Tokyo-3 Arcana
Chapter 22
Bloodlines
Please Read and Review.
I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I'm I doing wrong (to correct it).
Author Notes:
The game mechanics stuff is taken from the Pathfinder Core Rulebook 2nd Edition.
The text in parenthesis is English, not Japanese.
Tokyo-3, Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment
20:30 P.M.
Kaji checked his wristwatch, and stood up. "I think the best we can do now is to get back home. Ladies? I can give you a ride home. I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you in the way back."
Rusilka snorted and pointed a thumb at the big axe at her back. "I can take care of myself, Kaji." The Special Inspector raised his hands conciliatorily.
However, it was Hikari who spoke. "We know, Rusilka. No one doubts you. Kaji offered because it is traditional for men to escort women back home, especially at night."
The dwarven fighter nodded gravely. "Traditions are important. Very well." She slapped her thighs before standing up.
Limiry jumped from her seat. "You have a car? Convertible?"
"Uh, yes."
"Great!" Limiry jumped down from her seat dragging Hikari behind. "I have never been in a convertible!"
Before opening the door, Kaji turned back to the rest of the party. "Shinji, Asuka, if you need a place to practice your magic, I have a little house in a secluded place of the Geo-Front. I grow watermelons there, I have no neighbors who could see you do your stuff. I think it would be good for all of us to know what everybody else can do, magic or not." He looked at the bluenette asleep on the couch. "When she wakes up, tell Rei that if she wants to shoot some arrows, she's welcome as well."
Asuka squeed happily. "Yes! I want to blow stuff up! Fireball for the win!"
Shinji shook Kaji's hand. "I think that's a great idea, Kaji." He turned to Hikari, and put a ring in her hand. "This should wake up Toji."
"What is it?" Hikari looked at the ring. It was a simple band of metal. A stylized lightning bolt adorned the circumpherence.
"Shocking Grasp Ring. It delivers an electric attack on contact. You can choose how much damage it does. At the lowest setting, it is like a static shock on a very dry day. It won't hurt Toji, but it should be enough for him to shake off the Sleep spell. Just visit him at the hospital, grab his hand and will the ring to shock him. I doubt the instruments would pick up anything beyond a mild static shock."
Hikari's eyes glistened with tears. "…Thank you…" She surprised Shinji with a hug.
"Ah… uhmm… Give him my regards, will you?"
Tokyo-3
GeoFront, Evangelion Cage 3
(Same Time)
Dr. Akagi wiped her face with a disposable tissue, before lighting a cigarette. She would have preferred to wipe her forehead, but the tight bandage she had gotten after the Matsushiro Debacle was on her way. She looked at the cigarette for a moment, before squashing it on the ashtray. "Damn… I need a smoke, but just the smell turns my stomach…"
Maya yawned, "Sorry, what did you say, Dr. Akagi?"
"Nothing, just complaining to myself. I need an aspirin… and my bed." She rubbed her eyes. "You know what? To hell with this. I can't stay on my feet. Close the diagnostic routines, Maya. Go home. I will deal with the Commander tomorrow. Be a dear and get me a chauffeur. I can't drive right now."
"I… I could drive you home, if you want to." Maya asked, eager despite the long hours the two had been working on the diagnostics for Unit-01.
"Thank you, Maya." She answered softly. The two scientists finished closing the programs, and locked the Evangelions in their cages. Akagi shook her head slowly. Unit-00 would have to wait to have its arm reattached, just as Unit-03 waited in the last cage, repair work of the uncontaminated Evangelions had priority.
Tokyo-3, NERV Hospital; Room 107
Toji Suzuhara's Dreamscape
"Now, listen, kid. The proper way to hold a weapon is very important. Your life, or the life of somebody close to you, may depend on the way to hold your weapon."
"Take it easy, Bander. I am an Evangelion pilot. The power of an Eva is nothing to laugh at."
The warrior sighed with evident annoyance. "Right now, you are sleeping the Sleep of the Ages, kid. I can only talk to you because I was sent here in your dreams! I don't know when you will wake up. Now, pay attention."
Toji shook his head. "I don't feel asleep."
"And I don't feel dead. But I am very dead."
"Nah, you are just part of this dream. Though why would I dream of a place like this, I just don't know."
Bander wiped his head with a semi-transparent hand and sat on the stump of a tree. "Then, humor me. You won't lose anything and it will a way to pass the time."
"Well… if you put it that way… I guess I can work with that."
Bander showed Toji the right way to hold the knife.
Again.
Tokyo-3, Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment
21 .15 P.M.
Hikari, Limiry, and Rusilka had returned to their respective homes. While Rei snored softly, Shinji had used a small trinket on her. He studied the trinket for a while, and whispered to the rest of his companions, shaking his head. "Nope. Rei has no magical power. It seems it will be just us four. Asuka, Limiry, Hikari and myself."
"So, should we wake Rei up?" Misato asked.
"There is no need. Let her sleep." Tom purred, curled up on Rei's chest. "We have other matters to attend anyway." Carefully, he climbed up the couch, and sat on the top. "Apprentice!" he sounded like a drill sergeant.
Asuka almost jumped up from her seat. "Himmel!" Shinji had to turn around while holding a snicker.
"Lessons are back in session." Tom faced Shinji, tilting his head, "Kid! What spells should she learn?"
Laughter forgotten, Shinji's face turned serious in a moment. His eyes hardened, and his whole body tensed. "Magic Missile, Mage Armor too. And some cantrips."
"Magic Missile?" Misato asked arching an eyebrow. "Sounds like a big rocket with sparkles. Mage Armor sounds like a magical suit of armor. And what are those cantrips?"
Shinji snickered again, while Asuka tapped her foot. "Oh, no, no. Nothing like that. Oerth has nothing on that level. The closest are some fireworks. Magic Missile is a very different thing. Mage Armor actually is like a personal force field. Just like an AT Field." He smiled like a piranha.
"A demonstration is in order, Shinji." Misato crossed her arms.
"I think it would be better to wait until we are in Kaji's place to show you the Magic Missile. I don't wanna break anything I don't have to. Mage Armor I could do here. And it actually looks like an AT Field. All my magic is themed as ATFs."
Asuka smirked. "Let me get my spell book and my pen." She stood up, her eyes gleaming dangerously.
"Shinji. I need to know exactly what you two can do. And Limiry and Hikari too."
"Sure. Hikari and Limiry use Divine Magic." He winced a bit as he said that. He had learned a lot from the Justicar, including his attitude towards gods, and indirectly, clerics and paladins. He shrugged before continuing, "It is granted by their goddess, they basically have to pray each day, and ask for the spells they think will be using that day. Each god or goddess has their own dominion and ethics. The spells they grant their followers depend on those two things. Asuka and myself use magic of a different kind. Arcane Magic. But in a very different way. She can use her magic by means of memorized engrams. All wizards access the prepared engrams set in their spellbooks. Spells are learned, cast, and forgotten. A wizard who loses their spell book is cut off from their magic until they can get it back. Or another wizard's book."
"What about you?"
"I am a sorcerer. In a way, I have it easier. I can cast any spell I know, at any time, at will."
"Sounds much better."
"Well… my magic is more accessible. I have trained hard to be able to cast without gestures or shouting the magic words. But at a cost. My spell selection is a bit limited. Asuka will have access to a much wider menu. Apart from Tom, I have several spellbooks she can copy spells from."
"How come you learned to do magic? Because I would have noticed something if you had that ability before your little trip."
Shinji rubbed the back of his head. "Uh… I… well… it was a combo. Turns out that being inside the 12th Angel for several hours soaked me in arcane energies. That primed my body to be able to process magic."
"That's simple. So anybody who made that trip would become magical?"
"Not necessarily. There are a lot of factors that could come into play here. According to Morag, I have the Imperial Bloodline. It seems one of my ancestors managed to master magic to a really high degree. The time I spent inside the Angel, before arriving to Oerth awakened that potential."
Tom decided to add his wisdom to the discussion. "Hopefully, it was on Shinji's mother's side."
Shinji nodded. "I don't want to imagine what the Commander would do with access to magic."
Misato shuddered. The revelations of the previous hours weighted heavily on her mind. "You mentioned the Imperial Bloodline. There must be others."
Tom answered. "Indeed. Some are nicer than others. Aberrant, Daemonic, Diabolic, Draconic Evil, and brrr… Hag and Undead. Those tend to be Evil. Even so, the sorcerers with those Bloodlines still have free will, and can decide to be Good, Neutral, or Evil."
"What about the other Bloodlines? Any good ones?"
Shinji answered now. "Angelic, and Draconic Good. Elemental, Fey, and Imperial are kinda Neutral."
"So… dragon ancestors too? How does that work?"
"Hmm… How can I put this delicately..? Most of the Bloodlines are ancestral. At some point in the past, one or more ancestors mixed their blood with a non-human creature, or got a blessing or a curse from one. And yes, sometimes, it is a physical act. And before you get squicky, dragons can change form. apart from the obvious way, Hags can curse people; sometimes, those curses linger down the bloodline, and grant the descendants magical power. About the Undead Bloodline… well… sometimes, people is resurrected, and comes back a bit wrong; either that, or because many vampires are still human enough to reproduce."
Misato kept silent for a moment. She was about to speak again when Asuka returned with her book, fountain pen, and an ornate inkpot. The red-headed pilot looked at her two roommates.
"So, why the long faces?"
"The talk went into awkward territory, Asuka. I'll tell you later." Shinji said.
"Hmm… Does it actually concern me or my magic?"
"No. It's about my own magic."
Asuka thought about it. "Maybe later. Right now, I want to learn magic. I want something with a real punch. Magic Missile sounds good enough."
Shinji nodded. "Tom?"
The cat jumped to the table. "Okay, Apprentice, bring your book and be ready to copy the diagrams. Use the emerald ink. And be careful. We are going to begin with a list of cantrips. These are relatively easy spells, and most wizards learn them from a mentor. That's why I was created. I am fully capable of teaching the basics of magic. I have the equivalent to a very good, but still very basic spell book. Now, I cannot work as a real spell book, my own sentience interferes with the process. You will have to copy the spells just like any other wizard on Oerth and most of the multiverse." Tom's eyes shone with inner light, and an image appeared in the air. It looked almost like a hologram.
Shinji sat to Asuka's right. "Some cantrips are either useless in this world, or too obviously magical. Let's go first for the ones that could be either hidden from view or mistaken for some strange effect of the AT Fields. Once you have some experience, learning others will be helpful even outside the EVA. I think we have not seen the last creatures from other worlds here in Tokyo-3.
Misato sat to the other side of the Second Child, while Shinji rattled a list. "Ray of Frost, Daze, Message, Shield, Telekinetic Projectile. You already know Light. Now, as a beginner, you can cast up to five cantrips a day, plus two First Level spells. You can choose to have several spells of the same kind."
Asuka opened her book. "Do I have to learn the spell first, or do I copy it to the book?"
Tom purred, "Let's do this the usual way. You learned Light in a bit of an unorthodox way, because the kid here is not a wizard. So, choose a cantrip; then, you copy the diagram to your book." He curled his tail around his body. "Once you have it, I will show you the way to learn the spells."
Misato tapped her chin with a finger, "Hmm… I think it would be better if we can check you have actually learned a spell. Something that won't make any holes in here."
Shinji and Asuka looked at each other, and simultaneously, exclaimed, "Ray of Frost." Shinji got up, and brought a can of soda from a box next to the fridge. Pointedly, he put it on the table.
Matsuhiro Secondary NERV Base Ruins.
Exit Tunnel, 1,500 meters away from the 13th Angel Crater.
Laveth wrinkled her nose. The smell was appalling! "Where is the smoke? The sweat of the slaves? The sweet smell of fear, of damnation? The screams of the tortured?" she complained. She would have to remedy this situation as soon as possible.
The only sound she could hear was a repetitive screeching. She ordered the swarm to look for the source of the noise. It was damnably irritating!
While they returned, Laveth surveyed her surroundings. She was in, according to her very expensive (and very disposable) tutors, what seemed to be a forest. She was almost surrounded by tall vegetable projections, made of hard wood, and covered in green leaves.
Her rolling throne had been easy to push up the smooth tunnel floor, loaded with several backpacks of strange design, full of food packs. She unloaded the throne, and sat on it, resting her heels on a stone. Thinking. She looked upwards. The vault's ceiling was inconceivably high above her. That thing the tutors called "Sky" couldn't really be that high, could it?
Bah! That was irrelevant. "I need to go to a city. I will need slaves and henchwomen. I need a base of operations, well hidden, near the center of the city. I shall weave an all-encompassing web, doesn't matter if the city is populated by drow, dwarves, elves, or even humans. They will all bow and grovel before me." She tented her fingers in front of her face.
A couple of her spiders brought a simple insect to her, wrapped in white webs; depositing it respectfully in front of her. They backstepped several paces, and bowed. Laveth leaned forward, resting her right forearm on her thigh, and rubbing her chin with her left hand. "So… this is the pathetic creature that makes that damnable noise? Eat them all, my dears, and grow strong!" Immediately, the swarm of spiders dispersed into the forest.
Laveth leaned back onto the back of the chair. "Once you have fed, look for a road. This NERV must have a way for his subjects to bring him tribute." She looked around again, the night air was delightfully cool on her exposed skin. She opened her overall, letting the breeze caress her shiny ebony skin, darker than the night. Her silvery hair caught the wind.
Tokyo-3
Empty Warehouse, five blocks away from the New Star Mall
Grurruk lay down on his new bed, a couple of old pallets, covered with canvas. His goblin minions had hurried to obey his orders, eventually finding their way into the place they now occupied. It seemed the humies had abandoned the place some time before, taking almost everything with them. What remained smelled to dampness, but to an orc warrior, it was good enough.
He dope slapped the goblins before taking possession of the rough bed, it would do no good to let them forget who was their boss. He growled at them to have food ready by the time he awoke.
The small menaces looked at each other, and hurried to get out to steal food enough for their new leader. And some for themselves.
Tokyo-3
GeoFront, Evangelion Cage 3
"I'm tired." A small, plaintive voice said.
"It was a long day, wasn't it?" a mature voice answered.
"It was, but it was good. You found me. I was alone. And I am not alone now." The first voice said, tired but indescribably happy..
"I am very glad I found you, Rei. Now, it is time for you to sleep, and to dream."
"Can I dream of anything?"
"Anything you want."
"Im gonna dream of you." The little girl said with all seriousness.
Yui Ikari wanted to cry, but inside the EVA-01's core, she couldn't really do so. "Dream little one," she said.
"Would you sing me a song, Mommy?"
"Yes. Let me think." She had spend a long time inside the core. Almost fifteen years… "I had once a friend, who had a daughter."
"Was she nice? Like you?"
"She was the nicest person you could ever meet. Well, my friend used to sing a song for her daughter. And I learned it from her."
The original Rei yawned in the telepathic link they shared now. "Will you sing it for me?"
"Yes, but as it is her song, she sung it her own way. So, the words may sound strange to you."
"It's okay." Another yawn.
"Very well." Yui recalled the song, and as their minds were linked, the music was heard by both.
She began to sing, just like Kyoko had sung for Asuka, all those years ago...
(Between the longest days
I search and wonder
You might come inside my world
To escape the doubts, there ain't no other
Reason nor a purpose
Show me the way
Show me the way
Show me the way,
When all is ready, set and done
If our dreams and hopes
Will fall asunder...)
A sense of peace flowed through their link. Rei may not have understood the words, but having her Mommy sing to her was so wonderful… so wonderful… she wanted to stay like that forever… at peace, warm, loved.
By the time the second verse ended, Rei had fallen asleep.
And for the first time in years, she rested.
Dreaming the most wonderful dream of all.
Dreaming of Mommy.
Author Notes:
The song Yui sings is "Mornixuur" by Bel Canto, from their album "Shimmering, Warm and Bright". It's not really a lullaby, but I thought it was appropriate.
