It was a calm day, the wind barely breezed and the ocean remained flat as ice. Birds lightly chirped as they flew over Little Garden, ignorant of the repairs below. Clearing debris was no short task, and the drama of the past couple days has left the crew and citizens shaken up. But they were hardy people, and moved on to continue their efforts regardless.
*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*
However, the outside was practically nonexistent to the woman that sat in the hospital room. With the main hospital destroyed, the facilities were moved as to treat the critical patients that had survived. But this room was specially put aside due to the importance of the patient: Master Chief Artorian Abyssal. He was being watched over by Charlotte, who sat on a stool at his bedside.
She delicately held his left hand between hers, afraid to let him go even now as he slept. It had been two days since the raid on the Anti-Slayer faction's base, and Artorian had shown no signs of waking up since them. He was connected to an IV, and a mask kept his oxygen flowing at stable levels. His heartrate had remained the steady pattern it was now, never dipping slower or faster as he laid in bed.
But that didn't stop the woman from worrying, her hands instinctively clutching his tighter as a response to the thought that she had nearly lost him. All of her attention stayed on the peaceful, bruised face of her son, unwilling to look away in fear that his condition may instantly worsen.
However vigilant she was, Charlotte was not alone in the room. With her was the sleeping forms of Emilia, Sakura and Karen; all three refusing to have left as soon as their injuries were treated. Emilia had received a new brace, and several bandaging across her body from her intense burns and pierce wounds. Of the three she was in the worse condition, but a sudden surge of strength made it impossible to stop the Slayer from reaching Artorian's room, and with Charlotte's permission she stayed.
Sakura in comparison had significantly less wounds on her, having avoided the worse of their fight with Damfin. She still had a few cuts and bruises, and a few burn marks decorated her from the raging inferno they endured. But nothing was deep, even the burns were just a light irritation that doctors confirmed weren't anything that'd scar. The only concern for the idol was the bandaging around her throat, as the constant use of her Variant ability appeared to have torn her vocal cords. Her voice would be weak, and she'd have trouble singing for a couple weeks, but as long as she kept herself hydrated and taking the medicine given to her she'd make a full recovery.
Of everyone in the room, it was no surprise Karen had no signs of injury at all, no one laying a hand on her during the terrifying time under Kai's grasp. But she was completely exhausted, mentally and emotionally she was beyond overwhelmed. It was bad enough that she was placed into care as well, given the same room as Artorian for the sake of both their health. She had woken up from nightmares multiple times over the past two days, sharing the same ones Charlotte had of seeing Artorian consumed by the Abyss.
Luckily for the scared, young girl, Sakura and Emilia were both here to comfort her. To assure everything was alright, and help her back to sleep with gentle words. Charlotte was grateful to have them here, her tired eyes unable to look away from Artorian as each day passed. She had fallen asleep once, and refused to do so again since. She hadn't eaten, barely had a sip of water, she was too scared to let go of Artorian. Too afraid that he'd be lost again.
She hadn't seen anyone else in the two days she's stayed by Artorian's side, Mei Mei was looking after Nesat, Krovanh and Touka. Nakri was capable of walking now and was helping her care for the three, a blessing in its own right now as it gave others the freedom to work on their own. Miharu was being treated for her fractures and breaks; infection was present but was treatable enough that amputation was avoided. Cronu setting back her injuries may have direct cause at saving her leg, and her fingers with mechanical aid could heal to be as good as new. Or as close as could be.
Claire, Matthew, and Erica had been in discussions for hours, ever since they got back to Little Garden. The moment the shuttle landed and the medical personnel got the critical wounded off she practically had Matthew at gunpoint with just a glare.
"You're going to tell me everything."
It was all she said, and all she needed to say. Charlotte knew he wasn't going to hold back on the information, there was no hiding it anymore from everyone. Selections knew of the Abyss, but that didn't matter much. She was nervous for the time when Artorian was confronted, uncertain if he would be able to handle it. Would he hold nothing back? Accept the help and embrace the secret is no longer kept?
Or would he push them away, and make himself the unforgivable monster?
Liddy was exempt from the interrogation Claire had, being forced to rest in bed for an entire day just to give the tiniest hope that she wasn't dying. Sakura's healing had done wonders, although the scars on Liddy were forcibly healed and would remain unless she underwent surgery. It was a small price to pay, one she was sure no one would object to. But even with her body healed, the former Vessel practically collapsed the moment she entered her room. What was first concerned, was relieved as it was her body's exhaustion catching up to her.
"Nnnngh…" A tired, weak groan had all of Charlotte's thoughts stop, feeling movement between her hands before looking to Artorian's wincing face. It was a few seconds later the Abysswalker's eyes opened, a wince escaping him as sunlight hit his crimson eyes. "Too bright… someone close the curtain."
"Ar…" Charlotte managed to gasp out, Artorian's eyes then drifting over to Charlotte as he felt her hands tremble. He saw her brown eyes shake, fresh tears starting to form at seeing him awake. "Artorian?"
"Hey…" He managed to whisper, his throat hoarse with weakness. Everything was still numb, but he managed to smile underneath his oxygen mask as he looked at her. "You look awful. When was the last time you slept?"
"You're… I'm so sorry!" Charlotte broke down again as she released his hand, going to hug the boy as tears streamed down her face. "It was all my fault, I wasn't there for you and I… I… I'm such a disgrace of a human being!"
"Hey, don't say that." Artorian bit down a grunt of pain, trying and failing to raise his arm up to return the embrace of the trembling woman. Instead, he simply remained on his back, wishing he could comfort her but knowing it was pointless. "It all ended up okay didn't it? We're all here now."
"No, not the mission, not that stupid mission!" Charlotte cried. "Back then… when I… how could I… I failed you and Artorias. I failed everyone that mattered, I left you!"
"I was referring to that." He said, his words falling on deaf ears as Charlotte continued to bawl her eyes out. There was no trying to comfort her, no way to let her know he didn't blame her for what had happened.
"Artorian?" Amidst Charlotte's crying, the Abysswalker heard the tired voice of Emilia, unable to look across the room as he assumed there was more people present.
Before she spoke up, the others were practically dregs, half ready to go back to sleep before they processed Emilia's statement. But once the name's announcement clicked into all three of their minds, the drowsiness seemed to melt away. He attempted to speak up, but his throat scratched at the effort and he just let out muffled cough, the more frequent breathing giving the indicator he was fully conscious.
"Artorian!"
That proved to be a mistake, as the hybrid's rasp voice wasn't able to warn them when the three practically shot up and jumped to embrace him. Barely held together ribs screamed in agony along with the rest of his body as the sudden weight of the three hit him. A pathetic wheeze of agony escaped him the moment they hugged him, and for the first time the Abysswalker was fighting back tears of pain at the sudden pressure squishing his sensitive body.
"Ah, girls, girls wait!" Charlotte tried to plead with them, her lack of eating and sleeping coming to bite her as she could barely stand, much less pull the three off of the wincing boy as they clung to him.
"Thank god… thank whatever god is out there…" But that attempt to stop and Artorian's pained wheeze stopped at hearing Karen's words. The free-flowing tears of everyone seemed to temporarily numb the pain, as the Abysswalker's pulse picked up as he fought against the aching of his body to raise his arms.
"Wait, Artorian you can't be moving, you're-!" After the moment of tears, Emilia was the one that tried to object to the Abysswalker's movements. But she was silenced as the Lord wrapped his arms around all four, embracing them back.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry for worrying all of you." He apologized, and all four looked to see the tears of relief trail down his face. It was a moment of weakness rare for the Abysswalker, those present that saw it hadn't for ten years. But in that moment, he couldn't hold up a proper steeled face. They were all alive.
And so was he.
To say news of Artorian's reawakening spread like a fire would be an understatement. What started with a startled nurse's exclamation at his surprise condition, extended across the entirety of Little Garden. And with the sudden reveal that the Wolf Knight of Little Garden was in the hospital shortly after his imprisonment, security had been put on the backfoot as crowds were once again at an outrage. There was rumors of him making a break out, nothing confirmed due to the suddenness of the past three days, but a few eye witnesses made their claims against Warslran's attempt to subdue him.
Not to mention, a single witness saw Matthew Ornisium attempt to kill him. That had caused more trouble for the PMC as demands were made outside the hospital.
At the time, Judal was among the security that was keeping the crowd back. He had given explicit orders for his troops to not pull out any weapon, as the recent chaos was fueling fear and paranoia. They had to keep things calm, and hopefully the civilians would recognize that.
"What the hell happened earlier!?"
"Why did you hold Artorian under arrest? He was the one that stopped the Hunters!"
"How did he get hospitalized? Did he go after the terrorists?"
"Sir, this is getting out of control." One of the guards noted, leaning over to Judal.
"Patience captain, they're scared and confused. A terrorist attack, a scandalous house arrest, breakout and now hospitalization happened to the hero of the attack just a week ago." Judal responded, keeping his composure. "Keep a level head, they're just getting their grievous out."
"Everyone, I'm aware of the mass confusion and stress that has been flooding across the ship over the past week. I am not blind to this, and I understand your right to know what is going on with Master Chief Artorian Abyssal." Judal spoke up, stepping past his security team with the protest of the captain. "But you must also understand, the master chief's condition is our top priority. And right now there are too many unknowns, as soon as we get the full story, we will reveal everything to the public."
"You were the one who got him in that condition!"
"He saves your ship, and you repay him with being under arrest!"
"How can we trust Warslran if their Slayers that actually save people get punished!?"
"What kind of ship are you running!?"
"Strange, I don't recall being given authority of this ship." Judal stated, smirking as he looked behind the crowd with a hand extended. "What about you Claire? Did you surrender command of Little Garden to me?"
In that surprise, the crowd slowly lost volume as one by one they turned, seeing the red uniformed commander of Little Garden. She still had a few scratches and bruises, a patch covering her right cheek that had a relaxing gel that was slowly healing the skin from the intensive burns she received. Behind her were the remaining members of Selections, each with their own set of bandaging and visible injuries.
Matthew had a pair of bandage wrapping around his head, the damage to his skull from Artorian having left enough cause to perform surgery. The shortened hair was impossible to miss, and the bruising wasn't helping. In comparison, Reitia had only a few handful of bandages, nothing severe minus a couple patches. Most of her damage wasn't visible, with a nasty black and blue bruise on her stomach from Cronu's attack.
Erica had the least visible damage of the Slayers, a few notably burn marks and scratches, but the support Slayer was overall in good condition. It was Liddy that drew the most sideward gazes from the crowd. She had the most visible bandages, coated in the same gel Claire had hidden underneath the medical cloth. However, that was there simply to ease the heat from her burns, and much of her scarred skin was visible to everyone staring.
Liddy didn't like those stares; they were a mix of pity, disgust, and disturbance. She didn't blame them for those reactions, but being the attention of so many was never one of her preferred positions. She was a lieutenant, she was a symbol of authority and strength for Little Garden, one of Claire's most trusted subordinates and friends. To be looked at in such a condition felt… insulting, for a lack of better words. If they weren't thinking it was a disgraceful appearance, the pity for her made her feel as if she failed. And she had, but the reminder was a slap on the already sensitive wounds.
"No, I don't recall surrendering command." Claire stated, the crowd slowly separating so that the Slayers could walk up to the entrance of the hospital. "As Judal stated, your concerns are understood and felt. We wish to be open with each and every one of you, however there are too many questions that we don't have the answers to. I ask for your understanding and patience, as once I know the full story, I will share it. So please, be patient. Return home, be with your families. The chaos this week has given us has scarred us all deeply. Now is the time to heal."
The words of the commander put a hint of calm amongst the restless crowd, the individuals looking between one another in contemplation. Judal was an unknown, the CEO who was only around sparingly and often when things got worse. He was hardly ever around when good news was brought. But Claire? Claire was their esteemed captain, she was around through thick and thin. Her presence meant that even as the worst came, the light was always present.
She was hope, a Slayer that even the harshest of critics respected.
And so, in small groups the crowd began to disperse, until everyone was either satisfied or mentally exhausted. They all left for home, to let the aching wounds of the past week begin to heal. A smile graced Claire's lips as they left, before her stern stare turned to her brother.
"Thank you Claire, you always seem to have a better grasp on talking with crowds." He thanked. "I'm more capable with a small group to the individual. I don't believe I have the mindset to comfort so many."
"You ordered Matthew to hide information." The Commander wasted no time in calling out Judal, to which the man raised an eyebrow.
"I did no such thing."
"Two days. I spent two days trying to get as much information out of him as possible. And everything either wrapped around to the same thing or mindless paranoia." Claire then revealed a slip of paper from her pocket, placing it on Judal's chest for him to take. "Everything fit on a single paper, front and back."
"You write small, surely that's plenty." Judal responded, looking between the papers. And to his word there was a lot of information. But the glance front and back did put an important clue to what she meant.
"Not enough to explain what the hell happened." Claire narrowed her eyes. Judal had full reports on what had happened. The supernatural and cursed elements that were in Envy's base were past what Matthew had explained. Judal couldn't blame Claire for thinking he ordered the silence, he was one of the five people on Little Garden that had information on what was happening.
Unfortunately, she picked Lordran's Stockholm hybrid to interrogate.
"I didn't order Matthew's silence. Gwyn did." Judal explained, folding the paper neatly and handing it back to Claire. "If I didn't want the information given to you, I wouldn't have let you even speak to him."
"Did he know what happened?"
"Not yet, I want a full conversation with Artorian before we let the secret out." Judal answered. "This is an extremely delicate situation, if we don't have every piece of information we may have a war with the Lords."
"They'd fight to take him?"
"They'd wipe us out to kill him." Judal's tone went sharp as his stare homed in on his sister's matching eyes. "They are not our allies Claire. We are only in an armistice as the threat of the Savage override any fears or distrust. But Artorian is something that could completely tear that apart."
"Someone."
"Not to them." Judal corrected Erica. "We're wasting time. I'd rather not discuss any more of this out in the public eye."
"Not yet, we have to pick someone up before we go." Claire interrupted.
"We don't have time to make a stop."
"You'll make time. I promised I'd inform Ms. Kashiwagi that Artorian was alive as soon as possible. And least I remind you, it's my ship." At that sharp rebuttal, Judal raised his hands in surrender before following her. It wasn't as if Miharu's room was on the way, little time would be wasted.
"And how's the bandaging?" Kaede asked, standing next to Miharu's bed as she double checked her morphine. "Is it too tight? Not tight enough?"
"I'm fine Kaede, I'm healing and everything was done perfectly." Miharu tried to reassure her, but was given an interruptive finger from the green haired woman.
"Ah, you're a patient. It's Dr. Zarca."
'Is this how Artorian feels?' Miharu thought with an amused smile before the two laughed, Kaede walking to the other side of her bed to sit.
"I'm sorry, I just wish I could have been here to oversee the realignment of your fingers and leg. I only saw you for a second but… everyone knew it would be bad."
"You already had a patient to treat, I was in more thank capable hands with Geralt." Miharu tried to reassure her, seeing the small tremble at her lip.
"Miharu you were… for three days we didn't… I thought you were dead." Tears swelled in the doctor's eyes, the woman cursing herself as she lifted her glasses to wipe them away. "We… Donald and Sven are already gone. I didn't want to lose my best friend."
"And you didn't." Miharu comforted her, placing her wounded hand on top of Kaede's. The casted fingers remained numb thanks to the morphine, but the small gesture still caused a instinctive wince. But she powered through it. "Artorian and the others were there, they stopped the Anti-Slayers operation and made sure this wouldn't happen again."
"Are we sure?" Kaede asked, but before Miharu could answer the door chimed and opened automatically.
"The Anti-Slayer party has totally condemned the attack, Mikado Rego as the head of the joined organization apologized for his failure to predict the actions of Kai Zen." Claire detailed as she entered. "It's little more than patching the wound, but both Yamato and Wenz have taken over searches for any stragglers and survivors, and Rego has begun to donate his own private funds and personnel to aid in our rebuilding."
"Claire!"
"Ms. Kashiwagi, it's good to see you're healing." The Slayer responded with a smile, seeing the woman's rebound from her injuries. She didn't seem surprised, Claire believed that Slayers reflected not the discipline and training they're given, but the roots they come from. If they could stand up against Savage, anyone with the will could. And a woman like Miharu couldn't be broken.
"Commander, I didn't know you were visiting." Kaede said, getting up to leave before Claire held a hand up to pause her.
"There's nothing wrong Dr. Zarca. I just came to check on Ms. Miharu, and perhaps pick her up if she's feeling it."
"Pick her up? It's only been two days since she's had proper treatment. Why would she-"
"He's… he's awake?" Kaede froze as she heard Miharu's trembling voice, turning to see the woman have a mix of relief and concern in her eyes. A light glint was seen, as the traces of tears nearly came out before she composed herself.
"Yes, Dr. Dimandias called me half an hour ago." Claire explained. "We were going to visit him, to see how bad his condition is."
"You're a good liar Claire, you mixed the truth that time." Miharu said with a sad smile. "You want to interrogate him, find out what That was."
"You can stay, I understand you wouldn't want to burden him."
"Burden him?" Miharu responded, almost with a laugh as she looked up to the blonde. "Claire Harvey, the man I love came to rescue me covered in gashes, bruises and blood. He fought a battle he knew he'd lose, and took several hits for me, protecting me at the cost of his body. And then he transformed, having given up and accepting death. And I've been forced to wait in this room while he clings to life that he might not have wanted to keep. You'd have to stop me from going to see him."
"Ah, ah… I see." Claire coughed into her hand, temporarily taken aback by not only the forwardness of the nurse's words, but the admission of her feelings for Artorian. She recalled back in Yamato, the woman admitted to feeling close to him, but that there was an unknown keeping her from reaching a conclusion. It appears that unknown was found. "Do you have a wheelchair in here? Or do we need to procure one from the lobby?"
"Corner to your right. Thank you Claire." Miharu said with a smile, appreciative of the Slayer's lack of fighting her going. And she couldn't deny, the blush across her face was as adorable as it was back in Yamato.
"So has anyone seen his condition?" Miharu asked, looking at Claire as they walked the hospital hall. Liddy had volunteered to push Miharu, however Kaede insisted she'd come. Not only to keep any eye on Miharu, but as she's also Artorian's doctor she'd need to check him personally.
"Dr. Dimandias called saying he was beat up and weak, but that for the most part the surgery did its part." Erica explained. "Although she made note saying his throat was especially strained."
"I'm surprised he even woke up after just two days." Kaede admitted. "That was an intense surgery, he was in worse condition after Qin, but the amount of foreign material inside him was concerning. I don't think I've ever seen so much toxin in one person before."
"Toxin?" Liddy asked.
"That's what we classified it as without better information." Kaede answered. "It was some black sludge that coated most of his organs. There was a lot that was also covering his right arm, requiring further amputation near his elbow. And then there was the maggots, dozens were burrowed in him, some even digging into his bones by the time we began to remove them." The doctor then shivered as she recalled the intensive surgery, it was nothing short of a horror scene, as if Artorian was decomposing before whatever happened to him was stopped.
"Just stabilizing his condition took ten hours, and five more to remove the remaining toxin before it broke down any of his organs. I never went through so many tools before in twenty surgeries."
"I pray he has enough strength in him, him passing out again would only cause more problems." Claire noted.
"Just… try to go easy on him?" Miharu pleaded.
"He lied to us for months."
"And you know as well as everyone else here he only did because it was important."
"Easy now, let clear minds prevail." Judal interrupted. "You can argue what his motives are all you want, but his answer will be the only important one."
"You're being a lot more open, for being one of the people that kept us all in the dark." Claire pointed out.
"Because there's no reason to. Or at least, Artorian will be the one to decide that." Claire didn't believe that, not for a single second. She's had lies and tricks played on her since the day she was born, she's tired of it all. If Artorian didn't give her the information, no force on this planet would stop her from finding it. Not after learning the bare minimum, and not after seeing the horrific mutation Artorian had undergone in that canyon.
She needed answers.
"And that's when I saw it, the vibrations at the moment and everything clicked! And with one hand I performed Zaneizan and shattered his skin's armor!" Touka's voice erupted from Artorian's room, the batch confused at that. Touka was supposed to be in her own room with Krovanh and Nesat, which was down the hall more.
"That explains a lot. How's your hand?" And that, that was Artorian's voice. Even with the muffle of the door, there was a scratch to it, but it was better then when he woke up.
"Eh… fingers were all over the place. And my palm was bent in on itself… and my wrist was nearly shattered…"
"And what did we learn?"
"…Don't do Zaneizan one handed."
"Good girl."
After that, the door opened and the group entered. Silence took over suddenly as everyone in the room was taken notice. Touka, Krovanh and Nesat all sat at different sides of Artorian's bed in wheelchairs. Mei Mei stood beside each while Emilia, Sakura, Nakri and Karen had their own chairs pulled up. Charlotte was sitting right next to Artorian's right, and of the entire group her gaze turned to worry when she saw the entourage.
"Uh oh, fun police is here." Artorian chuckled weakly, patting Touka's head with a wince. "Tell the rest of the story later. I want to know how you and Krovanh won the day."
"Okay…" Touka muttered, sensing the tension in the room as the members of Selection and Judal were present.
"So, is it shared glee everyone's okay first? Or under the microscope right away?" The Abysswalker asked, rising up to a seated position to expose his bandaged torso.
"Artorian, you shouldn't-"
"It's okay Char, I got enough in me." Artorian reassured her, motioning with his hand. He then looked to Claire, the blonde seeming to weigh the options for a moment before sighing, motioning for those in her group to show their concerns.
"How bad was it?" Liddy was the first to speak up, getting a laugh from Artorian.
"HAHA-ack! Hak, ack!" That bellowing laugh was replaced with a few pained coughs, Charlotte already holding a glass of water to the boy as he downed it, as if this event had become routine already in the hour he was awake.
"Oh Liddy, kogh, that's a good one." He chuckled with a last cough before regaining composure to give her a smile. "It's hell, but I'll live. What about you? What I heard…" Shame filled his form as he saw the visible scars across her body. That he could see anyways, but he knew it had to be worse.
"I'll live… it looks worse than it is now." Liddy tried to reassure the hybrid, but both were bad at the notion, both aware of the extent of damage they had taken. "Sakura really saved me, it was only a burning irritation after the cracking of my skin."
"So I heard, Pinky really proved me wrong." He said, closing his eyes in silent relief. He wanted to leave Sakura behind, believing her unwillingness to kill would only get her hurt. Or others killed. And here he was, surrounded by people that proved the opposite, and her incredible adaptability having saved so many of the people he nearly got killed.
Some leader he was.
"Is it… are you…" He then saw Reitia shifted her feet a bit, the girl trying and failing to find the right words. Artorian saw the effort she was putting forward, the composure she was trying to keep. And he knew it wasn't in her.
"Come on, I'm strong enough to endure it." That confirmation had the girl running over and wrap him in a hug, a pained grunt escaping him but nothing more. He held strong, and returned her hug.
"You… you flatlined twice… there was so much blood…" Reitia cried, her emotions let free. The past week happened too fast, everything was too much and she hadn't gotten a single answer on everything. All of her friends were hurt, and were close to dying. Just having everyone here was a blessing, that she couldn't restrain herself.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. We're all good now. You did good champ." Artorian calmed her.
"No I didn't… I failed." Reitia admitted. "I wasn't strong enough, I lost."
"You and Nesat fought as hard as you could, how could you fight someone that jumped through time."
"He did." Reitia said, her tears pausing as she looked over her shoulder to Matthew. The tone in her voice, and the narrowing of her eyes put a pit in Artorian's stomach. She was mad. As far as she knew, Matthew had tried to kill her friend that was afflicted by some unknown disease.
"Artorian." Miharu's voice cut free the tension and the Slayer looked to the wheelchair bound nurse. He swallowed whatever spit he had to help with his dry throat when she approached.
Vitaly's attack, Kai's bombing of the hospital, the destruction of the base, as tough of a face the nurse could put on the dark circles under her eyes proved that the week has worn down on her. She was exhausted; physically, mentally and emotionally. She shouldn't have left her bed for this.
But he knew he'd do the same thing. And that was why she had to come too.
"Miharu… I… I'm sorry." He apologized, not noticing as Reitia stepped away from the pair.
"For what?"
"For dragging you into my mess. All of you." Tears then brimmed across his eyes, the the Abysswalker seething at the pathetic display as he lowered his head. "You suffered because of me, because I was too pathetic to save you and Karen."
"Artorian, it wasn't your fault."
"Of course it was! Every time someone I care about needs me, every time I fail them. I failed Matsuda, Hamaki, Hayato, Karen, Emilia, Claire, you. It's all I've been able to do, survive by my teeth and watch as everyone gets hurt. I'm pathetic."
"Artorian…" Karen whispered out, watching as he once again lost his composure.
A wave of silence hit the room as the hybrid trembled and clutched his bed sheet tight, knuckles white as a few tears dropped. It infuriated him, how every time he was weak it wasn't him that suffered. It wasn't his cursed existence, his disgusting life was never the one that suffered for the sin of his birth. It was the people around him, the innocent fools that made the mistake of seeing something more than a dumb brute meant to be killed for an ignorant king's paranoia. Family and friends, everyone he held dear, people he knew he shouldn't. His life was always going to be defined by his loss.
But he was human, and desperately craved companionship. And so loss would come, a curse as blighted as his birth.
"You'll always take responsibility, even after knowing what kind of a person you are." Miharu spoke softly, placing her uninjured hand over his.
"It's exactly because of what I am."
"Artorian, I know what image you have in your head. And I'll tell you the same thing I said the day you first confided your trust in me." Her hand then went to Artorian's cheek, and the Abysswalker felt her raise his head before planting a kiss on his lips, his own mind blanking for the moment before she continued. "You're a protector. You protected Karen, Emilia, Sakura, Liddy, Claire, me; the people you think you failed, you saved when needed. Because we're all here now."
"We all have scars, because scars mean we survived. How else could you explain these?" Miharu then lifted Artorian's bangs, revealing the cut over his eye. It tingled upon its reveal, as if freshly recalling the pain, shared with the cut on the back of his neck from Kai years ago. "You've survived for so long on your own. As you received scars for surviving, we do too. Relying on others doesn't make you weak, are we weak for relying on you? For allowing you to get hurt in our stead?"
"…You always have a habit of fighting dirty, you know that?" Artorian said after a moment of silence, giving a tired smile to the nurse.
"You don't entirely give me much of a choice." Miharu chuckled in return.
Artorian then rested back with a tired groan, his body feeling weak again as he looked up to the ceiling. The silence was less stressful, but he could sense all of the eyes on him. He knew there was no hiding it anymore. No secrets could be held on him after what had happened.
"Artorian." Claire said simply, and the hybrid relaxed himself with a sigh.
"I know. You all deserve answers. And I'm tired of holding it back from all of you." The Abysswalker closed his eyes for a moment, steeling himself as this was long overdue. He should have come clean after Qin, after seeing Hayato that should have been the sign everything had to be revealed. Finding out like this… it wasn't fair to any of them.
"Um, I feel I shouldn't be here for this." Kaede spoke, attempting to step away before Artorian held a hand up to have her stay.
"You operated on me for fifteen hours, cutting through and treating what you didn't know." The hybrid stated, flashing the doctor a tired smile. "You've treated the worst of my injuries twice now. I think you at least deserve to be in the know. It might help too if I get injured this bad again."
There was still a broad display of emotion on the doctor, unsure if she needed to know or even wanted to. She was surrounded by Slayers, elite soldiers of a private military company and even black ops agents. Anything involving this group was asking for hell. But it was looking to Miharu, the nurse providing her own comforting smile that eased the tension in the doctor. She had been beside Miharu for years now, and just after getting her back from a terrorist's kidnapping was she really going to abandon her here?
"…Okay." The doctor eventually relented, taking a calming breath as Artorian took his own time to prepare himself. It was all or nothing now, and he was done lying.
"I'm an Abysswalker, a Lord cursed with the sin of humanity that has brought ruin to the world for thousands of years. What you saw was the physical manifestation of the Abyss. My burden, and my curse."
Artorian wasted no time in detailing every little secret the Lords would have him hide. From the early days of Lord lore, of the Savage being on the world even before life started to flourish, to the depths of cruelty Gwyn brought to establish order. Kingdoms rose and prospered for thousands of years before humanity came crawling from the primordial fire to populate the world. And upon their arrival, kingdoms of old fell to decay and ruin.
Through fragments and pieces of information, the fall of every Lord establishment grew more brutal, until the hell of Drangleic became the next battleground. The Abyss, born from humanity consumed the realm and was beginning to threaten even Lordran. Artorian told of the hundreds of knights that were sent into the Abyss' very heart of darkness, and of how only three clawed themselves out of that hell.
The role of the Abysswalkers, as hosts of what remained of the strongest sources of the Abyss, and suicide soldiers meant to wipe out the Savage that continued to rain from the sky. Nothing was held back, not even the lies of omission Artorian first gave Liddy to ease her progression into learning of this world's cruel history.
No one dared to ask a question as Artorian spoke of the Abyss, there wasn't anything that could be properly understood without the full picture. And if there weren't poker faces present, the rest would have their own stares of fear and concern. He didn't hide the details, explaining how his condition had deteriorated faster than any Abysswalker before. Most could last a century before showing signs of lost control, and he was facing the reality his life wouldn't even make it to twenty.
By the end of the information he was capable of sharing, an uneasy quiet controlled the room. It was all a lot to process in what the abnormality that was Artorian's existence. He expected as much, his horrific transformation coupled with the lore of his family and people wasn't something you could just swallow. And yet as he looked around the room, when the basics had been revealed, he saw more concern in their eyes than fear. He expected hatred, to be spat at and ridiculed for hiding this.
But it never came.
"How long have you been affected by the Abyss?" Claire was the first one to speak up, the Abysswalker shifting his stare over to her.
"The first sign is consistent nightmares, I started getting those when I was around six. But it spiked when I was eight, a month or two after the Second Attack."
"Twelve years… how many people knew?"
"Karen, Bast-… Ryusei, Judal, and a handful of politicians my father was close to. Probably your parents too if I were to guess." He explained. "I kept it secret from just about everyone I ever met, as limited as that is."
"How did you find out?" This time Claire pointed her question to Liddy, as the Slayer had already explained her side of information prior to this "interrogation".
"After your duel, when we held him down as he was thrashing I stared into the Abyss too long." Liddy answered. "Corruption has almost a dozen known methods, and that was one of the latest recorded."
"I knew too." Emilia spoke up, making it a statement of confirmation so everything was on the table. "My father was one of the politicians that Artorias was open with about the Abyss."
"And he told you?" Erica questioned.
"I kept asking about him after the Second Attack. I think it was his way to try and keep me away from him. To try and instill fear." She explained.
"He's never been the most convincing person." The Abysswalker said with a crack of a smile, shaking his head at the concept of how Emilia accepted the Abyss wholeheartedly… even if it meant she'd never get the life she dreamed of, even now.
"What caused the Abyss to take over?" Krovanh, oddly enough, vocalized the question. And apparently it was one a lot were thinking of, given the shift in attention back to Artorian.
"Reaching a low point in mental stability. Usually it happens at the point after I wake up, when multiple nightmares have shattered my focus and make me drop control."
"A few nightmares?"
"Have you ever tasted someone else's blood?" Artorian returned Claire's raised eyebrow with a surprisingly stern glare, insulted at the insinuation that a bad night's sleep was the cause. "Have you ever felt human ligaments snap between your teeth? Watch as the life leaves the eyes of the people you love the most while you hold their beating heart in your palm? I know what it feels like, because the Abyss doesn't just make me see it. I felt everything, my nerves forced to experience it because the Abyss is ancient and replicates every small detail. Those nightmares were the worst hells I could face."
"He can't control it, the Abyss worms into his brain each day he goes without sleep. If I had my talisman, it can be treated." Karen then stated. "But mine… it was destroyed. So I couldn't help him before Kai… pushed him over the edge."
"And this is why you stay up for so long?"
"Yes, I usually go around 20 days on average." He admitted. He had informed them back in Qin, but the context puts it a little different now then just a terrible case of insomnia.
"Well, that's going to be changing." Claire informed. "If you're going to be staying on my ship, working with my people your sleep needs to be managed better."
"I've done… understood ma'am." The Abysswalker was going to argue, but after the hell he put them through for the past couple of days what right does he have.
"Fourteen days, you will be allowed a maximum of fourteen days without sleep. Afterwards there's no discussions." Claire stated. It was the better compromise. She understood she didn't know the full contents and senses of the dreams he endured, but if his best is averaged at twenty then six days sooner would give him a window of time in case Karen can't treat him. "In addition, if you are being sent away for a mission, you will be expected to sleep the day before deployment."
"Yes ma'am."
"Thank you for the understanding… and thank you for being this open." Claire thanked the man, seeing his eyes rise to her at the insinuation.
"Open? I just revealed I had lied to you since day one. I revealed that I'm a carrier of the actual sin of humanity, the corruption that is in everyone. How is that open?"
"Because you're telling us now." She answered. "For the past two days I have had Matthew give half truths and vague diversions, and a brother who remained silent as if he himself was under lock and key. You lied and kept this a secret, but you revealed it once everyone was safe and the truth was needed to be known."
In truth, Claire was thankful that Artorian had been as truthful as he was. Even if she could assume a few secrets were still hidden, he had given more than enough information for her to understand what was going on. Regardless of the conflicting feelings of the past, he was her comrade, someone who saved her and their fellow Slayers. To her, this factor of the Abyss wasn't an eye opener to who he was. It explained his actions more than anything else. His dower expectations on his life back then only made more sense, and his fears on death.
"Alright, have you gotten all the question out of you?" Charlotte questioned, standing up with the empty glass. "I think he's let enough be known, he needs to rest more now. And I have to help Karen establish a new talisman. Otherwise this'll all happen again in a month."
"Eh, we got a stand in while you guys do that." Charlotte then turned to see Artorian fumble around with the old lighter, the woman patting her pockets before giving a disappointed stare to him.
"Pickpocketing is wrong."
"I was just taking it back, dad did say you weren't allowed to have it."
"I… I need to ask something." Sakura finally spoke up, having been silent for the whole debriefing. It was her speaking that Artorian heard the scratch in her voice, and guilt hit him again as he looked to the idol. "It's… It's selfish of me, I should wait for another time. But I can't."
"You've waited long enough, and you deserve every answer." Artorian responded. "Ask away."
"We've… I've known you for a few months now, and in that short time I confided a lot to you. Some things that perhaps I shouldn't have with someone I knew for less than a week." The idol began, trying to find the right words as she spoke. "As rough as it was when we first met, I felt I could trust you. And that trust grew each day. But now… I'm caught between two realities. The Artorian I knew was an honest person, who wasn't afraid to speak his mind. But the one in front of me, the one that took over after the hospital fell… refused to ever answer what really happened. Not until it was too late."
"Artorian… are you the same person? The one I met on the Zwei Islands, who listened to me at my most vulnerable? Was that the real you?"
That statement stung the Abysswalker, nearly enough that he could have physically recoiled. It wasn't enough to hear the tremble in her voice, but the growing conflict in her eyes burned into his mind. What could he even say to ease that pain? She accepted his worthless excuse in the base, when all she believed was that he was dying. But to be a host of the Abyss, to have a presence that could destroy humanity and Lords alike… how could anyone not assume he was two faced?
"Back then, I may have not been able to answer that." He admitted, clenching his fist in self-shame. "I'll admit, even I haven't been able to figure out who the real me is. Did the real me die after the Second Attack? Before that? I can think of a lot of points where I could have become someone I didn't recognize. The part of me that wants to crawl away and accept a worthless death, and the desperation for life that I had no purpose living."
"And now?" Sakura's voice was still shaky, but a trace of hope was buried under the fear. It gave him his own composure, as he held his head up high as he smiled to the concerned idol.
"My lies held myself back. But with everyone else I never hid who I was. And I refuse to start now." The Abysswalker stated with confidence, beating his fist over his heart in solidarity. "No matter how long it takes, I will prove to you that the Artorian Abyssal you knew was the real me. And that I will never lie to you again. I swear on the trust you granted me before, and I won't fail again."
She didn't know what it was, the certainty in his voice or the smile on his face, but the simple answer put the idol at peace. Sakura had been scared that the man she knew was gone the moment Karen and Miharu was taken, and for awhile that was the case. But as she looked to him now, the vigor that was seemingly lost had came back. The confrontation hadn't broken down the remaining trust, but it had somehow strengthened it. He lied through omission, a lie in itself but it was no longer shrouded in secrets. And the reason was seen by everyone now, glowing in the now ruby eyes that once muted blue.
He trusted them. Completely now.
"Acting tough for the ladies even now, you certainly are Artorias' son." Charlotte said with a tired smile, tapping the back of her finger onto the boy's forehead to kill his aura of confidence.
"Oi, you're one to talk!" Artorian attempted to argue, but then was interrupted as the woman pulled on his cheek.
"No yelling, you have to start regaining your strength. And someone has to keep you to it."
Levity was finally starting to return to the members of Selections and Rejections, if slowly. It was a new start, and while they couldn't predict where it would go from here, at least they knew the truth. And now they could properly work together.
'You held that part back.' Emilia thought to herself, looking to the side for a moment as Charlotte continued to pull on the Abysswalker's cheek. A sigh escaped her, not one of sorrow or irritation, as a hidden smile formed at her next thought.
'Big baby. You're really going to make me give that talk to them, aren't you?'
"Keep clear, that's ten tones moving!" A clearance operated shouted as he saw a pair of workers carrying a shattered energy generator, the cranes still in operation as it tore apart a chunk of a building.
After Little Garden's attack on Kai's base, the Yamatan and Wenz governments worked together to begin clearing out the material. On paper, Yamato was involved in order to clean up the mess of their extremist enemies, and Wenz hoping to form a connection as they had remained impartial to the growing Anti-Slayer discourse. However whereas the Mikado was still in his country with interviews and a rally to wholeheartedly condemn the terrorist attack on humanity's beacon of progress, Pride was on the scene.
Standing in her tent, Sian Geddings was communicating with several of the workers. Her dark jade hair kept in short and out of her face with a hairpin while yellow eyes looked across the reports she had been receiving.
Workers came in and out with new reports every five minutes, bringing up puddles of blood, dismembered limbs, and half tore remains. Envy, for all his problems, made an incredibly smart plan in destroying his base the way he did. Any corpse that was inside was damaged beyond recognition. Not that many could have been well kept.
Of all the remains seen, the only one that she herself recognized was the one in the glass coffin next to her. Whisps of cold air gracing her olive skin, the coffin producing a cryogenic atmosphere inside that was strong enough to to be felt on the outside. Frist hid most of the body, but what was visible was the half-torn face of Cronu, the Vessel having been surprisingly well preserved despite the condition of the bunker.
He was being preserved to be given an honorable burial, as Sian herself wanted to give him at least that much. She knew the man little, but she knew he had joined with the intention of truly working to better the world. That the Slayers that wronged people in the past be fully brought to justice.
It made her wish she was the one who found him, Envy's twisted influence rotted what good will could remain in the man. It hurt her to see an ally she believed in gone such as this, placing a hand gently over this face, emphasizing the parts of his face that remained pristine as the last bits of frost covered him. And before long, he was gone, and Pride took her hand from the coffin with a last glance.
"You've earned your rest. I'm sorry it ended like this." She gently spoke, placing two fingers over her heart as an informal salute as two armored soldiers walked in. Foria Gellance and Pios Horgen were two of her own Vessels, a pair she recruited for their stalwart values and focus on upholding Wenz's current royal family.
"Ma'am, you called for us?" Pios asked, tired grey eyes remaining alert for her as he slicked back oak brown hair. Pios didn't take the transformation to Vessel well, evident by the ashen skin around his eyes and chin, and the multitude of greying hair he had. But he served well, and never let his ailment affect his duty as one of Pride's Lion guard.
"Yes, I want you two to bring this coffin to my shuttle. We'll be flying the man to a near by cemetery. The rest of his family is buried there." Sian explained.
"Poor bastard got a name?" Foria asked, a thick Wenz accent accentuating her voice. In comparison to Pios, Foria excelled in her transformation. Subtle white hair turned shinning red trimmed with black, and muted brown eyes shone blazing amber. The once sickly girl turned to a peak soldier, serving as bastion and blade with a generated shield and gladius at her hip.
"Dar Qureshi, he was one of us." Sian answered, Foria giving the frosted coffin her own glance of sympathy.
"Sorry guy, didn't deserve what happened to his family."
"You knew him?"
"Met him a few times, usually when you and the bosses were convening." The young redhead answered. "Nice man… Envy really tore his heart apart by feeding his hatred. And the damn Slayers… such a sweet heart was twisted. But I guess anyone would end up like that after burying your family."
"Then please, treat it with care." Sian requested. "It won't break when dropped, but we don't want his rest disturbed."
"It's the least he deserves." Pios responded, the two Vessels slamming a fist to their chests before going to collect the coffin.
"PrrrrriiiIIIddeeeeee…" Before they grabbed the coffin, the sickly voice spoke up and froze the Vessels to their core. The presence of the Abyss had amplified, polluting the air with its taste of burnt, decaying flesh. Sian's eyes then sharpened as she felt the presence of one of her fellow Sins, a strange difference from normal as she could tell it was Lust.
"You two. Leave us." She ordered, and her subordinates didn't need much convincing on that matter.
"NNnnnNNoOoooOOO!" The raspy voice shrieked, and before the three could respond, a blob of gelatinous flesh pounced at Foria from out of nowhere. The girl didn't even have time to scream as the flesh forced itself down her throat, cutting off her breathing and silencing her.
Pride and Pio then watched in horror as he skin began to peel apart, tendons and muscle exposed before those too melted away. Only her bones remained in shape before the pools of flesh and skin began to reform across the skeleton. As horrific it was, the monstrosity was incomplete, half the torso cut off with hanging veins spurting drops of blood.
"What the fuck did you do to Foria!" Pios screamed, blazing in a blend of crimson flames and rushing ash. But before his magic could fully manifest, the half-constructed abomination lashed its arm out to him, and began to fuse its flesh into his chest as he tried to burn it off.
"Lust, stand down!" Pride shouted, raising a hand up preparing her own magic. But by the time her words left it was too late, as the monstrosity pulled Pios into a murderous embrace. The man's own flesh and bones melted and pulsed into the monsters, his screams dying quickly as he was melted and used as the remaining biomass to finish constructing the Vessel's new body.
"Ahhhh, I feel so much better." Lust sighed with casual relief. Its body was near similar to what it was in the fight with Liddy, however now it was sporting Foria's hair now. "Oh wow, Pride you really know how to pick them. This hair feels lovely, its almost like silk." The Vessel said, running its hand through the new locks of hair with a pleased smile.
"What the fuck were you thinking?" Pride spat out, her hand lowered as she glared at her fellow Sin. Her hand however was curled, not closed into a fist as her rage was boiling over from the disregard of her subordinates lives.
"That my state was critical and I needed to recover." Lust said casually, waving off the lives it just ended without a thought. "What's two lieutenants to us Sins? Feeling their gifts, you didn't really lose much. A weak double caster and a strength boosted soul. Really nothing that big."
"They were my men."
"And they will continue to serve our Liege as a part of me. They should be honored."
"What are you doing here? And how did you end up in that state?" Pride's fury was barely contained, and that brought an amused smirk to Lust. Sian was always the holier-than-thou type, and yet she was forcing herself to not so much as raise a finger at it. After all, their Liege forbade conflict between them, so she couldn't do anything about it.
"Ah, well I sensed that one of my candidates had finally expired, so I could further develop my ideal figure." Lust explained, placing hands onto its cheeks to emphasize its olive skin. "And its even more prominent with your sweetheart's body. It's just such a wonderful tone, nearly bronze when in the setting sun's rays"
"And your condition?"
"Ah yes, that." Lust's tone suddenly went to disgust as it thought of Liddy, and the ugly woman's damage left by her. "I was intending to claim a few more candidates to further perfect my body, and then that ugly freak showed up." It spat with revulsion at the mere thought of Liddy, from her vomiting hair, trash eyes, and disfigured form. It felt nothing but animosity, feeling bile at its throat before swallowing it down.
"I was wounded by another Vessel, a revolting piece of meat that dared to try and kill me. It was weak, filthy, and worthless; but it left a mark that didn't heal." Lust detailed, recalling the pit in its stomach recalling the woman.
"Your regeneration is near instant, you never lose blood. How could she hurt you?" Pride questioned. She never seen the Sin so much as lose a drop of blood, even when being tested by Wrath it never showed signs of pain. But the look in Lust's eyes was one she saw before, fear laced with agony and rage.
"That bitch was wrong, her soul was putrid and mutated like a fucking beast." Lust gagged, black bile escaping as it glared at the polluted sludge. "She was a Vessel without a soul, and yet was pretending to live as we do. A Vessel without the Abyss, gifted with nothingness. She's my anathema, expressionless with no flavor or purpose, a puppet of the Wolf Knight's."
"So, our Liege's rival has a Vessel." Pride concluded. "And it was what harmed you? By exploiting your sensitive soul with a present lack of the Abyss that in its nature harms you."
"You make it sound like she should be proud of such an ugly reality." Lust shrugged, but didn't deny the evaluation.
"It's an important factor. If she can prevent your regeneration, she may not just be a counter to you, but every Vessel that our Liege has created." Pride noted, stepping past Lust with her eyes trained on the casual monster.
"Eh, I'll kill her the next time I see her. Such an ugly thing can't be allowed to exist in the same world as a perfect individual as me."
"Right, kill. On that note…" Lust couldn't react, the monster didn't even finish blinking as it felt a cleaving slash go through both legs and drop to the floor in a heap. Blood pooled out as the Sin looked in surprise at the damage, before Sian's boot struck its face with a wet crunch.
"What the fuck you cu-gok!" Lust's freakish shout was interrupted as its tongue suddenly fell out of its mouth. Blood gushed down as Pride grabbed it by the hair, lifting it up face to face with her, her yellow eyes glowing with a bile shade of horror and rage.
"Let's get one thing clear. Our Liege forbids conflict, and I had overlooked you and Envy's horrid antics for as long as possible. His attack on innocent lives already pushed a line I refuse to let slide, and you killed MY people." Pride's glowing eyes peered into Lust's vile soul. Lust could feel that Pride's attacks had damaged its soul, not to the same extent as Liddy's but it demanded silence. Pride could kill it, and she was close to wanting to.
"If you ever, EVER, get close to one of my people again I will throw aside our Liege's wishes to slice you to ribbons. He won't even be able to reclaim your soul when I'm done with you." Sian promised, emphasizing it with an invisible force cutting across Lust's right eye before she tossed its form back to the ground. "Now crawl yourself out of here. And if I hear a rumor that so much as one person goes missing, our Liege will lose two Sins this week."
Lust immediately regrew its legs and tongue, biting back a angered response at the intensity of Pride's soul. As much as it desired to lash apart that face, Lust was painfully aware of the power gap between itself and her. She was Raime's right hand, a enforcer and a leader. Not to mention she was one of the most important pieces in his plans, a Vessel with the potential to rival an Abysswalker with the right guidance.
Lust rushed out to avoid being seen by any of the workers after, heading for the sand like Pride demanded. Sian didn't bother to watch it leave before she turned back to Cronu's coffin. Two of her trusted Vessels, people she shared a soul with, were gone. The attempt to honor a good man was punished with a hellish fate of mutilation.
Shame became a common feeling she experienced, a contrast to what one expected of the Sin of Pride. And yet, she couldn't recall the last time she actually felt any pride in what she was doing. They possessed the power of humanity's darkness, granted by a Lord that wished to unite the world… under his Lady's rule. The Anti-Slayer movement, while filled with noble ideals to right the wrongs of the past, were infected with monstrosities like Lust and Envy, one dying did not suddenly fix the problem.
But she couldn't go back now, she had to work with the horror brought in this world and prevent it from getting worse. She occasionally wondered if the others felt this way, if Rego was at peace being their master's Wrath as the embers of fury had nothing to burn. Was Sloth finally relaxed, only to be unable to sleep? Were they all as satisfied as the freak Lust?
She didn't know. She didn't want to know.