Chapter 174: Chapter 173 ~ What Survives

A distant star sheds warm light that can’t quite reach me, in the cold dark where I sit, trembling and clawing at my own skin. I crawl towards it, time warping as I get closer and closer, the star slowly turning into a campfire, surrounded by strange silhouettes.

The flames flicker back and forth with the cheerful conversation of those surrounding it, sharing the light and the warmth that is denied to me.

Stepping through them towards the light, I can’t stop myself until I’m standing over the fire. The people here don’t notice me, they don’t see me, even as I stand between them and their campfire. Like a moth, I draw closer to the flame, the bright light inviting right up until it burns at my skin.

For all the pain that the fire brings me, I don’t feel any warmth. Like everything here, it’s cold. The long flames curl around me inviting me to stay and linger in the pain of its embrace. The strangers around me, don’t feel this same thing. No, they hold out their hands, embracing a phantom warmth beyond my reach, while chatting happily with each other.

The pain flashing through my hands and arms, brought out by the welcoming grip of the flames, leaving behind thick scars that swirl in maddening, chaotic patterns over my hands.

Deep and unhealing.

They mar my flesh like a car viciously keyed, or like cracks spreading out over a television screen.

I am damaged, and I can’t fix it.

My fingers move on their own, scratching at the scars, peeling at them, but they’re buried deep into my flesh, and they don’t go away. They can’t go away.

“Kyra?” The voice takes my attention away from the horrifying scars that I desperately need to clean off of me.

“Vii?” I ask, only just now realizing that she’s been by my side this whole time. A shadow and a stranger that I couldn’t see.

Her wings are plucked, and her flesh mottled and burnt, the scars covering her from her head to her talons. Wounds that won’t heal.

“It’s okay.” Vii says before I can apologise, but her voice is cold and distant. There is no warmth here, by the side of a stranger.

“It’s all going to be alright.” Eshya says, joining us by the fireside. Her eyes are cold, and her expression harsh.

“We’re a family.” Nel says, from across the fire, but what should be a smile seems so alien. I can’t quite understand what she’s expressing, joy, hate, or fear; I don’t know.

Adler quietly joins us, her expression blank as she stares deep into the fire, even more distant from the rest of us.

I slowly sink my hands back into the fire, as I wait here beside the strangers I should know, hoping to find true warmth here but too afraid to face the wounded lovers that surround me. Hoping that the pain of the fire might destroy the deep scars that run through my flesh, end to end.

The pain changes form from the stinging fires to a tight bruising grip around my wrist. Then a burst of energy fills my soul, spreading through my flesh, but it is still not warm. It’s more like an anxious energy flooding through my body, demanding that I get up.

Mana rushes into me, working through my soul and slowly becoming mine. I draw it from the air and the water, while looking up towards Adler.

“Kyra!” She shouts, gripping my wrist tight enough to hurt while she holds me above the surface of the glowing waters. The city below us still burns, thousands of corpses still glowing with white fire, but no longer does it spread. Through a thousand perspectives taped together into one, I see a complex image of the city, and the cavern beyond it.

Not one enemy remains whole, or even moving, the flesh minced to such a fine degree that it’s not even recognisable under the flames. I split my focus instead towards that which I need to protect.

Eshya wakes slowly, her vision still slightly blurred as she looks around to see the familiar stone walls and halls of our base in the ruins. Vii, Shen, and the others are with them, fully healed and tossed carelessly about the room where they still slumber.

Nel sits with her back against the wall, her head in her hands as she weeps, her relief so great that she can’t express it any other way. She covers her face and cries, as everyone around her gives her some distance, finally released from the Lord’s study. A hand rests gently on her shoulder, one of the people that she checked on earlier in the day.

“They’re alive.” Nel says, smiling through her tears.

The last of the gremlins are moving to their ship, as Warren stares up worriedly towards me. An awkward smile rises on his lips as he walks up the gangplank and orders the ships away. They sink under the surface, and he disappears in the glow of the lakes water.

Lakesh orders around our soldiers, focusing on tending to the wounded and destroying the parasitic fire that has gathered a little too close to them. A few beasts broke into the towers at the same moment that I cast my spell, and now the flames are all that’s left of them.

There is a good cheer spreading through the soldiers, many glancing upwards towards me with a smile as they pat one another on the back and casually go about the business of cleaning up the mess left behind.

Beetle and Roach stand in their nest, the latter with noticeably fewer arms and a much less steady stance. They gaze out over the city through an open window and while I can’t read their expressions clearly right now, I can feel their worry as they return to tending to their eggs.

Giant sits in his massive home, surrounded by the young gremlins who are waving around in excitement as they spit curses at the dead monsters that tried to invade their home. Giant, stares up and lets out a long sigh.

I must do right by them and make this city something that Loekan could never have built. I’ll give them the chance at a much better life than if they’d never crossed paths with me. I do not want war to define us.

“Kyra!” Adlers shout pulls my attention back into my own flesh. I look for the scars on my arms, but there are none. I touch at my face and find a mouth, a nose, and a set of eyes.

“You doubt my healing?” Arduelle asks, shaking her head. “You are as you were.”

“Thank you.” I say, bowing my head towards her as I remember Eshya and Vii. Saved from death and healed to what they were. A miracle, but not granted by anything divine.

“I… sometimes forget how much life means to beings like you.” She says, shaking her head as a lonely expression passes over her eyes for a brief moment. “I’ve seen so many lives come and go, it’s hard to remember what it was like. Even so, I do not appreciate the threat you levelled towards me and Frey.

“You will reflect on your choices and your words, and I will ensure that you do not lose yourself as you nearly did today. I would not have my investment in you wasted because you’ve decided to die as a romantic fool.”

“Thank you.” I reply, tears flowing unbidden as my emotions finally catch up to me. I ignore the rest of her words. Her actions speak louder, and for what she’s done I’ll forever be grateful.

She nods slowly before disappearing in another flash.

How does she spend so much mana so freely, what does she have to eat to make up for that?

With her disappearance the rest of my guards rush close to celebrate the end of the war, their faces flow by in a rush as Bessy takes us all in her tentacled embrace. The gremlins that were battling up here have scattered, the strange creatures they fought alongside disappearing with them. A problem for another day.

Bessy carries us all, from the liquid shadow Luke, to the twins, and green-feet’s soldiers. In her many arms we float down to the burning city that we can now claim as our own. Loekan dead, as dead can be, as checked by Shy and the other scouts.

The war is over, but there’s still work to be done.

The white flames still need to be permanently extinguished while the gremlins and wild beasts that are still hiding inside buildings all over the city need to be dealt with. There’s too much to get done in a day or two. We’re not going to be moving everyone down here today.

Red rushes to my side the moment we reach the ground, her face stiff as stone.

“They’re alive. Arduelle rescued them.” I say first, rubbing the tears from my eyes as I try to recover my dignity. In the end I give up, letting the smile reach my lips. “Thank you.”

“I wasn’t able to help save them.” Red says, shaking her head. “I was worried you were going to lose your shit and have us all punished.”

“That’s bullshit.” I say with a laugh. “You were worried about me. Thank you.”

She awkwardly looks away, her hands hanging restlessly off of her sheathed daggers.

“We’ve won, what are you going to do now?” She asks, looking around the streets where we stand.

“First, we get rid of this fire, then we can celebrate. I’ll need you to organise our soldiers to clean the streets and secure the city while I’m away, once this place is secure, we can work on making it a home.”

“You planning on getting rich and lazy?” Red asks raising a brow.

“Hardly.” I say, shaking my head as I stare at the ruined city around us. “The gremlins built their shelters off of the bones left behind by a far more powerful civilisation. I’d rather make this into something more ours. I’d like to reshape this city and give our people something more than a roof over their heads, and three meals a day.

“With Loekan out of the way, we’ll have a little time to focus on that.”

“Get to it then. Don’t tell us, show us what you mean.” Red says. “We’ll gather the fires together outside the gates, and you can focus on your own work then.”

She runs away before I can say anything more, gathering the fires together with the help of her mages blood magics. I don’t fully understand how, but the blood used doesn’t get infected by the fires, a trick to their magic.

“It was much more exciting down here, wasn’t it?” Leai says as Bessy floats us away.

“Too bright. The white fire…” Luke says, shivering with a dark reflection of my own face. It would make sense he’d be a little traumatised by it.

“To Lakesh and our army.” I say, as Bessy guides us over the city. While more than half of the wooden structures have been toppled and burnt at some point in the conflict, the stone buildings remain mostly undamaged. The only exception is the section of wall where the mage blasted away his entire mana form.

As we land in the clearing by the gates, I greet Lakesh’s soldiers, who are already moving around the flaming corpses and throwing them atop a pile on the other side of the gates.

It’s a little difficult with how many pieces I left scattered all over the ground, minced flesh isn’t the easiest thing to move around without a shovel.

“That was some fine magic.” Lakesh says, nodding towards me with deep respect. “What now?”

“Clean up the fires, and then we celebrate. We can secure the city over the next week and move in. You’re still happy to stay with me?” I ask.

Lakesh and his people aren’t some loyal minions that will follow me around like lost puppies, his faction came here with me when I offered them a chance to explore and push beyond their walls. If they believe that they’re better off without me, then I won’t be stopping them.

“There’ll be room in this city for us?” He asks, gazing around.

I blink.

“Um, it’s a big city, how much room do you need exactly?” I ask repressing a chuckle. “We’ll deal with the details later, but I’m sure you’ll have plenty of room here for yourselves.”

He nods slowly, a smile creeping onto his face.

“A home. Not a barracks, not a cave to hide in. A home we can have families in.”

“Ah yeah. Has Nel gotten back to you about the fertility magics, or whatever trick she was planning on using to help your people with that issue?”

“Yes, she has been quite open with our options, and now… now I think many will take the thought more seriously.”

“Well, I hope they get to it quickly.” I say, laughing nervously as an excited energy spins in my chest. “I’d like my kids to grow up with some friends their own age.”

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“Oh? Congratulations are in order by the sound of it. An announcement that might bolster the competitive spirits here, be sure to tell everyone when we’ve gathered to celebrate.”

“Absolutely.” I reply, “First I need to tie up a few loose ends and get back to the rest of my family.”

“I won’t hold you back.” He replies. “We’ll deal with the fires and be back to the Lord’s colony. It might take a few days to settle this fire down, hopefully it won’t spread too far.”

“I’m sorry I can’t be here for it.” I reply, begrudging the weeklong vacation that I’m taking for class.

“It’s better, I think.” Lakesh says. “No one likes their commanding officer watching over their shoulder as they work.”

“Ah, but that’s what you don’t understand.” I say, tapping at my temple. “I’m always watching now.”

“Are you trying to be creepy?” He asks, shaking his head with a smile. “Go on and get out of here, and try to afford my people some privacy when it’s needed.”

“Of course. I’m not interested in watching anyone else’s sex life.” I reply, letting Bessy take me away.

We’re ferried around by the big ball of floating furry tentacles that is Bessy, I soon arrive at Giant’s home. The doors and windows are covered in the white flames, the countless monsters trying to break in, now blocking every exit with their corpses.

I carefully drain the mana from the fires at the door and enter into the room where Giant and his gremlins are gathered. He stands up only to bow low to me, the gremlins lift their knives, but choose to copy the larger man instead after a moment of hesitation.

“No need for that.” I say. “As you may have guessed, Loekan is dead. The war is over, and I’ve won. That means we’re going to have to discuss the details what we’re going to do from here.”

Giant nods, lifting himself back up and listening attentively.

“Now, I trust that you’re not going to do anything so reckless as attacking me or my people, but the gremlins… I trust less. Over the next week, my soldiers will be clearing out the threats in this city and I’m guessing there’s a lot more like these guys, hiding in the cellars and closets.

“I’ll contact Warren to see if he wants to take any of them in, but I’ll give you the same choice. Do you want to try and mediate to save them? I won’t consider you responsible for them, but I would like your help in separating them and keeping them from causing trouble.”

“So, you can use them like Loekan did?” He asks, barely repressing a sneer, and gritting his jaw closed before he can continue.

“God no.” I say, “I’m going to be brutally honest with you. I don’t see them being useful to me. Not in any pragmatic sense. That said, while it would be easier to slaughter them all, and I have considered it, I would rather let them live.

“My problem is that I don’t know how to do that, and I’m hoping that you do. Maybe teach them manners or something?”

“What will you do with them, then?” He asks. “What will you do with us?”

“Nothing?” I ask, tilting my head. “I’ll treat you as one of my people unless you’d rather leave. That means I’ll protect you and try to ensure that you are free to live as you like. That said, it would be for the best if you can do something to contribute to our little empire, especially with the state everything is in right now.

“It’s the same deal with the gremlins, but the trouble is, I’m not sure I can convince them to put away their knives. If they hurt any of my people, I will have to do something about them.”

“That’s it?” Giant looks at me disbelieving.

“Pretty much. I can’t promise that things won’t change later if something comes up, especially with work, pay, and trade. I get the feeling that leaving that problem unresolved could leave me in a bit of a mess. I still need to detail the exact rules you’ll have to live by. No killing each other, no stealing, it’s just that sort of thing.”

“I truly hope that you aren’t lying.” Giant says, slumping down on the ground. “It sounds too good to be true.”

“Well, I did burn down half your city to get here, so don’t thank me just yet.” I say with a shrug as I take my leave. “Contact Red if you decide to go and save some of the gremlins.”

He nods and I leave. The grey-skinned children look between us in confusion, but before they can come to any conclusions I’m racing away towards the tower where the two insects are tending to their brood.

I want to hurry up and get back to my lovers, but I need to be a responsible leader.

“Hello there.” I say as Bessy pries through the window that Beetle and Roach left open. “We have to come to a more permanent arrangement, I believe?”

“You defeated Loekan?” Beetle asks, stepping ahead of her partner and lowering her body deeply. “I only ask that you allow us to keep our children.”

“It’s a large city, and there’s plenty of room in your tower.” I say with a shrug, “But just to be sure, do they hatch fully formed and murderous? Do we have to worry about them, and lock them inside before they get older, or do they just scream and fuss without killing anyone?”

“Whatever you want. I can change them if you need, so long as you let them all hatch.” Beetle says, not quite looking me in the eyes.

“I’d prefer them not murdering anyone.” I say, slowly thinking over the exact implications of everything here. “Other than that, I’m not going to tell you how to raise them.”

I’ve already been introduced to how these people treat eugenics, which has an actual useful purpose here, but the sheer number of eggs here. There are thousands of them. If even half of them hatch into children that grow up to have children of their own…

This city could get cramped in a matter of a few generations. I’ll have to consider population control before we’re drowning in starving insect toddlers.

“With that, I’ll take my leave.” I say. “I’ll send Red your way, and you can contact her if there’s any trouble. Don’t kill my people, and if you have issues with them, bring it up with me, Nel, or Red.”

They nod firmly as I take my leave. I’ll need to do more than this brief introduction, but it’s a start, and I have personal business to get to today.

“Time to go get Nel, and meet up with Eshya and Vii.” I say, nervously eager to see them again. The emotion is tempered by the cold expressions that I can remember from my dream.

“I hope they’re all alright.” I say, remembering just how much they’ve been through, Vii especially.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Skills & Stats

 

~Mana Form:

Current mana density: 1294 units

~Mana distribution:

Defence: 20/100%

Offense: 20/100%

Mana sense: 20/100%

Recovery: 20/100%

Gluttony: 10/100%

Misc.: 10/100%

Efficiency: 100/100%

 

~Favourited Skills:

-Tag and Film

-Trapping

-Mana surge movement

-Annihilation defence

-Annihilation flame burst

-Annihilation net

-Eyes of an Empire

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

//Author Note

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