Decision

We heard a sound from the animal, then it stopped moving.

“Did you hear that? It seems like wherever this animal is going, we are reaching our destination,” Wini said.

“It seems so,” I confirmed without much enthusiasm.

Then the mouth of the big fish opened. We saw the light after a fair amount of darkness, so we had a bit of trouble adapting right away.

I know they probably won’t resort to violence, since Wini's integrity is essential for them. But why am I feeling bad?

A silhouette on the outside appeared and said, “You two there, you can leave the mouth of the animal.”

Then we left the animal's mouth and stepped onto a wooden floor, a spacious pier.

“Is this here? Where are we?”

“We are underground in Nniatabri,” Annie said.

Around us, we seemed to be inside an extremely spacious cave, a large deserted and abandoned city. There was a pier, where several animals like the one that had imprisoned us stood.

It was an immense area. In the sky, there were summit elevations of stones, but what caught our attention were the roots—thousands that followed a path to the horizon, of a large upside-down tree. It was like being in an ancient underground city.

“Where are Brigid and Megan?” asked Wini.

“They are already safe, don’t worry. They are already heading to our central base.”

Smart. This will probably make things easier for them...

“What do all these constructions mean?” I asked.

“As you can see, we are in what was a great forgotten city in our kingdom,” Annie told us, approaching. “In the past, we were once the largest and strongest empire in this world, but that was erased after eons and eons. Yet it was always here, under our feet. And with your help, Wini, we can restore our empire. What do you think, Wini?”

I looked at Annie sideways, then looking around I said, “Like I told you, Wini, they'll use you, make you feel important, but in the end, they just want to use you as a tool.”

“No, that's not true,” Annie said. “Wini, it is true that we want you to help us restore the glory of our nation, but we want you to be part of our nobility, to be our queen, and to change the state of the current world that Mora has established for over a millennium with his reign of terror.”

Annie looked at me with a cold look and said, “You seem like a pretty malicious person toward us. I ask that you don't jump to conclusions or try to influence her with your opinions. The problems you've brought us with your actions aren't enough; do you still want to bring more complications?”

“What do you mean, problems I brought? What are you talking about?” I replied.

“You and Wini's father were attacked on the road by two individuals, weren't you?” said a woman approaching. “And you killed them?”

This woman was tall, wore an overcoat, had dark, straight hair cut at the neck, and seemed about 35 years old. 

“No, they were killed because of that technique that the Magus allied with you used,” I replied. “And who are you?”

“She is the director of the Nniatabri Numen school, Mother Ludlam,” Wini said.

Mother Ludlam—she is one of the greatest users of Creation-type abilities in this world. What would a woman like that be doing here? And even more, involved in an attack on a Mora ship?

She approached Wini, hugged her, and said, “I'm glad you're alive, my daughter. I'm so relieved.”

“What does all this mean, Mother Ludlam? Are you behind the attack on the ship and our kidnapping?”

“No, my dear Wini, this was not an attack. It was a rescue mission—your rescue.”

“My rescue?”

Rescue her? Wait...

“So you guys wanted Wini from the beginning? So those men, when I was with Mr. Bricius returning to the farm...” I said.

“Yes,” Annie replied. “They were seeking to take Mr. Bricius in security... However, your delay ended the chances of our plan being carried out. They didn't know all the details, but they knew they had to take him to a meeting point for us. ”

“So my father...” Wini said, walking away from Mother Ludlam.

“I see. Our delay was because of the ride we had to give to the soldiers of the Empire. That's the fact that I beat them to you, Wini.”

“In the end, it all comes down to the Empire of Mora,” Mother Ludlam said. “Look, Wini, these people will never stop harming us. If I had known that this guy was from Mora, I would have sent more people to prevent this tragedy with your father from happening.”

Annie came over and knelt to Wini and said, “I apologize. I am bitterly sorry. This was my responsibility: your safety and your father's. Punish me as you wish, my Lady.”

Wini cried and didn't even know how to react to her actions or the whole situation.

“So all this, this plan, all these deaths, the Magus that Kesil said performed that technique that killed everyone, including my father, were all done by you?” Wini said in bewilderment.

“Listen, Wini…” said Mother Ludlam. “This was all necessary. We needed to do this if we wanted to carry out our years-long plan, and also if we wanted to protect you.”

“Protect?” I said. “What are you talking about?” I questioned her.

“The Mora Empire—they know your potential, your capabilities, that you can ascend to a Magus, and otherwise, if you didn't accept, you would be killed, just like your father, as they did with your mother in the past.”

She remained silent and replied, “Do you think it justifies killing innocent people?”

Mother Ludlam was silent. She didn't seem to understand Wini.

“Wini, I don't know what you know about your people, but they are anything but innocent. They were amenable to invasion on our continent, they carried out treaties and trades in exchange for not being invaded, and they were not only the part of the continent that was most important to Mora's goals, but were to be a crucial aid in the war against their invasion. Using their lives, of a people liable to our sovereignty, will be fuel for our response to Mora's oppression. This is essential to leave a message for future generations.”

I started laughing and said, “That sounds a lot like what Mora would do. You are no different than you think.”

“You compare us to Mora,” Annie started. “But you know all too well the consequences of being betrayed by your people. Don't be hypocritical. If it's to get revenge for what they did to you, you would do the same. At least we're using it for a purpose, not just pure revenge and hate. They will be the energy in our fruits that will bring the revolution.”

Energy, fruit... Wait... I was surprised.

“You guys... wait...” I said, then I looked at that large tree on the ceiling, upside down, with roots all over it that I noticed earlier. “Was that tree created from the lives of dead people?”

Wini looked at me in surprise and then at the tree.

“Yes, this is part of the technique of our Magus, who, like Wini, is one of the seeds that God gave us, so that we can destroy Mora,” Mother Ludlam stated.

What would be the purpose of a tree that was created at the cost of more than two hundred thousand people? What will it be capable of? Wait, every tree seeks to bear fruit. So if the seed was the energy of lives, the fruit...

That was dangerous. I drew my sword and got into an attacking position.

“Wini, get away from them... They want to build...”

“NO, YOU WON'T DO ANYTHING ELSE!” said a voice echoing all over that place.

Several roots from the ceiling came towards me. I retreated, dodging them,  I used the tornado, but that did not stop them from crossing it, wrapping themselves around me, and then imprisoning me.

“Wini!” I shouted. “Don’t mind me, don’t do anything they want, don’t let yourself be used by them like I was for Mora! My life wouldn’t justify it, neither Megan, nor Brigid—nobody would want that from you!”

The roots stopped.

“Are you the person behind all this, right? The Magus that caused all this...”

My Numen was absorbed... I was losing consciousness...

I still heard Wini asking them not to kill me...

Then that woman, Mother Ludlam, began to speak something in Wini’s ear.

I lost consciousness in the sequence. When I woke up, Wini approached and said:

“Kesil, listen to me, they'll leave you alive, but since you're a soldier from Mora, maybe the army wants you to stay and fight. Don't stay, run away. You have done what you could, I now free you from the contract. You left me safe and sound... I will go with them of my own free will... I was wrong. What they're going to do, what they're planning, is beyond anything we can handle... Sorry and thanks for all.”

I looked at my arm, I was free from the contract with Mr. Bricius... The symbol is gone...

I tried to say something, but I was too weak... Wini walked away crying, with a defeated expression I had never seen on her face before...

She followed Annie and Mother Ludlam, and walked away through the empty streets of that ghost town.