In Search of Uriel (Gear, Verus)

MKR

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#1
February 8th, OE 102
1:13 PM DST
Crescentia, Forgotten Reliquary



Silently, caressed by moss and growth stood a prison. Forgotten to time and known to but a select few it bore the memory of it within their minds a memorial without memory. To those that knew what stood here at the foot of the massive pillar of what seemed to be marble it was a grim reminder to all others it looked like a mere commemoration to the giant war. The prison itself finely crafted out of the same material as the monolith that loomed over and bore similarities to it in nature as both held above them a halo of floating rocks though the monolith's was much more massive.

To the initiated these stones that hovered by magical means around both structure and surrounding were identifiers, inscribed with arcane methods as well as a pattern only known to those taught their meaning. Letters, numbers, warnings and dangers all inscribed upon mere floating rocks without requiring any writing. A fantastic way to create an impossible way to deduce which dangerous artifact or monstrous fiend lay sealed where. All done with mere rocks.

But beneath the smaller set of stones, the prison itself stood. Though one would be forgiven for mistaking it as anything but a method to seal the most dangerous of items and persons, for it looked like a statue. Massive in stature but yet dwarfed by the surrounding geography looking down upon the environment with serene grace was an angelic being gaze solemnly aimed down as if crying in shame but resolute in features. To either side of the structure waterfalls crashed down, rainbows coming off of the light seeming like rainbows connecting as if they were wings, two wings of the same marble like substance spreading wide.

A monument to make modern sculptors weep. But for all the beauty on the outside the inside was grim, while the outside got to bask in the light, the inside... Was another tale.




Darkness, silence, nothing came in, nothing goes out. The only light within the complete darkness was that of his own body as a dim red glow protruded from the man's left arm, like embers of a flame which was also as much light as they provided. Granted, the past two thousand years had offered his eyes ample time to adjust to the sheer darkness. Even then the surroundings were those which he could have navigated blind prior to his imprisonment, he had spent many days and hours within its confines as its pilot after all.

The Shicksalias, no.. Shicksal now. It was robbed of its name when it was robbed of the artifacts that powered it. It had been his personal unit during and after the giant war, and now it was his tomb. Within one of the many Reliquaries that littered the space between space. It was like sweeping dust under a rug, it didn't go away. No no far from, it was kept out of sight and thus out of mind. But it was still there, hidden perhaps but always but one moving of the rug away. And how he had tried to move that dimensional rug, oh during his first days... years? here it was all he did, trying to force his being and prison back into the material realm.

Had he succeeded in that? Well, yes. Eventually but not during his initial rage. No, the angelic statue outside was not even supposed to exist in this plane its beauty not supposed to be seen but now, now it stood among the landscape as any other feature would. Alberich could not exactly remember when the construct had returned to the plane from which he came or well, technically he could but pinpointing when it had happened was quite troublesome. By his estimate two thousand years had passed, which was accurate but not something he could be sure about. It was not as if he had been provided a calendar to keep track by his jailors.

After all when you're supposed to be held here until the end of time who cares what day it is.

He rotated his arm slightly, the clanking of chains replying as they remained firmly stuck. Limiting this attempt at exercise to even less movement then the already minimal attempt. What he did get in return was the momentary flare of a dull red magic circle. He knew the magic well, not just from being under it for so long but also for having inflicted it upon others, there was no way out of it bar the enchanter liberating their prisoner, or the enchanter perishing and unlike a few of those he had caught the third method of vastly surpassing the spellcaster with one's own magicks was not available to him, such was the trouble by making an enemy out of the best sorcerer in all the realms.

Even crueler, this state of stasis was afflicted upon his entire person. He could not starve but hunger persisted, he could not dehydrate but the feeling of thirst always loomed. There was no out, not by escape and not by death. To those who received the privilege of such a prison there was no execution, for it was designed to break them until they cried out for liberation to their jailor. A cruel joke for the 'greater good'. Truly cruel and truly a joke.

Even worse so, the machine he had piloted was instrumental to this spell. Buried under his own weight was an apt way to describe it, without the Schicksal here there was a hope that the spell would eventually deteriorate but with it surrounding him, his own power was being brought against him. It infuriated him, and though it was to no use in this fury he pulled with his left arm trying to wrest the chain from its place.

Pain, the magicks fighting back the chains searing him. But he pulled in defiance to none but fate itself, as well as her. Remembering her, what she'd done to him to all of them it empowered him made him capable of chewing through the pain and then- it happened. Magic faded, and with a nasty snap the chain broke loose. Magic circles surrounding the binding flickering and fading. Alberich's arm immediately fell down the disuse had rendered it weak and now it hung limply by his side as the other still was held aloft and aimed at the prison.

Shock overtook him, impossible. There was no way he was being liberated now, he would have felt his presence here. His friend, his enemy, his peer and none could liberate him bar the man himself. Even in all her power the false god of the moon could not undo these bindings such was her own design.
Which meant.... No... Tears began to stream down his face. It was the first time in at least a hundred years that sadness overtook him so the torturous existence here was nothing compared to this realization. Lao, was dead.

His mind moved back to that day, that fateful day. The last time they had ever seen one another, would ever see one another. He had been... such a child back then. Immature, rash, enraged. A poor combination. As his second arm pulled at the chains with their fading magicks, his mind moved to that time, to every move he had done and to that fateful confrontation between him and the two last friends that remained.





Silence was long interrupted in the halls, the alarm had long since cried out 'enemy in the sanctum' and now began to cry 'inner sanctum breached'. Scraping its blade across the floor the Schicksalias pressed the upper torso of the last remaining Welspiner against the walls, pulling the machine's weapon out of its own gut and piercing the head of the knightly mech with it pinning it against the walls. Inside the man wiped away another set of tears, he didn't want to fight them, he had begged for them to stand down. But they wouldn't he had been decreed an enemy of Crescentia by none other then Gan Eden herself and she... she had long since warned the guard he was coming.

Hopefully it had only been the guard, the machine lumbered forward its goal almost in sight.
"Kusanagi...." He whimpered to himself, water in his eyes. "I'm coming...."

The red head bashed his head forward, calling out to none but himself.
"I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME, THAT YOU'RE SEEING MY EVERY STEP. YOUR DECEIT ENDS HERE!" It was a pained yell, anguish she wouldn't get away with this. With what she'd done to him, to them. With the lies and the schemes. They ended today.

They'd listen to him, he was sure of it. An extreme option perhaps, but he said it was the only way.
 

GEAR

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#2
Before the seal, a man sat in repose, his white linen-draped body in a firm lotus position. For more than three days, he had stayed as such, refusing all offers of food and water, so deep was his concentration, so sincere his countenance, so dire his need. Here, in the deepest part of the sanctum, he had hoped he would find clarity, make peace with what had transpired. Yet, even as he meditated, turning everything that had happened over and over in his mind like a puzzle box, seeking an answer, nothing came forth.

An empty, hollow ringing in the pit of his soul that gnawed at his mind. Peace was elusive, tranquility now nothing more than a fever dream. His lips moved soundlessly, chanting the mantras, the sacred ohm... but he knew, part of him knew... how utterly pointless it all was. As such, he was infinitely grateful when the ceiling rattled, dust cascading down onto his shoulders and the distant clash of metal sounded.

Lao Xi Feng slowly, solemnly opened his eyes.

"Alberich." He said quietly, voice echoing out into the surroundings.




He didn't have long to wait.

As the last of the guards fell, there was a wholly different kind of noise - and a fluid movement from the corner of his eye. A pair of wings spread wide, as something of a wholly different make than the comparatively clunky suits of armor bounded into view.

1612644150245.png

The azure dragon, RyuOhKi, lifted its head. Spectral flames already glowered threateningly at the edges of its mouth as it regarded the traitor, eyes narrowing coldly. Within the cockpit, Lao - still seated cross legged - watched the blood pooling about Alberich's latest victims bodies, mingling with the mystic oils of Crescentia, his features.. inscrutable.

"So it's come to this, has it?" He asked, though it was questionable whether it was directed at the young man before him.

"Lay down your arms. Have not enough sacrifices been made?"
 

VeraC

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#3

Along with Lao, two more figures resided within the Sanctum, A slender woman garbed in a regal set of armor leaned against the far side wall of the room, her face somber and downcast. Her gaze lingered on the third, a man laying motionless in the center of the room atop a long and flat stone. After several moments she darted her attention away, yet as if some gravitational pull reeled on her eyes, they always found themselves looking back at the man.

He who had sacrificed himself for the greater good of the land, the one who possessed an unbreakable will, The Savior of the realm, Kusanagi. It had been almost a week now, and the man continued his lone slumber. No one knew when he would wake up, or if he ever would wake up again. A faint glow radiated out from the insertion where his own sword was impaled in his torso, a mark that showed the success of his technique. Senmon-Rengoku stood tall from its resting place in his stomach, the black blade alike a monolith erected out of his body. it was a beautiful weapon, for what it was worth, and Heidel could tell the quality of craftsmanship that was put into it; though she had seen the man forge it herself.

Memories from before flashed through her mind as her eyes lingered on the man. They were almost enough to make her smile, yet the sight before her was little more than a forceful slap in the face as she was pulled back into reality. Perhaps it was a miracle that she hadn’t broken down in tears yet; no, less than a miracle, more of a curse upon her. As she was now the Grand Reine of Crescentia and all its people, she had a duty to remain strong and guide all to prosperity. There was no time to mourn, no time to say her goodbyes. Those tied to destiny perhaps had the worst futures, shackled to the chains that enslaved them to their fate.

For Heidel, who was a young girl still in her twenties, unable to cry for Kusanagi, for the man she loved and respected, perhaps there was no worse place for her to be. Mentally and emotionally. Her heart was like a pane of glass, cracked all throughout, yet somehow still being held together. She bit her lip as she shifted her eyes then to Lao, who had been near motionless as well, though deep in his meditative state, she dared not bother him. There was little for her to do but space out in complete silence.

Though for little time did that silence remain. Though the war had just ended, problems were strewn out all through the realm, especially with the consolidation of all the nations under the banner of the new Crescentian Kingdom, those who were wary and others who dissented were sure to be about in numbers. Though that was her duty as Grand Reine: Unite the realm and ensure every citizen’s prosperity.

For now and until the end of time.

The rumbling and sounds of distant fighting soon echoed throughout the interior of the Citadel in its entirety, Heidel being snapped out of her daze as the sounds grew louder and louder. With but the muttering of a single name, Lao exited the Sanctum and sallied to meet the intruder.

“Alberich…”

Heidel clenched her arm as her eyes sunk down to the ground.

“Must you do such a cruel thing…?”
 

MKR

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#4
The blade that was dragged across the tainted soil paused, the machine carrying it staring down the chamber its gaze on the RyuOhKi exactly the man he didn't wish to see now for a multitude of reasons. It hurt his heart, but as the machine's gaze moved to Kusanagi behind him and even further behind Heidel. He knew what had to be done.
"Cruel?" He asked, almost managing a laugh amidst the tears. "YOU THINK THIS IS CRUEL?!?" The blade slammed into the ground, an uncharacteristic moment of fury from the man, then again this entire situation would have been unimaginable but a few days ago. The blade slammed down again and again, cutting into the stone below, each blow widening the cuts inflicted upon the machine ever so slightly. A pause, a mix of blood and oil dripping from the blade. He didn't intend to kill them, didn't want to. But the knights just didn't stop, no matter how much he damaged their machines. Heavy breathing coming over the communications with soft sobs.

"This is the kindest thing I can do... So much death, so much pain.. For nothing." A sole step forward, the Schicksalias dragged along like a puppet on strings, "What have we done? One tyrant for another... It's almost comical? Isn't it?" The man punched down on his console, the crunch of technology breaking as his deformed arm was brought down upon it, feeling. Pain, there it was.
"ISN'T IT!?"

"She's peering in my head, seeing the thoughts swirl about." The blade was brought up, resting upon the Schicksalias' shoulder as its left arm was raised, held in front of it. A soft laugh accompanied the statement "Deciding which is allowed and which is not..." It was almost serene for a moment, but then "HOW IS SHE BETTER!"

The machine rushed forward, bringing its Sig Blade bearing down upon the dragon standing before the hoard. "LAO, HEIDEL, WE ARE CLAD IN CHAINS. I'LL SET US FREE!" The way he phrased it was almost heroic, were it not for the dire implications. And the flow of tears immediately afterwards.
"You, me, Kusanagi. We'll all be free... All of us..." The attack itself was sloppy at best, bearing the pretense of a sophisticated assault it was a wild slash. Given the heavy damage already taken by the machine this was unlikely to be the first time he had done such a reckless attack today, let alone within the past hour. The burning question being if it would work, especially as it seemed to almost be hesitant. Second thoughts perhaps or maybe an unwillingness to hurt the man before him. It was unlikely even Alberich himself knew.

"I'll save us..."
 

GEAR

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#5
"Save us?"

The Sig blade ripped out, ripping through the air with a shriek that had claimed many of their foes. It had always been a reassuring sound. Now? He could barely tell the blade's wail apart from its owner, as though the black giant cried out in agony along with him. Every word was like drops of lava, left to trickle down his body, scoring deep scars across his spirit, his soul, his very being, for he could not deny the truth of the youth's words.

Clang!

"No."

An azure talon whipped out, catching the Sig Blade at its apex in a shower of sparks as the dragon dove in, spurred as much by pity as it was fury. It flowed forward like water, its movements graceful and delicate compared to the cumbersome Shicksalias - like a glimmering tidal wave of razor blades. Another claw struck out across the knight's exposed arm, aiming to sever the hand, Lao beginning his clinical, methodical deconstruction. Even so-

He couldn't hide the tremor in his own voice. Not since he had achieved enlightenment, immortality born through understanding, had he felt this way. Fury boiled up like white hot bile in his throat, threatening to spill out with every treacherous word.

"Kusanagi saved us, Alberich. He did what we could not. We failed him. Now, we must pay the price."

Yet he knew - he knew, who was in the wrong. Every bloodied word spat by the pained young man before him, he wished he could do the same. To spit in the eye of his liege, out of spite if nothing more. The Ganedens spoke, their twin voice full of undeniable authority - was it not on their words that that abhorrent child of the Sun had been sealed away in blackness, to be delivered to some even greater entity? All these thoughts and more, he had learned to mask from her. Present a cool, tranquil exterior. Betray nothing, not even his own internal turmoil. And what? Pray that it go away? Or self destruct, like his friend before him was in the process of doing?

"All of us."

RyuOhki's tail snapped forward as it moved, treacherously snaking about the Shicksalias' left ankle in a noose - and yanked back hard, aiming to floor the young man, turn his own anger against him. Yet, even as he did so - the Chokijin seemed... uneasy under his command, as though it too wished it were anywhere else. Or, he thought, perhaps it too could sense Ganeden's plan for its kind?
 

VeraC

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#6
Heidel grimaced at the sight of Schicksal brutalizing the fallen Welspiner, in her mind she could hear the cries of pain from the pilot within, as she squeezed tighter and tighter into her arm; were it not for the rounded shape of the gauntlets she wore, her nails would’ve likely dug twice over into her skin. Perhaps more than Lao, even more than Alberich himself, Heidel was suffering. Whether it was due to the Authority granted to her by Aberon, or some aspect of her own willpower, she had yet to break down. Yet alike a rusted and worn sword that had seen the cruelties and harsh reality of wars time and time again, were one to swing her too roughly, it was all too likely she would snap as well.

Or so she felt.

There were no false words in what Alberich said. In place of the Giants, Heidel would assume the position of ‘ruler’ of all mankind. While it was far from an ideal situation, with how torn the world was, and how the masses were suffering in the aftermath of the great war, a leader was needed to guide them into the future. At least the one leading them was a Human. Or so was her justification. Perhaps those who dissented would find their own way, what with the world torn asunder. Surely the world Kusanagi had ‘created’ would provide them some anodyne to this blight.

“Mankind requires a guiding light to lead them up and out of the disaster the Giants caused!”

Heidel took a step forward, shoving down her doubts and sadness, attempting to put on a strong face in front of her comrades. Or so she tried, but if one listened closely they would be able to hear how shattered and broken her voice was. She had yet to enter her machine, for she would not spill the blood of her own people by her own hands. She didn't like this anymore than he did. The weight she bared on her shoulders was far more than what should've been possible for a single human.

“It doesn’t need to end this way; Tell me your doubts, your troubles, surely this can be worked out without anymore bloodshed!”

Were the words she said. Though perhaps she was the most unfit person for listening to others’ troubles as she was now, this was her duty from henceforth. If she couldn’t solve the plight of a single citizen, how could she solve the greater problems that filled their world?
 
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MKR

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#7
"n-no?" He almost whimpered.

As blade and tail clashed Alberich was too distracted by the words that came his way to notice what was happening to the extended arm, the associated hand flinging away in the distance as the massive blade slid down, a gasp from the man inside the cockpit as the arm he held in front of his torso now opened its palm towards the dragon. Magicks.

"Kusanagi saved us then-"

While Alberich was far from Lao in that realm he could do one thing, or rather the Schiksalias enabled him, a magic seal appeared in the palm only to swiftly shoot out a blue orb towards RyuOhki, courtesy of the earlier wakeup call Alberich now aware of the tail that came, causing the black giant to raise its left leg and stomp down on the tail as it tried to snatch the ankle.

"but now-"

Before he could fully reply Heidel's words came, even now he feared saying the words, the truth he learned. Even this close, even this far. He feared how they would react, what they would think even as they already fought.
"Heidel... We... We- We enabled something worse then even the giant's rule," As he spoke the Black Giant he piloted peered down at the dragon, tears welling up "Gan Eden is no different from them yet she.. she she she- SHE HOW COULD SHE!" He was having difficulty seeing through his eyes now, words being swallowed by the sadness. With his free hand he punched downwards, not at the RyuOhki but past it, at the stone. Fury causing him to punch down several times the intimidating face of the black giant still peering at the dragon.

"She was going to.. to do the same to them..." He shook his head, the machine slowly pushing its way back upwards as he looked down at he mutant arm on his left, blazing with phantasmal fire. "She ₘₐ𝒹ₑ... I..." His voice turned quiet, melancholy instead of fury taking over. He couldn't say it, even here even now. At such a crucial moment he couldn't bear telling them, his friends, that truth out of fear what they would say what they would think of him.

"I can negotiate with them." He tried to smile, but couldn't. "Kusanagi will be free, all of us will be free... Please Lao, let me pass.. I am tired of being used..." All of a sudden the machine faced upwards, as if speaking to another, though who it was aimed at was no secret for those within this chamber.
"I AM TIRED OF BEING USED."
 

GEAR

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#8
"NO!"

The Schiksalias ' foot slammed home on the Chokijin's outstretched tail, causing the dragon to emit a screech of pain - and with it, Laos' temper finally broke. He was lost, floundering again in a sea of red from which he could see, could not hear anything but the pounding of his own blood in his ears. The Dragon lunged forward, flames erupting from its mouth that enveloped the oncoming ball, detonating it in the center of the chamber in an explosion that send chunks of iron and rock in all directions.

"If you go, you will die Alberich. The only thing those fiends wish for is vengeance."

Ganeden would be glad to be rid of him.

The thought rose unbidden in his mind, like a murky bubble from the depths of the bog. It was cold, yet full of the refreshing clarity of rationality, daubed in the horror of moral apoplexy. He'd known, of course - the Twin Idols weren't going to suffer the presence of any loose ends. Not even the Master, who strutted about with his own aura of invincibility, would escape eventual judgment. Aberon was dead, and their vision for this world was now law.

His mind fumbled for an explanation, and seized upon it.

"They've poisoned your mind, like they did so many others!"

A lie. A lie, and he knew it. Yet, perhaps the only way he could rationalize what needed to be done.

Eyes glowing with fury, the dragon careened through the smoke, wings spread such that its silhouette dwarfed that of the Schiksalias - and brought the full weight of its body crashing down on the foe's head, aiming to slam it to the ground, and let its vicious talons do their work in carving apart the once wise and noble guardian of the realm - yet, it would have stopped, the incessent raining of claw and tooth halted by the man at its reigns, albeit barely. Holding the furious Chokijin back took everything he had, Lao straining against the controls, feeling the veins popping up across his arm, and the pressure on his mind building from the entity's resistance to his will.

"Let me treat you, Alberich! Trust in me!" He said through gritted teeth, practically imploring the young man himself:

"I will not let you succumb like this!"
 

VeraC

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#9
Heidel listened to Alberich say his words, coming to a realization that perhaps he wasn’t just talking about her. She may have misinterpreted his words, but his voice still rang in her head, echoing endlessly time and time again

“HOW IS SHE BETTER?”
It was a horrific saying that lashed at Heidel’s mind, eroding what little confidence she had in herself to begin with. She averted her eyes as Ryuohki and the Schicksal bashed against each other, the former friends now on first glance seemingly enemies. She then shifted her eyes to the ‘absent’ man in the room, Kusanagi, his expression ever-unchanging, despite all the ruckus that was going on around them.

“Kusanagi... “

She murmured to herself.

“What would you do?”

Everything had changed after he sealed away the Giants. The five heroes were slowly splitting apart, Alberich had turned against them; the future felt bleak in Heidel’s mind, a blizzard full of uncertainties where she could hardly see five feet in front of her. If she were to be the guiding light for all of mankind, Kusanagi was her guiding light; he was the glue that bonded everything, -and everyone- together.

_______________

“You called me, Kusanagi?”

Heidel walked with a spring in her step along the walls of the fortress, to where Kusanagi was by himself. He stood tall, yet was silent, staring out at the horizon, the final signs of the sun beginning to set in the distance; the blue sky gradually shifting shades, growing darker and darker by the second. He was a tall and sturdy man, though his silken-black hair gently fluttering in the calm breeze gave him a sense of refinement to his otherwise brutish appearance.

He waited until Heidel had arrived at his side, as she peered up at him with a questioning, yet cheerful look on her face, before he turned to her, his sharp, brown eyes peering down at his friend and ally. He had a rather serious, yet somber look on his face.

“Heidel…”

His face gave a smile, if but a bit forced, as tried to feign a sense of happiness.

“Tomorrow is the final battle, isn’t it?”

Heidel interrupted him, continuing her smile.

“After that this whole war will be over, won’t it?”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Perhaps seeing her face and her speak lightened his mood, some of the tension present prior beginning to let up from his face. Yet, this was something that he had to tell her, no matter how much it would pain her.

“I’ll be brief. Tomorrow, I won’t be returning from the battlefield. At least, not like I am now.”

His face went serious, his eyes staying glued to Heidel’s.

“W-What do you mean? That’s a bad joke you know…”

Heidel’s smile slightly dropped too, but she gave a slight laugh as if it were one.

Kusanagi shook his head and reaffirmed what he said.

“Every time I go out to battle, I go with the preparation to die. It is my way of fighting, it is what clears the doubts in my mind. In not fearing death, there is no concern of staying alive. Such is how I’ve fought, and how I will continue to fight. It is in this way that I know I will die with no regrets. It is my creed, so to speak.”

Heidel’s face regressed as she now silently listened to the man before her.

“I can’t give my reasoning at this time for why I say this, but I am certain that this time, I will ‘die’.”

Kusanagi averted his eyes from Heidel. He hated hiding the truth from his comrades, but now more than ever, unity was what the people needed. Seeding sows of doubt would do little to help them in their endeavors against the Giants.

“..Why tell me this? Why not Lao? Or any of the other Heroes?”

Heidel leaned into Kusanagi, looking directly up at his face.

Kusanagi paused for a moment, scratching the back of his head and leaning back.

“...Because after this war is over, It will be your turn to thrive and guide the people. You will become the Reine of the land, and aid all of mankind. That is your role.”

He tapped his finger to the forehead of Heidel, albeit with a pained smile on his face.

“That is the power that was entrusted to you; your Authority.”

Heidel paused as he mentioned her ‘gift’. If anything it was a cursed power forced upon her by Aberon. How did it make her any different from the Giants? ‘The power to rule all those who lived in this world, however she pleased’. It made her look like a Tyrant, with such limitless power.

“Perhaps, it may make you seem like just one of the Giants, but you must realize, the Giants were drunk of their own power and their egos. It is because of that that they became Tyrants. Power itself isn’t inherently evil, but rather it is what you do with that power that truly decides whether it is ‘evil’ or not. Personally, I’d like to think that you will become a great ruler who doesn’t rely on such powers; strive to be a benevolent and just ruler who wins over the populace with not gifted powers, but your own charisma.”

As if he could read her mind, he delivered a speech that seemed to ease away her doubts and uncertainties. It was an inherent trait of his, always being good at reading others and having a feeling for the atmosphere of a room. It is part what made him so liked by all. He always seemed to know to say the right thing at the right time.

“B-But what does that have to do with your death?!”

That said, Heidel pushed forward more, her chest now pushing up against Kusanagi’s torso. He retreated another step back holding his hands up.

“T-That’s because you’re important...”

He stammered out an answer, Heidel’s pressure overwhelming his rationality.

With a ‘poof’ and a step back, Heidel’s face lit up like a watermelon, as she looked down to hide her face from Kusanagi.

“...And I don’t want you to get your hopes up…”

He turned his head away and spoke quietly to himself.

“D-Did you say something?”

She peeked upwards at the man.

“N-Nothing.”

It was an odd moment of awkwardness between the man and the woman, and a silence briefly came between the two.

“A-Anyways! You can’t die! I won’t allow it! There is something important I need to tell you afterwards, so I won’t forgive you if you die.”

She crossed her arms and looked at Kusanagi with an almost angry face. She didn’t want to believe what he said, and continued on with ignorance that he would live till the end. She couldn’t see it any other way; she didn’t want to see it any other way.

_______________


Heidel clenched her fist and stepped forward, moving next to Kusanagi, looking down at his face. It seemed to be mostly at peace, with an ever-calm expression on his motionless face. She squatted down and picked up the spear that was on the ground next to the stone bed where he laid, standing up and walking to the two fighting machines. When she got within earshot of both of them she slammed the butt-end of the spear on the ground, despite her rather diminutive size compared to the two machines, the weapon seemed to resound through the ground, and even through the machines themselves. Bahamut stirred as Heidel tightened her grip on the weapon. She could sense RyuOhKi’s anger at the Schicksal, and Lao’s efforts to hold the machine back. Perhaps it was but a step away from decimating both the machine and pilot himself, but Heidel vowed to end this day with not another drop of blood.

Heed me, beings of Crescentia!”

Heidel’s voice boomed throughout the halls and rooms of Perindor’s Citadel, resonating throughout the entire palace. A golden aura seemingly coated the woman’s body as she began to speak. Her voice was not only heard through the ears, but the words themselves penetrated into the minds and hearts of all present, and all who were able to move, would be compelled --no-- it was more as if their bodies moved without their permission, demanding them to stop whatever they were doing and listen to her speak.

“Thy shall obey the words of your Grand Reine, Heidel Vaan Ariandel.

She continued speaking, her words of power compounding their effect on those present. Not only would the humans be subject to her words, but even RyuOhKi would be forced to stop its movements, disregarding how it felt about it. Resisting her words would result in little more than a numbingly painful headache, almost as if one’s brain was slowly being split in half.

“My decree, as ruler of all of Crescentia.”

She continued sentence by sentence, with each one further encroaching the minds of all.

“Alberich Vormund, former general of the Anti-Giant Alliance and now… traitor to the realm at large, thou shalt cease all hostilities against Crescentia and its people. Lay down your arms and follow our commands.”

Each word directed to him would feel like a block of stone on his shoulders, every following word adding another block to his weight.

It was hypocritical.

Having ousted the Giants, only for her to use her granted power to act just like them. Perhaps it would only make him hate her more. No, that’s the only thing it could do; forcing one beyond their will, it was a sin that transcended all other sins, to deny one one’s freedom of will. It was a cruel thing to do, Alberich wasn’t wrong about that.

However, It would be just this once. One cruel act was all she had the freedom for. Anymore, and she would be no different than the Giants that ruled before her. From here on, she would guide her people by her own power, not with what some 'God' gave her. She will become the Grand Reine that is loved by all for who she is.

This would be her creed.

“Lao Xin Feng, RyuOhKi.”

She then turned her attention to her comrade. Even more so than Alberich, she ill-liked using this power on her friends, but she feared that if this went on any further, someone would die. Even if this came to him disliking her, she would accept it. It was all she could do. If it was worthy anything, her tone was softer in talking to him than it was towards Alberich

“Take care of Alberich. So long as thy don’t kill him I don’t care what thou do. RyuOhKi, thy shall aid him in whatever way he needs. Thou shall not kill him.”

She lowered her spear leaving it dangling at her side in her hand, as she walked to between where the two machines stood, looking at the two in a stern face.

“There shall be no more fighting today. I will not allow it.”

She hoped with this, everything would be done and over with.
 
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MKR

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Aug 19, 2018
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#10
"IF I GO I WILL SET THINGS RIGHT!" He exclaimed as the detonation rung in his ears, distracting him as the Dragon slammed the machine to the ground, claws beginning to tear a the grim visage of the Black Giant, within its confines Alberich forced the machine to push itself back upwards, contesting with the dragon looming over and trying to topple it over to its side.
"And I do trust you, I have never not trusted you but the ones pulling your strings, the ones that pulled mine... THEY-"

And then Heidel began her declaration, his eyes peered over to the side as Alberich's features took upon them a grim façade. His malformed arm erupting in a blaze as she spoke, his other hand clutching his head, the insides of which were equally, if not literally, ablaze. As she called out to her as she made demands decreeing that he should obey the Schiksalias made a decisive final push, twisting itself out from under the Chokijin and pushing itself up with its one remaining arm. Its features were damaged nearly beyond recognition as it left the dragon behind it to face the small woman, the Grand Reine who tried to reign.

"Heidel..." His voice was shaky, tone fluctuating. Eyes brought down upon the woman that tried to get him to yield, to obey.

"The... GIANTS... couldn't control me, couldn't contaminate... ME..." A rigid step towards the woman, cracks in the machine expanding as the solidary slam to the ground caused them to grow and expand beyond what they had prior. The Sig Blade once more being dragged along by the now lone arm as the other lay on another side of the room.

He punched the console again, destroying it further, something to keep him lucid.

"The SUN CHILD... had no influence over me..." Every word was pained, forced out as he forced himself to continue on, he was tired almost a husk of himself and now a friend was pleading her case. One more step pushed forward, towards Kusanagi now as he turned from Heidel to the one besides her. "You... CAN'T! CONTROL! ME!" A forced step forward that caused the movements to smooth out. The Sig Blade dropping to the ground as the clawed hand reached out to the man, or more specifically the blade stuck in his body.

Salvation but a step away. But now the dragon at his rear was left to its own devices.
 

GEAR

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Jun 15, 2018
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#11
Alberich took a step forward. Then, another. Closer and closer to his goal with every moment. The woman's voice fell on his deaf ears, desperation overpowering even her words of power. Yet, when he took his next-

The Schiksalias foot sank into the floor. Black, web-like growths bubbled up about his feet. Laos voice echoed from behind him, booming in such a way that it caused the lights to flicker across the chamber, the onrush of Prana causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. Were he to turn his head... He would see Lao, standing outside the Chokijin, his arm raised toward Alberich's back, palm outstretched.

"By the eighteenth unspoken name,
Edacious shrouds from beyond the pale,
The tongue of the uncrowned king beckons you,
Come forth, and take your rightful due.
"

1613723939724.png

Hands.​

Color faded from the room. It was as if the light, the good, all the kindness and warmth in the world had drained away, leaving only a cold, washed out husk. His own breath puffed out before him bright, rapid clouds, fogging the air. Below, the ground had turned pitch black, and untold hundreds of grasping arms were reaching up, pitch black bodies groping from somewhere below, starting to pull him down.

"By the chains of Lagdos!
The fangs of Wevagi!
And the eye of Tkymis!
"
He knew this spell. He'd heard of it, at least. The one that had sealed the Sun Child away in a inescapable prison. Choked him of the very thing he needed most: The radiance of the sun, Everything was becoming... slow.. Slurred together, as Alberich's vision swayed: Yet Lao's voice remained, loud and clear, the only trace of life in the world that was falling away before his eyes, becoming more and more distant with every passing second, as though he were falling away, down a long, deep tunnel.

"With squall and shroud,
Reforge the broken dagger of Ofrezar!
Light, by these words, rescind your blessing!
Render peace at long last, in the heart of Sheol!
"​


He could feel it. The rancid breath of the lost souls on the back of his neck. Their rotten, groping fingers seizing his flesh hungrily, dragging him, pulling him down into their midst, into a pitiless, numbing black silence, as though he had been plunged face first into the coldest water imaginable.




Lao Xi Feng lowered his hand.

Where Alberich had once stood, a pillar of black ice had risen, entombing the Schicksalias. With every word he had spoken, a sensation of discomfort, of terror almost, had filled the room as he had spoken, calling upon the vengeful souls and long-forgotten spirits of Crescentia. He hadn't wanted to do it. Alberich could still have been stopped. He just needed more time. These thoughts and more echoed in his mind, as he turned his gaze to Heidel.

"...It is done." He whispered.

He folded his arms behind his back, not wishing for her to see the terrible shaking, the traces of black that hissed and popped in his palm, scarring his immortal flesh. Even that pain felt distant to what he felt now, but was unable to say to her.
 

VeraC

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Jun 18, 2018
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#12
Even in Alberich’s complete and utter defiance, Heidel looked straight up at the eyes of the Schicksal, her stance and gaze unwavering. Perhaps it was a case that if Alberich wouldn’t even listen to her commands, perhaps he was beyond saving, simply a person who was beyond the influence of Crescentia, one ‘outside’ the boundary. It was saddening to her, the former friend, now turned threat bearing down on her, but at the end of it all, was there even any helping it?

It was before he could even attempt to strike at her, that Lao’s technique had begun. She was prepared for him to do something, but what she saw was unlike anything she had expected. Rather than surprise though, it was more of a morbid horror that struck her face, powers that were far beyond her own comprehension, lashing out at the Schicksal and binding it, contorting around the machine, preventing it from taking any further movement. Lao had kept to himself since the end of the war, so Heidel was uncertain just what the man had been researching, what he had learned. Forsaking the blessing of Aberon, seeking out his own path of greater power, she knew not what he had become, but at the least she was empathetic for the man. She could see the burden it put on him, even as he attempted to hide it; or rather, the fact that he hid from her proved exactly the burden it placed on him.

Her eyes shifted to the Pillar that now contained within the Schicksal and Alberich within. Chills ran up and down her spine the more she looked at it, perhaps the souls of the dead reaching out to her as well. The countless lives that were lost in the war, the sacrifices of the people that seemed almost unhelpable, made in order to ensure the freedom of mankind. She could remember it like it was yesterday, those she fought alongside with during the war, and those who had died for her. Countless lives lost in her arms, the faces of each and every one flashing before her eyes as her eyes seemingly were glued to the pillar of ice. She had forgotten how many times she had thought to herself that she wished she was the one who died in their stead? By what right was she able to live and they die? Blessed, or perhaps cursed with a body that simply couldn’t die; by what judgement did Aberon give her this power?

Finally breaking her gaze at the pillar, she looked around the room, and on taking note that no one else was present save for her comrade, turned once again to Lao. Though as she was about to say something, her legs simply gave out from under her, as she collapsed to the ground, unable to move. The spear fell to the ground along with her, with a heavy ‘clang’ as it hit the floor. Any power she once had in her legs was now gone. Was it fatigue from using her Authority? Or was it something else?

Moisture began to form at the corners of her eyes. A glistening droplet of liquid streamed down her cheek and departed from her jaw, resulting in a somewhat resounding ‘plop’ that echoed along the walls. It was something that caught her off guard, raising her hand to wipe her face, yet even as she did, tears continued to form at her eyes. Her head dropped as she tried to keep her face hidden from Lao, should he turn around.

“H-Huh…?”

Heidel's voice cracked as she tried to smile and laugh like her body was joking with her, yet it seemed like that was hardly the case. She herself couldn’t even tell what exactly was happening. She kept wiping her face, yet the tears wouldn’t stop. She wasn’t necessarily sad or anything like that, but if there was something to describe how she felt, perhaps a single word could describe it.

Empty.
 
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MKR

Moderator
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Aug 19, 2018
626
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#13
His stride was halted, even if stride was a massive overstatement in and of itself. But a pace away from victory, arm reaching past the Bahamut towards the man on display the machine would move no further, in fact it even sunk partway into the floor as the void below devoured his leg. He'd seen this, its after effect. A primordial fear as his gaze moved to the man outside of his machine. He heard the incantation, it reverberated without and within. His breath grew stilted, sporadic as it clouded up the inside rapidly,

"No no no nononononono-" He replied panicked, the Schiksalias' lone remaining arm reaching up among the black grime reaching back in an unnatural snap, only for it to once more be swallowed by the tide as it now faced the source of this spell. A reach not based on sight but on sound, reaching towards the one thing that remained in this void except for the rancid breath upon his back.

"LAO DON-!" The rest was swallowed by the darkness, all-consuming darkness. He couldn't move, only faint embers of his arm to his left accompanied him. Not enough to see anything and not lasting anywhere near long enough to get a bearing for what had just happened. The cold swallowed him whole, whether fortunately for the world or not the Traitor had been sealed away. Both arms pulled at whatever held him in place, whatever was preventing him and the Schiksalias from moving to no avail but still he fought against the coming dark.

No words came out of his throat and soon... Or was it an eternity later? He lost consciousness.




The second arm was pulled free as he was ousted from the memory by the sharpness of that void. Causing the man contained within to fall forward and onto the now repaired console of the Schiksal. Right, for the past two thousand years his legs had not supported his weight. He'd have to get used to that again. But, with his torso over the console as it was he did press a few of the buttons during his descent. Causing light to reappear within the confined of the machine for the first time in two millennia. The black arm he had pressed down, pushing him up.

He took ragged breaths, once more showered in light an age of darkness had ended. Tears were still streaming down his features, the air was stale from the lack of circulation. Hunger yet gnawed at him, thirst plagued him. One red eye and one blue eye peered at the lack of horizon, the second barricade. He pushed himself back in the seat, looking at the chains yet tying his feet to the remains of the spell, remains which weakened by the minute as he caught his breath. Breaking the physical restraints now that the magical ones had faded was still taxing, especially given the infrequency of use his arms had had.

But as he peered forward once more at the wall of dark. He wondered- Who yet remained from the old days? Did Heidel yet sit upon the throne? Was Kusanagi still trapped by his own design? Did the Alchemist and Vynatea still live?




A monument to make modern sculptors weep. But for all the beauty on the outside the inside was grim, while the outside got to bask in the light, the inside... Was another tale. A prison for a traitor, put aside and forgotten as it was desired to be. Not to be gazed upon as it was a source of shame for all involved, a turning point in history. The wedge driven between the past and the present. A beautiful face to a disgusting moment in history.

Cracks formed in the stone, the memory stirring, wishing to be recalled, wishing to be- now. The past became the present as a yellow edged blade pushed past the stone, jutting outward like a hedgehog's quill from the face of the angel. Slowly it was dragged down, shattering white stone as it moved. The magicks that fortified the prison had gone, the marble like substance on its own offering far from enough protection to contain the man within. A blue hand began pulling apart the face from the inside, revealing something much less pleasing to the eye within. A jaw like a predator, features not unlike that of samurai armor.

Its hand pushed the white marble apart, flinging it to the side before stepping through the new gap. The sword carried in its second hand being placed on its shoulder as it peered back at its destroyed prison. The ruined visage of an angel peering back as the two waterfalls now were no longer in synch courtesy of the left wing having toppled over and into the stream, the rainbow now going nowhere near its prior location. A ruin of a monument, one he was glad to desecrate. Alberich took a deep breath of the fresh air, took in the sunlight and fixed his gaze on the horizon. He yet had something he needed to do. Wrongs to right and a world to save.

Freedom had a bitter taste but one he would swallow all the same.
 

GEAR

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Jun 15, 2018
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#14
One day after the Sealing of Alberich

He'd left without a word. It was the last command he ever followed from Heidel. The next morning, his quarters would be found empty, his white robes folded neatly and placed on the freshly made bed. A letter, carefully worded, outlined what the woman likely already knew. He would leave for the surface, once his final duties were taken care of.

1613734505144.png


The silver knife glinted in the Crescentian morning light, and Lao studied his face in its reflection. Had he always looked so weary? He guided the weapon, bringing it up behind his head, his other hand holding his long hair tight.

Shhfff.

It fell in long rows at his feet... and he watched as the tides crawled up, and pulled it away. The lightness, and the coldness about his neck was refreshing, and he ran his hand across his scalp, getting used to the sensation. The lack of weight was appreciated, but at the same time he couldn't help but feel a chill as the wind blew across his neck, his now plain robes providing little in the way of protection.

"Gkkkrrr..."

A familiar growl suddenly caused him to turn his head in surprise. Across the waves, two glowing eyes watched him intently... and he felt himself relax. The RyuOhki rose from its haunches into full view, the dragon's head emitting a short puff of flame from its nostrils. Had it been following him? He couldn't help but wonder. Making his way along the shore towards it, he rose a hand in greeting-

Only for it to pull away, a threatening hiss escaping its throat as it coiled upon itself. Surprise filled his features... only for him to look down, and see the dark mark on his palm, as though his flesh had been seared. The tension escaped his shoulders, and he let out a long, slow sigh. It felt like a long time passed before he raised his eyes back to the Chokijin, which stared back. No words were necessary. He simply... nodded. He understood.

With a clatter of shattering rock, the Azure Dragon of the East took off, darting away back towards the land - stopping only to give a final glance back at its former master before vanishing from view. He watched it go, a mix of emotion rising in his chest - a dull pain, as though a hand had reached in and given his ribcage a good shake, just to see if there was still a heart within.

"Goodbye, old friend." Said Lao quietly, only barely able to hear his own voice over the crashing of the waves. He turned back towards the sea... and let his mind wander unrestrained for the first in what felt like a long, long time.

Kusanagi. Alberich. I won't forget you.

Some day... We'll stand together again.

I promise.

He looked down at the knife in his hands, again. His reflection now was still unfamiliar, but this time? He welcomed it.

The light of purpose had returned to his eyes... and he closed them, swearing upon his soul a solemn oath, a pact with the same dark that had taken his friend.

No matter the cost.



OE 102: January 5th
China, The Forbidden City,
en route to Directory Beijing Air Base


"-rector Lao?"

The low hum of the limousine filled the Director's ears as he opened his eyes, the form of a dark-haired young girl coming into view across from him. He blinked, feeling strangely out of touch as he sat back up in his seat. Tian Di gave him a questioning look as he rubbed his eyes groggily, the whirling neon lights of Beijing's nightlife casting bizarre shadows all across the car's interior.



"Pardon me. I was just..." He said, before trailing off into a low chuckle.

His hand felt his pocket, and the familiar shape of the bone-knife from that day. He gave the young girl what he hoped was a slightly reassuring smile, picking up the closest stack of reports and periodicals beside him to leaf through.

Today, after all, was the big day.

"...Reminiscencing."
 
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