354. Back at the 6th Branch

An unpleasant breeze swept across the lands of Brandar. The once floral scents that fluttered with colorful petals were replaced with the pungent smell of ash. Black particles were carried by the wind along the cities and settlements of the Nex Megalopolis.

Rural settlements saw huts burn and villagers rush to quell ongoing flames. They had been burning for days on end; a seemingly perpetual, indiscriminatory flame.

Those that had already seen the worst slept in ruins as they contemplated what went wrong, whether kneeling in splintered mounds of what used to be their home, or mounds of soil where loved ones now lay.

Lands of green and forests teeming with life were reduced to baren wastelands. Remnants of Dungeons small and large tainted the promised city. From the City of Diamonds all the way to the City of Strings; all saw varying degrees of devastation. The City of Clubs was no doubt hit the hardest, having lost two of its Sectors from Scarlet Logic and magical artillery from Inflow Direct.

The City of Spades was not included as it was already considered ‘devastated’. With the number of lives that thrived within its underbelly in spite of the depraved rules that governed it, the City of Spades could not be considered anything above repulsive, for it was the criminal dumping ground of the Ateliers.

Regardless, the City of Spades was undoubtedly in the worse state of all the Cities.

It was home to more than a million. Perhaps millions. What became of them all was unknown. But those who survived likely wished that the flames took them. Metal carcasses of the fallen Fata Morganas – the Eyes – littered the Sectors too, rendering many areas inhospitable.

As bleak as the situation was, the Nex Megalopolis was allowed to see another day. Furthermore, not every Sector was ruined like C3 and C4. Some saw substantial damage. Others were luckily quiet and untouched even amid the wars and flames.

Ultimately, the majority of the Nex Megalopolis was undamaged. Destabilized, yes, but entirely functional. Society still stood, but the trust in the Ateliers hit rock bottom.

The last few days saw the 6th Branch work restlessly to stabilize major settlements. As far reaching as the powers of the Ateliers were, they could only move so quickly. The Beholders present seemed to have other interests in mind for they were never seen in public outside of their battle against the flaming Angel.

But there was one Beholder who took it upon herself to lend a hand…

… even though she no longer had one.

It was utter pandemonium within the 6th Branch. Aid was given to those in need, and ears were lent by Peace Flocks who heard the depressing grievances of those from the City of Spades. Thousands were gathered within the ground floor, and tens of thousands more outside.

Due to most of the 6th Branch’s forces still somewhere within the City of Clubs, it was impossible to tend to them all. Few healers were present, and under the direct supervision of the colossal, thick-plated armored Justicers. They tended to injuries to the best of their ability, and even though they could do no harm –

“P-Please… Please don’t touch us.”

“Stay away from us! You’re… not a healer!”

“I-Is it my time already…?”

“Check her vials! Is she really a healer!? That looks like poison!”

– Many could not bring themselves to trust them. The Scarlet Logic Gambit Teams, who disguised themselves as healers, had tainted their reputation to an irreparable degree. It was unknown how widespread this was, but because these people were from the City of Spades, it was likely that the false healers had been around inside there for some time now.

It was unforgivable.

Associations, Offices, Bureaus, Organizations, Departments – All relevant Adventurer-run organizations aided massively in the humanitarian efforts, and one glance proved that the girl who was sent back to call for help had done exactly that.

Cradled in the hands of weeping children and thankful mothers was a single black feather belonging to the Black Dove; the Angel who eradicated the Syndicates that tormented them. Holding onto the feathers, a stray wish to see this person again passed through the mind of a child.

Moments later, a certain black-haired woman passed by, eyeing the feather. No one seemed to recognize her. The giant feathers that once defined her were no longer present, for she wore a relatively uninteresting black coat that ran past her knees, courtesy of Jury.

Some, however, took a moment to quizzically stare at her, unable to tell if she was who they thought she was. Frost noticed these gazes and shot a kind glance at them through the heads and shoulders of the crowd.

She, Nav and the Archivist followed Bartholow through the gilded chambers, following the clearest path through the bereaved crowds. Frost periodically used [Area Heal], healing many of their minor injuries as she held her breath, upset by the many who were now displaced.

But similarly, she was thankful that they were no longer within the City of Spades.

“You’re running over capacity, huh?” Frost spoke as she walked side by side with the Apostle. “Does Galia have a building restriction? You could easily turn the majority of this flat land into something useful. It’s right next to the City of Spades too, so it’d make things more convenient.”

“Oh? Hmhm! That we are! We are on ImpulseWork’s territory, after all. Our Branch alone already oversteps several boundaries and red tapes.” Bartholow explained as they left the great archways and were firmly greeted by the Elven guards.

He then added:

“People from the City of Spades are not supposed to leave their Sectors. Under certain eyes, this would be seen as a solicitation of an invasion. Smuggling of criminals. Trafficking… It’s a complicated mess. No good deed goes unpunished, as the saying goes. But I believe this is the correct thing to do. Armistice Point is overfilled. Our personnel have only recently returned. Some are still in the City of Clubs.”

A sea of thousands surrounded the 6th Branch in every direction, but they were spaced enough to allow even caravans to pass by. In fact, caravans could be seen distributing goods in the form of meals and clothing.

A part of me was expecting a lot of people to be left to fend for themselves. I’m so glad that isn’t the case. At least here. Nav. What do you think when you see people like this?

“I cannot say for certain, but I wouldn’t want to be surrounded by misery. It feels like it would seep through my metal exterior.”

I guess that’s one way to put it.