She just didn’t have the mental energy.
Why would he throw me off the edge? She thought to herself as she made sure not to move. She tried to slow her breathing as well, knowing that there could be Cimmerians nearby looking for her. Suddenly, a disconcerting groaning noise from high above caused her heart to start racing. Against her better judgment, she rolled onto her back to look up at the source.
Her heart skipped a beat.
The Sage Academy had finally been destroyed.
Whatever had kept it floating had been taken out, and now the entire structure was falling from the skies like a meteor.
And it was heading straight for her.
Chapter 8 – Drop
No, No, No! her thoughts raced as she instinctively tried to scramble to her feet, but something was a little off. Her prosthetic leg moved fine but her natural one was slow. She figured that it had been sprained at the least, but she had no time to analyze.
She propelled herself to her feet with her right arm and tried to ignore the chaos around her. Both Sages and Cimmerians were fighting, and although there weren’t as many as there had been up on the Academy, it was still sickening to see that they were oblivious to the doom coming down upon them.
“RUN!” her voice cracked. She only gained the attention of a few as she didn’t exactly explain why they should abandon their war. She began hobbling forward as fast as her legs allowed. She didn’t bother looking above as the construct got closer. She didn’t need to.
She could hear it.
It was whistling and groaning and creaking like an ancient giant that had finally been toppled over. She only hoped that she could outrace its dying rage and final breaths.
Remi was determined though.
If it hit her, she would weather the blow.
If it missed, she would weather the pain of those that had been lost.
All that mattered was making things right. Cimmerian had attacked the Academy unwarranted and she needed answers. Yes, it was war, but there were lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Cimmerian didn’t even bother to negotiate with their enemy, and she had to understand why. Weren’t they all part of the three worlds now? Didn’t they all vanish upon death? What was the point of all the fighting? Paragon didn’t even retaliate after the attack on Cirrus so why would Cimmerian keep on going? Hadn’t they caused enough damage?
I have to find them, she said to herself. The whistling of the incoming monstrosity behind her was so close that it nearly drowned out her thoughts. But she kept moving. She kept thinking of ways to react.
The Sage Academy’s structure overshadowed her.
It eclipsed the sun above and darkened the beauty of the flowers.
The shade made it colder than before and the booming sound of the first crash echoed across the valley, numbing her senses and deafening her ears.
She allowed herself to turn.
A stone wall—part of the East tower—came flying at her, seeking to take her soul. She refused its advances. She poured everything she had into her natural leg and propelled off of it to the left. She was launched out of the way of the tower and she rolled once she hit the ground. The stone wall exploded and a few of the crushed bricks hit her body but she gave the pain an appointment slip and told it to come back later. She jumped to her feet the best she could and looked behind her again.
There was nothing like the wall that had nearly taken her out, but there was a relative meteor shower now. Various stones, bricks, beams and bodies. All it took was one to pin her down and one more to keep her there.
She dodged what she could and sliced through what she couldn’t. She activated her Sage robes again, haven’t realized when they had disappeared. It had probably been when she hit the earth, but she couldn’t dwell on that. Not now.
The shower of debris became a drizzle now and she ignored its cries for attention. The boulders became hail and the bodies became parts. She was out of the most danger now, but far from it completely. She had to see who had survived and if they wished her harm.
Not many from what she could see through the clouds of smoke and dust. A few Cimmerians emerged from the fog in a frenzy and she gave them no time to recover. She slashed through the first one and threw her eidolon into the neck of the second. The third one threw up her hands in surrender but Remi wasn’t quite in the mood for mercy. She punched the Cimmerian in the face and then immediately turned her attention to her eidolon, still lodged in the soldier she had taken down a second earlier. She wretched it from the corpse and then cut through the fallen Cimmerian that was still clutching her face.
Remi sighed heavily and waited for more, but none came. After a few more seconds, she stretched her eidolon outwards and realized that most of the Cimmerians were retreating, and they were taking out as many Sages as they could in the meantime.
She wasn’t having it.
Remi ran forward and fell on her face.
No, she wasn’t having it at all.
Her body had reached its limits. Remi roared aloud, not caring at all if the enemy heard her and came for her life. She roared again and then she screamed, wishing someone would dare to come for her. She hoped that just one dared to test her. She wasn’t done yet. She wasn’t weak. She wasn’t. She wasn’t. SHE WASN’T!
“Stop,” she heard a familiar voice whisper in her ear. Remi craned her neck slightly and saw half of Olivia’s worn and exhausted face. Olivia was clutching her side—her gaping wound now seared shut and more surprising, there was now half of their enemy’s red sword in her hand. It had lost most of its glow, but the implications of possessing such a prize came over Remi’s face.
“A Sorcerer’s weapon,” Remi said low through her raspy throat.
Olivia nodded. “The Academy was finished, and we didn’t have time to stop that guy and force it out of his hands. I improvised. I’m sure there was a better and less painful way.”
“Yeah,” Remi sighed, feeling sleep massaging her back. “It’s…over?”
“For now,” Olivia winced, dropping down to one knee. “I don’t know what the losses are. But Cimmerian definitely won.”
“No,” Remi replied. “Not yet. Not…even…”
Remi’s eyes shut and her breathing slowed. Before she drifted off, the notion that she was entrusting her well-being to a traitor was all too clear to her, but she had survived through worse.
And to be honest, there were worse ways to die.
* * *
“KACE!” Remi screamed as she awoke. Finding herself in a bed, she sucked her teeth and threw the plush pink comforter off of her. She swung her legs over to the side and took a deep breath. How long had she been asleep this time? Her eyes fell onto her left arm. Strangely, seeing that it was still gone was relieving. If there had been a brand new prosthetic there then she would have known that a great deal of time would have passed.
She slowly applied pressure to her legs. Her natural one ached but it wasn’t terrible. She stood up straight and then started walking to the door in the left corner. The room looked similar to hers sans the mess, but she knew that she was in an entirely different place. She would never see the room she once had ever again.
She didn’t see her surroundings. She didn’t care to. She had to know what had happened.
She opened the door and found herself looking into a living room, full of posh furniture and carpets so thick that they looked softer than the grass in the meadow. The windows behind the group standing before her were wide and open, letting in the warm air. There was no smell of destruction. No smell of the dead.
Olivia turned around and smiled. Remi barely acknowledged her. She was still getting over the shock of seeing Ian there.
“You okay?” he asked, his eyes full of concern.
“I’ll live,” Remi replied. She tried to lean her shoulder up against the doorframe but she had already forgotten about the loss of her arm. She stumbled off balance and Ian ran forward to catch her. She caught herself, but that didn’t keep him from
putting his tender hands on her stomach and the side of her hip.
“You sure you’re okay?” he whispered, his eyes searching hers for lies.
“In time,” she admitted, clearing her throat. “What are you doing here?”
“You mentioned him,” Olivia said. “I was carrying you on my back and you kept muttering his name. It didn’t take a lot of asking to find out who he was and where I could find him.”
“Where are we?” Remi asked, taking Ian’s hands and removing them absentmindedly.
“Altostratus,” Ian said. “Another home of mine. And you’re free to stay here as long as you need. I heard about what happened to the Sage Academy. The whole world did.”
“And what does Paragon think of it?” she sighed, taking one of the loveseats nearby.
“They’re probably not going to do anything,” a stranger in the room replied. Based on his garb, he must have been a student at the Academy. “This is what they want. I wouldn’t be surprised if they coordinated the attack with Cimmerian.”
“What would be the point?” Remi sighed.
Olivia snickered. “Makes sense to me.”
“What does that mean?” Remi asked, lifting her head.
“Just because they’re supposed to be enemies, it doesn’t mean that’s how it is. Maybe Paragon is smarter than we think they are.”
“But to what end? What’s the point of allowing your home to be destroyed?”
“If you think about it…the losses on Paragon’s side have been miniscule. So far Cimmerian has only attacked the Sages and the Sorcerers’ weapons. Little else.”
“This is a conversation for another day,” Ian interrupted. He shook his head as he glanced down at Remi’s lost arm. “We’re going to need to get that fixed.”
“You know someone?” Olivia asked. “And someone that can get it done fast?”
“Why? Where are you going?”
“We’re heading out,” Olivia said, giving Remi a smile. She pointed down to the bandages wrapped around her waist. Remi received the message clearly—she still had the enemy’s sword hidden somewhere. Once they left, they would have a somewhat direct line to the next Sorcerer weapon in human form.
“Your journey?” Ian asked, turning to Remi. “Am I coming?”
Olivia snorted. “Why would you be coming along?”
“We talked about it,” Remi said sheepishly. “And I agreed.”
“How would he help us?”
“He has knowledge about Terra that we don’t. He knows what to eat and what we should avoid. That’s very invaluable.”
“I’m not going to risk my life just because you want to suck face.”
Remi winced. “It’s not like that at all.”
“Could have fooled me. I mean, it’s not like you’re worried about what happened to Kace.”
“What?!” she exclaimed. She tried to push herself up to a standing position with her left arm but she forgot that it was gone. She fell back into the seat.
“What do you care?” Olivia said.
“I do!” she said, refusing to look at Ian. “He saved my life up there, and I couldn’t see what happened to him after he fell. You have to tell me!”
Olivia sighed heavily and shut her eyes. “I think Cimmerian knew about your friendship, because they didn’t kill him. They took him hostage.”
“No…” Remi said, lowering her eyes to the carpet. “But…how do you know this?”
“After I got a chunk of that guy’s sword lodged in my ribs, I made my way to the platform in the East tower and took it down to the ground. I found Kace there barely alive and trapped under a boulder. I did my best to remove it, but I didn’t have the strength. And that’s when the Sage Academy started crumbling down around us. I was able to avoid it and I soon found you. After you went unconscious, I carried you myself and went back to where Kace was. I saw them carrying him away, and they were headed right for Paragon’s gates. I’m not entirely sure if he’s still alive, but if he is, I’m sure he’s in Cimmerian.”
“As bait,” Ian replied. Remi glanced up at him and then back down to the carpet.
“It doesn’t matter,” she muttered. “We have to get him.”
“Is that wise?” Olivia asked. Remi glared at her angrily. “Don’t look at me like that. Think about it. We would be heading straight into the enemy’s lair. We would be exactly where they want us. Is that what you want?”
“If Kace is alive, they won’t kill him until he’s been deemed useful,” Remi said low. “That means we can take a little time to prepare.”
“He could be tortured.”
“You think I don’t know that?!” she snapped, rising to her feet. “But we both know what needs to be done. We should find one of the Sorcerer weapons first and even the odds.”
“Or just make Cimmerian that much more powerful when they capture us all.”
“You don’t have to go.”
“Sorry,” Olivia chuckled. “I’m just seeing where your head’s at.”
“It’s clear,” Remi said through grit teeth, then she turned to Ian quickly. “So you know someone that can make repairs?”
“Yes, it’s the other person that will be coming with us besides Harlan and myself.”
“Who the—“ Olivia began. Remi stopped her, knowing she was about to start cussing up a storm.
“He’s a nice guy,” Remi said, putting her free hand on Olivia’s shoulder. “Very strong too. You’d like him.”
“Whatever.”
“Where’s Eckard?’ Remi asked, remembering Olivia’s better half.
“In the other room sulking,” Olivia sighed in frustration. “He was annoyed that he wasn’t able to do anything and everyone saw his unmentionables.”
“Well, go get him. We don’t have time to lose.”
Olivia headed toward one of the bedroom doors and burst through it, caring little for the structure around it. Remi shook her head and found that Ian was looking at her. She gave him a quick glance from the corner of her eye and he burst out laughing.
“Sorry, it’s just I never got to see you before in your natural habitat.”
“There’s hardly anything natural about what just happened,” she said. “I don’t know where James and the others went but they no longer have a home. From what I’ve heard, the relationships between Paragon and the Sages are so strained that there’s no way they’ll be integrated into its society.”
“And that might be for the best,” Ian said. “It forces them to look elsewhere.”
Remi was taken aback. “I thought you didn’t mind the Sages.”
“You misunderstand,” he laughed. “What I meant was that now they can look for the others. What many of us call the Ancient Knights.”
“I’ve never heard of them.”
“They’re not an organization. Nothing like that. It’s our umbrella term for the warriors of centuries past. The only ones that can make a difference in the war should the Sorcerers prove unreliable.”
“Why haven’t I heard of them?”
“Do you usually consort with those from Paragon? It’s not the type of conversation we would easily discuss with a Sage.”
“Well, we won’t be looking for them. I want the Sorcerers.”
“If anyone can find them, I’m sure it’s you.”
“I broke up with Kace,” she found herself saying. Immediately she chuckled under her breath and closed her eyes. Why did she say that? She wasn’t even sure if she liked Ian like that.
“Oh? I hope it wasn’t because of me.”
“Don’t be an ass,” Remi said, shoving him back with her one arm. Ian barely moved, but the gesture was enough to illicit a laugh out of him.
“I’m not. I’m being serious. I hope I didn’t cause any trouble.”
“No, this was in the making already. We just have different priorities.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s not a fighter. He would rather spend time with his friends than go on wild suici
dal missions, which I seem to have an unhealthy obsession with.”
“Which begs the question: if the situation was reversed, would Kace be heading to Cimmerian to save you?”
“I don’t know,” she said, staring out the wide bay windows. Everything looked so peaceful outside despite recent events, and it disturbed her. It wasn’t that she wanted the world to acknowledge the destruction of the Sage Academy and the loss of her friend, but at the very least, they should be aware enough to get up and prepare. Paragon was good at keeping things looking like Paradise on the surface, but how much turmoil would it take for them to admit the truth? How much suffering would its people have to endure before the officials recognized that there was a major problem on their hands? It would be uncomfortable to fix and approach, sure, but Paragon would be all the better for it in the end.
Only through fire could they be molded into their better selves.
“But it doesn’t matter,” Remi declared. “I can’t control what he does, only what I do. And what I’m going to do is save him one more time. Whether you’re with me or not.”
“Of course I’m with you,” Ian laughed. “And I will keep you looking gorgeous while you do it.”
Remi laughed.
She didn’t feel right laughing at first, but then she felt that it was necessary. Her journey would be a long and tumultuous one, and there was no ending in sight. She had to afford herself a few moments here and there to remember what she was fighting for, and most of all, to realize that she truly wasn’t alone.
Hearing the laughter of others kept her sane.
Chapter 9 – Fix
It was back to Virga for them all, but the trek there was not the same as it was before. The rain from earlier had certainly taken its toll on the environment. Though the sun was shining bright, the air still felt damp and heavy. The flowers below were waterlogged and only the tree branches high above looked beautiful as drops of water were illuminated under the ultraviolet rays. Many people were standing along the path with mixed feelings bombarding their psyche. While the heavy raindrops sitting on the leaves were fascinating and they were a new sight for the people of Paragon to behold, the muddy trail sucking in their expensive boots concerned them.
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