Edited by: Priapus, Marethyu
– Yang –
Gazing at the night sky through the window beside her bed, Yang had to admit something. After seeing the full moon in Reid's world, their shattered moon paled in comparison. It looked kind of depressing and wrong.
Doubly so now that she knew of its origins. To think they'd had a regular moon before the God of Darkness had decided to blow it up for some reason. She didn't understand why he would do that. If you're leaving the planet, why would you just ram into it? Why not go around it? Was he trying to prove something?
She didn't know how gods thought. While not exactly disregarding the possible existence of a creator, Yang had never been religious, nor did she care about the subject very much. She didn't know how others would feel if they knew that gods were actually real, though.
Strangely enough, Yang had suspicions that Reid was religious since she had heard him praying to a 'goddess' a few times before. She'd never brought it up since it felt kind of personal to do so, but whoever it was, it probably wasn't either of the brother gods. After all, she doubted they were the ones who'd created Teralos, so whoever her boyfriend worshipped, it was probably one from his world.
Also, he called her a 'goddess', not a god. Yang had no idea that divine beings even had genders to begin with. Or, more accurately, she didn't think there were any 'female' gods.
Having grown bored of watching the moon, Yang looked down at the dragon egg she held on her lap, wrapped in a blanket, and warmed up using her fire magic. Reid had told her that the egg needed to be taken care of like this daily, so he had given her a few days off school and training to nurture it. Or at least until he made the incubation device he'd be talking about.
It would let her store her mana in it to automatically warm the egg with her fire so she could continue her training with Reid and education at Beacon. She needed that the most because she was the only one who hadn't killed a Titan yet. And Levi, too, but Yang clearly needed it more. Definitely.
But Yang wasn't mad about that. How could she be? She'd helped Reid defeat a literal dragon and claimed a dragon egg for herself! Her peers could kill as many Titans as they wanted— none of them would come close to what she could do.
Though, slaying a Titan herself would be pretty awesome. Yang was pretty confident in herself after her adventure with Reid.
"Maybe we can do that together when you grow up." She muttered to the egg, rubbing it gently. "Imagine the looks on everyone's faces when they see you."
The idea of her riding a dragon into battle sounded like the coolest thing ever to her. It would even be suitable because, according to her dad, Xiao-Long meant 'Sun Dragon' or something in an ancient language, right?
"God, it's gonna be so cool~!" Yang giggled to herself.
Yang had no idea how one could raise a dragon, but she'd do her best and make sure it felt loved. She pretty much raised Ruby, and a dragon couldn't be any more complicated than her little sister. At least it wouldn't finish their cookie jars three minutes after they were bought.
Yang paused and blinked as she heard the knock on her room's door.
"Yang, you still awake?" Her sister asked. "I wanna talk to you."
Speak of the devil… The blond thought.
It was pretty late, but it was not like Yang had anything to do besides taking care of the egg.
"Yeah, you can come in."
In her pajamas, Ruby entered the room, closing the door behind her. The two sisters smiled as they met each others' gaze before the younger one's eyes sparkled in excitement as she looked at the dragon egg.
"So, didja think of a name for it yet?" She asked, walking up to her older sister.
"Not really," Yang responded. "I mean, I have thought of a few, but I'm not sure what I should pick."
"Can I make a few suggestions?" Ruby asked excitedly. "Pretty please?"
"Sure. What do you have in mind?"
"Galaxy Destroyer!"
"Ruby, no."
"Devourer of Reality! Annihilator of Worlds!"
"Take this seriously, please." Yang sighed, admittedly amused at her sister's suggestions.
"Okay, fine. Even though I am taking this seriously, but whatever." Ruby huffed before snapping her fingers, face brightening up. "Zwei The Second!"
"That's even worse than any of Reid's ideas." The blond snickered. "I'll just name it something simple, Rubes. Like Blaze or something."
"That's so boring. That's like calling a sword 'blade'." She scoffed, then shrugged as she sat next to her older sister. "But it's your dragon, so whatever."
"Exactly. It's my baby." Yang gloated with a smirk. "Maybe when you find a dragon egg, you can give it whatever ridiculous name you can think of."
Ruby pouted at her teasing, but the pout quickly turned into a soft smile as she leaned on Yang's shoulder.
"I guess you are feeling better." She said.
"Yeah. I really needed an adventure like that, after all. You know, to keep my mind off it for a while." Yang replied, mirroring her beloved sister's smile. "But I don't think I would feel near this much better about myself without you, Rubes. Thank you."
"Aw, what the heck!" Ruby giggled. "We're sisters! Family! We gotta have each others' back, y'know?"
"Yeah, but for the longest time, I… always thought that it was my responsibility as your older sister to take care of you. That's what Mom told me to do, anyway." She muttered a response. "When you comforted me back then, I wasn't really used to it, and I felt really ashamed."
"Yang…"
"I know, I know. It's wrong to think that way. I don't mean anything by it. It's just what I thought at the time." Yang quickly added. "But now I know that my sister is all grown-up. She's not the little girl that would ask me for a bedtime story every night anymore."
"Heh, you got that right! But I'm not just a grown-up; I also became a hero. Just like Reid!" Ruby leaped off the bed and puffed her chest in pride. "Now I make bedtime stories for the little kids all around Remnant! Isn't that the coolest thing ever?"
The blond only silently stared at Ruby with a warm smile, which her sister noticed immediately.
"What?" She blinked. "Is there something on my face?"
Yang paused for a moment before she replied.
"Mom would be so, so proud of you, Ruby."
The sudden statement took her younger sister by surprise. A mix of emotions flooded her face, including astonishment, appreciation, sorrow, and a multitude of other feelings all at once. Her eyes became moist with unshed tears, and she nearly rushed to hug her elder sister before composing herself and pointing toward Yang.
"T-that's enough sisterly love out of you!" She said, her voice shaking slightly. "Show me that bird form Reid talked about!"
"Ugh, do I really have to?" Yang complained, deciding not to embarrass her little sister any more than that.
Although she meant what she said.
"Yes." Ruby nodded with a huff. "I order you as the second Titan Slayer."
Finding Ruby's newfound pride in herself highly amusing, Yang playfully rolled her eyes and put the egg aside. As she did what her boyfriend had told her to do, but in reverse, the blond transformed into her canary state in a puff of smoke.
This is so weird… Yang thought.
She then flew to her sister, landing on her shoulder and chirping. It was incredibly convenient that she knew how to instinctively work with this body, that much she could admit. It still needed some time to get used to, though.
"This is so cool!" Ruby said, unknowingly disagreeing with her older sister.
At least one of them was enjoying themselves.
– Elf Boy –
Despite being chosen by the divine mother of nature, he had never excelled as a druid in training in his village. Many times, he questioned why Naturea favored him. There was nothing remarkable about Silva. Not at all.
Timid and fearful, he was a crybaby who would tear up at the slightest odd look. How could he think of himself as a druid in training when he couldn't handle the gentlest of scoldings? When he was afraid of even the smallest creatures? He felt unworthy of being a druid, let alone being considered Mother Nature's champion.
He struggled with his magical gifts, unable to master even the simplest spells. Despite the blessings he had, he couldn't commune with the smallest creatures or plants, their whispers always out of reach. Each failure deepened his sense of dismay, leaving him feeling like an embarrassment to his people, a shadow of the potential he should have had.
It was always distressing to see his tutors' faces shifting from hope to disappointment in an instant. Each flicker of frustration pierced his heart, making it hard to keep the tears at bay. How could he let this happen? Even as a divine champion, why couldn't he succeed? Was he truly worthless after all?
Despite the unwavering patience of the adults and his teachers, Silva felt an acute awareness of their hidden judgments. He could sense the subtle glances, the barely concealed sighs as he struggled to keep up with his peers. And he knew the truth. Why they were so patient with him. Why they couldn't speak their disdain aloud. They could never do such a thing with Silva being the chieftain's son, yet he could feel their unspoken disapproval regardless.
Sometimes, he would wish they'd say it out loud. The special treatment he received was unwarranted; he didn't deserve it. He was inadequate and never accomplished anything to justify such favoritism.
And every day, as he watched the other children effortlessly excel in everything he couldn't, it deepened his sense of inferiority. It was as if they were touched by the goddess's favor, not him. He was as useless and talentless as ever.
Why did it have to be him? What was so special about Silva that Mother Nature would choose him over the more talented druids? He didn't understand. He couldn't understand. Someone as powerless and cowardly as he was could never bear the responsibilities.
He hated his weakness. He hated his unworthiness and worthlessness. Where he should have found honor and pride in his position as Naturea's champion, Silva only felt misery.
But none of that mattered when those two monsters came to their village.
As the moon reached its peak, Silva woke up to the thunderous roars of a dragon as it battled a Sidereus, a fabled creature only spoken about in legends. Seeing that stunning yet horrifying scene as they shredded the earth and tore apart their village from his bedroom window, Silva was frozen in fear.
He saw adults and children get caught in the crossfire, turned to ash by the Sidereus' magic. Ripped apart by the dragon's claws. Squished under their weight like insects— This was a nightmare that seared itself into Silva's mind.
He knew he would never forget this sight. He knew it would haunt him for the rest of his life. His beloved village turned to dust—fellow druids lying on the ground, motionless as their blood tainted the bright green grass.
Screams of torment and despair continuously rang in his ears as those who were still alive tried to run away from their horrific demise. But to no avail, as children and adults suffered the same end. Killed indiscriminately as mere collateral from the battle of two legendary beasts.
It wasn't until his father picked him up that he reacted appropriately. They had to leave— go as far away as possible. Their village was a lost cause. They could never contend with these monsters.
But they couldn't make it far before the battle ended, resulting in both beasts killing each other. The dragon's flames melted the Sidereus' body, but not before it made one final attack, unleashing a blast so powerful it destroyed its soon-to-be killer, vaporizing its lower half and killing it in an instant.
Unfortunately, they were in the blast radius when it happened, and while Silva remained relatively unharmed…
His father was not so lucky.
Silva grieved silently as he stared at his beloved father, whose back was charred and legs crushed after shielding him from the blast. The chieftain heaved and gasped, trembling as he gave his son their treasured artifact.
"Survive…" He told Silva, violently coughing as the light slowly left his eyes. "You have to survive…"
And as his father drew his last breath, what followed was a deafening silence. The battle between the two beasts had ended, leaving no survivors but him. All he could do at the time was to sob in silence, praying that what he was seeing was just a dream. That he'd wake up at any moment.
He wondered if it was his ingratitude to Mother Nature's blessing that had caused this to happen. Perhaps this was her way of punishing him for even thinking those thoughts, that all of this could've been avoided had he just tried harder and not complained. Perhaps he had displeased her with his weakness. Perhaps he had angered her with how worthless he was by wasting her gift.
Perhaps Silva deserved this.
But the boy had no time to ponder these things as a tremendous cascading light of necrotic energy burst from where Sidereus' corpse, overflowing the lands with its revolting power in a matter of seconds.
At that moment, Silva could do nothing but hide, sobbing to himself, waiting for his inevitable end. Tears flowed from his eyes and onto the artifact as he heard the enraged roar of the dragon once more. It wasn't until the Pure Heart responded to his need that he felt some sense of comfort, as now he knew that Mother Nature hadn't abandoned him.
For she had sent someone to save him.
Carried in the arms of the stranger, Silva stared at him in curiosity. He could recognize traces of a divine blessing within him, but this blessing did not belong to the goddess of nature. Was he a holy champion of a different god?
And this armor of his was no regular armor. It felt touched by the gods. Was it like the Pure Heart? Some kind of a divine artifact? Who was this warrior? Where did he come from? How did he know that disaster struck their village?
"You doing alright, buddy?" The warrior asked after a while, making Silva flinch.
Silva said nothing.
"Can you tell me how long you've been hiding in there?" He asked again.
And yet, Silva did not respond, clutching the amulet as his eyes began to tear up once again. It wasn't that he didn't want to answer— it's that he couldn't. But how would the stranger know that?
He truly was worthless. He could not answer a simple question, becoming an inconvenience to those trying to save him. If it was anyone else, then…
Silva did his best not to sob, violently trembling as the fresh memories of his whole village being wiped out right in front of his eyes flashed in his mind. His prayer never stopped, begging Mother Nature to forgive him for his insolence. To save him and bring back those who perished.
"Shh, it's okay, kiddo." The stranger hushed softly. "Everything's gonna be fine."
Despite his best efforts to comfort the boy, Silva's tears continued to flow freely, and his grip on the Pure Heart tightened. Why did it have to be him that survived? Why couldn't it be someone else? Someone better?
Those thoughts began to swirl in his head, but before they consumed him wholly, the stranger spoke again.
"Say, how about a story to pass the time?" He offered, making Silva pause. "We're still far from the lodge my friend talked about."
The elf boy blinked.
"Hmm, let me think…" The stranger muttered before deciding on one. "Okay, how about the time I defeated the fearsome Dreadnoughts?"
Silva stared at the warrior for a moment before he nodded slowly.
"Great! It happened about a week back. You see, I have a reputation where I came from, and the leaders of a… 'town' called Menagerie asked for help." He started. "As it turns out, their mines were infested by insect-like beasts. Hundreds of them, each larger than even a wolf, all led by the biggest and baddest of the bunch: The Dreadnoughts."
Silva wiped his tears, his attention now drawn to the stranger's story.
"So, together with my most trusted friends, we embraced the challenge. After all, as a hero, helping others is my calling. I can't allow these monsters to harm innocent people, can I?" He added.
As he continued to tell that story, Silva listened very closely and intently. He was fascinated by the way they encountered the so-called Dreadnoughts and the twist that they were mere servants to the real beast hidden within its cocoon.
From the hero's fierce fight against the two beasts to the heart-stopping escape as the mine crumbled around them, culminating in their incredible triumph. Silva found himself captivated and entranced by the stranger's remarkable strength. No, it would be more precise to say that Silva was in awe of the stranger's bravery.
Bravery he always wished he had.
As the story went on and on, Silva became increasingly less conscious of his own flaws and feelings of worthlessness. He was delighted by the stranger's narrative and delivery, eager to learn more about his achievements. What other adventures had he experienced? What kind of monsters had he defeated? How many people had he saved?
And the stranger obliged, telling more and more stories that Silva found increasingly exciting. It made him feel safer in the stranger's presence, knowing that he'd be saved now that someone of his caliber was here.
And beyond this feeling of security, Silva felt inspired. What a fantastic purpose. To live a life all about defending the weak and helping others… He had never thought about it before. In fact, leaving the village never even crossed his mind. He had always been told that he was destined to be the next chieftain.
However, that future seemed to pale in comparison. To be a free spirit, flowing wherever the winds took him, helping those in need along the journey—didn't that sound far more rewarding?
To be a hero… Someone like Silva could never do it. He was too helpless and cowardly to be one. But perhaps, in some way, instead of defeating beasts and the like, he could offer his services as a druid to others who need them.
It was nice to dream.
– Reid –
"—and then, just as I thought it was the end for me, as luck would have it, the cliff we were on began to crumble, and we both fell into the ocean," I say to the child in my arms as we walk toward the lodge. "And I might hear you asking: Why would falling in water with a monster that can control lightning magic be a good thing for me? Heh, here's the twist I was telling you about. Turns out I was actually half Leviathan all along!"
The boy's green eyes sparkle in amazement at the exciting story of my past 'adventures' I'm telling him, though it has been a little tweaked to make it more exciting than it actually was. Mostly, I left out the parts where I was terrified out of my mind or when things got a little too gory. I don't want to scare the kid.
"And so, after harnessing the power of my heritage, I found myself outmatching the monster! With this unexpected stroke of luck, I was able to achieve what seemed impossible." I add with an exaggerated tone. "I finally vanquished the formidable dark beast Fenrir, bringing an end to its centuries-long reign of terror."
The boy's smile widens as he starts to clap, having been entertained. I've thankfully kept his mind off the current situation for at least a few minutes. I wouldn't do such a thing when we might still be in great danger, but whatever Sheekh did, he made it so that all the infected targeted him specifically. So, there was no risk of making noises as one would expect.
"And since then, I've gotten way stronger," I say with a flex. "So now that I'm here, there's nothing to worry about, okay? You'll be safe. I promise."
The kid's smile drops for a moment, but then he nods, feeling much more secure in my presence. That's good.
"So that's the place, huh?" I mutter after looking forward.
Stopping before the giant lodge Sheekh told me about, I scan the area cautiously, just in case. I've not encountered any other infected on the way here, but it doesn't hurt to be careful. The building itself and its yard are protected, that much I can tell. But whatever's around it is a different story.
Though, unlike the elf boy's druidic amulet, the place is protected by necrotic energy instead, which I find very fascinating. Instead of the sand and ash covering this entire region, the ground here is covered in dead grass. Fighting off an infection with another infection? Very smart. But I doubt it would work if Sheekh's control over his magic was any worse than what I've seen.
This alien disease is not a joke. No wonder this was a legendary-tier dungeon. I would've died in a few minutes if I had ignored the Goddess' warning and gone in unprepared. And if I were lucky, the infected dragon would have been the one to do it, not the infection itself. Not even Haki could protect me from it.
I guess armor like the set I made is required to survive something like this. It makes me wonder which of its components is actually protecting me from the disease. My best guess is the divine properties of the ice metal.
Before we enter the perimeter of the lodge and its necrotic barrier, though, I glance at the boy and his amulet, thinking for a moment. I don't think it would be a good idea to enter this place with this thing still releasing its energy. It might conflict with Sheekh's magic and nullify it.
But how am I supposed to stop it from releasing its power? I can't even put it in my inventory and hide it there because that's disabled for this dungeon. This is a problem.
I pause to think of a solution.
"Hey, buddy. You know any druidic sorcery?" I ask the boy.
Remaining silent, the boy nods slowly.
"Then do you know how to turn it off?" I point at the amulet. "We can't enter this place with this thing still pulsating."
Instead of answering me, he pauses and closes his eyes, his hands glowing a faint green before the amulet's power becomes fully contained. I prepare myself to move as quickly as I can, and as the pulsating stops just as I asked, the infection starts to rapidly approach us.
So I dash forward and enter the protected area, sighing in relief. As I will it, my helmet melts away, and I give the boy a smile.
"Good job." I praise him. "We should be safe now."
The elf boy smiles back and nods in acknowledgment.
As I continue to explore the place with the boy still in my arms, I walk up to the front door, noticing how much the necrotic energy is affecting our surroundings. Everything looks dead and old, from the wood to the ground we're walking on. Thankfully, the magic doesn't try to invade our bodies. In fact, it's actively avoiding us. That's good.
I go to put my hand on the doorknob, but the door opens before I can, revealing a skeleton behind it. The elf boy flinches in surprise and cowers in fear, but I recognize this undead from the glowing green light in its empty eye sockets.
"You're that weirdly durable skeleton. Sheekh's friend," I state. "That's good. If you're still functioning, then I guess that means he's still alive."
The skeleton salutes before giving us a gentlemanly bow, ushering us to come inside the lodge. Seeing that makes the elf child pause in surprise, clearly not having expected an undead like him to act that way.
"Don't worry, he's a good skeleton," I assure the kid, entering the building and putting him down.
Still a little tense, the elf boy holds my hand tightly, staring at the skeleton in concern and slight fear. So, in response to that, the comically expressive skeleton puts a hand on its chin before 'snapping' its fingers. With its index, it releases a very small amount of green necrotic energy, which it uses to write something on the wall.
"Jericho?" I read it with a hum. "That's your name?"
The skeleton nods and extends its hand to the boy.
"Well, you heard it here, kiddo." I pat the elf child on the head. "He even has a name. Jericho the Skeleton. I'm sure he's not bad."
Seemingly a little more convinced, the boy shows a little courage and shakes the skeleton's hand, making Jericho rattle in what I assume is joy. This encourages him even more, prompting a small smile to form on his face as he nods in acknowledgment.
"That reminds me—" I say as we follow the skeleton who leads us to the stairs. "I haven't introduced myself, have I? I'm Reid Astera, a… warrior from a faraway place called Remnant. What about you?"
The boy pauses but doesn't answer me verbally. Instead, he does what the skeleton did, using druidic sorcery to write on the air, making me realize something else at the same time. Throughout the whole time here since I've met him, he hadn't even let out a peep.
"Silva," I mutter before the glowing letters disappear. "I don't want to sound insensitive, but can you not talk?"
He nods slowly, almost in shame. So he's mute, then. If it's a mental issue or something he was born with, then I don't think I'm able to help him out. If it's a physical injury, then yeah, my potions can do the trick. But something tells me that's not the case here.
"I see." I pat him on the head again as we go up the stairs. "You have a nice name, Silva."
The young child blinks in surprise before breaking into a beaming smile in response to my words. On the outside, I return the smile, but deep down, I am seething with anger. The intensity of my emotions is so overwhelming that I feel like I might lose control at any moment. Despite my inner rage, I manage to suppress my feelings, but the internal struggle is consuming me.
Why should a young child like him have to go through such a thing? It's painful to see his entire village and family devastated in this way. He's just a small kid, probably no more than ten years old. It's unfair. No child— nobody, regardless of age, should ever have to experience such tragedy.
Just thinking about it pisses me off.
The bubbling fury makes it very clear how good I had it with Gamer's Mind. It wasn't like I never got angry with it, but it still made me calm enough to think properly. Feeling the full force of my rage like this for the first time feels maddening. It's a miracle I haven't blown up yet.
I would've flown off the handle ages ago if this child wasn't here to help me keep calm. I know Leviathans were said to be a wrathful species, but were all of them like this? How the hell did they handle it? To make matters even worse, I don't know who's responsible for this, so I can't direct this anger at anything or anyone.
Jericho leads us into a small living room on the second floor, where the fireplace is already lit and tended to under a pot of stew. Like the rest of the lodge, the room is old, with dead and almost rotten wooden floorboards and dust everywhere. But it's still a place where we can rest.
Or, well, the child can rest. I don't have time to waste.
"I'm sure I don't need to tell you this—" I look at the skeleton. "But take care of the kid. I'm going to help your master."
Jericho doesn't do anything, simply staring at me. I take that as confirmation, so I let go of the boy and exit the room. But then Silva grabs my arm, looking at me pleadingly.
"I need to go, buddy," I tell him gently. "I have to look for any other survivors. Someone might need my help out there."
But the boy is unwilling, his green eyes watering in fright as he tightens his hold on my arm. I don't need my Haki to know that he's begging me to stay with him, but I can't do that. Now that he's safe, it's my responsibility to look for anyone who might be in danger. Maybe they can explain what the hell is going on here.
As I try to push him off gently, he starts to cough again, making me hesitate.
"Listen, you're safe here, okay? The monsters can't get inside this place." I try to soothe him. "I promise I'll be back. I'll just see if there's anyone else out there that's hiding like you were. And maybe the necromancer needs help."
"I'm afraid that won't be necessary."
I flinch and quickly turn around, feeling relief as I see the elven necromancer in the room with us, closing the door behind him. I would've been concerned that I couldn't sense his presence if he was anyone else, but I guess for a lich who lived for thousands of years, he'd know a few tricks.
Unlike the last time I saw him, he seems much younger, maybe in his early twenties. His hair isn't gray like before, but a platinum blond. His eyes still look weird: Black sclera and glowing green pupils. I guess that's just a Lich thing?
"Can't say I'm surprised to see you got away," I say, feeling myself smile.
"It wasn't easy." He responds. "The disease was already dangerous enough, but to see it infecting a dragon of all things…"
I frown at the implication. So he knows what that is.
"What the hell is this disease anyway?" I ask. "What's going on here? Who caused this?"
Sheekh's smile drops.
"Tell me, Astera." He starts as the skeleton brings him a chair to sit on. "Have you ever heard of beings called 'Sidereus'?"
I pause, watching Jericho do the same for me and the elven boy. I hesitate before realizing that this might take a while, so I sit down and continue the conversation with Sheekh, still holding Silva's hand to comfort him.
Sidereus… That's what these monster things are called, right? Well, the ones trying to kill us were undead versions of it, so technically not.
"Can't say I have," I respond. "But I'm guessing they're related to these things?"
"Indeed." He nods. "You see, the Siderea, or 'Celestials' as some call them, are beings with incredible might akin to the gods. When a star dies, it doesn't simply cease to exist. It gathers what little energy it still has and gives birth to a living being. Of course, 'little' in this case is relative. Very few can rival their might."
I wait for him to finish.
"But despite their immense power rivaling that of the divines, they're not unkillable." He adds. "And unlike the gods, where their body and essence disappear after death, to be reborn in a new vessel, the Sidereus' body, if not disposed of properly, begins to rot and fuse into the earth, turning into Necrosidereus."
"Which causes this disease to spread," I say, making him nod.
"Their will to live is too strong, so they do whatever's necessary to avoid true death." He adds. "This causes their destabilized core to try to reanimate their own corpses, inadvertently tapping into necromancy, corrupting themselves, and creating a new, violent disease that infects and controls everything nearby, adding to its collective consciousness."
So, even the disease is a victim of itself.
"How do you prevent that from happening?"
"There are two ways to do this. One, and the easier option, is by destroying the core essence of the Sidereus, therefore erasing it's consciousness and will. If you're not capable of doing that, then atomizing the Sidereus' body before it rots is your second best chance, therefore not giving it a chance to spread its influence," He answers. "It can be contained through other means, like sealing it away, but it's nearly impossible. As you can see, it even infects magic and non-living elements like stone and dirt."
Yeah, I've never seen anything like it before.
And the question here is, what killed this Sidereus? While it's hard to tell for sure, seeing how fucked up this region looks, I haven't spotted any traces or anything that could suggest a big battle has taken place around this area. If this thing were as strong as Sheekh claims, then I'd expect to see some sort of destruction.
Was it maybe the dragon? I can't tell if the carcass was old or not, but it's in terrible shape. It was torn in half, for god's sake. Could they have killed each other, and the corpse of the Sidereus infected its killer's body? That seems like it might be the case.
But there's another thing that's bothering me.
"Why are they different from gods in that regard?" I ask another question. "You say gods disappear after death instead of doing that."
"Gods are divine energy incarnate; They cannot be corrupted in that sense. At the same time, gods embody concepts, so death is temporary for them as they eventually reincarnate. After all, you cannot kill a concept." He explains. "But the Siderea are different. They have physical bodies that can rot, and death is very much permanent for them. When they're corrupted, the Necrosidereus will begin to consume as much power as possible, eventually running out and ceasing to exist."
"Oh." I blink, feeling hopeful. "So we just have to wait it out here?"
"Not in this case, I'm afraid." He shakes his head, making me grimace. "As I said, the more power it devours, the longer it lives, and it found the perfect host in that dragon corpse. Something like that would extend its lifespan up to hundreds of years at least."
"Fuck…" I hiss but then pause. "So wait, all we have to do is kill that dragon or destroy the core, and everything will be fixed, right?"
"Theoretically, yes. Losing its primary host and strongest asset would cut down its lifespan significantly." He confirms. "As it would its reach and influence. Destroying the core will erase the disease in an instant."
"Then you stay here and take care of the kid or figure out a way to get him to safety," I say, getting up as the helmet forms around my head once again. "I'll go and destroy it."
"I'm afraid leaving this region would be impossible." He says, making me pause. "At least for the boy. Without the amulet, he cannot walk outside; otherwise, he'd be quickly infected. But at the same time, the amulet's druidic power attracts Necrosidereus. They'll ignore anything and try to destroy it."
I look at Silva's fearful expression with a concerned one. And as much as I hate to admit it, that bastard dragon would catch up regardless of whether Sheekh or I tried to escort the kid as the other attempted to distract it. To make matters worse, if the infected made it outside, then the infection radius would increase dramatically.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. We're stuck here whether we like it or not. Unless, of course…
"I need to destroy it now, then," I respond firmly. "Before things get any worse."
"Don't do anything reckless, Astera." He advises, trying to stop me. "With a beast that strong, attacking the core would be nearly impossible."
"What else can we do?" I challenge him. "Someone has to deal with it, and the sooner we get rid of it, the better. The Necrosidereus continues to spread, right?"
"Yes, but—"
"Then there's no time to waste." I cut him off. "Imagine what would happen if it reaches another village or, god forbid, a city? Thousands will die if I don't move now. I'm sorry, but you're not stopping me."
Sheekh pauses, seemingly shocked at my conviction for some reason, before he smiles and nods.
"I see…" He says. "Very well. But be careful. They can infect magic itself and grow stronger through it."
I smile back, then glance at Silva, who's begging me to stay with his eyes.
"It's gonna be okay, buddy." I kneel to his level, patting him on the head. "I promise I'll be back once I'm done with it. And when I return, how about I tell you another story?"
While hesitant, having someone else with him makes him relent. He backs off and nods.
"Astera," Sheekh says before I leave. "I'm sure you've noticed already, but divine properties can block off the Necrosidereus' infection just like druidic sorcery. If you wish to take on the beast, you mustn't rely on typical magic."
This means my armor is my best bet here, huh? Gotta say it's the perfect opportunity to test it out.
"Got it." I nod.
"And here." He adds, giving me a small green crystal. "I pray you won't have to use this, but if you find yourself cornered, crush it. It will transport you back here in an instant."
"Thanks," I respond. "See you guys soon."
With that, I open the window and fly away, looking for the source of this infection to eliminate it for good.
First I should get a better view of the area, so I fly as high as I can and scour the disease-ridden region, and despite my supervision, the purple hue of the infection is all I see. The radius must be beyond hundreds of kilometers if that's the case…
I really, really hope that whichever civilization nearby saw it coming and managed to evacuate in time. I can't imagine just how many people died to what amounted to pure bad luck.
I continue to fly around, backtracking to the village I found Silva in and seeing the infected villagers just standing there, utterly motionless. It makes sick to my stomach, but I ignore it for now, knowing what needs to be done.
Eventually, I find the monster, as still as the rest of the infected. But unlike them, it notices me even from this distance and lets out an earth-shattering roar. In response, I remain determined, and my eyes sharpen, prompting me to soar downward and take Sheekh's advice, using only the armor to fight.
"Alright, buddy. You know what we gotta do." I mutter quietly, injecting myself with some of my buffing potions.
The armor responds immediately, creating a colossal chunk of ice vaguely resembling a sword in my right hand, which I easily handle. Considering the material it's made of and its divine properties, it can't be corrupted or infected by the disease.
As the infected dragon closes the distance with a mighty shout, I roar back at it, releasing the full force of my Haki.
As well as all the fury I've been desperately keeping.
– Raven –
"Wake up."
The bandit queen of Mistral awoke with a start, wincing at the sound of a familiar voice. As she slowly opened her eyes, she groaned at the throbbing headache and tried to steady herself despite the disorienting dizziness. It felt as though the world around her was spinning, and the sensation only seemed to intensify with each passing moment. Raven struggled to make sense of her surroundings, unable to recall what had happened or where she was. Overwhelmed by the disorientation and pain, she wanted to simply slip back into unconsciousness. She would figure it out when she wasn't feeling like shit.
Raven found it impossible to fall back asleep due to the intense, painful sensation that had abruptly awakened her. She let out a pained grunt and gasp, shaking her head and blinking repeatedly. She was perplexed by the unfamiliar and distressing feeling coursing through her body as if countless needles were piercing her.
What's going on? She huffed, feeling something hard and cold around her ankle. What…
As she looked down, her eyes widened in shock as she saw what looked like a tracking device. Then she scanned her surroundings, realizing that she was within a bullhead with her bastard brother smirking at her as well as a strange man with a goatee glancing at her from the corner.
"Good morning," Qrow said with a mocking tone. "Had a nice nap?"
"Qrow…" She growled. "What did you do to me—?!"
She couldn't finish that sentence before she felt that stabbing sensation once again, making her bite down a cry of pain.
"I didn't do anything." He responded. "This is your doing, in fact."
"Mine?" She muttered behind gritted teeth.
"Yup. Shouldn't have used your magic when your soul is all fucked up." He snorted. "But, well, I guess you'd do anything to avoid responsibility, even if it meant breaking your soul even more. I'm surprised you even have that in the first place."
Raven said nothing for a moment.
"Where are you taking me?" She asked. "Prison? Execution?"
"Oh, I wish," Qrow replied with a scowl. "Unfortunately, you still have some use to us."
As he said that, the bullhead lowered its hatch, prompting Qrow to nod toward it. Getting the message, Raven still hesitated, but knowing she was utterly powerless in this situation, she relented and walked toward the exit with her brother, the strange man, and Astera's weird soldiers following her.
As she made it out, she quickly recognized the place. The biting cold made it very clear that they weren't in Sanus anymore but in Solitas. What were they doing in the coldest region in the world? Raven had no idea. Wasn't Astera's home in Vale?
"Mantle?" She muttered, recognizing the city below the bullhead pad. "What's the meaning of this? In what world would I be of use to you here of all places? You know the Branwen tribe has no bases in Solitas."
Qrow took a gulp out of his flask before responding.
"Not why we're here." He said, wiping the alcohol off his mouth. "The big guy doesn't even care about your dumbass tribe."
The big guy meant either Ozpin or Astera, and Raven didn't know which was worse.
"No, we're here because the lady that stole your Maiden Magic is here too," Qrow explained, making her eyes widen. "And you'll lead us right to her."
"That harlot is here?" Raven growled. "How do you know this?"
"None of your damned business." He scoffed. "You're here to do your fucking job, you stupid bitch. Not ask questions."
"And how, exactly, do you expect me to find her?" The bandit queen wasn't one bit intimidated by him. "I don't know where she is either. I didn't even know she was in Solitas."
"Oh, but you do." He disagreed, making her blink in confusion and annoyance. "See, the girl didn't just steal some of your Maiden magic, but also bits of your soul. That's why you can't use your Aura properly."
"I figured that much already," Raven said.
"Then I'm sure you can figure out how you can find her. You're tethered to the bits she stole. You'll know where she is if you focus well enough." He snarked. "But if that's still too complicated for your tiny brain, you're a radar. You understand now?"
Raven said nothing, only silently glaring at her brother.
"I'll take that as a yes." He snorted, taking another sip. "Now, if you do your job properly and not complain, we might just let you off the hook."
Raven didn't believe that. No way would they let her go even if she begged them to. Her fate was sealed since her capture.
"But if you try anything funny—" Qrow glared back at her. " I promise you'd wish we sent you over to Salem. Got it?"
That, however, she did believe. If what Reid told her was the truth about her being expendable despite her Maiden magic, then he might just deliver her to Salem on a silver platter, and that woman scared Raven beyond anything in this world. She wasn't going to test him.
Even if they didn't 'let her off the hook' if she did her job, at least they would keep her away from that witch. That was as much as she could ask for in this situation, anyway. Besides, if she could have her revenge on that little bitch that began all of this bullshit in the first place, then she might as well take the chance. She'd do anything to see Cinder bleed.
"…So I just have to focus?" She muttered a question.
"Ayyup," Qrow said with a shrug. "Or so I was told, anyway."
Raven let out a heavy sigh but followed Qrow's suggestion nonetheless. Though she was no stranger to meditation, the absence of her Aura made it difficult to withstand the cold. Despite shivering and trembling, she concentrated intently on the concept of the 'tether' that Qrow had mentioned, and after some time...
She felt a strange, sharp sensation, prompting her to open her eyes wide and look to her right.
"Hmm?" Qrow looked at her with a raised brow. "Found something?"
"Yes." She nodded and narrowed her eyes. "Over there. I felt… something odd. Pulling."
"Heh, well, I'll be." Her brother responded with a smile. "Exactly what the kid said would happen. Alright, you heard the idiot bandit. We're heading west."
As he gestured toward the Bullhead again, Raven quietly got on, taking her seat and seeing the hatch close behind Qrow. So revenge was possible, after all…
At least she had that going for her.
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