Operation story: 14-11

Operation

Story

Previous 14-10	Next 14-12
Characters
Doctor Amiya Logos/Aefanyl Logos Shining ??? Nezzsalem Duq'arael Laqeramaline Salus Sudaram Confessarius Guard
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Before operation

Summary Logos fights the Nachzehrer King and rings his own death knell.
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 1>
[Rain falls down.]
All the eye can see is death. Endless killing. Life takes life. Fields of corpses, soaked in blood. The first Nachzehrer learned his purpose when he rose from the ashes of battle. ”I am the end of all things.”
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 2>
Logos	"Penetrate."
<Background flashes>
The incantation pierces the Nachzehrer like a lance. It happened so fast that it was almost impossible to see its trajectory, as though it had taken effect by the time the word left the lips. A smooth hole appears in Nezzsalem's chest.
<Background flashes black>
There is no change in his expression. Withered branches reach down from his staff, reach into the hole in his torso, and fill in the gap.
[Logos takes a breath, then launches a barrage of Arts, finishing with an explosive blast.]
How could this be? In this battle alone, the young Banshee has casted dozens of Arts that were not of Sarkaz origin. Ravel, the greatest Arts master of Gaul. His life's work made the guns of Gaul's ships mighty, and he was famous in all the nations, before the Witch King made his own name known throughout the land. In that war, there was an instant when the ships of Gaul ripped apart the lines of death like a sharp sword, before death swallowed them. Why do I see a shadow of him in your Arts?
Nezzsalem	Your words can't kill me. The voice that calls me is louder than your incantations by far.
Logos	...I can hear it. The dirge of the fallen echoes within you.
<Background flashes black repeatedly>
Thousands of war altars, spread across the battlefield. They absorb what life leaves behind when it dies. The culmination of the power stands before Logos. The most powerful Nachzehrer, and the most terrible war altar.
Nezzsalem	Nachzehrers witness death. We take in all who were brave, friend or foe. In the endless cycle of life and death, they will be remembered and honored. Cowards deserve only dust. Tell me, my foe—is it a young hero who stands before me, or a despicable traitor?
Logos	Your judgment does not interest me. This is not where the power of words lie.
<Background flashes yellow>
Logos once again gathers power in his palm.
[Logos fires his Arts.]
A second wound appears on Nezzsalem's body, stretching from the shoulder to his chest.
[A golden gleam lines the gash.]
The incantation does not dissipate. It fends off the branches trying to close in, and prevents the energies of the dead from repairing the Nachzehrer's body. Shredded cloth rises and falls, covering the new wound, and countless old scars.
Nezzsalem	What is this?
Logos	Death may feed the Nachzehrer, but the Banshee can put death itself to rest. You are no longer the sole master of war, Nezzsalem.
Nezzsalem	You're more gifted in incantation than any Banshee I know, Laqeramaline included. A shame, though. Why do you not sing for the dead, if you truly mourn them?
Logos	Elegy cannot actually put the dead to rest. Neither the living nor the dead will find true rest, as long as war continues.
Nezzsalem	Preposterous! You have vanquished the Damazti and banished the Vampire. You, a sovereign of the Royal Court, have Royal Court blood on your hands. You dare say it is all because you are avoiding war? Is your rebellion the only reason you stand in my way?
<Background shakes violently>
The Nachzehrer floats up in fury. The branches underneath him disintegrate, and decay fills the canyon.
[Logos begins to blow on his whistle.]
The Banshee's chanting does not give ground.
<Flashback starts here>
Born in death, fueled by war, and nourishing death. The life of the Nachzehrer is as war itself. Cities and kingdoms rise and fall, but the fate of the Nachzehrer never changes. Once, a Nachzehrer clan, tired of the cycle, put down their swords and staves and went into the depths of the wastes, far from civilization. Their powers declined rapidly in peace, and they soon became prey for others, fading away in a forgotten corner of the land. There is no other way to ensure the continued existence of the Nachzehrers. The great rock of war sits above our heads on the slopes of time. All we can do is to push it with all our strength. Such cycle has continued for thousands of years. Until—
<Background 3>
[Theresis and Theresa stand before Nezzsalem.]
We promise a war, Nachzehrer King— About the future, and nothing else.
My best students, the young twin royals. I taught them the laws of war. They stood before me and told me— We can end the monotony of war and break the rigid cycle. We can push the rock to the top of the mountain and build a splendid palace with it. This war will be my blaze of glory. It must not end here!
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 2>
That was a long time ago. Now, a young Banshee stands before me. How could they be so alike?
Nezzsalem	I fought alongside Laqeramaline for decades, across cities and plains. We buried the armor of Victoria and the guns of Gaul beneath the walls of Kazdel together. In the same battle, I helped Theresa take the heads of thousands of Leithanian casters. They were the heroes of Kazdel, its greatest warriors. Laqeramaline entrusted you with the future of the Banshees. Theresa considered you one of her best students. But you hid at Rhodes Island, sheltered the King of Sarkaz, and sneaked into Londinium like a thief, content to sabotage the cracks in the battlefield...
Logos	War will not end the suffering of the Sarkaz. All I see is you dragging everyone into the abyss.
Nezzsalem	So you chose to run. Many years ago, I said to Theresa that war was unavoidable. If it did not come to Londinium, it would come to Kazdel. Theresa agreed, but continued to hope that there could be another solution. Her choice led to a new war. Its consequence was the death of the King of Sarkaz. I witnessed her death. All Sarkaz should honor her. What about you? What can you bring the Sarkaz aside from these meek words? What do you want to bring the Sarkaz?
He points his staff at the ground. The scent of decay rushes out, overpowering the barrier of incantations.
[An army of Sudaram rises.]
Sudaram	(Growls)
Logos	—
[Logos blows on his whistle again.]
The dirge of the myriad souls grows louder. The power of the incantations is weakening. He feels his fingers, lips and tongue go numb. The fury does not come only from the ancient Royal Court sovereign before him. It is also coming from his own blood.
Logos	...
???	I told you.
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 4>
Logos	Duq'arael. I witnessed with my own eyes...
Duq'arael	...My death? You and the King both know you can't kill me. With your help, I've come to an... interesting place. It is not all nothingness beyond history. But I continue to gaze at you beyond the veil. You have come so far, little Banshee... you and the Outblood King seek the drop of blood that I left behind. The Blood of Teekaz... the pure blood that I coveted. You believe that you can prevent calamity from occurring again by destroying it.
Logos	It's true.
Duq'arael	"True". Destroy the altar, put a temporary stop to the Cunabula of Suffering, allow the Victorian nitwits to cling to life a bit longer. How boring. Who is the one that's short-sighted and foolish here?
Logos	...
Duq'arael	You feel it, don't you? You're closely linked to the altar. Right here, right now, your power is being boosted by it. It was never one drop of blood or a single person's call that awakened the Cunabula of Suffering. Originium is the response to the call of all Sarkaz, living and dead. No exceptions.
Logos	...The murmur of the myriad souls is omnipresent. The lament of the dead will not stop. The Sarkaz are bound by the past from the moment of their birth, never to be freed, even unto death.
Duq'arael	You witnessed the myriad souls the first time you sang an elegy... Laqeramaline proudly described your talent to us. This talent was the seed of dissent. You feel pain, not just for others, but for yourself as well. You may detest the path I walk, but you could not help but feel sorrow for me sake.
Logos	I feel sorrow for how you're trapped by the past.
Duq'arael	Such arrogance... I should try to kill you again. But instead, I will bless you. The slaughterer and the slaughtered... they are all part of the cycle. I am here because of you.
Logos does not smell any blood. The incantation easily impales the Sanguinarch's body, causing only a few small ripples.
Logos	Your blood is still linked to my elegy.
Duq'arael	Of course... of course. You stand with me, no matter how much you resist. We are all sovereigns of the Royal Court, after all... the oldest bloodlines of the Sarkaz. I should be glad that you could conquer me, for it proves that you are stronger, and more worthy of carrying the fate of the Sarkaz, leading them on your path.
The Sanguinarch of Vampires laughs, turning around and disappearing into the cave. His silhouette fades away amongst the Originium crystals, but his voice continues to echo in Logos's ear.
<Background fades out>
Duq'arael	Bless you, Aefanyl, my vanquisher. Assimilate my blood. Utilize my power. Let your hatred of me fuel your battles! You will walk in my place and witness in my stead how far the flames of Sarkaz vengeance will burn.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 2>
Logos	... I... Refuse. Nachzehrer, Vampire, we all hear the same cry. The fate of the Sarkaz is caught in a cycle, and I am no exception. I am part of what I'm fighting. The fury of the Sarkaz burns within my veins and my viscera.
[Logos blows on his whistle.]
Words turn into fire, descending from the sky to ignite every seed on the earth. Incantations burn at Logos's fingertips, on his lips, in his chest. Originium crystals grow furiously around him, and the crying of the dead becomes even louder, ready to accept him and devour him at any time. He no longer rejects the power in his blood. The Vampire has guided the flames of the Sarkaz to him, and he has embraced the fire.
Logos	"The abyss lies before us. We can fill it with flesh, and burn the remnants with blood." If the only way to bring new life is to burn away all the decay, then I will be both flame and fuel. This is where my blood belongs, that I have chosen.
<Background flashes>
Flames consume the entire canyon. The only things left are the incantations that the young Banshee has written his entire life, from a very young age. They surround Logos loyally, his sword and shield.
Logos	If war is the only way to achieve the dream, and new life can only emerge from death... I shall bring death. I shall welcome death. I shall ignite my past with blood, not for vengeance— But for the day when this fire will burn away what shackles the Sarkaz, through the decay that covers the land.
<Background flashes yellow>
A bone whistle sounds. Logos knows that it is merely the echo of the bone whistle in the Valley of the Banshees, the night he set out for Babel. From death comes new life. The death knell rings. For the Royal Court that would rot, past and future, and for himself.

After operation

Summary Logos recreates Theresis's swordsmanship with witchcraft, cutting off the Nachzehrer King's arm. He falls off the cliff in the process, but is saved by a combat platform imbued with the Banshee's will.
<Background 4>
[The low sound of a whistle resounds throughout the cave.]
Amiya	A death knell. Logos's bone whistle.
Doctor	A bone whistle... / ...For whom?
Amiya	...
Doctor	Amiya...
Amiya	I'm fine, Doctor. I'm just reminded of... a lot of things. Logos rarely conducted himself as Lord of the Banshees when we were at Rhodes Island. He said he was no different from Scout or Misery, just another Sarkaz operator who believed in the ideals of Rhodes Island. The day we set out, when Logos put on his Royal Court garment... I sensed great determination in his eyes... And great sorrow.
<Background 2>
<Background flashes repeatedly>
Logos	...
[Logos falls to his knees.]
The bone whistle has cracked. The bone pen has broken. Blood flows the corner of his lips.
Nezzsalem	You can no longer use witchcraft. You push yourself to the limit, burning all the blood in your body to blow your bone whistle... just to stop me for a moment. Aefanyl... You are a fine warrior.
The Nachzehrer King spreads his arms wide. The tattered banners draped over him rise up, as though echoing the countless wars the Sarkaz have fought. Rotten flesh and blood fall from his wounds new and old, nourishing the battlefield. New branches sprout from the soil, repairing the warriors that have been damaged by incantations. The fallen Sudaram rise again.
[The Sudaram screech loudly.]
Nezzsalem	But you are not fighting one, or a few. There have been no shortage of revolutionaries amongst the Sarkaz or the Royal Court. They have all failed, just as Theresa did. War is the great boulder destined to fall on top of the Sarkaz in the abyss, again and again. And you... You've gained the Nachzehrers' respect, and so I shall now grant you death.
The Nachzehrer walks atop mists of decay towards the young Banshee.
<Background fades out and in>
[Nezzsalem stands right in front of Logos, preparing to execute him...]
Logos	"Sever."
<Background flashes>
The Banshee utters the final incantation, so soft it is almost inaudible. The cutting words become a tangible blade, which he grabs with his hand—
<Background flashes>
And cuts off the Nachzehrer King's right arm.
[Nezzsalem wails, rising up to the sky.]
<Background fades out>
Nezzsalem	Theresis's swordcraft—
The full blast of the Nachzehrer King's power hits Logos in the chest. He falls from the cliff.
[Logos seems to splash into water.]
The ground made of Originium begins to collapse. Logos pictures how the familiar ship treads mountains and rivers, its tracks giving off the same rumbling. He remembers the first time he came to Rhodes Island and stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the deck with Theresa. She looked out over Kazdel, while he listened to the wailing in the wind. He remembers Mechanist hunched over, fiddling with parts, chiding Closure for wasting materials. Outcast and Blaze betting on how long it would last, and a robotic arm reaching over to grab his hat. He remembers Ace's bloodied palm by his shield and cup. Scout's palm was a little cooler, about the temperature of his crossbow, and he could tell them apart by shaking their hands and high-fiving. He remembers the Doctor and Amiya saying goodnight in the corridors, when Amiya suddenly stopped him to ask if he was ready to go to Londinium. He remembers Dr. Kal'tsit taking Amiya's hand and bringing her between them— "Theresa is gone. Amiya is the new leader of Rhodes Island." Logos keeps falling— Falling until he is completely submerged in cold water. He remembers himself many years ago.
Laqeramaline	You have made your decision.
Aefanyl	Yes. I will stay at Rhodes Island and journey the land with the ship.
Laqeramaline	Theresa is gone. The dream of Babel...
Aefanyl	...Lives. Her Highness has named her heir. She is young, but carries a familiar fire in her eyes that belongs only to dreamers. And it's not just for her that I choose to stay. The journey of Her Highness's search hasn't ended, and it should not end like this. I will continue the journey, as long as the answer to the future of the Sarkaz lies elsewhere. I may not come back to the Valley for a long time.
Laqeramaline	Do you feel sorry because you cannot stay with us?
Aefanyl	I will not act as a sovereign of the Royal Court outside the Valley. Many will see my will as the will of the Royal Court. They may see the Banshees as their enemies... I'm afraid I won't be able to help you fend off any storms coming from outside the Valley.
Laqeramaline	If any old friends want to pay a visit, I'll be sure to give them a warm welcome.
Aefanyl	I will not question the former master of the Valley of the Banshees...
Laqeramaline	My sister and I worry for you in the same way.
Aefanyl	...
Laqeramaline	Take our thoughts with you.
<Background fades to white>
[Logos continues to sink.]
The song of the Banshees surrounds their young lord. The water becomes warm, like a pair of warm hands that pull the fallen back. Logos opens his eyes. He seems to see his mother, and everyone else he holds dear. "Aefanyl, the most beautiful wave of the Valley, its loveliest song... we must stay and watch you go away..." "But our blessing will be with you, wherever you go."
Logos	...
<Background 5>
???	Hang in there, Aefanyl. We're with you. We've always been with you.
[The strange machine channels power into Logos.]
The power of incantation fills Logos, to the very ends of his limbs. He opens his lips again. A song filled with power echoes on the river reflecting the most beautiful wave. All the pursuers are compelled to stop.
<Background 2>
Nezzsalem	... I never thought I would hear the chorus of the Banshees here in this distant land. Ever is death accompanied by new life... Are you still trying to sway me with song, young one, here at the end of all things?
Sudaram	MyPatriarch[sic], this is no more than a Banshee's incantation. They have not truly joined the battle. Our foe remains only the young Banshee.
Nezzsalem	... Yes...
Sudaram	Your injuries are grave...
Nezzsalem	The curse of Aefanyl dictates that decay return to decay. I will not be able to regenerate for some time. But this body will last long enough to see this battle through. For now... let me hear his song, and that of the Banshees.
Nezzsalem walks to the edge of the cliff, without the help of any Arts. For an instant, he looks like an ordinary old man.
Nezzsalem	Do you remember Buldrokkas'tee?
Sudaram	Yes. You raised him as you would raise your own son.
Nezzsalem	Such a talented boy. He would have become the hero of Kazdel. He was my best student. But he left Kazdel, and died to a conspiracy in a distant land. But he died a warrior. He lived the meaning of life through war, and returned to the myriad souls upon his death. After that... after that... Where is the next hero of Kazdel?
Nezzsalem looks down the cliff. Wind passes through the holes in his body that have not healed, creating sounds without meaning.
<Background 4>
Amiya	The dirge of the myriad souls has grown softer. Logos's bone whistle has temporarily suppressed the link between the Blood of Teekaz and Originium. This is our chance. Doctor, Dr. Kal'tsit... this time, I won't let it slip from my hands.
<Background 6>
[Salus steps in front of the Confessarius altar.]
Salus	...They've caught up. Are you here too, dear Qui'saršinnag? You and our Leader... our dear father. Who will be the one to approach the throne?
Salus reaches for the drop of blood at the top of the altar.
<Background flashes>
Originium burns, and the myriad souls roar. The powerful witchcraft quickly turns her fingers into charred black crystals.
Salus	I want to see it so badly... The origin is so near.
<Background 7>
Confessarius Guard	You—
[Shining's sword hits the guard's blade.]
Shining	You've hid well. It took a long time to find you. Too long.
Confessarius Guard	Traitor! How many have you killed on your way here?
Shining	...Not more than I killed when I escaped.
Confessarius Guard	The underground labs were full of the dead back then... our dead. You ruined our Leader's plans at the Royal Academy of Sciences. The Victorians almost found out about it because of you!
Shining	I wish he had never succeeded.
Confessarius Guard	Ha... that's not what you used to say. How dare you act high and mighty, when you were the one who gave us our orders! That cave outside Londinium, all the research bases... was there any part of it that you weren't in charge of? The Leader was in Kazdel most of the time. You were the one who directed the research. You looked exactly like the Leader with your mask on!
Shining	I had no choice back then.
Confessarius Guard	No choice? What about the things you said when you took us to Londinium and had us don this mask? We were mere mercenaries, but we believed in the Confessarii's teachings, believed in the "First and Final Path" that you preached! Our original sin, the sin that outsiders imposed upon us, will be washed away at its coming. Was that all a lie?
Shining	... I wish that was a lie.
Confessarius Guard	it wasn't a lie... it was real. All the Leader's promises to us were sincere. The same for you, Qui'saršinnag, even if you have strayed from the path... The Leader and the Regent are so close to victory. The freedom and power that have been lost for thousands of years are about to return to the hands of the Sarkaz.
Shining	...
Confessarius Guard	Kill me if you want. Go and see the Leader. Your father. He is waiting for you at the end of the path. They're all waiting for you. You will witness it for us, for every life that your sword took.
[Shining cuts down the guard.]
Shining	...
[Shining bends down.]
Shining removes the guard's mask. She remembers the face. He was one of the first mercenaries that the Confessarii brought to Londinium. They knew nothing at first. They were only tasked to excavate the ruins outside the city. The young man had expressed his gratitude to her directly, thanked the Confessarii for giving them a safe, well-paid job. It was not long before she stopped hearing those words. The Leader of the Confessarii came to Londinium. There were no more idle mercenaries drinking and playing games. Everyone put on the same mask, and did not speak except when necessary. They had no special bloodline. Qui'sartuštaj should not have been able to control their will so easily. But the part of them that belonged to themselves died before the great dreams of the Confessarii. It was she who killed them first.
[Shining closes her eyes. When she reopens them, they are filled with burning anger.]
Shining	This sin... ...has gone on long enough.
[Shining climbs up the stairs to the altar, shattering the Confessarius mask in her hand.]
The mask cracks. The pieces stab at Shining's palm. She continues her journey to the top.