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Of Heroes
- Amiya
A death knell.
- Amiya
Logos's bone whistle.
- Amiya
...
- Amiya
I'm fine, Doctor.
- Amiya
I'm just reminded of... a lot of things.
- Amiya
Logos rarely conducted himself as Lord of the Banshees when we were at Rhodes Island.
- Amiya
He said he was no different from Scout or Misery, just another Sarkaz operator who believed in the ideals of Rhodes Island.
- Amiya
The day we set out, when Logos put on his Royal Court garment...
- Amiya
I sensed great determination in his eyes...
- Amiya
And great sorrow.
- Logos
...
The bone whistle has cracked. The bone pen has broken. Blood flows the corner of his lips.
- Nezzsalem
You can no longer use witchcraft.
- Nezzsalem
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.
- Nezzsalem
Aefanyl...
- Nezzsalem
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.
- Nezzsalem
But you are not fighting one, or a few.
- Nezzsalem
There have been no shortage of revolutionaries amongst the Sarkaz or the Royal Court. They have all failed, just as Theresa did.
- Nezzsalem
War is the great boulder destined to fall on top of the Sarkaz in the abyss, again and again.
- Nezzsalem
And you...
- Nezzsalem
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.
- Logos
'Sever.'
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—
And cuts off the Nachzehrer King's right arm.
- Nezzsalem
Theresis's swordcraft—
The full blast of the Nachzehrer King's power hits Logos in the chest.
He falls from the cliff.
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.
- Aefanyl
I will stay at Rhodes Island and journey the land with the ship.
- Laqeramaline
Theresa is gone.
- Laqeramaline
The dream of Babel...
- Aefanyl
...Lives.
- Aefanyl
Her Highness has named her heir. She is young, but carries a familiar fire in her eyes that belongs only to dreamers.
- Aefanyl
And it's not just for her that I choose to stay.
- Aefanyl
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.
- Aefanyl
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.
- Aefanyl
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.
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
...
- ???
Hang in there, Aefanyl.
- ???
We're with you. We've always been with you.
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.
- Nezzsalem
...
- Nezzsalem
I never thought I would hear the chorus of the Banshees here in this distant land.
- Nezzsalem
Ever is death accompanied by new life...
- Nezzsalem
Are you still trying to sway me with song, young one, here at the end of all things?
- Sudaram
My Patriarch, this is no more than a Banshee's incantation.
- Sudaram
They have not truly joined the battle. Our foe remains only the young Banshee.
- Nezzsalem
...
- 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.
- Nezzsalem
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.
- Sudaram
You raised him as you would raise your own son.
- Nezzsalem
Such a talented boy. He would have become the hero of Kazdel.
- Nezzsalem
He was my best student.
- Nezzsalem
But he left Kazdel, and died to a conspiracy in a distant land.
- Nezzsalem
But he died a warrior. He lived the meaning of life through war, and returned to the myriad souls upon his death.
- Nezzsalem
After that... after that...
- Nezzsalem
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.
- Amiya
The dirge of the myriad souls has grown softer.
- Amiya
Logos's bone whistle has temporarily suppressed the link between the Blood of Teekaz and Originium.
- Amiya
This is our chance.
- Amiya
Doctor, Dr. Kal'tsit... this time, I won't let it slip from my hands.
- Salus
...They've caught up.
- Salus
Are you here too, dear Qui'saršinnag?
- Salus
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.
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...
- Salus
The origin is so near.
- Confessarius Guard
You—
- Shining
You've hid well.
- Shining
It took a long time to find you. Too long.
- Confessarius Guard
Traitor!
- Confessarius Guard
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.
- Confessarius Guard
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.
- Confessarius Guard
How dare you act high and mighty, when you were the one who gave us our orders!
- Confessarius Guard
That cave outside Londinium, all the research bases... was there any part of it that you weren't in charge of?
- Confessarius Guard
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?
- Confessarius Guard
We were mere mercenaries, but we believed in the Confessarii's teachings, believed in the 'First and Final Path' that you preached!
- Confessarius Guard
Our original sin, the sin that outsiders imposed upon us, will be washed away at its coming.
- Confessarius Guard
Was that all a lie?
- Shining
...
- 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...
- Confessarius Guard
The Leader and the Regent are so close to victory.
- Confessarius Guard
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.
- Confessarius Guard
Go and see the Leader. Your father.
- Confessarius Guard
He is waiting for you at the end of the path. They're all waiting for you.
- Confessarius Guard
You will witness it for us, for every life that your sword took.
- Shining
...
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
This sin...
- Shining
...has gone on long enough.
The mask cracks. The pieces stab at Shining's palm.
She continues her journey to the top.
