Transcendence?

by Andur

  Maybe this will be a turning point in history? Those who can use their wits shall rule the world, not magicians.

  The gunning crew is now kneeling around the weapon, while infusing their mana into the base plate on which the railgun is mounted.

  “3”

  “2”

  “1”

  “FIRE!”

  *Thhing*

  A gush of wind and a disappointing sound is everything. No big Boom. No smoke like in the good old times. At least it was loud, because of the compressed air.

  Railguns from all over the cliffs open fire and the main vessel's barrier spells light up. The runes on the whole ship start to glow and transform it into a swimming disco.

  Some railgun rounds are deflected into random directions and hit the cliff and the water. But others penetrate and punch holes into the ship. Our elevated position ensures that those holes are under the waterline.

  In addition every hit creates a shower of splinters and the deck of the leading ship becomes a red gory slaughterhouse within seconds.

  But the ship isn't sinking as fast as expected. I click my tongue. Wood has its benefits. “Next ship!”

  The concentrated fire turns to the next vessel in line. The battle started just seconds ago and my gun crews shot just about three times each. With about thirty watchtowers in firing range that equates to ninety shots.

  My railguns take four to five seconds to reload. So we are firing since ten seconds.

  We had a few misfires and some shots got deflected by barriers, so I guess that we hit the leading vessel about forty times in those ten seconds.

  Even if they are able to recover their morale after such a surprise, I doubt that they are interested in something else than to plug the holes in their ship.

  Some fireballs start to rise from the three following ships, but they are few and without aim. The enemy is firing blind because our positions are well camouflaged. Our weapons also have the benefit of being hard to spot. We don't give away our position while firing.

  I once took my time to ride up and down the fjord on a fisher boat. Every watchtower which was visible with my naked eye was greeted with a shower of icicles.

  The fireballs impact the cliffs harmlessly and create smoking craters.

  Once again I count down three salvoes of our cannons and order a switch to the third ship.

  In the meantime the first ship toppled over and started to sink. Men are jumping into the icy water. They won't live long. The smarter ones, who are trying to stay on board as long as possible, may live a few minutes longer.

  “INCOMING FIRE!”

  One of the rising fireballs actually turned into our direction. Either a really lucky guess or we got seen. The gunner who is aiming our cannon reacts fast and turns the cranks to aim the cannon like a maniac.

  *Thhing*

  The fireball explodes prematurely.

  Nice thinking. I wouldn't have thought that my railguns could be used like that. The gunning crews spent weeks while training with them on the other hand. They know best what they can accomplish with their weapons.

  Then I turn my attention back to the ships. The third ship is burning and has a huge hole on it's deck. Probably they were unlucky and a mage who was casting a fireball was hit.

  “Next!”

  The last ship in the line is actually trying to turn, but the big and heavy vessel isn't able to change its direction so easily. It is torn apart by concentrated fire from all railguns.

  Okay. Let's sum that up. The battle took a little more than one minute. One ship sunk. The second is still floating but it doesn't look like it will stay afloat much longer. The third ship is burning and the fourth is usable just as firewood by now.

  The fjord is filled with floating bodies. I grumble at the sight. “How many troops did they cram into a single ship!?”

  “If my estimation is right there are about four to five hundred soldiers on one ship.” Den gives me he his judgement.

  So two thousand people? How do they feed them during the voyage? The toppled ship gives me the answer. There seem to be six decks under the waterline, which adds to the total tonnage of each ship. It must be still awfully tight on these ships.

  And the flotation depth should make them slower than their counterparts from the Nation of Mist.

  I turn to the commander of the watchtower. “Congratulations on writing history. You fought and won a battle without a single magician in your ranks.”

  The commander starts to grin.

  “Get some fisher boats to clean out my fjord. Otherwise the fishermen will bring us dead Phenex soldiers as a new species of fish tomorrow. And try to capture that floating vessel and some survivors if possible.” I smile and the members of the gunning crew start to grin.

  Then I realize that Celestial was standing behind me the entire time. She is looking a little pale. “Are you alright?”

  “~It took more than one shot!~”

  Haaah!? That was just a figure of speech! Why is she nailing me down to it now? “~Sugar~. You look a little pale. What's wrong?”

  Celestial's lips become a thin line.

  “~I think my waters broke!~”

  32 - New Life.

  Somewhere

  Great! I survived almost everything. This horrible world constantly tried to kill me. Bad living circumstances, assassinations, catastrophes, war. But to die in the end by a poisoned trap is … but it's always like that. You don't pay attention for a single second and you are a goner.

  The city around me is dead since long ago and the ruins are already being captured by nature.

  Being the last elf on this planet wasn't funny anyway. Why did this war with the beastmen start anyway? I don't remember.

  Who cares, it's just another life in an endless chain of lives. Recently I have had a streak of bad luck with my reincarnations. I am always born in bad living circumstances. Is the universe punishing me for something?

  I look down at the spike in my side. It's the type with barbs. Nasty. My body is thin and bony. It shows that I hadn't a proper meal for weeks. Kukuku. Maybe I should have tried to eat one of the beastmen, who were hunting me for days.

  Somehow I wouldn't feel repelled to eat another thinking being right now.

  Maybe I can take one of them with me. My heartbeat is erratic. This body wont go on for much longer. Although I am dying, there is a bright side to it! Another life, another roll of the dice!

  I snap two grenades from my belt and pull out the safety pins. Sitting onto the activation spring should stop them from blowing up.

  This world has no magic, but it's a realm with average technology. Now that's done. The first of these creatures which moves my body will me blown to smithereens. I close my eyes and wait for my death. The poison is known to me. It's acting very slow and I saw many friends die to it.

  I start drifting off when a sound from nearby draws my attention. With one eye and a blurry view, I see a beastman coming in my direction.

  He belongs to the cat tribe and has a long nasty knife in one hand. “Elf. You ran long enough. The hunt is at an end!”

  I smirk while he grabs me at the collar and lifts me up with one hand.

  “~Hahahahaha. Life number one thousand and seventy eight! I am coming!~”

  …....

  …...

  …..

  ….

  …

  ..

  .

  Nowhere.

  Darkness is all around me. I can see paths of light. And many coloured flames are floating all around me. I am not a fan of out of body experiences.

  Strange. This never happened before in one of my previous reincarnations. Did something go wrong this time? Maybe I died too early?

  I noticed an uncomfortable loss of memories when I died as an infant once. Is committing a form of suicide also bad?

  All flames around me have an unhealthy green colour. Hey, those are different. There is a black and a yellow one. Looks like I am circling them? De
finitely strange, but I have no control.

  I am pulled in! No. What's going on? Those memories. Not my own!

  …

  But it feels … somehow … warm.

  …....

  …...

  …..

  ….

  …

  ..

  .

  Norfolk, Sarn-Valley

  Aw! Damn! Switch off the lights!

  Why do you always have to be blinded by light as a newborn? There are voices too, but they are hard to understand. I have water in my ears. It's unpleasant as hell, so I start to scream at the top of my lungs.

  My hearing is as bad as my sight at the moment. The closest voice seems to be female. But I feel that I am handed from one person to another. Maybe I will risk a look with one eye. Even if it's bright as hell.

  Wow. A cool black haired beauty with steel blue eyes. Are you mommy? She looks young. I will try my cute baby smile on her.

  ~Ooof!~

  Okay! Okay! You are mommy! Confirmed! But please don't crush me! Brute! Oh god, thanks. I survived.

  “Look Ascathon! She is so cute!”

  I can understand the language! Nice! I learned it already on another world. That solves quite a few problems. Mother hands me to a guy of about her own age. Dark hair and grey eyes. Uwah! Don't look at me with such a nasty expression! Aren't you my father!? He looks really mean!

  But you look a little beaten up. There are bruises all over your face. Coming directly from a fight? Let's try the cute little baby smile on you.

  ~There!~ Hah! The corners of your mouth twitched! I saw it!

  “How should we name her?”

  Please no stupid name like Gundula! Please be good parents! I can deal with poverty and everything else! But give me at least an acceptable name! A strong one!

  “She looks like her name is Ursula.”

  NoOOO! Dad is a meanie!

  “Definitely not! Look! She doesn't like it! How about Seraphine? Seraphine Asceron? Sera Asceron for short? How does that sound?”

  That's a good one! Whoever that was! I like you! I like that one!

  “It sounds acceptable Idala. And it looks like she likes it.”

  Dad hands me to another person. It's an older woman than mom. Maybe the grandma?

  “You like Sera? Don't you? What do you think of your grandmother's idea!?”

  Great one! Idala! Grandmother! One hundred points! I am in your debt! But somehow I am really tired. I will excuse myself for the time being.

  “Too bad that she is born during times of war.” Grandmother has a really sad voice.

  Wait war? I am awake now! So this is a bad reincarnation again!? Grandmother hands me back to my father.

  “No problem little Seraphine! Daddy is really powerful! My troops and I slaughtered two thousand enemies to celebrate your birthday! Let them come!”

  Aah. So daddy has troops? Am I a princess? Cool! No, wait. You used the word slaughtered way too casually! You may be a worse dad than I originally thought!

  ***

  It has been three weeks since my birth and I am still an immobile lump of flesh. My only possibilities to interact with the world are screaming and baby speech.

  At least my hearing and my vision aren't as hampered as before. By being carried through the mansion and meeting my other family members, I found out that we are very well off.

  The mansion is big and stylish. Although there are no servants. But maybe having servants is not a custom in this world. There are many guards. They seem competent and trustworthy.

  My family members and the few employees are all nice people. I even seem to have two big sisters. Maybe I can gain some benefits by manipulating them.

  But there is one problem. My parents don't love each other. Even an idiot could have noticed that by now. They are tolerating the other party but there seems to be no true love.

  That's bothering me! Could they have had a political marriage? Maybe I should do something about that. Like playing matchmaker? I am in the perfect position for that.

  A pair often is forged together by their offspring. And I have a few hundred years of experience! Beware! ~Here comes the angel of love!~

  At least I have to make them stay together until I am old enough to survive on my own. Well. How should I go about this?

  Daddy is somewhere else most of the time, while my mother is working in the office. She always takes me with her. So my only chances are during the evening or the morning hours.

  Maybe I should start to scream until daddy is holding me. Then I will be silent and happy. Mommy will get jealous and they will have to deal with each other.

  Ok. That sounds good. I will scream if either of them isn't around. When they realize the pattern, I will have to think up something new or keep going.

  It depends on their reaction. Maybe they will come to terms with each other, if they have to take care of me together.

  It's time to stop working anyway. So starting my plan right now should be okay. And I have to start to act like a baby anyway!

  I gather the air in my lungs …

  “WUAAAAAA!”

  33 - Inquisition.

  Norfolk, Sarn-Valley

  Gods!

  I swear, this child is killing me!

  Over the centuries I thought I had become a really wonderful mother. But here I am helpless!

  “Daddy will be done with his work soon! So please stop crying, mommy and daddy will play with the little princess soon. No need to cry, here look. Isn't that an interesting doll?” I wave Sera's doll around in her field of vision to distract her from crying.

  We are in our bed chambers and I am waiting for my husband. Please! Be done with your work soon!

  Sera isn't impressed. I had screaming children, who had the strangest reasons for crying. But this one is the first who is only satisfied when both of her parents are in front of her.

  And she is cheating! That trembling jaw and the tears look simply too miserable!

  “I am done with work today!”

  Snap. The mouth is shut. Smile. Grin. The transformation is abrupt and complete. She hears Ascathon's voice and everything is fine. I cover my face inside the pillow beside Sera. We are lying together on the bed.

  “You are late! She cried for three hours straight! My ears are still ringing.”

  “Sorry. I couldn't help it. The construction of the new ship needs much of my time. No matter how good some of the new workers are, there are things which I have to teach myself. My techniques are unfamiliar to them. So how was your day?” He sits down beside me and lets Sera play with his hand.

  “The shipments of raw materials are helping our economy a big deal. Fingulf wasn't stingy. I think that we can call our principality independent by now. The defence already proved itself, so we can slowly start to think about dealing with the other powers. The Phenex Empire is bothering me. Are you sure that you got everything out of the prisoners?” I look at Ascathon and start to play with Sera too.

  “I picked the highest ranking ones apart myself. They had orders to capture us. There is no doubt about that. The question is why the Immortal Empress took an interest in us? Maybe she got word that I started the spy hunts?” He shakes his head.

  “There are so many spies and assassins around. It isn't strange that she found out who uncovered her activities. But why capture us? Anyone could have uncovered her spies. It makes no sense to pay so much special attention to us.” I smile at Sera.

  “Unless she suspects us to be more than we seem to be. Do you smell that?” He pulls a grimace and I take Sera to clean her.

  “Don't tell me that you don't ...”

  “I know! Just clean her up. I will open the window for a while, even if it gets cold.” He interrupts me and steps on the balcony.

  I take my time with cleaning Sera who is strangely silent. Hmm. Shouldn't she scream because papa isn't in her sight?

  When I am done, I find Ascathon on the balcony. It is a spacious one with a length
of ten metres and a depth of about five. So I wrap Sera into a fluffy blanket and join him. “You will catch a cold if you don't cast elemental protection.”

  “Schhh ... we have uninvited guests. Be sure to keep Sera safe.” An icicle forms in front of him and he flicks his fingers towards the shadows in the garden under our balcony.

  The shard of ice follows the command fast and disappears into the shadows. I step backwards, closer to the entrance, while activating my battle aura. Assassins again? They didn't try anything for quite a while.

  For a second nothing happens. Then two shadows run towards us and jump onto the big balcony without much effort.

  Ascathon steps in front of us and a shimmering barrier appears in front of him. It's not like I needed any protection. He is overdoing it.

  “Quite a strange way to greet the Inquisition.” One of the dark figures speaks and throws the icicle from earlier in front of Ascathon's feet.

  “I greet trespassers how I deem it fit. Whoever it may be.” Ascathon's voice is cold and dark.

  “No need for such ill feelings. We just took a look around your principality. I must say that I never saw so many laws violated until now. Especially those 'railguns'. They alone give us enough justification to execute you on the spot.” The rough voice breaks a little because of a coughing fit. “I hate this land. The cold creeps into your bones, regardless of the protection spells you cast.”

  “It's unavoidable if you sneak through the darkness for an entire night.” Ascathon has a happy tone now.

  “In any case. We must take you with us. Someone like you can't be allowed to do as he pleases.” The second dark figure begins to move but several icicles start to form around Ascathon.

  “I don't want to. And I can't have my child and my wife travel through this weather.” My husbands voice is cold again.

  “You are unfortunately in a bad position. If you scream for help, we will eliminate you right away. And you are alone, while we are two. How do you intend to defend your wife?”

  A few seconds of silence follow. Then everything happens at once. Ascathon's icicles shoot towards the enemies. A golden barrier deflects them and the two shadows start to move.

  One of the inquisitors confronts Ascathon, while the other ignores him and heads directly for me and Sera.