Chapter 14: Chapter 13. Pursuing friendship

Chapter 13: Pursuing friendship

Aria slumped on a chair as soon as she entered the house.

Rhea was amused to see the proud Greenvine doing the same, she was so brave earlier, telling that Beast to kneel. Rhea wanted to snort just thinking about it, but at the same time, she felt cold sweat running down her back. If that Beast didn't have a sense of humour...

She also sat herself on a chair, more calmly than the other two. That didn't mean her knees were not weak from relief, though. She thought of the things Babelroth had said, and wondered about the giant Beast himself.

First of all, a pillar has indeed fallen. Rhea had guessed it a long time ago, but this was definite confirmation.

She had, more easily than she expected, succeed in hiding her reactions from Babelroth when he broke them the news, after all, as friendly as he seemed, she didn't need a being that powerful to have second thoughts about her. Especially now, when everything seemed uncertain.

A little girl that had spent her entire life in the Deadlands, without any interaction with the outside world, definitely wouldn't know anything about what he said.

Secondly, Rhea was pretty sure the Blinding One was dead, and the culprit was the handsome, many headed Beast they just met. And considering how fine Babelroth had been when talking with them, he was someone not to be trifled with.

She had guessed the Blinding One to be in the 5th Rank, and many of his companions to be were without doubt in the 3rd Rank, none in the 4th.

For Babelroth to beat all of them and get out of it as unscathed as he seemed to be, he had to be in the 6th Rank, or in the 5th or 4th, but with a super strong or exotic ability.

It was fortunate that they didn't have to fight, him or the Blinding One, and it was even more so that they could meet someone like Babelroth. Someone that was powerful, but wasn't an enemy.

Finally, the matter of the Deadlands losing its natural defense against the Human Lands. She had no thought on that matter. They couldn't do anything to stop it, nor could they delay it, and they also couldn't move too far away from Greenvine's main body, in fear of it getting destroyed or captured.

In the end, all they could do was get stronger, hide or disguise the tree... or find allies.

Aria finally collected herself enough to right her posture and restore her gentle aura. She breathed in and out slowly, her hair, which had been left on its chaotic self, began its usual, elegant, lazy swaying once again.

"We need to travel to the Human Lands," Aria said abruptly, "and really go this time. We're so vulnerable here, it can't go on." She added, looking Rhea's way.

The Deadlands was like a new world filled mysteries and opportunities. If that didn't sound appealing, what could. Rhea feared that they would welcome an explosive influx of visitors soon.

And they wouldn't be coming to pick flowers, either.

"What?" Greenvine asked, shocked. "But you know I can't move far from here..."

Aria quickly got out her chair to get to Greenvine's side. "Silly girl," she chided, "I didn't mean right away."

"We got too used to your cheekiness," Rhea piped in from her side of the table, then, "we couldn't possibly do without your esteemed self anymore. You've spoilt us, Greenvine."

"Ooooh," Greenvine said, her eyes wide, and the feeling of gratefulness in the air was palpable. Of course, like most of this girl's emotions, it didn't take long for that warm feeling to turn into arrogance.

"Yes," Rhea said quickly, disgusted, "spoilt, in a bad way."

Greenvine didn't listen, instead looking upwards in that annoying way. Aria, receiving her gaze, only chuckled lightly.

"You are so cute," Aria said. She sat down, scooped the girl up, and put her in her lap. Greenvine threw a smug grin Rhea's way, which she ignored.

Rhea looked into her mother's eyes. "Do you think we can trust Babelroth?"

The corners of Aria's mouth curved up. "You called him by his name," she said, amused. She rubbed Greenvine's grass head. "As for him," she added, and spread her hands. "I don't know if you can trust it, but my pinky tells me he wasn't a bad person."

Rhea nodded slowly. "I also feel the same. He didn't feel like a bad person, in fact, it was more like he felt confused or surprised? Flustered?" Rhea chained the words, she wasn't exactly an expert on emotions.

"And proud," Aria commented, she had a thoughtful frown on her face. "But he didn't seem to be a prideful person."

"Maybe he wasn't proud of himself, then?" Rhea asked, for the sake of the conversation.

Aria hummed, then looked at Greenvine in her lap. "What about you, dear?" She stroked the girl's head. "What's your impression of our scaled friend?"

Greenvine's eyes went down to her feet, her face scrunched in thought. Rhea looked on coldly. Another of her stupid expressions.

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Finally, she looked up, and spoke, "He felt sad and lonely."

Both Aria and Rhea stayed silent, prompting her for more. "Even when he was laughing and joking around with us," she said, "I never felt he was truly happy."

Rhea sneaked a look towards Aria, the woman nodded. They've never seen Greenvine like this before, all somber and... serious.

However, before they could say something to comfort her, the girl was already sitting up with determination, her white eyes were shining and burning, not with literal flames this time, but with conviction.

"I want to be his friend," she said, with all the seriousness her small body could muster (along with the natural aura of smugness around her). It was all very dignified and regal.

Well, it would've. If she had been a few years older and if she hadn't made her very serious oath sitting in her very tall mother's lap.

"I want to be his friend, too," Aria said, supporting her. "And Rhea, too."

Rhea didn't say anything.

"Then we have to find a way to meet him again!" Greenvine exclaimed, she was wriggling excitedly on Aria's lap.

Aria nodded, then smiled at Rhea. "What do you think?" she asked softly. "It's not too shabby for a goal, right? Pursuing friendship."

Rhea smiled back. "Not at all."

"But how to find him?" Greenvine asked.

How, indeed?

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They sat there for a while. Then Rhea had a thought. "Babelroth, 'the one who protects Babel'." Naturally, one of the advantages of being a part of the world's consciousness was some knowledge of its inhabitants.

When she had crossed over to the mortal plane, she hadn't come totally unprepared, she had packaged, among other things, all the world's languages with her just in case she had to sleuth around. Her goal had been to destroy all of humanity's pillars and harvest all their souls after all.

Anyway, once they came to the Human Lands, they could just ask some Aether batteries where the pillar, Babel, had stood before, and they'd be set.

"First," Rhea said as she got out of her chair, "we'll go to Babel. After that, who knows."

On that note, Rhea walked towards the door. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" Rhea's nose itched, needless to say who said that. The voice was high pitched, and dripping with smug. "In case you didn't notice, we're surrounded by an ice wall from all sides."

"And," Rhea countered with her own low voice, "in case you didn't notice, we're surrounded by an ice wall from all sides."

The shocked silence accompanied by a lovely chuckle pleased her.

A minute later, she was near a giant spike of ice, inspecting. It was blackened, and greedily sucking in corrupted Aether.

Rhea's eyes burned and a white beam hit the spike. No effect. Well, should she say 's a expected' or be disappointed it didn't even receive a scratch?

She separated her feet, gathered Prana and raised her fist. It was already proven that Aether and Prana were similar, but very incompatible. If there was anything that would affect this thing, it would be this.

Without hesitating, she punched the spike with all her might. She felt how hard the thing was as her fist impacted it, but there was a sharp sound as She made her Prana explode.

Observing it, there was indeed a crack, small as it was. Rhea smiled. This was perfect for training.

¤

"The Floating Cross!"

"That's the First Vehl!"

"The First Vehl is here?"

"Something must've happened."

"Has the second Champion appeared?"

"Idiot, if that was it, the First would've just announced it like with Gamwick, he wouldn't need to come here."

"Why is he here, then?"

"This is Blanterre, maybe he's here for the White Magician?"

"Duh!"

The populace was in an uproar when the legendary Floating Cross, the home of the First Vehl, appeared over the mage city of Blanterre.

It would usually be an honour for a city, or even a country, to receive someone on the level of the Vehls. And although the mage city had its own celebrity, the inhabitants had long grown used to the White Magician's presence and treated him more like an historical monument than anything. Majestic, old, and powerful.

Thus, they welcomed the arrival of the Floating Cross like an old widow hearing gossip of their grandchildren.

Of course, some didn't see it the same way. In peacetime, perhaps, the arrival of a Vehl, one of the gods' assistants (cough-loyal dogs-cough), was indeed a great boon for a city, but in these troubled times, it would only make the intelligent wonder, and the wise tremble in fear.

"I see you Vehls live up to your title," the 'White Magician' said as the people's voices from outside of his tower flowed into his ears. "You truly came brought dark news!"

Weruno, to Cygnus' surprise, didn't rebuke him, he just shrugged, as if the man himself agreed to his taunt. It was unexpected enough to derail Cygnus' momentum.

Observing the man, Cygnus saw the slight slump in his shoulders and the strange look in his eyes, a blend of helplessness, a bit of steel, and too much craziness.

He had seen that look one too many times before, and the last time he saw it, he found himself wiping dust on the moon. In outer space. With his face.

There was a reason he was bald, and it wasn't fucking old age for sure.

"Weruno," Cygnus said, very very slowly, clearly pronouncing each syllable, "don't you dare come here and ask me to help you slay another of your hellish monsters. I'm too old for that shit. Go ask your gods for some more heroes, I wash my hands off it."

The girl behind him snickered. Cygnus looked at her and remembered something. "Oh," he said, he put his elbows on the cluttered desk before him, his eyes scrutinizing, "is this lass the new Seventh? So, the rumours were true."

Weruno nodded and finally sat down on a chair facing Cygnus. "Yeah, he really went and died, that idiot." The girl subtly fidgeted, and at last sat down in the second chair. Weruno continued. "We couldn't find his soul, and it was confirmed he wouldn't reincarnate when his Merge reappeared a few years later."

The girl pursed her lips, and suddenly lost her hesitant attitude. She gave the both of them, Weruno and him, a piercing look that was full of indignation and pride. "It's not his anymore," she said clearly, Cygnus could see his reflection in her golden eyes, "Mimic Soul is mine."

The two of them looked at her, as if just then realizing she was there.

"Of course it's yours," Weruno said quickly, "what were we thinking?"

"Of course," Cygnus echoed, "of course."

The girl smiled. "Now then." She turned her grim eyes towards him. "Let's talk about the hellish abomination we'll have to slay."

Cygnus put his eyes on Weruno's wilting figure. He noted how submissive his old friend had become, and smirked. "You poor bastard."

Weruno nodded sagely, the girl looked confused and vaguely pissed. "You know me so well." 

They laughed until the girl was so upset she gave them a bump with a gigantic club thing.

Why was that thing so huge, and thick, and so spiky?