"Mono/Dialogue"
'Inner thoughts'
Narration
[Message/communication apparatus]
Date: Data not found
Location: Data not found
POV: Narrator
Terrans are made up of multitude of races, these races has their own sub-race with their own set of peculiarity. How these races came to be is truly puzzling, but technology had proved time and time again that the answer is somewhere in there, waiting to be discovered and then understood.
Ancients, a very wide umbrella that encompassed the majority of races that presided Terra, Sarkaz instead called them the invader which had forcefully snatched away their homeland. The truth, however, have little significance on the subject that would be discussed at the moment.
And there is also the Elder Races, they used to be the ruling caste of Terran society. In scientific terms, they are the alpha one way or another. Elder Races had dwindled in the modern time, but they all shared one similar thing: Both have what can be called as animal or, in Terran lingo, beastlike features.
Due to what we call Anthropomorphism, the likening of one's own characteristic, mostly physical and otherwise, although debatable, had affected how they functioned as a whole. These humanoid races has been predated to as old as 10,000 years and counting. They have their logical characteristics too... but there are exceptions.
It is also needed to be said that due to the fact that crossbreeding is not exactly viable, which is naturally impossible given the vastly differing nature of each race. It can be said that all Terran, except for the Sarkaz and Sankta which would be elaborated somewhere in the future, are similar yet different.
There are however the so called Chimera, the Hybrids. They exist and although it follows the natural pattern of which genes ended up being the dominant one, they still exhibit significant capability of its respective parental races.
The method of crossbreeding between races with a natural mean had been thought to be nigh-impossible due to reasons, including reasons such as the worsening political, societal, and even geographical climate that is Terra. Most importantly is how ordinary Terran have this family or clan oriented attraction.
So, if natural method considered unviable, redundant, and even perceivably considered to be a taboo, doesn't that means that other method such as artificially based had been tried? Yes, ranging from the acceptable but still dangerous artificial insemination to the forbidden and highly volatile gene engineering, and even outright what can be inferred as playing god to create an entirely new species.
Artificial insemination is the most straightforward, where the female egg was injected with a healthy sperm to ensure the viability and probability of success. Artificial insemination are rarely done in Terra due to the fact that the natural way works the same and that crossbreeding is rare to begin with.
Gene engineering, although outlawed, banned, discredited, and all those fancy word for "no", exist regardless of circumstances. Of course, blatantly doing it will cause a massive problem, thus pretenses with their respective smokes and mirrors exist.
Gene engineering can be broadly summed as an activity to alter or even change a species biological function and or characteristics. A normal gene engineering are usually aimed at something mundane such as self-repairing cells, extended lifespan, enhanced motor function and so on. The most notorious and highly sought after gene engineering are either the Super Soldier Procurement Act or SSPA, and the Weapons of Biological Nature or WBN.
Super Soldier is a straightforward project, nation all over dimensions would need a highly adaptive and resilient soldiers to fight wars, but it always suffered from lacks of funding and the fact that not everyone is resilient enough to withstand their altered bodily function.
Super Soldiers themselves also suffered from, according to multiple records, mental and physical deterioration for the rest of their lives. It is not a rare occasion for a Super Soldier to, all of a sudden, tumbled and died because their body shutdown due to the accumulated trauma, physical or otherwise.
Boosting cell regeneration sounds good on paper, if we sidelined the fact that cancer also become prolific that way. Also having iron-like skin is totally great and definitely not in the way of bodily fluids excretion, who needs to sweat after running for 50 miles, or 80 kilometers, anyway, right?
Weapon of Biological Nature is the hottest topic that has been, on the surface, unanimously banned from convention. Biological weapon can range from something simple such as Fangbeasts with Scales and or natural armor with set time limit to the overly complicated and volatile Flesh Deterioration Microorganism.
The former can be used as easily as a single-shot weapon and be left as is. This is the most desirable since having weapon that terminate itself after use would ease the post-war clean up. The usage of a more complicated weapons can also put their economy and societal development into question.
A particular incident lost to age was that of scientists and occultists uncovered a large, frozen, patch of flesh. When they thawed it, all hell break loose since said flesh was a breeding for man-eating fungus.
The whole facility needs to be torched by Vouivres and a few rogue Dracos of old else Terra would be wiped there and then. Legends and myths said that those few rogues weren't in fact a coincidence, but such a thing has been refuted as hogwash amongst the already scant believer of that incident.
There was also the recent clusterfuck within a Columbian Lab belonged to Agreadian Combine Incorporated. They had tampered with abducting poor citizens or settlers and drop them into a cage filled to the brim with serum to turn man into beast but with an intelligence of A.I... it wasn't pretty.
Long story short, the whole facility is dead. The mobile city named Teddior suffered 75% damage, at minimum, and must be abandoned. The whole company' Execs was never to be heard anymore, their family was never heard anymore, and not even their pet slugs was ever heard anymore. It also further encouraged the Columbian company to starts experiment outside of Mobile City.
And last and truly the most unhinged of them all, the so called playing god only done by either the brightest or the maddest of them all, sometimes both. This type was never seen, as they should be, for the last millenniums. They combined all sort of esoteric knowledge to broaden the horizon.
Due to the generally lacking publicly accessible information, this type had more or less turned into hearsays and myth. Of course there are a lot of wannabe scientist like them, but they fell short... mostly.
Thus let us watch our ambiguous in nature Pythian lady who is sloughing through the snow while helping the locals for the upcoming celebration. She walked through the blinding light of merriment with eyes full of awe, wonder, longing... and tinges of jealousy.
Date: 25th December 1080
Location: County of Toron, Victoria.
POV: Narrator
A Pythian lady can be seen moving about with practiced movement, practically gliding through the snow. Her footwork of weaving amongst the throngs of locals looks both mesmerizing and elegant, the pedestrian who stole glances every now and then sworn that she turn the whole street into a dance floor.
The lady wasn't dancing however, she is helping the inhabitants with decorating the place while quietly spectating back on her monitors. She is too weary to give a damn about what they are going to report to their patron this time around, not like there is much to report when all she does is just helping around with decoration.
Keeping a somewhat bored or blank face works nicely... too nicely. The locals are having reservation of asking too much out of her, but that really works to her advantage. Keeping things somewhat natural gave her some wiggle room of enjoying this activity during her rest period.
While the monitors are writing vigorously of what she is doing, a kinda pointless thing to boot since it ain't combat around here, Nyx just... being Nyx. Hefting up tens of kilograms worth of weight while barely registered as weighty.
Helping out with climbing up and down from the rooftops like it is a second nature, no different than walking on an even ground. She also provided some correction from bird's eye view perspective, increasing the efficiency and speed things up.
"Nyx, can you help with this decoration? It is a tad heavy on ma bone..."
"Give it to me, also stay out else you get hurt."
"Miss Nyx, can you point me where did Karl gone off to?"
"Northeastern plaza, with a girl in hand... scratch that, 2 girls and a man..."
"Wha-!? He gonna get it now, much obliged."
"Hmm."
"Hey hotstuff, sure don't wanna have a drink after this?" A man hollered, not at a certain Pythian lady since only the most brazen or having none to lose would do that, towards a passing by young lass.
"... ugh..."
"BAHAHAHA! Lucas got rejected, spectacularly too!"
"S-S-Shut up ya pansies! I'm better than ye louts!"
"Makin' a fool of yeself was better? Bah!"
"Blimey, where ma rum? Sworn t'was 'ere som'ere... I swear if ol' Rick took it again, I'll whoop his ass..."
"George! Where the fuck are ye!? Pay up yer debt!"
"Ah hell, here he comes. Welp, gotta fly."
"Miss Leonore, can you please step back?"
"Oh, my apologies, wait... Nyx!?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm... surprised..."
"Sure."
"Ey Nyx, come ere' a sec." Arkell suddenly called up on her, Nyx remembering what happened 3 days ago starts formulating a way for it...
"A minute."
"Take your time, I'll just smoke in the meantime..."
"That's bad for your lungs." Said Nyx where she just tossed a huge tree chunk to the side of the road. Her fellow helpers around her are already used to her abnormal strength.
"Says the one who smoked 7 cigars upon each session..." Arkell grinned a little.
"What can I say, I have iron lungs."
"Yet you can't hold your liqueur."
"Wow... resorting to low blow huh?"
After finishing up whatever she was doing prior, Nyx approached him who is leaning against the railing. His eyes look around the plaza, people smiling and merrymaking. The infected can also be seen here and there, they are having fun too despite some people are still as annoying as ever,
"I'm here."
Arkell wordlessly offered her a cigarette, she eyed it for a bit and decided to partake. Leaning back against the railing too, Nyx starts lighting it up.
"Nice work out there."
"Just a whim."
"Yes, just a whim indeed. The Nyx who doesn't really like of lingering too long amongst the crowd doing it all on a whim... lie better won't you."
"... fuh..." Nyx said nothing and just keeps smoking her cigar. Arkell think hard, he then made an eye contact from the corner of his eyes, motioning her to walk with him. Nyx catch it and played along.
They left the plaza towards the parking lot, Arkell parked 60's vintage car stood out a little. Conversely, Nyx's bike has been stored in one of her safehouse in this county. She would have refrained from making something liable of getting swept by catastrophe. Victoria has little worry for that, thus allowing her to play around a bit more.
Arriving on the car, Arkell made a single motion of raising his hand and then... the sounds are gone, the lights dimmed, and everything around her felt dead except for the wind. Arkell opened his car door and motioned her inside.
Seeing that he is willing to keep things as discreet as possible with her, she just smirked a little. Entering the car she made herself comfortable.
Arkell entered from the other side, he also just sat there for a while... until Nyx boldly straddled him by sitting on his lap, her smirk turn a little salacious and inviting. Arkell stays calm, he just knows that something is really wrong with her.
"Gentlemanly aren't we, you aren't hitting on me are you? I might let it slide just this time around~"
"Perish the thought, Eliza will kill me otherwise. Also... I don't see why you would give that up so easily."
"Heh, yeah, that's true... must be nice to have your family close by, always there when you need them..."
Nyx slumped back again on her side of the car seat... she let him see the exhaustion she had accumulated. Her level breathing turned inconsistent and dispirited, she even have her head upon her own right palm.
The Pythian lady then slid her sleeve up and take her gloves off... and let him see her charred and badly flaked left arm, the blood had long dried up but the flesh has nary a skin on it. Arkell's eyes are wide as saucer, he doesn't know how she could have such a horrific injury.
"I fucked up, mate. It is healing but I'm mostly out for months..."
"... I can see that, and I must say... you really do look like shit."
"Yeah..."
"...Does it still hurt?"
"I'm in a fucking purgatory here, can't even sleep in peace with this kind of wound... not that I needed much sleep anyway...."
"Well..." before he can answer, he saw her eyes flashed with shame briefly...
"Tell me Arkell, by a scale of -10 and 10 for sense of humanity... where am I?"
"... -7... admittedly..." Arkell starts to scowl, he know where this is going... pity and anger mashed into one...
"I see... Then, do you think I shouldn't have existed? Or would it be better for me to have never take up arms?"
"... I... Hmm... to be perfectly honest, your modus operandi is disgusting. No sane person would realistically reach out to you if you keep playing the devil. There are beasts out there who are more humane than you."
"..."
"Yet I can never deny the fact that your brutality itself had become some sort of healing salves on this blasted land. Your methods are disgusting, yet you get the job done. Your ideas and styles are inhumane yet a lot of innocent were saved by none other than you and your combat insanity."
"..."
"And about that incident, where I absolutely wanted to kill you, I still have some lingering resentment on that. You shot the hostage, all of them... one died instantly... six due to blood loss... but you saved the other thirty-five souls.. some of them resented you for that, especially the kids of those who had died..."
"..."
"Hell, just reliving it just feels like... heh... I'm smilling here Nyx... I really am... But I'm also really fucking furious... I know that you can't save everyone but can't you at least try to be more civilized?"
"Yeah..."
"Shut yer trap, I'm not done."
"..."
"And yet... after that whole fiasco... no one ever bothered of using hostage on you anymore... they think it is a waste of time... there... you saved a lot of potential innocent amidst the crossfire there... by being absolutely not giving a single flying fuck as long as shit gets done..."
"..."
"So why in hell... do you keep playing with your convictions here? Keep doing that and you're only lying to yourself, you're no hero but you're no villain either... you're just a wannabe vigilante who, despite all her faults and flaws, did made this accursed land a bit better... all at the expense of your sanity."
"Just a wannabe huh..."
"Yeah... just a wannabe... you can't change the world by your lonesome Nyx. even though I dare say that you can topple several cities on your own if you play the long game... but then what? After those dusts had settled, ya think the world will be all sunshine and rainbow? Nah ain't no way, know why?"
"Because we are small people, lacking any drives and actual competence for it."
"Even you know it! So... stop playing with the world like a goddamn moronic finbeast... You have your cliques yeah? Just sobered up with yer pal and that would be great once in a while..."
"Puh..."
"Bitch, I'm serious!"
Nyx just laughed, with tears in the mix. She laugh at the absurdity of it all, a real monster like her was the reason there are less civilian casualties huh? This world is truly fucked to have that mindset...
'Just how cheap is life in this world?' that was a question she wondered numerous times.
"Thanks man... thank you for willingly being a friend to a monster..."
"How many times do I have to reiter- alright you know what? Sure! Whatever makes you happy I guess." Arkell just grumbled to himself, failing to notice the glint that appeared on his peripheral vision.
His answer just seems to tickle her funny bones... then the Pythian lady grinned mischievously, Nyx give him a peck on the cheek, and he froze. Arkell brain failed to respond like a land battleship crashing against an entire mountain range at full speed.
When his mind rebooted, she already left... the door is ajar and judging by the snow... his internal processing core took an even longer time for it. He can't help but to also grin, it is a gift after all...
"Hah... women..."
... Arkell didn't realize that there is a little mark on his cheek... Oh well, Eliza will grill him for that, only condolences can be offered upon his poor soul upon his sacred crusade of pacifying his angry wife...
POV: Nyx
I should have been shivering under the snow, like what an ordinary Pythian usually end up as. Thankfully enough, the cold felt lacking and even somewhat disappointing... My winter routine seems to have finally shown its merit, a positive thing for me of mitigating one my racial weakness.
Arkell honesty is what I needed, getting his opinion truly stung but it does feels better... Dad... I miss you... Holy damn, I'm such a crybaby...
You know, walking in the snowy field, with other people preparing for the equivalent of New Year Eve... I feel... out of place. In all of my years here, in Terra, just now I realized that, subconsciously, crowds during a celebration always left me with unpleasant feeling... but not a bad one?
Hell, I even can have some fun with helping them doing something I used to despise with my very bone. Probably because I'm not doing it out of obligation for once, and the fact that I'm not being treated like some kind of disposable manpower. It just felt weird to be a part of it...
Not to say I never attended one, back in Kazimierz I had been forced to attend several balls, celebration, and all those kinda pointless ceremony which I used to never understand why someone would waste their time, money, and energy on something that is logically wasteful.
Like all those taxes and tributes can be used to make a whole artillery division, paying the veterans their due, and or ensuring that the public life is safe and sound as- what? I got the order wrong? Surely not, a good military is the correct way to stability no? Pretty sure that's common sense...
Meh whatever, so where was I? Ah right, my old attitudes.
Innumerable lives based upon the spirit of killing, fighting, and generally doing things not under the banner of pacifisms and civility just made me weirded out by it... but now I can see it, feel it, and even becomes entranced by it.
All the shit I had gone through made me more appreciative of an actually peaceful moments of rest. Back then on the other side, in my old lives to be exact, all I do on break time was to get something that can distract me from my problems if real vacation is out of question.
I don't really like fancy food or high-class dining, since those just made me out of place and by the end of the day it doesn't really distract me all that much. My comfort food was no better than nutrient paste when stressed out, rarely got the time and space to whip up something humane to eat.
Never was I a good drinker back then too and yes I had accepted the fact that even 5% of alcohol will get me plastered in no time. So bars and pubs mostly end up as place for me to find and gather rumors. It does made me stand out and for a few occasion, it was also the reason I got entangled with problems.
Ranks and the like doesn't appeal to me, power to do whatever sounds nice on paper but I'm never keen of kissing someone' boot. Of course, there has been experiences for me to get sent facing the firing squad, or worse, because I refused to bend down... how many times had I been executed I wonder...
So only one place is left that is somewhat consistent between lives. Where I used to frequent myself and unwind, an unhealthy method to get problematic things forgotten. Nothing last forever but it was better than nothing...
Just burning up all my stipend, bonus, and payment for an illusion of intimacy. Reveling and leaving myself being thrown about by comforting falsehood, nothing ended up too serious in my line of work would be best after all...
But those were lives where I'm still more man than machine, I had lived otherwise too... I still don't get how souls work... does a machine get to have one? The lives as an unfeeling machine felt surreal, like just watching and staring through the screen and executing prompted commands that has been wired inside me...
And yet here I'm now... all alone, lost, and dispirited. This county has that sort of place I used to frequent, but every time I gazed upon it, only overpowering emptiness was felt. In Kazimierz I had also done the same and even get into one, but the opulence sickens me, thus I keep going and going on an endless cycle of...
'Ah those spies are finally here... can't they give me a goddamn night for my own? Is that so hard to ask!? I'm going to fucking murd-' wait...
"No... I'm here to cool off... remember what dad says... just... rest..." Pushing them away off my thoughts... I just tried to do what he told me... control it Nyx... control it... don't snap...
Thinking about it, I will most likely relapsed back into negativity, so might as well find a bench to sit upon later. Preferably somewhere quiet. Maybe I should head out towards a relatively far park on a hill just 5 kilometers away from the main plaza, again, later that is.
The place was well-known as a place where someone can chill or stumbled awkwardly when a couple having a midnight tryst. My comment? Their fault to act that way but I won't really care even if I stumble against one.
'Well... time to just slough through the muddy snow... hopefully I don't impose on anyone... if I did impose, then I'll just exchange favo-' the word 'favor' struck deep into my psyche... Why am I like this? Favor this, favor that...
'Hah... this is just sad... old habits die hard...' There is always a price for things you sought after... as it should be. In an ideally realistic world, foundation of a healthy relationship must be based upon contracts of mutual understanding...
"What a surprise seeing you walking so downheartedly... especially when you were the one who helped the plaza with such vigor..."
I immediately whirled around with my hand quickly reaching to my gun... damn it, I got to hung up with my own mind that I neglected my guard. But before I aimed the gun towards where the sounds were...
"Now, hold it there Lady Nyx. I'm not here to fish out problem after all."
"... Vincen- Uh, my apologies... I mean... Count Toron?"
"Oh do call me Vincent, no need for formalities especially whereupon an utmost joyous occasion is right on the horizon."
"B-but, I... uh... hah... screw it... On what occasion did you go out of your way out here?"
"Better, now as of why I just want to help you with your problems."
"... You do realize that you're painting a giant target on your back to say that here so openly?"
"True, but can you feel any eyes on you?"
"..." Now that I think about it... The spies attached to me they're... gone. I look back at him and he looks jovial as ever... if I brush it off like an idiot that is, no wonder he can keep his peace around here...
"Surely you noticed by now, it was truly deplorable to spoil such a splendid occasion with uncouth peeping toms, what say you?"
"... Aye..."
"Grand! Now, let us head back towards my mansion. We shall continue there to have a much better welcoming atmosphere on this fine and gracefully snowy evening."
He held out his hand to me, less of an invitation and more of an offer to help... I took it and he escorted me back to his mansion... Just what the hell did I get myself into? Instead of wariness, I'm... glad? Am I that desperate? ... heh... hahaha... fucking A.... Hopefully I don't get knackered...
[END OF CHAPTER]
Author's Note:
Yo, this is me, myself, and I, the author... :)
My thesis is... not going too well from what I can safely surmise... so
TL;DR: I'm screwed lmao.
I'll try to, at least, get a chapter out each week...
Update as usual.
Ciao.
"Mono/Dialogue"
'Inner thoughts'
Narration
[Message/communication apparatus]
Date: Data not found
Location: Data not found
POV: Narrator
Terrans are made up of multitude of races, these races has their own sub-race with their own set of peculiarity. How these races came to be is truly puzzling, but technology had proved time and time again that the answer is somewhere in there, waiting to be discovered and then understood.
Ancients, a very wide umbrella that encompassed the majority of races that presided Terra, Sarkaz instead called them the invader which had forcefully snatched away their homeland. The truth, however, have little significance on the subject that would be discussed at the moment.
And there is also the Elder Races, they used to be the ruling caste of Terran society. In scientific terms, they are the alpha one way or another. Elder Races had dwindled in the modern time, but they all shared one similar thing: Both have what can be called as animal or, in Terran lingo, beastlike features.
Due to what we call Anthropomorphism, the likening of one's own characteristic, mostly physical and otherwise, although debatable, had affected how they functioned as a whole. These humanoid races has been predated to as old as 10,000 years and counting. They have their logical characteristics too... but there are exceptions.
It is also needed to be said that due to the fact that crossbreeding is not exactly viable, which is naturally impossible given the vastly differing nature of each race. It can be said that all Terran, except for the Sarkaz and Sankta which would be elaborated somewhere in the future, are similar yet different.
There are however the so called Chimera, the Hybrids. They exist and although it follows the natural pattern of which genes ended up being the dominant one, they still exhibit significant capability of its respective parental races.
The method of crossbreeding between races with a natural mean had been thought to be nigh-impossible due to reasons, including reasons such as the worsening political, societal, and even geographical climate that is Terra. Most importantly is how ordinary Terran have this family or clan oriented attraction.
So, if natural method considered unviable, redundant, and even perceivably considered to be a taboo, doesn't that means that other method such as artificially based had been tried? Yes, ranging from the acceptable but still dangerous artificial insemination to the forbidden and highly volatile gene engineering, and even outright what can be inferred as playing god to create an entirely new species.
Artificial insemination is the most straightforward, where the female egg was injected with a healthy sperm to ensure the viability and probability of success. Artificial insemination are rarely done in Terra due to the fact that the natural way works the same and that crossbreeding is rare to begin with.
Gene engineering, although outlawed, banned, discredited, and all those fancy word for "no", exist regardless of circumstances. Of course, blatantly doing it will cause a massive problem, thus pretenses with their respective smokes and mirrors exist.
Gene engineering can be broadly summed as an activity to alter or even change a species biological function and or characteristics. A normal gene engineering are usually aimed at something mundane such as self-repairing cells, extended lifespan, enhanced motor function and so on. The most notorious and highly sought after gene engineering are either the Super Soldier Procurement Act or SSPA, and the Weapons of Biological Nature or WBN.
Super Soldier is a straightforward project, nation all over dimensions would need a highly adaptive and resilient soldiers to fight wars, but it always suffered from lacks of funding and the fact that not everyone is resilient enough to withstand their altered bodily function.
Super Soldiers themselves also suffered from, according to multiple records, mental and physical deterioration for the rest of their lives. It is not a rare occasion for a Super Soldier to, all of a sudden, tumbled and died because their body shutdown due to the accumulated trauma, physical or otherwise.
Boosting cell regeneration sounds good on paper, if we sidelined the fact that cancer also become prolific that way. Also having iron-like skin is totally great and definitely not in the way of bodily fluids excretion, who needs to sweat after running for 50 miles, or 80 kilometers, anyway, right?
Weapon of Biological Nature is the hottest topic that has been, on the surface, unanimously banned from convention. Biological weapon can range from something simple such as Fangbeasts with Scales and or natural armor with set time limit to the overly complicated and volatile Flesh Deterioration Microorganism.
The former can be used as easily as a single-shot weapon and be left as is. This is the most desirable since having weapon that terminate itself after use would ease the post-war clean up. The usage of a more complicated weapons can also put their economy and societal development into question.
A particular incident lost to age was that of scientists and occultists uncovered a large, frozen, patch of flesh. When they thawed it, all hell break loose since said flesh was a breeding for man-eating fungus.
The whole facility needs to be torched by Vouivres and a few rogue Dracos of old else Terra would be wiped there and then. Legends and myths said that those few rogues weren't in fact a coincidence, but such a thing has been refuted as hogwash amongst the already scant believer of that incident.
There was also the recent clusterfuck within a Columbian Lab belonged to Agreadian Combine Incorporated. They had tampered with abducting poor citizens or settlers and drop them into a cage filled to the brim with serum to turn man into beast but with an intelligence of A.I... it wasn't pretty.
Long story short, the whole facility is dead. The mobile city named Teddior suffered 75% damage, at minimum, and must be abandoned. The whole company' Execs was never to be heard anymore, their family was never heard anymore, and not even their pet slugs was ever heard anymore. It also further encouraged the Columbian company to starts experiment outside of Mobile City.
And last and truly the most unhinged of them all, the so called playing god only done by either the brightest or the maddest of them all, sometimes both. This type was never seen, as they should be, for the last millenniums. They combined all sort of esoteric knowledge to broaden the horizon.
Due to the generally lacking publicly accessible information, this type had more or less turned into hearsays and myth. Of course there are a lot of wannabe scientist like them, but they fell short... mostly.
Thus let us watch our ambiguous in nature Pythian lady who is sloughing through the snow while helping the locals for the upcoming celebration. She walked through the blinding light of merriment with eyes full of awe, wonder, longing... and tinges of jealousy.
Date: 25th December 1080
Location: County of Toron, Victoria.
POV: Narrator
A Pythian lady can be seen moving about with practiced movement, practically gliding through the snow. Her footwork of weaving amongst the throngs of locals looks both mesmerizing and elegant, the pedestrian who stole glances every now and then sworn that she turn the whole street into a dance floor.
The lady wasn't dancing however, she is helping the inhabitants with decorating the place while quietly spectating back on her monitors. She is too weary to give a damn about what they are going to report to their patron this time around, not like there is much to report when all she does is just helping around with decoration.
Keeping a somewhat bored or blank face works nicely... too nicely. The locals are having reservation of asking too much out of her, but that really works to her advantage. Keeping things somewhat natural gave her some wiggle room of enjoying this activity during her rest period.
While the monitors are writing vigorously of what she is doing, a kinda pointless thing to boot since it ain't combat around here, Nyx just... being Nyx. Hefting up tens of kilograms worth of weight while barely registered as weighty.
Helping out with climbing up and down from the rooftops like it is a second nature, no different than walking on an even ground. She also provided some correction from bird's eye view perspective, increasing the efficiency and speed things up.
"Nyx, can you help with this decoration? It is a tad heavy on ma bone..."
"Give it to me, also stay out else you get hurt."
"Miss Nyx, can you point me where did Karl gone off to?"
"Northeastern plaza, with a girl in hand... scratch that, 2 girls and a man..."
"Wha-!? He gonna get it now, much obliged."
"Hmm."
"Hey hotstuff, sure don't wanna have a drink after this?" A man hollered, not at a certain Pythian lady since only the most brazen or having none to lose would do that, towards a passing by young lass.
"... ugh..."
"BAHAHAHA! Lucas got rejected, spectacularly too!"
"S-S-Shut up ya pansies! I'm better than ye louts!"
"Makin' a fool of yeself was better? Bah!"
"Blimey, where ma rum? Sworn t'was 'ere som'ere... I swear if ol' Rick took it again, I'll whoop his ass..."
"George! Where the fuck are ye!? Pay up yer debt!"
"Ah hell, here he comes. Welp, gotta fly."
"Miss Leonore, can you please step back?"
"Oh, my apologies, wait... Nyx!?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm... surprised..."
"Sure."
"Ey Nyx, come ere' a sec." Arkell suddenly called up on her, Nyx remembering what happened 3 days ago starts formulating a way for it...
"A minute."
"Take your time, I'll just smoke in the meantime..."
"That's bad for your lungs." Said Nyx where she just tossed a huge tree chunk to the side of the road. Her fellow helpers around her are already used to her abnormal strength.
"Says the one who smoked 7 cigars upon each session..." Arkell grinned a little.
"What can I say, I have iron lungs."
"Yet you can't hold your liqueur."
"Wow... resorting to low blow huh?"
After finishing up whatever she was doing prior, Nyx approached him who is leaning against the railing. His eyes look around the plaza, people smiling and merrymaking. The infected can also be seen here and there, they are having fun too despite some people are still as annoying as ever,
"I'm here."
Arkell wordlessly offered her a cigarette, she eyed it for a bit and decided to partake. Leaning back against the railing too, Nyx starts lighting it up.
"Nice work out there."
"Just a whim."
"Yes, just a whim indeed. The Nyx who doesn't really like of lingering too long amongst the crowd doing it all on a whim... lie better won't you."
"... fuh..." Nyx said nothing and just keeps smoking her cigar. Arkell think hard, he then made an eye contact from the corner of his eyes, motioning her to walk with him. Nyx catch it and played along.
They left the plaza towards the parking lot, Arkell parked 60's vintage car stood out a little. Conversely, Nyx's bike has been stored in one of her safehouse in this county. She would have refrained from making something liable of getting swept by catastrophe. Victoria has little worry for that, thus allowing her to play around a bit more.
Arriving on the car, Arkell made a single motion of raising his hand and then... the sounds are gone, the lights dimmed, and everything around her felt dead except for the wind. Arkell opened his car door and motioned her inside.
Seeing that he is willing to keep things as discreet as possible with her, she just smirked a little. Entering the car she made herself comfortable.
Arkell entered from the other side, he also just sat there for a while... until Nyx boldly straddled him by sitting on his lap, her smirk turn a little salacious and inviting. Arkell stays calm, he just knows that something is really wrong with her.
"Gentlemanly aren't we, you aren't hitting on me are you? I might let it slide just this time around~"
"Perish the thought, Eliza will kill me otherwise. Also... I don't see why you would give that up so easily."
"Heh, yeah, that's true... must be nice to have your family close by, always there when you need them..."
Nyx slumped back again on her side of the car seat... she let him see the exhaustion she had accumulated. Her level breathing turned inconsistent and dispirited, she even have her head upon her own right palm.
The Pythian lady then slid her sleeve up and take her gloves off... and let him see her charred and badly flaked left arm, the blood had long dried up but the flesh has nary a skin on it. Arkell's eyes are wide as saucer, he doesn't know how she could have such a horrific injury.
"I fucked up, mate. It is healing but I'm mostly out for months..."
"... I can see that, and I must say... you really do look like shit."
"Yeah..."
"...Does it still hurt?"
"I'm in a fucking purgatory here, can't even sleep in peace with this kind of wound... not that I needed much sleep anyway...."
"Well..." before he can answer, he saw her eyes flashed with shame briefly...
"Tell me Arkell, by a scale of -10 and 10 for sense of humanity... where am I?"
"... -7... admittedly..." Arkell starts to scowl, he know where this is going... pity and anger mashed into one...
"I see... Then, do you think I shouldn't have existed? Or would it be better for me to have never take up arms?"
"... I... Hmm... to be perfectly honest, your modus operandi is disgusting. No sane person would realistically reach out to you if you keep playing the devil. There are beasts out there who are more humane than you."
"..."
"Yet I can never deny the fact that your brutality itself had become some sort of healing salves on this blasted land. Your methods are disgusting, yet you get the job done. Your ideas and styles are inhumane yet a lot of innocent were saved by none other than you and your combat insanity."
"..."
"And about that incident, where I absolutely wanted to kill you, I still have some lingering resentment on that. You shot the hostage, all of them... one died instantly... six due to blood loss... but you saved the other thirty-five souls.. some of them resented you for that, especially the kids of those who had died..."
"..."
"Hell, just reliving it just feels like... heh... I'm smilling here Nyx... I really am... But I'm also really fucking furious... I know that you can't save everyone but can't you at least try to be more civilized?"
"Yeah..."
"Shut yer trap, I'm not done."
"..."
"And yet... after that whole fiasco... no one ever bothered of using hostage on you anymore... they think it is a waste of time... there... you saved a lot of potential innocent amidst the crossfire there... by being absolutely not giving a single flying fuck as long as shit gets done..."
"..."
"So why in hell... do you keep playing with your convictions here? Keep doing that and you're only lying to yourself, you're no hero but you're no villain either... you're just a wannabe vigilante who, despite all her faults and flaws, did made this accursed land a bit better... all at the expense of your sanity."
"Just a wannabe huh..."
"Yeah... just a wannabe... you can't change the world by your lonesome Nyx. even though I dare say that you can topple several cities on your own if you play the long game... but then what? After those dusts had settled, ya think the world will be all sunshine and rainbow? Nah ain't no way, know why?"
"Because we are small people, lacking any drives and actual competence for it."
"Even you know it! So... stop playing with the world like a goddamn moronic finbeast... You have your cliques yeah? Just sobered up with yer pal and that would be great once in a while..."
"Puh..."
"Bitch, I'm serious!"
Nyx just laughed, with tears in the mix. She laugh at the absurdity of it all, a real monster like her was the reason there are less civilian casualties huh? This world is truly fucked to have that mindset...
'Just how cheap is life in this world?' that was a question she wondered numerous times.
"Thanks man... thank you for willingly being a friend to a monster..."
"How many times do I have to reiter- alright you know what? Sure! Whatever makes you happy I guess." Arkell just grumbled to himself, failing to notice the glint that appeared on his peripheral vision.
His answer just seems to tickle her funny bones... then the Pythian lady grinned mischievously, Nyx give him a peck on the cheek, and he froze. Arkell brain failed to respond like a land battleship crashing against an entire mountain range at full speed.
When his mind rebooted, she already left... the door is ajar and judging by the snow... his internal processing core took an even longer time for it. He can't help but to also grin, it is a gift after all...
"Hah... women..."
... Arkell didn't realize that there is a little mark on his cheek... Oh well, Eliza will grill him for that, only condolences can be offered upon his poor soul upon his sacred crusade of pacifying his angry wife...
POV: Nyx
I should have been shivering under the snow, like what an ordinary Pythian usually end up as. Thankfully enough, the cold felt lacking and even somewhat disappointing... My winter routine seems to have finally shown its merit, a positive thing for me of mitigating one my racial weakness.
Arkell honesty is what I needed, getting his opinion truly stung but it does feels better... Dad... I miss you... Holy damn, I'm such a crybaby...
You know, walking in the snowy field, with other people preparing for the equivalent of New Year Eve... I feel... out of place. In all of my years here, in Terra, just now I realized that, subconsciously, crowds during a celebration always left me with unpleasant feeling... but not a bad one?
Hell, I even can have some fun with helping them doing something I used to despise with my very bone. Probably because I'm not doing it out of obligation for once, and the fact that I'm not being treated like some kind of disposable manpower. It just felt weird to be a part of it...
Not to say I never attended one, back in Kazimierz I had been forced to attend several balls, celebration, and all those kinda pointless ceremony which I used to never understand why someone would waste their time, money, and energy on something that is logically wasteful.
Like all those taxes and tributes can be used to make a whole artillery division, paying the veterans their due, and or ensuring that the public life is safe and sound as- what? I got the order wrong? Surely not, a good military is the correct way to stability no? Pretty sure that's common sense...
Meh whatever, so where was I? Ah right, my old attitudes.
Innumerable lives based upon the spirit of killing, fighting, and generally doing things not under the banner of pacifisms and civility just made me weirded out by it... but now I can see it, feel it, and even becomes entranced by it.
All the shit I had gone through made me more appreciative of an actually peaceful moments of rest. Back then on the other side, in my old lives to be exact, all I do on break time was to get something that can distract me from my problems if real vacation is out of question.
I don't really like fancy food or high-class dining, since those just made me out of place and by the end of the day it doesn't really distract me all that much. My comfort food was no better than nutrient paste when stressed out, rarely got the time and space to whip up something humane to eat.
Never was I a good drinker back then too and yes I had accepted the fact that even 5% of alcohol will get me plastered in no time. So bars and pubs mostly end up as place for me to find and gather rumors. It does made me stand out and for a few occasion, it was also the reason I got entangled with problems.
Ranks and the like doesn't appeal to me, power to do whatever sounds nice on paper but I'm never keen of kissing someone' boot. Of course, there has been experiences for me to get sent facing the firing squad, or worse, because I refused to bend down... how many times had I been executed I wonder...
So only one place is left that is somewhat consistent between lives. Where I used to frequent myself and unwind, an unhealthy method to get problematic things forgotten. Nothing last forever but it was better than nothing...
Just burning up all my stipend, bonus, and payment for an illusion of intimacy. Reveling and leaving myself being thrown about by comforting falsehood, nothing ended up too serious in my line of work would be best after all...
But those were lives where I'm still more man than machine, I had lived otherwise too... I still don't get how souls work... does a machine get to have one? The lives as an unfeeling machine felt surreal, like just watching and staring through the screen and executing prompted commands that has been wired inside me...
And yet here I'm now... all alone, lost, and dispirited. This county has that sort of place I used to frequent, but every time I gazed upon it, only overpowering emptiness was felt. In Kazimierz I had also done the same and even get into one, but the opulence sickens me, thus I keep going and going on an endless cycle of...
'Ah those spies are finally here... can't they give me a goddamn night for my own? Is that so hard to ask!? I'm going to fucking murd-' wait...
"No... I'm here to cool off... remember what dad says... just... rest..." Pushing them away off my thoughts... I just tried to do what he told me... control it Nyx... control it... don't snap...
Thinking about it, I will most likely relapsed back into negativity, so might as well find a bench to sit upon later. Preferably somewhere quiet. Maybe I should head out towards a relatively far park on a hill just 5 kilometers away from the main plaza, again, later that is.
The place was well-known as a place where someone can chill or stumbled awkwardly when a couple having a midnight tryst. My comment? Their fault to act that way but I won't really care even if I stumble against one.
'Well... time to just slough through the muddy snow... hopefully I don't impose on anyone... if I did impose, then I'll just exchange favo-' the word 'favor' struck deep into my psyche... Why am I like this? Favor this, favor that...
'Hah... this is just sad... old habits die hard...' There is always a price for things you sought after... as it should be. In an ideally realistic world, foundation of a healthy relationship must be based upon contracts of mutual understanding...
"What a surprise seeing you walking so downheartedly... especially when you were the one who helped the plaza with such vigor..."
I immediately whirled around with my hand quickly reaching to my gun... damn it, I got to hung up with my own mind that I neglected my guard. But before I aimed the gun towards where the sounds were...
"Now, hold it there Lady Nyx. I'm not here to fish out problem after all."
"... Vincen- Uh, my apologies... I mean... Count Toron?"
"Oh do call me Vincent, no need for formalities especially whereupon an utmost joyous occasion is right on the horizon."
"B-but, I... uh... hah... screw it... On what occasion did you go out of your way out here?"
"Better, now as of why I just want to help you with your problems."
"... You do realize that you're painting a giant target on your back to say that here so openly?"
"True, but can you feel any eyes on you?"
"..." Now that I think about it... The spies attached to me they're... gone. I look back at him and he looks jovial as ever... if I brush it off like an idiot that is, no wonder he can keep his peace around here...
"Surely you noticed by now, it was truly deplorable to spoil such a splendid occasion with uncouth peeping toms, what say you?"
"... Aye..."
"Grand! Now, let us head back towards my mansion. We shall continue there to have a much better welcoming atmosphere on this fine and gracefully snowy evening."
He held out his hand to me, less of an invitation and more of an offer to help... I took it and he escorted me back to his mansion... Just what the hell did I get myself into? Instead of wariness, I'm... glad? Am I that desperate? ... heh... hahaha... fucking A.... Hopefully I don't get knackered...
[END OF CHAPTER]
Author's Note:
Yo, this is me, myself, and I, the author... :)
My thesis is... not going too well from what I can safely surmise... so
TL;DR: I'm screwed lmao.
I'll try to, at least, get a chapter out each week...
Update as usual.
Ciao.
