Mass Effect II – Through the Fire and the Flames
Chapter 5 – Rite of the Blood Canticle
Stretching towards the horizon, the desert was an endless and unforgiving landscape. Death awaited any fool enough to venture into its expanses unprepared. Life was harsh and little grew save for small scrub brush and cacti, eking out a life from the scant rains that fell in the few days of the year. The late afternoon sun beat upon the land in its last hours of light on this day.
A single road, wide enough for two vehicles from a by-gone time period, spanned the length from horizon to horizon. None but a few types of people used the road anymore, most flying high above the burning earth of the desert. Those few were thought of as the filth of society, using ground vehicles in place of the magnificent flying cars everyone drove.
'Everyone except for me' Shepard thought. As it had when he'd rode on the back of Iron Chopper with Billy, the road and desert was as vast and timeless as he'd remembered it. But he rode for another reason this time. The speed driven wind whipped the sleeves of his shirt about his arms. Shepard's old leather jacket, still around Tali's shoulders, flapped in the slipstream.
Keeping pace with the long, black and red, two-wheeled vehicle bearing Tali and Shepard, the Kodiak bore Garrus, Legion, Zaeed, Thane, Grunt, Jack, and Samara. Inside the far more limited spaces of the Hammerhead, Jacob manned the drive controls with Mordin directly behind at the engineers station. Sitting at the gunner's seat, Miranda watched the Commander and Tali riding atop that old-fashioned vehicle. To Jacob's immediate left sat Kasumi, hat still covering her face.
Both groups of the combat team were silent, some meditating, others watching the passing landscape, while the rest watched Shepard. Except for Zaeed, whose snores irked the meditative focus that Jack, Thane and Samara attempted to occupy themselves with. Once, Samara reached out her hand and ran it along the top of Jack's left hand, a small gesture to ignore the man and his sleep.
Garrus lazily watched Shepard ride from his seat. The machine Shepard rode, a "motorcycle" as Jacob had told him over the radio was a fascinating machine. The design was incredible; aerodynamic, elegant, and powerful as they had all seen when Shepard jumped that insane gap in the road. Whatever Shepard was leading them towards, Garrus would stand with him; afterwards, the two of them would 'talk'.
Riding through the desert east of Los Angeles, Shepard began to see a familiar fixture of the landscape. Its grand shadow stretched across the landscape as the sun dipped lower into the sky. His heart began to pump harder, breathing deepened and his palms began to sweat. Throttling up, Shepard pulled away from the other vehicles momentarily before they matched speed. "Shepard, why'd you speed up? What's wrong?" Garrus said over the team radio channel.
Not answering immediately, Shepard pointed ahead at the approaching pillar "that's our destination". Again Shepard throttled up, this time opening fully. The speedometer slowed and steadied at two-hundred ten miles per hour.
The passage of time seemed to slow, a perception caused by the slowly increasing size of the pillar of stone. At Shepard's announcement, the resting team members gathered to look out of available window space. As they neared, when the height of the pillar could not possibly become larger, it did.
In the span of an hour, the pillar had grown to the height of one-hundred stories at least, and the base could barely be seen over the horizon. When it came into view, a collective gasp occurred inside both the Kodiak and Hammerhead. Tali stared in wonder at the site of the massive tower of stone. 'Such an immense structure, made from the forces of nature alone', she thought.
After another twenty minutes, Shepard stopped at the base of the pillar. The Kodiak and Hammerhead settled nearby, blowing dust as their thrusters slowed and stopped. Dismounting, Shepard removed his helmet, placed it carefully on the seat and took Isabella's wolf helmet in both of his hands. Holding it reverently, Shepard proceeded up the steep hill without waiting for the others.
Tali watched Shepard, looked behind her to see the others stepping out of the other vehicles. With a gesture to follow, Tali began to ascend the hill. It was steep and composed of pulverized rock and pebbles. Some of the team slipped, steadied and continued up, others had no trouble. Miranda and Samara, however, both wearing high-heels, stumbled and found walking on the rock and dirt difficult.
Garrus and Grunt leant their assistance, almost carrying the two women up the slope. The trek was arduous, and many began to sweat profusely. Among them all, Thane seemed to be enjoying himself enormously. He walked with an easy step, arms behind his back and breathing the hot, dry air as if it were the breath of life itself.
Roughly halfway up, most of the team was breathing hard and sweat ran down the human members in rivulets. Shepard, still ahead, was just as sweaty but kept his pace and poise with Isabella's helmet in hand. For ten minutes more the group walked up the slope, finally reaching level surface.
The rock before them was broken by a single fissure in the rock, a cut wide enough to pass through for a human. Shepard walked in first, shoulders set and eyes straight ahead. Only Garrus and Grunt had difficulty with the size of the fissure, but with a kick from Jack both managed to get through. Samara gave the young woman a hard stare, shook her head and entered the cave.
Inside, the cave was dark but they could tell it held a high vaulted ceiling and went several dozen feet deep. Tali could see, from the light outside, Shepard laid Isabella's helmet on a pedestal in the center of the cave and proceeded into the back where the darkness enveloped him. Rustling noises, the ring of metal on stone, and finally a single note played on an instrument.
Light appeared in the cave; racing along the walls, the floor and up to the ceiling, tracing patterns of runes, faces, and events. The engravings shone with an ethereal vapor about them. Tali could fell the ancient nature of this place; thousands of years old, and still capable of such fiery splendor. The sight was incredible.
The fire, though flickering and undulating, lent a beauty to the place which colors could not grace it with. The fire made the cave seem alive and aware. Despite the light, the back of the cave remained shrouded in darkness.
Another note played, and the fire appeared to move, shift, with the sound as if it was aroused. In the center, the pedestal upon which lay Isabella's helmet lit with flames which slowly encircled it.
Tali reacted, attempting to reach the helmet before it was destroyed, but flames shot from the floor. Tali fell back shocked; Garrus came forward and helped her up. Tali looked back at the helmet; the flames still surrounded it but had receded after she moved away.
Again the flames grew as if of their own accord and engulfed the helmet once again. The chamber was brighter now, though where Shepard had gone was still shrouded in shadow. Another note rang forth, stronger than the first and the fire did undulate at the sound, as if the flames were snakes trained to act at sound.
The pedestal with the helmet atop flared with fire and the helmet disappeared. Tali looked around again. The rest of the combat team watched the walls, and none saw the helmet vanish. A third note rang and the fires violently twitched and brightened. Now the back of the cave could be seen.
Shepard stood at the back, clad in magnificent plate metal armor, with a bird helmet she guessed was a phoenix. Pits of fire lay behind him, arrayed in a semi-circle, and Shepard stood at the front, with a magnificent instrument in his hands.
It was the brightest steel, cleaned and polished to a high shine until the firelight played across its face. Etchings and carvings in the metal depicted great gods and heroes of old, charging into glorious battle against incalculable hoards of dark creatures. At the top of the instrument, its neck, sat the face of a bearded man.
A noble and wise face, the jeweled eyes gleaming in the firelight appeared alive. Shepard began to play; it was fast and escalated to a great crescendo in seconds. When the sound hit, the walls shook and the fire leapt from the ground around the cave. The pits behind Shepard flared up into an inferno.
Within the twisting flames figures could be seen; three, in fact, two holding heavier instruments similar to Shepard's, guitars Tali assumed, and a third with a massive drum set. The flames died; behind Shepard stood three people, a man and woman on the heavy guitars while the third man sat at the drums. All wore leather clothes and biker helmets; two were of a wolf and a bear.
Accompanying Shepard with heavy guitar bass, he played fast and continuous. The drummer followed with symbols and the thunder of the drums. The drummers' beat sped up following Shepard in the intensity of the music as it rose towards a triumphant chorus. No words accompanied the song for it needed none. Every member of the team understood this song was a tribute to the fallen.
Every living member, hearing the music, recalled a memory: Garrus, his own team fallen on Omega and then Shepard charging in to save him; Grunt's blood rang with the memory of his ancestors who fell in the Rachni Wars and Krogan Rebellion; Jack remembered Alex, her old partner who said he loved her after his death in a recording. As she listened to Shepard play, her heart clenched and tears ran down her face: she had loved the stupid bastard too.
Jacob recalled his unit getting killed on Eden Prime during the Geth attack; Kasumi remembered Kaiji and their many escapades, stealing across the galaxy together and their passionate love; Miranda thought of Oriana, the only person who had mattered more than any other for most of her life. Mordin thought of his family, his nephew specifically. He'd never had anyone whom he would call a son, but Maerin was dear to him.
Samara saw a vision of her children, Falere, Mirala and Rila; it was a memory of a long ago summer on Thessia, before her bondmate, Liana, had passed into the arms of the Goddess. The summer sun warmed a forest clearing and small lake. The children played by the water, Samara leaning against Liana. They kissed, and looked back at their three daughters. Tears welled and fell from Samara's eyes, unshed since finding out her children bore the curse of the Ardat-Yakshi.
For Thane, he saw his Irikah; not a memory, but before him now. She smiled; her eyes were the same beautiful color as he'd seen so long ago. She kissed the first two fingers of her left hand and blew it toward him. Thane closed his eyes, feeling the kiss across his face.
Zaeed remembered Jessie; not the rifle, but the girl. A sweet thing he'd known back in the days when he was with the Alliance. They had dated, and dated more for over a year. One day, before he was shipped out, he'd asked her to marry him when he got back. She had said yes. Two days later, he'd heard Jessie's home colony had been attacked by pirates, and she was gone.
Tali, at the forefront of the music, remembered her mother, her time aboard the first Normandy and the friends she had made and lost to the Collectors, her friends killed on Freedom's Progress and Haestrom. She remembered her father; everything he had done was for the Fleet to be stronger and to bring them home to Rannoch. It had all been for Tali so she could live without fear. She remembered Shepard, Jeremy, the first man she had kissed, loved and so much more.
Knees weak, Tali knelt before the dais upon which Shepard stood, his hands flowing across the guitar strings and his first family behind him, united in the power imbued within the song they played as one. Raising her fist towards the ceiling, lowering it, Tali lay it over her heart as she watched Shepard play into a second chorus.
The rest of the team saw Tali's gesture and followed; all knelt, raised their fists to the ceiling and placed them over their hearts, watching as Shepard began to rock his head back and forth in time with the music. His steel helmet, in the visage of a phoenix, slid from his head as he rocked forward and back with a sharp pull. The helmet fell forth, down the steps and rested at the bottom.
Tali saw, as did the others, Shepard's eyes ran with tears. The tears fell onto the guitar strings, mixed with a substance on the cords and fell, deep red, onto the ground at Shepard's feet. The substance was Shepard's blood, from his fingers as they flew across the metal strings. The pain he seemed to ignore, too engrossed in his efforts.
The blood from his fingers slowly increased in volume as the skin ripped, moving past the first layer and down into the blood vessels. At his feet the blood spattered and soon began to pool in quarter size rings. Shepard, though in pain, would not stop: if he must, he would spill as much blood and more. This was his final tribute to his family, and he would not fail, not this time!
Finally, Shepard struck the chord which began the third and final chorus; at the striking of the chord, flames erupted around the room. Pillars reached the very apex of the ceiling, at floor of the cavern, a dozen feet from where his companions stood, fire burst from hearths sunk into the earth. The fires swelled, engulfing the rim of the hearths; from within the depths of fire, more leather and helmet clad people climbed out.
In all, eight stood with the combat team in the caverns' floor below the dais; all wore the helmets and leathers of the Tenth Street Reds, the number proudly emblazoned upon their backs. Counting Shepard and the three playing the memorial song, the full count of the old gang stood once again within their sacred hall. The eight members below the dais knelt and placed their fists over their hearts as well, the instant as light speared the chamber from behind the dais.
A massive door opened behind the dais, white light spilling forth as the door ground upon the stone floor. Shepard ended the song with one final powerful note just as the great doors opened fully. The light had eased somewhat; beyond the threshold of the door lay a grand chamber, decorated in the manner of a grand palace.
Shepard's companions openly stared at the sight, awestruck with it. Shepard did not look; he dropped his guitar and fell to his knees, right hand clutched to his chest. Tali went to his side within a second. "Shepard, let me look, please'. Slowly, she eased his hand away from his chest and her breath caught in her chest at the sight: his fingers were skinned down to the bone.
"Oh Jeremy" Tali cried, her voice soft; she reached for a pack of medi-gel on her belt, but he grabbed her hand before she could take it. Turning his face, skin pale and sweating "no medi-gel" Shepard said. Shaking her head, Tali said "why? You're in pain, please let me help you", her voice held an edge of desperation and anguish to see him in this way.
"He must bear the scars of this sacrifice, for he has allowed his own blood to be spilled in place of us" said the man who'd played the heavy guitar. The man lifted his visor, the mouth guard receded, and he took it off. The man had strong, handsome features: square jaw with a light black goatee, grey eyes and no excess fat on his face or body.
Shepard, shocked at the voice, slowly rose to his feet and turned to see the owner. As he laid eyes upon the man, Shepard could only say "Billy" and was silent. The woman guitar player removed her helmet as well. She was beautiful, bright blue eyes and red hair, curving features along her face and body, and lean just as Billy.
Approaching Shepard, the woman held a warm, loving smile on her face as Shepard saw her. She touched his cheek, ran her fingers over the hair growing. Taking a step back, "I am so proud of you, Jeremy" she said, tears running down her face. "Isabella" Shepard said, out of breath. Billy stood beside Isabella, pulled her close and kissed her cheek.
"Not forgetting about me are ya bro?" said the drummer, removing his helmet and clapping Shepard on the shoulder. "Sebastian" Shepard said; he turned and saw the eight other members, all with their helmets off, smiling warmly.
"It's about time for us to move on, Jem" Billy said, releasing Isabella who stood by his immediate right with Sebastian on his left. The other members gathered on the dais, some looking into the doorway, others taking one last look at Shepard once more.
"You have spilled your own blood to release our souls from Helheim, and we are free to pass on to Valhalla. You are noble of spirit and character, and you shall have a place at our side when your time comes" Billy said, his back to the door and his friends arrayed behind him. Shepard stood before them, Tali holding his left arm as the other companions looked on.
Billy moved his gaze from Shepard to her, looking beyond her mask just as Shepard always did. The stare was the exact same and it sent a chill down her back, "he has come a long way to return to us, and you have been instrumental in his return. In the name of Odin, father of the Gods, I thank you" Billy said, placing his hand over his heart and bowing. The gathered members followed suit.
The gang members turned and entered the door into the great chamber beyond. Last through were Billy and Isabella: Billy gave Shepard a casual, two-fingered salute and Isabella blew a kiss. They stepped beyond the threshold and the doors slowly moved, closing with a scrap of stone and a rush of air accompanied with a thunderous crashing of stone coming together.
Shepard sniffed, tears again down his face as he stared at the spot where his family had entered. A hand took his left, and Shepard looked to see Tali watching him. He said nothing, but gestured to the entrance of the cave. Slowly, they descended the steps, the other members parting to let the couple pass, falling in line behind after they passed.
Outside the cave, wind blew dust around their feet, the desert stretched onto infinity from where they stood. Shepard looked out across the desert, but did not see the vast land of hot dust and rock. His eyes held the overcast look of when his memories played out across his mind.
Tali, at his side, ran her fingers down his left forearm and laced her fingers with his. Shepard slowly closed his fingers around hers. Looking up, a smile graced his face as tears spilled from his eyes. "And so it is over" he said, gazing off into the distant past.
Releasing Tali's fingers, Shepard turned on his heel to regard the assembled members of the combat team. Men and women, companions, friends, brothers and sisters in arms; they all stared at Shepard in amazement. Still clad in the ceremonial plate, "thank you, all of you, for what you did. Today, I have finally lain to rest the demons of my past, all thanks to you" Shepard said to the assembled group. Turning to Tali, he said "And you".
Tapping his radio, Garrus said "Joker, pickup at our location". After seeing Shepard perform as he just did, and the proceeding events, Garrus didn't want Shepard to break the bliss that had come over him in the aftermath, not for something mundane as making a call.
"I'm directly overhead guys" Joker replied over everyone's radio. Their eyes were drawn to the sky; directly above the top of the towering stone, the Normandy rest in wait. The ship began to descend as Joker keyed in the commands. "I heard everything on the sensors" the pilot said "Commander, that was the most epic thing I have ever heard".
A smile, forming into a grin and then a laugh which grew in volume burst on Shepard's face. He laughed uproariously, the events of the day crashing together in his mind as one string of adrenaline-burning moments of life and death. He laughed because for the past eleven years he had feared the outcome. He laughed most of all because it was finally over.
The Normandy settled with the tips of its wings fifty feet from the ground. Shepard, Garrus, Grunt, Zaeed and Jacob maneuvered the motorcycle into the passenger cabin of the Kodiak, securing it was long Kevlar straps. The length of the bike, though, prevented the door from fully closing. Tali rigged the mechanism to close gently on the rear of the bike, leaving a space between the frame and door open.
The Kodiak rose into the air, angling toward the Normandy's open shuttle bay door. On the ground, Garrus, Grunt and Jacob entered the Hammerhead to follow the Kodiak and off-load the bike to safe storage onboard. Once off-loaded and stowed away, the Kodiak returned and picked up the rest of the team.
Tali sat with Shepard, holding his uninjured left hand in her right. Once onboard the Normandy, she pulled Shepard along to the medical bay. Once Dr. Chakwas saw what had happened to his hand, first she cleaned the wounds but at Shepard's request did not administer painkillers or medi-gel.
With a huff, Chakwas retrieved a glove from one unit, "a medical glove, sterile and designed to allow a wound to heal without encumbering bandages" she described. Rubbing a sanitizing wash over the hand, Chakwas slipped the glove on. Shepard flexed his fingers, still painful but bearable. "Beyond the glove I would recommend using it as little as possible, along with rest but I am all too familiar with your stubbornness towards pain" the doctor said.
"Thank you, doctor" Shepard said, Tali nodded, and the two entered the elevator once again, this time to the cabin. The slow elevator ride was quiet, Shepard nursing his gloved hand and Tali merely standing, unsure of what to say in the aftermath of the entire day's events. She decided actions were better than words.
When the elevator came to a close, Tali activated her omni-tool and gave herself one of Mordin's concoctions, stronger for what she was planning. Stepping into the cabin, the air immediately began to cycle and clean. Shepard walked down into the living space as Tali unlocked her visor and helmet from the rest of the suit, placed the two on Shepard's desk.
Walking down the steps, Shepard had his back to her. Moving close so she was within reach, Tali said "Jeremy". When he turned, she grabbed the collar of his shirt, grip it in her fists of both hands and pulled his face to hers. She kissed him, long and deep; Shepard wrapped her in his arms and lifted her off the floor
When they broke, Shepard saw Tali held a fire in her eyes; a craven passion wanting, needing, of pleasure and release. Tali dropped to the floor and rapidly tugged his shirts off. Shepard, responding, began releasing the buckles which held her suit together. In between their motions, their mouths met hungrily.
At last, Shepard stood in his boxers only while Tali, who didn't have underwear, stood bare before him. She maneuvered Shepard towards the bed, his knees made contact and Tali pushed him onto the mattress. Climbing onto him, she let her skin graze along his until they were eye to eye. Another kiss and Shepard rolled Tali beneath him.
Soon their passions escalated, bodies moving together in synchronous rhythm. Sometime during their love-making, the lights had dimmed to a soft yellow, and in the shadows, the Human and Quarian lovers reached their shared climax.
Tali, above Shepard, collapsed onto him. The whole day, his revelation of the last days of his life as a Tenth Street Red; their finding his old motorcycle; the chase through the city and running from Finch's gang, to the harrowing Honor Ride all coming together at the rock chamber and Shepard's sacrificial offering of his blood and flesh. Through it all, Tali had been strong and did not show how afraid she had been.
Unbidden and unwanted, tears welled in her eyes and fell onto Shepard's face. Reaching up, Shepard ran his fingers across Tali's face, wiping the tears away. Her eyes opened; Shepard gazed into the luminous orbs in love and wonder. Cupping her face with his gloved hand, Shepard understood all that Tali felt: no need for explanation but an empathic sense brought about by two people who understood each other and accepted them wholly.
"Thank you, for everything, my love" Shepard said in a voice low near on a whisper. Tali lay atop Shepard, his arms around her, her head under his chin. In the peaceful moment, just the two of them, they fell into a restful sleep. The lights, before a soft yellow, dimmed to black; beyond the skylight, the sun set upon the desert and shadows enveloped the land.
Author's Note:
And so ends the fifth chapter, one more and that will conclude Through the Fire and the Flames. This chapter, I thought, was fun as I tried to describe in words a song which defies explanation, in my opinion. The song I focused on was "Something for the Ages" by Hammerfall. It has no lyrics but the drums, bass and main guitar are simply stunning. Depending on your mood, that song fits all moods and can improve many.
As I wrote the love scene with Jeremy and Tali, I didn't get into detail because I am not much for detail in that manner. I am not a prude but I wished to convey that Shepard and Tali, at least as I have seen in my playthroughs, have a relationship of understanding and friendship before the passion. I wish such relationships could truly exist in larger numbers; where relationships are so deep you need not say anything for your lover to know and understand.
I have an idea for an epilogue that I think would round off the work rather nicely, but I shall only do so should you, the reader, wish to read it. It will take place AFTER the Reaper war, no speculation, at least not much, on Mass Effect 3.
Basic idea of the epilogue: Shepard and Tali survive war, live together on a planet where they live undisturbed and enjoy life without the threat of battle, war or needing to charge into life-risking situations. Further details can be found IF you, the reader, wish to see an epilogue.
Read, review, comment, etc. So far I am pleased quite a few people have favorite not just the story but myself as well. That's encouraging for future works I have in mind.
And so, constant readers, I bid you a fond farewell for now, until the next chapter and the conclusion to Jeremy Shepard's tale.