“Ah, there. All is fair,” she said coolly. “Pardon us for going through your possessions, but you have the most unusual tools I’ve ever seen. That black weapon is most bizarre. I’ve even donned your attire, yet I cannot compel that thing to roar as it did. I’ve treated it well, regardless”
I blinked at her a few times, and then looked down to her blackened palm.
Jesus. She doesn’t even care.
Sanvi did make a face and pressed a hand to her chest. “I must admit this garment is most uncomfortable. Remy, a hand?”
Wordlessly, Remy went behind Sanvi and worked the vest off. At the sight of Sanvi’s perky and broad chest flopping out, I knew why it must’ve been uncomfortable. This woman had her chest bound with a long piece of red cloth tied with a big bow in front of her assets. A bustling skirt of a darker raspberry-red was tied off around her waist.
All of the snake-women have their bodies on bold display, so I could see their powerful and well-kept forms. Sanvi was ripped: trim abs, muscular arms, and if she turned around, I’d expect to see a well-defined back. The purple eyes, mocha skin, and powerful body made her look like some goddess.
I slung my rifle over my shoulder and accepted the vest, the portion where the arrow ripped through the Kevlar darkened with blood. Ironic the fibers could stop bullets, but not a pointy stick. Loading a fresh magazine was appealing, but better to keep that knowledge to myself. At least Meriel and Fell didn’t spill the beans on the mechanics. Speaking of which…
The sound of footsteps echoing from an adjacent hall answered my pending question. The only other pair of legs I saw belonged to the elf. Sure enough, rounding the corner with another snake-woman was Fell. As she approached, I could see her standing taller, walking with smooth strides, and a lot of the color returned to her face. Instead of the t-shirt she’d worn for several days on end, she had on a simple but clean low-cut bodice. She filled it out remarkably well.
When she stopped in front of me, I just stared at the freckles across the bridge of her nose. Before I could process it, she drew me into a hug.
“Thank you, Al-Leever,” she said in a pleasant, melodic voice as she broke away.
“You’re looking better,” I replied. “And it’s Oliver.”
The corner of her mouth lifted. “Good to hear the stone is working, Oliver.” She turned and to the snake-woman waiting behind. “And Wren fixed me right up.”
The dark, messy hair and pink eyes were familiar: the same woman who… treated me.
She slithered closer and gave an appraising look with her baggy eyes, looking like she hadn’t slept in ages.
“No bleeding?” she asked lazily, not even bothering to look away from my arm and chest.
Unclenching my jaw, I answered, “No. And you mind telling me why the hell—”
The woman known as Wren slithered away mid-sentence and stopped in front of Sanvi. She took Sanvi’s hand, then frowned. “What is this?”
“Righting a wrong. Just some blisters.”
“One needs skin for blisters,” she muttered. “Don’t move.”
“Don’t burden yourself; I can mana—” Sanvi grunted and sucked in a sharp breath when Wren squeezed her palm.
“You need your hands. Both of them.” Wren went very quiet and still, and then her hands began to emit a faint aqua iridescence, the glow wrapping around Sanvi’s hand.
My face went slack, unsure of how to take what was transpiring. Wren’s hands were glowing; a person who was half-snake was creating light out of thin air.
When the light faded, Wren crumbled a little and sighed. Sanvi’s hand still had some light markings, but looked tremendously better, as if her hand had weeks to heal.
Wren coiled her tail and sat in on herself, wiping away a thin line of blood that streaked from her nose. “I’ll have to finish your arm after dinner, Nuna.”
“No more,” Nuna answered softly. “I can wait a few days. You’ve already pushed yourself too far.”
She took that moment to shoot me a subtle glare. I hardly noticed because I was still trying to fathom what the hell that light was. My attention went to the woman presenting my rucksack, with everything packed away.
Meriel took the bag and gave me a speculative look. “Are you feeling well?” Fell was giving me a look, too. And at the mention of wellness, Wren gave her attention.
After stuffing Heath’s Bible into my cargo pocket, I reached into the hidden utility pocket of my vest to retrieve my cigars. Biting off the cap of one of my precious Maduros, I popped my Zippo open with a ping and lit up, taking a few sweet puffs of smoke.
“I can talk, right?” I asked to Nolala.
Her brow creased for a seconded, probably thinking if she heard me correctly. “Y-yes. Are you having trouble understanding?”
No shit.
Giving a hard look to Meriel and Fell, I turned my gaze back to the Chieftain as I took a seat on the ground. “Well, let’s talk.”
Chapter 10
Nolala watched me for a moment too long and then cleared her throat. “The soup will be ready any minute. It’s the dried fish you procured. We’ve added some spices and we can get some bread bake…”
She trailed off at the sight of my raised hand. Taking a second to draw on my cigar, I blew out a puff and let the nicotine center me. Which I desperately needed.
“I don’t need food, and I need answers. First off…” Wren received a sharp look. “You. Why the hell did you force an arrow through my leg?”
She made a face that asked if I was serious. “An arrow injury can’t be healed if the arrow’s still in there. If you thought that was painful, you should feel if I tried to pull it out the other way. And does it matter? You can walk perfectly fine.”
“She’s right,” Sanvi spoke up. She zipped across the far side of the room, where some weapons were resting, and came back after going through a quiver. She asked a nearby woman for her water and then held up what she gathered. “Some of our arrows are made from wood of the Weeping Scorn, a unique tree in our forests.” She spilled a little water of the arrow shaft and held it closer. Slowly, thin little slivers started to peel outwards, like the petals of a flower blooming. “When the wood is exposed to a liquid, like blood, it swells and develops barbs, making it very painful to pull out. Pushing the shaft the rest of the way through is the best course of action. Usually.”
Wren’s attitude riled me a little, but it’s not like she could’ve given me a warning at the time. And Sanvi presented a compelling point. Almost sickening to know there were three of those gnarly things were in me.
Dismissing the arrows, I got to the glaring detail. “Okay, fine, whatever. Healing? How did you heal me? And what is up with the light show?”
“Healing magic is my discipline,” Wren answered flatly.
The ash fell from my cigar as I waited for the rest. Or the joke she was setting up.
After a minute, I asked, “Are you fucking serious?”
Wren’s tired eyes narrowed. “Why wouldn’t I be? You’re one of my most ungrateful patients.”
“What? No, no, magic isn’t…” I was about to finish with ‘Real,’ but then I gave all the other snake-women a slow look, then the elf sitting to my right, and finally the fox-woman on my left. And then there was the part of being in a suburb of Chicago one second, then being in the middle of a strange forest the next. Then there were the monsters. And the reaper thing.
I stared at the flames licking the bottom of the cauldron, attempting to process that info.
Quietly, I asked, “Magic is real?”
That earned a series of odd looks from the other women listening in like I’m the one spewing nonsense.
“Yes, Oliver,” Fell said soothingly. “Magic is very real, and is widely used throughout numerous facets of life.”
Looking away, I took a moment to puff methodically from my cigar. Three minutes of silence passed before I looked hard at Fell, taking in the pointed ears with the tufts of cottony fur, and then I g
ave Meriel’s ears a studious pander.
“You two can use magic?” I asked, feeling like I just delved into the sea of madness to even consider any of this.
“Only I have the practical use of magic,” the fox-woman answered. “To put it simply, I can manipulate pure natures like fire, light, and air, but my aptitude is in the element of water. Other disciplines I have an acute feel for, but they’re ineffective and taxing for me.”
My mouth hung open.
“That doesn’t sound simple at all,” I managed after a long pause.
“One just manifests their energy. What’s not simple about that idea?” Wren asked with a tired look, staring like I was a simpleton.
“Wren,” Sanvi whispered with a nudge.
Wren’s eyes widened slightly with realization before they regained their dead-fish gleam. “Oh, that part slipped,” she muttered.
An annoyed growl left my throat. “Forget the magic! Just—” I clenched my freehand in my lap and vented my steam with a heavy breath. “Meriel, Fell, what happened?”
“Ah…” Meriel started and then started wringing her hands. “Do you mean your world?” she asked tightly.
World? So I was right.
I fought back the nauseous twisting in my stomach. “My world. This world. The dead old guy. The snake-women. You. Fell. The monsters. That fucking Thing with the…Whatever the fuck that magic stick thing was — all of it. I don’t care where you start. Just start talking.”
Meriel's features went slack, and I could see her eyes wavering as she struggled to think of how to begin.
“Perhaps it’s best to start with the Null,” Fell interjected, taking the reins of the talk.
“The what?”
“The Null,” she clarified. “Our mortal enemies; life’s mortal enemies, more accurately. They are the antithesis of all living creatures, and their singular purpose is to bring about the end. The end of everything.”
She paused. It was to see if I had anything to say; I didn’t. I drew from my cigar and stared at her with an unblinking gaze, waiting.
Brushing a blonde lock over her human ear, Fell continued. “Long, long ago, before time was even a concept, there was nothing. No one knows why, or how, but from the nothing came the First. The First was the first thing to ever exist outside of the void; it was the beginning.
“The First wanted to bring forth more into being, and to do that, it split itself into three points: matter, energy, and spirit. Those are known as the three pillars of existence, or more commonly known as the Three Principles. Each point holds an integral role in life, and they are all interdependent.
“The Three Principals brought forth the One, the first life. And the One would continue to use the principles to drive life. Worlds rose, all kinds of wondrous life furnished them, like the first plants and trees, and the first animals. Of course, the One wasn’t allowed to go unmolested.”
Fell’s voice went distance at that last part. And looking around the huddle of snake-women, their faces grew reticent, and some were even angered.
“The nothingness from whence the One came laid waste to all the wonders created, fighting to bring everything into the void. This dark void created what is known as the Null because nothing is allowed to stand in its wake. Even so, the One was pushed back the Null and started anew, creating a new world with new life. But the Null returned. It always returned. And that’s just how it went; a never-ending, pointless battle that is never won nor lost.
“To end the senseless destruction, the One confronted the Null in the void of its domain. The Null consumed the One, but instead of succumbing to non-existence, the One embraced the Null, and it gained knowledge of polarity, the state of having opposite tendencies. Polarity, in conjunction with the Three Principles, brought forth the greatest element of life: Balance. This is life as we know it; the birth, rise, fall, and end, only for it to be anew. The One, now armed with its mightiest revelation, became the very contradiction to the Null. Where there was balance, the Null couldn’t exist. Where the Null couldn’t exist, life flourished.”
The story was so enrapturing that my cigar went out. Blinking, and using the moment to sort through that info, I relit and asked, “Okay… if what you said is true, then those monsters and those ghostly looking people were the Null?”
Fell nodded.
“Then how why were they in Chicago? Why were they on my world?”
“Things have changed in recent times,” Meriel said, garnering my attention. “The Null pulled some things away from the One when it attempted to destroy it. While the One grew and brought about all corners of the cosmos, the Null waited in the dark pits of its realm, learning. The Null learned of the principles of matter and energy. That knowledge allowed them to create their own life.” The words came off her tongue bitterly. “But they aren’t life—just twisted bastardizations. Those entities are the Null’s children. Even so, that allowed them to go back into the One’s domain, where they could carry on and destroy worlds on a larger scale.
“The One was powerful, but even it couldn’t fight at every front. To prevent another endless cycle of destruction and creation, the One would do something that would allow it to be everywhere at once, to protect all of its children. To do this, the One fragmented itself, giving all living creatures a small semblance of itself, empowering them.”
Meriel, Fell, and all the other snake-women brought a hand to their chest, saying in unison, “One for all.”
“While the One was reduced back into the First—the singular point of being—we were all given the power to defend ourselves and our loved ones,” Fell said.
“All for one,” everyone repeated on que.
“This power is what we call magic. Armed with the One’s power, people across all worlds were able to push back the Null, securing their livelihoods.” Fell closed her eyes, her ears drooping slightly. “But of course, the Null continues to evolve to destroy life.
“Within the last few thousand years, the Null has learned how to corrupt the children of the One for their end. The monsters that you speak of are corrupted beings of your world. As for the creature that killed Jorn and your comrades, that was a unique child of the Null. They are the ones who’ve learned how to harness the corrupted form of the One’s power. Black magic, as it is commonly known. They are known as Casters.”
Fell and Meriel went silent, both of them gauging my reaction. And, to be honest, I didn’t. I was waiting, and I began to grow more agitated the longer they didn’t say anything.
With a flat tone, I asked, “Why?”
The elf made a noise like she had a word ready, but failed to speak. Fell swallowed heavily and shifted her sitting position.
“The Null goes to other words to disrupt the balance, to bolster their forces,” Fell answered in a low murmur.
“Why were you guys there, then?” I asked.
The girls exchanged a look, the tiniest bit of hesitation, but it was only for a moment.
“To gather artifacts,” Meriel answered. “The scepter and flying fabric the Caster used are examples of artifacts—powerful weapons or tools.” She nodded her head towards Fell, who reached into her pocket and withdrew the glowing gold pendant and the ruby from the pawnshop. “Me, Fell, and Jorn were tasked to go to obvious worlds to gather them before the Null could. You’ve witnessed how devastating such things can be if in the wrong hands. It’s important for us to—”
Meriel stopped once I held up my hand. “Oblivious world? What does that mean?”
The air grew thick, and both girls looked away, and several of the other women idly listening by suddenly directed their eyes to the ground.
“What does it mean?” I repeated, a small tremor racking my voice.
“Oliver,” Nolala called tersely. She uncoiled her tail and rose to a greater height, putting herself at the very center of my attention. Her amethyst eyes regarded me with strong, regal bearing. “There is no way to go about this matter lightly, so I’ll give the truth you d
eserve.
“Your world knew nothing of the war plaguing the denizens united under the One, hence why it was marked oblivious. Not all words are connected, and not all civilizations share the common belief of unity. Some know of the Null under a different name. Some have fought and triumphed. Others are still engaged in wars to preserve their worlds. And others have blissful ignorance. Like yours. Perhaps your world was visited and the people rejected the One; it’s not in our interest to go to war against our own for something frugal as beliefs. Regardless, Oliver, your world stands no more.
“Once the Null invades an oblivious world, nothing can be done — the lives united under the One struggle to keep their worlds and allies from falling. I want nothing more than to embrace all lives and promise them happiness and safety. But alas, goodwill can only be so practical to an extent. Our world was invaded more than a month ago, and the losses have been staggering. We’ve managed to secure sanctuary in the mountains, but not all of my kind was fortunate to join us.
“Currently, my top priority is keeping the lamia of the Isusi alive until help arrives. I love my people, Oliver, but don’t think that love doesn’t extend to you. We’ll give you shelter and food for the time being.”
Once my cigar was to a small nub, I took one last draw, my fingers and lips burning as the tobacco smoldered. Blowing out a thick billow, I tossed the little nub into the fire.
“So my world didn’t get more of a warning about an invasion from a cosmic evil because we didn’t know about magic and this… The One?” I clarified.
“Oliver,” Meriel said softly, resting her hand on my shoulder. “I know it may be difficult for you to understand, but we lack the sort of—”
“No,” I interrupted. I turned and gave her a tight smile. “I understand perfectly fine. Hell, I wouldn’t put it past my people to go to war with magical beings if they sprouted stuff that conflicted with their beliefs. People back home have been fighting over the stupidest shit for centuries. It’s fine. It’s… It’s all fine. This has been a good talk, but I’m done now.”
Heart of the Resonant- the Soldier's Tale Page 13