Chapter 9: Death and Life
I curse my stars
In bitter grief and woe
That made my love so high
And me so low
Aldina Plains
Nothing dared to attack them at this point. No daemons or any of the dangerous wildlife that could be lurking about nearby. At least, that was the intent. Clad again in heavy robes, Saya looked out ahead at the windswept plain, her calm features a mask that belied the ferocity underneath them.
Their quarry was here, so said Artorius at least. Having returned from Hellawes, she, Oscar, and Shigure were met with a mix of both relief and trepidation. Melchior was the one who was most averse to her continued alliance with them, though thankfully both Oscar and Shigure took a stand for her. That fact impressed Artorius enough it seemed, though one could never really tell what that man was truly thinking. They needed her for her power, that much was certain, but it wasn't enough given who they currently had to deal with.
Saya frowned, recalling what was given to them in recompense. An experimental arte, too early for any practical use and one she could just barely comprehend even with old Melchior's explanation. It was a test, and apparently they hadn't intended to reveal it until much later on.
"Armatization…" Oscar said as he walked up to stand beside her. She looked up at him with a shrug, not particularly concerned with the details of its. "Do you think it's worth it? Lord Melchior said it was a way to enhance our strength even more but we still don't have a reliable method to make it work."
"Then why would he reveal his little project to us?" Saya replied, her gaze staring up at the tall structure at the center of the plains. "No doubt your Lord Artorius was disappointed in our mission, but he seemed fine with testing something that they currently have no control over. Perhaps he expects us to use it or die trying?"
"That is what seems to worry my sister. But Lord Artorius would not not reveal this to us without good reason. He mentioned our… resonance as a potential key to all this?" the praetor responded.
"True enough." Said Saya, "Sending two fools on an errand to at least get something useful from them, even if it kills them. You do not seem to mind though?"
"I trust in Lord Artorius' judgment." Oscar said proudly, causing Saya to give out a sigh.
"Well, I am certain we will not be able to unlock its secrets today. Even if we are to succeed in this Hunt."
"Ah yes, to hunt a daemon terrorizing this region. That is likely to be more difficult than what you're making it sound like." He replied.
"You are not frightened are you? Are these hunts not expected for you Exorcists? Making the land safe for the common people?" she wondered.
"It has been a while since I've been assigned to such a basic duty. But this one is different according to all the reports. Just, be careful." Oscar told her, Saya giving a chuckle as she vanished and returned to his soul. A much more forceful return to her vessel it seemed as Oscar reeled back, feeling as if she had struck him directly on the chest.
It is a special mission indeed, and with less help than before. Exorcists that fled in Hellawes had been assigned elsewhere, probably for the better. If anything went wrong, then fewer lives would be at risk.
But to send out just the two of us. Either Artorius is overconfident or foolish. Not that I intend to lose here.
"Just know when to retreat. I know you are powerful, but you can't take on the world." Oscar replied.
Can't I now? Perhaps I shall regale you with a story where my brother managed to do just that? I am his equal so that much I can repeat if needed.
"Now who's overconfident?" said Oscar.
The way ahead did not reveal the presence of any further obstacles. Having reached the mountain, Oscar was glad enough that the path up was direct, having been crafted by previous explorers. Nothing lay in wait at the top though and given the state of the weather, the daemon wouldn't be appearing for quite some time. The reports said it appeared only on rainy days after all.
But there were ways around that. Taking a moment to get composed, Oscar breathed in deep before he drew and raised his sword high. Lightning struck down from the empty sky as he performed the arte, a powerful blast that sent out a shockwave of electricity all around him.
A beacon then, to let someone… or something know that you are in its territory. Bold of you, praetor.
"And now we wait," Oscar said and closed his eyes, bringing his sword down to the ground.
He had expected to wait hours. Certainly he had the patience for that, but only minutes passed before the wind howled and someone appeared on the same mountaintop. A malak with tanned skin, white hair, and peculiar orange eyes. Not one of the Abbey, at least, not anymore.
"What the hell are you people doing here?" the Malak asked, drawing his weapon. It was a peculiar thing, something Saya instantly recognized in the form of a firearm.
"That depends. I have no quarrel with you personally, but there is a daemon in the area that terrorizes the surroundings. Perhaps, we could be of assistance to each other in this regard?" Oscar replied.
The malak's eyes narrowed. "Not gonna happen. You can leave, Exorcist. What happens here is none of your concern."
"Oh, I think it does." Oscar said. The wind picked up, but accompanying it was the darkening of clouds and heavy rainfall.
"No, damn it! Not now!" the Malak called out as the daemon appeared in the sky, flying straight towards them.
Oscar breathed in deep and raised his sword. It wasn't a typical daemon of course. It was a dragon, one that had lived for quite some time now, likely protected by this upstart Malak. "Endangering more lives by keeping that creature safe. I see now why it must be stopped, along with you."
"Bastard!" the Malak shouted, rushing at Oscar with murderous intent.
But as with Ragna before, the attack was stopped by Saya materializing right in front of Oscar, blocking the strike as the heavy robes around her disappeared. She parried his arm, and then gave the other Malak a kick that sent him far towards the mountain's edge, but not enough to fall off.
"I trust you can deal with the dragon?" she asked, not even bothering to look back at Oscar, who nodded his head in response.
Saya grinned before rushing straight at the stunned Malak, taking hold of his throat with surprising speed before dashing straight off the edge. They fell like meteors, the Malak breaking free of her grip just before impact. The two of them leaped away from each other, assessing the threat the other posed to them.
Saya's weaponry floated in a circle around her and she watched as the Malak brought his own firearm up to his head and fired. No damage to him, but she sensed a surge of magical energy from him. An enhancement perhaps? What approached her next wasn't the Malak himself but wind condensed into blades. Wind that she danced around, avoided with flexibility as she tracked his movements.
He was fast and appeared right behind her after a few dodges to throw a punch aimed at her midsection. It didn't even have to fully connect before the glancing blow sent her flying with enough force towards the side of the cliff. But she recovered quickly and the weaponry around her began firing light projectiles at her nimble opponent. But he closed the distance fast and she was forced to dodge again, away from the mountainside and back into a freefall.
It was a mix of frustration and curiosity for her. This Wind Malak was a force to be reckoned with for sure, but certainly not quite as overwhelming as someone like the legate, Shigure. Still, the wind reminded her of someone she didn't particularly like either.
As he moved in close to attack, Saya took hold of an arm and threw him straight down, forming a small crater where he struck the ground. She didn't let him linger long though as her feet came down, driving sharply into the earth as the Malak rolled away. A shame she didn't quite get the finishing blow but she rose up again and stared blankly at her opponent.
"The Abbey's definitely stepping up their efforts if they could get someone like you on their side." The Malak said. "But don't worry. I have a way of removing their influence on you. I'm sorry, but I'll need you sit still for a moment."
Saya tilted her head in response to that comment before the ground around her erupted. Chains of light and wind rose up and coiled around her limbs, forcing her down on her knees. The Malak was upon her immediately, his firearm aimed at her forehead and then fired.
Moments passed and the chains dissipated.
"Well, how does it feel? You're free from their control now."
Saya said nothing, simply gave a smile as she placed a hand on the Malak's shoulder… before promptly disappearing from sight.
Exactly a second later, the Malak was assaulted on all sides by strikes to his back, his sides, and even his head. All at different angles as he crumpled downwards, holding himself in pain.
"I fear you are mistaken." Saya replied, looming over the downed Malak. She raised a hand up, ready to deliver a killing blow before she paused. The battle atop the mountain had reached a crescendo, bits of rocks and fallen debris have reached even all the way down here now. "Oscar…" she murmured, and then flew straight up.
When she reached the peak, the sight that awaited him wasn't quite as she expected. Oscar held his own, that much was certain. And the dragon showed signs of fresh injuries. In terms of stamina though, she wasn't quite certain how the praetor would last if this kept up. Her weaponry flew out at the dragon, slashing and spinning to distract the beast as she moved towards Oscar's side.
"You were distracted weren't you?" she asked him as he caught his breath.
"A little, perhaps. What happened? I felt our pact just disappear?" he asked her.
She nodded her head with a frown. "Yes, it seems my opponent had a curious trinket that allowed him to sever our contracts. No matter, his own failure to grasp the situation was also his downfall." Saya replied, as she turned her attention back towards the dragon. She raised her hand as a ball of purple flame appeared overhead, growing larger and larger with every second.
"Enough!" a voice called out, as cutting wind moved towards her, though Oscar negated it with the slash of his blade.
Saya spared a glance to the side, noticing the Wind Malak once more. Despite the injuries, he flew back up the mountain to confront them. "Deal with him." She gestured towards Oscar before the orb of flame was sent straight towards the dragon, engulfing it in baleful, purple flames. It roared in pain as she approached, Oscar and the Wind Malak having engaged each other now in fierce combat.
"You are different from the others aren't you?" Saya wondered as the dragon's neck struck out like a serpent, something she sidestepped before launching an open-palmed punch straight towards its jaw, staggering the beast. As the flames dissipated, it began to fly up high though Saya now stood atop its head.
The dragon roared a challenge and tried to attack her, clawing at its own head and breathing out gouts of energy from its maw, cracking the landscape with every missed attack. Its movements were lithe and sinuous, but Saya avoided the attacks with little problem now that she was atop of it.
Her weaponry pointed down, firing shot after shot of her projectiles through open wounds and exposed scales. The dragon thrashed about, but she kept her balance as it grew weaker and weaker. It began to fly away from the mountain, though her weapon soon reformed into a singular disc that spun about and was brought down atop its head, forcing it to crash down onto the plains below.
Saya leaped off its head, standing in front of the great beast as its laboured breaths raised its body up and down. At this point, it would be a mercy to just let it die on its own. However, the amount of malevolence it radiated was still a problem. She raised a hand up, ready to strike it down for good.
"Stop!" a voice cried out to her. The Wind Malak again. How often must she be forced to cancel an attack mid-way because of concern for someone else? She glanced over to the Wind Malak and frowned. Oscar was behind some distance away though with their pact severed, it was impossible to know what the man was thinking right now. Or know how he managed to find his way down the mountain without any external help. And she doubted the Wind Malak would just offer him a lift down.
She said nothing, before her fingers drew close together and drove the limb deep into the dragon's eye.
She didn't hear the screams and shouts as darkness and malevolence enveloped her, spilling out of the eye like a heavy mist that began swirling about her like a tornado. So focused was she on the task that she hadn't even realized she lost consciousness.
When she woke up, she found herself staring up at Oscar. Saya blinked once and then sat up to look around. The rain and wind had stopped, and any further conflict seemed to have paused, at least for now.
"What happened?" she asked.
"I'm not certain," Oscar replied, gesturing ahead. The Wind Malak was still there. But he wasn't alone. He was cradling someone in his arms, a woman, someone who spoke so softly she couldn't even hear what they were talking about. But her life force was ebbing, that much she can sense.
"I'm not dying, am I?" asked Saya as she suddenly stood up, stretching her hands out in front of her. "No, on the contrary. Something else entirely…"
Oscar stood up as well, his gaze on Saya and then towards the pair of Malakhim up ahead. It didn't take much to see the connection on what happened.
"I think…" he paused, "You absorbed all of the dragon's malevolence. Somehow, it reverted the Malak's transformation back into what she was before it consumed her."
"I did that?" Saya wondered, staring at the two Malakhim. They were looking back at her now, the Wind Malak's gaze trying to hide the tears underneath. And yet, it was the Malak that had once been a dragon that made her pause. The way she looked at Saya was…
Saya tuned away immediately, finding it hard to breathe. "Let us depart, Oscar. We have finished what we came here to do and I intend to ask you about a few details I may have missed." She said quietly.
He watched as she began to walk away, then gave one more glance towards the pair of Malakhim. The Wind Malak gave him a nod, before turning his attention back towards the dying one.
Oscar followed a silent Saya back. Though she had questions for him, it is likely he had observations of his own too that demanded to be let out as well.
By the time night fell and they made camp, Saya was ready to put everything else behind her. And yet…
"How are you holding up?" Oscar looked at her as she gulped down an apple gel.
"Why do you ask?" Saya replied, her gaze averted.
Oscar frowned. "You took in a lot of malevolence from the dragon. If you feel odd or anything of the sort, feel free to let me know. We are partners in this, and I'd rather not have you transform into a dragon yourself."
Saya said nothing, though closed her eyes for a moment. "You mentioned that before. A malak under your command transformed into one. But you needn't worry about me. You would need at least ten times the amount to make me lose control."
"You lost consciousness. That hardly counts as something that didn't need worrying."
Saya looked at him now, noticing the worry on his face. "Listen to me, Praetor." she said and stood up to walk directly towards him, causing Oscar to stumble backwards. She was atop of him that instant, one finger trailing down his neck as he looked up at her with horror… and awe? "My methods will not be questioned. I have always been on my own side and the Abbey is a way to further my goals, incomprehensible as they may be. You need not burden yourself with how I feel or whether my injuries prevent me from doing my duty."
"Lady Saya…" Oscar started, but was interrupted as she continued speaking.
"Worry about yourself first. If anything were to happen to you, these pesky emotions I am trying to rid myself of would just distract me from fighting at full efficiency."
Oscar raised an eyebrow at this, though said nothing as Saya moved away, allowing him to sit back up. "It isn't a burden, you know? Worrying about you."
"Do you expect that to be a flattering statement?" she asked, pausing in front of the campfire. "Forget it. Just recreate the pact between yourself and I. I am tired and need respite."
"Lord Artorius was the one who bound you to me originally so with our pact severed, we would have to do this in a more crude fashion." Oscar replied and stood beside her. He held his hand out to her and she instinctively took it. "-to confirm the pact with your new vessel, recite thy true name." he chanted.
Moments passed, and nothing happened.
"I… do not have a true name. Not one that I recall at any rate."
"…Surely you jest?"
"Do I look like the type of being who would create a joke at a time like this?" Saya hissed.
Oscar let go and rubbed his forehead. "Sometimes I feel like you're admirable and sometimes I wonder if the hassle you provide is worth it." He said. "Well, in any case. Lord Artorius will help with this, I'm sure. Failing that, Lord Melchior."
"No. I will not have Melchior create our pact."
"You don't like him that much, do you?" asked Oscar.
"Knowing that he sent Lord Shigure out to assassinate me? I think I am within my right to loathe that old sorcerer."
"Ah," Oscar nodded his head.
"Yet you two are still working under them." A voice called out to them.
Oscar turned towards the direction of the voice and frowned, placing a hand on the sheathe of his sword. It was the Wind Malak again.
"I was tempted to wait before I killed you in your sleep but hearing you bicker like this is just sad." He continued.
"Finishing us off? You know you are no match for us." Saya replied, standing behind the fire as she stood to have that in between herself and the other Malak.
"No match for you maybe. But that Exorcist? Far less of a hassle." The Wind Malak replied, taking a seat at the opposing log. "Relax. Much as I loathe you people for what you did, she told me not to hold it against you." He looked back at Saya.
"So you say," she replied, taking a seat with Oscar right beside her. "So what now? Are we to forgive each other and let bygones be bygones? Do our deeds way so little that you would try to make peace with us now, casting aside your hate and resentment?"
"Those things will just generate more malevolence and unlike you, I can't afford to have that corrupt me." The Wind Malak replied. "No, I'll accept that you did what was ordered of you and though I hated the outcome, it did show me that a dragon's transformation can be reversed."
"I admit, the possibility didn't even cross my mind." Oscar replied. "This is actually great moving forward in the future."
Saya frowned. "And do you expect me to just take in the malevolence of every single daemon out there? I think not, Oscar."
"You two are assuming there is a future if you keep working with the Abbey. You do know what happens when Innominat's domain is fully awakened, right?" the Wind Malak said.
"It's for the Greater Good. Reason over Emotion. And it will end the constant conflict created in this world."
"Whatever you say, kid." The Wind Malak replied, his attention then turned towards Saya once more. "In any case, you mentioned you don't have a true name. Now that's curious. That would mean you are still unaware of your true nature."
"My true nature?" asked Saya.
"A true name is a name that expresses a malak's true nature. Once we know who we are, the name just comes to us and represents our identity."
Oscar paused for a moment, then spoke up. "Wait, I distinctly recall that some Exorcists are able to bestow true names upon their tethered Malaks."
"Yeah, if you're just going through the motions. That's barely a true name though." The Wind Malak replied, his curiosity even more piqued now. "Someone like you forming a pact as a vessel is a bond between two souls. The Exorcist, by bonding with a malak, learns the malak's true nature and translates it into a name. Malakhim who are tethered without will don't actually have true names because there's nothing to feel. You'll just be going through the motions."
"Then how did Lord Artorius tether you?" Oscar wondered, looking back at Saya, who simply shrugged in response.
"I believe I have allowed him to supress my will before he bound us. And if you are correct in your theory," Saya looked at the Wind Malak, "... then a pact wasn't even given out at all. Which explains why your little trinket barely had any effect on me."
"Don't joke. That still severed your connection to each other. It may not be a true pact, what you had, but maybe now you can actually do it the proper way."
"The proper way. And you're telling us this because…?" Oscar wondered.
"Because that dragon you killed, she thinks there is hope for you yet. That's the only reason I'm helping you out. At least for now." The Wind Malak replied, his eyes narrowed. "Besides, you two will probably work together much better with a proper pact. Like I said, a bond between two souls. Almost like marriage vows if you think about it."
Both Oscar and Saya stayed silent, neither doing anything at all… let alone look at each other.
"What? No response? I expected more. Still, I said my part." The Wind Malak continued and stood up. "Until next we meet then. Hopefully not anytime soon." He finished as a small tornado picked up and the Malak disappeared.
"Such an odd individual." Said Saya. "We shall worry about the pact next time. Go get some rest, Oscar. We return to Loegres the next day."
"That's what I was about to say." The Praetor nodded in agreement.
