Thursday 31 July 2014

Messiah 23 : Wrath

R : (We're going to need some countermeasures for the masses if it comes down to it...)

Roberia kicked against a small pebble while walking along the small dirt road.

It had been a couple of hours ago that they had left the poorly-made house of that stall owner from a while back. Rustling leaves and the sifting of grass provided the only melody to their ears as they walked quietly down the dirt path.

Factually, their progress is being reversed. They had initially traveled from Findel towards Anik, heading in a North-East direction. But it was, in comparison, better than walking about without a set goal in mind.

Of course, with the journey now headed towards Rugnud, Roberia cringed slightly at that notion.

Transiting into the country she had left almost two months ago is one thing, but to bring Katachi along for the walk is a grave issue.

For one thing, no matter how rough, strong, slender and warrior-like she appears to be, Roberia is nobility. She is royalty. She is, in fact, the most likely candidate for the throne to the point that even before she set off on this journey, there are already citizens and knights addressing her as Empress Roberia.

If not for her brother Michael's injury, she would have been spared of this fate.

K : "Haa.... Haa...! ACHOO!"
R : "..." (I need to convince everyone that I married him for good reason, but what?)

Now, that very fact began eating into her.

What would everyone think when they see his scrawny figure standing right next to Empress Roberia? What would go through their heads when they realize that he is a follower of Segus? Katachi looks like he's from Ohde, religiously follows a Legend popular in Auser, and grew up in Findel. There's all kinds of things messed up with his identity that will definitely raise glares.

She thought long and hard about the various people she had met, while juggling the pebble with her kicks carefully.

R : (I remember that it was some time around my coming-of-age ceremony where many people of different places, countries and origins came to me. The first was a little kid, then the Prince of Traust, and following them many, many people came to me.)

She recalls the hellish flock of men who pestered and plagued her wherever she went, like a parasite under her skin.

R : (... What did I do to chase these men away?...)

As she fumbled in her own thoughts, Katachi suddenly raised a hand in front of her, pausing her advance.

R : "? What is it?"

K : "There's a bunch of ants in front of us."

As he pointed out attentively, there were indeed a bunch of red ants in a line, marching across the road with bits of leaves in their mouths.

R : "So?"

K : "... It would be cruel to step on them."

Katachi looked at the trail of ants, and crossed the imaginary border carefully, making sure not to step on any of them. The attentiveness he pays to the smallest things is amazing at times, but this is clearly not a model example.

R : "... ?" (Wait a minute... He's like a second set of eyes for me, isn't he?)

With that one thought, the long-forgotten game she used to play surfaced in mind.

R : ('What would you become for me if you were an object?' The Object Game...)

The Object Game. Taught to her by her brother Michael, it is a line of questioning used to assess another party's self-value and virtues, by addressing their role to the prompter and finding similarities between their role and the roles of everyday objects. The person's answer is dependent upon their self-esteem, confidence, abilities and strength, all while doubling as a chance for the other party to demonstrate said skills.

She had asked all the candidates whom have pursued her hand in marriage that very question before. She had also asked some of the servants, maids, and guards for their answers (albeit as a test-run prompted by Michael) But now... Roberia felt a burning urge to ask Katachi for his answer.

R : (I've had the strangest and most laughable answers thrown at my face before - A cane, a book, a pair of shoes, a shield, a pipe, the throne seat itself, a crown... I think the worst answer was an umbrella. It was as if Baron Dabel wished for my downfall. He said 'umbrella' as if he was implying that I will fail without his guidance.)

*Cozy's Notes : By pipe, I mean the kind used for smoking, by the way.*

She felt the urge to ask. If Katachi manages to give an interesting or convincing answer, then the plan is set - Explain that his answer was the most suitable to everyone in the throne room, and try to save Katachi from the various glares of the other knights and nobles. It's not pretty, but if she can barely get by with her gut feeling alone, nobody would want to question her own judgement. They may feel resentment toward the black-haired boy, but not enough to overpower their respect for the girl who defeated every single one of her own knights in fair combat.

But, what if Katachi gave a standard answer? What if he provided her with something that has been claimed before, and someone who has claimed the same role steps up to challenge him? He may be strong, but only when he is using his Words of Power. In a fair duel where the Sin of Man is cast out, he stands little chance against even the squires who do not train properly. That was how big a gap it was - Katachi simply does not have a basic understanding of melee combat.

Perhaps it fares better to try a different plan.

But, Roberia felt a great urge to ask the question. She has never asked Katachi the golden question, and a part of her ached to know his answer. The black-haired boy who spared her life and tossed her journey in a new, unexpected direction... How would he fare against a question like so? What does he think about her, and how would he value himself against that?

R : (... Nothing ventured, nothing gained...) "Hey, Katachi?"

Roberia kicked the pebble and crossed the trail of ants casually.

K : "? Yes?"

With a curious look, he turned his head to converse with her politely.

R : "Let's... Play a game, alright? It's called The Object Game."

K : "The Object Game? Is that the one where the other person has to guess the object in mind with minimal clues to what it is?"

*Cozy's Notes : No, it's not I Spy. Good guess though.*

His idea of the term The Object Game seemed to differ from hers a lot.

R : "No, well, it's not a guessing game. The goal of the game is more of being honest toward each other and understanding each other better. We can each ask a question, and you'll answer as truthfully as I do."

K : "I see... If that's, uh, what you want, then..."

Katachi glanced over at her feet which were still juggling the pebble along the path.

R : "What would you become for me if you were an object?"

Katachi looked up at her face and eyes, and saw her determination. She wasn't going to let him worm out of this, so she gave a serious look.

K : "... If I were an object, huh..."

*** ***

*Cozy's Notes : If you've read this, you already know the answer. Eh.

http://kotsubakatachi.blogspot.sg/2013/08/draft-katachi-love-confession-scene.html

In any case, I had plans to conceal his answer until further on into the story, but Tiat Wee's intervention ruined it. Oh well - Knowing it beforehand isn't all that bad. It's still pretty sweet. I would give that answer, except if I were wings, I'd be made of lard and ghee. Ew, super smelly and oily wings, me no likey yo. Gotta respect the hygiene, Holmes.*

*** ***

Katachi pondered over the question for a little, and let his head sway about for a bit. As if tranced by an unknown rhythm, he slowly walked forward, thinking hard about something.

K : "... Hmm..."

R : (There's no need to rush his answer. 'People who answer it quickly often end up disgracing themselves when the task requested upon them proves more difficult than they had planned - Unless, of course, the lived their lives like Ian Bloodcrust has. Rather, people who consider their own abilities carefully and give a thorough answer are the people to keep an eye out for.' If Brother is indeed correct, then having a late answer is more favorable than an early answer.)

Such is the nature of The Object Game. It pardons minimal to no rooms for lies, and it is important enough to become a requirement a knight has to pass in order to join the king's army.

They walked for about 10 minutes, with Roberia anxiously awaiting his answer.

R : "..." (I know waiting is a good thing, but I don't really think we have the time to spare. Maybe, if I egg him on just a little, he might answer more rapidly.)

Her patience is running thin quickly. An extroverted and aggressive warrior princess like herself would probably be chastised for such lack of restraint, but there is currently no one around to scold her for that.

R : "Katachi?"

K : "... I guess my answer would be 'Wings'."

R : "!" (Wings?)

A miracle had occurred. That one word seemed to lift off all the worries in her mind - Never in her life had she received an answer as unique as 'wings'. Most of the time, the knights who participated in the game would go with everyday objects that they can see and/or copy the answers of other knights in hopes that the deception would go unnoticed.

R : (Wings... That's a really good answer. I've never heard of it before. Is this the fundamental difference between the Findeli and us?) "Why wings?"

K : "... Well, I just thought it best symbolizes the relationship we have right now. You know, with how we fought, and how we exchanged vows under Segus, and how we stick together on this journey..."

It rang a bell in her head.

Their current relationship can indeed be summarized with 'wings'. Her journey had been brought to an abrupt detour with his intervention in her life. The losses, the little things they argued over in the church, the marriage, the blind and unfocused search for the Words of Power, the encounter with Yvolki, the incident in Eliasbury, the river of congealed goo, the conversation with the border guard, the prostitution warehouse, the butcher with the month-old meats, and now the slow and casual walk along this winding path...

Before they had met, her journey was simple - Find and challenge every tough stranger encountered, and become stronger.

But now, thinking back on all that has happened... It actually feels like a real adventure. The ups, the down, the twists and the dangers... His presence has made the journey more exciting than she had imagined at first.

R : "... Not bad."

K : "And, well, it... It sort of... Sort of represents my uh..."

R : "?" (There's more?)

K : "... My partiality towards you. I... I want to be... A..."

Partiality. The state of being partial - To show favor or to exhibit tendency to taking a liking towards something or someone.

Roberia wasn't sure if she heard that right. But, it is clearly evidenced from his voice gradually becoming softer and softer, followed by a flustered look on Katachi's face.

K : "... A part of you..."

R : "What did you say?"

K : "It... It's not important. That's just my opinion on it, anyway."

She heard that. Roberia definitely heard that. A slight tinge of happiness welled up within her, and she felt weightless just from hearing that.

The young boy, too, enjoyed her company as much as she has enjoyed his.

She was certainly worried that Katachi was forcing himself to accept her, with that ridiculous request of hers to force marriage upon them so that she could dodge the humiliation of losing to a Segus follower like himself.

Katachi had once mentioned that she was beautiful - One with beauty enough to befit a marriage candidate for Martich, the son of a minister in Findel.

... But...

Could he, too, be entranced by said beauty?

The light-hearted feeling was soon replaced with yet another dilemma - Beauty. Does Katachi like her because of her beauty? Is his partiality towards her solely because of that?

It made her uncomfortable. It made her guts churn. That light, fleeting feeling from before started to feel like it had been supported by pillars of glass.

If that were true, then what of her as they grow older? Katachi looks like he has yet become a proper adult, full of youth and naivete. When his mind matures and his tastes refine, what of her, a lady who has already had her coming-of-age ceremony, as she grows older and older, taking on a new form herself? Will this love of his stay as true as it is currently, while she is desirable (or perhaps nubile)?

*Cozy's Notes : I wanted to use the word 'nubile' here instead of desirable. I really did - But then I checked a couple of things here and there, and apparently they didn't have 'nubile' in 1570 A.D. I know it's stupid of me to stay true to the whole timeline-consistency thing in relation to our own history, but I'm trying to anyway - I want this first work of mine as genuine as possible.

I just bloody shot myself in the foot. GO FIGURE. (My heart is breaking)*

Her once-cheery mood went for the worse with that.

K : "... ? What's that in front of us?"

Even if it turned out to be true, she didn't want this dream to end. Even if it lasts just a little longer, she wished that this dream would remain intact. This wondrous dream of actually marrying him out of her own volition.

*Cozy's Notes : I say that I didn't want to use words that haven't existed in 1570, but there 'volition' is. Sigh. I want to argue that the background states that its 'first known use' is 1615, so it could be used before, but... Eh. I tend to give these word usage things a 50-year leniency. Nubile has a 72-year gap while volition has a 45-year gap or so.*

R : (... I want to ask him, but it can wait. I don't really want to know the truth as of yet.)

Putting the issue aside, she looked forward, and saw a cart before them, with a group of people boarding it. Their appearances suggest that they are not of an Anikan origin, but of an Auseri origin.

R : (A carriage? This could be a good opportunity. I hope they speak Findeli, or it's going to be hard.) "It's a caravan. I wonder where they are headed?"

Roberia walked forward to greet the group of people, but their faces appeared shocked and terrified at her approach.

R : (Why are they so tense? It's not like I'm accosting them or something.) "Excuse me? Where is this caravan headed?"

*Cozy's Notes : Again, 'accost' is known to be used in 1597, about 27 years from then. So it's exempted. I really feel like omitting this whole issue on the existence of that language in their time thing, but if I did that it would become boring and stale. Like, it's like watching Game of Thrones without the Game. It's just Of Thrones. That kinda boredom will murder me like Desperate Housewives have.*

"It's headed South-East and transiting through Rugnud, along the border between Rugnud and Ohde, and then South towards Auser. I'm bringing some of my village elders back to Beinklaveich, a remote village in Auser."

R : (Ah, good. They do speak Findeli.) "Is it okay if we ride along with you? We need to get to Rugnud."

K : "I- If it's not... Not too much to ask."

Katachi caught up to her and followed up on her request, almost as if he's trying to hold her 'rude' manner of speech back.

"Sure. We've some space left open for luggage, you can rest there if you'd like."

K : "Thank you very much."
R : "Thanks!"

The contrast in their attitude and manner of speech stuck out like a sore thumb to these people.

*Cozy's Notes : I may end up removing the chronology limiter by the end of the Messiah route- Or even by this chapter. Next chapter onwards, I use whatever the f--- words I want.*


*** ***

The floor of the forest quaked with every step.

The colossal golem made of junk and scraps and rubble in its entirety took its steps forward blindly, without much thought or control. That, of course, is because the controller of the golem rests within, unconscious of its independent actions.

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. With every step the giant took, the trees in its path were forcefully uprooted and crushed. If that weren't enough, should it be unlucky enough to be stepped on, the trees would be split apart and then absorbed into the main body.

If the trees were alive, the act of murdering its own kin would cause a breakdown in their mental states.

Thankfully, they are not.

The golem, with its slow, looming approach, continued its warpath across a certain forest to the North-East of Mielfeud.

And then...

One of the trees it kicked over lay precariously on a cliff. With an uncontrollable, violent stomp, the tree was slammed into the ground with great strength by force.

All the destruction it had caused thus far made that small act appear commonplace. However, what lay beneath that one tree...

"!!!!!!"

... was a shrine most sacred that few have the gall to renounce, let alone demolish.

A deafening roar echoed his very being.

Under normal circumstances, the golem usually coats its caster in a protective shell of materiel. But the roar was something else altogether, to permeate the protective coating as if it were nothing.

It was not surprising, in the least. After all, Yvolki may be a manifestation of Man's dreams, but that does not exempt it from all feeling.

Just as how a child throws a tantrum when his toy is destroyed, it feels grief.

Just as how a woman witnesses the destruction of her house, it feels agony.

Yvolki erupts from the ruins of the shrine, and its eyes widen.

And...

A strange force is sucking everything around its vicinity into the Bird of Dream.

In the form of a tree, Yvolki's tail seemed to reach toward the ground- No... The length of its tail seemed endless.

*Cozy's Notes : BlackHole2Strong. But that's not actually a black hole so it's okay.*

It was piercing right through the ground.

Even from Deku's protective space, he could feel a powerful traction drawing him closer and closer to... Something.

D : (Such a powerful force...! I can't... I can't shake free!)

Deku could only be sucked into the void helplessly.

*** ***

When he opened his eyes, it was no longer the world he knew.

An endless world, with a warped sky that blanketed his entire vision. Mud of the murkiest brown, with broken swords and handles of spears long forgotten, rotten bones and a single skull with so much dirt on it that it was clear the flesh was eaten away by maggots and decay a long, long time ago.

Deku couldn't recognize the place at all. There was no hint to where he was, and there is not one location with a sky so warped that surfaced in his mind. The golem that surrounded him moments ago has disappeared.

In the truest sense, he was... Lost.

"Are you... The child of Forna?"

From behind him came a croaky, hoarse voice of someone. Deku turned around to greet the person that seemed to address him.

D : (Forna? My mother?)

Behind him...

... Was a being most peculiar.

It was a bald, albino existence, with a muffler made entirely out of blood suspended in mid-air. The 'man's' blood, if it were fitting to call such a unique existence as one, seemed to ooze from under his fingernails, and very slowly flow upwards toward his muffler. Sporting a tattered vest made of some monster's hide with black leather pants, he stands awfully still with his back slightly hunched.

D : (No shoes, in a place like this... And yet, his bare feet are as white as his skin.)

The figures stated within legends have had many unique individuals. There was an individual who sang her love to the sea for giving them everything, and became a famous worshipped idol in Ohde. There was an individual who sought the true path to peace and pacifism, and was respected as the Revenant of Chaos. There was an individual who sought the Eternal Wind, and became the Warlock of Wind.

But of them all...  There is only one possibility as to who this existence is.

This is an Apostle of the God of Blood, Otemiygnan.

D : (Amazing. My dream fight, right here?...)

How long had Deku yearned for an opportunity to do battle with the Apostle of such an obscure God? He had seen that magnificent fighting form only once, when his uncle was being punished for his involvement with a corruption most cruel. The unrelenting power from each attack, the lack of excessive movements, the sheer force that allows his bare hands to tear flesh and bone asunder...

Since he was a young child who followed Dardicel devotedly, he had dreamed of facing that figure one day, challenging that monster in a fair fight.

It was believed that the God of Blood has 5 apostles thus far, and each individual apostle was granted a role to fulfill. For example, the first apostle of Otemiygnan holds the sacred title "Gift Of Life", for the apostle governs all sentient beings as a representative of Otemiygnan itself, granting them the blood that pumps through their very veins.

For another example, the being that stood before him was the second apostle of Otemiygnan, with the title "Adjudicator of Spite". His role is to punish the men who thought so highly of themselves that they could afford to let the blood of others spill carelessly. That is a grave offence towards both Otemiygnan and Vithrolu, since the gift of life is not by their hands, and to unjustly devoid someone of that equal right to survive, to enact the act of Vithrolu himself is to say that they are of an equal rank as Otemiygnan and Vithrolu themselves.

For a moment there, Deku pondered how great it would be if Otemiygnan wasn't so obscure. If only Otemiygnan was worshipped everywhere, the wicked would not go unpunished, and there would truly be no need to fear any of the thieves or bandits.

*Cozy's Notes : Vithrolu and Otemiygnan are loosely based off of Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the two guardians who often escort dead souls to Hell. Except, well, their responsibilities are far greater than simply being devoted ferrymen for Yin Los, who judges the lost souls for their sins. That's a more Oriental take on things, but I chose to focus on a more Western form of spirituality in this story.*

D : "Yes. Forna is my mother."

"I can see the resemblance." The being relaxed its shoulders and straightened its back slightly.

To think that he would face this wondrous, truly horrifying monster in a place like this... The fruits of surpassing this trial are bound to be sweeter than anything else Deku will ever experience in life.

*Cozy's Notes : Just a confirmation note, Dardicel is the Lord of the Earth and the God of Trials. People who follow Dardicel love to challenge themselves to become stronger... Even if most of them do end up dying over a challenge far too difficult for the likes of them. Now that this is refreshed in your head, a quick question - Why do you think Yvolki asked Katachi if he was a follower of Dardicel in Messiah 9?*

D : "How did you know my mother?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that I killed the men who raped her young, nubile self with these bare hands? I didn't think so. It matters not - There must be a reason as to why I am summoned here."

D : "From the circumstances, perhaps I have been summoned to contest you?"

This is the perfect opportunity for Deku to set up his dream fight. He chose those very words carefully, to bait the monster into a fair duel.

A sad, tired sigh escaped the apostle's lips.

"Contest me... Very well. Let us begin, then."

D : "Agreed."

His fist glowed yellow, and he punched the death-filled soil.

But...

Nothing.

None of the soil reacted to his magic. His right fist did not even glow.

D : (What the-)
"Are you truly that foolish to attempt feats of Image Power in a domain like this?"

The monster's words rung in his head. Its muffler seemed to wriggle very slightly, and focused itself into a tiny ball of blood on the back of his neck.

That's right.

This domain... It's the Realm of Dream. He had been sucked in here by Yvolki, along with his entire Golem. Deku's read about this before - In the Realm of Dream, the rules work differently. That which is substantial becomes insubstantial, while that which is ethereal assumes corporeal form. The only reason why he has this very human image is because of his own image of himself being projected this way by his mind.

*Cozy's Notes : FYI, the Realm of Dream has an official name in Auser - Cosmatral Dmera. Like I said, Neud, Silo and Tlod are Bolt(metal), Soil(nature) and Dune(desert), and they are sister dimensions. But the Realm of Dream, Dmera, is an individual dimension by Yvolki itself, so I don't need to mix up the names.*

In the Realm of Dream, image power cannot be used to complement one's natural abilities because their very natures have been reversed.

So, instead of using his image power with his arm, he has to use his real arm with his image power. Instead of using visualization and actualization, he needs to clear his mind and start moving his body naturally-

The apostle lunged at him.

With a powerful thrust, the apostle slammed his palm against Deku's right shoulder, and he felt himself spin a couple of times before landing on the mud. The pain is real, but the ability to move after, as if it didn't hurt at all, is almost unreal. But the fact that the mud didn't stick on his body as he rose was a clear indication that this is definitely not the world he recognized.

That's a given, he thought. He had initiated the challenge, so he can't expect the opponent to sit back idly while he tries to work out how to move and control himself properly.

But, that doesn't make sense. Was it always this hard to move his body? That just doesn't add up. Surely, when one moves about in his daily life, his basic actions will be recorded in his mind, and his own image of himself should be highly synchronized with what he really is.

Unless...

... Unless he's looking at the situation wrongly.

If Deku had lost his golem, then the remnants of the golem should have been nearby. If he was truly in the Realm of Dream, then what he sees with those eyes, including his self, has to be an image.

So his real, human self...

... Must still be residing within the golem, completely immobile from the numerous amounts of scrap and rubble.

D : (... Hah. Hahahahah. How very cruel, Yvolki. Showing me the dream I prayed and yearned for the longest of time, only to deny me that privilege...)

It didn't matter how the Apostle was seemingly able to retain his power in the Realm of Dream.

It didn't matter that he was going to be brutally crushed by the being he admires the most.

D : (You absolute MOHCTp. I won't be bought by this, ever...!)

*Cozy's Notes : Yes, Deku is from Auseri. Yep, he just used Russian. No, I am not proficient in Russian, so I'll do my best to learn the language for characters in the future who need me to use proper Russian.*

Deku did his best to dodge the next set of attacks. His blows were fierce, and even in the Realm of Dream Deku felt like he was on the very verge of death. His body felt sluggish. His movements felt dulled. Deku was clearly not in an optimal state to move, let alone fight, and he felt like a fly who has lost one of its wings, being attacked by a venomous spider.

He could only watch and tolerate, as the silent beast leapt at him, and drove his whole arm into his heart and across his torso in a clean jab.

*** ***

*Cozy's Notes : Hell yeah. Yvolki is like Darkrai, y'know? Using Dark Void and sending Deku into the most horrid dream imaginable. It's like he's sucking Deku in, but that too is simply amassed image power, a mere illusion in itself. #Yvolki #Darkrai #BirdOfDream #BirdOfSwag

But, wait a minute! Cozy, you promised there to be a great fighting scene! This is just a one-sided beatdown! Where's my fight scene?! I want my amazing and epic fight scene like the one in Messiah 8, or in Messiah 17!*

A great force shook the lands as the giant mass of scrap collapsed onto the floor.

It kicked up the dust and leaves and twigs that have settled on the forest floor. The leaves quivered and the branches swayed and broke under its might. It made the villagers and townsfolk nearby feel a sense of insecurity and palpitation.

Deku rose from the heaps of scrap, clutching his heart.

D : "Ahh..." (That heart-thrusting blow is no joke. It was so intense that I can feel it, even if I knew it was merely a dream.)

He could only look around blankly and take in the scene, and from there work out what exactly happened.

D : (There's... There's signs of books and broken rubble, some branches and refined planks of wood, some twigs, some moist-looking rocks, so... I probably destroyed the library I was in before I took the drug, broke out somehow, and the rest of the stuff are just materiel I absorbed on the way to-...To... To what?...)

"You, standing atop the bunch of rubble."

A voice called out from behind him. Logically, since he is the only one atop the rubble, it would have been addressing Deku.

Deku spun around, and met...

... A bearded man even stranger than that apostle in the dream.

This man has a strange shirt embellished with a "I ♥ Homei" symbol upon it, with pants equally embellished in a strange, dark blue fabric he's never seen before. His brown hair and beard was styled in a bizarre fashion, and he wore shoes that looked extremely complex, designed with complexity in mind.

D : "Who... Are you?" (This man... Such peculiar shoes. If I didn't know any better, I would say those shoes are some ritualistic artifact to cast a powerful spell immediately. The dark blue pants may suggest an ice magus, but the pink shirt has strange symbols upon it that don't seem to make sense. It doesn't seem to have any ritualistic effects except brand individuality on the magus to make him distinctive and create a more powerful image.)

*Cozy's Notes : Those are called jeans, Deku. And those are just running shoes manufactured by Trail, by the way...? Jeans? Running shoes? "I ♥ Homei" shirt? WAIT A MINUTE-*

V : "I am Vance. I am one half of the Chosen Pair, and you must be an Atheist or something. Templars don't dress like that."

He spoke in strange, foreign terms that Deku could not quite understand. If there was one thing that is clear, however, it is that this existence seems even more unique than the apostles of Otemiygnan.

How would this being fight? What magic or art would he use, and how powerful is this individual? Deku wanted to know, all of a sudden. He wanted to find out how strong this individual truly is.

*** ***

*Cozy's Notes : My answer to the question on the lack of a fight? It starts right after this note. And the reason for this particular stream of events? It's pretty complex.

Vance is the protagonist from V.Vizard!, a story I wrote a while ago, but never saw the motivation to really finish. His story has the sort of contemporary fantasy setting which is my end-goal for writing this very story. Eventually, the events that transpire in WoP Quest will lead to a world similar to Vance's universe. His very existence serves as a big spoiler, because you'd understand while reading Endus Reignum. In fact, just reading V.Vizard! now should spoil a bit - Their concept of 'magic' works very differently. If you're interested, this is the link - http://iheartmorning.blogspot.sg/2012/10/vvizard-1.html

See, the events that play out here aren't as simple as you'd think. Yvolki is seething with anger that Deku has destroyed one of its shrines. But, before sending this man to his grave, Yvolki wishes to milk as much energy and power from him as possible.

So first, it satisfies Deku by presenting him with his dream fight in the Realm of Dream. It fulfills his dream by giving him the opportunity, but then crushes it thoroughly by denying him of his full strength. Deku's dream at that moment, when he refused to yield to Yvolki, changed - He wishes to fight someone similar to the apostle while remaining at full strength, so Yvolki grants him that by returning him to the normal realm, and having him face a challenger he could not hope to win against. It's also a good way to introduce the cross-over, because I have plans to continue V.Vizard! It's been too long. I've started it so I may as well end it proper, in the way I see that fits it best..

"Let that very dream be your demise, you Dardicel fool. I stand to benefit from the act either way." - Yvolki

That's why stuff happened this way. That's also why it's so very, VERY DAMN Final-Boss Level HARD to write this story. Oh the humanity, my head is throbbing. I can't think of an author out there who would consider all of these elements while writing their stories.*

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D : "You dare accuse me of being an Atheist?!" (I don't know what an Atheist is, but if it gets him to attack, I'm all for it!)

Deku's fist glowed yellow, and he punched the rubble he stood upon hard. The scraps around his region glowed yellow, and started cluttering toward his body.

It wasn't quite as big as it originally was, since Deku had been forced to his limit by that Surcleus drug as well as Bael's hypnotic suggestion. But, this foreign man can't possibly be capable of anything significant or spectacular.

The scraps surrounded his body, forming a protective layer of junk. Deku leapt down from the scraps, and landed before the foreign man's face, hoping to intimidate him and gain the boost in image power.

V : "I thought I had dealt with the likes of you a long time ago."

*Cozy's Notes : This Vance is a lot older, almost 14 years older than the Vance in V.Vizard, too. In fact, what happens next is actually a spoiler for V.Vizard! on Vance's true power, referenced in chapter 6 of V.Vizard! God, the spoilers are EVERYWHERE.*

But the foreign man named Vance simply held his hand against the armor itself, and uttered a single word.

V : "... Poltergeist."

In that instant, Deku felt it.

A powerful, possessive force overcame the scraps around him.

D : (!!! What... What magic is this!?)

But it had been too late for any regrets.

The scraps attached to his body were being pulled away from him forcefully, until he was stripped completely clean. The scraps that lay behind him began to float and encircle the both of them.

No... They were encircling him. He stood at the center of the floating piles of scrap, and was commanding them in a strange, strict but refined way. It was not a type of magic he has seen. In fact, he was quite certain that there exists not a single person that understood that nature of magic as much as the foreign man did.

V : "Let this orchestra of mine play to its entirety."

With that, the scraps began rotating faster, and faster, and they rapidly blurred from his vision-

D : "!" (I... I can't breathe-!)

Deku felt it. The air around him was getting thinner and thinner, and his lungs forcefully expanded to suck as much of that thin air as he could.

But this foreign man's power was truly formidable. To angle the scraps in a way that forces the air from inside outward, before spinning them so rapidly such that they literally create a physical border between the space within and outside, while forcing the air within outward at the same time.

Deku's fist glowed a second time, and he slammed the earth beneath his feet once more. The earth and soil were absorbed into his body, and formed a powerful, unyielding armor around him.

V : "Clever. Increasing your own general mass improves your inertia, while protecting you against the scraps. But for how long can you hold, Atheist?"

The foreign man named Vance stretched his hand out toward Deku, and he understood what the man meant... Roughly. Even though the language was equally foreign, he could roughly tell what the man was trying to convey.

The scraps that have circled them began attacking him from all directions - Above, sides, back, front, his only saving grace is that he now stands in a small crater left by the materiel absorption so the bottom half of his armor is relatively unscathed. The armor withstood the blows well, while barely being heavy enough to stop him from toppling over unnecessarily.

Perhaps the opponent's affinity with Earth is horrible, which would have explained how he did not rip the earth armor apart as easily as he did for the scraps.

But that could only provide a small window for deep thinking and strategy. After all, his opponent is using an unknown magic that is absolutely amazing.

On the fundamental level, it disables the rogues who attempt to engage the magus from a close range, to make them waste their magic and image power in slow attacks that will never land. The warriors have a hard time approaching and reaching the magus, because of the rotating scrap acting as a danger zone for checking their slow movements in place. The magi who bombard from far-away will have their magic disrupted by the scrap acting as a sacrificial substitute, and the magi who are forced into a close-range battle, like his current situation, will have no breathing room to rationally plan their next attack.

If it were ever recognized as an official spell, it could very well be a Sorceror-class spell. It could even be bragged further to a Great Sorceror-class spell if the foreign man were to remove the limitations it seemingly has. If it could tear away his armor, and even use that armor against him, Deku was sure that the chances of his survival are as good as zero.

How long has it been, since Deku engaged in a fight this intense, shutting out his chances of survival so thoroughly? How long has he yearned for such a trial to be presented before him, granting him the chance to ascend toward an even higher state? This one foreign spell is one that people on the level of Bertund himself would perform. So that effectively brands the foreign man as a sorceror.

Deku smiled. His demise was at hand, but he genuinely smiled. This tension, this amazing spell that surpassed his expectations of the foreign man, this fear of death... It gave him the exhilaration he sought.

Deku charged forward. Amid the hurricane of scraps, he could only charge blindly at the foreign man, hoping to take him down before his armor crumbles. The one weakness of that strange, Sorceror-class spell is that at the center of the ring, the caster is not properly protected. Had the foreign man clad himself in armor or possessed something else to protect him other than the scrap barrier, it would be a different story.

He lunged his soil-made gauntlet at the man, but the foreigner dodged it almost effortlessly. Deku couldn't afford to waste any more time - Every second ticking away in this zone brings him closer and closer to death, and the thin air must be affecting the man in some way as well. If the man could somehow breathe normally while Deku couldn't, then there must be some unknown, foreign curse at work, debilitating him in this zone.

It made sense to think like that, but Deku didn't pay any heed. If he had, the risk of empowering the curse with his own image power was a possibility, and that would merely be a waste. He placed every ounce of energy into his fist, and swung at the foreign man once more.

But the man anticipated it perfectly.

He twisted his body and positioned Deku's arm on his shoulder, using Deku's wild punch to his advantage. From there, he pumped his full strength into leaning forward. Deku was lifted off the ground and then slammed onto the forest floor with a stunning strength.

It became still.

The earth rumbled slightly, and then everything was quiet. Deku could feel the ringing in the back of his head, caused by the sheer force of the armor crunching against the floor and Deku suffering from the shockwave of the attack. He felt like a fruit placed into a small barrel, before being tossed down a flight of steps while within the barrel. It wasn't a fatal injury, but the fruit within the barrel will be bruised, as much as he is now incapacitated by the shockwave.

The earth armor that had defended him from the barrage of attacks thus far fell apart, likely from his inability to concentrate. Deku felt like he was going to puke, and his whole body had this distorted feeling, as if his sense of balance had been disabled.

Was Deku... Going to die?

D : "..." (... Well... It's been fun. This is the most excitement I've ever had in my life, even if my life ends here.)

V : "To kill is to sin, and killing you means I will revoke my V.Vizard powers. So I shall not kill you."

D : "...?" (He... He said he wasn't going to kill me? Why? Is he a worshipper of Segus? Vithrolu? Or is he another apostle of Otemiygnan I don't know about, who controls the blood of all that do not breathe or something?)

V : "But don't you get all smug and happy yet, Atheist. I will see to it that you won't use magic ever again."

Deku didn't quite understand what that meant. Could magic really be destroyed? Could image power truly be absolved by the hands of another?

... It didn't take him long to find out.

Deku didn't notice it at first, because he had associated it with the sense of dizziness. But as he awoke, he did feel a strange, tingling sensation in his right arm.

As if... As if the bones that comprised his right arm are being forced out from his palm.

It was painful. He felt his muscles contracting in a way similar to his throat muscles, forcing his arm bones out of his body.

Was it painful? Yes - Unimaginably painful. The muscles were moving involuntarily, and squeezing inward with a strength that would normally rip itself apart. The bones' uneven structure were scratching, rupturing and bruising the very muscles that pushed against it. The entire process was excruciating.

Finally... It was over. He didn't even have the energy to scream as the bones were being excreted. He didn't have the energy, nor the ability, to flex his muscles to cushion the pain since they were already contracted in a fashion that forced the bones out.

Deku could only lay quietly as the foreign man tended to his own devices.

V : "Bone Cannon."

He felt the sound of bone breaking and snapping apart, and then the sound of spokes piercing wet fruit.

Ah.

The foreign man had ground the arm bones into fine spears, and impaled his left leg with all the bones.

It was a horrifying sight, but he didn't even feel the pain anymore.

It was as if his brain shut out all the pain to preserve what little life he had left.

Deku was left to lay on the forest floor quietly, and quietly blacked out.

Saturday 12 July 2014

Great news while I write the next Messiah chapter!

Cozy :

I have finally finished Fate/Stay Night, Fate route.

Yeah, it's a small accomplishment, I know, but I finally finished it.

It's not that I lack my sources of inspiration, but I lack the motivation to write, so I took the time to read through the Fate route, and the ending...

... Ahh, that ending. That classic 'Last-line-you-hear-from-the-lover-is-I-Love-You-before-something-separates-them-permanently' trope. It's beautiful. It's sad. It's wonderful.

It's unreal.

My focus on WoP Quest is realism. It sounds almost insane, with how the world has Gods, and magi, and Creatures like Yvolki and Hraxiif, and all of those stuff.

But I still focus on realism. If I can express my thoughts for this story, it would be this.

Words of Power Quest is a story about a young boy who travels his world and gathers the 292 Words of Power (or die trying) and the trials and ordeals he has had to overcome.

It's true that WoP Quest holds similarities to the Deltora Quest series - I've held a comparison of it before in a previous post. But it also holds similarities to Fate/Stay Night.

Fate/Stay Night is well-known for the way the story itself is written. The usage of many short sentences to detail a series of actions, the feelings and thought processes of the characters and good usage of the elements it uses, they are all well-written. This style of writing is very popular in light novels.

My story's writing style is actually the exact opposite. Yes, it is also written in a light novel format, but the sentences are all phrased in a strange, obscure way that keeps you guessing and assuming the actual events that have happened in the story. Instead of throwing everything at the reader, the shards and fragments of what is remained stays there, and it's up to the reader to piece it together themselves - Very, very much like what Dark Souls has done. There's a mix of glass shards scattered across the ground, and how you piece and reform them into their original form is your choice.

The distinction in writing style makes it hard to see similarities between both stories, but it is there.

Shirou has a Noble Phantasm with him for a very long time, since he was rescued by Kiritsugu.
Katachi has a Curse Word within himself, before he became human, while he was still a sperm.

Shirou gradually learns to harness the power of his Projection magic, and uses it to save himself many times.
Katachi's mastery of his intuition from his childhood abuse proves to be a tide-turner for many of his battles.

There are many more similarities, but these two should be more than enough to show how alike the stories are. It looks like it's nothing big, like I'm just talking about the very base of the characters' drafts, but they definitely have a lot of similarities between them.

I would go far enough to say that Katachi is a darker, sadder version of Shirou. Of course, there are differences between them as well, but those are there to put a rift between them, so that you can distinguish them clearly without calling Katachi a carbon copy of Shirou.

For example, Emiya Shirou is a kind and dense person who seems oblivious to things with implicit meaning.
Katachi, on the other hand, has to interpret everything with a hidden, deeper meaning as a force of habit trained from his many wary experiences with the townsfolk of Mielfeud. It doesn't mean that Katachi isn't kind, but he's socially awkward because of his childhood and past. His behaviour and defensive nature is one clear distinction to prevent Katachi and Shirou from being too alike. It would be bad if I copied a character too far, after all. Also, I generally liked the way I presented Katachi - He feels distinct, unique, and real in that aspect.

And, well, the various characters all have their own depths and backstories. Most of that depth is centered around Katachi and Roberia because they are the story's protagonists, but I have plans to reveal the backstories of these various side characters and this large cast. (We're not even 1/3rd into the full cast of characters in the story. There are more to come, y'know :3 And Ian Bloodcrust is one of the Elites.)

Well, here's how I like to put the amount of depth and detail.

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1st place ) Katachi & Roberia

2nd place ) Important characters & Elites (Mother Rinnesfeld, Bertund, Ian Bloodcrust, Gahrel & Elise, Aozu Makoto, Byr, Lacuedia, Jullan, Cosette, there's so many)

3rd place ) Minor characters (Mr. Jiel, Mr. Lapp, Cestia, Loar, unnamed students, vagrants & beggars that don't impact the story a lot etc etc.)

*** ***

For 1st place, 75% of the story is through their eyes.

For 2nd place, they will have their own side stories after I finish all 3 routes, so that's after Endus Reignum and they come as a bonus.

For 3rd place, they will be implied or mentioned across the story, as the people who spread the rumors, etc. Their stories can be inferred from the way they speak, the way the act and interact, etc.

*** ***

Generally, that's what I have planned. It's my current attack plan for writing this story, even if I do not profit from it at all.

Cuz I wanna. Because I want to give a good effort for the very first story I have written. (That means you, WoP Quest. <3 I love ya. ♥)

And, if I want to, I'll self-publish this as multiple books. The part where the routes begin is a nice place to start a new book at, etc. (These books are going to be THICK. lol)

I haven't even begun heavy editing the story. I plan to polish and brush up the parts at the front, add some more descriptions and some 'bulk' to fatten the story up. Though... I could leave it as it is, skin and bones, since I love it that way and text containing pure maximalism like in The Pale King is just not my style. Why obsess over every detail when it's not going to affect the story in any significant way, am I right? (hint hint Chekhov's Gun hint hint)

Well, this is just a short update on what I've been doing, etc.

I hope to see the continued patronage of these wonderful people who have put effort into reading this story.

... My very first, and by far the longest story I have written.

I don't need it or expect it to be super famous or popular. In fact, I don't care if nobody reads it at all. But to those who have...

My deepest thanks. Not for adding 1 to the number of views on that page, but for giving the story a chance to be read.

The next chapter is about Deku battling Yvolki. Loads of things I gotta consider here and there, so it'll take a while. Also, Roberia devises a plan to save her, and Katachi's hides as they travel towards Rugnud.

Enjoy the next chapter. I'm sure the action won't disappoint.

Signing off,
Cozy