Witchers of Nifelheim - Part 6

"Even a general area would cut the search time considderably."Twilight muses. "But to do that, we would need every detail of the forest, no matter how small."

She rubs her chin. "What are we missing... Let's go over our known facts one more time."

Circi closes her eyes a moment, her head turns to Adam a moment, "I dont blame you." She quitely says to the sinners in the hall, "I dont blame you for feeling hopeless." She looks across the room, "I dont blame you for wanting to spend what you might think are your last moments, with your loved ones." She looks across the room, showing a pair of yet hopeful eyes in a room full of despair. "You do not have to fight, not with the savagry I choose to fight with. But I beg if your aid behind the walls, in the hospitals." She scans across the room, "We have parasite secrets on our side this time. We know how they got into Sleiphnir Castle, and we very well intend on keeping these walls standing." She takes a deep breath, "Sinners, Look apon yourselfs, look apon the sinners beside you, think about your familys and your friends." She looks to the floor a moment, "I do not wish to use fear as a tactic... but... what of the moment you die with your family." She falls silent a moment, "Is that something you are all truely ready for?" She wraps her arm around Adam a moment, seeking a small comfort from the topic before continuing, "To watch this parasite horde, burst through those walls. To know, that you willingly sat by, as you watch the sinner beside you, get eaten alive, and ripped apart, dispite theirs and your condition." She exhales sharply, "Will you crumble beneath all that trauma... and will you regret the decision you make now?" She looks up, "Or will you stand in front of your friends? Will you fight to save the ones in front of you? Drag the wounded away to breath, laugh, and live, another day? The most hopeless times call for the strong and weak to stand together. We may be diffrent, but we are many!" Her voice raises slightly, "Together, we can stand as a pillar of humanity. Looking past our differences, I cannot make you promises... but I beg of hope, in a hopeless situation. Please Sinners. The city calls for our aid."

Rain tilts her head, "Aye? No more?" She sighs, "It will have to do. I believe we can still make this work." She sets the charges in a seperate bag and hauls the bags strap over her shoulder, "Alright where to next." She suddenly pauses, "Wait... a moment..." she quickly turns around, "When did Ryu last check the C4 supplys?" She raises her brow, "and who came by to take the the other 3?" Rain frowns, "Im suspecting an incoming foul play." She looks to the man behind the counter, "Not by you of course. You wouldn't happen to have a sheet detailing where our other 3 charges are would you?"

"I'm sure we can come up with a soluition for that. Create gardens with dead plants, waste, that kind of stuff" Morgan responds as she keeps up with Johan "The homes with flat roofs can also be filled with dirt gathered from outside the walls and made into garden plots."

Her attention is suddenly drawn by the shouting of the one Witchers. She takes a look around for one of the younger looking ones still on the ground and grabs his attention.

"General Victoria needs to know about this right away, she'll be in the library. She doesn't need her to come but we do need an answer for Kaznachey. Go!" Morgan nods to the Witcher then launches herself up onto the wall. Taking a look out to see how Kaznachey is requesting the parley.

Some Sinner wrote:Rain tilts her head, "Aye? No more?" She sighs, "It will have to do. I believe we can still make this work." She sets the charges in a seperate bag and hauls the bags strap over her shoulder, "Alright where to next." She suddenly pauses, "Wait... a moment..." she quickly turns around, "When did Ryu last check the C4 supplys?" She raises her brow, "and who came by to take the the other 3?" Rain frowns, "Im suspecting an incoming foul play." She looks to the man behind the counter, "Not by you of course. You wouldn't happen to have a sheet detailing where our other 3 charges are would you?"

"We'll just have to hope it's enough" Rogue says, "Now, we don't need it just yet, is there anywhere we can keep it secure whilst we inspect the tunnels?"

(Rogue, Rain, Ursula, Lightning)



"I... beg your pardon!" The clerk furrowed his brow, taking offense:
"The other 3 charges went nowhere, because they do not exist!"

He sat closer to the bars, separating the two of you, almost fuming: "Only 7 were manufactured! King Ryu inspected the charges himself, when they were first delivered here! It is the safest place to store them!"

We keep a very detailed account of where each charge goes, once it leaves the armory! The notion that even one could go missing, is simply ludicrous!"



"Then why did King Ryu think you had 10?" Lightning shook her fist "Are you trying to cheat us!"


"Young lady!" The clerk dug out a scroll from under his desk and placed it in front of you.

At a brief glance, it appears to be a form, detailing the first reception of the charges. The bracked of quantity, has the letter 7 written in ink, and the form is signed by Viktoria and one of the head clerks here.









(Twilight, Viki, Sasha)



"Lucretia claimed the Dark Machine is a powerful artifact, that she constructed thousands of years ago.

According to her, it is a very powerful weapon against the parasites, our only hope of stopping the horde and defeating Kaznachey.


The parasites are seemingly driven into a frenzy, whenever they get wind of its location and organize into a horde, in an attempt to reach it.


At the same time,
Back in the Machine World, an unknown organization called 'The Chariot', is also aware of this artifact and are desperate to get it. Its clear now that, every Machine World invasion had one primary purpose - the acqusition of the Dark Machine and attempts to bring it to Earth.



Considering that the Dark Machine changed location, several times, yet the Chariot zeroed in on it immediately, after teleportation here, leads me to believe they have a way to pinpoint the artifacts exact location.
If only we knew how they do it..." Viktoria winced.


"Why don't we ask Lucretia?" Sasha piped up: "Its her artifact, right? Maybe she'll have an idea how to find it"


"That will be problematic" Viktoria grimaced "She could only talk to us, while we were comatosed"


"Why not induce a coma then?" Sasha tilted her head "Reduce our HP to zero with Paralysis, then ask one of the librarians or White Lotus to revive us, after an hour or so?"

Viktoria exchanged looks with you. Judging from her expression, she's not entirely for this plan, but not entirely against it either.









(Morgan, Johan)



The young Witcher nodded and anxiously sprinted away.

As you reach the top of the wall, a chilling image comes into view. A wall of parasites surrounded the Castle Town. They lingered, just on the edge of the forest, hiding among the snow covered trees, but they numbered so greatly, a massive orange glow had permeated the forest.

It felt like the entire city was surrounded by a ring of fire, coldly burning in the mornings sun.


And in that ring, one figure stood out. A walking corpse of an elderly human, so old, he could've passed for somebodies great grandfather. Slightly hunched over and using a walking stick to support his weight, he stood, intently eyeing the castle, a massive white flare over his head, signaling a request for communication.

All other parasites gave him a very wide berth, no one dared get any closer than 400 meters, which created a semi circle inside the blockade of parasites.


"...he can't get any closer. And the city is outside his firing range." One of the Witcher officers on the wall said, heavily swallowing:

"This means, in order to speak to him, one has to approach the blockade and stand right next to him, which means entering his firing range.


He did declaire a parlay however... which means, he promises save passage and protection, during the negotiations."


"You'd trust that thing?!" One of the Witchers horribly grimaced.



"He haunted us for millennia." The officer grimly replied "And during that time, he established a firm reputation.

Kaznachey always keeps his word.

If he promises safety during negotiations, then..."


The officer looked at you: "Morgan... you are one of the strongest Witchers in this castle. And if Kaznachey has a way of marching through here and leveling the place, killing us and our families..." the Witcher grimaced:

"We are in a very bad situation... no one wants to admit it, but if he attacks... Rakshata will most likely fall.

So if Kaznachey wants to talk, instead of slaughtering us, it would we wise to at least listen, to what he has to say. He has the advantage here, after all."


The officer grimly looked at you: "As one of the most strongest Witchers here, I think you should go out there, listen to what he has to say. At least gauge his intensions. Then come back fast."













(Circi, Adam)


"I will stand with you!" Dilans voice rang across the deathly silent room. You heard his chair creek, as he stood up
"I will fight by your side, until my dying breath!" He collected his fist, with fire in his eyes:
"For your family! For mine! And for others!!! This castle won't fall, while I draw breath!"



"Dilan..." the girl next to him sighed, with the expression that showed, this is exactly what she feared and expected. But she sighed, rose up next to Dilan and grimly nodded to you.


"As will I!" Another Sinner rose up, loudly smacking his mug of ale on the table.

"And I!!" Several more rose, with fire in their eyes.

"Und my Axe!!!" One of the burly Sinners bared his teeth, shaking his weapon in the air.


As you survey the room, most of the Sinners rose up, one by one, looking at their loved ones, before directing their firm gaze at you.

"Where do you want us, sister?" The Sinner with the axe called: "Direct us and we shall follow!!"

Kaylee Brown wrote:(Rogue, Rain, Ursula, Lightning)

"I... beg your pardon!" The clerk furrowed his brow, taking offense:
"The other 3 charges went nowhere, because they do not exist!"

He sat closer to the bars, separating the two of you, almost fuming: "Only 7 were manufactured! King Ryu inspected the charges himself, when they were first delivered here! It is the safest place to store them!"

We keep a very detailed account of where each charge goes, once it leaves the armory! The notion that even one could go missing, is simply ludicrous!"

"Then why did King Ryu think you had 10?" Lightning shook her fist "Are you trying to cheat us!"

"Young lady!" The clerk dug out a scroll from under his desk and placed it in front of you.

At a brief glance, it appears to be a form, detailing the first reception of the charges. The bracked of quantity, has the letter 7 written in ink, and the form is signed by Viktoria and one of the head clerks here.

"Guys, calm down already, Ryu only saigh he THOUGHT there were ten, he was probably just rounding up" Rogue says, "Now, can we leave them securely here and check them out later?"

Morgan raises her hand and fires off the same flare in response to Kaznachey then slowly flies over to meet him. At a certain point she summons her glaive and throws it into the ground before closing the rest of the distance. The glaive just at the edge of the range it can be before it automatically vanishes. She lands and fully retracts her wings, placing her hands in front of her and folded together.

"Good morning Kaznachey. My name is Morgan, I'm here as a representative of Rakshata and her people to listen to your parley request. Before we begin I'll need your word that no matter what we discuss and how it ends that I will be permited to return to the castle walls safely once this conversation is done. "

(Morgan)


As you make your way through the no-mans-land, the 5 kilometers between the Obelisks and the Parasite ring, you feel the icy stare of 10,000 pairs of eyes, quietly watching you, tracking your movement.

Hiding behind the trees, their silhouettes faintly glowing, they all watch you in total silence, waiting. The field was so deathly silent, you could hear a pin drop. Only the wind faintly blew by, ruffling your hair.

No one moved.

No one attacked.


As you finally landed, the corpse of the elderly grandfather released an amused giggle:
"You're smart... but you got my name wrong. Mispronouncing my name and then asking for a favor, is the type of loophole that can spell your demise, when forming a contract." He meaningfully looked at you with a smirk:

"Words have a tremendous strength, you know... I understand you've just lifted a Curse from Rakshata? You have my congratulations." His smirk grew wider:


"Well. I shan't tease you further. For I have every intention of you safely running back to your Castle Town, and relaying my words to every single occupant there..." his eyes released a dangerous spark, he placed a hand on his chest, not breaking eye contact with you:

"As the head of the Immortal Watch, bearing the name Kaznachey, I give you my word, that I will allow you to safely return to Rakshata, after I am done speaking with you. Until that moment, I will not harm you, nor will I allow anyone else to do so."


He lowered his hand and released a brief chuckle "...will that suffice?" his orange eyes are glowing faintly in the morning sun, it feels like his gaze is piercing you like an x-ray:


"...you never did decipher that journal, did you?" his smirk grew wider and he continued, without waiting for a reply:



"...here's the deal, Morgan... I will offer you a contract.

All occupants of Rakshata will remain sitting within its walls, like good little boys and girls, for the next month. Do so, and I will remove the blockade from Rakshata." Kaznachey meaningfully smiled "I'll even allow you to establish your trade routes with the other Castles again.

I give you my word." Kaznachey's gaze is staring into your very soul, its starting to become unsettling:


"...Just one month, Morgan. Your people can manage that much, can they not? I'm sure you won't starve to death, that quickly. Simply stay within the confines of your castle town and I will remove the blockade after 1 month."



A dangerous light flickered inside his glowing eyes: "...if you break this contract, however, if you try to leave the city, if you try to attack, or break through the blockade, before 1 month passes..."

Kaznachey scowled and the unfiltered, deep seeded contempt finally showed on his face:

"I will march past your Obelisks, right through the front gates of your city and I will kill...
Every - Human - Inside. Do you understand?" he slowly muttered.









(Rogue, Rain, Ursula, Lightning)


"Of course. This is the safest place to store such dangerous artifacts." The clerk grumpily answered.

"Is this your signature here?" Ursula tapped the doodle on the scroll, the one next to Viki's.

"No" The clerk frowned "It is my co-worker's!"

"So you didn't actually receive the explosives yourself." Ursula continued, squinting "You weren't present, when they were added to the armory, so you didn't actually see how many there were to begin with?"

"I did not." The clerk angrily waves his hand "That's why these forms exist! So even if I wasn't there, I still know how many explosives were added!"

Twilight eyes narrow. "As someone who has had contact with her, an hour would sadly be a little brief. Yes, my low health and earlier experience with Lucretia may make me the ideal candidate for this test."

Her eyes narrowed even more. "However, what you just said made something click in my head, and which makes me doubt that woman's intentions and plans even more." Her gaze softened a bit as her eyes opened a bit. "I admit that I'm the most skeptical member of our group, at least when it comes to trusting people with such vague support like Lucretia. But that doesn't mean my views don't have a point."

She pondered. "You say the machine people came in, went in a straight line to the dark machine, and slaughtered all who stood in their way. This should mean that they know the value of the dark machine, supposedly the ultimate weapon against the Glysteria."

Distrust became visible on her face. "Except, Machine folks can't see Glysteria, and barely seem aware of their existence. This means they are hunting an ancient artifact like their lives depends on it, with NO GODDAMN CLUE about what it actually does. On top of that, the ways it could be found so clearly means they have a machine that could find it. But there lies the problem: How did they make a machine with the EXACT PURPOSE of find an object on a different planet, specifically keyed to find and object which, I remind you, they don't know what it does or even should have knowledge of."

The purple politician gets into her rant, her motions getting less subtle and her voice fluctuating in tone. "So here's MY question, how, just... HOW does THAT make any sense?! It's simple. With conventional means, IT ABSOLUTELY DOESN'T!" She actually slams a nearby table with her fist.

Taking a breath, she continued. "I heard the stories about what the first people here had to hear when they contacted our world. They were on their own. And not too late after, armed men dropped in and assaulted them, thinning the population and them trying to find the dark machine. A horrible experience that explains you hostility. But from apathy to agression without interaction is very, very odd. What changed in that demeanor on our side?"

She looked at the two girls there. "For nearly a year, an increasing amount of the population on my world were plagued by mental problems that started when the pillars appeared in our world. The usual problems were active suicide, loss of magic amongst unicorns and everyone having that same recurring dream that always ended with us running into a door that wouldn't open. The one time we were in a dream that opened the door, we met Lucretia, and it was a coma of sorts." Her eyes narrowed. "But were we the first people to have woken from such a coma in that time? Something tells me we weren't... And that the people who found out reacted in a very, very different way. Or maybe they did so because they were told a very different story."

She paced around and talked, her arms now seeming to mimic her every word. "Now what if the Chairman, and the Chariot organization by extention, were so effective and relentless in their search, because they were told about it, including a way to find it. But were never told about what the machine does or what Glysteria are? That they just heard that this thing would save them and that it was too late for those on the other side?"

She turned and looked with a large, anger filled scowl. "That the Chairman was manipulated by half truths he couldn't doubt because of the damage to the civilians, by either Kaznachey or Lucretia."

She slammed her hand on the table again. "Hit me with that paralysis. I'm going to have a serious conversation with this so-called saviour spirit and her obsession with her Deus ex Machina. Once and for all, it must be made clear where that woman stands, and why she dragged us all into this battle."

(Twilight)


"Damn..." Viktoria only listened, slowly nodding her head after each phrase, her expression growing solemn and serious:

"...you're right" she finally nodded in the end: "I think you're absolutely right."

She looked down in thought: "...if I remember correctly, in one of the Memory Orbs we collected from a Precursor ruin, The Chairman believes there's some sort of plague going around Nifelheim.
That's why he's so obsessed with purity.

All his soldiers wear these armored hazmat suits. When one of the men suffered an injury and his suit got breached, his comrades executed him, because they thought he'd get infected and would later infect Earth, if he was brought back.

So that mean, The Chairman doesn't know about Parasites, per se, but he knows that Something is up, on this planet. And he's desperate to stop our 'Plague' from reaching Earth.

Maybe that's why he stranded our ancestors on this planet. He thought we'd all got infected and plague ridden. He thought it was too dangerous to bring us back to Earth... tsk." She grimaced, looked away.

"...what a shit situation." she firmly looked at you and nodded: "Alright. I'm coming with you.

Lets do this."



Viktoria's concerned purple eyes, was the last thing you saw, before a purple fire flashed and everything went dark.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------



A strange, underground room, akin to a mausoleum, slowly opens before you. An old fountain stands in the middle, dried up and broken. The columns supporting the walls, have carvings of leaves on them. The ceiling is round, like a half-sphere.

The is something akin to a bed, made of stone, by one of the walls. A strange figure sits there, transparent, teal and beautiful. Her hair faintly glows in the dark.


You're not very familiar with Precursor physiology, but even a passing glance makes you think, this creature is very sick. Eyes sunken, dark circles are heavy and prominent. The muscles in her body have all but atrophied. She looks almost anorexic now, in a horrible and severe decline from the last time you saw her.

Eyes are looked on the nothing, she stared into space and quietly mumbles something. You do not understand the words and yet, somehow, they make sense in your head.


...square root of 2.14 is 1.46287
square root of 2.11 is 1.459451
square root of 2.10 is 1.456021


She doesn't notice your presence. She is completely out of it.


Looking around, you find Alyx, your parasite, standing beside you, still dressed in his flawless tuxedo.

A few moments later, Viktoria and her giant wolf-parasite, Guillotine come into view as well.

"Well..." Rain pulls the paper from the counter, "We'll just be talking to Victoria then to determine where the other three went. I dont think Ryu made a mistake telling us there were 10 because... as you said... Ryu oversaw the explosives personally." She turns and begins leaving the armory, "We'll be back... maybe."

Circi looks across the room, "I require spells on the walls. Tendons grasp will keep the parasites at bay while the witchers hammer them down." She says briefing the Sinners, "If you are not combat fit. Worry not. Your hands will not be idle. Some of you may still choose to stay with your familys. This is ok, I understand." She gently motions to each side of her, carefully pulling out a notebook, 'This will be a good chance to total up how many sinner refugees the city has as well.' She thinks to herself, pulling out a small peice of coal to write with, "Sinners who are fighting fit and willing. Line up to my left so I may tally our forces, those who are medically trained, or wish to float behind the lines to pull in wounded, line up to my right. I cannot thank you enough for hearing me out." She smiles to everyone across the room, "Can that axe hit parasites?" She asks the sizeable Sinner directly in a jest to ease the room, "I want one if it does."

Twilight nodded at her daughter. "Viki." Then she looked at the wolf. "Guillotine."

She then looked forward, at the sick figure counting. "Let's do this."

Stepping forward to Lucretia, she steels her gaze, then spoke firmly. "Lucretia. We came here to ask you some questions, and you seem to know a few things we want."

She took a deep breath. "How many people have met you in this dream?"

Morgan nods "I accept your terms"

(Morgan)


"Good." The elderly man nodded "And here I thought you were going to be difficult."

He released a small smirk, his cold orange eyes were glaring at you, seemingly staring into your very soul.

"...you never did decode that journal, did you?" his smirk grew a bit wider: "You let me destroy it, but I find it hard to believe you didn't make a copy of it, using a Memory Orb."








(Twilight, Viki, Sasha)


The air next to you began vibrating, as if a flame was burning nearby and moments later, Sasha materialized into existence. Together with her parasite. He looked like a human-sized lizard, standing upright and staring at everything with wide open eyes, frankly giving off the impression that he had a screw loose.


"...Fascinating." Sasha whispered, slowly drifting across the mausoleum and taking in every detail: "I've never experienced a Mental Link before..."

Twilight wrote:Twilight nodded at her daughter. "Viki." Then she looked at the wolf. "Guillotine."

"...Twilight... Sparkle..." the wolf managed to imitate human speech, somehow speaking through his massive, jagged teeth, his voice coming off deep and gravely. He looked frankly unnerving and horrifying, like he could become unhinged and go on a killing spree at any moment, slashing everything in his path, with those massive, 50 cm claws of his.

Viktoria seemed completely at ease next to him, however, going as far as sometimes turning her back to him. To your surprise, Guillotine's body language signaled that he was extremely protective of Viki and watching him, it felt like he was now viewing you as part of his 'wolf pack'.

Even so, the creature looked frightening and unnerving, you're not quite sure how Viktoria managed to get along, let alone befriend this thing.

Twilight wrote:"Lucretia. We came here to ask you some questions, and you seem to know a few things we want."

She took a deep breath. "How many people have met you in this dream?"

"Square root of 2.1 is 1.44913
Square root of 2.09 is 1.43....... fuck." Lucretia is still looking right at you, or through you, to be exact. Her eyes seem to be hazed, as if a veil was hanging over them. It began to give the impression that she was blind.

Her head twitched toward your voice for a moment, before she shook her head, as if something distracted her.

"Square roof of..." she winced, squinting in your direction and looking right through you:

"Is... is somebody there?..." her voice faintly rang in your head. Once again, you noticed that she wasn't actually moving her lips. Her voice didn't project over air. You simply heard her speaking, within your mind, like her thoughts were echoing through you:

"...a-are you trying to establish communication?" Lucretia's face contorted, as if she was straining her self. She heavily sat on her bed of stone and hunched over, her breathing increased.


The teal glow over her body became notably brighter and she slowly lifted her head, her eyes focusing on you:

"...You... have come..." she faintly smiled through exhaustion: "...Have you located the Dark Machine?"




"How many people have met you in this dream?" Viktoria repeated your question.

"A few..." Lucretia sighed, looking down "...I tried to reach as many as I could, but... the more time passes, the more physically taxing it becomes... I don't have long, before I die." She swallowed, her eyes becoming dull and empty "...I don't have the strength to contact your homeworld anymore.
But it wasn't for naught. You're here, so..." she weakly smiled "Maybe there's still hope."








(Rogue, Rain, Ursula, Lighting)


The clerk eyed you in an unfriendly fashion as you left the armory, carrying the scroll that detailed the very first reception of the explosive devices to the armory.

"One can be forgiven for a mistake of rounding up numbers, when counting potatoes, but not highly explosive ordnance." Ursula said, frowning into space "This mix up doesn't sit right with me guys."


"So, where we heading off to?" Light asked "To inspect the tunnels, or to see Viktoria first? I think she headed off to the library."









(Circi and Adam)


"Aye!" The muscly Sinner bellowed with a giant grin "This Axe was crafted off the Sinner bone, right from my own body! The bone marrow is still inside, secreting blood that's poisonous to the Parasites! It will cleave them in half! Like knife through butter, OH HO HO HO!"


The Sinners began rising up one by one and taking their place by your sides. A quick count revealed  there's at least 40 Combat Ready Sinners and 14 that seem to have some knowledge of first aid, or other skills that can help in the rear supply line.

The others seemed to have chosen not to participate in the operation.


You spot both Dilan and the girl he's with, standing in the crowd that's willing to fight on the walls.


"That was cool," Adam quietly whispered, leaning towards you "...you really changed the atmosphere in this room. Hope can be a powerful thing, battles were won and lost, depending on if hope was present, and you gave them hope." he smiled to you "I'm... really proud to be your son." he smiled brighter:

"So, where to now? After we help direct the folk to their assigned positions, should we link up with one of the other teams? Maybe we can help in the tunnels or something?"

"I'd be a fool to argue and sadly, with the journel, I don't think anyone has that level of foresight. I am going to need at least an hour or so to make sure the message is properly spread to everyone," she looks up at the sun and does a quick bit of math in her head "Is 10:00 a reasonable cut off time?"

(Morgan)


"Morgan..." The elderly man meaningfully looked at you "The time-frame is not my problem. Its yours.

The Contract is now in effect. If anyone tries attacking or breaching the blockade, before 1 month passes, I will wipe Rakshata clean of human life." he released a chilling smirk:

"Run along now... and be swift, Morgan... make sure your city doesn't fall, because you couldn't inform them in time." he released a raspy cackle.

"We know someone who has tools to find the dark machine." Twilight says. "There's one problem, the man is our enemy, as his forces attack Nifel's inhabitants on sight. However, there is one thing very curious that we found out..."

Her eyes narrow. "They have the tools to track the dark machine itself, but don't know what Glysteria are. There's a critical gap in the knowledge there. Why, and how, do they know what to look without knowing why they're looking for it? And not just a general area, specifically homing in on the object!"

She looked Lucretia right in the eyes, as much as possible. "Who did you contact? I want names. Occupations are optional, but very helpful."

Without a further word Morgan turns and then takes off back to the city. Calling her glaive back to her as she passes it. She lands back on the castle wall she steps to the age and calls down so that as many people as possible can hear her

"Kaznachey has given us a one month cease fire as long as everyone remains within the castle walls. Any attempts to leave, attack, or break the blockade will have him destroy the shield protecting us. If any of you doubt his ability to do so two of Castle Sleipnir's own obyslisk was bypassed and the city brought to ruin. The agreement has already been made so, for the saftey and lives of everyone in Rakshata spread the word as fast as possible."

She then takes off and, making sure to stay low enough to still be considered inside the walls, makes her way to several spots where there are large gatherings of people. Repeating the same message before heading off to another location.

As she flies between one of the locations she comments to Aurora within her mind: "Any thoughts?"

(Twilight)



"You must understand.." Lucretia looks at you mournfully, her expression becoming crushed, making her sickly features look even more prominent:

"It is extremely difficult, to establish a Mental Link, over long distance." she sadly smiled to you:


"We are not actually talking right now. Not really. Not in the way you understand it.
I'm not emitting sounds, that travel to you via air vibrations. I am linked directly to your mind, my consciousness, with yours."

Her smile grew sadder "I don't even know your language. Not really. And you do not speak mine. But we can still understand each other. How so?

It is because I am sending my thoughts to you. My ideas, my imagination, my emotions. It is your brain that tries to make sense of those things, and translates them into words that you understand. Your mind does it subconsciously. You don't even have to think about it, no more than you have to order your heart to keep beating.


This is an extreme boon, but also harbors a fatal flaw." Lucretia looked down "Our communication depends on our ability to understand each other. And since our native languages and cultures are so different, things can get lost in translation.

I may think one thing, but you may interpret it differently. A misunderstanding can arise easily.
And coupled with the taxation on my mind and mental state, that I have to pay, the longer the distance between us... the more vague and unclear the message will be..."


She looked at you, haunted, deflated: "...are you saying... someone in your homeworld, misinterpreted my message... and this misunderstanding caused a war between your people?" Lucretia's eyes filled up with bitter tears. Her anorexic body began contorting in silent sobs, as she lowered her head, resting it in her arms.


For several longs moments, she didn't say a word, until she slowly lowered her hands and resorted to stare at the floor. You get the feeling she's avoiding eye contact, as tears continue to roll down her cheeks:


"...there was a human named Kashiwagi Brice. Like you, he could only hear my message, when he fell into a deep coma. Only then, did his mind calm down enough, to hear my distorted words across the galaxy, across dozens of lights years of space.

His mind was broken. He attempted to take his own life. I don't know why. I only know he ended up in a coma and that's when he heard me.


My message to him, was the same. A horrible parasite menace is trying to escape Nifelheim. If they succeed, both Nifelheim and Earth will be consumed by mental breakdowns and death. Their people will wither away and die, as the parasites slowly consume their souls from within.

The only way to stop them for good, is to find and use the Dark Machine against them."


Lucretia looked down "I don't know how much of that message he heard, or how he interpreted it.
But I know he found new resolve in my words.



He tried talking to me, but I didn't understand everything either.

He said he was a Chair Man of a large organization, that manufactures Machines. Very very complex ones. He said he has a lot of money, a lot of power. He thanked me, for giving my message to him and vowed to use the Dark Machine, to stop the threat I spoke of."


Lucretia stared into space with an empty, broken expression "...he said he will do whatever is necessary, to protect his precious treasure on Earth."


"Precious treasure?" Viktoria raised an eyebrow "What was he talking about?"

"I don't know." Lucretia emptily shrugged "I can only speculate."




She mournfully looked at you: "...my time on Nifelheim is coming to an end. I will die soon.
But my thoughts are still of my own homeworld.
Please... if the parasites escape Nifelheim... they will obliterate Earth... they will leave it a barren husk and from there... they may one day make their way to my own homeworld and destroy it as well...

You can't let them do it... please." Lucretia is looking at you in pain "You can't let the parasites escape Nifelheim! They cannot infect Earth! Please tell me... have you located the Dark Machine?"

(Morgan)


"I don't like this Morgan." Aurora's quiet voice rang, within the depths of your mind. You can feel she's on edge, even if her voice sounds calm:

"...the Treasurer caught us with our pants down. There's no reason for him not to barge in and kill everyone. He has a massive advantage over us.

And then he just lets us live? Gives us a perfect life-line and a way out?"


Aurora heavily shook her head:

"No.

Something is up.

And if we can't see it, we're about to get fucked over." She nervously exhaled: "...leave the rest to the city criers. Find Viki. And everyone. We need to figure out what we're missing in this picture."

"I agree, but I also think he's so up his own ass that he will hold off for the month just to garner his reputation," Morgan adjusts her trajectory towards the armory.

"Well shit, if that's the case, that explains his lack of knowledge on the Glysteria... And how he got the mechanical side of things working." Twilight says with a frown. Her face then lighted up, as if she found a positive suprise. "But that might also mean the Machine folks weren't able to find the object specifically of it's own properties, but because of it's signals being found, away from a mayor city and obelisk."

She looks at Lucretia. "We have an idea where it is. We just need something to make our search efficient so we don't lose what little time we have left. If only we could find a radar or something."

She looks to Viki and Sasha. "The machine folks must have one. Now how do we get one?" Her eyes then expressed horror. "And... What about the Machina portal? The one that's now in the area of the parasite horde?"

Kaylee Brown wrote:(Rogue, Rain, Ursula, Lighting)

The clerk eyed you in an unfriendly fashion as you left the armory, carrying the scroll that detailed the very first reception of the explosive devices to the armory.

"One can be forgiven for a mistake of rounding up numbers, when counting potatoes, but not highly explosive ordnance." Ursula said, frowning into space "This mix up doesn't sit right with me guys."

"So, where we heading off to?" Light asked "To inspect the tunnels, or to see Viktoria first? I think she headed off to the library."

"Well, the tunnels aren't going anywhere, so if you think we should look into this, I guess we need to go find Viki" Rogue nods.

"I dont like it either." Rain scowls ahead, "Theres something more and i'd like to get a hint on it." She scowls before looking over her shoulder back to Rogue, "Personally I think we should take this information to Ryu or Victoria as soon as possible, Who knows what may come of it."

Circi smiles at Adam, "Humanity can be the blade to cut down the treasurer. They just need guidance." She looks over the room again, "Lets get started on the Tendons grasp pentagrams on the walls."

(Twilight, Viki, Sasha)


Viktoria swallowed "...the Portal is indeed inside the Parasite Blast Lands now. We can only hope this Chairman has enough brain cells left, to not send anymore troops to their deaths. They will be eviscerated by the parasites."


Her eyes narrowed at the floor for a moment: "Wait... what did you say about a radar?... you mean like, a machine that tracks the Dark Machine's signal?"

She looked at you and Sasha: "...no Machine Soldier ever made it back to Earth. They all died here. Which means, if they brought a radar with them-"

"Its still on Nifelheim!!!" Sasha snapped her fingers, with an excited smile.



"Whatever Machine World equipment we scavenged, we dragged back to Lieselotte, for catalogue, study and storage. If there were radars in those piles of metal, they're in Lieselotte's treasure vault.
But... uh.." Viktoria grimaced:
"Don't your machines deteriorate over time? The last invasion happened in the Year 564, and the current year is 1288."


"You guys can fix it, can't you!" Sasha looks at you desperately: "You guys are from the Machine World!"


Lucretia faintly smiled, fighting through her fatigue: "...I guess... there is still hope.
Be swift... my friends... before the horde swallows this world."


The room begins to vibrate, its colors distorting and fading. You have a feeling you're about to wake up soon. There's may be enough time for one more question, before the dream fades.

















(Morgan, Rogue, Rain, Ursula, Lighting)

Morgan wrote:"I agree, but I also think he's so up his own ass that he will hold off for the month just to garner his reputation,"

"Morgan... don't underestimate him." Aurora uncomfortably shivered:
"...the moment you stop respecting your enemy, is the moment we'll find ourselves dead."

Morgan wrote:Morgan adjusts her trajectory towards the armory.

Rogue wrote:"Well, the tunnels aren't going anywhere, so if you think we should look into this, I guess we need to go find Viki" Rogue nods.

Rain wrote:"I dont like it either." Rain scowls ahead, "Theres something more and i'd like to get a hint on it." She scowls before looking over her shoulder back to Rogue, "Personally I think we should take this information to Ryu or Victoria as soon as possible, Who knows what may come of it."

You all run into each other, as you're leaving the armory. Lighting nods to Morgan, absentmindedly waving her hand:

"Oh hai Morgan, we're on our way to find Viki because some bombs just went missing, maybe. How are things on your end?"

"Wait," Ursula stretched her neck out, looking behind Morgan: "...where's Johan? Didn't he go with you?"

Lighting spread out in a wondrous smile and began silently cracking up: "Did you just-..." she can barely breathe in between spasms of silent laughter: "Did you just pile all work on him and skedaddle?" she shook her finger at you, smirking:
"You... you're good, Morgan... eheheee." she said, quietly giggling, as you made your way up the stairs to the library.


"Okay, enough teasing around, we got a real mess on our ha-" Ursula began, as she opened the door to the library and froze dead in her tracks.


Twilight.
Viki.
Sasha.


The tree laid un-moving on blankets, spread on the floor. Their faces ghostly pale, eyes closed. Their hands peacefully collected over their chest, their Witcher weapons laying beside them.

Three candles stood slightly afar from their heads, spreading a strange smelling ineccense over the room, and three scholars stood behind their bodies, eyes closed, heads lowered. Palms locked in prayer.


"What The Fucking Fuuuuuuuuck?!" Lighting burst out.

"Oh my god!" Ursula's mouth fell open: "They killed Twilight!"

"You bastards!!!" Lighting shook her fist, her katana materializing in the palm of her hand.



"They're not dead!" One of the three scholars angrily shook his fist at you: "They have entered a deep meditative state and must not be disturbed! And keep quiet in the library!"

"Well wake them up then!" Lighting shook her fist back "We have a real mess on our hands!"


















(Circi, Adam)


"Right!" Adam nodded to you with determination.

As you leave the housing district, a crowd of Sinners follow in your wake, all marching as one. You can practically feel their high spirits emanating from them, jolly smiles and eyes burning with fire, as they march with you through the streets.


The wall of the city were swarmed with Witchers, rushing back and forth and piling supplies. Several watchmen stood on guard atop massive pentagrams, ready and vigilant to rain hell on the enemy, at a moments notice.

Near every square inch of the top of the wall, was covered in pentagrams, some old, others new, all glowing and flashing with every color of the rainbow, aching to be fired.

Some Witchers stood beside massive pyres, the heat staving off the biting frost of the winter. Their hands grasping Witcher Bows, their arrows knocked and burning with a fierce green flame. All eyes locked on the ring of parasites, hiding inside the forest.



As you look at the horizon, you see a Flare, hanging above the parasite horde, declaring intentions of parlay and a similar flare hangs not far from you, above the city wall.
It seems the flares were hanging there for a while and have began to dissipate and float down to the ground.

It seems, if there was a parlay in place, it had already happened.


Dozens of Sinners follow your footsteps and take their place on the walls. Finding secluded spots, they began painting their dark pentagrams, sitting in their center and silently chanting the words of the spell.

Wherever you looked, hundreds of people were preparing for battle.