10-19: Sparks Afar

10-19 Sparks Afar	Episode 10 Previous 10-18
And out from the ashes climbs a will, sweeping on a Draco's flames.

Characters

Bagpipe Ch'en Harmonie Hippogryph Teacher (Koshelna) Nine Talulah ??? Reunion Caster Reunion Warrior Young Ursus Student

Backgrounds

1 2 3 4

“

In a university campus lying in a town in Ursus' north, Talulah finds the "person" she's been looking for.

”

<Background 1>
"...Next, turn your textbooks to page 132. Terran Calendar 31, the Empire of Hippogryph was officially renamed the Empire of Ursus. We have already spent two lectures talking about and analyzing this piece of history. Historians believe that the cause of the Hippogryphs' fall from power was primarily its ruling class's corruption and incompetence, as well as the rise of Ursus and the forces of production that it represents. This war is often referred to as Ursus's uprising, representing the Ancients' standing up against the Elders' authority. From this point onward, the legitimacy of the Elders' rulership across Terra gradually waned. Yet if we look back on this war from a different perspective, we'll find a set of questions that naturally follow. Suppose it was another Ursus race that had been ruling the country instead of the Hippogryphs. Would the revolution still have taken place? If, as the rulers, the Hippogryphs had not insisted on a policy of racial discrimination, if they stopped taking Ursus wealth as their own and gave the Ursus equal opportunity... Would the Hippogryph Empire's downfall have been averted, or would it have come sooner? What if... the Khagan's cavalry never set foot on these lands?"
[A student notices Talulah listening to the lecture.]
Talulah	......
Young Ursus Student	Hello, are you here to listen in on Miss Koshelna's lecture?
Talulah	Miss... Koshelna?
Young Ursus Student	That's right. Her lectures on imperial history are very popular. I've been noticing young men and women such as yourself listening in from the hallway. You aren't one of our students, are you? You don't look like a college student. You can actually go inside if you'd like. She's not going to mind if you stand in the back of the classroom. You'll be able to hear her more clearly.
Talulah	No need. Her voice is pretty clear as is.
Young Ursus Student	Okay, then. This lecture is almost over anyway. I still have other lectures to attend, so please excuse me.
Talulah	By all means, please.
"You may not be able to find the answers to these questions in any textbooks. But I hope you will give them some thought. Let them occupy your brain as you eat, as you bathe, and even as you sleep... And when an idea has lingered in your brain long enough, write it down. I'm very interested in your opinions. Okay, let's wrap it up here. Enjoy your brief freedom until the next bell."
[Talulah enters the classroom after the teacher, a female Hippogryph, finishes her lecture.]
Hippogryph Teacher	Do you have any questions, Miss?
Talulah	– Found you.
<Background 2>
[A Reunion fighter asks Nine,]
Reunion Warrior	Why did she go into the city?
Nine	To look for someone.
Reunion Warrior	And why is this someone worth the risk? Nine, you said it yourself. We can't get anywhere close to the nomadic cities while we're in Ursus.
Nine	– We want to pass judgment on her, don't we? Before she talks, she needs an answer still. Without this answer, she won't even believe half a word she says herself, and neither will we.
Reunion Warrior	We shouldn't be believing her to begin with! She went into the city herself. What if she makes a run for it? All the efforts and sacrifices that went into rescuing her and all our plans about her going forward will all go to waste!
Nine	They won't. She knows very well that she has nowhere to go. Besides, as long as you still trust me, I can guarantee you this. No matter where she goes, I will take her in again.
Reunion Warrior	I trust you... but that's based on everything you've done for us in the past year. You're not like her. You don't talk big. This is something that all of us like about you. It's a good thing, and you should make sure you don't start picking up that habit.
Nine	Are you worried I'll be influenced by her? I don't think that'll happen so easily.
Reunion Caster	Nine, a patrol unit is approaching–
Nine	Stay hidden. Just as we predicted. In half an hour, this route won't be so safe anymore. She better come back in time.
<Background 1>
Hippogryph Teacher	I thought I would've seen you much sooner– –Talulah.
Talulah	Koshelna... Couldn't have picked a more obvious name, could you, Kashchey?
Koshelna	Ah... Names. Names are just a way to refer to people. If the sound of this name reminds you of certain unpleasant memories, you can call me Fiolet.
Talulah	Never mind. Your name is of little importance to me. Just like your appearance, your name is not worth remembering.
Koshelna	Why have you come then, Talulah? Because you want a definite answer from me? Because you want me to tell you that, yes, Kashchey has left your body, and you're just Talulah and no one else? In that case, you will get what you want. I can tell you exactly what you want to hear right now. The question then is... are you willing to believe me?
Talulah	You want me to believe a Black Snake? Is this a new trick you're playing, Kashchey? You gave me more than enough information to find you in the shortest amount of time. I can only assume that you were luring me here.
Koshelna	Have you gone back to our home, then? Our home, both yours and mine?
Talulah	That's not my home. It's nothing more than ground zero of a conspiracy, a nest beloved of venomous snakes.
Koshelna	That's an awfully hurtful way to describe it. But you read my letter nonetheless, didn't you? You remembered the channels through which Duke Kashchey received the Scales' correspondence. Not even the Secret Police who took over the dukedom could figure it out.
Talulah	A letter sent ten years ago, and its sender is tenured here at this college. I don't know if I should be gasping in admiration of how well prepared you are, or if I should be grateful that this channel stayed hidden for ten years while your Scales have long been reduced to nothing?
Koshelna	Does it make you happy that the territory has fallen into such neglect? Talulah, under your rule, they could have lived a much better life. They shouldn't have been torn to shreds by the Fourth Army.
Talulah	Stop pretending you care about them more than I do. Tell me. What is there in this small northern town for you to willingly stay here? Kashchey, if I remember correctly, you preferred cities further south. Not only because the air there is more humid, but also because lands where you cultivated generations of authority are more suitable for your scheming. But not the tundra. The folk here lead a hard life. They have plenty to worry about sorting out issues with their food and harvest. To them, the speeches you pride yourself on are like the artificial flower you wear. No purpose beyond aesthetics.
Koshelna	Talulah... Talulah. What if I told you I'm here because your footsteps can be found in the tundra?
Talulah	I'd say you're feeding me nonsense.
Koshelna	"The history of humanity is a history of struggle." You remember, don't you? You applied everything that I taught you through the years to your struggle. If you remember all of that, then shouldn't Talulah, the Fighter of the Tundra, and Talulah, the woman who succeeded the title of duke, be one and the same to me?
Talulah	Yet you destroyed everything that I built in the tundra.
Koshelna	Did I? Who do you truly blame for this series of fatal mistakes in your heart? If you actually thought yourself innocent, you wouldn't have needed a year and a half to ponder how you should die. The very moment your head turns, you will throw yourself into the next struggle.
Talulah	......
Koshelna	Talulah, I know why you came to me. You want to use your judgment on me to judge yourself. You want to hear me repent, so that you can start repenting yourself. What you want is a tiny, pitiable bit of mental comfort.
Talulah	Go on.
Koshelna	You want me to go on? I thought–
Talulah	You thought I would let you witness my fury? No, Kashchey. You don't deserve it. I've rehearsed everything you've said up to this very moment in my head, down to the very last word. A year and a half isn't that short, and I had nothing to do while I was imprisoned at Rhodes Island. If you want to survive this meeting, you'll need to say something more original.
Koshelna	Very well. I can tell you've gotten more patient, thanks to that period of self-imprisonment. But I brought up the tundra not because I wanted to provoke you. Take a look at this school. Look at the students' faces. They believe that the sunlight of may will melt the tundra's snow. They also believe that Ursus, colder and harder than even the tundra, will change beneath their feet.
Talulah	So you're sullying their innocence with your despicable ideas?
Koshelna	You think I'm trying to find the next successor among them? No, my dear. I'm just a normal university lecturer. The only things that I impart here are knowledge and ideas. I hold no authority or wealth. If they want authority, they can fight for it themselves. If they seek a conspiracy, they are free to find the most suitable techniques in my lessons.
Talulah	You want me to believe that the failure you experienced through me devastated you so much that you washed your hands of it all?
Koshelna	Failure? I never thought of that as failure. Reunion was not destroyed in the Chernobog core city, and neither was Kashchey's plan. Right, you managed to stop Kashchey. The war he sought, the war that could've changed Ursus history in an instant never came to be. But Ursus still went on the trajectory that Kashchey had set for her. War is happening. The conflict between the Council and the Army intensified, and the will of the people is sparking new flames through each and every conflict. And I will stand atop the most fertile soil, sowing seeds to the best of my abilities. I will guide... or perhaps I should say spur these revolutions to take root.
Talulah	I remember you once refuted the education of the masses as meaningless.
Koshelna	If a ruler is so inflexible that she does not adapt to the changing tides, then she is undoubtedly following a path of destruction.
Talulah	You still see yourself as a ruler. I see. You actually haven't changed at all.
Koshelna	I almost forgot you hated that word as much as you hated Kashchey's control. I told you long ago that I didn't care who was in charge. How many times has power changed hands since the Ursus took these lands from the Hippogryphs? Talulah, you are me, and I am you. What we want... is an Ursus that can yet spark fires from our hands. These fires... will sooner or later engulf all of Ursus. No, not just Ursus. Victoria... and all the other countries will be caught in the flames too. When the fire is over, will these lands become more prosperous? Or will they be dealt destruction? Ursus has walked its first millennium. I will guide it down its second and third. This is the meaning behind the Black Snake's existence. The Black Snake is immortal not because I want to live, but because Ursus must live.
<Background 3>
[The enigmatic Leader of Dublinn asks Harmonie,]
???	The Aslan heir has returned to Londinium?
Harmonie	It seems that way. The Sarkaz gave us this information in exchange for the Sarkaz Messenger we returned to them.
???	"In exchange?" They're merely using us to escalate the scuffle among the dukes.
Harmonie	It couldn't be more obvious, but we can also tell from their methods that the situation in Londinium has changed, and the Sarkaz are anxious.
???	Did the Sarkaz say anything else?
Harmonie	Nothing useful. Hmph, ever since our spy's cover was blown, we haven't gotten much news from Londinium.
???	Unfortunate.
Harmonie	Right... it's unfortunate. Fortunately, our losses are still manageable. Right, there is another piece of news that might be important. We caught wind of this from a Columbian arms dealer we've worked with– About a month ago, that organization called Reunion recovered their previous "leader."
???	You mean...
Harmonie	Talulah. If all the information we've received thus far is correct, she... she could very well be a Draco.
<Background 4>
[Bagpipe noticed Ch'en laughing.]
Bagpipe	Y-You havin' a laugh? N-No funnin' here, now?!
Ch'en	Why would I do that?
Bagpipe	Gimme a slap.
Ch'en	I'm sorry?
Bagpipe	Smack me right now. Otherwise, I might think I'm dreamin'!
Ch'en	There's a wall over there. Knock yourself out. Try not to ram it so hard you knock it down, though. Otherwise, you'll have some explaining to do to the county's mounted police.
Bagpipe	I... I'm not sure what to say...
Ch'en	Are you really so shocked? You were the one who's been going "Leader's got to be alive" day in and day out.
Bagpipe	But I thought... I could...
Ch'en	You thought she'd be waiting for you to rescue her somewhere?
Bagpipe	Uh-huh. But it's more of a surprise, knowin' she made it out! Thanks, Chenchen. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have met Rhodes Island. If I hadn't joined Rhodes Island, they wouldn't've helped get her out. I'm so happy, waaaaahhhhh...
[Bagpipe hugs Ch'en, who are annoyed.]
Ch'en	No hugging!
Bagpipe	Waaaahhh! But I'm so glad!
Ch'en	At the very least... a little less of a squeeze... Urgh...
Bagpipe	Wait, Chenchen, does that mean... you're gonna leave then? You promised to help me rescue her, but she doesn't need me to rescue her anymore.
Ch'en	Times like these, you think pretty fast, don't you? To tell you the truth, I've thought about it. Ever since I found out she'd escaped, I've been thinkin' of lookin' for her.
Bagpipe	Actually, I can kinda tell...
Ch'en	Ch'en Hui-chieh never gives up halfway. We've come so far, and finally found ourselves some clues. Bagpipe, I'll get to the bottom of this with you. "Until the day the spectre force is exposed for all to see again." Only then will I do what I should've done long ago. I will find Talulah.
<Background 1>
[The Hippogryph teacher Koshelna, who turned out to be another body of the so-called Deathless Black Snake, continues her conversation with Talulah.]
Koshelna	Think, Talulah. Think with all the techniques that you learned from Kashchey whether everything that I say comes from the bottom of my heart.
Talulah	No need.
Koshelna	Will you kill me here, then? You had to avoid the Royal Guard's watchful eyes, so you don't have a sword. And so you must kill me with your flames. Will you commit such a horrifying crime in front of all my students, who have nothing but admiration for me?
Talulah	If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't pick a method that would startle anyone. Don't forget. You taught me all of this.
Koshelna	Will killing me satisfy you? If that doesn't give you the satisfaction you need, I could give you a second, if not third name.
Talulah	You're telling me that, aside from you, there is more than one Black Snake within Ursus's borders.
Koshelna	You could also think that I'm trying to deceive you to live longer.
[Talulah gets up and walks out of the room.]
Talulah	Your new body is... fragile. It wouldn't take any more work to kill you than it took to kill that old Phidia.
Koshelna	What are you waiting for, then? Quick, turn my body to ash, and scatter it all across this dark hallway!
Talulah	"Terrifying Infected Murderer Reemerges in College Campus" –That's the headline that will don the front pages tomorrow.
Koshelna	You wouldn't mind having that on your reputation.
Talulah	I should point out that I'm not afraid of the patrol unit who will be here in three minutes, either.
Koshelna	But... your new old friends who are waiting outside the city... They don't stand a chance against the Royal Guards. Even if they begrudgingly allowed you to return to Ursus because of those in control... They wouldn't tolerate murdering anyone on Ursus land.
Talulah	Kashchey. If the Royal Guards found out that the immortal monster–the mastermind behind the Chernobog incident was right here, do you think they would try to take me in or turn their attention and blades to you?
Koshelna	...... So, why haven't you killed me yet?
<Background 2>
Nine	It's almost time.
Reunion Warrior	She's not back yet? Nine, you're mistaken about her, aren't you?
Nine	If she doesn't show up when it's time, all of you will evacuate as planned.
Reunion Warrior	And you?
Nine	She's wearing my handcuffs, and that makes her my prisoner. I will take her in myself.
???	Sounds like I saved you the trouble, then.
[Talulah returns.]
Nine	–Talulah. You're back. Not a minute late either. Is your business done?
Talulah	More or less.
Nine	So?
Talulah	You want to know what I got out of her? I was going to spare your ears my long-winded grumblings.
Nine	Good. You seem to have lightened up. Even found yourself a sense of humor. So, what about the evil god? Did you slay him?
Talulah	She said that's not who she is anymore.
Nine	And you bought it?
Talulah	No, but I also am not the old Talulah who would think that killing her would solve all our problems. I won't let her out of my sight, and when the time comes, I will kill her myself. But I have a weird feeling about this...
Nine	A weird feeling?
Talulah	An immortal evil god... will die eventually, but I won't be the one to kill her. –Ursus will kill her. Even now, she thinks she can bend human will. We will prove to her, though– One day, the people will awaken and abandon the ignorant conqueror. And on that day, there will be no more Black Snakes in Ursus.
Nine	What about now, then?
Talulah	Now, before we come back here for the last time, we need to visit Victoria.
Nine	So you've decided to come with us?
Talulah	I'm your prisoner. I have nowhere to go except with you. Besides, you said it yourself... The Infected there are waiting for us.