450. Qualia, 9

(Rose)

Blume is growing both inside of me and in the indoor garden.

Her consciousness sometimes checks up on me, but she spends most of her time on the construction of her new body.

R - I’ll climb the nearby mountain to see the volcano. I’ll see you back in two or three days.

B - Alright, take care up there Rose.

I felt strong enough to try. I went beyond the fields surrounding the city and followed the road to the mountain.

I entered the dead zone that Magenta created. I passed the last dying trees and then walked on barren land. Just a few kilometres later, the land was ruptured by rubble. The road disappeared into the new mountain.

I began climbing on the most natural paths I could find.

At night, I had nothing to burn to, but I still had a jewel left to use, to warm me up.

I couldn’t see the stars because of the cloud of smoke covering the entire land.

Over the next day, I reached the summit of that small mountain. The air smelled like a basement, but much warmer. Not quite sulphuric, but definitely mineral in smell.

The landscape beyond that edge was what I expected roughly.

A chaotic landscape of rocks, hills surrounded by a wide circular chain of mountains I had reached the summit of. And in the middle of that immense valley, another circle of mountains sheltering an open volcano. I couldn’t see the volcano itself, only the pillar of smoke rising slowly, bonding the dark earth to the dark sky.

I could hear a distant rumbling from the earth.

Nothing was growing yet around here.

I wonder how long an artificial volcano like that one can stay in this situation of smoky eruption before it falls asleep or die?

I see a shooting star piercing the clouds and the immensely wide empty sky, before crashing in the far distance in the mountains. Probably an artificial satellite falling down. It’s too far away for me to check.

In the dead hills, I see geysers spraying water or other vapours into the air.

I spend a long time up there looking around, observing the new landscape. It feels really weird to be the witness of a land after its transformation like that.

As Blume mentioned, the destruction of the final eruption didn’t quite reach the edges of the previous acidic dead zone. It’s a slight solace.

I felt bad murdering murderers. Stealing from a thief isn’t justice. Now that I’ve destroyed a mass murdered, I can’t say I feel proud right now.

Looking at this hostile landscape, it feels like I’ve been way too far.

I slap myself softly. Enough moping Rose.

It’s done.

That volcano will remain in this land forever now.

And the memory of that Magenta god pouring destruction in rain and eruptions will remain only with me.

I stay the rest of the day, looking at the smokes slowly ascending into the sky. It’s beautiful, despite how much it yells its morbidity. It is a beautiful show nonetheless.

~

I saw it in the morning, coming toward me slowly. It wasn’t that far. Either it walked during the night or just regains consciousness this morning.

The muscular beast. Hard to mistake for any other.

The first Priest had evolved to lose its face and grow wings. That second one I faced back then was still young. Luckily, Magenta didn’t have an army of them. It didn’t need to.

If it was young back then, it now looked like it aged a century in these past few weeks. I’m even surprised it survived the eruption without flight. It must be dying of starvation, trying to leave this dead land.

Its body is still looking heavy, but it does look like the muscles have thinned and melted.

The skin is flaking in dark scales and coagulated blood. He had it far worse than me.

That priest coming toward me is not able to rush as it should. It looks weak and old, but certainly not dying. Not yet.

I breathe very slowly, exhaling in a long sigh. The wind in my still all white hair is nicely cool, although still acidic and itchy for different reasons from before.

I’m holding the damaged sword of Licht. I stand on top of a rock, above the way of the priest about to reach out to me. I breathe in slowly again. I feel the stress, but emotionally, I’m still a little numb and empty.

I’m very far from the exaltation of our previous encounter.

It may change if it comes to fight, but I feel challenged.

I doubt it. I don’t feel its usual aura of powerful hatred.

The beast stops a few steps away from me. It lowers its had to let that dark liquid drool out of its mouth like vomit, and then raises it to look at me. Its eyes have glaucoma and cataract, but looks at me.

I’m standing fine on my legs. I can feel a sparkle of hate around it.

But not enough insanity grows for him to rush at me blindly.

He’s trying to be smart, like me.

I wonder what he’s thinking and what he feels aside hatred for my kind. What does a priest who lost his god feels? It must be painful...

But at least, he’s still alive... His life is only his now. He’s free... It must be a painful freedom.

R - You’re free, Priest...

P - ...

I would like to know more about him and his relation to his late older brother and master. The brother I killed. And the Magenta god I also killed... But given the situation and his character, I doubt he would like to chat over tea with me.

We’re gazing at each other, on our guards. We’re both wondering if the other one will attack...

Try to be smarter Rose...

I actually tear up. I don’t know why? I brush the droplet away. He didn’t try to jump at me as I did that.

Priest wanted war. Magenta wanted... I don’t know what it wanted.

This second Priest, is he smarter than his brother?

R - Your brother... Wanted a war against the remaining humans, and daiûas.

P - ...

R - If you chose another path...

I don’t know what to offer... Can I promise honestly I will never kill another being-like-her? I could promise I won’t be hunting them at the very least.

Priest groans, sounding like a ferocious purr. I think I only angered him.

I lower my sword and my guard. He stops groaning. Blood drips from his head again.

R - ...

I’m searching for the smart words to prevent further bloodsheds. Nothing comes.

I drop my sword at his feet. I threw it away gently. It’s not a surrender, it’s a gesture of good will. Unfortunately, that stupid decision was the smartest gesture I could find.

R - I won’t be hunting gods anymore. If you chose another path than war, I will help you to live... Free...

I feel stupid. I hope my honesty still transpires and reaches him, where the words were poorly chosen.

Priest roared like a beast at me, spitting blood, staining my clothes even from that far away. His voice is still strong. Without words, he tells me how much he hates me and everything I represent.

But he agrees, I think.

He kicks my sword down the slopes. It falls toward the city in the distance.

Priest then takes a few steps backward, and finally turns away from me. He slowly walks away along this summit of the mountain, and heads into the distance. He’s leaving.

My legs betray me and I fall on my knees.

My heart hurts. I brush away another quiet tear from uneasy feelings.

I pack my bag and begin to make my way down. My heart aches a lot.

That had been a close call... I’ve got my fill for a while.

Hopefully, maybe a priest is free now.

~