"How do you wanna approach this?" I, Xylvia, asked Rosary. "They're getting close to the sea-line."
"I just need you to create a ring of fire around me and that group," Rosary answered. "I can handle him now that I know the tricks up their sleeves."
"I can do that, but…"
"I know. You won't be able to keep it up for very long. That's fine. I just need a little time is all."
As the Carrier came closer to the ground, about 15 stretches from where we were at, the group finally noticed the Carrier and got ready to fight. The one with the bag already pulled up barriers made of stone around him. The other three already had multiple sources of magic ready to fight.
And their leader, the self-proclaimed god, just stood there smiling with his hands behind his back.
Rosary's teeth showed in response to the man's cocky attitude. I was also getting pretty fed up with it.
—————
"I'm surprised you didn't just shoot us down," Rosary said with a hateful smirk. "Thought you were smarter than that. And you call yourself a god?"
"Aren't you supposed to be dead you golem-bred bitch?" The man asked in the most non-chalant way possible. "I distinctly remember my blade plunging straight through your neck. There was blood spraying and gargling noises and everything."
He began waving his knife around, examining it as if something were wrong with it.
"It doesn't make any sense. Even with healing magic, there's no way you'd be able to stay alive long enough. There weren't any sparks in your hands. You looked pretty dead."
What he talking about?
The memory of Rosary running up to us after attatching Hiro's new leg on him flashed in my head for a quick moment. She was fuming, coated in blood like she had just brutally murdered someone. She had told us that she killed two of their men.
But…
"Perhaps…I was right initially?" The man sighed as he leaned forward a bit. "Would you by any chance be…a Mistake?"
Mistake? Didn't he call Wanderer that to?
I glanced over at Rosary who had a tense look on her face.
"I'm sorry Xylvia." She said noticing my glance. "Remember what you said about that 'life' talk? Well, if you're ok with who I really am, I'd love for us to have that sometime soon."
Then, as if time had froze for a split second, she had multiple tendrils sprouting from her arms as she closed the distance between her and the group.
"NOW XYLVIA!" She shouted.
Without hesitation, I quickly twirled a small spark of flames with my index finger and shot the trail of flames towards Rosary and the group. The trail quickly formed a ring around them that started out thin at first, but then quickly grew taller and taller around them until it was a massive wall of fire that had them completely surrounded.
The group had been hesitant long enough for me to send the fire out, and Rosary kept them from escaping long enough for the fire to completely surround them.
"You're not escaping me." Rosary hissed as she wrapped some of the members of the group with her tendrils as the last bit of flames covered the exterior.
I definitely wouldn't be able to keep this up for longer than a few slants, but I trusted Rosary enough to wrap this up quickly.
"Rosary…"
I couldn't believe it. Rosary was a Wanderer this whole time. A being who longed for a purpose.
"Is that why she…?"
I noticed the fire suddenly begin to grow dim. I quickly regained my focus and continued throwing out more flames, watching as they circulated into the ring. The heat grew more intense as I maintained my focus.
Can't think about that right now! I just need to buy her time.
'…if you're ok with who I really am, I'd love for us to have that sometime soon.'
We will. I promise.
"Damn that's hot."
I felt something cold climbing up my spine when I heard that voice.
"Nice candlelight you got there…"
He was right next to me…
—————
"What's going on down there?!"
A huge dome of flames was circulating right below. I could make out Xylvia's figure, most likely where the flames were coming from. A man dressed in pitch black was standing right next to her…
"What's happening?! It's so damn hot in here! I heard Rosary's voice, but I don't know what's going on!"
"Wait, are you INSIDE that ring of fire?!" I asked.
"Ring of fire? Ah, so that's what's going on. Xylvia must've trapped us in hear so that Rosary could fight them."
"She's fighting them ALONE?!"
"Seems like it. I guess she must be strong or something, but this seems a little bold."
"Xylvia's not alone though," I exclaimed. "That man's out there with her!"
"Wait, WHAT?!"
"He's standing right next to Xylvia!"
—————
"How about we stop playing with fire now, Biter." The self-proclaimed god whispered to me in a cold voice.
He looked calm, but I could easily sense his intense aura. It was suffocating. I felt frozen to the ground, unable to move, or speak.
"What's wrong?" He asked playfully. "Scared shitless? Here, I'll help."
Suddenly, with a vibrant *SNAP!*, the fire was gone. His group of men were standing right next to him.
And…
*drip…drip…*
A trail of blood and guts that was speared into the ground led right to a decapitated head…
Rosary's…head…
"All you had to do was put out the fire," the man said, leaving close into my face. "You're little Mistake here might've live to have that little 'talk.'"
An overwhelming urge to scream filled my entire body, but the weight of his aura prevented me from doing so. He wouldn't even let me mourn. All I could do was stand and be forced to watch as he mocked me.
He swung Rosary's head around by her ears.
"I will say…this does surprise me," he said poking the inside of her ears. "To think that the girl who let a man's dick inside here was actually a Mistake this whole time. Guess it makes sense. I mean, heh, what normal Felinian would EVER think to do something like THAT? I mean…seriously?! And that wench of a goddess thinks that bringing in ANOTHER Summon was a good idea?! What's he gonna do next?! Stick it through someone's eye socket?! Or up their nose?! FffUUUCK I should've just killed that stupid Summon when he was RIGHT in front of me!"
I remained frozen in place as he vented his frustrations about Hiro. All the while swinging Rosary's blood dripping head around.
…'let's do it sometime soon…'
All I felt were tears streaming down my face as I watched Rosary's head be swung around by this monster. I thought we had him, but I got distracted. He must've slipped through in the middle of it.
How…how is he that strong? It's as if time had stopped completely, and everything moved at rapid speed as I blinked. The Spectrum of Magic doesn't allow this. Surely this is too strong…right?
No…
Could he…really be a god?
—————
"THE FIRE'S FADING!" I screamed.
"WHAT'S THAT SON OF A BITCH DOING TO XYLVIA?!"
"I don't know! It…looks like he's…screaming at her or something? Why isn't she moving?"
I felt the Carrier suddenly tilt downwards straight towards the chaos. As I held on for dear life, an overwhelming sense of anger boiled deep inside me.
"What…is this?" I wondered. "Is this…'his' anger?"
"LET ME OOOOUT!!! GET ME OUT OF THIS BAG GODDAMMIT!!!"
So…much…anger… It…hurts…
"S-Stop…please…" I begged. "You're…hurting me…"
I couldn't breathe. It was like someone was squeezing hard on my throat. I find myself standing up, trying to pry off whatever it was. However, there was no physical body for me to grab on to. It was just nothing but anger…
"Please…stop…
…
"…Hi…ro…"
—————
"The hell?!"
The man suddenly looked up in shock and stumbled backwards. I felt his aura drop heavily as I knelt down and coughed up my lungs. After catching my breath, I looked behind me to see another Carrier descending down. I could vaguely make out a figure inside it through the windows.
It looked like…
"Hiro?!"
"That damn Summon?!"
Off guard!
"DAMN YOOOOUU!!!"
I quickly sidestepped towards him and threw a punch straight into his gut, a trail of fire exploding from the back of my knuckles.
"GRAAAAUUUHHH!!!"
When my punch connected, he spat how a glob of saliva as he landed on his knees and struggled for breathe.
"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"
All the emotions that had been kept pressed tightly inside were all suddenly being released and hurled straight into this monster. This self-proclaimed god. This…WRETCHED PIECE OF SHIT!
*CRACK!* *SPLAT!*
I could feel teeth and bones cracking from my hits as blood splattered onto my face.
The only image inside my head was of Rosary's head. The way he treated her corpse as of she were his toy. Mocking…violating…insulting…
I'll tear your head apart.
I bore my claws and almost tore into his neck before-
*CRACK!*
A sudden heavy impact sent my falling sideways onto the ground.
*TOOH!*
While my vision was hazy, I could see the man had gotten back up and spat out some blood before he turned to me with so much hatred pouring out from his pummeled face.
"Heheh…I fucked you up…bastard…" I spat.
He knelt down and grabbed me by the ears while pulling out his blade. A horrifying smile carved itself onto his face as he brought the blade closer to my…
No…
Stop…
"You know, there's an island out there," the man started, his voice becoming less and less composed. "About several hundred paces that way. Riiiiight on the veeery edge of the Infinite Storms, practically touching. And you know, there's only a few things that are as valuable as a live Wanderer on that island."
He tilted his knife to show it's serrated edge.
"Summons…"
He brought it up towards my ears.
"…no…"
*SCHLIK!*
The cold blade pierced straight through the top part of it.
"…and your ears…"
"…YYYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
—————
I kicked open the door and jumped off the Carrier and landed onto the ground. The dome of fire had almost completely vanished, revealing a struggling Rosary and two conscious people along with two other people who were dead and a bag that shook violently.
"…EYYYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
Xylvia…
I turned to see her and the man, who had a knife that was stabbing into her left ear.
"STOOOP!" I screamed, shooting my tendrils straight at the man.
The man turned, but he was too late. I managed to connect a hit in and send him flying back, his knife had dropped onto the ground right in front of Xylvia.
"NOOOOOO!!! GET AWAY!!! STOOOP!!! RRRRAAAAAAUUUHHHHH!!!"
Even though the man wasn't near her, she still continued to scream in pain
"Xylvia?!"
I ran up to her, but she began swinging flames violently around her.
"Xylvia, it's me! Wanda!" I exclaimed, but she wouldn't listen.
"AUUUUHHHHHH!!!!! NOOOOO!!!! LEAVE THEM ALOOOOOONE!!! LEAVE US ALONE!!! AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
"WANDERER!!! GET ME OUT OF THIS FUCKING BAG!!!" Hiro screamed in my head.
I felt that painful anger again and found myself on my knees clutching at me chest. I struggled myself to look up. Rosary was still fighting the two men, but noticed us after Xylvia had started screaming.
"ROSARYYYY!!!" I yelled.
"What are you doing here Hiro?!" She yelled back, deflecting the men's attacks. "You shouldn't have come here! You'll get yourself killed."
"THE BAG! OPEN IT!!!"
While she looked bewildered, she sidestepped away from the men quickly and swatted her tendrils at the bag, tearing it open.
I never would've guess that she was a Wanderer…like me. No time for that!
Someone shook the bag off of them and got up to their feet.
"Wanda, are you ok?!" She yelled at the person.
When he was finally out of the bag, I felt the anger fade again. I finally had the strength to get back up, dashing towards Rosary to help her out.
"Watch out!" I yelled to her, shooting a tendril out to block one of the men's attacks.
"Huh?! Wait…what?!"
Rosary looked at me, completely in shock.
"Yep, it's me," I said to her, smiling awkwardly. "I'm Wanda."
"W…HUH?!"
"Long story…"
*SPLAT!*
I finally managed to grab ahold of one of the men after some rustling and slammed his body into the ground. He coughed up a lot of blood before I smashed his head into the ground, flattening it into nothing but mush. After a few finger twitched, he went completely still.
"Wait, if you're Hiro…" Rosary began, sending the other man to meet a similar fate. "…then…is that…?"
After shaking a few strands of the bag off his body, he ran straight to Xylvia with some sparks in his hands.
"Yep, that's Hiro." I said. "We kinda had a plan."
—————
"XYLVIA!" I screamed. "HANG ON!"
"NOOOOO!!! STOOOOOP!!!"
I grabbed onto her shoulders to try and get her to face me. Tears and utter terror flooded her eyes, completely blocking her vision. I noticed a shattered bottle next to her and realized what happened.
"Son of a bitch…" I cursed.
I quickly grabbed onto both her hands before she could slash at me with her claws and held her down onto the ground.
"NOOOO!!!! LET ME GO!!!! NOOOO!!!!!! MAMAAAAA!!!!! HELP MEEEE!!!!! AAAAUUUHHHHHHH!!!!"
"Please calm down Xylvia," I said, tears beginning to flood my own eyes. "Just let me help you."
I needed a free hand in order to help her, but I had both of them occupying her claws. She'd kill me if I let one of them go.
"…grrr…"
No…dammit.
I looked up to see the man dressed in black was approaching us. I guess Wanderer could kill him. Dammit. It's my fault.
"I'll…kill you…" he growled.
However, before he could sprint at me, he was suddenly locked into the ground by a pair of tendrils. I looked back to see Wanderer…and Rosary?
"We've got him, just help Xylvia!" Wanderer shouted.
I looked at Rosary, completely shocked.
"I'll…explain later…" she said with an awkward look on her face.
"Yeah, ok." I nodded, focusing my attention back on Xylvia.
"ACK!"
"URGH!"
I looked back to see both Wanderer and Rosary with pained expression on their faces. When I looked back over to the man, he had somehow managed to break some bottles containing purplish liquid that spread onto the pair's tendrils.
The pair then sent another set of tendril at the man to keep him completely still.
Dammit, there's no time.
"LET ME GOOOOO!!!!" Xylvia shrieked.
Shit…this is gonna hurt.
"Xylvia…please go easy on me…"
I took one of her clawed hands…
*SCHLIK!*
…and jammed it deep into my shoulder.
"AHHAAAAGH!" I screamed.
Goddamn that hurt! Fuuuuuck that burns!!! Ow ow OOOOWWW!!!
"Xylvia…please WAKE UP!!"
As the sparks on my right hand turned into water, I gently pressed my palm straight onto Xylvia's face…
"…huh?"
*drip…drip…ROOOOOARRRR!!!*
Drips of water suddenly turned into a monsoon that nearly swept me off my feet. Violent waves of rain and water were sent plunging straight at me. I struggled to stay afoot on what looked like a rocky cliff.
"XYLVIAAAAA!!!" I screamed into the storm. "WHERE ARE YOOOOU?"
I felt my voice getting caught by the roars of the storm, being chewed up and spat out into the void.
"AUUUUHHHH!!!"
A scream.
When I looked towards the direction it had come from, I could vaguely make out a person standing completely still through the roaring waves.
"XYLVIA!!!" I screamed, struggling to run to her.
Even though I got close to her, I found myself unable to get to her. The storm was just simply too strong, almost knocking me off my feet completely.
"XYLVIA!!!!"
No response.
She didn't move. Or scream again. All I could see was her backside as she faces the storm surging straight at us.
"PLEASE…TAKE MY HAND!!!" I screamed, reaching out to her with my right hand.
She still didn't respond…
Xylvia…are these your true feelings? How badly are you hurting? Why didn't you tell me…? I know I said you didn't have to, but if you're were hurting this badly then…
Why…?
'Why are you afraid of me?'
…
Does she not trust me?
This storm… Is this her way of trying to reject me? To reject everything…and everyone?
Xylvia…what happened to you?
—————
I was raised in a town with my mother. Tallisco was the name, located in the country Fellrow. The Corruption had heavily plagued a part of this country, Tallisco being one of the many places. Most of us were poor and could barely put food on the table, while others had to be killed off because from turning Corrupt.
I never got to know my father since he left a few days after I was born, but mother never talked much about him.
"Mama, why did papa leave us," I asked her when I was a little girl. "Does he hate us?"
"No sweet child, he doesn't hate us," mama told me. "He could never be with us. It was just…impossible."
She'd always have a sad look on her face whenever she mentioned papa. I never knew why.
I still don't to this day.
I'd be home alone most of the time, playing with the toys or reading the books mama would always bring home. Learning how she got the money to get all this never crossed my mind until I was much older. The signs were there though.
Some night she'd come home utterly exhausted and collapse on the floor. She'd reek of hazer and sweat as she tried to crawl into bed. Dressed only in a one piece with nothing underneath.
"Mama, what happened to your neck." I asked her one night.
Her neck was bright red on some of those night. The red outline of fingers easily visible, as if someone had choked her.
"Don't worry Xylvi." She'd say. "It's just a scratch."
Why…?
Why did she have to go through this? Selling her body to some random man cycle after cycle after cycle?! She didn't deserve that!
If only father were here. If only he'd never left us. It's his fault. All of it! How could you be fine with your mate sleeping with other men just so she could take care of her daughter?!
How could you… *hic!* why…?
"I HATE YOOOOU!!!"
Mama looked at me with sorrow eyes when I said that.
"WHY DID HE LEAVE US?! WHY WOULD HE LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU?!!"
"Xylvi please…don't…" mama said, on the verge of crying.
"Why do you still *hic!* defend him?! WHY AREN'T YOU ANGRY?! WHY DON'T YOU HATE HIM?! AREN'T YOU SICK OF THIS?!!"
"Of course I am…" she whimpered.
"THEN WHY AREN'T YOU ANGRY?!!"
"BECAUSE I CAN'T BE XYLVIA!!!"
I never heard my mother scream like that in my life. That's what I wanted at the time, but hearing it was like a slap to the face.
"I CAN'T BE ANGRY! I CAN'T! BECAUSE THEN I'D START NEGLECTING YOU! Kkhh…uuuhh…ahaaahaaaahhh…!"
I never once saw my mother cry.
"I hate this…just as much as you do…! *hic!*…I wish things were better…*sniff!* I wish your father could be with us… uhu…! I wish I didn't have to go out and do this cycle after cycle! Of course…*hic!*…of course I'm sick of this…"
I sat there in silence as tears fell down from my face. I got my answer, but I would never forgive myself for making mama cry like that.
"However…"
Mama got up from her chair and walked over to the other end of the dusty, cracked dining table where I was sitting.
"If I still get to see my beautiful child, …then it's all worth it in the end…"
She then knelt down and hugged me tightly, my overwhelming emotions quickly turning into childish bawling.
I was such a child. Always acting arrogant and throwing a tantrum, but then turning around and crying into my mother's arms when I got too scared.
Unfortunately, the next day, I would no longer have her shoulders to cry on…
The Crimson Day. A day where a horrible fire of unknown cause, the color of blood, engulfed most of Fellrow. And Tallisco was no exception.
What made it worse was when the Corrupt creatures showed up…and brutally mauled everyone they found.
They cries of men, women, children…infants…all could be heard as the fires cackled loudly, as if they were laughing at our pain.
"Mama, please, we need to run away!"
"There's nowhere for us to go Xylvi."
I would never forget her pained expression.
Mama pulled apart a few floorboards, revealing a small cubby with dusty items inside.
"Hide in here." She said to me as she picked me up and placed me inside.
"What about you?"
Mama shook her head.
"Please, stay strong, no matter what happens."
I was about to cry out to her, but…
"Shhhhhhh…"
As tears streamed down her face, she held her index finger up to her lips. I remember when she did this every time I started to cry. Or when I was too loud, or angry.
So, I kept quiet. I whimpered softly, struggling to keep myself from bawling again, but I kept quiet.
"…good girl. I love you, Xylvi."
*SMASH!*
The last thing I saw before everything went dark was the front wall of our house being completely destroyed and tendrils plunging straight through mama's heart and ripping her in half.
Even through all that, I still kept quiet.
…It would be about 4 cycles before I ever thought about leaving that dark cubby….
————-
Those tendrils…an ugly shade of purple and dripping with vile Corruption…
That was the only lead I had when it came to the Corruption.
I thought Wanderer was the lead, but he wasn't the cause. The Wanderers were different. They were here before the Corruption according to Wanderer.
I thought I had my lead, but all it did was make me even more confused.
And then Rosary…
She was also a Wanderer. She's also been hurting too.
'Please, be honest with me. How many times were you hurt?'
When Hiro asked Rosary that question, I had never seen such a pained expression on her face like that before. I never knew she had a troubled past as well. I though she was just nothing but a hopeless pervert, when really there was much more to it then that.
Now it doesn't matter anymore. She's dead now…
And it's all my fault…
If only I hadn't pushed her away. If only I had asked her, opened up to her.
I could've maybe saved her…
I'm so scared…
Mama…please…help me…
I don't know what to do…
Please…don't leave me crying all alone…
I don't wanna be alone…*hic!* not again…
…
I curled myself up into a ball and cried my eyes out, keeping my ears covered.
I give up…I don't want anyone near me anymore…no more pain…
I…just wanna die…
"XYLVIA!"
"…wha…t…?"
…
That voice…
"XYLVIA!!! TAKE MY HAND!!!"
"…Hiro?"
—————
*ROOOOOARRRR!!!*
Xylvia had finally turned around, her eyes slowly started lighting up. I was getting to her, but I was also slowly losing the strength to stand through this storm.
"I KNOW YOU'RE SCARED!" I shouted to her. "I KNOW YOU'RE HURTING! I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH! BUT…YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE THROUGH YOUR PAIN ALONE! I LIVE THROUGH IT WITH YOU! I'LL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU! JUST PLEASE…TAKE MY HAND!"
…
…
"Hiro…?"
"YES!! IT'S ME!!!"
Xylvia finally started blinking again, her eyes watery with tears as she reached out both her arms towards me…and jumped.
"HIROOOO!!!"
*CATCH!*
When our bodies met, I held onto her tightly with both my arms around her back. I fell back first onto shallow water that wasn't even deep enough to pour inside my ears.
"HIRO!!!" Xylvia cried as she buried her face into my chest. "I…was so scared! I didn't know what to do! I couldn't save her! Mama! Rosary! It's all my fault! If only I wasn't childish! If only I had never pushed her away! I'm sorry! Mama…Rosary…*hic!* UWAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"
Xylvia bawled into my chest as she repeatedly apologized. This powerful, strong, confident woman that I had grown to know and love had completely broken down in my arms. She had been strong for too long.
"Xylvia…it's not your fault." I reassured her.
"No…it is…" she sniffed. "I yelled at mama, I pushed Rosary away, I pushed you, I threatened Wanderer, I…I…ran away… I ran away from everyone…"
As Xylvia continued to cry in my arms, I brought my hand closer to her head in an attempt to pet her.
But…I hesitated…
…
No… She needs this. She needs to know that she's loved.
I…love her… I'll never let her go…
*Pat…*
Xylvia shivered at first from my hand petting her head, but then her rapid breathing slowly eased up. Once she looked a little comfortable, I began to hum a song. The same song I hummed for her when she nuzzled her head into my chest, her arms wrapped around me.
She slowly began to stop crying, her heartbeat eased up.
"You feeling any better?" I asked.
"…a little." She whispered tiredly.
"You wanna stay like this for a bit?"
"…mhm…"