Tiegenhoff offensive V: Lost Lambs
40 Years after the Great War
Germanian Republic, Tiegenhoff
"Andrew! You finally made it!"
Andrew couldn't help but smile at the cheerful tone of his former colleague as he stepped out of the taxi. It felt like an age since he'd heard her voice and even longer since he'd seen her face. Their contact had been limited to written correspondence these last few months, even a large organisation like WTN didn't much like paying for international calls. So, it was a happy moment for Andrew when he finally saw his former protégée again.
However, his smile soon turned bashful and he found his cheeks reddening slightly as the young woman rushed forward and quickly pulled him into a tight hug. In truth, he was a little surprised by the sudden gesture, it wasn't often that Maggie showed such obvious affection. However, he couldn't say he disliked it, he truly had missed the younger woman's company.
"It's good to see you again."
"Good to see you too Maggs. It's been too long." Andrew returned as they parted, and for a brief second, he thought he sensed a sliver of reluctance from her as she pulled away as well as a hint of sadness in her voice. However, he quickly dismissed it as being his imagination as she fixed her with her emerald eyes and a smirk.
"Come on now, you act like it's been years!" She replied with a mischievous grin and mocking tone. However, friendly affection shone through her smile and Andrew could tell she was genuinely glad to see him. "What's the matter? Are you struggling to manage now that your top researcher has moved on to bigger and better things? Why else would you fly all the way out here to visit little old me?"
"You caught me. The place has gone to hell without you." He replied with a chuckle, holding his hands and briefcase up in surrender. They had been friends for a long time now and such banter was normal for them. Although he was fully aware that in a prolonged battle of words, he'd likely end up hanging his head in defeat. "In truth, the new researchers that Mr Jacob had me take on are awful, barely a brain cell between them. I feel like my workload has doubled since you left."
Andrew felt his smile widen as the woman giggled at his complaint. Although he was exaggerating, it was true that things had been more difficult since the woman had left. Sifting through the mountains of information about the Great War was bad enough but once you added in all the newly declassified files as well it became a herculean task to stay on top of it all. Particularly when one took into account everything the government had left redacted. These new researchers had no talent for reading between the lines, and although Maggie was often prone to flights of fancy, she was much better at puzzling out what the government censors wanted to keep hidden than anyone else he knew.
"Barely a brain cell you say? Jacob better watch out, it sounds like they're qualified for his job. I should think anyone could make for a better director of programming." She laughed in reply, however, Andrew could detect more than a little bitterness in her voice as she spoke. Evidently, there was still some resentment about being forced out. Andrew couldn't help but feel guilty that he hadn't been able to protect her from that dolt Jacob and the internal politicking of the WTN higher-ups.
"Now you wanted to see the church while you were here, right?" Maggie continued, changing the subject before Andrew could push her further. "I hear you didn't get to come over with the film crews."
"That's right, I've had to pay out of my own pocket for this trip, but I couldn't resist coming to take a look for myself before we finish the program." He replied with a sigh as Maggie led them off into the city. Truth be told, he was impressed at how skilfully the place had been restored. It had been left as little more than a ruin by the end of the war, and Germanina, much like almost every participating country in the war, had been left destitute by the time peace had been agreed.
Yet this city had been built up in the same style as before Europa had crossed swords. With wide boulevards and baroque architecture rather than the cheaper modern styles that had popped up in the Allied Kingdom in the years following the war. It was clear that those rebuilding the country wanted to recapture some of the beauty from the time before conflict brought it low, and as far as he was concerned they'd achieved it, at least in the city centre.
It was just a shame the only hotel he could afford was so far away from it.
"I couldn't afford a fancy suite like yours though, the Times seem to spoil their reporters a little too much if you ask me." He added in an attempt to tease her a little. She'd been given excellent accommodation in the heart of the old city, something he couldn't help but be a little envious of. She deserved it though, as far as he was concerned, she deserved all the recognition she could get and more.
He had expected his reply to garner some sort of reaction from the woman, perhaps a smug grin and a mild boast about how pleased she was to gain such a kingly reward. However, instead, she remained silent for a moment, suddenly seeming tense as she wore a frown and stared at the ground.
"The Times aren't the ones paying for it, the Urodela Corporation is. It's supposed to be an apology for delaying my interview with Frau Ansbach again." She began, her expression difficult to read before a familiar bitterness returned to her voice. "I was supposed to have spent weeks with her by now, they said I could shadow her, but as of yet I haven't even been allowed into the offices in Berlun."
"At least you have a nice place to stay." Andrew replied awkwardly, unprepared for the sudden shift in the woman's mood. "And there's plenty of time to get more preliminary research done while you wait. You were always good at digging out extra information if you were given the time."
"Bah! Have you seen the Germanian privacy laws? Drawing blood from a stone is practically child's play in comparison!" She snorted, throwing her hands up in frustration. "I'm not even allowed to know if she has a family unless she gives me permission and her company keeps making excuses and telling me to wait until the interviews! Who knows when they'll be? It's so frustrating being left like this! My gut tells me there's something off here but there isn't a damned thing I can do about it!"
The pair stopped and fell silent for a moment, Andrew unsure what help he could provide.
"Sorry Andrew, I just needed to let off some steam." Maggie said eventually with a heavy sigh before turning back to him with a weak smile. "I guess I've just been feeling a little lonely being out here on my own. I appreciate you putting up with me."
Andrew nodded in understanding. He'd travelled enough to know how isolating it could feel in a foreign land, especially when you were chasing a story and no one was willing to talk to you. He also knew Maggie well enough to know that such a situation would be incredibly exasperating for her. She was like a terrier when she'd gotten a hold of an idea, she didn't like to give up and let go.
They stood in silence for a moment more, Andrew waiting patiently for the fiery woman to calm down. Until eventually she brought her head back up and a familiar bright smile began to return to her face.
"I just realised where we are." She grinned, "These are the streets that Prince Wilhelm fought in!"
"The Saint you mean?" Andrew corrected with a hint of disapproval in his voice. They'd had this argument so many times and she still refused to accept the evidence against the child soldiers. Sometimes her inability to let go of an idea worked against her far too much.
"Whatever." She replied waving a dismissive hand. Her voice now sounding animated and excited as she went on to tell the fairy tale of her favourite prince. "No one is sure quite where, but it was supposed to be in and around here. Fighting street to street and house to house to defend the city until the last!"
Andrew glanced around and found himself unable to get quite as excited as his young protégée. The area looked no different from the rest of the city. Still undeniably beautiful, at least architecturally, but there was nothing remarkable about the area compared to everywhere else. It was just a simple street just outside the town centre, with the same apartments and storefronts the rest of the city held.
There was no memorial here, not even a plaque to denote the place as an area of historical interest. He trusted that Maggie would be correct about the area but as far as he could tell, all evidence that the war had ever touched this neighbourhood was gone. It was odd considering the great lengths the fledgling Germanian Republic had gone to in order to commemorate the Great War. There were few places across Europa that bore so little evidence of the conflict as these streets.
Still, he supposed it was fitting in a way. The Saint had simply disappeared after all, why would anyone expect to find a trace of him here?
"Come on, we better get going." Maggie said eventually with a disappointed sigh, clearly sensing he did not share her excitement about standing in what appeared to be an average city block. Andrew wasn't convinced the Saint that had fought here was the same Saint that fought in the west or south; he certainly didn't believe he was the young Letzenbourg prince. He and Maggie had spent hours debating the finer points of that argument and it was obvious they would find nothing here to change either of their minds.
They soon fell back into step and continued their friendly conversation, making sure to catch each other up on all the news and gossip they'd missed while falling into their regular routine of banter. All thoughts of their previous disagreements were quickly forgotten, and Andrew soon found himself enjoying Maggie's company once again. Almost feeling as though they had never been parted.
However, eventually their feet brought them to their destination and although Andrew was prepared for what greeted him, he was struck by the strange contrast in front of him.
There, in the middle of a large square, were the ruins of what had once been a grand medieval cathedral, quite at odds with the pristinely restored city around it. Half-destroyed walls flanked the building with so little of the entrance remaining that no one had bothered replacing the doors. He could see rows of stone pews sitting within, with a few locals sitting in prayer at each one despite being open to the elements. While, a well-tended graveyard surrounded the remains of the site, a handful of fresh memorials cementing the idea that this place was far from abandoned.
As they made their way closer, Andrew's gaze was drawn to the far wall, by what would have once been the altar. At its base stood countless small stone slabs each with hundreds of names etched into them. However, it was the far wall itself that drew his eye, unlike the rest of the ruin, it still stood tall, dwarfing the people inside and still held three long archways and a large empty circle of what had once been the stained-glass windows.
"It's strangely beautiful." Andrew said to himself, shielding his eyes as the sun forced its way through the clouds and into the ruins via the circular window. He became aware of how quiet and peaceful it seemed here, another stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city built up around them. It was an oasis of tranquillity in a chaotic world.
Andrew would be the first to admit he'd hardly been the most devout of people during his life. He went to Sunday service if he could find the time, and made sure to attend during the main holy days when not travelling, but he couldn't exactly call himself a model believer. He was fairly sure his attendance was poor enough that his local priest would struggle to even recognise him. Still, despite that he did believe, he'd seen too much not to.
However, in that moment, despite standing in the ruins of the Lord's house, he felt closer to God than he ever had before and a difficult-to-describe feeling washed over him. Suddenly, he found himself quickly regretting all the excuses he'd made in the past for not attending the services. He felt as though he had been missing out on something important.
"It makes you want to pray, doesn't it?" He said almost whimsically. "I can see why they didn't want to rebuild it."
He'd had the honour of interviewing a famous painter once, on the eve of a great show. He had said "that every act of creation is first an act of destruction," a phrase he had politely written down but wilfully ignored as overly poetic. However, as he stood in front of this memorial, he felt he might finally understand. Despite the destruction, the building had remained true to its purpose and grown more beautiful in the process.
He turned back to Maggie, hoping to share his new appreciation of this place but found himself stopping himself as he saw her frowning once again, looking almost insulted by the suggestion.
"It's been a long time since I've felt like praying Andrew."
Andrew quietly cursed his foolishness under his breath. The subject of Maggie's faith had been a sore spot for quite some time now, even culminating in a major disagreement with her parents. He would have been much better keeping his thoughts to himself.
"Don't you find it ironic that they made this place a monument?" She continued, a sliver of resentment still colouring her tone. "After all, there were no saints fighting here and all this damage was technically a war crime."
"I suppose that's true." Andrew conceded, "But none of those who were here wanted to think of it that way. The Soviets weren't bound by any treaty at the time and from what we can tell there were no civilians left in the city. Besides, some of the damage was caused by the Empire."
"Still, it's strange, considering who was here." Maggie replied, shooting Andrew a sardonic grin. "After all, isn't this a place of God rather than the Devil?"
May 7th Unified Year 1925 18:33
Skies above Tiegenhoff Castle, Central Tiegenhoff
"Get back!" Drake yelled as he shoved Second Lieutenant Kelly aside, urging her to move moments before an explosion grazed his shield and blew them apart. He steadied himself as he was pushed backwards, coughing as smoke filled the air and unsure if the young officer had survived the blast. He would have no time to check, however, as another volley slammed into his barrier, forcing him to accelerate and take evasive manoeuvres to escape the attack.
"Shit!" He murmured under his breath as he forced more mana into his flight equipment and dived to one side in an effort to dodge the incoming fire, trusting his instincts to keep him safe as he hastily tried to assess the situation.
The enemy had gotten the drop on them and carved into their formation. The volunteers were in disarray, despite the best efforts of the veterans and officers, and although they still outnumbered the enemy attackers, the Imperial veterans were doing everything they could to even the score. If they didn't get back into some semblance of order soon, the rookie volunteers would be slaughtered piecemeal.
"Company to me!" he yelled, hoping to get the survivors of the ambush to form up on him so he could try to regroup with the rest of the battalion. However, more fire struck him from above and screams filled the air as the bodies of his wounded soldiers fell to the ground. No one within earshot of his rally cry had made it.
Damn, we're taking too many casualties and I can't get a handle on things while I'm under fire like this. He growled inwardly, returning fire and trying to gain some distance from his attackers as he summoned a communication spell.
"01 to 02! Johnson, can you hear me?" He called to his deputy through gritted teeth, hoping his second hadn't been caught up in this mess as well. He didn't particularly like the American Major who'd been assigned to him along with the international unit, he was arrogant and had made it clear that he didn't like that Drake had been assigned to lead the volunteers. He had been gunning for his job from the moment he had arrived. However, so far he'd followed orders and Drake had no reason to believe their current situation would change that. "I'm in the thick of it here. What's happening?"
Drake hissed with frustration. As a rule, he preferred to assess combat situations by himself, experience had taught him that it was always better to view a problem with your own eyes. However, he wasn't foolish enough to put himself and his troops at further risk to get his own way. Even if he had to rely on a gung-ho American officer.
For what seemed like an eternity, there was nothing but static, and Drake began to fear his Minnesotan second in command had fallen in one of the initial volleys. However, he soon found himself letting out a small sigh of relief the radio crackled into life and Major Johnson's distressed voice began to echo in his ears.
"Sir! You're alive!? They came out of nowhere! They cut through us like hot butter!" The panicked Major called, and Drake had to bite back a curse. Things couldn't be looking good if his deputy was struggling to keep it together. He'd been worried about this.
The Unified States had a small but decently equipped army, although he'd heard that since the war had begun it had started growing rapidly. Unfortunately, due to their isolationist nature, they hadn't had to use it all that much recently. At least not against anyone who could put up a decent fight, and they'd gotten complacent. Especially since they were one of the few major powers able to keep up with the Empire when it came to computation technology.
Additionally, they hadn't shown much interest in any of the Europan wars or skirmishes in the past few decades. The Yanks thought they'd learned everything they needed to know from their civil war and kicking a declining Ispagna out of their backyard. Meaning that, although their officers were full of what old General Ketchener would have called "vim and vigour", they were lacking in modern battlefield experience. Drake could only hope that the other veterans from the Allied Kingdom and the colonies were maintaining order amongst the volunteers.
"I need to know what's happening now, Johnson!" He yelled, firing at an Imperial formation as he accelerated up towards the cover of some nearby cloud, frustration lacing his voice as he heard more and more of his men fall injured or worse. To his credit though, the young American major rallied quickly and Drake found himself wondering if he had judged the man too harshly.
"The attack broke our formation, but we've reorganised almost half the battalion. It looks like their plan was to separate us and take us out bit by bit. I wish I could say it wasn't working." Johnson reported grimly, "What's your own status sir? We thought you were hit in the opening salvo."
Drake bit back another curse, he could hardly call the American Major out on complacency when he'd led his battalion into a trap like this. He'd known it was too good to be true when they'd detected so many mana signals heading off to intercept the aircraft, his gut had told the other boot still had to drop. But he'd allowed himself to become distracted by Willibrord and Sioux's foolish charge and while he'd been trying to reign them in, the enemy took advantage.
"I've been cut off." He replied with a frown, glancing around to take in his surroundings. There was no sign of the two troublemakers, or anyone else from his company for that matter, however, it seemed that he'd managed to give the enemy the slip too. They'd given up chasing him for the sake of causing maximum damage to the rest of the volunteer battalion. Unfortunately, that meant he would have to go through them if he wanted to regroup with the rest of his men. "I can't make it back through the enemy attack."
"Stand by!" Replied Johnson, as Drake heard the muffled sounds of him consulting with his platoon. "We still outnumber them, I'll organise a −."
Suddenly, the air filled with a low boom, cutting off the Major's transmission and causing Drake to spin around in search of the new threat.
In the distance, a hugely powerful stream of mana filled the air and fired down towards a small group of Imperial mages causing static to fill the air. He could recognise the mana signal, even without a detection formula, the simple and intractable way that Sioux wielded her magical potential was something all the instructors and officers had learned to recognise and often dread. However, he had never seen anyone wield so much power in a single blast.
He doubted anyone had.
It appeared that it would not have the desired effect on the enemy, however. As impressive as the beam of destructive light was, it was something the Imperial elite were able to easily avoid as they darted away from the concentrated mana. The beam then cut a deep scar in the city below before erupting in a plume of flame and dust and sending a shockwave through the air that rocked anyone who was caught up in it; Drake included.
Drake swore once again as he tried to regain his balance, cursing the girl under his breath. She was charging around like a bull in a porcelain shop, heedless of the others around her. That blast might have been impressive, but it was in a contested area, she'd likely caused as much damage to their communist allies as they had the Imperials. Not to mention the rookie mages that could have been knocked off of their gear by the shockwave. The girl was too reckless!
But still, she was also beyond the bulk of the attacking Imperial mages.
"Sioux! Break off your assault and continue towards the target!" He sent through a burst of mana, silently praying that the stubborn girl would listen to him. If they were lucky, they might still be able to salvage something from this disaster. However, he soon found himself swearing again as she darted off, chasing after two Imperials as they raced away through the sky.
"That's our firecracker!" Major Johnson's voice cut through the radio once more as more of the volunteer battalion fell under attack from the remaining Imperials. "Sir! We still outnumber them! I'll organise a counterattack and break through towards you!"
"Negative, 02! This is the Devil's battalion we're dealing with! We may have numbers, but every member of this group is a named mage!" Drake countered, not bothering to disguise either the anger or hint of panic in his voice. The volunteers were still reeling from these attacks, and they'd taken heavy casualties. Drake had wanted the rookies to have a simple first mission, not throw them into the meat grinder.
He should have known it'd be like this; the spook from Londinium had even tried to warn him. The Reds had bungled this attack from the get-go, or at least their political class had. They had been pressuring the Russy General to assault the city mindless of the defences they faced, trusting that their numbers would simply overwhelm them. While this had mostly proven true, it was not without cost and the casualties had been severe with some units reporting losing well over sixty or seventy percent of their combat strength. Sometimes even more.
He stared over at the combat-stricken volunteers for a moment.
To Hell with the Reds. He thought, growling internally at how the communists treated their soldiers, I'm not letting them do the same to us! I'm not letting them sacrifice any more of our troops just to make a point!
"Pull back and regroup under the Federation AA cover! Do everything you can to protect the rookies, they'll be ripped to shreds by a bunch of named!"
"But Sir! Sioux just –." Johnson began to protest before Drake cut him off.
"She just bought us some time, that's all!" Drake replied grimly glancing around to get his bearings before accelerating off towards the city. Although he highly doubted she'd even done that. The mages were unscathed by the blast and as far as he could tell, all she'd really accomplished was the demolition of a few city blocks.
"I can't get through them, so I'll continue and strike at the target. I'll loop around and regroup with you afterwards." He continued grinding his teeth with frustration; and if possible, I'll drag that girl and her little friend back with me. He added internally, mindful of the promise he'd made to his uncle. As much as he hated both of them right now, he didn't want them to die needlessly, nor any of the other volunteers for that matter. At least not any more of them. "Keep the rookies safe Major! They shouldn't be in this fight."
He grimaced as he charged onwards into the city towards his target, if he could get a good hit in then perhaps all these casualties wouldn't be for nothing. He just hoped the intel was correct, they weren't sure if this was the primary headquarters or simply a local command point. Regardless, it would hopefully have some effect on the overall battle. If he were lucky, it might even cause those infernal Imperial mages to fall back and leave his rookies alone.
There was another blast over towards his right, and even before he glanced over, he knew it was more of Sioux's handiwork. Her mana seemed to permeate the air, blocking out the signals of others nearby, and Drake couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about how much magical potential she seemed to possess. Mary's lack of control over herself and her magical ability felt like being around an oversensitive grenade with the pin pulled. The second you loosen your grip on the lever it would go off, headless of who was in its blast radius. He swore if he got out of this, he would make sure she learned some discipline.
The blast cleared quickly, and Drake noted a trail of mana break off from where Sioux was pursuing her target, the second figure hastily banking around and accelerating away from the bullish girl and quickly towards him. It seemed he had caught some unwanted attention and even Mary's overzealous and overwhelming attack wasn't enough to divert it away from him. Meanwhile, the troublesome girl seemed so fixated on her pursuit that she seemed not to care about anything else.
"Damn, I should've known it wouldn't be easy."
He dove down towards the rooftops, doing his best to use the buildings as cover as the Imperial charged towards him, firing off a few shots at range as they approached. He risked a glance behind and caught a glimpse of long brown hair whipping in the wind, and a feminine silhouette bearing down on him at incredible speed. A girl then? One perhaps a little older than Sioux or Kelly. Was there anyone not being drafted for this war?
Considering what he knew about who Sioux was chasing, he could hardly be surprised. He wasn't about to underestimate her because of her sex, however. If his guess was right, this was the mage codenamed Persephone, the one who'd been with the Devil since she'd first appeared on the Rhine, and a contender for the second most dangerous mage in the Imperial army.
"Just what I need." He muttered to himself as the enemy mage fired off a few more shots, two of them managing to strike his shield despite the cover and evasive action he was taking. If there was any doubt left in Drake that this girl was a named mage, it swiftly evaporated. Things were not looking great for him right now and he doubted his pursuer would be kind enough to let him attack his target and leave unmolested. He just wished he had a few more advantages in this encounter, or at least some good luck for once.
It was common knowledge that Imperial orb technology exceeded the models that Drake and the volunteers were using, meaning his enemy could move faster and fly higher than he could. Technically, the Allied kingdom style flight gear, or the brooms as they'd called them in the Royal Mage Marines, should provide a far more stable platform to fire from and should allow him to fire more accurately. However, if the girl could hit him at this range, and while they were moving so fast, his gear was hardly adding anything to level the playing field.
He still had a few ideas though. He couldn't call himself a marine mage if he didn't have a few dirty tricks up his sleeve.
He forced the back of his broom around as he raised his weapon, using the speed and momentum carrying him to swing around the corner of a street and into cover as he fired off a few shots at the queen of the underworld. His foe was surprised by his sudden change of direction, but reacted quickly as she forced herself higher and over the building as she did her best to avoid the sudden blows striking her shield.
Drake couldn't help but be impressed, the girl was good. Cagey and cautious without being overly so. She'd easily seen through the trap to provoke her and lure her around the corner, and instantly avoided it by going over the top. Even with her obvious advantage in equipment, she'd not allowed herself to become overconfident, a trait rare even amongst named mages. Now she was gliding gracefully over the top of him and reading her rifle to shoot him in the back.
However, he had prepared for this and had quickly brought one hand down to draw his service revolver and aimed it behind him as the girl prepared to fire. By chance, both squeezed the trigger at the same time but Drake accelerated forward as he fired, feeling his barrier drop as a close-range penetration formula sliced through his shield. His foe however was engulfed in an explosion, leaving her stunned and equally without protection as her barrier flickered and failed under the strain.
Drake cursed again as he brought his broom around behind the cover of one of the old Tiegenhoff guild houses. He had hoped to escape towards the target while the girl was recovering from the blast however with his barrier down, he was one good shot away from being another statistic. Neither did he think it wise to press his advantage while both of them sat defenceless, a sentiment shared by the young woman as she darted into her own cover, firing to keep him pinned as she went.
It looks like shaking this one won't be easy. He thought with a grimace as another huge blast caught his attention not too far away. It seemed that Sioux's duel had yet to come to an end either, there would be no help from there and he wouldn't be able to strike at the enemy HQ while Persephone was on his back.
He cursed again, sliding a fresh magazine into his rifle as he focused his mana to rebuild his shield.
"Looks like we'll have to play a little cat and mouse." He murmured wearing a grim smile. "I just wish I could say I was the cat."
May 7th Unified Year 1925, The Same Time
Ruins of Tiegenhoff Financial district, Tiegenhoff
"And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time." A terrifyingly familiar voice echoed around the smoke and dust.
"I…Impossible." Will stuttered as he took a step back, his heavy flight boots feeling like shackles around his feet, pinning him to the ground as surely as the horror filling his soul. He felt the grip on his sword slip as the figure floated towards him and it was all he could do to keep hold of the cursed blade as the boy's features slowly came into view through the fog of dust and debris.
Will froze as Ludwig stared at him through the smoke wearing a soft but somehow terrifying smile. No, not Ludwig, something worse! He saw himself, the same but different, wearing the crooked nose and scars that he had gifted him so long ago in Letzenbourg. However, unlike the scars Will hid behind his uniform, this creature wore his injuries without an ounce of shame, not caring what others might think of him. A sentiment shared by the soulful calm in his voice, and for once Will wondered if this was what it was like for the soldiers who'd fallen to his blade as he'd begged them for peace.
His replica paused, and fixed him with his unnerving smile; something about it seemed uniquely wrong. It wasn't threatening but it didn't seem entirely natural either, as though it were missing some key component present in a normal human smile. In its stead was something that he had only seen in the eyes of a select few people, and even then it had always been tainted with the expectations they had of him.
It was compassion. No something purer than that.
It was as though the creature was trying to convey a sense of benevolent affection through the smile despite his sudden appearance and attack. The same look that Christina would give him when he was sick, or Sophia would wear when she was worried about him.No, not the same, he mentally corrected himself. It lacked the part that made such an expression human; there was nothing in those eyes that asked or expected anything from him. It wasn't natural. No one cared about anyone without expecting something in return.
He tried to break away from the boy's gaze, but his green eyes drilled into his own, piercing his very being. For a moment Will found himself forgetting about the world around him; there was nothing but himself and the eyes that bore into him. Even his thoughts began to fall away as he was frozen in the face of his doppelganger.
All the fear built over his short lifetime fell away from him and in an instant, and a sense of serenity gradually began to envelop him as he felt calm wash over where the terror had once been. The constant stress he'd felt since his youth was gone, as were the worries he'd accumulated, and his body somehow felt lighter with their absence. He let out a sigh that almost turned into a laugh as a small tear rolled down his face. He felt at peace. For the first time in… had he ever felt this way? He couldn't remember but he found himself not caring as a reassuring warmth filled his chest. He was finally at peace!
Why had he been so afraid of this creature? Did he really want to harm him? Was it possible that…
There was a flicker of yellow in his doppelganger's eyes; something tiny and almost imperceivable, but enough to break Will from his reveries and allow a sliver of fear back into his heart.
No this isn't real. Life isn't like this. People don't care like this! Life doesn't care like this! He told himself, reluctantly resisting the comforting feeling that threatened to engulf him. It's all a lie! Things can never be this easy! God doesn't allow it! He doesn't care! Life isn't fair, life doesn't care!
He blinked and the world suddenly flooded back into focus and he found himself back in the ruined streets of Tiegenhoff. The feeling of tranquillity was violently stripped away from him, and replaced with the familiar and ever-present dread he knew so well, as the memory that he'd tried so hard to bury forced its way to the forefront of his mind. One that haunted his nightmares and left him with an ever-present fear that stalked his every moment. One that snapped his gaze away from the siren's eyes in front of him and forced a glance towards the number emblazoned on the blade in his hand.
"Deliver unto me one thousand faithful souls."
Will moved instinctively, his fight or flight response driving him back into the shadow and dust, primal fear carrying him into cover despite the heavy shackles around his feet. He couldn't take flight, his terror-filled brain wouldn't allow it. Even simple formulas were beyond his ability as his mind filled with the horrible memory, no the feeling, of his existence being unmade. The sensation of his sense of self being stripped away from him by that unearthly power.
That was what He was really like; not some benevolent and peaceful being offering happiness. God was a monster.
He moved as quickly as his legs could carry him, not daring to look back towards his preternatural assailant. It had all been a trick! The monster had come for him, He had come to collect his debt and worse still, He had chosen his doppelganger to do it. The same one that had stolen Hausmann from him before! The same one that had tried to steal Tanya! The one that he'd only been able to fend off by pure luck and with the help of a girl far stronger and more capable than him.
"There was a man who had two sons.The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them." The boy's voice echoed around the smoky ruins as Will struggled to escape from his otherworldly pursuer.
Will ducked behind a broken wall and covered his ears in a vain effort to block out the being's words, his mind still spinning with the memory of almost being erased by the monster. However, the eerie voice echoed strangely around the ruins, its reverberations forcing its way into his head. Worse still, the more the boy spoke, the more it seemed it was his own voice he was hearing and he could almost feel himself mouthing the words as the boy spoke.
"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living."
"Please, I'm not ready! I need more time!" he whimpered as the voice drew ever closer to his hiding spot. It wasn't fair! He'd tried so hard to pay the debt; he'd bent over backwards to get himself into this war and had done everything he could to increase the tally. It wasn't his fault he didn't know what the rules were! Why was the monstrous God so impatient? Why did he have to taunt him like this? Why did he always have to take more from him?
"After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything."
Will could hear his duplicate edging closer to him, his voice still echoing strangely around the ruins as he desperately tried to regain enough of his senses to decide on what best to do next. But he couldn't think, not with the unearthly being bearing down on him like this. He felt dizzy, as though the world was spinning around him and his head began to throb and ache as every word the supernatural imitation spoke felt like a hammer to the head.
"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you."
Will darted out from his hiding place and deeper into the damaged building as a nearby explosion shook fresh smoke and brick dust into the air. He felt nauseous and struggled for breath as he stared down at his shaking hands, the sword rattling as he shook.
"I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.' So he got up and went to his father."
The words: "no longer worthy" seemed to reverberate in his brain, stoking his fear all the more as he wondered what message the monster was trying to convey. Was this His way of telling him that he was not worth the lives he had given Him? What more could he give to satiate It?
He needed to run, to get as far away from the clone as possible. If he could only escape! Not just this thing attacking him, but the entire war! He could have the ship take him to some far-off land, away from Letzenbourg and the Empire, and he could hide away from the monstrous God and his servants. He should take the happiness he deserved!
"But while he was still a long way off−." The boy paused as the ground shook, interrupted by the sound of a distant explosion.
Will risked a glance from his hiding spot, still shaking slightly as he struggled to regain control of himself. His doppelganger had stopped his sermon for a moment and was staring off in the direction of the blast; his eyes now glowing a sickening shade of yellow. However, for once, his expression seemed almost human, a frown full of concern staining his features. A second blast rang out and the ground shook again, loosing more dust into the air and Will found his own eyes following the boy's gaze as he wondered what had distracted him. However, a second unearthly sensation of incredibly powerful mana from the direction of the blasts told him all he needed to know.
It was Tanya and she was under attack from her own unearthly assailant.
Fresh waves of panic washed over Will as he ducked back behind cover. He'd almost forgotten; the girl from Moscau had been moving in to attack Tanya! Had they engaged while Will was being tormented by his double? No, no, no! This couldn't be happening! The monstrous God wasn't just content to collect on his own debt, he wanted to take Tanya too! Punish her for whatever implied slight she had inflicted upon it. Or perhaps just punish Will twice by taking her from him.
He had to get her away from here too! She didn't know he had a way out of the city, if he could reach her, they could all escape before the monster took them. He could even take her with him when he fled the war. Sophia too, she was probably already waiting for him at the docks. But first, they had to get out of here and now that his duplicate was distracted, it was the best chance he would have to escape.
Will summoned a surge of mana into his flight boots, struggling to concentrate as his mind fought his fear so that he could use his orb to control the formula, and quickly accelerated into the air. He needed to move, and fast. If he could just stay ahead of the replica he could reach Tanya and Visha, get them to the boat, meet up with Sophia and they escape the city.
But what about Sophia? A treacherous thought reminded him. Causing him to glance back towards where he had left the younger twin. Had she left yet? Was she still fighting with the other Letzenbourgers? What if she were in danger too? The monster was taking everything else from him, what if He had targeted her too? How could he be sure that they would all get to the ship without risking everything?
He would have no time to figure out an answer however, as the air exploded above him creating a shockwave that sent him tumbling towards the ground once more. He didn't hit the ground as hard as he had last time. There had been no wall to crash through as he had landed in the remains of what might have once been a bank vault, its reinforced walls split open by a bomb during one of the Federation air raids. However, it was enough to send fresh shooting pains along his side, reminding him of the broken rib he had suffered not long before.
He yelped in pain, cursing as he tried to focus so that he could perform another first-aid spell. It was clear from the sting in his side that his temporary patch had come undone, as well as likely he'd suffered further injuries. However, his mind was still too befuddled to properly focus on the formula, particularly since the wound was making it increasingly difficult to breathe. He groaned and brought a hand to his side in a vain effort to cradle his injury while he used the other hand to push himself onto his knees, however, he soon froze as a dreadful realisation fell over him.
He'd dropped his sword in the fall!
He glanced around urgently as he searched for the blade. As much as he despised the thing it was his only way to count the debt, not to mention one of the few tools he had to defend himself. He couldn't afford to lose it! His hand darted towards his holster, his pistol, if he at least had his pistol, he'd have some defence! However, the fearful dread only grew more as he found that it too was missing. He was completely unarmed.
"It's much better that we not interfere with them." The clone spoke behind him as he once again reappeared through a gap in the fallen masonry, causing Will to fall on his back as he whipped around to face him.
This time the voice seemed subtly different from when he had been preaching, as though he were no longer reading from a script, and with an inflection seemed to hide a sight twinge of uncertainty as he spoke about the other fight. Was this the doppelganger's true voice? Will would not have time to reflect on this however as the boy fixed his gaze on him once more, eyes burning in a golden light as he began to speak in Will's own voice once again.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."
Will scrambled backwards, aches temporarily forgotten as he again desperately tried to put some distance between himself and this "true saint". I shouldn't have run! He thought as the clone's eyes burned evermore fiercely, each golden orb emitting a power that fixed Will's soul to the ground. There's no running from this!
Tears began to form in the corners of his eyes as his back struck the wall of the ruined room, putting an end to his futile escape attempt. There was nowhere else to go, he was out of choices. I shouldn't have run. He repeated to himself a sense of helplessness washing over him. He'd follow me anywhere, wouldn't he? Take away everything no matter where I am. This is the end.
"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate."
Will's head dropped as his hand fell from his side and onto the floor, despair had replaced the pain from his injuries, and he no longer had the energy to keep it cradled. He squeezed his eyes shut once again, he didn't want to look at his executioner. It was bad enough that the wretched facsimile insisted on taunting him, repeating the words of the God that Will had learned to hate. Or rather, making his own voice repeat them.
"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound."
Will's finger brushed something on the ground beside him, something cold and metallic. Reluctantly, despite the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, he opened his tear-filled eyes and glanced over at the object and suddenly he felt a sliver of hope once again. It was his pistol! It must have skidded away when he'd fallen.
He grasped the handle and shakily aimed the gun at his approaching double, the weapon rekindling a small flame of defiance in his chest. I might not be able to run, but if I have a weapon I can still fight! He told himself as he squeezed the trigger. Bullets had felled this monster before, and although he had somehow recovered from such wounds, Will was sure they could do it again.
Will fired the gun, his aim sitting perfectly between the two glowing orbs bearing down on him and he felt a moment of jubilant relief as the weapon fired. The creature in front of him might have been able to recover from the multiple wounds gifted to him in Letzenbourg, but no amount of magic could save him from a bullet to the brain. And at such close range, the doppelganger's barrier would be useless.
His elation was short-lived however, as the copy ducked out of the way, moving with inhuman speed, even for someone magically enhanced, before dashing forward in a blur. Will had no time to react as the clone appeared in front of him, using the butt of his gun to strike his pistol, knocking it from his fingers once again. Then, in a slow and deliberate movement, leant forward until his face was mere centimetres from his own.
"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!"
The copy almost growled the words at him as his golden glowing eyes bore into him anew, the sickening glow and overwhelming power fixing him in place once again. For the first time, Will heard aggression in the creature's voice as he spoke and Will shrank away fearfully. Until now the clone had spoken with unflinching calmness, even after his escape attempt. This sudden change only served to make the creature more terrifying.
The replica paused for a moment as it stared into Will's soul, and Will found himself all but praying for this ordeal to be over. It was too much, he couldn't think, he could barely breathe and the messenger from the monstrous God was stood over him ready to deliver the final blow. Will had no options, no defence, he was entirely at the mercy of this thing. Of the true Saint.
The doppelganger studied him for a moment more before seeming to return to his previous calm demeanour. The glow in his eyes began to diminish and it felt as though the pressure that kept him pinned in place began to lessen. Then the boy smiled and began to speak once again, only this time there was no anger, instead, it was replaced by a more friendly tone.
"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
The copy placed his rifle on the floor before offering Will his hand, the caring smile and emerald eyes that had enraptured him before returning.
"You have been lost, Brother Wilhelm." The boy said, speaking in his own voice as he looked at him imploringly. "Will you allow yourself to be found?"
May 7th Unified Year 1925, The Same Time
Skies near St Jutta's cathedral, Tiegenhoff
Tanya swore angrily, growling under her breath as she forced more mana into her flight boot, glancing back at the pursuer that hurtled towards her. Her attacker was fast, far faster than they had any right to be, and worse still, faster than when she'd last seen her in Moscau. Despite doing everything she could think of to improve the acceleration of her flight gear, Tanya still found herself struggling to stay ahead of her; let alone gain enough distance to allow herself some breathing room. And considering the sickening familiar feeling Tanya got from the girl's mana signature, she dearly wished she had the luxury of time to regroup.
There was a sudden prickle in the air and Tanya quickly jinked sideways, just in time for a white-hot beam of mana to surge past where she had just been. Hastily, she launched herself upwards into the sky as another huge explosion ripped through the ground below her. It was unthinkable! Despite the superior quality of the Imperial flight gear, and the ingenious design of the type 97 orb, her clumsy assailant was still managing to not only keep up with her but was gradually gaining! Even managing to maintain an advantage in altitude. Worse still she was also able to fire off some of the most destructive optical formulas she'd ever had the misfortune of being on the receiving end of while doing it!
Her attacker was also unusually persistent, at least in her single-minded goal to overwhelm her. Before she'd been forced to send Visha away, Tanya had her adjutant attempt to distract her attention in the hopes that between them they could confuse the beast long enough to take her out. However, the aggressive mage had barely taken any notice of the Lieutenant, even when the girl had scored some solid hits on her barrier. Instead, Tanya had only found herself weathering yet more blasts of mana with renewed enthusiasm.
She found herself wondering if this was what it was like to have a stalker.
She slid a fresh magazine into her machine gun, preparing herself for an opportunity to return fire, doing her best to suppress her growing anxiety. It was fortunate her attacker was a lousy shot and easy to provoke. She just wished that she wasn't the only one around to deal with her. She'd been forced to send her only backup away to deal with the second mage who'd tried to sneak past them and towards General von Sholtz's headquarters.
She cursed her carelessness. The John Bulls had used the exact same trick in Moscau; send their overpowered ox to distract while the others found an opening to engage. She'd been so focused on taking advantage of what appeared to be an exposed enemy she'd failed to see anything else at play. Fortunately, Visha was no slouch, she'd been with her since the Rhine and knew how to play defensive, she trusted her adjutant to protect the command post and more importantly her reputation.
Not that the General's well-being is my primary concern right now! She thought as another beam of mana sped past her, this time exploding in the sky, causing her to dodge sideways to escape the shockwave.
Down, I need to use the city as cover. She thought, quickly assessing her options and diving back down towards street level. I'm not sure the buildings will do much against all this power, but it will at least throw off her aim.
It was too much, optical formulas like this took an insane amount of mana and this mage was firing them off as though it was nothing! It shouldn't have been possible, not with Commonwealth orbs and Entente flying gear. It didn't matter how powerful you were as a mage, it was impossible to breach the limitations of the technology you were using. At least not without outside help. This was without a doubt His work.
"Curse you being X! This is cheating!" She cursed as another terrifyingly powerful beam whizzed past her, the heat and static from the mana radiation prickling her skin despite the protective barrier around her. The girl's aim was getting better as she became accustomed to her unnatural power and the destructive shafts of light were becoming thinner and more refined, cutting through the buildings rather than exploding on impact.
She'd start running low on mana soon, wouldn't she? Even when using that cursed relic of Being X's, she had a limited supply to work with before she came back to her senses. This monster had to run out eventually right? Then again, if Being X was willing to continue to assert his malign influence on this world as a way to make a point, she couldn't be certain that he would hold this mage to the same standards as he did her. He might even be the true reason behind her improving aim. Her dealings with Being X thus far had proven that the false deity didn't like to play by the rules.
That bastard might keep this beast's mana stocked up just out of spite! She thought feeling another twinge of anxiety as she searched for an opening to strike back.
She darted around a building and flipped onto her back, reading her weapon for her attacker. The pursuant skier followed her, sliding around the corner with an enraged scream, preparing another blast. But Tanya was prepared and opened up with a full volley of enchanted armour-piercing rounds from her machine gun. The girl's barrier lit up in an instant, surrounding her in a bright lattice of light as her shield struggled against the onslaught.
Tanya moved quickly to press her advantage, summoning her own optical spell to overwhelm the girl's defences. However, she barely had a chance to begin the formula before another beam of light escaped the shield and tore into the building beside her, leaving a trail of smoke and debris in its wake.
Tanya's eyes widened in surprise, any normal mage would be dead after that but her blows hadn't so much as slowed this monster down! The beast was still coming and bearing down on her with all her might.
"Coward!" The girl screeched as she prepared to fire once again, close enough now that evading the blasts was becoming increasingly difficult.
Tanya returned fire instinctively and managed to catch the girl's formula just as it fired off, causing it to explode violently directly in front of the Entente mage. The reflexive reaction had saved her life, but she was still too close to the blast and the shockwave ripped through her barrier before knocking her sideways into the wall of a building.
Tanya's brain moved fast, a mixture of self-preservation and combat instinct kicking in to protect herself from the worst of the impact. In an instant, she tucked her legs in, rolling herself into a ball as she poured mana into her body to soften the blow, moments before she smashed through the masonry and into the upper floor of what had once been someone's home. Her shoulder hit the floor and she tucked into a roll, the momentum carrying her onward, before she pushed away with her feet, launching herself forward and smashing through a window on the other side of the building.
The blast had momentarily stunned her foe, but it had done little else to dissuade her from her pursuit and the skiing mage soon smashed through the remainder of the building, leaving it to crumble to dust. Tanya's eyes widened in a mix of astonishment and panic as the beast tore through the debris, screaming like a berserker as she charged through.
"Just die already!" Tanya yelled, her voice alarm straining her voice as she fired again, hoping to keep the beast at bay for a little longer as she considered her options.
It seemed a battle of attrition was completely out of the question, even if she hadn't already been approaching exhaustion, this enemy seemed to have a limitless supply of mana. Similarly, attempting to keep her at range was proving increasingly more difficult, besides, it seemed they had the upper hand when it came to firepower.
I'll have to deal with her up close then. She thought, less than happy about the prospect as she struggled to keep her cool under the weight of constant assault. At least Wilhelm has given me plenty of practice in that regard.
As though reading her mind, her foe surged forward once again with another enraged scream, raising her rifle like a club as she charged. Tanya readied herself to fire again but somehow, the Entente girl's fury only served to feed her acceleration and it was all she could do to raise her weapon in time to block the taller girl's blow.
Tanya winced as she felt the Legadonian mage's strike land, pouring all of her strength into blocking the mana-infused blow from knocking the gun from her hands. She felt herself being pushed back, the girl's acceleration carrying them both as Tanya desperately struggled against her and Tanya felt a sliver of fear as she felt herself unable to do anything to break free.
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" The girl screeched, tears falling from her eyes as Tanya got her first real look at her attacker.
Until now she'd been a distant blur screaming profanities, even back in Moscau, at least until she'd started emanating that unearthly power. However, even then she had never really gotten a close look at her and if not for this encounter, she could have been just another in a thousand faces she'd had the misfortune to run across on the battlefield. However, even with so little to reference, she could tell the girl was different this time and the overwhelming power and wrath she wielded was enough to burn the girl into her memory.
She was perhaps a year or two older than her, although still younger than Visha, and wore the standard uniform of the Commonwealth volunteers, despite the difference in their standard flight gear. Her hair had been cut short at the back, with only two short braids at the front as evidence that it had ever been worn long. However, it was the eyes that caught her attention the most. Not simply the unnatural glow that emanated from them, she had experienced that before. Not least by another homicidal Legadonian. It was the unyielding torrent of rage and hatred that seemed to flow from them, a turbulent sea of irrational emotion aimed directly at her.
That was when she realised why the girl seemed so terrifyingly different since they'd met in the Federation capital. This was not the face of a soldier fighting a battle, not even one giving their all in self-defence or duty. There was not even a trace of professionalism here, just unbridled rage and loathing.
To her attacker, this wasn't a job, this was personal.
"What the hell did I ever do to you?" The words fell out of Tanya's mouth without the intervention of her brain as terror filled her soul. The hateful yellow eyes burrowing into her own with a burning desire to cause her harm. She'd only seen that sort of expression once before, and even then only for a split second. And that short moment was all it had taken.
Panic took her, the desire to escape that nightmarish stare triggering her flight response as she struggled to back away from the girl. However, the Entente mage drove at her further, growling like a rabid animal as she tried to unleash her unrestrained wrath on her. Tanya's eyes darted around, desperately looking for an avenue of escape as she tried to prevent all of her rational thoughts from surrendering to fear.
It was perhaps this hyperawareness of threat that saved her, as at the last moment she understood the reason for the possessed beast's charge. She was about to be ground into a nearby building and there was little hope she could shield herself from such a brutal kinetic blow while defending herself from this monster. However, it was the unconscious mind that forced her body to react, as she abruptly ceased her resistance against the mage's blow, forcing her attacker to tumble forward and strike the wall first, smashing the masonry aside and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Again, Tanya's body moved without the input of her conscious mind, fear urging her to speed away from her stunned enemy under the cover of the smoke. She ducked behind some rubble, desperate for a moment's respite and a place to hide from her unearthly pursuer.
"Those eyes." She whispered to herself as she collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily and shaking slightly as she tried to calm herself down. They lacked all the logic and rationality of even the most unhinged human being. They were those of a lunatic or a feral animal, they couldn't be reasoned with, or even understood by a rational being like herself. They were a complete anathema to any free-thinking person and to see them direct such violent emotions at her was horrifying!
Worse still, they were familiar. They were the same eyes that had shoved the Salaryman onto the tracks and ended his life.
Tanya would never say she was fearless. She viewed a healthy sense of self-preservation to be an essential trait in a well-balanced person and although she outwardly tried to project an image of bravery and dedication to duty, she would readily admit that if the opportunity arose, and she could get away without repercussions, she would be the first to flee the battlefield. However, she had never found herself truly terrified by the desperate situations she'd found herself in. Not in this way.
Even when facing Being X she had felt more indignation than fear, at least after his initial threat to simply delete her had passed. True, the creature appeared to have the power to destroy her if he wished but he also seemed intent on making a point, meaning he couldn't do so directly without proving himself wrong. In a twisted way, she could understand Being X's attitude, much like Wilhelm, there was a hint of Logic in how he behaved, even if it was irrational and flawed.
However, the eyes of that man as he had consigned her past self to this end truly terrified and confused her. To this day she still sometimes awoke in a cold sweat thinking about him and the look he had given the Salaryman as he tumbled onto the tracks. The look that girl had given her was the same but a thousandfold, all her personal feelings distilled into pure animosity towards her and she didn't even know why.
"Personal feelings on a battlefield? It's just insanity! Inhuman!" She shuddered, sitting up and sheltering against a nearby wall as another anguished screech announced the presence of the feral beast nearby. She was hunting her again.
The type 95? What other choice do I have? She thought in a panic, reaching into her pocket for the cursed object but she paused for a moment as she saw her reflection staring back at her in the bejewelled orb.
She had long become accustomed to seeing a little girl when she looked in the mirror. Part of her was aware that her past self would have thought that laughable, but he was just a memory now and Tanya had grown used to her new "self" in this world. However, the discoloured face that stared back at her from that orb did not look like her somehow.
The reflection looked fearful and desperate, and reminded her of someone else she knew. It was the same thing she saw when she looked deeply into Wilhelm's eyes. A face driven as much by his erratic emotional state as any sense of logic and reason; fear and worry replacing rational thought even when seemingly calm. She looked ragged and on the verge of despair, more like a cornered animal than a rational human being. Could this really be her? If this is how she looked was she really all that different to the beast attacking her?
Another blast and scream of anger echoed somewhere behind her but she ignored it, continuing to stare at her reflection as she thought of her troublesome little prince. She thought of him as her bellwether for what the effects of Being X would have on a person. She'd often assumed he was far more mentally fragile than herself, certainly more foolhardy and reckless, and she thought she would see the effects of Being X's torturous tricks in him long before they manifested in her. She'd even hoped to prevent some of them, in some way at least. But he'd been afflicted all along, long before they'd even met.
Being X had been content to simply stand back and laugh as Tanya struggled in her early years but had the same been true of Wilhelm? Perhaps, what she thought of as normality in Wilhelm were the symptoms she should have been looking for. Perhaps the Prince had been a warning for her all along.
Desperation, that was what Being X wanted, the Salaryman had even told him so! "Unless driven into a corner, people won't cling to religion." A distant voice that had once belonged to her echoed in her mind.
She cursed her foolishness. That was why the false deity had brought her here in the first place, the reason he'd placed her in a position where she was guaranteed strife. He wanted to make her desperate because it was the only trick that he knew. That same desperation had twisted to unhinged anger in that monstrous girl's eyes, caused by the false deity and whatever perceived slight she had brought with her to the battlefield to use against her. Desperation, no Being X, had robbed her of her humanity and made her a feral beast.
Wilhelm was on the same path, his eyes reflected the glimmer of the same thing that the girl had. The same thing the Salaryman's former employee had. It had been a warning and she had foolishly dismissed it as Wilhelm's eccentricity and irrationality. Worst of all, as she looked at herself in the orb, she could see the beginnings of it in herself. Simply because she had been shown those very same eyes that had sent her here. She'd even almost used Being X's own cursed relic to defend herself from it, something she already knew she could lose herself to.
"I refuse!" She murmured with a growl, stuffing the orb back in her pocket and closing her eyes as a flicker of anger and indignation replaced her fear. She took a deep breath, forcing her emotions to calm through sheer force of will. "Personal feelings on a battlefield? I must be going mad."
But I will kill you she added to herself internally, glancing back towards the direction of the berserker hunting for her. Not because of fear or desperation, not because of duty and certainly not because of Being X's influence! But because I have free will and it is my choice to do so.
She allowed herself the smallest smile.
After all, when a beast starts attacking indiscriminately, the only rational thing to do is put it down.
Author's notes
Hi everyone and as always, thank you all for reading, reviewing etc.
Once again, I have to apologise for how long it's taken to update. Some may think I was perhaps demoralised by many of the latest reviews but that is not the case, I mostly thought they were funny (and I have no idea who Johnny is and how I gave him character development). Nevertheless, I appreciate these reviews as there were a few good points made.
One particular is how close to the canon (at least the anime/movie canon) the last few chapters have been. This is a fair criticism because they are following it quite closely with a few additions here and there. This is, in part, because these events are necessary for what I have planned next and because where my story diverges more is in Tanya's character growth as she interacts with Wilhelm. Will can't hope to affect the wishes of an all-powerful deity and his cabal of angels, but he can affect Tanya, or at least how she sees things. Hopefully, that is starting to shine through as I believe the Tanya in this story has gradually been growing into one different from the canon. (Although admittedly, as the writer, I see things from a slightly different perspective than you).
A good chunk of the blame for my lateness can be given to my beta reader, however, he's had a few things going on lately so don't be too harsh on him. The rest is my fault because it turns out writing nothing but action scenes (I'm counting Wilhelm's section here although I admit it's a bit of a generous term) is both difficult and exhausting. So much so that I had to add a more chill section at the beginning of the chapter to give myself a break.
Speaking of which, I know some of you absolutely hate the Maggie and Andrew stuff, and I promise I'm not just putting it in to annoy you….no really! You'll have to trust me that it will be important later, in the meantime, feel free to continue to complain about it as much as you want. You are allowed to hate things.
In the Drake section, I am leaning into the trope of Europeans disliking overconfident Americans and sticking to the real-world thing of you guys not actually having an especially big army until post-war due to isolationism. I hope to have Drake learn to respect Major Johnson later (unless I decide to kill him off) so please don't take it personally. Also, I chose Minnesota at random and could not think of a decent Youjo senkified version of the name.
The last two sections are the parts I'm most pleased with, Will's part especially. Did this part go the way you expected? Again I must thank my beta reader Vickers, for helping me with the biblical stuff. I know a little, but he's far more knowledgeable than me on that front and he was a great help with the parable. Ideally, I would have liked to take more pieces from several different Abrahamic religions, rather than just Christianity. However, I don't know anyone else well enough to go into great detail on that front and I don't want to insult anyone's beliefs inadvertently by just bumbling through. Ultimately I think it worked quite well though.
The Tanya bit again is admittedly similar to the movie plot but I have tried to subtly add my own spin to it. Some might not like that she is scared of Mary in this version, but I say why wouldn't she be? She's the opposite of everything she stands for and understands, completely alien to Tanya, and insanely powerful. Wouldn't that be terrifying? I also wanted to relate it to the Salaryman's life; Tanya experienced his death after all, I'd like to think there'd be some lingering trauma. Most of all, of course, I wanted to relate it to Wilhelm. Not only the look in his eyes, what Tanya perceives as his irrational behaviour and how they relate to her, but to juxtapose their situations because they are experiencing very similar troubles right now.
Sorry for the ramble. Hopefully, you enjoyed the chapter and continue reading, reviewing etc. In the meantime, I will try to update more regularly again.
As always, thank you.
Xanen