"So why the hell do you think I have anything on Stigma?"
"Your database has all sorts of other useful knowledge."
"I just backed up information that would be useful to my job. Various records, businesses, general knowledge."
"So, nothing that would be actually useful?"
"Last time I checked we located your father's secret volcano lair because of my skills and foresight."
"That still doesn't help me with our current problem."
"My knowledge goes as far as your bust, waist and cup size. Anything beyond that is the realm of fantasy."
"If I were not carrying an unconscious girl in my arms, I would pitch you off this roof."
Mei and Amarant continued their seemingly heated conversation as the two returned to base. It was a way to help burn off steam. It also helped them cope with the anxiety of a much bigger problem. A problem that Mei gently carried in her arms. Who was this girl and why did she have a Stigma on her arm?
It was well into the afternoon when the pair made it to the elevated garden-park that projected out from the abandoned shopping mall. Standing watch as always was the great dragon Benares. The creature lay at the entrance, body still but for the occasional creak of its claws when they flexed. The Honkai did not rely upon such things as respiration. In a person's imagination they would always picture a dragon as breathing in and out slowly. A deep resonant rumble. Benares did none of this. When they approached the beast lifted its head a fraction. Enough to check over the pair warily. Even the stoutest of hearts would shiver a little under the dragon's glare. Four eyes fixed on the girl in Mei's arms.
"She's with us," Mei announced.
The Herrscher knew that the Judgement level Honkai beast understood what she was saying. Mei couldn't articulate why. Only that she knew. Her words were enough to sooth the beast. Benares sat back down and went back to what approximated dozing. Amarant and Mei jogged quickly past the creature and into the gloom of the Mall's upper levels. The pair stood for a few seconds to let their eyes adjust. Amarant drew out a powerful penlight from her pocket and guided the pair back to their base. By the time they arrived Mei's eyes had adapted well to the gloom. Though it merely a collection of blankets, clothes hangers and cooking utensils, it still felt like returning home. A few of the LED torches on to illuminate the area. There was just one thing missing. Kiana.
Mei started swearing. Running over to her own bedroll, she deposited the child and then ran off into the darkness before Amarant could say anything.
"Kiana!"
Mei ran through a jewellery outlet desperately.
"Kiana!"
An electronics store was quickly explored.
"KIANA!"
The clatter of mannequins falling in domino draw Mei's attention. An LED lamp cast grasping shadows from behind tables and clothes figures.
"Mei-senpai!"
Mei was running before any thought. She collided with Kiana and held her in a tight embrace.
"Damnit, Kiana-chan, don't scare me like that."
Kiana gave a small giggle and tried to extricate herself. Eventually Mei relaxed and stepped back. Kiana had raided the clothing store much like Mei and Amarant. She wore a hoodie, long-sleeved woollen top, jeans and boots. The Honkai energy burns extended up from the neck of her top and glowed an uncomfortable pale white in the shadows.
"How are you feeling?" Mei asked carefully.
"Right as rain. I think I needed a good sleep. We both did."
"As long as you feel okay."
Kiana bobbed her head once. She grabbed Mei's hand and led the pair back to their indoor camp. Amarant had turned on one of the gas stoves to warm the damp air. The woman got to work on a fresh meal. More rice and miso soup. Bland but enough to keep them well fed. Mei guided Kiana to her bedroll and settled the girl down. Kiana protested about all the fuss. Mei would have none of it and insisted she rest. kiana pouted a little, but acquiesced. Once the idiot was in bed Mei went to check on the child they had brought home. Mei looked over her thoroughly but could find no identification of any sort. The child was conspicuously devoid of anything; electronic, paper and pen, wallet, even a utility knife. She did appear to be otherwise healthy, though her breathing was a little heavy.
Once again Mei undid the wrappings on the child's right arm. Partway down her bicep the Stigma started. It was a clear pattern, though it's meaning eluded Mei. Perhaps there wasn't a meaning. Mei knew the marking on her thigh had no greater significance than indicating that she too possessed a Stigma. Or at least that was what she assumed. Perhaps the information held in her father's lab might help illuminate what it all really meant. Mei took off her glove and stared at the Honkai energy burns where they crept up from the sleeve. The markings hadn't grown any more. But neither had they shrunk. Very gently she traced her fingers down the child's arm and to her Stigma. The Stigma felt slightly warmer than the rest of the girl. For a moment, when Mei first touched the Stigma, she had the impression of a something immense and deep, her vision overlaid with complex patterns and strange shapes that could have almost been text or language of some unknown origin. As quickly as it appeared, the co-opted senses return to normal. To the Herrscher nothing had happened. But a niggling doubt at the back of her mind protested. She wondered if perhaps something important had been forgotten. Mei didn't dwell on such things. She needed answers. All they could do was wait for the child to wake up. Somewhere warm and safe was hopefully all that they needed.
"Let me do the cooking," Mei informed Amarant, "I need something to distract my mind."
"Now I know you're unwell. First you say please. Now you're intentionally helping me without expectation of recompense."
"I can still knock you off that roof."
"Please do show me your culinary skills, dear customer."
Mei growled and let the banter slide. She shouldered the blue-haired woman aside and got to work on the miso. Something spicy seemed appropriate considering that was Kiana's favourite dish.
"Mei-senpai's cooking," Kiana cheered. "I haven't had that in ages."
Mei looked up from the second cooking pot. Purple eyes took in everything. Kiana's movements were natural. Nothing forced or stilted to indicate pain or nausea. She wasn't hunched and her face was not pale. Eyes appeared as clear as ever. If not for the burns on her neck she would be perfectly fine.
'Kiana is being her usual bubbly self. Which means she's hiding something.'
Whilst Mei busied herself Amarant checked the child over herself. The woman pursued her lips from time to time. Mei caught the small expressions from the corner of her eye. Her so-called guide was looking for something. Whatever it was she couldn't be certain of. Maybe a clue to the child's origins or a hint of where she lived. Mei just knew she didn't trust the woman that much.
"That tickles," came a weak voice.
Everyone's head came up. The girl's big eyes were open, pink irises drinking in the strange twilight scene. Amarant took her hands away from the child's sides and sat back on heels.
"What now?" she asked, looking to Mei for guidance.
"We feed her. Then we ask questions."
Amarant bobbed her head in agreement. The child sat up and looked around. She was clearly nervous. But still she found the courage to speak.
"I don't know this place."
"An abandoned mall," Mei said as she stirred the miso. "We found you on top of a building a several kilometres from here. Several Honkai beasts had surrounded you."
The girl tipped her head to one side.
"Did you save me?" she asked in a voice tinged with fear.
"Mmm."
The girl stood up and bowed deeply, the hood of her cloak falling over her head in a comical fashion.
"Thank you, Onee-san."
"You can thank Amarant for spotting you."
The girl turned to Amarant and gave the same goofy bow. Kiana giggled.
"What did you do to help me, twin-braid Onee-san?"
Kiana did a mock muscle flex.
"I slept."
The child bowed to Kiana too. Mei rolled her eyes at the odd display. It was so like Kiana. That was what had her on edge. Certain pieces of a puzzle didn't quite fit. Perhaps Mei might once have let things slide. Remained silent, repressing herself, paralysed by indecision. She wasn't that person now. The Herrscher watched and listened for every fragment of information before acting in an informed fashion. She wasn't a wallflower. She wasn't a wallflower with thorns. The vase had long since shattered.
"Food is ready," Mei announced.
Mei portioned out rice, pickled vegetables and the pipping hot miso. Everyone was ravenous. The first serve was polished off in minutes. All returned for a second.
"How can you possibly make plain rice taste this good?" Amarant muttered.
"Mei-senpai's cooking is the best," Kiana explained as though it were the most obvious thing.
"Another serve then."
"Your gut wound is healing then?" Mei inquired with an arched eyebrow.
Amarant's response was a gently supressed smile.
'That one is as cagey as you can get. I know she's teasing me even now. There could be nothing to it. And that is bait she uses to lure me further along.'
"Thank you for the meal, Onee-san," the new arrival said. "It was just as sweet as I like."
"I agree," Kiana chimed in, "Mei-senpai knows just how to cook sweet food."
Mei's blood chilled. Her voice was the cold of the grave.
"Pardon?"
"The meal was wonderful. I didn't know I was that hungry."
"Not you, idiot."
Mei's gaze switched to the new arrival. The child peered back through her lilac bangs. Mei could see no hint of malice or deception.
"You liked how sweet it was?" Mei continued.
"Mmm."
"Was the rice sweet too?"
"A little."
"The pickled vegetables?"
"Mmm."
"Everything tastes sweet to you?"
"Sensei says it has something to do with my body not working right. Everything is sweet to me. I don't mind. I like sweet things."
Mei's gaze slowly rounded on Kiana.
"I made the miso spicy. I know how much you like spicy food. I wanted to help cheer you up. And you repay me with lies."
The transition was palpable. For a few heartbeats Kiana looked shocked, the naïve expression matching her body language and wide eyes. Then the act sloughed off. In its place was a much more composed and measured Kiana. She sighed slowly and shrugged.
"You were just lucky."
Static. It felt like the air was static. Hair was frizzing. Fingers were tingling. Ozone tickle the nose. Mei's movements were like that of a composed noble woman. She set her bowl to one size, hashi atop and miso bowl beside. In one flowing motion she was on her feet. Calm composed steps took the woman over to Kiana where she sat on her bedroll. Mei dropped to one knee, hand balled into a fist, crackling fury in her eyes. Her words were coached in understatement. Each syllable was precise and delivered with such menace as to make even a dragon shudder.
"I have half a mind to strike you," Mei admitted. "I am doing everything I can for you. For us. Lying does not help me. Your inability to differentiate taste is a sign, a symptom, of a greater problem. I cannot help you if you do not tell me. I need to know if further actions or medical treatment are needed. We still do not know what happened to you in Arc City. You are still lying to me, Kiana. Do you truly not trust me?"
The words looked to have little effect on Kiana. There was stubborn defiance in her eyes.
"You don't need to worr—"
"Of course I'm going to worry!"
The mall echoed. Mei took a moment to compose herself.
"You mean everything to me, Kiana. I've sacrificed so much. I'll continue to do so. Don't make me hate my words and actions. Don't spit in my face."
Kiana lifted a hand toward Mei.
"Then let me finish what I've started."
Mei knocked Kiana's appeasing hand back. With too much force. Kiana tipped to one side. Tried to put out a hand to right herself. It landed in the miso soup bowl and slipped. The next Mei knew, Kiana had toppled to one side, her head striking the floor, blood splattering out.
"Kiana!"
The silver-haired woman pushed herself back to her knees. She tried to wave it off.
"The medical kit," Mei ordered Amarant.
The woman quickly fetched it whilst Mei looked over the injury. A simple impact gash. Nothing serious. Stitches wouldn't be necessary. Just some butterfly clips. Mei took the medical kit when offered and began cleaning the wound. Being so close to Kiana's face felt strange. Mei dabbed at the blood with a damp cotton wool bud. Kiana winced. Hey eyes betrayed her. The irises remained the same.
'You wouldn't. You didn't. You couldn't.'
Mei switched out buds. This one she hid a needle within. Mei cleaned off the rest of the blood. The wound she surreptitiously prodded with the needle several times. Suspicions confirmed, Mei continued to clean the wounds and then applied the butterfly clips. In the meantime, Amarant had moved to sit beside the bandaged survivor.
"I'm Amarant, the twin-tail Onee-san is Kiana and the cold furious one is Mei. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"
"No, Amarant-Onee."
"What's your name?"
The girl tapped a finger against her lip. She wasn't stalling for time or trying to be difficult. The child literally was having trouble with her name.
"Sora," she finally announced.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, young Sora. How did you come to be here? Did a plane crash nearby"
Sora shook her head.
"I've always been here."
"You grew up in Nagazora?"
Sora tapped her lip again, deep in thought.
"Yes. I don't remember much. But I've lived here my whole life."
"That's not possible," Mei disagreed. "Everyone was evacuated after the Third Eruption. Schicksal used its resources to save the people on the outskirts that weren't initially affected. Everyone within the city proper died."
"We didn't," Kiana pointed out.
"We're not what you would call normal, Kiana."
Sora shook her head.
"I grow up here. Then something happened and everyone was gone. But I was here. So were the others."
"Others?" Amarant pressed.
"We live in…." Sora paused. "… the Roost. That's what we call it."
"How many others?"
"There are twelve of us. We live here."
"So you scavenge like us to survive? I'm impressed you're as fit and healthy as you are after more than two years."
Sora shook her head.
"We have help. Sensei brings us things every month. Sometimes two. But Sensei always comes back. Food, supplies, toys. We find or patch our own clothes. But that's because we don't want to burden Sensei. They are very busy."
"Someone from the outside world helps you?"
Sora nodded.
"Why hasn't Sensei evacuated you and the others?"
Sora's brow furrowed. She pressed her lips together, struggling to find the right words. Finally she shook her head.
"I'm sorry. I forget things. That's why Sensei gave me Mark II. My own robot to help me remember things."
"Could you take us to the Roost?" Amarant asked. "We would like to meet the others and your Sensei. Perhaps we could arrange an agreement."
Sora nodded. Then her brow furrowed again.
"I… uh… don't remember how to get back. But Mark II will. If we find him, I can take you home."
"It's probably back where we found her," Amarant surmised.
"Mmm."
Amarant reached out and gently touched Sora's bandaged arm.
"Why do you cover this up?" she asked.
"Sensei says it's important to. Sensei said my Stigma was special. I need to look after it."
"You know what a Stigma is?"
"Sensei told me that it will let us fight the Honkai. I need to get older and stronger. Sensei says my Stigma needs fixing. Until then I will wait. The beasts normally don't like being near us so the city is safe.
Sora looked a little embarrassed.
"I was old looking for metal bars. Then my head felt funny. Everything felt funny so I climbed over a fence and hid there. It all went black and then I was here."
The atmosphere was far too quiet. Amarant checked over her shoulder. Mei was finishing with her first aid. Her movements were still flowing and composed. There was a menace in this slow, precise and flowing motions. Mei finally stood, hefting the small medical pack and dusting her knees.
"Our plan tomorrow is to locate this Roost. Kiana, Sora and I will locate Mark II and then take Sora back. We'll gather what information we can. Amarant, I want you to scout the area around the ME Corp lab. I don't want any surprises. I'll be on first watch."
"Even with the Dragon?" Amarant asked.
"Especially because of the Dragon."
Everyone settled into their blankets. Mei disappeared into the darkness. It would give her time to think.
A polite cough broke Mei's train of thought. She was sitting with her back against a concrete pillar. Where she sat gave her a look out into what would have once been a multi-storey atrium. Now with the flooding it was a dark, starless sea. Mei dashed sleep from her eyes. Amarant stood politely in the shadows. From where Mei sat the woman was cast in silver, darkness and ambiguity.
"Shift change," Amarant declared.
Mei nodded, accepted the offered hand and was hauled to her feet. The two stood in awkward silence.
"What's on your mind?" Amarant asked.
"How old are you?"
Amarant chuckled.
"Not the question I expected. Somewhere in my thirties. You can guess exactly how old if you really want to. Why?"
"I was going to ask if this gets any easier."
"What does?"
Mei made a sweeping gesture.
"This. Us. This life. What we do. You've been in the business for quite some time now. Has it gotten any easier?"
"Nope. It gets worse. But that's why I stick at it. I do love my job. Getting people from A to B when there's threats all around. Helping them unearth important secrets or shaking the status quo. There's no thrill quite like that."
Amarant gave an extravagant bow.
"Dear customer, if you have a question on your mind, do not concern yourself with propriety. Ask and I will do my best to answer it. After all, I am still on the clock. I trust you will eventually pay me."
"I cannot keep doing this," Mei admitted.
"A statement and an unspoken question. Very much in line with my work."
"Including myself, my resources are one and half people to work with."
"Half?" Amarant queried.
"Sora counts as half. She's able to take me to this Roost and to introduce me to Sensei."
"Thank you for your kindness, dear customer. I honestly didn't think I'd meet a Herrscher with such a sharp tongue."
"What were you expecting? Some cliché ojou-sama or a shallow emotionless ice-queen? My Father raised me better than that."
"Something like that. Pity."
"Save the snark. If we can get back on point. I'm tired of being one against insurmountable odds. When I think over my old memories it's always me fighting against the world. From when I was a child until St Freya. Then I was hiding behind Bronya and Kiana. Occasionally my Herrscher self would rise and fight alone. Or for someone else. I'm always doing what others want. I swore to myself that I would be nobody's puppet."
"There isn't much coherence in those sentences."
"I know!"
Mei stormed off only to spin and charge right back. She needed to move, to think, to analyse and express. A nervous energy that refused to dissipate. Mei pressed palms against eyes until small stars sparkled in her vision. The last day had helped to crystallise the flaws in herself and her desires. That would have to change. When finally, she opened her eyes, they were met with Amarant's luminescent green.
"It sounds like you already know what you want and how to get it," Amarant observed calmly. "What you are struggling with is whether or not you want to go down this path. There is always a price to be paid for actions undertaken. What you will gain requires an exchange of some sort. My question to you, Raiden Mei, is what are you willing to pay to achieve your goals? Will you sacrifice critical resources? People? Nations? Yourself? Your integrity and identity? It's up to you to make that decision. I can only hope that it is a wise one."
Mei nodded. Amarant was right. It was good advice.
"You do know that I don't trust you," Mei whispered.
Amarant let out a bark of genuine laughter.
"Good. The feeling is mutual. Probably why we get along so well. Go get some rest, dear customer. I'll watch over you and your moon princess."
"Is this it?"
Kiana held up the rather ugly aubergine blob with apparently cute triangular eyes painted onto the front.
"Yes! Mark II!" Sora cried out.
The little girl dashed over and plucked the robot from Kiana's hands. She nursed it against her cheek for several seconds. Finally Sora let go and pressed a button on the back. A number of electronic chirps issued from the robot before it shivered into wakefulness. Mark II floated into the air and hovered deferentially beside Sora. It let out another electronic chirp. Sora nodded and took a cable that descended from the robot. The end was capped with a needle. The girl didn't hesitate to roll up a sleeve and insert the needle into a vein. Gently shimmering yellow liquid flowed at a slow rate down the cable and into Sora.
"I forget something," Sora admitted. "I need this medicine or I get sick. Sensei says my Stigma doesn't work right. So this helps."
Kiana ruffled the girls pink hair.
"As long as you feel better now. Could you ask Mark II to lead us to the Roost?"
Sora looked to her robot.
"Mark II, home."
All eyes fixed on the mechanical assistant. The three stood upon the rooftop from yesterday, wind blowing the grass in all directions, clouds rushing across the sky. Mei was a silent lookout, perched on the rim of the building. She favoured the other two with an occasional glance. But little more. Her attention was on her surroundings and the machine that was their sole guide.
The robot finally chirped again. A simplistic holographic projection appeared before Sora. It showed a building-by-building layout of the area. A red line traced a path from where they were to a high-rise area only a few buildings away. The map faded to be replaced with an almost childish red arrow.
"We follow the arrow," Sora announced.
The girl was oblivious of the seeming danger lurking around every corner. With an arrow to guide her she walked happily along. Mei kept close pace with Kiana. The pair said little as they followed the arrow back to The Roost. The weather and scenery suited the sombre mood. The sound of waves lapping against the building far below. The stubborn flora where it pressed out from the concrete, waves of grass and small shrubs rippling in the sea breeze. Tall buildings splotched in lichen and mould. The trio would traverse across rooftops, follow wooden plank or repurposed steel sheet bridges and scale rusting ladders. There was a sad beauty to the dilapidated landscape.
"I think this is where we go," Sora announced.
One of the bridges ended on a series of floating pontoons set around the wall of a tall apartment complex. Within grasping distance of Sora was a shorn off section of emergency stairwell. The metal steps formed a switchback staircase up the side of the building. Sora was the first to hop up. Her excitement was palpable. Kiana went next, followed closely by Mei. As they climbed the sun breached the clouds.
"When we went out for Dim Sum you were lying?" Mei asked, breaking the silence.
"It didn't seem important."
"You mean to say that my opinion wasn't important."
"Stop twisting my words."
"Then stop leaving me speculating and speak your honest mind."
"Can we do this later, Mei?"
Mei snagged Kiana's arm and wrenched her to a halt.
"You cannot feel pain."
Seconds ticked by.
"Last night I noticed it. I thought maybe I was going mad. That I wasn't thinking clearly. Then I stabbed you with a needle several times. You didn't blink. Up until this point you've been faking any pain. Lying to my face again. It's getting harder and harder to trust you. Do you really think so little of me?"
"It's not like that!"
"Then what is it like, Kiana? What am I supposed to believe about you? You mean everything to me. Yet it seems you are consistently lying to me. What else are you hiding? I thought we had this conversation back when you nearly killed me twice in Arc City. I thought we'd settled this."
The silver haired girl pressed fingers against her forehead. Her pain wasn't physical so much as mental. With her free arm she gestured all around.
"You can feel it, right? The build-up."
Mei quirked her head to one side. Kiana tsked pulled her arm free of Mei's grip.
"Honkai energy is building up in the area. It's seeping up through the ground water. It's saturating the air. Something is coming and I'm responsible for cleaning it up. I'm responsible for this. All of this. I don't say anything because it's something I have to do."
Mei snorted.
"Nagazora was destroyed in 2014 by me. Not you. And 2016 was Schicksal manipulating you. If you feel guilt then do something constructive with it. Work with people that also want to save this world. You expect to carry the entire world on your shoulders alone?"
Mei looked over the bleak landscape. There was something in her eyes, in the set of shoulders, in the way she slowly breathed the salty air in. A decision settling in.
"We've dallied enough," Mei redirected. "Let us see Sora home."
The two didn't say anything more as they scaled the stairwell. At the top was a final short ladder. Once up on the roof the pair could do little but stand and stare. Perched atop the building as a smaller one constructed of scavenged sheet metal, wooden bars and repurposed windows. Several doors were built into the construction. Some at ground level. Others onto balconies and short projections. Potted plants grew upon these projections. Water tanks and guttering collected any rainfall. A home amidst the sky built with care and from whatever could be found. The metal glowed a warm gold where the sun struck it.
"Welcome to The Roost," Sora announced.