Operation Meeting

Over there!

...

What's this? A voice recorder?

Makes sense, I guess. On a battlefield like this, this is the next best way to relay intel, short of just shouting.

That's the Duke of Caster's crest.

Lemme have a look—

No change, no improvement.

Can tell your new pal that if it doesn't get back on its ass soon, I'm going to break whatever bones it's got left, one by one?

It's long dead. Not like it can feel pain. Why not pick something more meaningful to vent about?

The skeleton's voice was already ebbing. After the crash, it had stopped responding altogether.

The nerve bundles are withering. We've tried everything we can think of. Lubricant, supplements, even some crazy witchcraft I've never heard of before. My verdict is...

Right now, it's nothing more than a colossal and breakable skeleton.

It can't be dead dead, can it? I mean, it's already a dead Feranmut, you're telling me it can die again?

Hey Ines, pass me the mine over there, the one wedged between the bones.

...Glad you asked, nearly stepped on it.

And also, what kind of psychotic idea do you have this time?

Oh, just following your suggestion. I'm gonna go find a proper target to blow up.

Isn't that old friend of yours supposed to be the skeleton whisperer or something? I'm sure she's still got an unbroken rib or two, so she should be able to talk. Maybe. Well, she will if she knows what's good for her.

Ulšulah. She does know plenty of the Feranmut's secrets, and it's clear she hasn't told us everything.

But I have the feeling that she won't be able to help with this particular problem.

Right.

The source of our troubles is what's hidden in those dark red clouds above our heads.

That's exactly it.

Ah, the all-knowing Kal'tsit. Let me guess, you've got even more bad news for us?

Regular Catastrophes have no effect on Feranmuts, even if it happens to be one that has been dead for several centuries. The tunnels that it travels in can even drill through time, so how is it that a storm can seal them off?

What's happening here is beyond the scope of a mere Catastrophe.

As we were falling, I had a vague feeling.

That the enormous, ancient sentience remaining in these bones... had gone. Gone somewhere I could not touch.

Our connection with it has been severed.

It might only be temporary, but if we take too long, we might lose control over it for good.

Your deduction is correct. Upon his inspection, Logos confirmed that the Sarkaz witchcraft cast upon this skeleton is being disrupted by a massive source of energy.

It seems the Vampire's ritual was completed. The Confessarius... Qui'sartuštaj is aiding Theresis, and has achieved what the Sarkaz could not for millennia.

(Ancient Sarkaz language) 'Amnannam'. An ancient wound that refuses to heal, the Cunabula of Suffering.

Mind skipping to the part we can actually understand? I don't have all day.

It was the first curse, just as it was the first Originium.

Isn't that just a legend? You know, the made-up kind in the storybooks that Hoederer loves to read.

Legends are a shadow of reality, despite all the untruths and half-lies painted over them. To say nothing of the fact that this is a Sarkaz legend. A Teekaz legend.

Sounds to me like Theresis is cooking up some real serious beastshit to hang over Victoria.

I fear that this, too, is the reason he chose Londinium as his base of operations. The Shard's ability to influence Catastrophes and Originium is already sufficient for it to become Amnannam's beacon.

Across all of Terra, as it is now, this is the one place that it can descend.

Well, out with it then, how do we wreck the thing?

At Terra's current level of technology, there is nothing we can do.

The only good news is that it has not yet fully descended.

Have you figured something out, Logos?

The drop of blood that the Vampire possesses, the one he calls the Blood of Teekaz... It is still fulfilling its duty.

The reason why Amnannam is able to leap across millennia and descend once more is because of his prayer.

The blood's master has fallen, but the connecting veins hold steady.

If we are to prevent the reemergence of Amnannam on this land, we must break the Vampire's curse, quelling the hatred that resides in this drop of blood.

I think... I can give it a try.

I was blighted in battle with the Vampire, and its influence on me has not yet waned. By virtue of this, I am able to sense where the Blood of Teekaz is.

It is at the rear of the Nachzehrer army.

It will likely be protected in a Confessarius altar and heavily guarded. The amount of time required to break through the entire Nachzehrer defensive line would be too much.

Taking that route carries a similar risk to storming the battlefield.

Our observational reports indicate that the Redmane Mountains have been completely transformed by Amnannam's influence. They are now blanketed in active Originium. I need not remind you of its extreme danger.

But... it might be possible.

Shining has gone ahead to seek out Qui'sartuštaj, and if things go well for her, she will be able to come to our aid.

I support the Doctor's decision. It's the plan that saves us the most time.

If we keep delaying until the Amnannam Dr. Kal'tsit speaks of completes its descent, and is used by Theresis as a weapon...

Then we will have lost any chance we might have had to turn the tide.

Even if there are risks, we must forge ahead.

I'll need your help, W.

You need some hands to guard this pile of bones, right, bunny?

Right.

This skeleton is crucial to our next operation. Besides, Hoederer needs it too.

There's no doubt that the Military Commission has been watching us ever since we crashed.

The way I see it, it makes no sense to hand back something we fought so hard to steal in the first place.

Give me a time frame. The time now is... 18: 00.

Three days.

The surrounding terrain has been completely transformed. We will need to pass through a wasteland filled with unknown dangers.

Given also the fact that battles with be inevitable in our journey, I estimate at least three days to handle the Blood of Teekaz.

An immobile skeleton makes for an extremely conspicuous objective. Guarding this site will not necessarily be easier than the raid you carried out on it.

But my job is to stay by your side and keep you safe, Doctor.

During the Sanguinarch's attack, it was my error that led to your injury, a dangerous mistake I do not intend on repeating.

...

I agree. The Sarkaz will be reliant on their commander personally overseeing the battle and making decisions. If you are able to stem Manfred's advance, then that might relieve pressure on the mercenaries.

I will respect your decision.

What about the gang of useless Victorians? Are they going with you?

We will head to the front lines at Silverrock Bluffs.

Wait, are you saying you want to lead just a couple thousand men, some of whom are civilians who've barely held a weapon, straight into battle with the Nachzehrer army?

You have your legends, Sarkaz, and we have ours.

We have the Sighs of Kings, the blade that can cleave Catastrophe in twain.

Since the Sarkaz have controlled the storm, then it's time that this sword plays its part.

You have been contacted by the Duke of Caster.

An invitation to be precise.

It is as we surmised. Since the Sarkaz started their strange... doings, the Victorians, or rather, the ducal alliance have been heavily hit.

Caster, no, any Grand Duke ought to have figured out exactly the kind of circumstances Victoria has found herself in.

We've all seen those altars spewing that red light, or any light for that matter. As it stands, Londinium and all the battlefields surrounding it have become a giant Arts Circle.

This is how the Sarkaz fight. Not like Leithanien. Not like Ursus. Not like any other nation's tactics that we are familiar with.

The Trilby Ashers will have told Caster that all the intelligence they have gathered so far is useless when it comes to Sarkaz tactics.

The Sighs of Kings... No longer will this piece of steel I hold in my hand be merely a leverage to get Caster back to the negotiation table. It will turn the tide of war, bringing true change to the battlefield.

None of us knows when the next Catastrophe will strike.

I don't know what form Caster's 'Stone of the Sword' will take, but no matter if it's a square room on wheels or an odd contraption on an officer's back, I'll find it.

If we can quiet these storms, then I dare say that the battle will become somewhat more evenly matched.

From Sufrior Chasm to the front line at Silverrock Bluffs... It will take you two days, even if you follow the road that the dukes have cleared from the Westbound Forest to Gibsonham.

The Duke of Caster would be more than happy to snatch away the Sighs of Kings, if afforded the opportunity. It will allow her to lead the dukes in this difficult war, and move her one step closer to the throne.

And she will not be the only one attempting to do so.

I am aware.

The Duke of Windermere has died in combat, and her troops have retreated from battle.

If any other duke withdraws their forces, the scales of war will be tipped even more against us. The war will drag on, Londinium's restoration will be delayed, and more blood will be shed.

For Sarkaz and Victorian alike, this is the battle that will determine our ultimate fate.

And as for us... We are the Exemplars.

Wherever a miracle is needed the most, is where we will be.

Besides, if this sword really can calm storms as the legends say, I daresay it would help speed along your journey to Londinium, after all this.

Closure?

How'd you know I was done with my preparations?

To keep things short, your ever-reliable Chief Engineer Closure and her team have come up with seven different plans to get around the comms interference.

This equipment of mine has also started analyzing that super-Catastrophe's trends and impacts.

Originium triggered reactions always leave a trail, no matter how intense they are... things like dust concentration, activity index, and then there's spread conditions—

Well, I'm sorry to say that all these metrics are pretty high, as expected, so we can't tell what's going to happen in the most dangerous regions.

But we can deduce which parts of the battlefield are safer. Relatively.

That is, of course, if we can go deeper into the heart of this battle and obtain more data.

Misery's agreed to be our bodyguard, but since you guys are already heading over to where there's most action going on, I figured we might as well tag along.

So... could we trouble the Exemplars to look after us?

Gladly, we are duty-bound.

Making sure that things don't get any worse is Rhodes Island's mission, right, Kal'tsit?

Thank you, Closure.

...Doctor.

Our path might be the most dangerous one of all.

But I'll keep you safe, Doctor... Just like always.

Thank you for trusting in us, Doctor.

Your command experience will be most valuable.

You're serious?

You do realize that with the bunny and the crone's pet gone, I can pretty much do whatever I want, right?

I know you fear for the safety of each and every operator, which makes you hesitant to choose.

But the truth is that I need you to come with me.

There is no changing what we will face during our final confrontation.

Originium has shaped the history of the Sarkaz, just as it will shape the futures of us all.

Perhaps you still have misgivings about why Rhodes Island must intervene in this war. I did not have the opportunity to explain in the past, and nor could I give you a precise answer.

I have never doubted that the dark clouds above the Shard concealed some dreadful unknown. Yet when it has revealed itself, as it has now, I still find myself confronted by... mixed emotions.

I'm not one to explore the subject of fate, especially not yours and mine.

But now, fate has reared its head, and is coming our way.

...

Originium's effects are far beyond any of our comprehension.

Of course.

Doctor... I hope...

No, I believe...

I believe that you are still the one who can change everything.

I've never had any doubts, either.

Doctor, I think should get going now.

Not gonna ask me for a twenty-one-gun salute?

Take care, W.

Look, little bunny, I'm not like the sheep over there. I'm real hard to kill.

The Exemplars are ready.

Glad to hear it, Siege.

Remember everyone, time is of the essence.

Every minute, every second on this battlefield... There will be people who are suffering because of Originium.

Right.

And then, we plunge into the darkest depths of the fog.

To Londinium.

We'll bomb that tower and grab Terra's biggest bastard out of the rubble.

We'll stop the disaster before us, and any more yet to come.