A Place Forlorn

The three of us walked together out from Heiddston. Greenvale was not far, but given the time when we left, we would likely end up arriving by dusk. Leona was in much better shape than I figured she would have been. After having dealt a potentially lethal strike on someone, most people would have been knocked out cold for days. I supposed that the rebound effect influences each person differently.

As we took to the road leading straight to Greenvale from a forked path, we saw a gathering of people walking all huddled together. They were moving at a slow pace, and with them they had wagons. Some had supplies, others had wounded.

“It is the monster!” some said as they saw me. “It has returned! It will kill us all!”

Two adventurers dared forward, holding their swords against me as they stood in front of the people.

They were the villagers from Greenvale.

“Wait!” said Sybille, going ahead of us. “Bastion was not the one! We are going to investigate what happened and stop the one who did that!”

“Shut up!” said an adventurer. “We are going to kill this thing before it can escape again!”

Then came the guild receptionist. She grabbed the adventurer’s arm and tugged at him.

“Please wait, Marius,” said the receptionist. “The mage is saying the truth. This man right here is a member of the adventurer’s guild. See, he is wearing a silver bracelet!”

It was one oversized piece that cost me an extra fee, but it was worth to wear.

“Oh… that’s right,” said the adventurer. “You are that golem that Tiberius helped out.”

Tiberius, however, was nowhere to be found.

“Where is he?” I asked.

The two adventurers, and the guild receptionist, all fell into a downcast expression.

“I see,” I said. “I am sorry.”

“Sir Tiberius helped the rest of us escape,” said the receptionist. “But with the wounded and elderly, it has been difficult to reach a place to take us in. We hope to reach Heiddston soon and find someplace for everyone. If only they let us in…”

They had already gone through the worst of it, it seemed.

“It will not take you long to reach it,” I told her. “Go north through that road, you can’t miss it.”

Sybille whipped out her notebook, and from it a page. She hurriedly wrote a note and presented it to the receptionist.

“Tell the guards that the Harbinger of Light has given you her blessing,” she told her. “They’ll let you right through. Okay?”

The receptionist took the letter and almost cried as she held it.

“Thank you, Madam Sybille,” she said. “Thank you so much.”

“You are welcome,” said Sybille.

I gave a glance towards the adventurers.

“You two, adventurers,” I called them. “Just what was that attacker?”

“That thing?” said an adventurer. “That thing… that thing was a monster.”

They described to me a lone golem reinforced with metal hinges around his body, as well as a pair of protrusions with runes to help them propel through the air. They used both magic blasts and melee attacks and were nearly impervious to physical attacks.

All in all, it sounded like a more dangerous version of me, plus wings.

That was not sounding promising for us.

“Thank you for explaining,” I told the adventurers.

“If you see it,” said the adventurer, “kill it. No more villages should suffer against it.”

“I will not allow it.”

As the refugees continued on their way to Heiddston, Leona remained in silence, catching up with us.

“I’m sorry,” said Leona. “I really did mistake you for that thing.”

“Do not worry about it,” I told her. “What matters is that we will find them and take them down.”

We continued on the way to Greenvale in silence, stopping for the occasional break, but with the hope that once there, we could track it down.

Sybille said that if it used magic to move, there was a chance that it left a magical trail. What we needed to do then was get to Greenvale, get our trail, and track down the other ReConstruct, and take them down.

It would have to be me who would need to fight them.

No one else could do this without dying.

Whatever it meant, I had to stop them before it was too late. I was the first ReConstruct, and now, I intended to be the last.

***

Smoke was still rising from the village of Greenvale as we approached it by sunset.

“This is a disaster…” said Leona.

What we did not expect was that someone was waiting for us by the gate.

Sitting on a rock by the village entrance, a blue knight with a translucent body waved at us as we arrived.

It was Tiberius.

Or, at least, it was his ghost.

“You came,” said the apparition.

“Tiberius!” said Sybille.

The ghost nodded.

“I have been waiting for you to arrive,” he said. “You, and Bastion both.”

“Old one…” I called him.

“Haha… ah, it seems that my age still weighs on me, even in undeath,” said Tiberius. “I assume you have heard the news.”

“That someone like me is on the loose,” I said. “Another ReConstruct.”

Tiberius nodded.

“He is a fearsome foe,” he said. “In my prime, I was a Platinum-Rank adventurer, you know? After my knee injury I was retired into guard duty, but ah, this is no time for stories. What I mean to say, is that even in my prime I would have struggled against him.”

“The rebound effect,” I said.

“Even without the rebound effect, it would have been a difficult fight. His build is something on an entirely different level to even yours, I fear. He was agile, he was heavy, he was strong, and what is more… he was skilled. I have no idea of what kind of life he must have lived, but he was a fighting man in his past existence too, I am sure. It called itself CS-1. People call him The Siege.”

Sybille bit her lips.

“The pattern C soul-carrier, iteration 1,” she said. “Master Croghan was making some diagrams for a more advanced version of a ReConstruct body before we left. Maybe it was that one.”

“So, he found another Otherworlder after all,” I said.

This was dangerous. If someone like that went after Heiddston and destroyed my home…

I pulled away from the thought. It was too much to bear.

“So, old man,” said Leona. “Did that guy have any weaknesses? Any vulnerable points? Gaps in defense?”

The ghost shook his head.

“None I could identify,” he said. “There is a slight delay when he uses his wings to fly in the air, but it would be difficult to exploit them.”

“How does he fly? Is it like a pigeon, a hummingbird?”

“Neither. More than flight, it is like jumping in the air. Once he sets into a direction, he will not change it until his next burst, but those bursts take about two seconds to change.”

Leona nodded.

“That is plenty,” she said. “Thank you.”

“Hmm?” said Sybille. “Got a plan.”

“A small one.”

Tiberius turned his focus towards me.

“Bastion,” he said.

“Yes?”

“There are few in this world who can dare to try fight a ReConstruct,” he said. “If not for the rebound effect, then their sheer power. This one's... it is massive. Forgive me for being so blunt, but I doubt you will be able to defeat Siege as you stand.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” I asked. “I will not wait for it to attack my home next. I am only making a place for myself in this place… I will not let a fiend like him come and ruin it.”

Tiberius stroked his chin.

“Your body is sturdy,” he said. “You are gaining skill as an adventurer. However, your souls is not quite… whole. In my current state, I can now tell.”

Sybille widened her eyes.

“What do you mean?” said Sybille.

“There is an imbalance,” said Tiberius. “One that is hindering Bastion here from unlocking his full potential.”

“How can I balance it?” I asked.

“You will need to seek special guidance,” said Tiberius. “Perhaps, of someone like you. Another otherworlder.”

Leona and Sybille gasped.

“You know of others?” said Sybille.

“Then they’ll be able to help!” added Leona.

Tiberius raised his hand, calling for them to pause.

“Perhaps,” he said. “He is an elderly man, and a sage. In his youth, he was a man of battle, much like myself, but is now a man of peace. He does not fight anymore, but he is well versed in spirituality, and keeps an extensive library with knowledge of the soul. Bastion, I suggest you seek him out, and ask him to help balance your soul, so that you may unlock your true potential. Do that, and then you may perhaps be able to fight against Siege.”

I gave Tiberius a bow.

“Thank you, Tiberius,” I said. “Do you know where this man lives?”

“In the Silverpeak Mountains of the north, you will find him,” said Tiberius. “He goes by the name of Sage Hanor. Tell him that I sent you. He will likely ask you where you truly are from. I ask you to be honest with him.”

“I will tell him I’m from Akhronna?”

“You will tell him you are from Gaia,” said Tiberius. “Though, he knows it better by Earth, if I recall right.”

“I will,” I said.

Tiberius sighed with relief.

“Good luck,” he said. “I must go know. My wife calls for me. I will be sure to watch over you.”

Tiberius closed his eyes, then crumbled away, his body disintegrating into a fine dust carried away by the wind.

“Farewell,” he muttered with his last words.

“Farewell, old one,” I said, gazing to the stars.

Sybille was in tears, and Leona gave him a military salute.

“Go, you glorious warrior,” said Leona.

***

Leona and I finished building a mound for Tiberius’s remains while Sybille tracked the ruins of the village for the magical traces left behind. I looked down at the finished mound, adorned with a pile of rocks on top, along with his sword, and parted with a silent prayer.

I did not know much about the religion of this world, but if that Iona goddess was real, I wished for Her to receive Tiberius with open arms.

“Tiberius was a famed adventurer,” said Leona.

“Is that so?”

She nodded.

“Lord Tiberius was a legend,” she said. “As a platinum rank, many of my friends were inspired by him to become adventurers.”

I took a glance at the golden bracelet that she was wearing.

“You’re a gold rank adventurer,” I said.

“I am,” said Leona. “I wrestled that rank out from killing a greater dragon.”

“Do you have a party?”

“I used to. They were killed by that Siege bastard while I was out on a solo mission.”

She gripped her arms as she glared at the sky. Then, she yawned.

“Sleepy?”

“Yeah,” she said. “But before that, comes finding out where that monster is.”

A bright light flickered from across the village. It was just where Sybille was.

“Got it!” said Sybille. “I hooked a line!”

We went over to her and saw her manifesting an orb of pure light. Within it, an arrow shone out from the core and pointed towards the south.

“Is that like a compass?” I asked.

Sybille nodded.

“Yes!” she said. “With this, we will be able to track down CS-1!”

“Good!” said Leona. “But first, what about that old man that Tiberius mentioned? Shouldn’t we go find him first?”

That was surprising.

“We should,” I said. “Although, I figured that you would have preferred to go headfirst and get to Siege as fast as possible.”

“I could not beat you,” said Leona. “No offense, but if I can’t kill even you, I am not going to be giving that Siege any trouble. I only have one shot at vengeance, and I am not going to waste it.”

Sybille tapped the tips of her fingers together.

“I wanted to find him as soon as we could…” muttered Sybille.

“Really?” I said.

“I mean…” said Sybille. “I think with the three of us we can beat him. I mean, I do want to find Sage Hanor, of course! But I want to stop CS-1 first.”

“Oh?” said Leona. “I figured that you would be the most patient one, wizard girl.”

“I would have thought so too,” I added. “I understand that Siege is a threat, but we only have one shot against the likes of him. Why not go better prepared?”

Sybille’s gaze fell down to the ground.

“Because,” she said, “I helped Master Croghan design the ReConstructs. So, if now they are being used to hurt people, it would mean that it was as though I was hurting them.”

Leona scoffed.

“You shouldn’t have designed war weapons if you didn’t want them to be used,” she said. “Why would you work for a known war artificer anyway, if you weren’t going to stomach the consequences?”

“I did not have a choice,” said Sybille. “I had debts to pay. Master Crohan offered me a position in his tower for good pay, so I took it. I thought I was going to defend my Kingdom, but instead… I made this.”

“Hmph,” said Leona. “You always have a choice. The good choice for the world is not always the good choice for you.”

“And what would you know?”

I stepped between them.

“That is more than enough,” I said. “We should not be fighting among ourselves. What we should do now is take some rest and then head to the Silverpeak Mountains to find Sage Hanor. If we want to survive, that is what we must do.”

Sybille parted away her gaze, while Leona gave me a glare for interrupting the argument.

This was going to be a hectic journey.

Leona’s ear flicked.

“What was that?” she said.

“What?” I said.

She turned towards the sky. We all did. In that moment, we saw the vague outline of the distant mountains, and from there, a rising comet of light.

“Oh no…” said Sybille. “Oh no!”

“What is that?” I said.

Leona glared at the comet.

“Siege,” she said.