ALL NOVEL XCII. Tearing Seams
Rotavitea furrows her brow, as she sees Virno in the distance, blindfolded and occasionally stumbling towards her.
Rotavitea: What the hell happened to him...?!
The closer he gets to her, the more confused she becomes. Words escape her.
Virno: Got quiet all of a sudden?
Rotavitea: You'd've shut your mouth too if you saw what I'm seeing... Are you even you any longer...?
Virno: If you're worried about my sudden personality swings, rest assured... It's just me, again.
Looking at his mutated physique, Rota's expression made it evident she was having a hard time believing it.
Rotavitea: And that's the sword, then...?
Now standing just a few feet apart, she took a good look at it. A black blade of strange design, covered in glowing runes that pulsed and ebbed in sync with each other.
Virno: This is it. Ballo got his wish...
Rotavitea: ... Guess he did.
An awkward silence set in, broken by a small furry creature that peeked from behind Rotavitea's back, which now began to snarl.
Virno: Ah crap... It's that damn critter again.
Virno grabs his sword and directs it towards the familiar sound he heard.
Virno: Is it... Standing on you? Careful it won't start chewing your skin off. Don't move, I'll take care of it.
As the runes rearrange themselves, a small orb of green magic begins amalgamating at the tip of the sword, shrouded by a cloak of razor-sharp wind.
Rotavitea: What do you think you're doing?! This little thing wouldn't hurt a fly!
Rotavitea gently grabs the black and white fox and embraces it, turning her back on Virno to shield it from the oncoming attack.
Virno: Wouldn't hurt a fly?! It was trying to eat me alive!
Rotavitea: Maybe because you goddamn deserve it!
Virno dispels the orb of wind, as the runes on the sword lose their glow.
Virno: Whatever. We should leave this place... Something tells me it won't remain quiet for long.
Rotavitea: You don't say... It was like a goddamn earthquake up above. The earth caved in on itself to reveal... This. I-I don't even know what I'm looking at...!
Virno: You're not looking at much any longer... And whatever's left will crumble, too. One day. But not now.
Rotavitea: Heck's that supposed to mean?
Virno: Doesn't matter, just thinking out loud. Lead the way.
Virno stretches out his hand so that she can better guide him, yet as he does, the fox lunges at his fingers again, chomping down on them.
Virno: DAMMIT!
Rotavitea: Wow... It really hates your guts!
Before the situation escalates, Rotavitea grabs the fox by the scruff of its neck and holds it close to her, petting it in an attempt to calm it down.
Rotavitea: You're a grown man Virno, you don't need any hand holding!
Virno: ... I'm goddamn blind.
Rotavitea: 'Course you are, you keep wrapping that blindfold around your damn eyes... What're you expecting to see?
Virno: No, dammit.
He removes the blindfold to reveal his shattered eyes.
Virno: I'm really, genuinely blind.
Rotavitea: Holy crap...
Virno covers them back up again, as he sighs.
Virno: Yeah. But, I'll manage. Rather stumble a couple of times than get my fingers chewed off by a rabid little animal.
The fox barks angrily at his remark, as if it could understand it perfectly.
Rotavitea: Let's get a move on, then...
As they climb their way out of the cradle's ruins, they are greeted by the morning sun. Back at the surface, a calm breeze gently rustled the leaves of what was left of the forest surrounding the lake, which had now caved in on itself almost entirely. Virno takes a deep, relieved breath.
Rotavitea: Right. This is where we part ways, then. Goodbye!
Rotavitea begins walking away, as the little fox looks behind in Virno's direction, fixatedly.
Virno: W-wait! Do you even know where we are?!
Rotavitea: Doesn't matter, I'll bump into some semblance of civilization eventually. So will you, I'm sure...!
He tries to chase after her, but her hurried pace made it difficult for him to catch up, and he falls face flat on the ground trying to keep up.
Virno: Dammit, we're in the middle of nowhere! It's not safe to just wander alone endlessly hoping you'll find something... We should stick together, at least until we find someone who can give us directions.
Rotavitea does not slow down her pace.
Rotavitea: Goodbye, Virno. With some luck, we won't meet again.
Virno grits his teeth, wanting to reply but realizing how his words would only aggravate her further. Still, not wanting their parting to be so bitter, he blurted out what he thought had to be said.
Virno: Ballo shouldn't have died like that. But I was doing what I thought had to be done.
She opens her eyes wide, her brow strained with fury.
Rotavitea: Shut the fuck up...
She spoke between her teeth. Virno couldn't hear it.
Virno: At the time, I was out of options. Novilunium was about to win, and I thought I was just a pawn, that the only way to win would be to not play the game at all. So I thought to kill two birds with one stone. That's why I tried killing myself... But I know better, now. Now I know there's another way out.
Rotavitea: Good for you...!
She spoke louder, this time around. Enough so that Virno could pick up on her voice, but couldn't quite understand it.
Virno: What?
Rotavitea: GOOD FOR YOU, MOTHERFUCKER! NOW SHUT UP AND DON'T EVER CROSS PATHS WITH ME AGAIN!
She stops in her tracks, her breath becoming more erratic.
Rotavitea: Whatever happened, I don't care. Bottom line is Ballo died so you could live... Nothing's changing that. It's what happened. If it wasn't for you, he'd still be here!
Virno got up from the ground, furrowing his brow.
Rotavitea: You're nothing but bad luck. A walking disaster...!
Virno couldn't remain quiet for longer, as he felt his calm demeanour slip away.
Virno: If it wasn't for me...? What about you?! You're the one who drove us all the way here! You think I knew things would unfold this way?! Think I would've guessed he'd literally sacrifice himself to bring ME back to life?! I never wanted him to die! But don't act like this is all on me... He wouldn't have died if I hadn't killed myself. But I wouldn't have had to kill myself if we hadn't been tracked out by that thing, and you know how it knew where we were...? Because of the damn fuel cell Ballo had to refuel using his own magic. The magic he used left a trail that led it straight to US. If only someone had bothered to bring an extra one, we would never have been followed! I wouldn't have been pushed into a corner, and would have never resorted to such an extreme option...!
Rotavitea: HOW THE FUCK WOULD YOU KNOW THAT?! MAYBE WE WERE ALREADY BEING FOLLOWED!
Virno: AND HOW WOULD YOU FUCKING KNOW THAT?! YOU WANT ME TO TAKE THE FALL FOR HIS DEATH? THAT'S FINE, BUT AT LEAST REALIZE YOU'RE JUST LOOKING FOR AN EASY COPE! YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO FIND A CHEAP SCAPEGOAT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SHOULDER YOUR PART OF THE BLAME...!
Rotavitea turns around angrily, seemingly ready to punch Virno.
Virno: WE ALL HAVE A PART TO PLAY IN THIS, WE ALL HAVE SOME BLAME. WHAT, WANT TO HIT ME?! HIT ME, THEN. IF THAT'LL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER, DO IT.
Mere moments away from Rotavitea striking Virno in the face, the little fox jumps in between them and conjures a blast of grey magic that pushes both of them away, causing them to fall flat on their bottoms.
Virno: H-HOW DID-
Before Virno had time to process what just happened, the fox opens its mouth as it looks up toward the sky. An ethereal veil escapes from its teeth and begins to warp reality itself, granting both Virno and Rota a peek of what was on the other side, as if they could peer through a window. Virno saw Punjo, Rel and Tyssa, battered and injured, discussing something around a strange vial of liquid.
Virno: N-no way...! Could they have...?!
On the other hand, Rotavitea saw Clavia's workshop. Strangely, it was closed, despite it being daytime already and way past opening hours. The view changes, to show her the inside of the workshop. There, Clavia laid motionless on the floor.
Rotavitea: C-clavia?!
The magical window closes brief moments after opening. The little fox loses the strength on its legs, then collapses.
Virno: Was that Faya's antidote...?! Dammit... This doesn't make sense! This magic, it's just like back when Ballo showed us Sadducee's final moments through his eyes...
Rotavitea: Leave the blame game for later. You noticed it too, right...?
Virno's attention shifts to Rotavitea.
Rotavitea: That magic... It's awfully similar to Ballo's. I've seen enough of his tricks to recognize it.
They both stand up, and approach the unconscious fox.
Rotavitea: Where did you find this fox, exactly...?
Virno shakes his head.
Virno: It found me... After everything had collapsed, I found it nibbling on my wrist.
Rotavitea crouches, carefully picking it up from the ground.
Virno: Wait... Did you see the same thing I did?
Rotavitea: I saw... Someone collapsed.
Virno furrows his brow.
Virno: I saw two friends of mine...
Lunalus: Well, I saw nothing.
The hairs on the back of Virno's neck stand up, as he instinctively swings the sword around producing a shockwave of wind that blows everything around them away. A grey cloud disperses around them, as if something had released ashes into the air mere moments before Virno's reaction.
Lunalus: Seems I arrived a bit too late for that show... But just in time to see the sword's new wielder. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh.
As the dust settles, Virno sees an imposing figure standing not too far from them. It sported pitch black armor and emanated an aura not dissimilar from that of Lacerbus. Upon closer inspection... He recognizes them as Sadducee's killer.
Virno: Lunalus...
Lunalus nods.
Lunalus: Virno. I have been looking for you for quite some time, now.
Lunalus flicks something Virno's way. Though Virno uses his wind powers to deflect it, they had little effect, and it landed just a few feet in front of him. It was a coin, which had landed tails.
Lunalus: I believe that belongs to you, right?
Virno recalled it to be Ballo's coin, the one he had given to him when they first met as a means of testing his preparedness to face the dangers ahead.
Virno: The coin... I lost it when...
Lunalus: When you killed Lacerbus, I suppose...?
Virno tightly grabs his blade, surprised that the enemy knew so much.
Lunalus: Hahah. Please, there's no need for that. I didn't come here to fight... Although, I have no shortage of reasons to desire your destruction. Not only did you murder one of our most promising lieutenants... You also killed my newly-born son. My creation... All that's left of him are the ashes that are now scattered around this field.
Barr... Novilunium. The dots connected in Virno's mind -- Lunalus was also responsible for twisting his nature into that monstrous form.
Lunalus: I felt his final moments as if they were my own... You caused him so much pain. So much hurt... When I finally arrived, there was nothing left anymore. That's when I felt it. The earth's cries... Something had shifted. Something you had shifted.
Virno pushed Rotavitea away, signalling for her to run from the scene.
Lunalus: Again... I am not here to harm you.
Virno: Then what are you here for...?
Lunalus: I come with a proposal.