Chapter 35: The Answer is With Aura
Following after Salamandinay and Ikuchi, Ange and Alain were led up to the tower's peak where another purple scaled Brig was waiting for them. Salamandinay gestured and it lowered its head down to allow them to climb on and take a seat between its horns as the massive DRAGON took off and crested over the city. In the distance, a wide clearing spread across the far edge of the plateau, the center of which was dominated by the ruins of yet another Dawn Pillar.
"Just how many of them are there?" Ange wondered.
"We refer to this one as the Tower of Aura." Salamandinay said as their transport landed on the edge of a wide shaft that led down into the structure. "These towers used to be Dracunium regulatory facilities."
"That name keeps coming up." Ange said.
"We'll explain more as we go deeper." Ikuchi said, hopping off of the Brig first. "Considering one of you uses the Wyvern, knowing exactly what Dracunium is, at the very least, something you should know."
"Being mighty charitable with information, aren't you?" Alain commented, following their guides down the stairs descending into the depths of the tower.
"You two want answers do you not?" Salamandinay pointed out, their path taking them into a dark passage. "Dracunium is a powerful super-symmetric particle that was discovered at the end of the 22nd Century. It was supposed to bring peace to the world as the perpetual energy source mankind had been looking for since the very discovery of machine produced power." Salamandinay stopped when they came to a circular platform surrounded by a safety rail. As she typed at a terminal mounted on the rail, the platform glowed orange before it began to descend. Ange mentally likened it to a mana-lift despite the manual controls, wondering what caused the anti-grav if it wasn't Mana.
"There was also then the discovery of a more refined variant of the particle." Ikuchi added. "Neo-Dracunium Particles, a variant far stronger than the normal type, but only able to be produced under specific conditions. These are the particles emitted by the Wyvern and Seiryugo though their ND Reactors, and the source of Wyvern's unique properties via its quantum computer."
"That puts a lot into perspective." Naomi said in response to Naga and Kaname's information. "We've been trying to figure out the exact nature of Wyvern's particle emissions for ages but we didn't have the tech to properly analyze its drives. But what makes the other one different? Does it not have an AI like Wyvern?"
"Seiryugo does have one, however it is not as advanced." Kaname said. "Seiryugo's AI is more supportive, meant to aid the pilot in its use. It also lacks the same quantum computer, which gives the Wyvern's DEM AI its vast processing power and special capabilities."
"What does that acronym mean?" Tusk asked.
"Deus Est Machina." Naga said. "It comes from an ancient language of this world and means 'God is the Machine.' In tandem with the quantum computer, it gives the AI the near human will you are acquainted with. We believe the intention of that system was to further increase the affinity between pilot and machine in the hopes of activating its special systems. Can we assume your friend has accomplished this?"
"He has." Naomi confirmed. "But then, what's so important about it? Salamandinay mentioned his exposure to the ND Particles… it's not doing anything to Alain, is it?" There was a moment of silence from the two, clearly noting the worry in Naomi's voice.
"It's only a theory," Naga began, "but we believe long-time exposure to ND Particles, with their differing properties, and his recent exposure to their intensified state through Wyvern's true power could be causing… mutations within him."
"Mutations!?" Tusk cried as he shot to his feet.
"Please relax yourself." Kaname firmly said. "The theory we are basing this off of comes from our progenitor herself. If it is correct, we can promise you whatever is happening to him is not harmful."
"How the hell is mutation 'not harmful'?!" Alain snapped, Ikuchi sighing at the response. "If my body is being changed by these particles, I'd kinda like to know just what it's changing into!"
"That is why, after this, I would ask you provide us a bit of blood to perform a DNA test." Salamandinay said. "We are as curious as to what the effects of ND Particles on the human body are. Especially after a lifetime of exposure to them."
"Hold on a second." Ange said. "If these Dracunium particles were some extra powerful energy source then why make some 'better' version of them at all?"
"Their discovery was accidental." Salamandinay said. "The creation occurs in the core of an ND Drive as a byproduct to long term buildup of Dracunium particles. To be precise, it is a crystalline formation created by particle expense that, when triggered, reproduces Dracunium particles in a more refined state. Effectively, ND Reactors were the perpetual motion engine mankind had long been searching for."
"Yet despite being a technology meant to bring peace, Dracunium technology was almost immediately used to wage war." Ikuchi interrupted. "They had the grand key to solve all the problems facing the world, and instead humanity chose to fight amongst each other before they could even come close to solving them. You've already seen the historical records."
"But then what happened after that?" Alain asked. "The AI in the shelter said the world became inhospitable so how did a place like the World of Mana happen? And how did this world get cleaned up?"
"That would be because the residents of that world are descendants of those who fled this one." Salamandinay told them. "There was ongoing research into alternate dimensions. And when this world became unable to support them, some of the survivors fled into different dimensions to seek new worlds to populate."
"I've heard something similar to that." Ange commented. At that moment, the elevator shaft finally came to an end and the group found themselves in a massive chamber.
"As for the survivors who were left behind, they made a decision to allow themselves to survive in the ruined world. One that allowed us to rebuild our bodies and adapt to the new environment."
"Rebuild?" Ange wondered.
"So your progenitors basically took evolution into their own hands." Alain said.
"Yes." Ikuchi nodded. "To survive in a ruined world, the survivors, led by the very scientists who sought to use Dracunium to bring peace to the world, took control of our very genetics to reform the world."
"What is this place anyway?" Ange said as she looked around the echoing chamber.
"This is where Aura resided." Salamandinay said as she and Ikuchi placed a hand each on Ange and Alain's shoulders. The world around them faded into darkness before with a flash of light, a DRAGON more titanic than any Arzenal had ever been faced appeared before them. Its body gleaming in white, blue, and gold and was surrounded by a bright golden corona as it released a shrill roar. "Aura, the first of the Progenitors who adapted their flesh to the new world. In your words, the first DRAGON."
Naomi and Tusk were stunned by the image Naga and Kaname were showing them. Such a massive DRAGON, yet apparently Aura also no longer resided in this world with them. How could something so massive just up and vanish? Naomi thought. Though… from what Alain and Tusk told us, maybe I can assume why that happened. The imagery they were being shown then changed; a vast area covered in nature overrun by crystalline growths. All around them, DRAGONs types both familiar and unknown moved about, the larger types drawing the largest of the crystals into their maws and snapping them up.
"In order to repair the world, we accepted the guilt that came with polluting it." Naga said. "So alongside Aura and the Progenitors, we chose to atone for our predecessor's sins. The men became larger types and took to cleansing the world of its pollution."
"What do you mean by cleansing?" Tusk asked.
"They ingest the Dracunium that has polluted nature and convert it into crystals within their bodies." Kaname answered. "Sometimes, we females will transform and work alongside them, but mostly we remain in the cities we have founded to rebuild our society and care for the children. Here in the temple, the scions of the major clans reign as the council of Priestesses."
"Wait, so then what about that Ikuchi guy?" Naomi said. "If male DRAGONs are all the larger types, then why is he the only one we've seen going around in his human form?"
"That is weird." Ange agreed. "Alain I kind of get since he chose to stick around on Arzenal. All the other guys who worked with the Norma are just off doing other things. But if that's the case…"
"I'm a product of ages of genetic research." Ikuchi stated. "My clan, the Freyr, specialize in continuing the research into our changed biology that Aura started. Males are generally unable to remain in their human forms for long periods of time due to the buildup of Dracunium in their systems. Thus they only do so when mating. Members of my clan have been working for centuries to repair the quirk in the male gene pattern that caused this error. I'm the only success so far. A male DRAGON who can maintain his human form indefinitely. Thus, I mostly operate with the Guard instead of aiding my kin in cleansing the world."
"There's a lot to unpack, isn't there?" Alain muttered.
"Perhaps." Ikuchi said. Yet again his tail was swishing about. Why it was, Alain wasn't sure, but it definitely wasn't because of him this time.
"If I may continue," Salamandinay said, the imagery now changing to the city in the valley just outside. "From there we were set on the road of cleansing and recovery alongside Aura. But…" the imagery vanished and they once again found themselves back in the massive chamber. "Aura is no longer here, and the other Progenitors are too far scattered to help us act."
"Aura was taken, wasn't she?" Alain said. "And I think I can guess by who…"
"And in that you would be correct: It was Embryo." Salamandinay's confirmation brought Alain to bite his lip, renewed frustration and anger flaring on his face. Why does it always come back to that bastard? He thought. "He was one of the people who discovered Dracunium, and the inventor of the Ragna-mails. He is also the one who led to the world's destruction and abandonment. The villain of this entire sordid tale we live in. Tell me, Ange, do you know what powers your civilization?"
"The Light of Mana." Ange said, wondering why she would be asked something so obvious.
"And where then, does the energy for Mana come from?" Salamandinay asked. Ange still looked a bit confused, but Alain had an expression of a sudden realization sinking in.
"The Light of Mana is created infinitely." Ange said, just before her own realization hit her, "Wait… you don't mean…"
"The Light of Mana. Utopia. A world of magic." Salamandinay turned to both. "It is the Dracunium within Aura that sustains all of it. But that energy is quickly depleted and must be replenished. It thus became necessary to hunt DRAGONs and harvest the crystallized Dracunium within their bodies so they may feed it to Aura."
"FUUUUUCK!" Alain's sudden, profane scream echoing through the chamber. "You have got to be kidding me! This entire damn time… us, the Norma, the DRAGONs… we've all just been pawns in Embryo's plans to keep his broken fucking world running! Every life taken from both sides… every life I took… was just helping that son of a bitch?!"
"Do you get it now?" Ikuchi said. "That is what Salamandinay meant by false wars and false people. Your people have been fighting to sustain the world that rejects you. Every Norma who has died did so in the name of slaughtering our people to feed that cycle. Their hearts torn out, Dracunium extracted and fed to Aura. Would you still return to that world, knowing this?" In a blur of movement, Alain launched himself across the deck and seized Ikuchi by the hem of his tunic.
"Does it change the fact we deserve to be free of what we were forced into? The only one on Arzenal who got to choose was me and I've known DRAGONs were humans for years now! What pisses me off is knowing I've been unwittingly helping the bastard behind all of this! That me and everyone I care about was being used without knowing it! And what about your side?! You're not innocent in this war either! You people never once tried to stop the fighting and communicate with us when you damn well could have for decades if not hundreds of years!"
"You know nothing!" Ikuchi snapped as he wrenched Alain's hand off of him. "I've had to watch my people die in droves all for some mad crusade those leading us are too far into to back out of! We too don't have a choice! Our people are predisposed to seek out and reclaim Aura when we feel her presence. The singulars that Embryo opens draw us in like sheep to the slaughter! The High Priestess and her aides have considered this war too long endured to even consider such an option so why should we waste time speaking to those who are used as tools to endlessly slaughter our kind?!"
"Why shouldn't you?!" Alain countered. "If we're all forced into this pointless war then what's the fucking point of keeping it up?! It's pointless if we both know there's no reason for it! So actually tell me why!"
"It's also still our world!" Ange added. "Even if it's all true we still have people we care about there, people who are in trouble for all we know! Do you really expect us to abandon them?"
"We…" Ikuchi started, his words catching in his throat. He released Alain, who looked ready to throw a punch as his hand clenched. "Salamandinay, it is up to you. If they intend to return, what should our actions be?"
"The logical choice is to restrain them." Salamandinay said, Ange snapping around and giving her a glare. "But… Sir Alain brings up a fair point to all of this. Ikuchi was not lying, however. Our people are driven to save our Progenitor even at the cost of ourselves. And our highest leaders have deemed that anyone who would impede us, whether by choice or not, are not to be reasoned with. I, and Ikuchi as well, consider this foolish. We have already seen our population decrease dramatically from these centuries of war. And if we keep pushing at this rate our people will soon be driven to extinction."
"Don't for a second believe we have not recognized your people's own plight in these events." Ikuchi said, though he still looked ready to fight if something started. "However, we have not been afforded the luxury of considering something like cooperation. I for one, still do not believe you should be trusted either. I can understand the drive you hold to save your people and free yourselves of Embryo's machinations. But… what I want to know is if you will continue fighting us in order to do so. We will not stop trying to rescue Aura. What Salamandinay and I need to know is what you plan on doing after liberating your kind."
"Regardless of your circumstance we cannot allow either of you to continue killing our people." Salamandinay added. "Sir Alain, you have admitted to the number of our people that have fallen by your hands. Please tell me, do you not feel a weight from the lives you have taken?"
"If anything, it's only heavier now that I know it's just benefited Embryo." Alain growled. "But at the end of the day, I'm still a soldier. I either have to accept the fact my hands will be stained with blood or allow myself to break from that weight. I'll pay the Devil his dues when my time comes. But until then, I can't rest until my people are free and we can have lives that actually mean something."
"So what do you intend?" Ikuchi put his hand to his sword, his fingers slowly wrapping around the hilt.
"Is that even up to either of us?" Alain asked, gesturing to Ange. "I'm sure me and my people would be willing to have stopped this war at any time. The enemy of my enemy is my friend as the saying goes. I think instead it's up to the DRAGONs to decide whether to side with us or to keep on being our enemies."
"That…" Ikuchi hissed. "You… are not wrong. While we are compelled to seek Aura, I would be foolish to say it was not by our people's own stubbornness, and perhaps even arrogance, to believe we did not need the aid of those also used by our mortal enemy. But what else were we to do when those very people served as the greatest threat to Aura's liberation?"
"Oh please, now you're just spouting excuses!" Ange bit. "Will you cut it with this shit about not having a choice? It's pissing me off listening to you talk as if the Norma haven't suffered as much your side! We may be native to that world, but it rejects us just for being born differen! Hell until recently I thought that was okay because I was a naïve little girl! They may not be on some crusade to save an ancient progenitor like you people but take a second to imagine being in our shoes! How would you feel being forced to fight as a kid knowing you're probably gonna die before you're an adult? Like Alain said, your side is the one who's been slaughtering children!"
"How old are Norma pushed into fighting in Para-mail where you are from?" Salamandinay asked.
"Twelve." Alain said. Salamandinay and Ikuchi both visibly blanched at the statement. "Norma are lucky if they make it to their twenties. Most of them are found as newborns and don't know any life outside of Arzenal either."
"That… so young?" Salamandinay murmured. "All this time, the people we've been fighting have really just been children?"
"I saw it on my first flight." Ange said. "The way your people tear into a Para-mail. It's been months and I still can't get those girls' screams out of my head. Don't go acting like you're on some noble quest when you people will tear a little girl apart like that."
"The only pilots who make it to their late teens like me or Ange are either the ones good enough to survive that long or the rare ones who comes to Arzenal when they're older, but that almost never happens." Alain stated. "Get it? We're all just puppets in Embryo's game. Of course we want to save our people and return to our world. But are you two getting anywhere by continuing to demand this war keeps dragging on as some requirement to that?"
"For all we know that plan of yours would interfere with ours!" Ikuchi snapped. "Of course we need to ensure that you don't continue it!"
"But… maybe we don't have to." Salamandinay said. "Sir Alain, Lady Ange, I cannot speak for the entirety of my kind on whether or not we desire to end our part of this war. As Ikuchi said, we cannot rule out that your plan to free the Norma could interfere with our desire to save Aura. To do so means we would dismantle the very structure which your world was founded on. Tell me, if the Mana World fell into chaos, would the Norma still be free even if you somehow liberated them of their ties to the Mana Humans?"
"Of anything you're telling us you'd be leveling the playing field." Alain said. "Take away the ability to use Mana? That's the entire damn reason for the Norma being in the situation they are to begin with! You'd be helping us by freeing Aura."
"You didn't think that was seriously some profound question, did you?" Ange snarked. "Of course we'd be free! If you take away the reason the system exists, then it fixes the problem entirely! You'd be removing the entire difference between Norma and Mana Humans. Whatever weird genetic quirk makes a Norma wouldn't mean jack if nobody could use Mana period. The Mana Humans would just have to learn to live without it."
"I see." Salamaninday closed her eyes as she fell into thought. The other three were silent as they waited for her to speak. "For now, I say you two should take some time to observe our people, see the society we have made. We can come to a more conclusive decision later. Sir Alain, as I said, we wish to repair the damage done to the Wyvern. Or rather, we would restore it to its former glory. I imagine your allies did not have the proper means to repair or replace the armor and weaponry lost over the decades, correct?"
"To be honest most of the armor it has comes from other Para-mail models." Alain said. "The internal frame is surprisingly sturdy outside of the internal machinery that had to be swapped out here and there. Plus… I ended up losing everything it was armed with except the beam sabers in our last big fight."
"And what about Villkiss?" Ange asked.
"We've never had the pleasure of looking at a proper Ragna-mail before." Salamandinay said. "The Ryushinki are mostly reverse engineered from the Seiryugo and the data we possess on the Ragna-mails, but to work on one directly would be most enlightening. But I'm afraid repairing it fully may be out of our means. I do assure we can at least restore Villkiss's functionality."
"Salamandinay, is that a wise move?" Ikuchi asked.
"It will take some time to repair both, especially the Wyvern going by the severity of its damage." Salamandinay stated. "Mio sent me a report a little while ago. Frankly, Sir Alain, I'm surprised the internal systems are still functioning from the strain it underwent. It's good however that the integrity of the ND Drives has been maintained. It would take even longer if there was a need to repair them."
"Well tell that to the guy who did that number on me." Alain huffed. "Least I can say I took one of the Siegfried's arms off."
"You took an arm but he trashed your entire machine." Ange said. "I think you still owe that Cipher guy some more."
"For once, we agree." Alain mused. "But… fine. If it's going to take time to repair Wyvern, then we might as well take a look around this place for ourselves. But for the record, we're not changing our position. Getting back to our world is a priority. But it's up to your side if you want to think us wanting to be free means we have to keep being enemies or not."
"I don't exactly care either way." Ange said. "But if things start looking funny, I'm fighting back. You got that?"
"Without a Para-mail you're hardly a match for us on foot." Ikuchi huffed. He glanced at Salamandinay, the young woman giving him a nod. "I'll acquiesce here then. If your intention isn't to continue this war, then there may be merit to… other means. But we will have to see what the Priestesses believe. I should remind you they'd sooner see you all dead than allow you anywhere near your machines. I'm not sure they would even want to let our engineers touch the Villkiss. And they would likely rather we claim the Wyvern for ourselves."
"I can ensure I would not allow such a thing." Wyvern said. "My pilot is Alain. I am in concurrence with my pilot that we have a duty to return to the World of Mana and aid our comrades in their fight. However, I would posit the logic of forming an alliance rather than insisting on continued conflict in your aim to rescue your Progenitor. Logistically, it would only benefit both the DRAGONs and the Norma to work together. I do not see your continued stubbornness in insisting such a thing as impossible as logical. I believe it comes from a place of anger and frustration instead."
"My lady, would it behoove you to allow me to silence that AI?" Ikuchi grabbed his sword, Alain defensively moving the terminal device away from him as the DRAGON growled.
"If you wish us to lose a potentially valuable source of information, I would ask you not. Besides, that is merely a terminal." Salamandinay walked over to Ikuchi and gave him a firm tap on the arm. "In fact, I now have an idea: Ikuchi, you should act as our guest's guide during their stay here. Once we return and they confirm the wellness of the daughter of Sylphis, you should show them around the city."
"What?!" Ikuchi gasped. "I believe there's far more important things I could be doing while we wait for word from Lizardia now that the situation in the other world has changed."
"Who?" Ange wondered. Ikuchi clicked his tongue at realizing he'd said too much.
"I think, Lady Ange, you would know her better as Riza Randog." Ange gasped at Salamaninday's statement. "She made her way to the other world to help us gather information about the situation there and help us locate Aura. She has also given us a wealth of information about you since you caused such a stir when you were outed as a Norma, Princess Angelise."
"You...you bitch!" Ange stepped forward, Alain grabbing her by the arms to hold her back. "Let me at her! She's treating me like I'm some kind of idiot!"
"Not exactly an incorrect assessment." Alain snarked just before Ange's elbow jammed into his nose. "AUGH! Dammit Ange!"
"I'm beginning to reevaluate my initial impression of this lot." Ikuchi's shoulders sank as Alain and Ange began snapping at one another. "They're fools. Ones who act like they've been married for years."
"WE HEARD THAT!" Alain and Ange yelled, earning a sigh from Ikuchi and giggle from Salamandinay.
With Naga and Kaname's explanation over, Naomi had fallen silent while Tusk mulled over the information before them. On one hand, it was increasingly obvious both of their sides were just pawns in a game. On the other, Tusk recognized the fact Naomi absolutely had the right to pick a bone with the DRAGONs. He couldn't really blame her considering the trauma she still carried from being put into a coma by a Galleon.
"So, what do you expect from us?" The girl finally asked as she looked between the two DRAGON girls. "To just give up on trying to save our people and abandon them? You can't seriously think we'd do that."
"I can't say I would." Naga stated. "But Lady Salamandinay wished you all to know how this all came to be. It's not up to me or Kaname to make the final decision."
"It's something we've been fighting for over decades." Tusk said. "We can't just give up on trying to liberate our people. Me and Alain especially. We owe it to the people who died for that dream. We'd be dishonoring their memories if we just gave up."
"We can talk it over more when Alain and Ange get back." Naomi said. "I've got my own reasons to not like you people. Almost dying and being put in a coma does that to a person. I can recognize the fact it's a war, but coming out of that isn't something I can easily just get over. You nearly killed me for your "reclamation." And I've seen a lot of people die for that same reason."
"It seems in that regard we've come to an impasse about our stances." Kaname said. "When Lady Salamandinay and Ikuchi return, hopefully we can fully resolve this issue. For now, we will take you two to see the daughter of Sylphis."
"At least call her Vivian if you don't have another name to use." Naomi muttered. "She's family to us even if she is a DRAGON. You better not have hurt her."
"You needn't worry," Naga said as she stood. "Our intention was merely to correct the gene flaw she was not able to have properly maintained in the years since she's been with your kind. Admittedly, the process that makes us what we are is somewhat imperfect. Youths need to have some factors corrected as they mature to regulate their bodies properly."
"So then what about that theory you mentioned about what might be happening to Alain?" Tusk asked.
"If he allows our doctors to test him, we'll all find out." Kaname said. "Now let's go, the others should be returning soon and we presume you'd all like to meet the… Vivian, all together, yes?"
"That would be better, yes." Naomi nodded.