"What the fuck were you thinking?!"
Virgil grips the table in our hotel room that he scored tight enough to cause it to creak. His eyes, teetering over his mask scarcely concealed anger, penetrate into Autumn's skin. The woman shrinks in her seat for a moment before sitting back up with a growl of her own. I don't know who to look at more as I have never seen Virgil so emotional. She must have really pissed him off with this.
"You don't understand! Either I duel him and possibly die, or I am banished from the waves!"
I stare at her as something just doesn't fit right. The duel between the two is scheduled to be in five days' time at high noon aboard the Rising Tide. The rules they have about their duels here are odd; it's unlike any I've ever known. Not that I even know any at all.
She wasn't nearly this... assured before. The Autumn I remember was self-deprecating. She was a loner. She was depressed. She was... she was hopeless. What changed? What happened to her in these months?
Virgil opens his mouth in rebuttal as Abraham simply stares outside the window into the clear night sky, but I cut in quickly.
"Autumn? Why are you so... energized? What has given you all this motivation? What happened to it all being useless?"
The woman with blue eyes looks away from me for a moment before pouting. She shakes her head and deflects.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I have to do this. I have to."
Virgil holds his head as he tries to rationalize her actions in his head out loud. While he does so, I struggle to do the same but in a different manner. She has to be doing this for something else. But what?
"So you are to kill your own twin brother? Is that it? And what does that even solve? Not to mention, do you even have a plan to beat him? He's an Angel, y'know. And... you're not."
Autumn's frustration grows apparent as she stands from the table and forces her chair away with a wave of her hand. And to Virgil's questions, she simply walks toward the door.
"I don't want to deal with this. I thought we were friends."
Virgil scoffs, shaking his head and refuting her as I latch onto something. Her half-brother. Rhuger. She mentioned him earlier during that contest with her father and twin brother.
"Yes, and as a friend, I'd prefer if you didn't commit suicide via twinly sword into the heart."
Autumn tosses Virgil the middle finger as she wraps other her hand around the doorknob. Before she can turn it to open it, I call out to her, an epiphany rising.
"Rhuger, your brother. You mentioned him to Maddox, right? I remember you two being close. Is this about him? Do you want revenge? Is that where this all comes from? A... a final act of revenge?"
I watch as her hand tightens around the knob into a white-knuckled grip, but Autumn releases the death grip with a sigh. She twists and looks at me with an invisible cloud of depression haunting her. Autumn practically breaks down in the corner of the room, sliding down the wall until she sits, cradling her arms.
"No... it's not for revenge. I... I have done nearly nothing with this God-forsaken life of mine. All I've done is compete against my siblings, kill, steal, and ruin lives. And even then... I couldn't finish the job. I left, leaving Rhuger, the only one who should have won, to fend for himself."
I glance at Virgil during her fall, unsure of what to do. He closes his eyes and breathes in deeply before standing up and walking to Autumn as she continues cursing herself with her eyes closed.
"I'm an awful person. I don't deserve anything. I don't even know why you three are here with me. I eat, drink, and then sleep. Again and again and again. It's all pointless. We'll just die in the end. The world's ending and there is nothing we can do. I just... I just... I just..."
Virgil's calm hand falls upon her shoulder, gently caressing her as he speaks softly. The man squats beside her feeble form while I stay frozen. How do I help? Can I even help?
Am I just as useless?
"It's okay, Autumn. It's alright. Take a deep breath for me. Can you do that?"
Autumn's chest rises and falls in heavy gulps as she follows Virgil's words. He has some experience dealing with this stuff. His siblings are nowhere near as steel-hearted as he is. Though, I know it isn't steel in that chest that keeps him so calm.
"Tell me, Autumn. What were you trying to do?"
My friend then tries to get her to open a little bit, and surprisingly, it works. She pulls her head out, her hands a tad, staring at us both. Autumn's words come out so faintly that I hardly hear her with her moving lips.
"His dream was to find that gun. Rhuger. He wanted to collect all the Lumens, not for power or because it would lead to anything. Rhuger merely made his own reason to live since he had none. He had such respect for Arnold Pilner that he wanted to collect all of the man's weapons. The Falling Rain was the first one he managed to locate that was obtainable for him, and he died for it."
Damn. Virgil nods softly, his hand pausing its rhythm on her shoulder.
"So you wanted to get it for him? To take it from those who made him lose the chance to acquire it?"
Autumn nods sadly, snot running down her nose. Abraham's eyes finally roll over onto us for a moment, but the man rapidly turns his attention back to the night sky. Bonfire's death is hitting him hard. I suppose I haven't really accepted the fact that he's dead yet.
Some part of me... believes he's alive. Just as he did for me when I was missing. There is always a chance those four captured him. It's tiny, but it exists. I'd rather gamble on the slim chance than accept the fatality of zero.
However, to my own melancholy, Autumn nods. Her voice rises a little when speaking of her half-brother.
"I was always closest to Rhuger. He was nice. He was strong. He was... he wasn't a dickhead like the rest. We were a team for a long time. But I couldn't handle the stress, so I ran. And... he died because of me leaving. I wasn't there to watch his back. But this time... I want to at least succeed in some part of his dream. Even... even if I die trying."
I nod at her, understanding her point somewhat. She's found something worth dying for. It is what she was missing before.
"We all need something to die for, Autumn. It keeps us alive. But... I think you made a poor decision. That duel... do you really think you can win?"
Autumn's head wavers back and forth as more tears fall from her face. She can hardly keep it together, and Virgil is unable to do much for her, either.
"No. No, I don't think so. There was a time when I could keep up with Ryder, but that was... almost two years ago. I have scarcely trained or put any effort into growing stronger since I left. What I did was stupid. I should have held it in. I should have just stolen the weapon or something."
I gnaw on the side of my cheek as she practically damns herself. How can she possibly win this fight? Ryder is at a higher Sigil, and before, he was already more powerful than her. Plus, he even has a Lumen now. What is she to do? Die?
Virgil is the last to give up, asking her a few more questions about the duel.
"This duel... I've heard much of the Lawless Duels. Are there truly no rules? What even makes it a duel?"
I look at him with surprise before remembering he used to be a Damned. He has probably been here many times. Honestly, it's a miracle he hasn't done one himself. Autumn ponders for a moment, sobering up before speaking.
"I... There are no rules other than it has to be a one-on-one fight. And even that is kind of flexible. I'm sure Maddox will hold onto that, though. Guns, knives, swords, hell, even poison. It's all allowed."
Virgil nods repeatedly before I see the light within his eyes flicker. Oh... he's thinking of something devious. Virgil closes his fist before opening it again. He unholsters something from his hip before tossing it behind him, Primrose's Mars landing on the windowsill beside Abraham. What is he doing?
"You say it is a simple one-on-one fight, right? Well... can't someone enter in your stead? A... champion of sorts? I've been in need of a good Colt for a while. I'll let you keep it when I'm done with it."
The blue eyes of Autumn widen into beautiful orbs as her jaw hangs open. I reach out for the man, but he grabs my wrist tightly with his.
"You'd fight for me?"
Virgil nods sincerely, but I shake off his hand. I push toward him and grab him by the collar, hauling him to his feet with a yell.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!? You haven't even recovered yet! Five days won't be enough to fix all the shit wrong with you! And..."
I lower my voice as I drag him in close, whispering into his ear so softly that he can't hear me unless he himself uses Ether to amplify the sound. The motion should effectively make it impossible for Autumn to listen to us.
"Is this worth it? I mean... she's... we hardly know her. Are we really going to risk our lives for her? Sure... we've fought with her and traveled, but... Virgil? Really?"
Virgil thrusts with his hands, forcing me off him. He rubs his forehead in frustration before answering me for all to hear with a question toward Autumn.
"If I win this fight, Autumn, you will become Maddox's successor, correct?"
The woman in question stands, nodding with insecurity. She wipes her face of tears before answering the query with words.
"Maddox might not choose me if another fights for me. But... he's always said all the power you can muster is still power. Whether it's yours or someone else's power doesn't matter."
Virgil points to her, giving me an explanation for his decision.
"See, if I win, she becomes his successor. That means she can likely make decisions for this island, command others, and potentially convince her father of things. We need as many allies as we can get, even if they are of dubious morality. Plus, we'd get the Falling Rain."
I wave my hand at him, starting to get seriously frustrated. Does he not understand? He has to be blind to it on purpose!
"You are still hurt, Virgil! You can't win that fight! Plus, I don't want all these thieves, murderers, and pirates to be with us. I can't be with them! And... and... we can just buy the Falling Rain! Plus, who's to say Maddox won't hate us for killing his son!"
My friend's eyes sink in genuine hurt at my words. Virgil sits back in his chair with a silent creak.
Oh fuck.
"Hey... I didn't mean it like that. You're not like them, Virgil. You either, Autumn."
Virgil retrieves a wallet from his pocket, tossing it on the table. The object opens and reveals a half-dozen gold dollars and one ten-dollar bill. The latter is a far more rare currency where seawater is standard.
"I know you didn't. That doesn't mean it didn't hurt. Nevertheless, we have sixteen dollars to our name right now, Wyatt. We cannot buy the Colt. And as for allies, we have already joined forces with murderers. I am one of them. So is Lennon. Silas killed his fair share of men when he was alive, and neither Edward nor Johnny is completely innocent. You need to open your eyes. When the world comes to an end, there is no black or white. There will only be red."
I open my mouth to refute him, but I can't as he throws another thing out there that silences me.
"And... I know you want revenge against Eli for Edward. For... it all. I'm with you. That bastard is the reason I'm even a Sigiled. So... if you want to kill him, I'll be right behind you, but... we can't do it alone."
Fuck. Virgil knows me too well. But he's right. Things are getting worse. Shit is starting to collapse. And with my revenge...
Several Territories have fallen. No... way more than that. Over half of humanity's land and population has been turned to either demon and beast food or sand.
Tornridge—the land of waterless rivers.
Bondedunes—the vast deserts.
Sinscreak—the eerie swamps.
Starkbluffs—the towering spires of rock.
Vallens—the low valleys of farmland.
Timberlands—the near-endless sea of trees.
Blackreach—the ocean of concrete, metal, and stone.
All these Territories are gone, and so are most of their guardians. Even Green Hallows might have fallen. No. It certainly has without Ed Summers there or another Pillar. Either the Nahullo or something else will claim it.
I need to change.
I need to be more like Virgil.
We need as much help as we can get.
I step over to the table and lay my hands on the hardwood surface, staring right at Virgil.
"Fine. You're right. I'll admit. I'm too soft. But... You are not fighting Ryder. I'll do it."
Autumn looks back and forth between the two of us as Virgil stands, slamming his chair into the wall behind him with the momentum of his movement. He glares right at me, nearly losing his persistent cool twice in one day.
"No, you will not. You don't need to risk yourself. I'll do it."
"No. I will."
I shoot back right at him, and Autumn tries to defuse the situation. She nears the table, but neither of us gives her attention.
"Hey, don't fight!"
I step back and wave my hands, pointing at Virgil's ankle. His foot is still partially broken. He heals fast, yes, all Nightowls do, but he doesn't heal fast enough to recover from Acute Ether saturation and several broken bones.
He cannot take this fight. I won't let him. He'll die. I know he's just trying to protect me on the off chance Ryder is too strong, but I don't care. We are in this together.
"You gonna chase him with that bum leg?"
Virgil's eyes squint as he retaliates with a burn of his own. His words are laced with bridled fury that cut deeply into my mind.
"What about you? Can you kill a man who has done no wrong to you? Have you ever murdered someone who may or may not deserve it?"
I bite my tongue. He's right. I've never killed a person who hasn't directly attacked me. Actually... I think I've only killed a few humans ever. All of them were either attempting to kill me or someone very close to me. This? This is all us. We could walk away. We could choose not to fight.
In my silence, Virgil nods as if he were right. And maybe he is.
"I knew it. You can't do it, Wyatt. That's... that's why I'm here. For the shitty things you can't do, I'll do them for you."
Abraham, however, disagrees with Virgil. The pale man tosses the Colt in his hand up and down in the air as he addresses the masked one.
"You said something to Johnny not that long ago, Virgil. In a fight, as long as Wyatt doesn't succumb to his naivety, he won't lose to any foe. Don't you remember? In a even duel, the madman bets against a Graves."
Abraham climbs down from the windowsill, falling to his feet lightly before approaching us. His boots thump against the wood floor as he tosses the Colt back onto the table for Virgil.
"Keep your Colt for now. I know the fight won't be strictly even, but can you kill this man, Wyatt? If you think you can, I believe you should take this fight."
Virgil scowls under his mask at Abraham but sighs and nods at me. The man finally relents.
"Fine. You're right, Abraham. I did say that. And I'll hold true to it. Can you kill this man, Wyatt? Can you... murder him for power?"
The words echo in the small room paid for with little coin. The single bed and table rock motionlessly as I consider the questions laid before me. They are all the same, but they all hold momentous import.
I can feel something in the air. This decision... it's important.
My fingernails clench the flesh on my left hand as the steel of my right creaks ominously. The prosthetic will likely last one final fight before collapsing wholly.
This decision has something to do with my Proof. I can feel it.
But what do I need to prove to myself?
What belief do I hold deep down inside?
Can... can only a monster become a God?
That is the end goal, after all. That is what embarking on Angelhood is about.
Do I have to become that callous? I know this man, Ryder, is not a good man. He's not even a decent one. But... this is a slippery slope.
Doing this will open a whole basket of evils—most of them to follow behind me. I'll have to live with it. If we gain the help of the people here, even if it costs me my morality, is it worth it?
Can I do that?
I have to, don't I?
There are other paths, but I feel this one... this one is the only way that will take me up the mountain fast enough. Violence and cruelty aren't the only ways to power, but they certainly are the fastest. If I don't grow strong quick, then more people will die, as Edward and Bo—
"Yes. I can do it. I have to."
I'll just have to be careful with which kind of monster I become. Blodwyn is a monster, too. And so far... I think he's the kind I want to be. Like him and Mie.
Virgil's head sinks deeply into my words as he gauges my sincerity. Not a word leaves my mouth without my heartfelt meaning. I will kill Ryder. Virgil doesn't react to my decision verbally, but Abraham does.
"Better rest up, then. You've got five days before you murder someone. Enjoy them. It changes you, more so than your first kill."
*****************************
Johnny 'Iron Consul' Caldwell
I tread slowly behind the old man, his sinewy back leading the way down the narrow, shadowed, rotating staircase. The air hangs heavy with anticipation, and my eagle-like vision from my Metamorphoses manages to pierce through the darkness, following every subtle movement of the Furious Mountain. Even in his old age, he stays powerful. But how strong, exactly, is he? I'm not sure.
The cold metal of Fate Sealer presses against my hip as a distant part of me asks to draw it. I can quickly shove the Call away, hardly even taking it seriously.
The only source of light is the flickering torch clutched in the Canyon's hand, casting dancing shadows on the damp, stone walls. Echoing footsteps resonate through the confined space, reverberating like an ominous drumbeat that amplifies the stench of the earth around us.
And by the thousandth stair into the depths of Gravecross, the old man's voice breaks the uneasy silence, its timbre weaving through the shadows.
"Do you know why none of the Estates ever struck out at my home?"
Canyon turns at the final step, facing me as the fire etches lines onto his countenance. I trail the whirling smoke as I also notice the many intricate drawings and engraving on the walls of the hallway before us. However, I don't stall my answer for very long.
"You, am I correct?"
Surprisingly to me, the eldest mortal shakes his head. Then, he strides forward, bringing the torch over the pictures on the stone walls.
"No. I am only a slight reason. The truth is... Do you know how Gravecross was made? The plateau, I mean."
The old man redirects his question as he shows me a still frame engraved into the wall of a man kneeling before some monster. Again, I shake my head. I know a little, but not very much. Canyon falls quiet for a moment, so I simply follow him, patient for an answer.
He opens his mouth once more when we enter an absolutely massive cavern. It stretches for miles in every direction, with rivers, grass, and mushroom-like trees. Darkness covers it all, yet with my eyes, I can see. There are, however, no animals to be seen. And set in the center of it all is a colossal stone tablet with a lithe skeleton pressed against it.
"A Graves did so. In the years past the First and the Second, during the Titan's reign of humanity, we still struggled for land. Gravecross, or what used to be it, was our frontmost line, constantly lost. And a Graves, Heather Graves, a master of Swimmer and Shaman Sigils, brought the very earth out of the ground and into the sky."
I stare at the corpse, a hidden shard of knowledge entering my skull without it being told to me. I turn to Canyon as he kneels, pressing his thumb against his forehead and sliding it down to his brow.
Again, I stay silent, feeling the gravity of his actions. And he does not disappoint.
"It is rare to find a man such as you, Johnny. Strong, dependable, righteous, and adjusted. You can resist the Calls while guiding others all the while. She would like you to replace me."
"Replace you?"
I meet his gaze as the man speaks in some kind of riddle. How would I replace him? Canyon, however, strides forward, grabbing me by the wrist. A part of me wants to pull back, but I don't. The Furious Mountain has been nothing but calm, collected, and caring since I met him.
His city is peaceful, and all those within it love him. He is what the Prime should aspire to be. Ironic because Vincent crippled him.
"When I was young..."
Canyon and I stride through overflowing water and outcropping rocks as the man enters the same kind of rambling mode that any normal elder would do.
"When I was young, I stumbled upon a hole in the depths of this place. Gravecross. This is Haven. My most prized possession, beyond even my family, is what gave me the power to acquire them and protect them. Heather Graves has been dead for nearly a thousand years, but her remains were still... active."
Gradually, we near the skeleton, wholly intact but not normal. It is... the bone doesn't look right. It is blackened and... unnatural. The man doesn't stop his lungs for a moment. I simply listen with close interest.
"I spoke to her as a young man, hardly a teen, not even close to a man. She helped me and gave me my first Sigil of her nine. With that, though, she began to disperse. But as you koew, Graves do not go lightly into the great beyond. Only when they wish it so. Even millennia gone, she held on as an artifact, keeping semblances of her sanity."
We reach only a hundred feet from the skeleton and the stele, and I immediately feel an onslaught of pressure. A presence. It is grander than a mountain yet deeper than any ravine. It is not quite a God, but not far from it.
Heather Graves was not a weak woman in her life. She must have been the Thunderbolt Titan's equal.
"She guided me through the early days, teaching me skills, what Sigils to aim for, and how to fight. Gradually, her sanity lessened as she held on far longer and longer. When she no longer could, I took the last of her remaining Sigils. She taught me the ways to control the earth, to protect, to defend, to nurture."
Canyon hauls me closer to the body, dropping to a knee as we stand only a few feet away. From this distance, I can nearly see the woman she once was, the remnant Ether so...
NO! This... it is a Remnant!
I glance up, finding the Stele above me inscribed with indecipherable text. Heather Graves left behind the same thing that Marshall did. A Remnant.
"With her power, she gave humanity a shield for the ages. I don't have half her talent. Her bones were so flexible she could dive into the earth and become it. Me? I can only augment myself. I cannot become the rock, mud, or metal. Still, her leftovers bestowed me enough strength to become the man I am today."
Canyon brings me to my knees as well, having me pay my respects to the long-dead woman.
"She has been gone for seventy-five years as of today. She saw my battle with Desolation. She saw how I poured my sorrows into a bottle. She pulled me out of it to build something here using what she left behind. Take care of them for me, okay, Johnny?"
I can't take my eyes off the monument as Canyon removes his hand from mine and places it on my shoulder. Still, I manage to eke out my concern.
"What do you mean? Why do I have to?"
The pressure doubles as, for a moment, the Furious Mountain brings forth his Ether. The ground, sky, and walls of this Haven tremble before Canyon coughs out blood with a shudder. I understand what he has to say before it even leaves his mouth.
"My days are numbered. Humans cannot live forever. My Sigils might give me some time, but it is running out. I have lived a long life. It might not have been the one I wanted, but I am glad it was mine. Soon, it will have to be your job to protect these people. Laura is not strong enough. She is too foolish. Can you do that for me?"
I rip my pupils from the Stele and meet the only man to ever rival Vincent Harvey in the eyes. I don't know how to answer him, so instead, I twist the question for later.
"I... what does this Stele do? It is..."
Canyon stands and places a hand on the stone, rubbing his fingertips across a series of letters.
"A legendary Remnant, born when she created this plateau for her lover, the Titan. She wanted to lessen his struggle, his grief. After her death... the Titan roamed for another to match her greatness. He never found one. It gives this whole place protection. Any Ether manipulated in the air can be shut down by the controller of the Remnant, forcing it into the ground."
I nod, amazed by the power. So, it can nullify external uses of Ether? Is that why the Wastes were stopped at the walls?
Still, the old man is not done yet, laying upon me another stroke of news.
"I do hope you can take after her legacy. The Earthen Void was a figure that I could never hope to match. We can only take after her and protect those that she would if she were here."
"What the fuck were you thinking?!"
Virgil grips the table in our hotel room that he scored tight enough to cause it to creak. His eyes, teetering over his mask scarcely concealed anger, penetrate into Autumn's skin. The woman shrinks in her seat for a moment before sitting back up with a growl of her own. I don't know who to look at more as I have never seen Virgil so emotional. She must have really pissed him off with this.
"You don't understand! Either I duel him and possibly die, or I am banished from the waves!"
I stare at her as something just doesn't fit right. The duel between the two is scheduled to be in five days' time at high noon aboard the Rising Tide. The rules they have about their duels here are odd; it's unlike any I've ever known. Not that I even know any at all.
She wasn't nearly this... assured before. The Autumn I remember was self-deprecating. She was a loner. She was depressed. She was... she was hopeless. What changed? What happened to her in these months?
Virgil opens his mouth in rebuttal as Abraham simply stares outside the window into the clear night sky, but I cut in quickly.
"Autumn? Why are you so... energized? What has given you all this motivation? What happened to it all being useless?"
The woman with blue eyes looks away from me for a moment before pouting. She shakes her head and deflects.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I have to do this. I have to."
Virgil holds his head as he tries to rationalize her actions in his head out loud. While he does so, I struggle to do the same but in a different manner. She has to be doing this for something else. But what?
"So you are to kill your own twin brother? Is that it? And what does that even solve? Not to mention, do you even have a plan to beat him? He's an Angel, y'know. And... you're not."
Autumn's frustration grows apparent as she stands from the table and forces her chair away with a wave of her hand. And to Virgil's questions, she simply walks toward the door.
"I don't want to deal with this. I thought we were friends."
Virgil scoffs, shaking his head and refuting her as I latch onto something. Her half-brother. Rhuger. She mentioned him earlier during that contest with her father and twin brother.
"Yes, and as a friend, I'd prefer if you didn't commit suicide via twinly sword into the heart."
Autumn tosses Virgil the middle finger as she wraps other her hand around the doorknob. Before she can turn it to open it, I call out to her, an epiphany rising.
"Rhuger, your brother. You mentioned him to Maddox, right? I remember you two being close. Is this about him? Do you want revenge? Is that where this all comes from? A... a final act of revenge?"
I watch as her hand tightens around the knob into a white-knuckled grip, but Autumn releases the death grip with a sigh. She twists and looks at me with an invisible cloud of depression haunting her. Autumn practically breaks down in the corner of the room, sliding down the wall until she sits, cradling her arms.
"No... it's not for revenge. I... I have done nearly nothing with this God-forsaken life of mine. All I've done is compete against my siblings, kill, steal, and ruin lives. And even then... I couldn't finish the job. I left, leaving Rhuger, the only one who should have won, to fend for himself."
I glance at Virgil during her fall, unsure of what to do. He closes his eyes and breathes in deeply before standing up and walking to Autumn as she continues cursing herself with her eyes closed.
"I'm an awful person. I don't deserve anything. I don't even know why you three are here with me. I eat, drink, and then sleep. Again and again and again. It's all pointless. We'll just die in the end. The world's ending and there is nothing we can do. I just... I just... I just..."
Virgil's calm hand falls upon her shoulder, gently caressing her as he speaks softly. The man squats beside her feeble form while I stay frozen. How do I help? Can I even help?
Am I just as useless?
"It's okay, Autumn. It's alright. Take a deep breath for me. Can you do that?"
Autumn's chest rises and falls in heavy gulps as she follows Virgil's words. He has some experience dealing with this stuff. His siblings are nowhere near as steel-hearted as he is. Though, I know it isn't steel in that chest that keeps him so calm.
"Tell me, Autumn. What were you trying to do?"
My friend then tries to get her to open a little bit, and surprisingly, it works. She pulls her head out, her hands a tad, staring at us both. Autumn's words come out so faintly that I hardly hear her with her moving lips.
"His dream was to find that gun. Rhuger. He wanted to collect all the Lumens, not for power or because it would lead to anything. Rhuger merely made his own reason to live since he had none. He had such respect for Arnold Pilner that he wanted to collect all of the man's weapons. The Falling Rain was the first one he managed to locate that was obtainable for him, and he died for it."
Damn. Virgil nods softly, his hand pausing its rhythm on her shoulder.
"So you wanted to get it for him? To take it from those who made him lose the chance to acquire it?"
Autumn nods sadly, snot running down her nose. Abraham's eyes finally roll over onto us for a moment, but the man rapidly turns his attention back to the night sky. Bonfire's death is hitting him hard. I suppose I haven't really accepted the fact that he's dead yet.
Some part of me... believes he's alive. Just as he did for me when I was missing. There is always a chance those four captured him. It's tiny, but it exists. I'd rather gamble on the slim chance than accept the fatality of zero.
However, to my own melancholy, Autumn nods. Her voice rises a little when speaking of her half-brother.
"I was always closest to Rhuger. He was nice. He was strong. He was... he wasn't a dickhead like the rest. We were a team for a long time. But I couldn't handle the stress, so I ran. And... he died because of me leaving. I wasn't there to watch his back. But this time... I want to at least succeed in some part of his dream. Even... even if I die trying."
I nod at her, understanding her point somewhat. She's found something worth dying for. It is what she was missing before.
"We all need something to die for, Autumn. It keeps us alive. But... I think you made a poor decision. That duel... do you really think you can win?"
Autumn's head wavers back and forth as more tears fall from her face. She can hardly keep it together, and Virgil is unable to do much for her, either.
"No. No, I don't think so. There was a time when I could keep up with Ryder, but that was... almost two years ago. I have scarcely trained or put any effort into growing stronger since I left. What I did was stupid. I should have held it in. I should have just stolen the weapon or something."
I gnaw on the side of my cheek as she practically damns herself. How can she possibly win this fight? Ryder is at a higher Sigil, and before, he was already more powerful than her. Plus, he even has a Lumen now. What is she to do? Die?
Virgil is the last to give up, asking her a few more questions about the duel.
"This duel... I've heard much of the Lawless Duels. Are there truly no rules? What even makes it a duel?"
I look at him with surprise before remembering he used to be a Damned. He has probably been here many times. Honestly, it's a miracle he hasn't done one himself. Autumn ponders for a moment, sobering up before speaking.
"I... There are no rules other than it has to be a one-on-one fight. And even that is kind of flexible. I'm sure Maddox will hold onto that, though. Guns, knives, swords, hell, even poison. It's all allowed."
Virgil nods repeatedly before I see the light within his eyes flicker. Oh... he's thinking of something devious. Virgil closes his fist before opening it again. He unholsters something from his hip before tossing it behind him, Primrose's Mars landing on the windowsill beside Abraham. What is he doing?
"You say it is a simple one-on-one fight, right? Well... can't someone enter in your stead? A... champion of sorts? I've been in need of a good Colt for a while. I'll let you keep it when I'm done with it."
The blue eyes of Autumn widen into beautiful orbs as her jaw hangs open. I reach out for the man, but he grabs my wrist tightly with his.
"You'd fight for me?"
Virgil nods sincerely, but I shake off his hand. I push toward him and grab him by the collar, hauling him to his feet with a yell.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!? You haven't even recovered yet! Five days won't be enough to fix all the shit wrong with you! And..."
I lower my voice as I drag him in close, whispering into his ear so softly that he can't hear me unless he himself uses Ether to amplify the sound. The motion should effectively make it impossible for Autumn to listen to us.
"Is this worth it? I mean... she's... we hardly know her. Are we really going to risk our lives for her? Sure... we've fought with her and traveled, but... Virgil? Really?"
Virgil thrusts with his hands, forcing me off him. He rubs his forehead in frustration before answering me for all to hear with a question toward Autumn.
"If I win this fight, Autumn, you will become Maddox's successor, correct?"
The woman in question stands, nodding with insecurity. She wipes her face of tears before answering the query with words.
"Maddox might not choose me if another fights for me. But... he's always said all the power you can muster is still power. Whether it's yours or someone else's power doesn't matter."
Virgil points to her, giving me an explanation for his decision.
"See, if I win, she becomes his successor. That means she can likely make decisions for this island, command others, and potentially convince her father of things. We need as many allies as we can get, even if they are of dubious morality. Plus, we'd get the Falling Rain."
I wave my hand at him, starting to get seriously frustrated. Does he not understand? He has to be blind to it on purpose!
"You are still hurt, Virgil! You can't win that fight! Plus, I don't want all these thieves, murderers, and pirates to be with us. I can't be with them! And... and... we can just buy the Falling Rain! Plus, who's to say Maddox won't hate us for killing his son!"
My friend's eyes sink in genuine hurt at my words. Virgil sits back in his chair with a silent creak.
Oh fuck.
"Hey... I didn't mean it like that. You're not like them, Virgil. You either, Autumn."
Virgil retrieves a wallet from his pocket, tossing it on the table. The object opens and reveals a half-dozen gold dollars and one ten-dollar bill. The latter is a far more rare currency where seawater is standard.
"I know you didn't. That doesn't mean it didn't hurt. Nevertheless, we have sixteen dollars to our name right now, Wyatt. We cannot buy the Colt. And as for allies, we have already joined forces with murderers. I am one of them. So is Lennon. Silas killed his fair share of men when he was alive, and neither Edward nor Johnny is completely innocent. You need to open your eyes. When the world comes to an end, there is no black or white. There will only be red."
I open my mouth to refute him, but I can't as he throws another thing out there that silences me.
"And... I know you want revenge against Eli for Edward. For... it all. I'm with you. That bastard is the reason I'm even a Sigiled. So... if you want to kill him, I'll be right behind you, but... we can't do it alone."
Fuck. Virgil knows me too well. But he's right. Things are getting worse. Shit is starting to collapse. And with my revenge...
Several Territories have fallen. No... way more than that. Over half of humanity's land and population has been turned to either demon and beast food or sand.
Tornridge—the land of waterless rivers.
Bondedunes—the vast deserts.
Sinscreak—the eerie swamps.
Starkbluffs—the towering spires of rock.
Vallens—the low valleys of farmland.
Timberlands—the near-endless sea of trees.
Blackreach—the ocean of concrete, metal, and stone.
All these Territories are gone, and so are most of their guardians. Even Green Hallows might have fallen. No. It certainly has without Ed Summers there or another Pillar. Either the Nahullo or something else will claim it.
I need to change.
I need to be more like Virgil.
We need as much help as we can get.
I step over to the table and lay my hands on the hardwood surface, staring right at Virgil.
"Fine. You're right. I'll admit. I'm too soft. But... You are not fighting Ryder. I'll do it."
Autumn looks back and forth between the two of us as Virgil stands, slamming his chair into the wall behind him with the momentum of his movement. He glares right at me, nearly losing his persistent cool twice in one day.
"No, you will not. You don't need to risk yourself. I'll do it."
"No. I will."
I shoot back right at him, and Autumn tries to defuse the situation. She nears the table, but neither of us gives her attention.
"Hey, don't fight!"
I step back and wave my hands, pointing at Virgil's ankle. His foot is still partially broken. He heals fast, yes, all Nightowls do, but he doesn't heal fast enough to recover from Acute Ether saturation and several broken bones.
He cannot take this fight. I won't let him. He'll die. I know he's just trying to protect me on the off chance Ryder is too strong, but I don't care. We are in this together.
"You gonna chase him with that bum leg?"
Virgil's eyes squint as he retaliates with a burn of his own. His words are laced with bridled fury that cut deeply into my mind.
"What about you? Can you kill a man who has done no wrong to you? Have you ever murdered someone who may or may not deserve it?"
I bite my tongue. He's right. I've never killed a person who hasn't directly attacked me. Actually... I think I've only killed a few humans ever. All of them were either attempting to kill me or someone very close to me. This? This is all us. We could walk away. We could choose not to fight.
In my silence, Virgil nods as if he were right. And maybe he is.
"I knew it. You can't do it, Wyatt. That's... that's why I'm here. For the shitty things you can't do, I'll do them for you."
Abraham, however, disagrees with Virgil. The pale man tosses the Colt in his hand up and down in the air as he addresses the masked one.
"You said something to Johnny not that long ago, Virgil. In a fight, as long as Wyatt doesn't succumb to his naivety, he won't lose to any foe. Don't you remember? In a even duel, the madman bets against a Graves."
Abraham climbs down from the windowsill, falling to his feet lightly before approaching us. His boots thump against the wood floor as he tosses the Colt back onto the table for Virgil.
"Keep your Colt for now. I know the fight won't be strictly even, but can you kill this man, Wyatt? If you think you can, I believe you should take this fight."
Virgil scowls under his mask at Abraham but sighs and nods at me. The man finally relents.
"Fine. You're right, Abraham. I did say that. And I'll hold true to it. Can you kill this man, Wyatt? Can you... murder him for power?"
The words echo in the small room paid for with little coin. The single bed and table rock motionlessly as I consider the questions laid before me. They are all the same, but they all hold momentous import.
I can feel something in the air. This decision... it's important.
My fingernails clench the flesh on my left hand as the steel of my right creaks ominously. The prosthetic will likely last one final fight before collapsing wholly.
This decision has something to do with my Proof. I can feel it.
But what do I need to prove to myself?
What belief do I hold deep down inside?
Can... can only a monster become a God?
That is the end goal, after all. That is what embarking on Angelhood is about.
Do I have to become that callous? I know this man, Ryder, is not a good man. He's not even a decent one. But... this is a slippery slope.
Doing this will open a whole basket of evils—most of them to follow behind me. I'll have to live with it. If we gain the help of the people here, even if it costs me my morality, is it worth it?
Can I do that?
I have to, don't I?
There are other paths, but I feel this one... this one is the only way that will take me up the mountain fast enough. Violence and cruelty aren't the only ways to power, but they certainly are the fastest. If I don't grow strong quick, then more people will die, as Edward and Bo—
"Yes. I can do it. I have to."
I'll just have to be careful with which kind of monster I become. Blodwyn is a monster, too. And so far... I think he's the kind I want to be. Like him and Mie.
Virgil's head sinks deeply into my words as he gauges my sincerity. Not a word leaves my mouth without my heartfelt meaning. I will kill Ryder. Virgil doesn't react to my decision verbally, but Abraham does.
"Better rest up, then. You've got five days before you murder someone. Enjoy them. It changes you, more so than your first kill."
*****************************
Johnny 'Iron Consul' Caldwell
I tread slowly behind the old man, his sinewy back leading the way down the narrow, shadowed, rotating staircase. The air hangs heavy with anticipation, and my eagle-like vision from my Metamorphoses manages to pierce through the darkness, following every subtle movement of the Furious Mountain. Even in his old age, he stays powerful. But how strong, exactly, is he? I'm not sure.
The cold metal of Fate Sealer presses against my hip as a distant part of me asks to draw it. I can quickly shove the Call away, hardly even taking it seriously.
The only source of light is the flickering torch clutched in the Canyon's hand, casting dancing shadows on the damp, stone walls. Echoing footsteps resonate through the confined space, reverberating like an ominous drumbeat that amplifies the stench of the earth around us.
And by the thousandth stair into the depths of Gravecross, the old man's voice breaks the uneasy silence, its timbre weaving through the shadows.
"Do you know why none of the Estates ever struck out at my home?"
Canyon turns at the final step, facing me as the fire etches lines onto his countenance. I trail the whirling smoke as I also notice the many intricate drawings and engraving on the walls of the hallway before us. However, I don't stall my answer for very long.
"You, am I correct?"
Surprisingly to me, the eldest mortal shakes his head. Then, he strides forward, bringing the torch over the pictures on the stone walls.
"No. I am only a slight reason. The truth is... Do you know how Gravecross was made? The plateau, I mean."
The old man redirects his question as he shows me a still frame engraved into the wall of a man kneeling before some monster. Again, I shake my head. I know a little, but not very much. Canyon falls quiet for a moment, so I simply follow him, patient for an answer.
He opens his mouth once more when we enter an absolutely massive cavern. It stretches for miles in every direction, with rivers, grass, and mushroom-like trees. Darkness covers it all, yet with my eyes, I can see. There are, however, no animals to be seen. And set in the center of it all is a colossal stone tablet with a lithe skeleton pressed against it.
"A Graves did so. In the years past the First and the Second, during the Titan's reign of humanity, we still struggled for land. Gravecross, or what used to be it, was our frontmost line, constantly lost. And a Graves, Heather Graves, a master of Swimmer and Shaman Sigils, brought the very earth out of the ground and into the sky."
I stare at the corpse, a hidden shard of knowledge entering my skull without it being told to me. I turn to Canyon as he kneels, pressing his thumb against his forehead and sliding it down to his brow.
Again, I stay silent, feeling the gravity of his actions. And he does not disappoint.
"It is rare to find a man such as you, Johnny. Strong, dependable, righteous, and adjusted. You can resist the Calls while guiding others all the while. She would like you to replace me."
"Replace you?"
I meet his gaze as the man speaks in some kind of riddle. How would I replace him? Canyon, however, strides forward, grabbing me by the wrist. A part of me wants to pull back, but I don't. The Furious Mountain has been nothing but calm, collected, and caring since I met him.
His city is peaceful, and all those within it love him. He is what the Prime should aspire to be. Ironic because Vincent crippled him.
"When I was young..."
Canyon and I stride through overflowing water and outcropping rocks as the man enters the same kind of rambling mode that any normal elder would do.
"When I was young, I stumbled upon a hole in the depths of this place. Gravecross. This is Haven. My most prized possession, beyond even my family, is what gave me the power to acquire them and protect them. Heather Graves has been dead for nearly a thousand years, but her remains were still... active."
Gradually, we near the skeleton, wholly intact but not normal. It is... the bone doesn't look right. It is blackened and... unnatural. The man doesn't stop his lungs for a moment. I simply listen with close interest.
"I spoke to her as a young man, hardly a teen, not even close to a man. She helped me and gave me my first Sigil of her nine. With that, though, she began to disperse. But as you koew, Graves do not go lightly into the great beyond. Only when they wish it so. Even millennia gone, she held on as an artifact, keeping semblances of her sanity."
We reach only a hundred feet from the skeleton and the stele, and I immediately feel an onslaught of pressure. A presence. It is grander than a mountain yet deeper than any ravine. It is not quite a God, but not far from it.
Heather Graves was not a weak woman in her life. She must have been the Thunderbolt Titan's equal.
"She guided me through the early days, teaching me skills, what Sigils to aim for, and how to fight. Gradually, her sanity lessened as she held on far longer and longer. When she no longer could, I took the last of her remaining Sigils. She taught me the ways to control the earth, to protect, to defend, to nurture."
Canyon hauls me closer to the body, dropping to a knee as we stand only a few feet away. From this distance, I can nearly see the woman she once was, the remnant Ether so...
NO! This... it is a Remnant!
I glance up, finding the Stele above me inscribed with indecipherable text. Heather Graves left behind the same thing that Marshall did. A Remnant.
"With her power, she gave humanity a shield for the ages. I don't have half her talent. Her bones were so flexible she could dive into the earth and become it. Me? I can only augment myself. I cannot become the rock, mud, or metal. Still, her leftovers bestowed me enough strength to become the man I am today."
Canyon brings me to my knees as well, having me pay my respects to the long-dead woman.
"She has been gone for seventy-five years as of today. She saw my battle with Desolation. She saw how I poured my sorrows into a bottle. She pulled me out of it to build something here using what she left behind. Take care of them for me, okay, Johnny?"
I can't take my eyes off the monument as Canyon removes his hand from mine and places it on my shoulder. Still, I manage to eke out my concern.
"What do you mean? Why do I have to?"
The pressure doubles as, for a moment, the Furious Mountain brings forth his Ether. The ground, sky, and walls of this Haven tremble before Canyon coughs out blood with a shudder. I understand what he has to say before it even leaves his mouth.
"My days are numbered. Humans cannot live forever. My Sigils might give me some time, but it is running out. I have lived a long life. It might not have been the one I wanted, but I am glad it was mine. Soon, it will have to be your job to protect these people. Laura is not strong enough. She is too foolish. Can you do that for me?"
I rip my pupils from the Stele and meet the only man to ever rival Vincent Harvey in the eyes. I don't know how to answer him, so instead, I twist the question for later.
"I... what does this Stele do? It is..."
Canyon stands and places a hand on the stone, rubbing his fingertips across a series of letters.
"A legendary Remnant, born when she created this plateau for her lover, the Titan. She wanted to lessen his struggle, his grief. After her death... the Titan roamed for another to match her greatness. He never found one. It gives this whole place protection. Any Ether manipulated in the air can be shut down by the controller of the Remnant, forcing it into the ground."
I nod, amazed by the power. So, it can nullify external uses of Ether? Is that why the Wastes were stopped at the walls?
Still, the old man is not done yet, laying upon me another stroke of news.
"I do hope you can take after her legacy. The Earthen Void was a figure that I could never hope to match. We can only take after her and protect those that she would if she were here."
