are Gear Chronicle structures, and there's a village between us and it where we'll either take a break or keep going. I'm leaning towards break time, but the Star-vader's ill-fitting tie-dye t-shirt says keep running.
Laziness or dignity, that is the question.
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Laziness won, but when we arrived, we found that the town had been abandoned.
So, I had naturally made the executive decision for us to loot as many of the buildings as we could before anyone returned.
A younger Trent Blackmore would have avoided doing such on the grounds of his morals, but that was the younger Trent Blackmore who had yet to discover that he could reliable sneak off the playground at recess and then proceeded to have a somewhat lucrative business in the form of selling penny candy at jacked up prices, while getting specific candy for those who requested it at significant price hikes.
That was when I discovered that my morals were loose and easily compromised. Who knew that discovering moral relativism could be so liberating for a elementary schooler? I was both hated and loved on that schoolyard, and it was a wonderful feeling to rule the school through their childish love of candy.
And as the Star-vader and I raided the suburbs it seemed to pay off again. I managed to pick up a decent backpack, some changes of clothes, a healthy hoard of credits, and a really nifty duster. I likely wouldn't need the duster until either the seasons shifted over to Cray's version of winter or the Colony Maker and I moved on to a colder climate, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared.
Or I could just wear it, I doubt Cyberoid bodies have any trouble regulating heat.
When I met back up with the Star-vader, I was glad to see that she'd also picked up a bag that was probably filled with clothes and, hopefully, credits. Sadly, she was still wearing the tie-dye, which I think has somehow intensified to be an eye-searing clash of colours that made me want to cry a little, that or I was being overdramatic.
"You couldn't have picked out a new shirt?" I ask, keeping my eyes firmly on her face in order to spare them the sight of the tie-dye.
She cocked her head in a rather cute manner, "Statement: I picked out a number of new blouses along with more pants while looting these abandoned domiciles. Your statement is factually incorrect."
"I was more talking about you possibly changing out of that abomination you're currently wearing, but fair assessment of what I literally said," I'll give her this one, as she isn't too strong in the semantics department yet, another thing to work on.
The Colony Maker gave me a searching look, "Statement: research shows that many sapients find bright colours pleasant. Your words are anomalous in the face of that research."
"To clarify, not all people like bright colours, me being one such person, and second, tie-dye went out of style on Earth decades ago, I shudder to think of how long it's been out of style on Cray," Well, maybe it's still in style here on Cray, but that's not my concern at the moment.
"Statement: I find it pleasant."
I'm not winning the war on tie-dye, am I?
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The Colony Maker and I'd gone into the town centre in order to plunder the shops and such there; which as we enter, I immediately realize this was actually a massive mistake.
First off, it isn't empty. In fact, we've found the townspeople! Why they were there is the second problem. There, standing amidst a mob of empty eyed civilians and just as enthralled circus performers, was a woman who oozed sex appeal.
Her hair is a vibrant crimson, lines glowing that same red tattoo her body and line her clothes, a whip maid of chain links dangles from one of her hands, and a small black cap is perched atop her head. Her clothing is limited to a pair of gloves that reach up to the tops of her biceps, a small butt cape, a pair of pants and boots that I'm unsure as to where one ends and the other begins, a collar around her neck, and a tube top with what looks to be a sheer material allowing one a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage. Her mouth is pulled into a clearly unhinged grin, her ears are pointed in the typical manner of elves, and where one of her eyes is a piercing blue, the other is glowing red.
There's no doubt in my mind, this woman before me is Luquier of the Pale Moon, or more specifically, the Silver Thorn Dragon Queen, Luquier Яeverse.
Oh no, she's hot.
Her eyes locked on to us, and she took a few steps in our direction, her hips swaying sensually as she spoke, "Ah, wonderful, more slaves to worship at my feet."
Oh no, she's crazy.
"Run."
With that single word, I spun and made a break for a nearby alley, the Colony Maker having fortunately listened to me. Sadly for me, I felt something hit my ankle and wrap around it, and suddenly I'm hitting the ground and being dragged back into the street.
"Dear, oh dear, another… 'Less than willing' slave. Don't worry, once you look me in the eye, you'll understand your place in the world… Amongst my slaves."
Despite the purring of Luquier's voice, the shiver that runs down my spine isn't one of anticipation. Pushing myself to my feet, I can't help but chuckle bitterly, "You know, it's kind of hilarious to hear you talk about slavery… Given that you yourself are a slave."
"What are you talking about, can't you see my adoring slaves here?" Luquier questions me, even as I cast my gaze towards her. Her thralls have all shuffled to stand behind her, all of them gazing at her blankly.
I scratch at the back of my head, "Yeah, sure, 'adoring.' I'm sure that's a suitable synonym for mind controlled puppet who's unable to properly express their emotions. I guess that makes you one of Chaos Breaker's adoring slaves too, no?"
"I serve no one! Everyone shall find themselves at my bidding! Be it you, Amon, Alfred, or Chaos Breaker!" She shouted at me, her arm lashing out and sending her whip cracking through the air.
I laugh again, "I guess it's true, that the best slaver is the slave blind to the collar and leash at their throat." Well, it's actually "The best warden is a prisoner who's given privileges over their fellow inmates," but my analogy works.
"Didn't you hear me? I'm no one's slave!" With that roar, the whip lashes against my cheek, and even though it hurts and causes my head to jerk to the side, I don't falter.
"I wonder how you deluded yourself into that thought process, after your Яeversal? It's almost admirable, the way you cling to this idea of yours that you're free and enslaving others to your will. But in truth, you're not binding them to you, you're binding them to the will of the Star-vaders, I wonder how it feels to lie to yourself so thoroughly?" I question, even as I turn my eyes onto Luquier's face.
She smirks even as her crimson eye flashes, "Ah, I'm so glad that you decided to give yourself to me, just for that, I'll give you special treatment as my footstool, after you clean the soles of my boots."
"How'sbout you fuck off the edge of my dick instead?" I ask, never more glad for my habit of not meeting peoples' eyes than I am right now, as it let me dodge the effects of her Mystic Eye.
Her lips curled in distaste as she barked, "Look me in the eye! Look at my eye, peon!"
"Such language!" I gasp, feigning scandal, "But real talk? How much of this whole shtick that you have going was your idea, and how much of it was Chaos Breaker's?" I inquire, smiling serenely even though I can feel my cheek swelling up.
"You know what? Fuck this, I'm going to break you the old fashioned way, and you're going to wish that you'd simply submitted when you had the chance," Luquier growled, her grip tightening around the handle of her whip.
With a crack of her whip, a small girl with large fluffy tail was entrapped within a Lock, even as a dragon appeared seemingly from nowhere and barrelled towards me. As I dodge out of the way, I realize the identity of the littlest Warbeast that was just Locked, it was dear, sweet, precious, innocent Ionela.
That adorable child's innocent smile has been stolen from her by Luquier's Lock. But, as I focus on the Lock, I can feel something shift in it, and I pull on that sensation. The sensation coalesces into my hands, and with a bit of panic, I thrust them before me.
I brace myself, expecting the dragon (which I'm fairly sure is Rising Dragon) to bowl through me, but instead, it's deflected off the crimson shield that I summoned with that sensation. I want to stop and just stare at my hands because how does that even work?
Thankfully for my health, the cyberoid body seems to have other ideas and I bolt down the alley I know that the alley that I know the Colony Maker ran down. As I go, I can hear Luquier shout from behind me, "I won't let you get away!"
The dragon is pulled into a Lock, and there's that same feeling again. I pull on it, just in time to catch a blow sent at me by a woman (pinkish hair, black clothes, large… tracts of land… I'll eat the Colony Maker's tie-dye shirt if that's not Maricica) called forth by Luquier.
More and more thralls are called forth, but for each of them that's brought forth, a Lock is created, and from each of those Locks, I pull out a shield to block them. I catch up to the Star-vader and motion for her to keep running, because I don't think either of us can properly deal with Luquier, at least, not without some serious back up that we don't have.
More thralls, more Locks, more shields, all of it continues even as the Colony Maker and I pass the city limits. The moment it stops, I hear a shout of frustration, and with a slight turn of my head, I see that Luquier herself has followed us, "Out of slaves already?! Fine, run! But I'll get my hands on you, and when I do, I'll make you understand that you should have given yourself to me as soon as you saw me!"
If she had meant that in a far more intimate way, and she wasn't currently Яeversed, I probably would have.
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The Star-vader and I ended up running for two days and nights before I felt it was safe enough to stop.
We'd have to go into a town eventually, see if we were still on track, but all that had truly mattered was that we'd escaped.
In a way, it was kind of refreshing to lie down under a tree off the side of a rather worn road, it honestly felt sort of like I'd gone camping with my cousins again.
I can't see the Star-vader from where I'm laying so I don't know exactly what she's doing, but I don't know if I can really bring myself to care right now, as I fall asleep.
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My eyes open, but not to the tree I'd gone to sleep under, but in a strange space.
A dream, I suppose.
The sky is an off grey colour, flecks of black falling from it, there's a beige-ish or cream coloured platform beneath me, and beneath that is the Void.
Not a 'void', but the Void that all Link Joker apparently are sworn to or are connected to in some manner.
It's enthralling in a way.
It's not hungry, not like one might expect a void to be, constantly pulling at everything in order to consume it, as the Star-vaders and Deletors apparently believe.
It is, however, terrifyingly empty.
I cast my gaze about, and off to the side, there's another platform. Crouched upon it, slowly being caked and covered by the flecks of black that seemed to just fall off me, was Vowing Sword Dragon, although he did look sort of fuzzy around the edges. Frighteningly, his shadow was also visibly being pulled across the platform and then down into the Void. His gaze caught on to me, and he murmured in his rumbling voice, "Ah, you, here to mock me? To go on about how you're right?"
"Not really, no," I answer as I stroll over to the edge of my platform and plop down, my legs dangling over the Void.
His eyes scrunch up in thought, "Hmph, and here I thought you would. You're right, though, about what you said to me when we last met. How I'm dancing to Chaos Breaker's tune, how I'm hurting those I swore to protect."
"Eh, someone had to talk some sense into you, shouted at Luquier just a few days ago," I shrug, even as I'm tempted to flop onto back.
Vowing's head cranes to face me, "Why?"
"Oh, you didn't know? She was Яeversed, just like you. Had to run from her though, as she went full murder mode rather than the mini-breakdown I nearly forced you through. Sorry about that, by the way," I reply, but honestly, these flecks are kind of annoying, even if they flow off me like water.
The dragon grimaced, "No, I think it might be that I should be thanking you, as you're words incapacitated me long enough to keep me from hurting more than I did. Didn't help later, but for that night at least…"
"Oh, your welcome then, I guess," Wasn't really expecting that, figured he'd be more liable to blow up at me.
Silence settles between us for a few moments, but it's broken by Vowing Sword, "Tell me, how can you do that yet not be dragged into the Void?"
"What? Sit here with my legs over the edge? Honestly, I'm not too sure," I answer, kicking my legs a bit.
The dragon makes a disgruntled noise before he answers me, "Don't you feel it pulling on, trying to swallow you?"
"Not really~, but I guess it's like that for you? Has it always been like that for you?" Man, am I having dream introspection with an interpretation of Vowing Sword? Well, at least he's telling me I'm making good choices, more pats on the back for me.
He sighs, "Yes, ever since this all began. It feels like it's trying devour me…"
"Maybe it's a matter of perspective. You see the Void as something that pulls everything to be devoured and destroyed, and I see it as something to be filled," I answer, trying to hash out the Void, in my own mind I guess.
The dragon makes a sort of laughing rumble in his throat, "Isn't that the same thing?"
"Not really?" I ramble, trying to explain it as best I can, "Like, you see it like some great beast or something, and to me… it's like a canvas or a blank page. I see it as something to be filled with… I guess whatever it should be filled with, colours, feelings or whatever." I wave my hand at the sky to illustrate my point.
There's that rumbling laugh again, "You know, that sort of makes sense."
"Of course, getting Яeversed probably didn't help with how you're seeing the Void. You probably got the Star-vader view of what it's supposed to be like jammed into your head and it definitely messed with you. I mean, there's the Star-vader and Deletor way to view the Void, then there's the way that me and what will eventually be the Craian Link Joker see it." I see the dragon give me a shocked look, but whatever. I've got a train of thought and I'm not letting it be derailed. "Overlord… Well, I can't be sure as to how he'll see the Void, other than another source of power for him to take ahold of," I hum and haw a bit on this statement, but it's gotta be said, right? Absently, I notice the Narukami starting to bluster at the mention of the famous Kagero general in the same sentence as the Void, but this is a dream. He's a part of my psyche really, so he already knows all of this. "But… You can't just sit and wait for someone to save you from it." I stop and consider what I'd said, "Or, I suppose you can, but that might be a long wait. No telling what might happen between now and then. If you don't want that then… This, the Void, it's something you've got to deal with, maybe you have to become… "Non-standard" in your Яeversal, cast yourself into the Void and take it more into yourself."
The dragon grumbles at that, "So, a source of strength… I can understand that." I could see a slight tremor shiver through his sorta pixelated body as what I'd guess were fury, rage, and determination warred within him.
A moment of silence rings out, and then it's again broken.
"Let's say I can do it… How is this to your benefit?"
"Me?" I loll my head from side to side, thinking about it a bit, "I hadn't really thought too much on it. Though, I wouldn't be complaining if Cray were to win this war."
"Hmph, to say it like that… Perhaps, my loyalty then? Will that be enough? I'll give you my loyalty, Devil… Because if it is for the power to protect those under my purview from the Link Joker, I'll gladly damn myself with both hands!" This guy, well, I guess this is my psyche saying that people will do nice things for me if I do nice things for them. Or that I want people to work for me.
Slowly, almost as if it's snow melting in the early spring, the black stuff that had been caking Vowing's body flowed off. The shadow that had been pulled over the edge of the platform has retracted back to a normal length, and he freely stands, his wings stretching out.
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My eyes open, and I can't help but mutter, "What a weird dream…"
AN: Oh hai guys, look a new chapter. As always, special thanks to AbZHz101 and Peanut.007 for beta'ing this. And remember, remain hype for the month of Link Joker (November), even if there won't be a Photon reprint (Laughs in Photon at people with no Photons).
