Warning: Following text contains passages in Ancient Belkan/German. Translations are provided at the end of the chapter.
[ Unknown location / September 19, 0078 08:43 ]
The dilapidated apartment block had an eerie feel about it. Abandoned long ago, it was now overrun by wild plants. It wasn't a life-affirming sight. It reminded one of grass growing through a decaying corpse.
A young, short-haired woman made her way through the underbrush covering the adjacent streets. She wore khaki pants and a dirty tank top and carried a large grocery bag. She was beautiful but her eyes were devoid of life. They belonged on a dead woman making the final desperate charge. That made her presence in these surroundings strangely appropriate.
The woman entered the apartment block through a broken doorway. Scaling the stairs to the fifth floor didn't as much as quicken her breath. She stopped before a battened apartment door and held a sword-shaped amulet on her neck towards it.
"Öffnen," [1] she muttered in Ancient Belkan.
The magical seals disguised as planks opened up like a wooden flower, letting her reach the doorknob. Without a sound, she stepped through and closed the door behind her.
"Signum!" A happy voice greeted her.
A small, fairy-like creature glided through the air towards her, beaming happily. Signum didn't smile back but her eyes seemed to come alive, if only for a moment. That alone was enough to cheer Agito up, who began circling around Signum's head ecstatically.
Dropping off the groceries in the kitchen, Signum entered the living room. A slightly older blonde woman sat on a shabby sofa, her hands clasped as if in prayer, her face concentrated and austere. She wore an outfit consisting of a tank top, a miniskirt, fingerless gloves, and boots, all black. She didn't react to Signum entering the room.
"Shamal?"
"Ein Moment, bitte. Ich bin gleich soweit," [2] Shamal replied in old Belkan without opening her eyes.
Silently, Signum sat down onto a creaky old chair, extending her palm for Agito to land on. They waited.
The thing Shamal held between her palms flared so brightly that for a moment, they saw bones of her hands outlined like on an X-ray. Signum's body tensed but the light was gone as fast as it appeared. Shamal unclasped her hands, revealing a perfectly-shaped cartridge.
"Nun bin ich fertig," [3] she smiled contentedly as she opened her eyes. Hers weren't dead… just deadened.
"Perfekt wie immer," [4] Signum nodded in approval, examining a small pile of cartridges lying on the sofa.
"Wäre ich es nicht, würdet ihr zwei in Gefahr geraten. Das will ich nicht." [5]
"Danke, Shamal… Du lässt uns nie im Stich. Agito?" [6]
"Bin schon dran," [7] Agito zoomed in on the cartridge pile and started stuffing the cartridges into the small pockets of her skimpy outfit. It looked bizarre, given their respective sizes, but within a minute, the pile was gone.
"Hat Zafira sich gemeldet?" [8]
"Habe vor zwei Stunden mit ihm geredet. Er beobachtet die Ausgrabung, aber von der Wiege ist noch keine Spur." [9]
"Sie muss kommen. Bisher war sie stets innerhalb weniger Tagen da." [10]
"Signum…" Shamal raised her eyes at her uneasily. "Bist du dir sicher, dass es richtig ist? Das, was wir getan haben und was wir gerade tun…" [11]
"Das ist der einzige Weg," Signum replied sternly. "Die Wiege muss zerstört werden, und das Büro ist zu weich dafür. Wir sind die letzten Belkaner. Es ist unsere Pflicht." [12]
"Aber was ist mit den Menschen die dabei ums Leben kommen? Würde Hayate sie nicht retten wollen?" [13]
"Hayate ist tot, weil sie alle retten wollte," Signum's gaze made Shamal recoil. "Nur so können wir sie ehren." [14]
"Ist es eure Rache?" [15] Agito's voice was low.
"Jetzt ist es unsere Rache, Agito," [16] Signum said firmly.
[1] Ger. "Open."
[2] "Just a moment. I am almost done."
[3] "I am finished now."
[4] "Perfect as ever."
[5] "If I weren't, you two would end up in danger. And I don't want that."
[6] "Thank you, Shamal… You never let us down. Agito?"
[7] "Already on it."
[8] "Have you heard from Zafira?"
[9] "Talked to him two hours ago. He is observing the dig site but the Cradle is nowhere to be seen."
[10] "It will come. It has always been there within a few days before."
[11] "Are you certain that this is right? What we have done and what we're are doing right now…"
[12] "It is the only way. The Cradle must be destroyed, and the Bureau is too weak for this. We are the last Belkans. It is our duty."
[13] "But what about the people who die because of it? Wouldn't Hayate want to save them?"
[14] "Hayate is dead because she wanted to save everyone. This is the only way we can honor her."
[15] "Is this your vengeance?"
[16] "It is our vengeance now, Agito."