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"This plague we call nobility, does it truly serve the people, or do they merely serve themselves?"
Wiegraf Folles, at the end of the Fifty Year War.
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Chapter 10: To Draw One's Sword
"You insidious wretch! How dare you invalidate my precious efforts with your nonsense!"
You seem to be misunderstanding my actions.
"I'll kill you, you bastard! I'll carve out your precious third eye and devour it whole! I'll tear off your imaginary limbs and stuff them down your throat! Slice open your stomach and bathe in the ambrosia you call blood!"
That seems a bit harsh.
"And then I'll burn your entire body to ash! I'll scatter every goddamn molecule to the four corners of the earth, do you hear me!? Are you possibly starting to understand me, Being X?!"
This is a very elaborate way to say 'No,' Miss Degurechaff.
"And another thing-!" I said with a snarl, before wildly windmilling my arms as I fell off Ramza's back, pointing my hand towards the ceiling. Ramza didn't move. In fact, nothing seemed to move. It was as if color had vanished from the world surrounding me, a grey veil covering it with only a single point of shining gold, that clattered to the ground next to me. A piece of shining stone, with that damnable X across it.
Do you truly believe me to be so wicked? I simply gave you exactly what you desired.
Exactly what I desired!? Being born into this pseudo-French world was the exact opposite of my desires! Isn't it a bit too harsh a punishment for giving this useless being some friendly advice?! That was exactly what he was asking for in the first place!
Have you not improved a single iota in your time here? I had hoped that the camaraderie would resurrect some of your more… fond memories of home.
Whose memories do you think you've been rooting around in?! Seriously, it's not like I ever enjoyed the camaraderie, or that loathsome thing schools claim to be 'group activity', it was simply what was done. Doing what was required of me, in the most efficient manner, in order to achieve advancement; that's simply what life is all about, right? Signaling theory has taught me that to advance, one must be perceived as deserving of a greater standing in life in the first place. From each according to his ability, from each according to his needs. This is the natural order of things that we as humans understand them - that a person will not be given anything greater than his or her ability to accomplish.
...Actually, aren't Ramza and I constantly thrown way over our heads by his family? I only allowed him into my presence so that way I could have a peaceful and easy future ahead of me!
No, you really have not. But what a predicament for you, Miss Degurechaff!
The words of this half-assed excuse for omnipotence ran through my ears and I bit my tongue instead of responding. I wouldn't get sucked into Being X's rhythm, that would just result in misery for me. Besides, we Japanese are used to taking abuse from higher ups.
You are trapped here, in this prison, with no possibility for escape. Rejoice, Miss Degurechaff, for salvation is at hand.
The stone glinted in the light.
Praise me, Degurechaff.
"I'd rather kill myself, you devil."
Accepting Being X's help would only result in an endless array of despair. The last time I was 'aided' by it, I ended up here after all, as a newborn girl trapped in an orphanage. Of what use could he be to my future? What gains could be made from accepting his aid in any way? There are none. Anyone loathsome enough to pray for salvation, or beg for a savior to appear, is simply someone unworthy of being saved. Such an act is the purest form of bending and scraping the ground for the scraps of those above you. I will not bend and scrape for such an incompetent as my superior.
"Your existence is a deviation. Your continued poking at my life is a disaster. Accept your help? Of what help could you be?"
I threw my arms out wide, smiling brightly at the stone that glittered at my feet, Ramza's frozen body at my side.
"Locked in? How naïve, Being X. How dizzyingly naïve. Your precious stone was just the thing that was keeping us trapped here. So what exactly were to happen, if I shattered it into a thousand pieces?"
I had no blades at my side, but did I even need them? I couldn't cast magic, but was it even necessary? I raised my shoe into the air, and slammed it into the stone, but a sound like a glass bell rang out instead.
All I wish of you, Miss Degurechaff, is to kill your enemies.
"And who are my enemies, Being X?" I said with a snarl as I smashed my foot into the stone over and over, but it just made an incessant ting instead of breaking into fragments. "Fate? Or perhaps it is God?"
The stone burst with a brilliant light, and I had to take a step back and cover my eyes, as it hovered in the air, the X across it shining brightly. This thing… This thing…! Break! Shatter! Come apart!
Demons. Kill them, Miss Degurechaff. Sing praises of my Name, and power beyond your dreams will be granted to you.
Power? Like I wanted that. Like I even needed it. I had no use for power. Power led to frontline deployments and being embroiled in the thick of conflict. Power demanded leadership that I had no care to uphold. Power asked too much of those who wielded it, and would be totally counterproductive to my safe and quiet life in Eagrose Castle. I didn't give a damn about power.
"While this is an obnoxiously fantastical setting you have placed me inside of Being X, I refuse to believe that demons exist inside of it. Don't be ridiculous."
And yet, is that not a cambion locked in here with you? Do your captors perhaps wish for your death?
I laughed. Cambion? You're not even close. While he may be an idiot, and he may be unfairly strong, to accuse Ramza Beoulve of being devilkin is the most absurd thing I've ever heard. Being X, are your thought processes so truly mixed up that you would consider someone so disgustingly dragged around by that meagre shield we call justice a demon?
"If Beoulve's a demon, then I'm a saint," I said as I grabbed the stone out of the air and started smashing it against the floor. The wood gave easier then the stone, and my hand was gashed by splinters as I continued my attempts to destroy Being X's stupid conduit. "He doesn't have the guts to slip a knife between my ribs."
Duels don't count. After all, that was a mutual decision made by two reasonable parties in a time of desperation.
You cannot escape here without my aid.
The stone flared again, and I had to cover my eyes, dropping it and taking a step back.
You know it to be true, Miss Degurechaff. This keystone controls the wards. If you do not take control of it, you cannot flee. You will die here.
I let out a scream, reaching for mana that wouldn't come.
Praise my Name, and you will live. Say nothing, and you will die. Is it truly such a difficult choice?
Being X sounded almost sad as he spoke, the bastard. Like he even cared. This devil masquerading as God could never care for the likes of meagre commoners such as myself. It barely even gave a damn about the nobility.
The cambion will also die. You have met with the leader. You know what he desires. Do you think he will pause for even a second if you reject him?
That gave me pause. My heart was trapped in my throat, and I looked at Ramza, with his stupid blue eyes opened wide as he reached for a sword that wasn't there, his brow furrowed while he was frozen in time. Could I sacrifice both our lives, simply for the right to deny Being X?
No.
It was mere arrogance on my part. My ticket to the upper class couldn't be allowed to die, and nor could I force his family to bury his bones. If only I lived, that was far worse then if only I died.
"Fine," I hissed. "You want me to lie? I'll lie. I'll sing your praises when I need them. I'll forget them when I don't. How does that sound, Being X? Are you satisfied?"
The stone flickered in the gray.
Miss Degurechaff, it whispered in my soul as it floated into my hands, I could not be any happier.
And time resumed. Ramza's gasp as he grasped for a weapon, and his shout of indignation as he whirled around were amusing, but unnecessary. I'd already made a deal with the devil.
"Tanya!?" he said, whirling, "What was that light? That sound? It struck at my soul-"
"Never you mind," I said, holding up a glinting stone in my hand. "I've got our ticket out of here."
"Is that - auracite?! By God, were the legends true!?"
Auracite? I'd only heard the term in scripture, and I looked distastefully at the stone in my hand. A gift from God? There was no way that was true. If Being X was one of those alleged 'Gods', then there would be nary a reason to ever trust such existences. In my previous life, our executives were akin to Gods. I was totally subservient to their whims, bending and scraping for the slightest scrap of advancement to be given to me. Even with the power of signaling theory, there were often times where I was overlooked in favor of others. It was only through the beauty of the Chicago School that I had even managed to find the truth of the world and its inner workings. There are five studies that govern this planet - math, chemistry, physics, biology, and psychology. But the greatest one of all of those, the only one that combines them all into one, understandable science, is of course, my favorite.
Economics.
This world is a cruel one. Both harsh and unforgiving. But economics makes it an understandable, controllable one. With an understanding of economics, there is nothing in this world outside of our control. Everything can be understood, comprehended, and manipulated.
"Don't put your faith in legends and God, Beoulve," I said to him. "Twelve legendary knights stood against the tide of darkness to save the world? Isn't that too idealistic in the first place?"
He blinked, a thoughtful look coming across his faith.
"Think of it as a conduit," I said as I looked at it with distaste. "You put in energy and get energy out. Mana being disabled, even in such a small room is absurd. Mana is lifeblood to all living things, it echoes in the very air we breathe. But if it's all channeled into this stone, instead of into the air-"
"-Then our spells would cease to function," he whispered as his smile sharpened like a dagger. "And if we have control of the conduit, then is it not our purview to welcome our enemies with open arms?"
I smiled brilliantly back at him. This was why Ramza and I got along in the first place. We understood each other.
"Indeed, Beoulve," I said as I took a deep breath. "Shall we weave a tale that our comrades can sing of in song?"
"Whyever would we not, Degurechaff?"
Very well then. Alright Being X. Let's see what your useless stone can do.
"I call on you, my God, for you will answer me," I whispered, and the stone began to shine brightly, mana hissing from it as it circulated itself into my veins. "Turn your ear to me and hear my prayer."
"Degurechaff?" Ramza asked as his eyes filled with worry. "Are you… praying?"
"Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand, those who take refuge in you from their foes."
The mana was overwhelming, a golden shining thing that enveloped my entire body with a power that I had never experienced before. I almost wanted to laugh; was this truly what I had been afraid of for so long? Instead of a devil, is Being X not truly an angel?
"Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings-"
The door to our cell opened, and I could see three guards of the corpse brigade enter with swords. Ramza moved in front of me, but it was unnecessary. The golden light that covered me was beyond anything that a simple blade could destroy.
"From the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me."
It burst from my body, twelve shining arrows of light that struck through them like spears, piercing their guts before they could even move. I moved forward, picking up a blade and twirling it in my hand.
"Degurechaff-"
I couldn't hear him, so entranced by His words as I was. I walked, blade in hand, and Ramza followed.
"Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down."
Five men came at me, and I swung the blade downwards. The golden light that emerged from it cut two in half, before Ramza's fire-coated sword pierced through a third. The last two looked at me in horror, before falling to their knees and holding their hands up in prayer. I smiled at them. It was good that they were already learning of His light, so easily.
"With your sword rescue me from the wicked," I said to them as I passed, "By your hand save me from such people, Lord, from those of this world whose reward is in this life."
We moved quickly, and soon we were standing outside, on the great plains that He had created, and the wind swirled around us. I turned to face the small house where we were being held captive, looking at it with pity. They did not know His words, nor did they know His worth. All they had was their own meagre ideals to stand by, and the words of God could not save them. Ramza stood by my side, and he knew the righteousness of our cause. I would not strike down those who understood the language of the heavens.
Wiegraf emerged, a grim look on his face as he drew his blade.
"I see negotiations have broken down," he said with a sad smile on his face. "I was hoping to appeal to Dycedarg with the both of you, but perhaps it is better if it is only one of his precious siblings."
I shook my head sadly. A veil of darkness coated Wiegraf, one that he could not even see without the light of God on his side.
"May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies," I said to Wiegraf, raising my sword high. "May their children gorge themselves on it, and may there be leftovers for their little ones."
He laughed, his sword already in motion.
"Prayer will not save you now, Beoulves," he said as a reply, not knowing the power of God. "Life is short. When I bury you, I shall not leave the grave unmarked."
The sword came down, and with it lightning. Ramza grabbed me, pulling me out of the range of its blast, as I stared with wide shining eyes at the brilliance of God's work before me.
"You are brave," I said to Wiegraf. "God's hand guides your blade with an unmatched brilliance. It is unfortunate that we must be enemies."
"Oh? And what guides your blade, Alma Beoulve?"
I smiled, gently, kindly at Wiegraf Folles. He too was a man of the Lord, even if he did not know it.
"As for me, I will be vindicated and will see Your face-"
The clouds turned dark as I spoke, and a spike of lightning rammed downwards, straight into my blade. The energy it crackled with was immense, I could feel the very sword shaking under the weight of its own power.
"When I awake," I said to him as I pointed the sword forward, gripping it with both hands, "I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness."
The lightning burst from it like a bullet. It took a second for the sound to follow, a massive blast of it that nearly made me drop my weapon, and made the demon at my side recoil. Wiegraf was hurled backwards, slamming into the stone wall with a choked sound emerging from his lips. He looked at his shoulder, where a spear of pure lightning still remained, and let out a roaring laugh.
"I see… I see! Two of them, of course! The Beoulve line is uncontested in their prodigious offspring yet again, are they not? That old battlefield quote rings true to this day!"
He smiled as he ripped the magic out of his arm, twirling it in his gauntleted hand. It heated up the metal, but still he held it, looking at it in wonder as he stood, his sword held low at his side.
"For every soldier, a commandant. For every battle, a general. For every war… A Beoulve."
He hurled the spear back towards me, and I leaned my head to the side, the scent of burning hair tainting my nostrils as it brushed past my cheek. Wiegraf Folles was strong, this was true. Even without God on his side, he still could contest His power.
"Gragoroth!" Wiegraf shouted, turning his head slightly. "I'll hold them off! Gather the men, use the teleportation circle! I'll follow when I can!"
And then, he lunged forward, but Ramza moved to meet him, flaming sword in hand as they clashed. Their swords danced against each other, but Wiegraf's refused to give. I pulled mana from the surrounding air once more, feeling myself begin to float as I gathered more and more, my eyes shining with a furious golden light. Ramza drew another blade from his side, wielding it in his left hand as he tried to use both of them to force Wiegraf back.
The Lord was at my side, and He would never betray me.
The sword in Ramza's left hand began to shine with a brilliant light as I moved mana towards it, enchanting it. Faster. Stronger. More durable. The property of the heavens coated the blade thoroughly, and it shined a brilliant white. A blade that was once in the realm of mere mortals had entered the realm of the divine.
"Fear not," I said to him with a smile. "Though I walk through the valley with the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil. For He is with me."
"God damn it Tanya!" Ramza's sword clashed against Wiegraf's once more, and a dark glow enveloped Wiegraf's blade, as Ramza's sword of fire slowly began to melt. "Let it go!"
"Why do you persist in this ruse?" Wiegraf asked. "Tanya Degurechaff? Such a person is a myth, Ramza. You and I both know it. That is your sister, Alma Beoulve. And she has been blessed by the heavens!"
Ramza smashed his shoulder into Wiegraf's, and the man let out a hiss of pain as he took a step back. I raised my sword in the air, and a half dozen blades of light surrounding me as I looked down on the two of them.
Wiegraf looked up, and his eyes went wide. He let out a shout, and a shield of ice formed around him as my swords sliced into it, chunks of translucent silver being carved away. I narrowed my eyes, enhancing it even further. The swords slammed into the shield again, and again, until it finally shattered, but inside, nothing was there.
"You two are more dangerous than I expected," Wiegraf said from the roof of the house. "I will take my leave from here, Beoulves."
Ramza rushed at him, jumping as high as he could, and I lifted him with magic, but it didn't matter. Wiegraf vanished in a thousand particles, exiting the battlefield as easily as he entered. I threw my senses wide, but the house was emptied as well. Do they truly believe they can run from God's wrath so easily? My feet touched the ground, and I ready more mana, more power, to give chase. The divine will not be so easily thrown off course, but-
Ramza's hand clasped around my arm, and he looked at me with a look I couldn't describe in his eyes.
"Drop the auracite, Tanya," he said. "It's over. Let it go."
God whispered in my ears to not listen to such a deceiver. But even as His warmth echoed through my body, I could feel something hammering endlessly against a wall in the back of my mind. A small voice, letting out scream after scream that I couldn't hear. As I tried to listen to it, all I could hear were curses and threats of retribution. Who was it? Who would dare to threaten God?
Oh.
It was me.
The mana burst from my body like a fountain, the auracite falling from my hand as I let out a gasp. The stone flickered on the ground, and I was filled with a sense of revulsion as I looked at it.
"How disgusting," I hissed, more to myself then to Ramza. "To think that it would make me lose myself so easily."
I looked towards him, pointing a finger towards it as I arched an eyebrow.
"Never trust anything that can speak for itself, Beoulve. Especially not a magic rock."
I had gone temporarily mad. Being X's power had flooded through me, and with it, his detestful beliefs that had completely overwhelmed my ordinary sensibilities.
"The auracite is an artefact of God, Degurechaff," Ramza said quietly, but his eyes betrayed him. He barely believed it, as he glanced distrustfully at the rock. "God's will runs through it, and it ran through you. Is that not proof of its nature as a divine relic?"
"Divine or devilish, I want no part of it," I replied, picking it up anyways. Being X's power was clearly beyond me, and playing with it had resulted in a complete loss of who I was. Naturally, I wanted to avoid it from now on. But I wouldn't simply allow any random passerby to acquire it; that would result in some sort of fanatic that actually thought Being X was God. "Best to keep it out of the hands of any with a weak will."
Glancing at the rock, it still glittered with mana, and the X across it wouldn't stop shining. How had Being X placed such a thing on this world? Were there more? If there were, then I was assuredly doomed; it seemed that Being X's desires to mess with me overwhelmed even the vague sense of rationality that all beings must be entwined with.
"Perhaps you wanted to fashion it into a necklace?" I said as I looked at him, arching an eyebrow. "I don't think you would pull it off though, Beoulve."
"Perish the thought, Degurechaff," he said, rolling his eyes as he dropped the handle of the melted sword he was holding. "How about a trade - a necklace for a sheath?"
I looked at the sword and nearly cursed. The blade I'd enchanted still glowed with divine light, shining brightly even in the middle of the day. The handle was simple enough, but the sword itself had changed its shape entirely, slimming down from what was formerly a hand and a half sword to a longsword. It was one of the sharpest blades I'd ever seen, even reaching out to touch the radiance around it felt like I was nearly pricking my finger.
"I dare say," Ramza said, his eyes filled with mirth as he twirled the sword in a circle. "This is the finest gift a friend has ever given me, Degurechaff. Is there anything you want in return?"
"Allow me the honor of living in the castle." I blurted out as my mouth moved faster than my brain. Red crept up my neck, but Ramza just let out a laugh.
"Degurechaff, after this debacle, I think I'd have a harder time convincing my lord brother that you should be kept away from the castle."
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Sorry for the wait, I moved across the country. I am definitely going to keep posting, it was just that you know, I went from the west coast to east coast so it was a BIT HARD to WRITE while doing a long distance move. And I wanted to have my basic things before I started writing again, because doing things without a desk or chair makes it impossible for me to genuinely sit down and write.
Next update MUCH SOONER