Truth of All Matters
The Scavenger flagship was stopped in the air south of the three continents on neutral territory, surrounded on each side by the flagships of the four cities. All ships were flying smaller white flags under their own. Deep inside the Scavenger flag ship, a meeting was taking place the likes of which rarely happened.
"Just allow me to get one thing straight Lady Cerand," Ashel began, with clear agitation in his voice. "You used the tournament as a ruse to move in and steal possibly dangerous technologies from some ruins in my own lands?"
"We have been over this already Lord Ashel. You may turn my words to your hearts content, but the truth remains the same, regardless of spin." Cerand replied, cold as ice.
"I'm just trying to figure out if this "truth" you speak of is any more than just your word, because as of late it would seem that has depreciated in value."
Several people around the room shot out of their seats. The only thing keeping Atrys from doing the same was Cerand's firm grip.
"That is enough Ashel." West Darkon's leader, a woman with brown and lightly orange hair, spoke out.
"Enough you say? You're quite right Elleon. Perhaps we should be taking a closer look at your own actions other than Cerand's. After all, it is one of your own fighters who is right at the heart of this whole situation, is it not?"
"We have discussed this sir, you know how the local tournaments have always been open. He entered, and won, automatically placing him in the main tournament."
"Even while you had no idea who this man was?"
"Might I remind you that most tournament participants are fairly unknown to everybody? Even…"
"Oh do go on Lady Elleon. Or was your example going to be none other than the one known as Chen? Yes, that would certainly be one grand example. Nobody knows anything about him, and from what I hear, neither does he. Now, we find him also in the middle of all the most recent events, yet unable to tell us anything, as he has been comatose since he was recovered from the excavation site."
"So his status is unchanged still Lady Cerand?" Asked East Darkon's leader.
She took her eyes of Ashel to look the other man in his dark eyes.
"Unfortunately Lord Chiyu, he has not yet woken up."
"And does Geiox have no information he can contribute to this particular situation?"
"No. He says that he was above ground fighting with the masked one while the others were down in the ruins." Ashel replied.
A messenger came to Ashel and began whispering in his ear.
"Bring him in quickly. It would seem that we may be awarded at least some luck in all this. A survivor has just arrived."
Mepstet Robner came running into the room, stopping only at Cerand, where he bowed deeply.
"My lady, I apologize for what has happened here."
She kneeled in front of him, putting both hands on his shoulders.
"You have nothing to apologize for sir. I believe that the events that have transpired were well beyond anybody else's control. Please stand."
The man rose to his feet, still unable to look Cerand in the eyes.
"What do you have to report sir?"
"Yes, please tell us what happened when you entered the ruins." Ashel asked.
"Well, to be honest, I'm not sure what light I can shed on things. Most of what happened still makes no sense to me."
"Just start with the moment you separated from Geiox, as we have his account up to that point."
"Well, we, that is the sisters Krind and Doof, Nelo, Chen, and myself all entered the hollow petrified tree. The two original paths had both ended in the same metal room. Inside the room was many strange capsules along the opposite wall, and some strange consoles in the center of the room."
"That's all you found?" Ashel asked.
"Not entirely, no. even while the room didn't seem to have much of interest, the last capsule was frosted over, so I went to inspect it. The thing is though, that when I wiped away some frost, the person that was inside was Chen."
"How did Chen get inside the capsule?"
"He didn't."
"Then how…"
"My lord, I'm sorry, I can only tell you what I saw. Inside the room with us, was Chen, the very man that competed in your tournament. However, inside the chamber, was another him, or some thing that looked exactly like him. That's when things got confusing."
"I can see why."
"That's not exactly what I meant. You see it was only at this point that Chen, that is, the on in the room with us, started to act differently. He went to one of the main consoles, and did nothing more than touch them, when lights in the room began to flicker. The capsule began defrosting and there was electricity shooting all within it, until it exploded, stunning me. When I next looked up Chen was leaving, and the door shut closed on its own. As hard as the sisters or I tried, we couldn't open the doors. That's when the entire structure began to quake, the console exploded knocking me out. It wasn't until I awoke that I found the sisters saved me, but perished themselves for it. For that I am deeply sorry madam Nithiw."
She could not speak back, but became lost in grief.
"So it was Chen who is responsible for all this then?"
"It would seem so."
Lady Cerand immediately made her way to leave, followed by Atrys and several others.
"Prepare the ship! We're going home immediately!" She yelled.
"Lady Cerand! I would like to accompany you." Ashel said as many of the same requests came from the other two leaders.
"Very well." Cerand answered before leaving.
The hall was nearly empty but Mepstet caught Geiox before he left.
"I don't understand, what's going on?" Mepstet asked.
"Chen is in Flaris."
"What!?"
"We thought he was simply comatose."
"Gods…"
Geiox turned to leave once more but was stopped.
"Wait. Before he changed, he said he recognized the masked man. It took me a while to figure what he ment when he said missing person, but then I remembered…"
"He said that?"
"Yes, but, could he really be him? I mean it's been…"
"Seven years. Could it…the way he fought…I just don't know."
Both men were called to their respective nation's flagships and they left each others company, each deep in thought.
I awoke suddenly and found myself in a strange room. I tried to move my head and take a look around, but found to my dismay that control was not mine. My body rose of its own and scanned the area. I was only vaguely aware that what my body searched for was not in the present room. I found myself being navigated all over what ever structure I was in. none of the turns and paths seemed to lead any place specific, yet I knew that there was reason behind the direction.
Some time later I found myself in a large chamber filled with the smell of metal and steam. I was standing on a metal, railed walkway, and below me was an enormous machine that protruded out an opening in the structure. Connected to the main body of the machine were several large tubes that were fed from holes leading to the outside. I could hear voices coming from below.
"Check the power output!"
"Done, it's at eighty percent and holding."
"Lady Cerand is on her way back early. Make sure that Bobor's Light is ready to fire once she is!"
"Aye sir!"
Bobor's Light? I had no idea that something like this could be found anywhere within the fortress known as Bobor.
"Lady Cerand!"
"Yes, what is it?"
"We're getting notice of activity in the gear circle. A report came in that there was a light as the gears began spinning faster. Now, there are some objects emerging from the centers."
"Objects?"
"We're still waiting for authentication ma'am…"
A moment later, another soldier ran in with a sheet of paper he handed to the first. The man glanced over the report that was one single word, and dropped the paper.
"What is it sir?"
The soldier looked up horrified. "Clockworks…"
Ashel stood from his seat immediately. "Turn this ship around now! We're heading back for Saint Morning. Send word to scramble the fleet! We're going to need every able body in the city ready to pick up arms. Gods help us all…"
Ashel's flagship was the first to break away, with the other two following suit soon after as word spread to each leader.
There was an increased bustle of activity, in the section of the room below me.
"Did you say Clockworks!?"
"Yes, we've received word to not wait for Lady Cerand. We are to aim Bobor's Light for the gear portal and take it out now!"
"You heard him men, lets get moving!"
I heard a step from behind me on the walkway and spun myself quickly to see an old man, covered in grease and dirt with a wrench in his hand.
"I don't think you're supposed to be here son." He took a step closer, then stopped abruptly. "Wait, aren't you…"
My hands shot out as if I were smashing a bug, and I could only watch on in disgust as the old man's head nearly vanished in a light red mist between my hands. I gripped the railing and my body launched itself over the side, to land on the apparent weapon, Bobor's Light.
"Charge and fire!" A shout rang out.
Chambers all over the weapon began to shine with a bright blue light.
"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing up there?"
I raised one hand high above my head, knelt and felt all the force in my body transfer into my clenched fist as I brought it down into the weapon, puncturing a section of it. Once it released its energy, there was a great explosion of light, knocking me unconscious.
From below the air fortress Bobor, citizens could see blue light streaming out of its massive canon, sprinkling its explosive power all over the countryside.
Finally, Lady Cerand arrived and hurriedly went to the room they had left Chen. A few of the engineers, recovering from the explosion found their way to her to report what happened. Looking upon the broken weapon caused everyone's hearts to drop.
"Can you fix it?" Lady Cerand asked the chief engineer.
"I believe we can, but I can't say how long it could take."
"Start immediately and any extra personnel you need is yours. We must get Bobor's Light functional again!"
"Yes my lady!"
A messenger arrived and bowed to Cerand.
"My lady, reports say that the clockworks have stopped coming through the portal finally."
"Their numbers?"
"Well into the thousands, and they have a Gigas class with them. They are approaching very slowly, so it will be some time before we're in range of the Gigas' beam weapon."
"Is there any report of Chen?"
"I have received none my lady, but the chances of any man surviving at the point of an explosion like that are nonexistent."
"Until I see a body, I can't risk assumptions at this point. Search everywhere."
"Yes Lady Cerand."
Cerand began breathing heavily, her face drenched in sweat. Atrys came closer.
"Dwin, are you alright?" He whispered.
Before she could answer, she collapsed.
"Dwin!"
Word spread quickly of Lady Cerand's worsened condition, and all the remaining non-combatants of Flaris gathered below Bobor to give their prayers. Meanwhile, preparations were still being made for the upcoming battle. Even in her weakened state, Cerand called for a meeting.
I woke again in a room I did not recognize. I felt weak and could not move much but my head to look about. There was a figure sitting in a chair next to me. I tried focusing my eye, finding the other was covered in bandages. The figure stood.
"Chen!"
I smiled, and nearly wept at the sound of her familiar voice.
"Mikyel…"
I felt her hand on my own, but could not grip back completely.
"What am I doing here?" I asked.
"I found you in the river, just after the explosion on Bobor."
"Explosion!"
Everything flooded back to me and I tried sitting up but didn't have the strength.
"Mikyel, please leave me…"
"What? I will not!"
"Please! You don't understand…"
"I'm not going to leave you like this Chen. You're injured and…"
"I think I found who I am Mikyel."
"What?"
"I'm no soldier, or some great warrior. I'm a monster."
"How can you say that?"
"It told me. Maybe not in such words…but it didn't have to."
"What told you?"
"The thing inside me. The thing that grabs a hold of this body and makes it do such terrible things. The thing that caused that explosion in the fortress. The thing that knows nothing but to destroy whatever it sees."
"I don't believe you would…"
"Dammit Mikyel! Don't you understand? I don't matter! I am just a puppet to this entity within me!"
"No Chen, if that were true…"
"That's not even my name. I remember it all now. The sign in the ruins. I know why I was the only one who saw the runes change. It was in my language, or this beings language. I am a toy, a prototype, and I wasn't the first. There were eight before me. Eight other nameless puppets."
"I don't understand…"
"Clockwork Human Experiment Nine…"
Mikyel stepped back quickly, knocking over her chair. Her hands covered her mouth, and tears came to her eyes.
"No…"
My vision was blurred once again but this time by tears of my own.
"You see now? I am the enemy!"
Mikyel rushed back to where I lay, and threw her arms about me.
"No, you can't be Chen. Clockworks have no heart, no soul, no feelings. But I have seen all these things in you already!"
"Mikyel…"
"No! I don't care if that was what you were, or what you were meant to be. You are still you! You control what you make of your destiny. You don't have to be a tool of the clockworks!"
The two of us stayed that way for what seemed forever, until I could feel my limbs once more.
"I don't want to be used again."
Mikyel looked up at me with tears still in her eyes. I wiped them away with great effort, and then struggled to sit up.
"I'm going to need your help though."
"With what?"
"I need to see Lady Cerand."
"But, in your condition…"
"It doesn't matter. I have to go now, or I won't get another chance."
"What about the guards? In her current state, they won't listen to anything you have to say, or even let you near her."
"I have to try Mikyel. Will you help me?"
She took only a moment then smiled.
"Yes."
With her help, I got to my feet and together we slowly went one step at a time.
"What did you mean by, her current state?" I asked.
Suddenly the door burst open and the room filled with light. I squinted and strained my eyes until I could finally see him clearly. The stranger.
Lady Cerand sat, using much of her strength just to keep upright while the hall filled with most of her commanding officers. Atrys as always right at her side.
"You have a visitor Dwin." Atrys whispered.
Into the large hall stepped Geiox Datri.
"Lady Cerand." Geiox bowed.
"Geiox? What are you doing here sir?"
"Lord Ashel is convinced that my presence won't be needed in the battle with the clockworks on Saint Morning, and so after hearing of your condition, thought I should lend my services here."
"Ashel sent you to spy."
"My lady…" Geiox began, looking down.
"You're a far greater man than that which you serve Geiox."
There was a commotion just outside the hall. The two guards closest the doorway disappeared for a moment, only to come flying back through. Shortly after, the stranger entered the hall with Chen and Mikyel close behind.
"You!" Mepstet yelled, pulling his bow, and letting two bolts of lightning fly toward Chen, only to be stopped by the stranger.
"Lets not start this again Robner." The stranger said with a crooked smile.
Every soldier in the room drew his weapon and surrounded the three intruders. The stranger almost seemed eager for the challenge as he got into a fighting stance.
"Wait!" Lady Cerand yelled.
The men lowered their weapons, but did not put them away. Chen studied the hall, having never been in this part of the fortress before. The only thing to really catch his eye was at the far end of the hall opposite of Mikyel and himself. Three statues, each one depicting what looked like some sort of jesters or clowns.
"Why have you come here stranger, and why do you keep the company that you do?" Cerand asked.
"They must have been working together from the start! The stranger must have been at those ruins to distract Geiox while Chen activated the gears!" Robner shouted.
"That's enough Mepstet. Though I do admit that the two of you coming in here together does seem quite suspicious."
"As I recall, I was the only one trying to stop this from coming. You should have let me kill him when I had the chance."
"Yet now you're comrades?"
"Whether this man dies or lives at this point has no interest to me. The real enemy has risen again. Do with him as you please, but I would suggest you listen to him first."
The stranger walked to the nearest wall and sat, leaning back against it. The soldiers nearest him, still holding their weapons out.
"My lady, I would like to ask, where is Nelo?" Chen asked.
"Nobody has seen him since the collapse of the ruins. I am sorry. Now I have a question of my own Chen…why?"
"Lady Cerand, I don't know if I have an answer that will help. I can tell you it was never any intention of mine to put you all in such danger."
"Then why Chen?"
"Since I awoke in this land, there has been a power within me. It wasn't until recently that I understood the nature of that power. Lady Cerand…I am a clockwork."
Whispers of shock and disbelief traveled through the hall.
"How?"
"I don't entirely know. All I know is that I am the ninth experiment at making a human type clockwork. The final prototype. Since the explosion of Bobor's Light, I have lost connection with whatever power held me in its grasp. However, while it did control me, I learned things. This is the fifth rising of the clockworks isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Well, until now, all you have been fighting were puppets. There is only on true clockwork. One brain behind the actions of all the others that hasn't shown itself. That's why each time you have won, it has never been a permanent victory, and it never shall be. Not until you destroy the one controlling all the others. This will be the only chance you have. Originally I was only meant to gather information on the human forces on Roika. Now however, the clockwork believes that it has what it needs to win."
"What?"
"The tenth body. Each of these bodies are capable of incredible amounts of power, even greater than that of the typical clockwork puppets you have fought in the past. The master plans on binding itself within the tenth body. The ability I had while it controlled me remotely, are nothing compared to how strong it will be once it has its own body."
"How can it believe that will be all it needs? What is so different about your body from the others aside from appearing human?"
"The others are limited in power to their inherent metal bodies. The true power in these bodies is the same thing that makes you humans so formidable. Your spirit."
"Spirit?"
"My body is infused with a spirit of its own, though I know not how."
The entire hall was silent except for the stranger's heavy breathing. Then, there was a darkness that entered the room. Everyone looked about, confused as the sun wand sky were still quite clear through the windows. In the center of the room, a figure began to materialize. When the darkness lifted, the room was then engulfed in light. Finally the room returned to normal. Chen stared at the figures standing in the room, then looked at the statues at the end of the hall. The two matched. Nearly everyone fell to their knees.
"Who…" Chen whispered to himself.
The first figure, had a strange glow around his fat body, and those near him could feel a warmth from him. He was wearing a ridiculous, mostly red and purple shirt and pants that were large and baggy, even on his body, with frills about the neck and wrists. On his head a large red hat with four long trunks stemming from the top, hung toward the front, sides, and back of his head. His entire smiling face seemed painted white. He turned to Lady Cerand and bowed.
"It is an honor to finally meet you my lady."
"Oh, do shut up Bobor." The second stranger chimed in.
She was quite different from the comical figure next to her. She stood with one hand against her hip, looking over everyone with an almost bored look in her black eyes. This one was wearing long black boots that reached up to her bare thighs. She was covered by little else, but a strangely deep red sort of corset that had three long and pointy tails to each of its sides. On her arms were long crimson gloves covering from fingertips nearly up to her shoulders, which were bare as well save for an odd black collar she wore. The hat she wore, like her companions, was also red, but for the white ends of the two protruding pieces that looked like the legs of an insect. Her face was not painted white, but had deep purple streaks from the bottom of her eyes, to the edges of her lips. Strangely, she seemed to absorb the light around her.
"What are they?" Chen whispered to Mikyel.
"They're the gods of light and darkness." Mikyel answered.
"Gods?"
"Yes. The fat one is Bobor, the fortress' namesake and god of light. Then, she is the goddess of darkness, Shadow."
"That's correct girl." Shadow spoke out. "Now if you know that much, perhaps you would be able to tell me who brought us here?"
Mikyel's body began to tremble as Shadow's gaze pierced into her. She looked as though she would faint, when the stranger stood, his back still against the wall. He reached into his ragged cloak and produced two small idols, carved to look just like the gods Shadow and Bobor.
"You have the nerve to call upon us gods!" Shadow shouted, shaking the room.
The stranger only laughed.
"Enough!" Lady Cerand strained out before being overtaken by a coughing fit.
Bobor turned to the stranger.
"So now, what is it we're here for?"
"Being gods, I'm sure you already know the reason."
"You wish to call upon us to help you with your war." Shadow spoke out of turn.
"You and I both know that this war reaches well beyond just us." The stranger sneered.
A look of shock overtook the goddess' face before answering.
"You seem to know a great deal about us stranger. Might I ask how such knowledge came to you?"
"There is a vast library of knowledge to be found beyond the clouds."
"Beyond the clouds?"
"Please…" Cerand spoke softly. "Can you help us?"
"We can. Though the capacity to which is far more limited than any of you realize."
"How?"
"They have no physical presence." The stranger cut in. "They can only temporarily possess a body if they want to effect something themselves. They are not quite so powerful as their brother."
Shadow clenched her teeth and let out a strange growling noise at the stranger.
"You mean Ipuli?"
"Yes. Of the three gods, the god of balance, Ipuli, was given the most power. This was to ensure things stayed relatively stable in Roika. To be honest, I was somewhat hoping that he would come when I summoned these two."
"You…" Shadow began, but was interrupted.
"As you said, he is the most powerful of us. If he doesn't wish to be found, then he isn't. And if he doesn't wish to be someplace, than he won't be found there. So now I'm curious stranger, exactly how would you have us help? You know enough about the gods obviously to know that our own existences run the same path as your own, so we must participate, however you also know how limited we are in our ability to do so. We can both inhabit bodies, giving your army two more powerful soldiers for some time, but what true good would that do?"
"None." The stranger answered simply.
"Then what is your plan?"
"I didn't summon you here to have you each inhabit different bodies. I want you both to inhabit a single one."
"What!?"
"With both of your essences combined in one vessel, you should have a chance to destroy the master clockwork, and end their existence once and for all."
"Both of us can not exist within the same body at the same time!"
"You can when the body is strong enough."
"You may have the body stranger," Shadow interjected. "But that's only half of the equation. We must bind ourselves to a soul, and you seem to be short of one of those. The price of power is a high one isn't it?"
"I never had any intention of letting you reside in my body woman, even if I were a valid candidate. No, I had someone else in mind." The stranger said pointing at Chen, then continuing. "After all, what better candidate could there be than a clockwork body, with a strong human spirit?"
"You bastard!" Mikyel yelled. "How could you pretend to help us, just to set Chen up for this?"
"Stupid girl, this is about survival!"
"But…"
Chen stood up straight on his own, and turned Mikyel to face him.
"Mikyel, he's right. I have to do this."
"You could die Chen!"
"If I do nothing, that's an inevitability anyways. This way, I can help, and I have to make up for the past. It's not every day people get that sort of chance."
Chen put his arms around Mikyel as she cried into his chest. Just then, a soldier came in.
"The clockworks are nearly within known beam range of the Gigas' beam!"
"Are the soldiers set?" Atrys asked.
"Yes sir, they're across the northern bridges and awaiting orders."
"And what of Bobor's Light?"
"They still don't have it up, with no guesses as to when either."
"Very well, join your company. That goes for the rest of you as well."
The hall began to empty, leaving only a handful of people behind. Chen pushed Mikyel away and looked in her eyes.
"I have to do this now."
Chen turned to face the gods Shadow and Bobor.
"I'm ready."
The gods stood side by side, and simultaneously plunged their hands into Chen's heart. Howling winds filled the room, with Chen in the center of them. The storm subsided, and the gods were no longer in the room. Mikyel went to his side.
"Chen?"
"Chen is with us, and he is fine."
Chen opened his eyes causing Mikyel to step back. Within his normal grey eyes, were rings of black and gold.
"We are one, and we have much power in this vessel. We know where it is we must go."
"Please…hurry…" Lady Cerand said before collapsing.
Atrys hurriedly picked up his love's body and moved her to an adjoining room. Chen turned to leave as well, but was stopped by Mikyel.
"Wait. Chen can hear me right?"
"Yes."
"I have something I want to say to him."
The stranger left the room and found himself on balcony area facing to the north.
"Argoien?"
The stranger turned to face Saint Morning's captain Geiox.
"It is you isn't it? I don't know why it took me so long to see it. Chen knew almost right away, but it's been so long I almost forgot. It really is you though. I can see it in your eyes now."
Geiox placed his hands on the stranger's shoulders only for an instant before the man sent Geiox to the ground, striking him across the face.
"You are a sentimental fool Geiox. You call me by that name, but it is the name of a ghost. That boy died the same day as your wife and child."
"No! I don't believe you! How can you say that?"
"Take a good look at me. It is only a matter of time before what little human remains of me is gone, along with the soul that was required for this to happen."
"Why would you do this to yourself?"
"The greatest reason…power."
"You never needed power! You were always the strongest of us!"
"You know nothing! And you never will."
"Wait…brother…"
With that, the stranger leapt over the balcony railing and became a dot on the ground below. Geiox looked up again in time to see one small ship heading East, while all the others prepared to head toward the oncoming battle. As Geiox left to join the soldiers for battle, he passed Mikyel, leaving her alone in the hall as she fell to her knees in tears.