Lucky Souls
Chapter 12: Purpose
"When I get my hands on that little…oh ho, the gods themselves won't be able to save her!" A vehement echo raged throughout the ghostly silent chasm, reverberating its fuming essence into the ashy sky.
The childish acrimony stemmed from the haughty knight who dared to believe she could tail her kin into these abhorrent lands of demons and woe. She wanted nothing more than to find the little rodent, and drag the wily girl back by her azure mane, kicking and screaming were preferable.
It had been eight days since the brave knight's small village chanced upon this tragedy, in addition to one Sojiro Izumi, four young girls had also vanished without a trace from their humble dell.
It only took the captain of the guard a day to find out that not only had the foolish old man made a journey to the fallen nation of Boletaria, his equally foolish daughter had gone after him, with the assistance of three other local girls who were often seen in the company of Izumi's daughter.
As the teal-haired captain rocked steadily on her trusty steed, her glistening eyes could only grow at the sight laid before her as she came upon the ridge of a butting cliff. There it was, the damned kingdom of Boletaria, wiped out by otherworldly creatures so many years ago.
The apocalyptic backdrop did nothing to whet her appetite as she stood silently and surveyed the endless wastes, this would be a bit harder than she had anticipated.
The death and decay didn't exactly put her at ease when her target flashed into her mind, were they even still alive? How could four girls, barely women, who had never been made to experience the heat of battle, the rush of death all around them, how could such creatures survive given the circumstances?
But this captain knew better, she knew her idiotic little cousin wouldn't allow herself a death befitting a cockroach, she knew her kin wouldn't stop until she found her father, and the captain knew she wouldn't stop until both were brought home safe and sound.
"You are in so much trouble you two!" A barbarous and bloodthirsty call rung out amongst the annihilated kingdom before her, one Izumi skulking around such a land was bad news enough, but two? She didn't have any time to lose, and with a tug of her horse's reigns, the commander of the guard, Yui Narumi, charged headlong into the desolate badlands of Boletaria.
Wherever her family was, she wouldn't rest until they were safe at home.
"Boletaria, an acreage of death and destruction to all who dare to tread on its rotten soil. Terra incognita to us, but home sweet home to the assembly of demons that dwell in its darkest corners, just waiting for the opportunity to annihilate us. But little do the foolish archfiends know, we've got a little secret weapon on our side…something no adventurer's party is fit without, nay, something no adventurer's party could survive without! And that ace in the hole, that hidden blade, that-"
"Konata, who are you talking to?" An abraded voice questioned to the plucky little otaku, who had been faintly mumbling to herself for the better half of an hour, twirling her arms to and fro like some psych ward patient. Her companions had saw fit to simply leave her alone, they found it best not to intrude on the inner devices of their eccentric friend's mind, best it be left up to mystery.
Breaking herself away from the bizarre fantasy world she found herself in, Konata rattled her brain at her companions' behest, curling her mouth into a feline-esque sneer.
"To every foul hellion in this land, of course! A warning message to any and all demons who dare to cross me!" The azure knight huffed boldly, pronouncing her chest as heroically as she could muster.
"This isn't some game you know, this is the real deal. You keep acting like that and you'll wind up like the rest of the secret weapons who acted as brazen as you." Kagami bitterly moaned as she retracted away from her noisy comrade, already beginning to think she may have enjoyed just a bit more peace and quiet away from the adventurous little squirt.
"Your concern for my health is duly noted Kagamin, but in all honesty you weren't there! Just ask Miyuki, I've been somewhat of a bad-ass ever since this kingdom dared to call me to it! I could feel the ground shake with fear as I tread upon it; did I mention I fought a dragon?" Konata boisterously exclaimed, carving out a mental image for the older Hiiragi twin to muddle in, even if she could scarcely believe the rambunctious ball of trouble could hold her own against a mythical beast.
At the same time the outlandish scene-let played out in her head, Kagami couldn't help but wonder about her diminutive trouble-making friend. Konata wasn't one for fear, not in any situation, she seemed to relish in the adrenaline, the mayhem did not deter her one bit, it only presented an opportunity for her. Boletaria was, as any calculating mind could see, a land of opportunity.
Place a rogue element like Konata in a lawless land without rule, and the results were bound to be disastrous. But perhaps, Kagami mused, if every able-bodied sword hand had the conviction and character of an Izumi, their nation might not have fallen to the might of the demon menace.
As much as she was troubled by her friend's light-hearted attitude aimed at the situation they found themselves in, she couldn't help but admire her. What was it like in that little menace's head day in and day out? What was it like to live without a care, bumbling day in and day out yet still maintaining an air of balance and collected coolness for any given situation? While the thoughtful tsundere was much too proud to admit it, she was jealous of her friend.
"Is that really true, Yuki-Chan?" Tsukasa suddenly sounded from silence, placing herself into the conversation as the oddly silent and guarded mage drew away from her contemplations.
"Ah well…I…" Was all the Miyuki could sputter out before a sudden signaling from their guide brought the talkative group of adventurers to a halt, and silencing themselves, they looked to her as she glanced back at them, her face furrowed into confusion.
"Are you guys always this chatty? Could you at least tell your chibikko to yammer up for awhile? You do realize there's probably some foul beast lurking around here just waiting for some fool who doesn't know how to keep their trap shut…" Their agitated guide grumbled, earning a steely gaze and a crossing of the arms from the older Hiiragi twin.
"And are you always this rude? But…I see where you're coming from I guess, keep it down alright guys? That goes double for you." Kagami gently motioned to her comrades, singling out the progenitor of the babble and stuffing a prodding finger into her forehead with a flick.
"Shut up, damn! We're here." The weary guide motioned to the colossal gate at the group's feet, towering hundreds of feet to the stalagmite laden cave walls.
"This is where that bull-demon attacked us…" Tsukasa remembered suddenly, her gaze drifting towards the dusty blonde archer at her back, who could only offer a ginger smile in response, were it not for her excitement, the trio might not have been nearly killed by the raging bovine.
"But what about the Dragon God? You only went out of your way a whole lot to chew me out about that, why the no show on his part?" Patty pointed out confusedly, earning only a light shrug from their guide, who wearily pressed a twitching thumb to her sweaty chin in thought.
"I don't know, whatever that thing was that attacked us, it sure wasn't him. Not that I've ever seen the bastard, but…sure didn't look like a dragon." The hopeless group of adventurer's adviser, Misao, questioned to herself lightly, she was already beginning to regret agreeing to anything at the behest of a demon, she could barely deal with the one master who tugged on her leash.
Dislodging her spear from its clasp upon her armored back, Misao brazenly stepped into the herculean archway without a word, allowing her mind to whisk itself away to several days earlier, when she found another pair of ethereal shackles clasped like iron around her soiled body.
"Crazy old hag could've killed me, did you see that? She could've killed me! And what's your deal all of a sudden lemon-head? I thought I had enough to worry about…" Misao barked incessantly at her newfound allies, earning only several confused looks and a pop of the lips from the blusterous little midget who had been eyeing her since the two had crossed paths.
"You were pretty quick to use violence yourself from what I saw." Konata muttered matter-of-factly, snickering to herself when the fanged spear-woman retorted with an extension of a twiddling middle finger. "I think I'll have fun with her." The bluenette whispered to Tsukasa seated next to the troublemaking girl, who could only nod with an unsure smile, she could never figure out why the eccentric little otaku found such joy in prodding at others, but knew she meant nothing by it.
"And lemon drop, really, what the hell was that all about? You might've shared earlier you have a soft spot for mages, huh?" Misao probed further, noticing little change in the face of the archer she questioned, who merely stood with a grumble and aimlessly began to walk off, earning a light glare from Kagami in response, who quickly tailed the reclusive woman. "What? What did I say? It isn't my fault everyone here is a nut case, I don't even know why I'm still here. I got your ass here safe and sound Hiiragi, you should be kissing my boots right now!" The spear-woman pouted childishly, almost as if she had forgotten she was the one who volunteered to save the girl in the first place.
"I…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to seem ungrateful." Tsukasa murmured ingloriously, practically feeling her shoulders heave with guilt, were it not for the fiery little fanged girl both she and the archer Patty may have both been very likely to be dead, so perhaps some thanks were in order.
"Don't waste your breath Tsukasa, she doesn't really want you to thank her. Lay off the trashy attitude a little Misakichi, you know she's thankful." Konata defended with a stern look to the prosecutor, which owed an abashed huff in response.
"Misa-what? It's Misao you little punk! I…agh, damn it! I don't have time for this, I got your friend here to the Nexus safe and sound, that means this babysitters off the clock, no overtime means no more tender loving care!" The affronted warrior hissed as she stood to leave, only to be blockaded by the wily assassin, still clutching her blood-spattered shoulder.
"Hold it. I just got new orders from the witch, you aren't going anywhere. You're supposed to stay with this lot, observe them." Kuroi gently commanded, unearthing the medallion that allowed her travel to and from the Nexus, and gently clearing her mind, feeling the tear of space and time at her back, the arrival of a space between time.
"Observe? What're you kidding me? Hell no! You can tell the old scow to fall on a sword on this one; I'm done with these halfwits!" The spear-woman yapped back unpleasantly, earning only a glaring downtrodden look from the assassin.
"Why don't you go file that worker's complaint to the witch herself? I'm sure she'd appreciate it, the orders are non-negotiable, and I must now take my leave, so take care of these kids will ya?" The hit-woman mysteriously ordered, turning her back on the mouth-agape tanned woman and vanishing into fulminations of magic, tearing her from that plane of existence itself and lodging her wherever their master commanded.
"Witch? What was she talkin' about? And why're you all chummy with her all of a sudden? Five minutes ago you were ready to cook her goose." The azure knight interrogated curiously, but a faded look from the bellicose little woman seemed to say that she'd receive no answers she sought, and decided that dropping it was a better alternative than pressing into matters that didn't concern her, how unlike herself the bluenette mused.
"Regardless, looks like I'm stuck with you and your assemblage of dregs, midget…so I guess I've got no choice but to tolerate you for the time being." The basted observer capitulated, dropping herself to the musty stone-make with a severe grumbling of her aching belly, how long had it been since she had eaten?
Noticing the flustered chuckle that escaped the girls lips, the gentle Tsukasa couldn't allow herself to simply ignore the rumbling of an empty stomach, and perhaps this would be a fine way to make up for the trouble she caused Misao, she brooded.
Rummaging through her knapsack, the ready to please chef heaved out a rather thick book, the crinkled and torn cover embroidered with glistening golden symbols the fanged woman noticed, but her face only contorted into abraded confusion at the sight of it.
"What's it say?" Misao asked hesitantly as her face was enveloped in a crimson streak, to which Konata and Tsukasa could only exchange muddled glances.
"Ya can't read?" The bluenette began with a light heaving chuckle, ready to press down on the fact with unrelenting teasing, only to notice her victim seemed somewhat sappy at her words, and decided to cut herself off with a nasally cough.
"It ain't that I can't! It's just I…" The spear-woman argued back, all too soon stopping herself when she realized she'd back herself into a corner if she lied about it, she really didn't know how to read, as ashamed as she was to admit it. In her particularly single-minded line of work, knowledge of such things wasn't entirely necessary, and it isn't as if her parents had lived long enough to teach her anything on the subject either.
"D-Don't worry, I'll read it for you. It's a cook book, I was going to make you something to eat…to repay you for your kindness I mean, in saving mine and Patty-Chan's lives." Tsukasa humbled as she cow-towed herself to the ground, hearing Konata's weary protests but steadily ignoring them, she owed the fanged girl at least this much, the poor creature was naught by skin and bones, slicked heads to toe in grime and dirt, bruises and age old scars, just what type of life would one have to live to endure such things?
"Did you say cook book? L-L-Like for making food? Ha, ha-ha! That'd be great! D'ya think you could make something spicy? Or maybe something with chocolate in it? Oh my god it's been ages since I've had chocolate…" The warrior reminisced ecstatically, bouncing up and down like a kid with a new toy, her face curling with pure joy as she felt her mouth salivate like a pup at the thought of a good home-cooked meal.
"I'll see what I can do." The plucky chef reassured, and to her own astonishment as well, a clanking can of cocoa was wedged in between several of the ingredients she had prepared for their long journey to Boletaria, and upon releasing the ground sweets, Misao's nose began twitching like a rabbit, and she just couldn't help herself when a snorting laughter erupted from her timid frame, tearing the brush from her culinary artists hands, she couldn't help but inhale deeply into the metallic object, feeling a lump form in her throat at the shear nostalgia that washed over her as she did so.
Returning herself from the halcyon days that eluded her, Misao could only grumble formally and rub her head with a laugh as the girls in front of her chuckled at her odd behavior, perhaps these quirky little adventurer's weren't so bad, she mused, not bad at all.
"I do not mean to intrude young wards, but the Monumental has summoned thee, it awaits you above." The ever unnerving tone of the blinded maiden sounded suddenly, to which Konata could only groan, of course it did, she had almost forgotten her bargain with the husk. Were she to have her dear friends returned to her side safe and sound, she would consider its plight of sealing the Old One, whatever that meant at any rate. Glancing over to the salivating slave, Misao could do nothing but groan as she pressed herself upward, grimacing at her angry belly.
"Fine, I'll go shepherd up the herd. See you up top with the candle kid." Misao nonchalantly spurted out; earning a whip of the brow from the bluenette as she steadily stood herself.
"You know about the Monumental?" The azure knight probed, genuinely wondering how in the world this strange fanged girl knew of the demon, it almost hurt her a little, she figured she may've been special for being summoned by it, apparently not.
"You think you're the first sucker the Monumental ever bitched to? Nope. It's told that same sap story to every poor soul who ever had the misfortune of coming to the Nexus, you ain't the first, and you sure won't be the last." She cooed apathetically to her questioner as she left her sight, almost feeling a tad sorry for the poor girls, soon they too would suffer in both mind and body for that crusty old statue, just as so many had before.
Gazing thoughtfully at the great relics of demons which challenged gravity, hanging from the seemingly endless ceiling like chandeliers, the pitiful slave couldn't help but shiver as her senses were overtaken by the dense fog of the Nexus. Even here, in the space between spaces, a place so withdrawn from the troubles of the world, did the colorless fog soak into. Nothing was safe from its omnipresent sulking, it clung to everything, weighing them down, sapping the very marrow from their bones.
This place was fit for no man, and she certainly couldn't disagree, but she felt more at home in the hellish kingdom of Boletaria than anywhere else. While a place for the damned to many, it was celestial to her, a life of servitude can make anyone yearn for freedom. What better place to be free than in a place without authority? A place where every man was his own, every woman her own, and the law of the land was strength of self alone. But perhaps it was never her destiny to be her own woman, she submissively chewed over, after all, not everyone pulled the leash, somebody has to go fetch the ball.
Peaking her sweat-caked head around a dew-laden stone pillar, the drudge silenced herself as she noticed the older of the two Hiiragi twins approaching that shapely markswoman. While she felt bad for snooping, her orders were law, to disobey was to die.
"Are you alright?" Kagami softly beseeched to the bumbling mess of woe and tears on the floor, who piteously exchanged a glance with her interrogator, only gently shaking her head in response.
Inhaling lightly, Kagami put on her best comforting smile that she could muster as she allowed herself to plop down next to the weeping stranger, gingerly pressing a warm hand to the archer's quivering shoulder.
"Kagami Hiiragi." The older twin politely introduced, folding her hand into the bawling woman's with a firm shake, feeling the groveling girls' delicate fingers intertwine with her own.
"Patty." The marksman whispered, lazily splitting her hand from the embrace and tucking it into the crumpled mess of limbs as she balled up like a small frightened animal.
"Thank you, for protecting my sister, I mean. She told me that you assisted her when she was in dire straits, and so for that…I thank you from the bottom of my heart." The lilac knight courteously acknowledged, allowing a slight bow of her head to lower herself in front of her sister's guardian. But as grateful as she was, she knew a rather serious line of questioning was in order, especially after the spectacle she had witnessed the second she stepped into the otherworldly Nexus.
Removing her sheathed blade from her hip, Kagami stood as she attempted to make herself as non-threatening as possible, she sure didn't know if she trusted this girl Patty, but she knew she didn't want to get off to a bad start like she had several previous relationships in the days past.
"But I must know…why did you assault my friend? Is it because she's a mage?" The older Hiiragi wondered, hoping to god that prejudice wasn't the case. Not a fan of mages herself, Kagami knew what it was like to look down on magical folk for little to no reason, growing up in such an environment, but Miyuki was always different to her. So kind, so elegant and professional in how she went about her studies of the dark arts, Kagami trusted her fully, which is more than she could say for any other mage who had ever been in her presence.
"No. I have no problem with magic-kin; I simply…mistook her for someone else." The high voice of the marksman cracked with a looming whisper, her tender gaze meeting Kagami's with a light grin. "Her resemblance is uncanny to someone I used to know…but, I suppose that doesn't matter, right? What's past is past, I always say. Or at least, I say that now." She finished with a rather detached and cold smile, thrusting herself upwards from the damp ground effortlessly, hoisting her quiver higher on her shoulders. "Besides, I'm not much for quarrels any who, especially with those who've done me no wrong. I'll apologize to Takara-San the moment she awakes, this I promise you." Patty genuinely pleaded, shaking Kagami's hands to make a pact of word.
With that, the seemingly bipolar little weirdo marched off aimlessly in the first direction she geared herself towards, and Kagami could do nothing to stop her, feeling her throat lock up with so many words left unsaid. The thoughtful tsundere couldn't help but wonder at just who the markswoman spoke of who resembled her dear friend, and what situation had been placed between the two that gave the seemingly cheerful girl reason enough to kill? Perhaps, it wasn't her place to know, but until Patty gave her any reason to distrust her, she would allow the archer to stay in her company, but her eye would be ever watchful of any suspicious activities nonetheless.
"Your presence is requested by the Monumental, go wake up that sleeping mage of yours, will ya?" A voice abruptly barked, and turning to its owner, Kagami found it to be that ratty-looking tan girl, to at the request; she could only cock her head at. "Just follow me; it's easier if you see it for yourself." Misao requested wearily, motioning for the lilac-haired warrior to follow her.
The twosome collected themselves hastily, returning to the majority of their group and reuniting to begin the ascent up the endless stair-cases of the Nexus, stretching to the heavens and beyond.
While this was naught but a replay for Konata, she couldn't help but smirk as her friends wondrously gazed at the sights they beheld. Inverted statuettes of unknown gods and goddesses, endless streams of wax-dripped candles illuminating even the darkest corners, and the stairs, twirling and twisting akin to that of a ballerina's dance, all leading to the same glowing apex atop the Nexus, where the Monumental sat waiting.
Noticing their collective was shy one member, Kagami turned to the bedraggled slave who led them ever higher, nudging her shoulder with an alerting cough.
"Where's Sensei?" She questioned, to which the servant could only gloomily shrug, turning her attention to the boundless stairs.
"Dunno, she left. Didn't say where, and honestly? Don't care." Misao apathetically whispered to herself more than anyone, as if she hadn't even been answering a question at all.
While slightly unnerved her companion was missing in action, Kagami couldn't help but feel her Sensei would be alright, from what little tenure the two had spent together, she showed resilience the likes of which the young girl had never seen before, it seemed almost inhuman. But she had gotten the information she needed in spite of the assassin's sudden disappearance, she knew where she had to go to rid herself of her ailing, she knew what had to be done.
Stopping on queue Misao turned tail to face the group, disinterestedly presenting the door wrought in stone at their front with a lazy smile.
"Here we are, the chambers of the devil itself. I won't be accompanying you inside, as I've already had the pleasure of listening to its little speeches before. Don't take it too seriously, sometimes I don't think even it believes what its saying." The slave quietly warned, leaning against the wall adjacent to the Monumental's meditation area and waving the others off.
Entering the less than humble abode of the demon for the second time, Konata followed the trail of dampened candles and riddled corpses of the other Monumentals until she found the last of them, still sitting silently, unmoving, its face contorted into the same ever-present porcelain doll expression.
"Welcome back, slayer of demons. I see you are with company this time. Allow me to introduce myself to your compatriots." The Monumental spoke in its many voices, the same ever lonely candle's flame swaying in tune with its hymn-like voice.
"Eh…you know buddy I'm not really good at listening to long stories twice, could we get the abridged version this time?" Konata moaned childishly, earning a slap to the back of the head from her tsundere behind her.
"I'm sorry; this one was never taught proper etiquette. I'm Kagami Hiiragi; this is my sister, Tsukasa Hiiragi, our friend, Miyuki Takara, and a traveler who has crossed our paths, Patricia Martin." Kagami introduced thoughtfully, pointing to each member of their plucky little band and graciously bowing to the Monumental before her.
"No, the one known as Konata Izumi is correct. Time is short, and I must be as well. You all know of the horror that damns your world, yes? The Old One." The husk spoke, its voices trailing off at the sound of its tormentor, its sin upon the world. "Any rumors you have heard in your home lands are true, more so than any gossiper knows. The Old One has indeed returned." It spoke once more, this time far more sternly, the gravity of what it spoke of was all too much for the group of young girls, and a light peep couldn't help but bellow from Tsukasa as she felt for her sister's hand, who gripped it reassuringly.
"The Old One, the demon of legend yes? The one they say is behind this colorless fog, that millennia ago nearly consumed the world." Miyuki questioned, recalling her ancient tome which she often carried with her detailing the brief history their world had endured, most of it being eras of death and woes.
"The very same. I do not know why, but the good King Allant has unhinged the doors of chaos, he has released the beast from its eternal slumber. It is beyond my power to stop it now; it killed every Monumental save me, just to hold the beast within its prison, here, in the Nexus." The Monumental recalled to its audience, telling the story so surely and with a stoic face, one could probably believe Misao's words, just how many times had it pleaded to others for help in this matter? How many had tried but failed? How many had outright dismissed the husk?
"B-But, why would he do such a thing?" Tsukasa jittered out, still lightly clasping herself to her sister, listening in horror at the doomsday tale the Monumental painted out for them.
"As I have said, I do not know. While I have never personally had the pleasure of being in the Good King's company, his reasoning eludes me as well. Which is why he must be stopped, before it is too late, before the Old One consumes the world just as it has done so many times before." The husk nearly whispered, so solidly that Konata had to be sure she had heard the demon correctly.
"Wait times? As in, more than once? I thought this has only happened once before." The azure knight brokenly asked, horrified at the very sound of it. If this had happened before, and had been stopped, why did it continue? What was the point of even trying to stop it if it would just happen again to hinder the peace of some future generation?
"Alas, this cycle has been repeating itself since the beginning of time itself. For as long as the Old One has existed, it has been consuming this world of its very life, only to be halted in its advance and sealed away once more. I have served in the Nexus ever since then, beseeching the aid of those like yourself, prisoners of the Nexus, to assist in sealing the beast back whence it came, so that I may hold it there in its prison for as long as I am able." The Monumental confessed to its champions, almost presenting the case as a hopeless endeavor, but giving off that certain give it your best shot tone.
"So wait, even if this…thing is stopped, it'll just happen again?" Kagami spurted out somewhat more angrily than she had intended, feeling her sister clench tighter around her arm gently as she did so.
"At first, I thought this…but there is something different this time. You must understand, I have seen this scenario play out so many times, I have recognized the players, all the same, the goal, to extend not destroy…but something has felt different this time." The crusty old statue thoughtfully wondered, turning to the de facto leader of the group, Konata, and creakily jutting a stone finger in her direction. "It is you, and your father. I am unfortunately gifted with the power of foresight, I am able to see events before they take place, but this time is different. In my vision, the future is unclear for the first time in the history of time itself. For the first time I am unable to see the Old One returning to slumber at the end of my vision, as I so often have. And it is because of you, Konata Izumi. In my vision, neither you or your father were present." It spoke nigh silently, for the first time in Konata's presence, its face changed from that stoic expression, something she couldn't believe she'd see on the depressing little pigmy, a smile.
"Me? And did you say my father? Do you know where he is?" The azure knight hopefully breathed out, feeling her heart stitch and ache at the very mention of her missing father.
"No…his location is unknown to me, but you must understand, this is good news. I do not know why you and your father elude my gaze, as nobody ever has, but I have a theory. I do not believe you were meant to come here, to Boletaria, but you did. You are outside the boundaries of destiny itself, and if my theory would prove correct…this would mean you are outside the boundaries of the Old One as well. Do you not see? This time can be different, it need not be lulled to slumber, it can be destroyed once for all!" The Monumental spoke almost excitedly, highly in contrast to the earlier dealings Konata had with the talkative little statue, it seemed to be an entirely different being.
"But…what could I do? I…I just came here to look for my dad, I never expected…" Konata unexpectedly whispered, with little to no fervor in her voice that was so oft present during such situations.
She loved adventure, and she loved the freedom she felt ever since she had begun her journey to Boletaria, the adrenaline that coursed through her veins every time her life was at risk, the courage that steeled her heart every time her blade was stained with blood, she loved it. But this was beyond what she could have imagined, when at first she arrived, the kingdom of Boletaria could've rotted from the inside out for all she cared, she just wanted her father returned to her.
The situation seemed so much larger as the husk spoke to her, it seemed on a scale akin to that of the heroes she so often read about in stories back home, the heroes she aspired to mold herself into in both essence and appearance. She trained every day with a blade to become a great knight like her cousin and father before her, she grew her hair out long and untamed at the stories her father would often tell of her very brave mother, a warrior herself.
She had always wanted the opportunity to feel like she could be something more than what she was, an excuse to just let it all go and become the hero she always childishly dreamed of being. But now, here at this moment, when the very thing she most desired, purpose, was placed in front of her with no strings attached, she found she was hesitant to accept it.
Would agreeing to this outlandish request mean the end of the search for her father? Would it result in not only her death, but the deaths of all she held dear? What if she failed, would existence itself crumble inward at the call of the Old One? What if she succeeded, would she be allowed to reunite with her missing kin and live out a life of peace without fear of Armageddon?
What of her companions? Had she not asked enough of them? Asking them to bequeath their very lives in order to join her on this suicide mission, could she ask them for assistance a second time on an equally, if not more so impossible assignment?
All eyes were on her, the frosty and unwavering fixture of the Monumental, the bubbly and hopeful eyes of Tsukasa and Miyuki, the downtrodden and listless eyes of the curvaceous archer, and the abysmal eyes of her dear tsundere, locked to hers with no signs of moving.
"Konata?" Kagami worriedly probed, gently grasping the girl's petite shoulders only to have her hands wretched away in response as the bluenette backed herself up towards the door, glancing amongst the groups confused gazes once more before turning to leave without a word.
Her heart ripped from its strings as she stormed out of the Monumental's chamber, brushing past the musty slave who was still laid against the stone-make, her face whirled into a devilish grin.
"Well, well, well! This is certainly a surprise, looks like the old statue is actually changing it up this time, what's this about of absence of destiny?" The slave mocked gently, but her chants fell on deaf ears as the azure knight passed her silently, making her way down the endless stairways ever downward.
Watching the sulking little menace leave her field of vision, Misao felt a tap of her shoulder and turned to see the twin-tailed warrior, her face as rigid as the very statue it had been speaking to. Knowing full well what she wanted, the slave wordlessly pointed her in the direction of the escaping girl.
"While I know this probably some personal crap and all, orders are orders; you'll have to suffer my presence as well." Misao wickedly snickered, pushing past the tsundere and leading her to her sniveling little friend.
The duo found Konata bundled helplessly behind one of the countless sinned works of art gracing the halls of the Nexus, and keeping her distance, Misao allowed Kagami to approach her fragile friend alone, she had her commands yes, but as long as the two were within her sights that was all she needed.
"Konata?" She whispered to the packaged lump of her friend, deciding it best not to take a seat next to her, she almost found it odd approaching her friend like a frightened animal, taking every precaution to ensure she didn't try to run.
"What do you do if somebody hands you everything you've ever wanted, only to discover…you can't take it?" Konata sounded with unusual wisdom, her voice barely audible, and as Kagami felt, so far away.
"What do you mean?" Kagami hesitantly asked, she had never heard her dear friend speak this way, so hauntingly serious, it almost struck her as angry.
"I mean all this! Everything that's happened…I, Kagamin…I'm a loser back home. I tried everything to make my life seem like it was something worth living, a life others would be envious of. I mean…who the hell is gonna remember me at the end of the day, huh? Where's the story that grandparents tell their grandchildren about the great Azure Knight Konata! It' doesn't exist, and it never will!" Konata screeched in a frightening outburst of rage, just how long had this been building up Kagami wondered, how long had her worry-free little devil of a friend felt this way?
"What about our home? Your dad? Our friends…or me? Does none of that matter to you, aren't we good enough?" Her tsundere responded almost as if she was hurt by her friend's brazen comments, to which Konata could only gently sigh.
"You know you mean the world to me, Kagami…you…you know that. You and Tsukasa, Miyuki…you're the only things that give my boring, stupid life any purpose! I don't have a purpose, Kagami! I'm a failure as a student, I'll never become a knight, and all I do is drag those I care about into my selfish little problems and ruin their lives too!" The bluenette continued with her rant, her voice dampening with sweat and glowing a light red as she did so, anger wasn't something Kagami could recall her friend ever expressing, it just wasn't in her to be angry at anything or anyone for any reason, but seeing her like this in this tortured state, all Kagami could do is let her vent.
"You act as if every person is given a purpose the second they're born, like we live our lives pre-destined, and you know damn well that's not true Konata. We aren't given a purpose, nobody chooses it for us, we as humans have the free will and convictions necessary to decide our purpose, even you Konata." Kagami emotionally argued back, this time pressing herself closer to her friend and roughly grasping the girl's wrist, nearly feeling the bluenette quake within her gentle hold.
"I hate my life, Kagami. I want the world to know I was here, I want to die knowing that I left my mark on it…but now that I'm given a chance, I…I'm so goddamn scared I can't even think about taking it." The downtrodden otaku revealed, averting her gaze shamefully from Kagami's, she couldn't even bare to look at her anymore, she must've sounded like a nut case.
And to anyone who had never met the boisterous, obnoxious, scheming little rodent, they would've thought her to be a complete loon, but to Kagami, this was among the sanest things she had ever heard.
"You mean…the Old One? You…you're thinking about listening to the Monumental?" Kagami questioned in an almost hopeful voice, which Konata picked up on, but just barely.
"I have a confession, Kagami. I didn't just come here to save my dad…I used him disappearing as an excuse to escape my dreary life, to just leave it all behind and start over in some unknown land, what better place than Boletaria? I want to find my father more than anything, but it's more than that now, I want to scar the Earth with my name, I want people to know who I am, what better way than by saving the whole damn thing, right?" Konata shakily muttered, her entire voice was rattled and raspy, she almost couldn't even believe such things were coming out of her mouth, these deep thoughts she had never dared to share with anyone, even her beloved Kagamin.
"Well, you know what I think?" The lilac knight softly probed, reaching out for her dear friend's tender hand and clinching it within her own, only to tear them roughly apart and fiercely slap the bluenette unexpectedly.
"Hey, what was that for!" The otaku moaned, what did she say that deserved a whack of that magnitude?
"I think you're selfish! You're making this about you, huh? W-Well…what about me, huh? Did you ever once think to come to me about this? Did you ever think how I'd of felt if you ran off to some god-forsaken place like this and got yourself killed! I wouldn't have allowed it! You didn't invite me along; I came along not because you needed me, but because I need you Konata!" Kagami roared in an outburst with as much flair as she could muster, feeling her face crisp as red as blood and heat vehemently at the suggestive tone of her words, she could even see her moping friends face curl into a wicked smile at the comment.
"Oh, it's like that, is it?" Konata chuckled relentlessly, she knew her dear tsundere would be prime for pickings in such a serious moment such as this, but she sure didn't expect something like this!
"You know damn well I didn't mean for it to come out like that…just listen you idiot, for one second just stop being you. Konata, I can't make the decision for you, I can't be the one to give you your purpose…that responsibility relies squarely on your shoulders. Do you want to do this thing? Do you want to leave your mark upon this world? Because I…" Stuttering off in her cheering speech, Kagami couldn't help but feel her thumping heart throb with each tender beat, her friends longing gaze didn't help to alleviate the tension between them either.
"Would you hurry it up? By the time you two are done here the Old One will have destroyed the whole damn planet!" The blistering voice of the apparently annoyed slave rang out in the twos ears, and they could only gently giggle with one another at just how far they were taking this.
"Because I'm behind you one-hundred percent Konata, I wouldn't have followed you to this damned kingdom if I didn't believe in you." Kagami reaffirmed courageously, vigorously shaking her friend to and fro with a bumbling and goofy laugh.
As she gazed into Kagami's swirling orbs, filled with absolute loyalty to her egocentric and insane cause, ready and willing to sacrifice anything and everything to leave her mark upon the world, Konata knew she too had to be so strong-willed, as adamant as her beloved Kagamin.
"The Monumental, I have to talk to 'em." Konata courageously fumed, clenching her fists as she turned away from the lilac knight, who could only softly smile as the bluenette wandered off to the endless staircases without another interjection, how sure she must've been, how hard it must have been for her, but she knew her friend wouldn't allow her purpose to elude her any longer.
"You really love her, don't you?" The servant Misao chuckled without shame, causing a storm of coughing and wheezing to escape the throat of the lilac knight, who couldn't help herself when a glob of fresh saliva had lodged itself in her tremulous throat.
"L-Love her? I…I do not! I thought you said you wouldn't be listening anyway you eavesdropping little rat!" Kagami fumed angrily, only adding more leaves to the fire as Misao erupted into a gale storm of laughter.
"Alright, alright, keep tellin' yourself that. My advice though, little petite twiggy girls like her are all the rage these days, you better make a move before someone else does." Misao pointed out expertly, as if she was well-versed in the subject.
"Screw off! And like I need advice from you…which I wouldn't need anyway because I don't love her!" Kagami barked back, feeling the tingling veins on her forehead grip at her skull in rage, deciding that she wouldn't lower herself to this stupidity any longer and return herself to the Monumental's chambers.
Her work of observer accomplished for the moment, the slave couldn't help but let her eyes follow the two knights as they descended the never ending stair cases, this would certainly be the most interesting job that old scow had ever placed upon her at any rate.
Scraping the looming memories from her now rattled brain and returning to the present, the slave got her bearings straight once more as she pressed onward into the gaping maw of the behemoth-like door, the rest of her group in tow.
The Monumental had given them the same task it had given every other wayfarer who had so unfortunately ended up in its clutches, breaking the seal of the Old One.
The Old One could only ever be held in its prison, the otherworldly Nexus, for so long before it hatched its escape. During this, the colorless fog would seep from the seal in the Nexus and soak into the world, erasing it within the mist. The seal that held the Old One in place was in fact not a simple barrier, but an incredibly advanced form of magic unheard of by even Miyuki.
Using the power of souls, the Old One was able to relinquish portions of its soul into hosts, who would then take on physical manifestations of demons. These great evils were known only to the world as the Arch Demons, a band of incredible demons the likes of which the waking world had never known.
These demons, Misao recalled from the Monumental's tale, each held a portion of the Old One's soul within their deviant shells. The Dragon God, the Great Stormbeast, the Greedy King, and the Sixth Saint and her revered knight of Garland were the bearers of these souls, and in order to weaken the Old One's seal enough to face him, each of these souls must be returned to their progenitor.
How they were to defeat any gods of demons, the group was unsure, as they had a hard enough time challenging even the most delicate of beasts, the very thought of challenging these foes shook the girls in their boots.
But how would they know unless they tried? The Monumental's words were ironed into the azure knight's brain, that she lived outside the boundaries of destiny, that her purpose in this conflict was yet to be decided, unseen, and Konata wouldn't allow herself to give up without even trying.
"What is this place anyway?" Kagami questioned their guide, who didn't seem entirely sure of their strange surroundings herself.
"I dunno, nobody has opened the gate of the Dragon God in a millennia, but thanks to our little treasure hunter here, we've got a chance to go drop in on the old drake, how fun, right?" Misao mocked slightly, not even attempting to hide just how ecstatic she was that her life could be forfeited at any time to the might of some scale-ridden beast, or probably worse.
"Hey, I told you I was sorry! Anyway, I need that abomination dead if I'm ever going to obtain that sword of his, right? So this works out for everyone! It's good to be back in the company of warm faces again, yes it surely is!" Patty hummed gratefully, skipping like a schoolgirl ahead of the group as she cackled and snickered, one could practically see the rays of sunshine that glowed over her head, were they above ground anyway.
"Is this even part of the mine?" Tsukasa asked somewhat sharply, the tunnels deep within the Boletarian mine certainly didn't look man-made, and looked older than time itself.
The claustrophobic tunnel walls were caked in a pasty, white substance resembling thick spider webs, and there were no signs that man had left his mark anywhere. No shovels and mine-carts, and no more of those jewel-eyed miners Tsukasa had several run-ins with, just the ancient decay and pungent stink of age untouched.
"I don't think any man has stepped foot in here, to be honest, not ever. The second Allant's miners found this place they abandoned all operations here, remember? So, who knows what's in here." Patty interjected, recalling the tale she had told Tsukasa earlier when the two had first crossed paths rather awkwardly and eventfully.
Coming to a rubble-laden dead end, Misao twirled her spear with the grace of a baton, smashing through the ample rocks with little to no effort, allowing the crumbling stones to unearth a new path for them, which radiated with an orange glow most ominous.
Stepping out into the blinding light, the slave couldn't help but let out an astonished whistle at the sight before her, and a burst of gasps soon followed her as they surveyed the beauty before them.
Lakes of lava, far as the eye could see in every direction, an orange ocean of bubbling and rippling sludge hotter than any hell. A series of seemingly man-made stone temples created upon every stony descent, temples to long-forgotten gods and hovels to an extinct race of worshippers. Every bit of culture pointed in one direction of worship, the Dragon God, carved in stone and molded in clay, everywhere there was prayer to the beastly deity.
Stone pillars of mountainous might erupted from the very magma itself, still standing strong after thousands of years of erosion, these plateaus and islands were connected to one another by bridges beget in copper and stone, twinkling like gold under the dim light of the lava.
An El Dorado at the center of the earth, Shangri-la to all who know where to look, this hidden gem of a city probably held treasures thought long lost to mankind, knowledge that any scholar would kill to get his hands on, power that any nation would seize and use without restraint.
"And it's here!" A high-pitched squeal squeaked from the back of the group, and pushing past her companions, Patty felt the light trickle of sweat down the nape of her neck at the daunting heat, and she breathed deep. "It's here, what I've been search so long for, finally within my grasp!" She excitedly finished, once again skipping merrily ahead of the group without a care in the world, she couldn't be stopped now, she would have the sword if it killed her! But preferably, she'd just like the sword.
"What was I thinking when I agreed to this…?" Misao downwardly wailed, this lot really was a lot more trouble than they were worth, but her master wouldn't have tasked her with watching them if they weren't. She wasn't one for disagreeing, at this stage in her breaking in she could do nothing but mindlessly follow orders, but she couldn't help but question it, what was it about these idiots that set the old woman aflame?
Sometimes it really was unfortunate, being the hound.
Author's Note: Oh hey, guys! So it seems my comeback wasn't all bad, I got a shit-storm of story favorites, reads, and a new review! So all is good! I was somewhat worn out at the thought of writing another action-laden chapter, so I decided to experiment with a little dialogue. The stage for the story is finally set, the prologue is over, and I am finally past the hump the story found itself in. Sorry it took a few too many days to fart out another chapter, all these damn video games coming out, man, taking over my life. New chapter out sooner than the last, promise.