Books of Forsaken Futures: The Hunt

[Passage 10: Forged by Reflection] [Timaar: Forged by Reflection]

I continue to replicate intricate diagrams on the ground, observed closely by Hale and Lance. Occasionally, one of them will raise their hand, but I cut them off and tell them that I am nowhere near done. And that there is no way for them to help me. Just on time, suave grandpa approaches to ask his questions.

He stays out of the way, but kneels down and says “Say Mijo, are you sure there is no way for us to get in there?”

I don’t even look up as I respond “I am sure that even if there were, the worst thing we could is add more people to evacuate.”

Hale does a double take, stopping whatever he was saying to Lance. He snaps “Evacuate?”

I would respond, but it is time for Nute to take over, as he just showed up. I point my thumb at him and go back to drawing the array. He says “Yes, evacuate. Do you know what this facility is?”

Hale shrugs, visually accepting that whatever he is about to say is probably wrong. He says “I had assumed that it was a defunct Auk Mentar base.”

Nute laughs “Close, but fairly far off simultaneously. You’re standing just outside, Purgatory, the last and largest of the Gigas class leviaten.”

“Like Envoy?” Hale asks.

“Affirmative” Nute responds “But as the last one made, it was never completed, instead buried in vaguely connected pieces, awaiting activation. But have you ever wondered how it is that I could possibly cast so much liquid metal?”

Hale has a clear lightbulb moment, I hide a snicker at the irony as he says “It was originally something living that was extremely large that you poured molten metal into. But even that shouldn’t work correctly for the process for making Britonite.”

“But a powerful enough body may create it on its own if enough leviaten hearts were involved.” Nute says.

“That’s great and all” Lance says, standing up and summoning a three pronged spear to his hand, pointing the head of it at Nute’s neck he says “But, why aren’t we skinning him alive. This is Nute. Part of the whole reason we all left home. He sold us out to the Hall of Saints and killed the Wolf Council!”

Suddenly, Lance withdraws the spear from Nute, standing more straight and his voice booms deeper “It is never that simple with you, is it Nute?” Lance’s normally blue eyes are now glowing almost white with flecks of yellow electricity.

“Oh, if it isn’t Chao Din.” Laughs Nute “Whatcha gonna do there sparky? You are looking a lot more spry then last I seen you. Almost like you have a younger face each time.”

“I never did have much love for the council or the other members of that previous Round Table, but what you did to Rahen Khloe is unforgivable.” He growls, energy arcing around the spear. “Speak plainly and quickly.”

“Would you have wanted the council occupying your body when it was time to retake it, oh great Thunder King?” Nute asks, stepping closer to the spear and Chao Din. Chao Din retracts his spear and the energy fades away. He blinks and returns to Lance. Nute continues “I have less time than you do to explain, but needless to say, Purgatory here is the body of another dragon king. One who I imagine is playing his own little game at this very moment to activate his body.”

[Javier: Forged by Reflection]

A lake awaits with a misshapen city on the other side. A dark cloud, given a solid and jagged form, burning with a silent anger. Yet the lake is calm. A boat glides to us across the top of the water. We load into it as it arrives at the dock. The boat moves itself, giving the beast a needed break. I have never seen him so tired. If he were a person, I’d be more worried, but I am sure the beast will be fine.

As the boat glides along, I see down below. I see towers of people trying to push each other over. How odd. Then I see them dogpile a man in black armor. Then the pile of them explodes away in a bright and fiery blast. One so magnificent that it cause a whirlpool directly below us! I try to find any means to direct the boat.

Nothing usable, I smack Lyland and declare “Hurry and focus beast, propel this craft! Or the whirlpool will get us!” But he isn’t waking and the whirlpool gets worse beneath us. I go to give him a mighty backhand, only to be stopped by the dragon. “Unhand me dragon! If we don’t wake Lyland, the whirlpool will take us down into it!”

“Wake up Freakazoid!” the dragon’s voice echoes within my head. “There is no whirlpool and Lyland is in bad shape!” He takes my hand and runs it across the wet surface of Lyland’s chest, then forces my hand to my face. My hand is coated in blood! But not mine and we go seem to be gliding over the active whirlpool. I have no means to stop the bleeding and I can’t even see it!

The dragon looks up at me and glares. His voice echoes “Remove my bonds, let me help him!”

On one hand, I could always get another beast, but I have grown rather attached to Lyland. I unlock the bonds of the dragon and say “Fine, but be quick about it. The bonds go back when you are finished.

“Fine” his voice echoes through my mind. As soon as his bond is released, a fire sparks at the tip of his right pointer finger. It is unusually dark, but it is there. He uses it to try to cut the chest armor that I painstakingly attached to the beast. It wasn’t cheap, but I can always install a new set later. I watch as he carefully burns through the gold armor of the beast, eventually removing it.

Then he begins to cut away at the robes worn by the beast, getting access to his chest, or I assume so, because his actions don’t entirely match up with what I am seeing. He begins tossing things aside as he works, including the bolt he has removed from Lyland’s chest. I go to say something, but he just glares at me over his shoulder, then goes back to work.

Then encasing his hand in fire, he applies it to Lyland’s chest. Lyland awakens, franticly thrashing and screaming. But then the dragon removes his hand. He dips some of the scraps of cloth he removed into the water, then uses them to clean the area, then tears the remains of Lyland’s cloak into long strips that he wraps around Lyland’s chest. Now finished, he ties it off and puts up his hands and I re-attach the bonds.

Lyland collapses back, falling back asleep. “I’m not a doctor” the dragon snaps in my mind. “But, if you let him rest, I have at least stopped his bleeding.” That is fine, he should have plenty of time to rest before we make it to the city out there.

[Amedeus: Forged by Reflection]

“So you can take any form you like?” I ask.

I receive a glare in response, Anansi currently in the form of a jaguar. She snarls and growls something under her breath, then says “Yes, more or less. But don’t you worry you oaf, I can easily protect you from whatever Boogeyman is in your closet.”

I laugh “I thought you were the Boogeyman.”

She glares at me and growls “Oh really?”

I put my hands up in defense “I wasn’t sure whether to leave a cup of milk or a shine kit for your head as appeasement, so I would confuse my mother by leaving both outside my closet.” I pat her head and laugh “You are much less scary this way.”

She whips her head toward me, clacking her jaw barely brushing my fingers, having pulled my hand away. “And now?” she growls.

“Even less so.” I respond “We both know you would have taken my fingers just now if you meant it.”

She laughs “That so?” She goes to purring and something about her walk changes. Something about the rhythm of her back hips and her tail. She always has been quite odd.

- Summer 1986 -

A friend of Father is here to visit, Alejandro Cortez. A long time friend of my father and the High Saint of the American Branch of the Hall of Saints, Alexander Palaydin, I am well acquainted with the man. He looks an awful lot like that singer, Freddy Mercury, but wearing a militaristic version of the Hall of Saints robes.

Upon hearing of his arrival, I had ran to meet him in main entrance to my family home. I had hoped to invite him to a brawl or a bit of sparring. Maybe this time I could get him him to take me seriously, as I have been practicing. Unfortunately, he has already made it in the door and my mother frowns upon brawling in the house.

Further more, there is someone with him today. In respect, I stop just short of them and standing at ease say “Good day Bishop Cortez, welcome to our home.”

He smiles down at me, then tipping his hat at my mother somewhere behind me and says “Good day Amedeus. Permission to speak normal Mijo.”

I relax a bit and says “Who’d you bring with you?”

He reaches behind him, to the little shadow hiding there and gently moves a small figure out in front of him. She is about my age and given the color of her dark skin she hails from either Africa or possibly from the renationed millions from America. She is currently wearing jeans and a white shirt with floral print on the edges. She is entirely bald, an odd look for a girl. “Why don’t you introduce yourself?” He says calmly.

She has a rather glassy look in her eyes and I don’t think she’ll be going first. poor girl looks like she was definitely put on the spot. So be it, I step forward and offer my right hand “Pleased to meet your acquaintance. My name is Amed…” I am cut off by her grabbing my hand and pulling me toward her, where she smashes my face with her other elbow. Then, without releasing my hand, she throws me over her shoulder and out the still open door. I roll until landing on my feet.

Tears well in my eyes and my nose is bleeding, normally I would refrain from hitting a girl, but this is what I would call an exception. I wipe the blood away from my mouth and say “I’d love to see you try that again you witch!” Naturally, blood continues to leak from my nose and I already started to get the metallic taste during that statement.

Something changes in her eyes, they soften and fill with tears. She buries her face in the cloak of Cortez, who simply pats her bald head. I step out of my fighting stance, pinching my bloody nose. It hurts, but at least it controls the bleeding. I say “You give me a bloody nose and yet you cry from being called a witch?”

“Sorry about that Amedeus” Cortez says softly, still trying to calm the girl. “Anansi may not be ready to have that kind of meeting yet. She doesn’t like anyone but me near her.”

“So be it, I hope you won’t be offended if I let a servant show you to your lodging this time.” I say, carefully walking around them. I head for the kitchen, because ice sounds good right now.

“Not at all” Cortez says, a servant approaching them.

- Present -

Yes, she has truly always been odd. I remember later that night, she scared me, just staring at me from the doorway of my room. At first, all I could see was her eyes I. the dark. I covered my nose instinctively and she turned and walked away.

now back to the present in my mind, I notice that she is still walking oddly, her hips almost seeming like she is trying to sway them. “Why don’t you take a human form? you seem to be having trouble walking like that.” I ask, perhaps missing something as her walk regulates.

She scowls up at me and retorts “As dense as ever I see.” She scoffs and then continues “Human form takes more focus to stay in, more energy.” That answer only feels half true, but trying to read the face of a jaguar has it’s difficulties.

I shrug and offer “I could always carry you if there were any easier form for you to take.

She laughs “No, I’ve been carried far more than I like today for an entire lifetime. Besides, I don’t think you want would want to be carried around in this situation.”

“Quite right” I respond “I would take the form of a mech suit and offer to carry you.” I am stopped by her stomping on my foot. I go to give retort, but I see she was trying to keep me from walking off this dock and right into what looks like a large room full of molten metal.

“Give me a minute, maybe I can carry you after all, but as a boat.” She says, gesturing to the molten metal. While she tries to work out that shape she asks “So, a mech suit eh?”

“Yeah” I respond “A big one. Some how tyeing in my white fire. Pushing it out the fists like you did earlier or maybe even as some additional armor or helmet.” Well, she has figured out how to become flat, so that’s a thing. Maybe I could surf across on her like a surf board, across the molten metal. The molten metal that is slowly draining?

“We might not need a boat after all” I say, causing her head to reform on one end and look over the edge, which has revealed more stairs.

“Where’s it all going?” She asks, retaking jaguar form.

“Not sure, but this is probably a good chance as any to get across.” I state, pointing at the empty floor below. I start descending the stairs, expecting them to be as hot as the metal that just covered them, instead finding them to be cool through my boots. A clinking behind me draws my attention, but it is only Anansi walking down the stairs, her claws clinking like a cat on a tile floor.

“Do you think this is a good idea? There’s no telling if or when the metal will be back.” She says.

“Have you become a scaredy cat?” I laugh.

She scowls unnaprovingly, but before she can retort, something large crashes behind us. So instead she says “Run!”

Not one to run away from a fight, I would normally turn to face my opponent. But given that Anansi isn’t the type to avoid a fight either and that the stairs are not the best place to fight. Run it is. Our feet hit the steps loudly, though not nearly as loud as whatever follows us.

Anansi looks over her shoulder occasionally, this time asking “So, remember how you were talking about wanting to be a mech suit?”

“Yes?” I respond, trying to focus on running. “But this hardly seems like the time.”

“Did you happen to imagine a large wolf head made of fire?” She asks.

“No” I respond “But now that you mention it, I probably would have given it that if I had time to think about it. Why?”

“I think I know where the metal went!” She snarls and tackles me aside. Just in time to avoid being smashed by a large metal claw. Sparks rain past and in front of me, but I continue running.

I feel the air pressure of whatever is behind us and I whip around and draw my sword. Just in time as it were, for here comes a large metal claw. To which I point my sword at it and declare “Amddiffyn ni â wal o gleddyfau!” A wall of energy forms from the tip out, covered in similar blades to my sword. Energy explodes as the wall forces my opponent back, but also forces me off the staircase.

I prepare myself for a rough landing. But more surprising than my short fall, a large metal figure makes it to the ground before I do. I whip my sword around quickly and block the same large metal claws, shoving me back and against the wall of the staircase I just fell from. My back hits the wall, causing a large clang when my armored back hits it.

This thing definitely looks like something I would think up. A large armored mechanical knight, with large claws instead of hands. Its head is hidden behind a wall of black wolf shaped fire. I have no room between it and I to maneuver my sword. This could be bad. It slashes at me as smoke pours from its claws and head. I hold back the claw with my sword and say “A little help Anansi!?”

The beast raises his other claw and bring it down at my head, the first still barely held in place by my sword. Against my own will I find myself yelping “Help!” Just before contact, Anansi pounces, grabbing this beast by the back of his neck, the one inside the fire. That gets his attention. He swings his claw back, instead trying to swipe behind his bulky body.

I take this chance to get out of this tight space and flank the beast. I draw the sword as he whips Anansi back and forth. I can’t use another wall of swords without hitting her, not could I use Yggdrassil. This really is to bothersome. He manages to get a hold of her, launching her against the wall, causing her jaguar form to shatter into pieces and components. She tries to reform, but it breathes a stream of the black fire making up its head.

She doesn’t seem to be getting up from that. I have no time to debate, because he is making a rush for her. What he intends to do I don’t know, but I need to give her time to recover. I run between them, drawing my sword across the ground as I seen the giant do earlier. Then wiping the sword forward, I declare “Cael eich cario i ffwrdd gan y llanw o ryfel!”

The wave releases, waves of swords rolling at it. Once making contact, sparks fly to the music of screeching metal and shove it back. I feel my armor activate as my wings of white fire spread behind me. I run after him and he breaths more black fire. My wings move in front of me, causing a strange feeling aura around me, as though if anything we’re caught in that area it would cease to exist. I draw my sword behind me as it continues to breath black fire.

I throw my sword behind him with a spin and declare “Cwymp o flaen glaw o gleddyfau!” My sword explodes into a rain of white energy swords, smashing into the back of my opponent. One of them slips past and I catch it by the handle, returning it to physical form. I slide in to stab my sword into the ground and summon Yggdrassil, however I only put my sword into the ground. The rest is wasted effort as he swaths me away with a mighty claw.

Mid flight, I see Anansi going for a strike. However this brute just pushes through her attack and shoulder checks me, following up with a class strike that projects me to another wall. I draw a throwing strike and throw it into the ground between us and declare “Ni chaiff unrhyw fetel basio!” Which results in a field of energy building between us. But he simply pushes through it and kicks me in the stomach, simultaneously smashing my head against the wall where everything goes black.

[Anansi: Forged by Reflection]

I don’t know what I was thinking, but I dive before the beast and pull that brute from an incoming attack from the beast. I drag him out of the way, but I am not fast enough because here comes another claw! Without thinking, I invert myself, covering Amedeus with myself as armor. He is unconscious, so I have to puppet him.

I was never one to use a sword, but at the moment, our choices are limited. I roll us away from the next strike after the first rebounds off. I swing the sword around, batting away an incoming claw. Then we kick away the other, swinging into a kick to the inner face of the beast. It stumbles back and I aim the sword to impale his real head within the fire.

The black fire head whips back and then forward, unleashing the black fire breath. Amedeus’ wings automatically protect us. “Amedeus?” I ask, projecting my voice into his mind. But I receive no response. But his body is moving now and he isn’t continuing my intended sword strike. Instead he draws the sword in front of us and the blade ignites in the white fire.

This time, he knocks away the black fire in an illogical manner, forcing the beast back. Then to my surprise, we howl at the beast, like a wolf. Then we spin and he takes the blade across the black fire head of the beast, actually cutting the fire. Now I can see what I have already struck, a mechanical heady, a dummy similar in shape and features to Amedeus.

But there is something else, the black fire from the creature, it briefly mixes with Amedeus white fire. Around the blade this creates some form of void. I can’t explain it any better than when we swing the blade, it cuts through one of the beast’s claws and the claw simply stops existing. Then we cut off a leg and we go to impale it with the sword, only it starts to absorb into the floor.

Suddenly and not to my intent, we start running. I fight against the motion but in response, I only get a new voice in my head “The floor is going to return it to the smelter. We need to get off this floor before it again becomes a lake of metal!” Great so I am playing that childn’s game “The floor is lave” with Amedeus and someone else that I have never met. Only we are all stuck together. Fine, we can run for now and think about this later.

Quickly we make it across the floor, but not quick enough. The floor is already trying to fill with molten metal. Then there is still a retaining wall ahead! Without even thinking, we get on all fours and run up the sheer surface of the wall, making it over and safely landing on the other side. We stop moving and I remove myself from Amedeus, his eyes closed. But they snap open and he sits up and looks at me and asks “What did I miss?” Well this could be interesting.

[Mystery Man: Forged by Reflection]

I slowly rise from the molten metal and watch the exit this level. I discard the mask mimicking the face of Beowulf as the bands holding my platinum hair disintegrate. Oh dear, it does appear that I got my clothes melted off as well. Luckily there is no one here to see me like this. But I guess I should acquire a new set before I move onto the next step.

Read the rest of the story here: https://editor.reedsy.com/s/jiMEzvb