Heh, you didn't think I'd be able to finish this book without talking about it again, did ya?
As you may have already guessed, we are here again to talk about Roberto Pinchas, and his work, The Magnificent Third Rail: A Retrospective. Now, I did talk about this book in a previous post here, and while I said the story was weird, funny, and unique, I don't think I was able to convey to you three just how fucking wacky this goddamn book is.
I said this book was weird back then, and it is. I remember saying that giving you a synopsis was worthless, and somehow, that becomes more and more true as the book drifts further and further away from what you are initially led to believe is the plot, and it just gets weirder and weirder. The closest thing the book has to a protagonist dies in the prologue. Inanimate objects have chapters to themselves. The narrative tends to be in first-person, present tense, but there are exceptions to this, and some chapters even have the narrator speak directly to you, the reader. There's poems in there, not all of which are even in English. Some passages are concise and to-the-point, while others are oddly verbose and have a tendency to go on bizarre tangents that, due to the nature of the rest of the book, I am forced to assume were completely intentional.
Seriously, I'm not sure how to feel about it, but I am sure of this: had The Third Rail seen a more publicized release, if it had come out in an era where people would be more likely to read it (the past? The future? Who knows?) I can guarantee that there would be a group of hipsters who would unironically embrace Roberto as some sort of eccentric genius. And yet, everyone that knows him (himself included) knows that's not the truth.
That said, looking at it this way, I can only assume that The Magnificent Third Rail is one big, novel-long joke. However, if that's the case, who is the butt of that joke? The aforementioned hipsters in another era who would have figured him out to be some kind of misunderstood talent who the unwashed masses just didn't "get"? The hipsters who, by some chance, will find him now and say the same thing? The publishing companies who rejected him? The ignorant masses who mindlessly devour derivative, assembly line-esque, mass produced crap, never moving out of their comfort zone? Me, who is sitting here overthinking it? 21st Century society as a whole? Some combination of those? All of them? None? Do any of you know? Email me if you know. Post a comment on this webpage if you know.
Because, if I'm being honest with you, I don't know. I really, really, really don't know.
And for real, I'm willing to bet that it's really just nothing, but for some goddamn reason that just makes me overthink it even more. As I said before, The Third Rail will likely appeal to those with a certain mindset who could come to believe that Roberto was some kind of wise man who knew the secret to the meaning of life and hid it away in this strange, strange book. However, again, this most definitely isn't the case. But then, if there is no meaning to it all, then I realize that there's no point to asking the only question the book left me with:
Why?
I can't quite explain it, but there are so many things in this book that just made me want to ask: "why?" The material, for various different reasons, provokes the desire to question it, and yet, I know, for a fact, that there is no answer. However, that "why?" is still there, in my mind, waiting to be spoken. I hold it back, once again, knowing it'd be useless to ask.
Yet still, The Third Rail provokes me, drawing out that question with every page I read...
So why did I keep reading The Magnificent Third Rail even after realizing that there wasn't really any meaning to it all, and it might as well have been the same as reading Roberto Pinchas' posts on the Internet or something? Hm... would you accept "I had fun" as an answer? Because, beyond all that silly shit I wrote up there, the book is just oddly entertaining and if you read it, you'll likely want to keep going, if only to see what the hell else this guy pulls out of his head and puts to paper.
So, if you're reading this, go ahead to that Amazon link up there and click to Look Inside. If you like what you see, I'm sure you won't be disappointed if you spend $4 to read the rest of it. Or, if you're one of those who prefer physical and have a bit of extra money to burn, you could buy a paperback copy, instead. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Oh, and yeah, I've been procrastinating for a while, but I've still been making some progress. Sin Judge Knight is about half-way done (this isn't a One Piece thing where I'm just saying that, either. The way I have the story planned out, I do believe I'm half of the way through it) and I'm liking how it's shaping up, so far. Hopefully I'll be able to show it in a reasonable amount of time.
...but yeah, go read Third Rail.
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Words About Another: WasabiLinus (Forerunner's Odyssey): Part 2
Hello again.
Now, this time I'm not here because I'm just procrastinating. I've actually been working on something and I hope I get to show you before we all die.
Anyway, I'm here again to talk about Forerunner's Odyssey. Made by WasabiLinus, set in a fantasy world, blah blah blah I told you this already.
As I predicted, Linus's writing has improved over time, as he's gained more and more experience. That's not really important right now, though. What I'm saying is that he's thought up this setting and has an interesting story to tell in it, but he won't be able to show you everything in it. At least for now, he is focusing on telling a story, rather than fleshing out his world, but he still wants to share some details and stuff with the audience, so he came up with an alternative.
This poll. You have four options to choose from (and I personally chose the second) but if there's something else, then you can choose "Other" and write in a topic that interests you.
So, if that sounds interesting, go ahead and vote. Unless you haven't been reading Forerunner's Odyssey, in which case... why haven't you!? Like I said, it's been getting better and is worth a look. Definitely check it out at some point if you haven't.
Now, this time I'm not here because I'm just procrastinating. I've actually been working on something and I hope I get to show you before we all die.
Anyway, I'm here again to talk about Forerunner's Odyssey. Made by WasabiLinus, set in a fantasy world, blah blah blah I told you this already.
As I predicted, Linus's writing has improved over time, as he's gained more and more experience. That's not really important right now, though. What I'm saying is that he's thought up this setting and has an interesting story to tell in it, but he won't be able to show you everything in it. At least for now, he is focusing on telling a story, rather than fleshing out his world, but he still wants to share some details and stuff with the audience, so he came up with an alternative.
This poll. You have four options to choose from (and I personally chose the second) but if there's something else, then you can choose "Other" and write in a topic that interests you.
So, if that sounds interesting, go ahead and vote. Unless you haven't been reading Forerunner's Odyssey, in which case... why haven't you!? Like I said, it's been getting better and is worth a look. Definitely check it out at some point if you haven't.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Magic Knight Legends: The Phoenix Empire Pilgrimage: My Thoughts
There ya go. Another one finished. So, what did you think? Good? Bad? Somewhere in-between?
Personally, I think this was an improvement over the previous book. I hope the experience I've gained, little as it may be, showed through in the story itself. It'd be really embarrassing if it didn't!
So, what was it like, reading about Grey and Flèche while they were still alive? Personally, I ended up enjoying writing about Grey the most. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to give Flèche much to say or do... hopefully that'll change when I revisit this time period and this cast, and yes, I intend to eventually!
Anyway, Láng was a new character that the audience doesn't know yet. Well, technically not, anyway. You can see how similar to Trace she is, can't you? In fact, I kind of worry that I may have made her a little too similar. Aaaah, my audience has probably figured out one of later the plot developments already...! *sweatdrop*
Does the Phoenix Empire seem interesting to you? I sure hope so, because I'll have to revisit it in both time periods. Also, I'm probably butchering these languages, just putting stuff through Google Translate and pasting it in. Maybe I can pass it off as a stylistic choice if I keep doing it... *looks at the audience* W-wait! I mean--!
...but yeah, I managed to finish something else, and for right now, I'm happy with it. I hope you three are looking forward to more, because more is coming, eventually. Until next time!
Personally, I think this was an improvement over the previous book. I hope the experience I've gained, little as it may be, showed through in the story itself. It'd be really embarrassing if it didn't!
So, what was it like, reading about Grey and Flèche while they were still alive? Personally, I ended up enjoying writing about Grey the most. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to give Flèche much to say or do... hopefully that'll change when I revisit this time period and this cast, and yes, I intend to eventually!
Anyway, Láng was a new character that the audience doesn't know yet. Well, technically not, anyway. You can see how similar to Trace she is, can't you? In fact, I kind of worry that I may have made her a little too similar. Aaaah, my audience has probably figured out one of later the plot developments already...! *sweatdrop*
Does the Phoenix Empire seem interesting to you? I sure hope so, because I'll have to revisit it in both time periods. Also, I'm probably butchering these languages, just putting stuff through Google Translate and pasting it in. Maybe I can pass it off as a stylistic choice if I keep doing it... *looks at the audience* W-wait! I mean--!
...but yeah, I managed to finish something else, and for right now, I'm happy with it. I hope you three are looking forward to more, because more is coming, eventually. Until next time!
The Phoenix Empire Pilgrimage: Epilogue (Grey)
That
evening, we return to the Great Hall of Emperor Ōtori, with the
priest boy, Shu, in tow.
“Ah,
you have returned alive!” The High Priest, Jiro, runs over and hugs
his son. “Thank you all so much for watching over him! Luna will
surely bless you!” Seeing that, seeing a father so thankful that
his boy has come home alright, it brings a smile to my face.
“Another
good job, Magic Knights,” Emperor Ōtori says, smiling. “Jiro, I
trust we'll be sticking to the arrangements we've made about their
reward?”
“300,000
Gien each, right? I'll have it mailed to them as soon as possible.
Thank you.”
“300,000!?”
Holy crap, that's a lot! You could almost buy a small house with
that! “High Priest Jiro, I don't think--”
“Please
take it,” Jiro says, smiling at me. “It's the best way I could
express my gratitude.”
“Hey,
I won't argue with that,” Láng says, shrugging.
I
let out a sigh. “Neither will I.” I smile at the holy man. “I'll
take it gladly.”
He
laughs. “Good, good. Just remember not to spend it all in... ah,
who am I kidding. It's your reward, do as you wish with it.” He
starts to leave. “Let us be on our way, son.”
“Just
a moment, father,” Shu says. He stands in front of us. “Grey,
Láng, Flèche, thank you. If it weren't for you, I would not have
had the strength to complete my journey. I wouldn't even be standing
here...” He wipes a tear away from his eye. “Deeply, from the
bottom of my heart, I thank you.”
Feeling
no need to say anything, I reach out my hand. Shu takes my hand in
his and shakes it. He then departs from the Great Hall with his
father, Hopefully to get a night of well deserved rest... Emperor
Ōtori dismisses us, and it is time for us to head home, as well.
“Well,
my home's this way,” says Flèche, pointing right. “I'll see you
in the morning, okay?”
“Okay,”
I say. “Good night!” I wave to her, and go down the street with
Láng.
“Why
are you walking me home, again?” Láng asks, after a moment.
“My
house just happens to be in the same direction,” I say, not trying
to bring my feelings into it, “but hey, if it bothers you that
much...”
“No,
no, it's not a big deal. You can walk with me,” she says, still
walking. “Come and walk next to me, it feels weird when you're
behind.” Not willing to argue, I just do so.
“Another
quest completed successfully, huh, Grey?”
“What?
Uh, yeah. Mission complete,” I say, lost in my thoughts.
“Something
bothering you, man?”
“No,
it's nothing.”
“No,
you're lying.” Láng walks a little ahead and stands in front of
me. “We're a team, right? We're supposed to rely on each other.
Tell me... what's wrong?”
“...Flèche
told me that you almost died fighting Ghostmask.” Láng's eyes
widen when I say this. “You could have died, and... and I was
unable to do anything.”
“Ah,
where did this come from...” she says, scratching her head. “Well,
yeah, I could have died. I was fighting someone who was trying to kill us, so what do you expect? Why are you worrying right now, though? I'm alive.
Everything's fine...”
“No,
it's not!” I shout, grabbing onto Láng's shoulders. “This isn't the way things should be! Shu said
that you would make a great Magic Knight... I know that truth better
than anyone... but look at the way things ended up!”
“Grey,
don't start--”
“This
power should've been yours in the first place! I have to stop being
useless... I have to get strong enough to fight for both of us! Don't
worry, Láng, I'll pro--”
Láng
shoves me away. “Don't you dare say it, Grey! We've been over this
before, and if you say such an idiotic, cliched thing like I think
you're about to, I'll deck you, so just shut up!” She starts
rubbing her forehead. “Look, Grey. Let's say you did 'get strong
enough to fight for both of us'. Let's say I did just let you protect
me. Okay, then... How would I be able to protect you, then?”
“What?
That's...”
“Grey,
you can't just play the lone hero. It doesn't work that way. Like I
said, we're a team. You've got powers that I don't. I understand
that. Still, that doesn't mean you're immortal. If you died
protecting me and I could do nothing, do you really think I'd be okay
with that?”
“...”
“See?
You, me, Flèche... we all can die, so we all need to protect each other. Besides, I still have a favor to ask of you.” She
smiles at me. “I can't tell you what it is if I'm dead, can I?”
Ah
yes, that's right. How could I not have seen it that way? “Alright,
I get it.” I reach out for a handshake. “Until I can keep our
promise, I won't die, but don't you go dying either, got it?”
Instead
of taking my hand, Láng embraces me again. It's just like that day
four years ago... “Don't worry, Grey. I won't die.” She
eventually lets go. “Well, my house is right here, so I'll see you
tomorrow.” Not knowing what else to say, I just nod. “...and
Grey...”
“Yes?”
“Thank
you.”
With
that, she walks into her house. I start heading home, myself.
...Láng,
I'm sorry for doubting you. For forgetting, even if only just for a
second, what kind of person you are. I won't let that happen again,
though. I should know, by now, that the three of us are strongest
together, so whatever load we have to carry, we'll carry it together.
Thanks for reminding me, Láng... I will go on believing in you.
The Phoenix Empire Pilgrimage: Chapter 4 (Grey)
“Damn
you!!!”
Just
as I turned to look at the source of that voice, I saw a fist flying
into my face. With no time to defend myself or avoid the punch, I
ended up falling to the snow-covered ground, a fresh pain blossoming right between
my eyes.
After I regained my senses, I looked again in the direction of that voice. I saw that it was the girl I brought back from the forest the day before. Now, being a Magic Knight serving the emperor, I was expected to keep up a certain image around people, so I responded to this in the best way I could.
After I regained my senses, I looked again in the direction of that voice. I saw that it was the girl I brought back from the forest the day before. Now, being a Magic Knight serving the emperor, I was expected to keep up a certain image around people, so I responded to this in the best way I could.
“What
the hell is your problem!? What was that for!?”
Well,
I tried.
“All
this time,” she began, “all this time I've been wondering who took
it from me. Who robbed me.” She pulled me off of the ground by the
white gi I was wearing. “It was you! This is all your fault!”
Not
stopping to think, I made a fist with my right hand and punched her
with it. She hit me first, after all. That's what I thought to myself
at the time.
“What
are you going on about? Don't hit people and go spouting crazy shit
only you understand! Tell me! Why the hell did you hit me!?”
“What
is your birthday?” She asked as she wiped away the blood from her
mouth.
“What
does that have to do with--”
“Just
say it!”
I
held back my anger and told her. “The tenth of January! Why!?”
She
put her hand on her forehead and started laughing. “It's the same...”
“Wait,
you don't mean...”
“Yeah,
I do. That power you're using, I had been training my whole life for
it.”
I
thought back. I thought back to when I first spoke to Emperor Ōtori.
He did say there was a girl that was meant to become a Magic Knight,
but since the Stargazer chose me...
“You
call it WarMaster, right? That power was supposed to be mine...”
She smirked, mocking me. “You must be feeling awful lucky right
now, huh?”
“Tell
me, who are you, really? You called yourself Láng, but I know that's
not your real name.”
“Xuè
Shísān. I was the youngest child of the Shísān family before
another boy was born two years ago. Once word spread that a child
under the same Birth Star was chosen, my mother threw me out like so
much trash. No magical knighthood for me,” she said, shrugging,
“but it's okay, right? It's
not a big deal, you're a hero, right? You can solve my problem, can't
you, Magic Knight?”
Because
of that, even if only for a few moments, I hated myself. I suddenly
regretted hitting her. The training she went through to be chosen
must have been hellish, and then she wound up in that forest... While the pain I've caused her was indirect,
what I had done was somehow worse than if I had hit her a hundred,
no, a thousand times. Perhaps even worse than if I had killed her. I
had no right to punch her back...
“No,
I can't,” I said, trying not to make myself look more shameful than
I already did. “I can't ever make something like that right, ever.”
Unsure what else to do, I found myself kneeling. “I can never make
it right, so do with me as you please. I've heard that Magic Knights that die can pass on their powers to those under the same Birth Star.
Hit me until you're satisfied. Until the life leaves my body. Until
these powers belong to you, as they should have in the first place.”
I
couldn't bring myself to look up, but I could hear her sighing. “No.
No, I won't do that.” She knelt down and touched my face. “This
is kind of your fault, but it can't be helped, right? You're not the
person I should be angry with.” She placed her hand on my chin,
prompting me to lift my head up. “You don't deserve to die, so I
won't kill you. Just... remember that I need you to do me a favor,
got it?”
I
was shocked. Was she really willing to let me go with just this?
“Truly? Is that all you want?”
“Yes.
You just have to do me this favor and it's alright.”
I
was almost moved to tears... “Yes! Yes, I will do it, Xuè!
Anything, no matter what it is, I'll do it! Just tell me what you
want!”
“Nope,
not telling you, yet.”
“Eh?”
For a moment, I was confused. How could I do her a favor if she
wouldn't tell me what it was?
“Don't
worry, I'll tell you when the time is right. Until then... don't die,
okay?”
I
nodded enthusiastically. “I'll do it. I'll live. It's a promise!”
I reached out for a handshake.
Instead
of taking my hand, Láng wrapped herself around me, embracing me.
Being a teenage boy, I couldn't help being excited, but I was more
nervous than anything else. It didn't matter, though. What I was most
concerned with was keeping my promise. What I wanted most was to make
things right for her...
“Thank
you, my Magic Knight. Thank you, Grey...”
Grey...
Grey...!
“Grey!”
All
of the sudden, I find myself laying on the ground. Flèche's face is
hanging above me, blocking the bright sun.
“Ah,
you've finally woken up!” She smiles, then stands. I sit up and
notice the bandages on my right knee.
“What
happened?” I remember feeling terrible pain in my knee and falling
over. Then I summoned swords for Láng so she could fight Ghostmask,
and... everything is a blur after that.
“Láng
fought them off by herself, Grey,” Flèche says.
“Is
she okay!?” Unable to contain my worry, I try to stand up and look
for her, but pain shoots through my knee, immediately sending me tumbling back to the ground.
Not quite as bad as before, but it still hurts.
“Don't
try to stand! You still haven't fully recovered! Pain and suffering, be undone...” A light appears on her hands. She places that light on
my wounded knee. “Normally, I'd let you regenerate, because you'll
be okay after the little injuries you usually get, but this knee was
completely blown open... This isn't going to heal itself.” After a
couple more seconds of Flèche healing me, the pain starts to go
away.
“So,
how long was I out?”
“Not
even a half-hour,” Flèche says, “I don't think. I did tend to
Láng before coming to treat you, so don't worry about her.”
“Was
it bad?” I don't know why I've bothered to ask, given that she just
said Láng is fine, but I guess I just can't help myself.
“...she
would have died if I wasn't here to heal her.” Flèche looks very
sad when she says this, but then she smiles. “But I managed to save
her, see?” She points to Láng, sitting on the ground to my left,
with Shu sitting nearby and talking to her. “Healing is something
I'm rather good at, so I won't let either of you die. You can count
on it.” She stands again. “Come on, try standing, now.”
“Okay.”
I push myself off the ground and take my feet under me. There's still
a little pain, but it's nothing compared to what I felt earlier, and
it should go away on its own. “It's good.” That makes Flèche
smile. “Are we ready to go?”
“Láng?”
Flèche calls. Láng stands up from where she's sitting and gives a
quick nod.
“Alright,”
I say, watching Láng help Shu off of the ground. “Into the forest
we go.” I take a deep breath, and prepare myself to step inside,
knowing everyone else is behind me. Feeling little fear, now, I enter
the Lunar Forest...
...
Heading deeper into the forest, I've noticed... it's the middle of summer, isn't it? Why do the trees look so dead? Why do orange leaves cover the ground? Where are all the animals? Something is definitely wrong. Indeed, if a dragon is here...
...
Heading deeper into the forest, I've noticed... it's the middle of summer, isn't it? Why do the trees look so dead? Why do orange leaves cover the ground? Where are all the animals? Something is definitely wrong. Indeed, if a dragon is here...
“You missed it, Magic Knight Grey!" I suddenly realize that Shu has come up front with me, which snaps me out of my thoughts. "Láng fought them off all by
herself! It was amazing!”
His
enthusiasm gets me thinking back to the first time I saw Láng fight.
Yeah, at the time, I truly was amazed. Walking through the forest
still, I smile at Shu and nod.
“Is
it true that she has no magic, though?” Shu asks.
“Hmm,
what, Shu? Why?”
“I
asked Láng what kind of magic she was using during the fight, but
she said that she can't use any.” Shu laughs nervously. “I mean,
she was joking, right? She seems like she messes around like that a
lot, so I think she was pulling my leg. There's no way a normal human
can fight like that, right?”
“Láng
was telling you the truth,” I say, casually.
“What!?”
Shu raises an eyebrow. I have to admit, it's always funny when people
react like this. “Ah, you're in on the joke, too, aren't you? Come,
now, Magic Knight, this has gone on long enough, don't you think? So,
what magic is she using?”
Walking
forward, I just say: “I said she doesn't use any. It's not a joke,
Láng can't do magic.”
I look at Shu again, and he seems to have been taken completely aback. “You're serious, aren't you... You really mean to tell me that Láng isn't a Magic Knight?”
I
look back at him and shake my head. “She isn't. All of her
sword-fighting abilities come from talent, intense training, and
skill. She's developed all of that power by herself. No Stargazer ever
gave her any gift of Knighthood.”
For
a moment, Shu is left speechless. He starts to speak about a minute
later.
“...I can't believe it. It's so... ridiculous, but you're
telling me the truth, aren't you? I guess there are some really crazy
things in this world, huh?”
I
nod. “Yes, indeed.”
“But
yeah, it's amazing,” Shu says, smiling. “Even though she hasn't
been Knighted, I hope that one day, the chance for that to happen
comes her way. She'd make a great Magic Knight.”
I
have a ton of thoughts on that... far too many, some too painful, but
I choose to voice the simplest one. “Yes. Yes, she would.” I keep
walking forward... “Yo, Shu, we are going the right way, aren't
we?”
“Yeah,”
Shu says. “The Tree of Luna is in the center of the forest. I can
feel us getting closer to it... Just keep going.”
“Gotcha,”
I say, smiling. Our walk through the forest continues...
“YOU
SHALL NOT PASS!”
Out
of the darkness of the forest, arrives the undead knight from before,
approaching us with his large, black sword in hand. “The Lady of
the Forest is just ahead,” he says. “I will not disappoint her.
All four of you must turn back, or die here!”
Láng
steps forward with no hesitation. However, for a moment, she just
stands there, looking at him. I eventually notice what is bothering
her. The armor that's been broken by Ghostmask has not been restored.
I can see the otherworldly glow coming from inside of it.
“The
Lady of the Forest has not restored you to full power,” Láng says,
then, to the surprise of Shu and Flèche, she walks into the shade of
a nearby tree and sits there, swords sheathed. “I will not fight
you. Not like this. Return to your Lady and come back, completely
prepared.”
“But
Láng--” Shu starts.
“Calm
down, I got it...” I cut him off and walk over to Láng. “Láng,
this is no time to be selfish. Let's just stomp this guy, since
you seem to know how to beat him, and move on.”
“No.”
“Come
on, now, just sacrifice your pride for a few minutes, so--”
“Shut
up! It's not about pride!” It couldn't be more obvious that she's
lying.
“You
know, I can usually count on you to be honest,” I say, kneeling
down so I can see her face. “Fine, then. What's the problem?”
Láng
averts my gaze, looking toward the undead knight. “It's not about my pride, it's about
his.” I look at the knight, myself. “He's arrogant enough to come
out here and face us, despite being not being at full strength
because of the last fight. It's like he means to mock me...”
Hearing
that, the knight laughs. “You pompous mortal girl! You're still
saying ridiculous things like that... It makes no difference if my
armor is complete or not! The end result will be the same!”
“Yeah,
of course,” Láng says, “the end result of me killing you.” She
stands up and starts to draw one of the swords I had given her. “At
least, the way I wanted to do it, you would have been able to keep a
little dignity.” Sword drawn, she now holds it in front of her.
“Grey.”
“What
is it?” I ask, standing next to her.
“I'm
assuming you'll want to help, although either way, this will be over
quickly.” Instead of complaining about what she just said, I simply
nod. “Use something heavy, like a great axe. You have one, right?”
I
go digging through my sack of scrolls, find the one I'm looking for,
and open it. I touch the “钺”
and
send my mana flowing into it. The handle of the axe comes through the
scroll. I grab it and pull the whole axe out. Normally, these would
be awful heavy, but...
“WarMaster!”
Thanks to this spell's ability, and my heightened strength, I can
barely feel the weight at all. I now hold the great axe with both
hands.
“Strike
his chest,” Láng says to me. “We need to expose whatever's
glowing inside his armor so we can strike it and defeat him.” She
seems to smile as she says this: “Though you might protest, I'll
distract him, this time. When you see an opening, hit him with the
axe.”
I
don't bother raising a complaint, knowing she won't back down even if
I do. I just smile and nod.
“Alright...”
Láng dashes forward. “Here I come!” As she runs toward him, the
undead swings at her feet. Láng hops, and, in midair, slashes
diagonally at the knight's face. Would now be a good time to
strike...
Just
as I think to move in, the undead knight tries to swat Láng away
with his free hand. She quickly steps back, and then counterattacks,
stabbing at the joint in his armor's left arm. The strange black
blood spills out of the joint where Láng stabbed him. Suddenly, I
feel it... I need to move, now!
As I dash toward them, I see the knight raise his sword overhead, then bring it down. However, Láng easily deflects it with her sword. While he stands there, stunned, she moves out of the way, and I come from right behind her...
“RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”
I lift the axe above my head, then swing diagonally, bringing the axe
down with a loud crash. I can now see what he was hiding behind this
armor...
I
see what looks like a gem of some sort. A gem, attached to his flesh
where his heart should be. The “skin” surrounding the gem is
pitch black, veins are spreading out from the gem, seemingly all over
his body. I have never seen anything like this... I don't believe I
have, at least...
Suddenly,
an arrow goes flying into the gem, breaking it. I look at it and see
that it's just an ordinary arrow. For it to have broken the gem... it must have been enhanced by magic.
“Flèche?”
“Well,
I couldn't just sit back and let you two have all the fun, now, could
I?” Flèche says, holding her magic bow in her right hand. I gotta
say, I almost forgot that she had that thing... This is the first
time she's pulled it out on this quest, as far as I know. She
approaches, walking past us and kneeling down to look at the undead
knight.
“...Is
this is end...? Will I pass away, being of no use to my Lady? Even
this time... even this time... I have failed her.”
“What
do you mean?” Flèche asks, calmly.
“Do
you know of the Thirteen Houses War, foreign girl? I was of the
House of Yī. It was my duty, no, my purpose in life, to guard Lady
Yī. However, I was arrogant. I was no match for the Phoenix Emperor
and his men. I failed her... but it wasn't over! By some miracle,
Lady Yī came back from beyond the grave and breathed new life into
me! I thought to myself, the gods have given me another chance! The
Lady told me that she needed the prayers from the Lunar Forest to
stay alive, so I brought her here, and told myself I would guard her
with my life, but even this time... I have failed her...”
Láng,
Flèche, and I all share a knowing look. We've all come to the
conclusion that this Lady of the Forest can't possibly be his Lady
Yī.
“The
prayers of the forest...” Shu says, to himself. “That means...”
“Yeah,”
I say, “the Lady is the one causing the corruption. The undead
we've been seeing, here, have been raised by her.”
“This
is correct,” the knight says. “If you... purify the spirit of
Lady Yī... the corruption will stop and the prayers will reach the
goddess again...”
Flèche
asks: “Shu, would you be able to prepare a Holy Blessing? This Lady is
likely something my Inmortuorum Vertunt will not work on.”
“I
will try.”
Flèche
turns to the knight again. “Knight of Yī, worry not. This shall
all be over, soon. You've endured a great pain. However, despair not.
You shall pass on to the next life, and hopefully find peace.” Her
hands glow, and she touches the broken gem. “Inmortuorum Vertunt.”
With
that, the undead knight begins to fade away... “Ah, perhaps... for
it to end like this...” He sheds a single tear. “For it to end
like this... perhaps it isn't bad after all...” He smiles. It was
the first real smile I've seen on him, and, of course, it will be the
last. In that moment, I find myself hoping that he finds peace... and
then he is gone.
“May
you rest in peace.” Flèche stands up, now. “Well, are we all
ready? Let's go and cleanse the forest. Our quest is almost over.”
She smiles, saying this. “Grey, lead the way.”
Nodding,
I walk forward. “Alright, Let's go, everybody.” We head onward.
Deeper into the forest...
...
...
We
finally reach the center of Luna's Forest. We stand at the tree,
larger than any other tree in this forest. At the base of the tree,
the Lady of the Forest is waiting for us.
“I
see. So he died...” She looks at us with hellish, purple eyes. The
instant I see them, I know something... just isn't right. How I am
unnerved by her grey hair and unnaturally pale skin is beyond me.
Somehow, it feels very familiar... yet this feeling isn't as strong
as the one in my memory.
“Shu,”
I whisper, “what do you need to prepare a blessing?”
“Time,”
he says. “I just need time.”
“Alright.
You will get plenty of it.” I walk towards the Lady of the Forest.
Láng and Flèche follow me. I hear Shu speak, preparing to purify
the Lady. Standing here, I say to the Lady...
“You're
a dragon, aren't you?” Láng and Flèche look at me after I ask
this question, but remain silent and keep listening.
“That's
correct, mortal,” She says, smiling. “You've encountered a dragon
before, haven't you?”
“I
have to say, you don't seem as strong as the other dragon I have
seen. You're not at your full strength, are you?”
“You're
smarter than you look,” she says, giggling. “That's right, I've
lost a lot of power on my trip to this plain, the world of the
humans...” A twisted grin... “I happened to be near this forest,
so I decided to twist the prayers to that goddess Luna and use them
for my power. Of course, I wouldn't be able to do this if a bunch of
brave adventurers on a quest of glory or whatever else came and
thought of slaying me. So I sacrificed some of the little power I had
to reanimate that guy and keep people from disturbing me.
Manipulating him was easy, all I had to do was search through his
memories and make myself appear to him as his Lady Yī.”
“So
you just used his emotions for your own benefit...” I see... that
knight was a victim, too... “That's... that's terrible! Why did you
have to toy with him like that!?”
“Because
it's funny.” She grins again, showing her sharp dragon teeth.
“Humans are funny things, so sometimes, us dragons come and play
with them, like this!” She stands. A horrible aura exudes from
her... “Sometimes they break, and that sucks, but I can always find
a new toy, right?”
“DAMN
YOU!!!” I can't listen to this anymore! Messing with people like
that... Messing with the dead like that... Unforgivable! I'll kill--
“Get
down!” Suddenly, I'm knocked over. Before I realize what is going
on, I feel strong heat just above me. Once the heat is gone, Flèche
gets off of me and stands up. “Are you okay?”
She
reaches out her hand, and I take it. “Yeah.”
Shu
shouts out: “Magic Knights! I just need a little more time! Distract
her just a moment longer, please!”
“Got
it.” Let's see... I have to think rationally. I do not think I can
take a dragon in a straight up fight. Even with Láng and Flèche
here, we won't be able to beat her. We would need to be stronger than
we are... Our only option is fight defensively and wait for Shu to
finish... “Alright, let's do it! Flèche, cast a spell that will
protect us! Láng, for now, watch the dragon carefully.”
“Alright.”
“Gotcha!”
I
watch as the “Lady of the Forest” begins to change. Her pale skin
becomes black scales, looking similar to those the undead knight was
wearing. From her head grows two ram-like horns, and her grey hair
becomes like porcupine spines... she continues to grow in size. She
begins to inhale, and her throat starts to glow... not good.
“Vento
Scutum!” Just before the flame hits us, a powerful wind surrounds
us all, protecting us, like a shield. The dragon quickly sees that
her attack isn't working, however, and stops breathing fire.
“Oh,
twisted creature who fills their cup with rage at the divine
arrangement...” I hear Shu start to chant.
The
dragon stands on its hind legs, somehow extends its front claws, and
swipes them at us. The wind shield will not be able to protect us
from this...
“Everyone
get out of the way!” With the split second we have, we all jump
into the sky. The attack barely misses, but tears up the ground where
the dragon struck. She's barely missed Shu, who hasn't moved...
We
fall back to the ground, and form a “wall” around Shu. The dragon
makes a fist...
“!!!”
Thinking as fast as I can, I go through my scrolls and pull out as
many as I can with “盾”,
about twenty, and I throw them up into the air. I have to charge a
lot of mana for this to work... Flame within my soul, burn ever
hotter, that I may overcome any challenge! Burn... Burn...! BURN!
“SHIELD!”
All the mana that I've built up goes out... It touches every scroll,
and out from each of them comes a shield. I'm not done, yet, though.
I reach out my hand to the shields, and continue to manipulate my
mana...
“Be
bound!” With that, all twenty shields connect to each other,
forming one large shield.
“...behold
the price for opposing the order of the gods!” Shu continues to
prepare the blessing...
The
dragon's fist finally comes down! The sound of impact... The shield
was able to withstand it, but the dragon pounds the shield again...
again... again...
I
hear the shield crack. Damn, I can't do anything! Come on, a little
longer! Just a little longer!
CRASH
The
shield shatters... The dragon's fist comes right toward us,
Immediately, I think to dive and pull Shu out the way...!
BOOOOOOOM!!!
BOOOOOOOM!!!
The
ground breaks under the power of the dragon's fist. It almost looks
as if there was an earthquake of sorts... “Shu, you alright?”
“Yes...”
He presents to me a small piece of paper, which I assume holds the
Holy Blessing. “Touch her with this. It doesn't matter how
you do it, as long as it reaches her...”
“...we
win,” I say, taking it from him.
The
dragon seems to notice what's going on, and the wings on its back
spread. It flies... higher... higher... higher, still.
“Here
I go.” I pull out another “剣”
scroll,
and shout “Sword!” putting my mana into it. I pull the sword from
the scroll, and then I pull out another scroll. One last “盾”
scroll.
“Shield!” I pull the shield from the scroll, and charge mana into
my feet.
I
jump. I jump higher than any human possibly could. Into the sky. With
the birds, and even higher. The dragon's throat lights up, and it
shoots one more blast of fire at me. I hold the shield up before it's
too late. The fire blocks my view of the dragon, burns my skin...
Come on, Grey... it's not so bad. You've been through worse...! You
have to keep going! You have to endure! Endure it! I know you can!
Go! Keep going!
I
discard the shield, burned beyond use, and keep going...
“RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”
I
appear out of the flames like a demon out of Hell. I affix the
Blessed charm to my sword and stab at the dragon. I tear through
its underbelly like a hot knife through butter. I now slash, opening
it up vertically!
“RAAAAWWWWWWRR!!!”
Gallons upon gallons of black blood spill out. Both me and the dragon
go falling to the ground. It's no question that the dragon is dead. I
did it... I did it...
…
……
.........
“Grey,
wake up!”
I
find myself lying on the ground again, this time, next to the great
tree of Luna's Forest. This time, it's Láng who I see watching over
me. When she sees me open my eyes, a smile comes to her face.
“You're
alright!” She embraces me. “You did an awesome job, Grey. You did
great.” Unable to think of a better reaction, I just smile.
“Shu,”
Flèche says, “are you ready to pray to the goddess, now?”
“Yes.”
I see Shu approach the tree, kneel down, and start to pray quietly...
It's
just a little at first, but I can feel it. Life is being restored to
this forest... grass grows, green returns to the trees... That horrible aura brought on by the dragon is gone. I
needn't see it all, but I know its divine beauty as returned...
“Grey,
look,” Láng says to me. Flèche is looking upwards, as well. I
look up and see it...
A beautiful woman... white
hair... gentle blue eyes... a warm smile... a crescent mark on her
forehead...
“Luna...”
Ah, yes, it is her... Looking down, smiling
at us, perhaps even thanking us... I can see her...
What
an amazing moment... I really am in the presence of a goddess...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)