mindcracklove | Static (Chapter Four)

tanadin posting in

So, uh. It's been about two months. I've been preoccupied with the end of the school year, writing RiR, doing Project: Monstrous stuff, and taking care of a new puppy, as well as being unsure how to write the Mindcrack portion of this chapter, so it took awhile. Sorry about that, but here it is!

Chapter list: http://tanadin.dreamwidth.org/382.html
Map of the continent: http://tanadin.deviantart.com/art/Static-map-606709103

Chapter Four

Ashwatch, Minecraftia. March 23, year 788. Time instance 483Z.

“We’re almost there,” Ujhin assured as he glanced at his map. “Just a few more hills, I suspect.”

“I know. I’ve been here before.” Vengeance flinched as the words left his mouth. I probably shouldn’t have told him that.

Ujhin twisted in his saddle to look at him. “Really? When?”

“A, uh. A long time ago.” When I followed Samuel and Shred over these hills. It feels like only last month when I think about it, and yet...it seems like an eternity. Is this always how things feel when you live for as long as I have? Or is it just because I was never meant to live past sixty or so?

Ujhin didn’t press for a better answer than that, but Vengeance knew that he would eventually. He was just leaving too many things at mysterious dead ends for his newest friend. Are we friends? He barely knows anything about me- then again, I don’t know much about him. Not that there’s much that he can tell me. I think we know about the same amount about him. It’s me that’s mystifying. I don’t even know if I understand myself anymore.

Vengeance had to keep himself from laughing as he realized how differently he was thinking now as opposed to when he last walked into Ashwatch. Then, had had only known Samuel for perhaps a couple of days and was still trying to find someone’s pants to get into.

Have I really changed that much over two hundred years? Am I really still Tarsen Harvex, or has the name Vengeance come to represent who I am now?

He shook off the thoughts. It didn’t really matter. Not right now. He could do more soul-searching once he had Kaepravah to talk to again. She’d help him figure things out. She always did.

He ran his fingers carefully over the surface of the gem around his neck. Before he could talk to her, he’d have to find the cure to this plague. And to do that, he’d need to focus.

He squared his shoulders and urged his horse forward, riding up to the top of the last hill.

And stopped.

“Well, that’s new.”

A wall of darkness blocked their path. It arched over Ashwatch, like a dome or shield. It was translucent, allowing Vengeance to peer through it and see Ashwatch beyond through a haze of black and gray. Before he could work out what to do next, a roar shook the air and the embodiment of darkness and night landed in front of them.

The dragon’s wings spread as her skeletal jaws snapped shut. The horses screamed and reared in terror, but Ujhin and Vengeance managed to get them under control, even as distracted as they were. Vengeance in particular was blown away by the sight of the valk’vanor before them.

She was a good sixty feet long, as graceful as shadows slowly lengthening as the day grew old and faded. Her neck arched and her jaws opened slightly, showing rows of blinding white teeth and a silver-orange glow in the back of her throat, the flames building. Her long, dark talons gripped the earth and her front claws seemed particularly restless. Her tail lashed in agitation at the sight of them, a deadly weapon whistling through the air behind her. She was drawn up to her full height, a mass of merciless and graceful death, wings spread to make her seem even larger than she was. The blue glow in her eye sockets was hostile instead of the usual friendly light that Vengeance knew, narrowed but glowing brightly with emotion.

Mira had certainly grown since he had last seen her. She was about triple her previous size and had outgrown the awkwardness of her youth. Power radiated from her, thrumming against the Heart of Pain where it rested on Vengeance’s chest.

Shred would be so proud of you, Mira.

“Ashwatch is closed!” Mira roared. “Turn back or you will be destroyed!”

“We travel with the sanction of the Dalanian king!” Vengeance shouted. “King Phyren Davion sends us!”

Mira growled quietly and lowered her head to sniff at them, wings folding against her sides. She snorted and raised her head again. “You smell familiar.” Her eyes narrowed and she looked more closely at them. “You look familiar.”

“We’ve met,” Vengeance informed her.

Mira snorted in surprise. “What is your name?”

“I go by Vengeance. He’s Ujhin. We travel under names that are not our own, having left them behind.” Or forgotten them.

Mira nodded, understanding the concept. “What did you go by when we met previously?”

“I’d rather let you figure it out yourself.” I don’t know how you’ll react to me being alive when Shred is long dead. Would you hate me for living while she could not? Would you rejoice that anyone you knew growing up is still alive?

Mira sniffed him again. “You smell like a friend,” she decided. “You come to Ashwatch from Dalania?”

“Yes,” Ujhin put in. He was clearly awestruck by the dragon, but didn’t seem to trust Vengeance to deliver their message properly. Probably for the best. “King Phyren sent us to ask if the Skullblades here know anything about how to cure the plague, and to find his advisor, Rend the Moonlight.”

Mira perked up some. “Rend? I know him.”

“He’s alive?”

“Oh, yes. Yes, he’s fine. Just angry because I won’t let him leave.” She glanced nervously past the hills. “It’s not safe out there. The plague...we can’t risk it infecting Skullblades. Especially not the Ashenhorn clan.” Her eyes narrowed again. “I’d let you in, but what if you are carriers of the plague?” The fact that Ujhin was a zombie either didn’t matter to her or she hadn’t noticed.

“We’re immune,” Vengeance told her. “Don’t worry.”

Mira hesitated, clawing at the ground as she thought. Eventually she flared her wings and nodded. “Very well. You may enter Ashwatch.” The shadow barrier pulsed once, and Mira motioned for them to continue.

“Thank you,” Ujhin said politely, urging his horse forward. Mira took off and flew back into Ashwatch, soaring over the treetops as the two men entered.

As they passed through the barrier, Vengeance took a breath of clean Ashwatch air. The valley hummed with gentle energy, and he couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across his face. Little had changed, really. The trees were larger, the Ashenhorns more plentiful, and there was a dragon flying overhead. That was about it.

They were stopped by a trio of Ashenhorn guards, but they let them through with only a couple of questions. Clearly they trusted Mira’s judgement. One of them gave them directions to where Rend was probably staying and Ujhin led the way. As they walked, Vengeance noted the large numbers of Shadefangs and Sunspines in Ashwatch as well. So the valk’vanor is hatching soon. I wonder if I will be present for the hatching of two of Vallor’roth’s brood. As far as he knew, no one except Vallor’roth and his mate had ever accomplished that.

He wasn’t sure if that made him feel important or just old.

The Skullblades they passed looked at them oddly, just as they had last time Vengeance had been to Ashwatch. The horses, animals rarely if ever used by Skullblades, probably didn’t help them blend in any. Ujhin dismounted once they reached the main village and Vengeance followed suit, figuring that it was only polite. Ujhin counted the houses as they walked, eventually stopping in front of one and glancing back at Vengeance.

“This is where the guard said that Rend was likely staying.”

Vengeance shrugged. “Good enough for me. Go ahead and knock.”

Ujhin handed the lead of his horse to Vengeance before stepping forward and knocking. The door was answered seconds later by a young Skullblade, probably around nineteen considering that she looked roughly twenty but only possessed one set of ribs.

“Hello,” Ujhin said immediately. “We’re looking for an Ashenhorn that goes by Rend the Moonlight. Do you know if he’s here?”

The Skullblade turned around and shouted into the house. “Rend! There’s a zombie and a strange man looking for you!”

“We’re sent by King Phyren,” Vengeance added helpfully.

“They say your stupid boyfriend sent them!”

“He’d not my boyfriend!” shouted a frustrated voice from inside. “And don’t call the Dalanian king stupid! I have to defend him, you know!”

The young Skullblade rolled her eyes. “Just hurry up!”

“I’m your uncle! You can’t talk to me that way!”

“Just watch me!” The girl leaned against the wall and waited as an older Skullblade stepped into the doorway. He had three sets of ribs and a black cloak hung down from his shoulders. His armor was elegant and he held himself well, indicating a strong sense of pride and power.

“Are you Rend the Moonlight?” Ujhin asked him.

“Yes. Who are you? King Phyren sent you?”

“My name is Ujhin and this is Vengeance. King Phyren wanted us to find you and to see if the Ashenhorns know anything about the plague and if they can cure it.”

Rend sighed in frustration. “No, they don’t. We have no idea how to stop this plague. And I’d love to leave, but Mira won’t let me and the valk’vanor is due to hatch in just a few days. Once that’s done, I still don’t know if Mira will keep me in here. She’s been prickly about letting Skullblades move around and has been transporting them from place to place herself, to let Skullblades from other clans come to witness the hatching of the valk’vanor. She’s worried about anyone getting infected- the Skullblades have been mostly unaffected by the plague so far, but we’re not immune from what I can tell.”

“Well, that’s fantastic,” Vengeance muttered. “Dalania needs you is the thing. The only reason we’re here is because you weren’t available to send out. Assuming you’re immune, that is.”

“I have no idea if I’m immune,” Rend confessed. “I wasn’t aware you could be immune until you mentioned it.”

“King Phyren and Kalera are both immune, as are we,” Ujhin explained. “So the Ashenhorns don’t have any idea how to cure the plague?”

“Nope. Sorry.”

“Damn.” Vengeance crossed his arms. “Hopefully the Sunspines will.” I can’t let Kaepravah die.

“I doubt it.” Rend looked at him oddly. “Why would they?”

“Wow, calm down the optimism,” Vengeance grumbled sarcastically. “I might start jumping for joy soon.”

Ujhin swatted at his arm. “When will the valk’vanor hatch?”

“Three or four days. Why?”

“Because we’re staying until then. I’m not about to make you tramp across the continent back to Dalania by yourself with a plague ravaging the countryside.”

Rend bristled. “I can take care of myself!”

“You can’t stab a plague, uncle,” the younger Skullblade reasoned. “This is all very fascinating. Does anyone have something I can eat while I watch you try to tell these two they can’t stay for the hatching? Because I know you’re going to.”

“What? No! And of course they can’t stay! Outsiders have never-”

“Mira,” Vengeance and the younger Skullblade said together.

“There were outsiders there, remember? Shred the Mainframe brought the last Davions and their companions to witness the hatching and it ended up being Mira.”

Rend glared at his niece. “Don’t start this again, Eclipse. They can’t stay. Mira is...Mira was...she was an isolated incident! That was back when there were literal doomsday monsters haunting the land!”

Eclipse shrugged again. It seemed to be a favored action of hers. “Take it up with Bond. He’ll take my side.”

“Smug little…” Rend trailed off, remembering that they had company and figuring that he probably shouldn’t swear at his niece. “Fine. I’ll ask our clanlord if you will be permitted to watch the hatching of the valk’vanor.”

~~~

Vengeance leaned back against the trunk of the tree and tilted his head up towards the sky. He shifted slightly on the branch he was sitting on to get a better view of the stars and of the Bloodshadow as it skirted around the edge of the moon.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to banish memories of the last time he had been here, but it was impossible. The Skullblades, the vagueness of what he was supposed to do and how, the valk’vanor, the Bloodshadow, the feeling that something would happen the moment the valk’vanor chose a Caretaker. It had happened before. Why not again?

Vengeance almost jumped out of his skin when Mira’s head suddenly appeared beside him, glowing blue eyes locked on him curiously. Damn her abilities to move silently!

“You are a man out of time,” she rumbled. “You do not belong here. Not in this time.”

“If I told more people about myself, I’d probably hear that a lot.” Vengeance crossed his arms. “What makes you bring it up?”

“I have never met one such as you.”

“I’m not who I was before.”

“I know.” Mira hesitated. “I know that all too well, Tarsen.” Vengeance tensed as she spoke his name. How did- “And that’s why you do not belong. You...were never meant to see the world change as it has.”

“It hasn’t changed. Only I have.” Vengeance crossed his arms. “Look around you. It’s a different threat, sure, but it’s all the same. The fear, the death, the confusion and the unknown. We don’t know a lot about what’s going on, only that we have to stop it.”

“And yet, the creators fight until the bitter end, throwing our world further into chaos and destruction. What you say is true, but everything is different than it was two hundred years ago. It was slow, at first, but then it changed in an instant and I don’t know what is to be done anymore.” Mira’s tail flicked, hitting a tree and creating a gash in its bark. “Your presence makes me ache like I haven’t ached in over a century. That is how I knew you. Your scent and the kind of pain it caused.”

“Why specifically me? Why not the Ashenhorns in general? Or the descendants of Shred’s brother?”

Mira snorted. “It is not only you. I was referring to you both.”

“Ujhin? He’s just some guy I picked up in the woods. Why…”

“You know that is not true.” Mira’s wings shuffled as she sat down beside the tree that Vengeance was perched in. “Look into your heart, Tarsen- I know you have one, now if you did not before. You know that you didn’t find him coincidentally.”

Vengeance started to shake his head. “No. No, you’re wrong. You’re mistaken. You have no idea what you’re talking about.” He jumped down from the tree. “You don’t know what you’re saying!”

“Tars-”

“I am Vengeance now,” he snapped. “And don’t fucking forget it.” He turned and stormed off into the trees, Mira making no attempt to follow him. She only sighed and lowered her head.

What else could she do?

-~-

Vechs drummed his fingers against the surface of the orb as he peered into it, watching Vengeance slow down and sit at the base of a tree, leaning against it and shutting his eyes.

Poor guy. He still couldn’t believe that this man was Tarsen of all people. Vechs had only spoken to Tarsen directly once, when he had visited the descendants ten years after the defeat of Specterveil, but had spent plenty of time watching him in the orbs. He hadn’t been too impressed with him and had never paid him much mind, but now…

He’s the only chance our world has. He shivered at the thought. Once again, the Mindcrackers were reduced to watching and waiting, and not fighting like they should be. He knew they could help, but Nozvalu was insistent that their interference on Minecraftia could cause serious negative repercussions. He had paused, thinking over it, before nodding and repeating his statement, adding that he wasn’t sure but better safe than sorry.

Vechs growled quietly. It seemed like bronze dragons were cryptic and unhelpful whether or not they could see the future.

Iirkolav looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. Vechs saw his expression reflected in his counterpart’s goggles; frustrated, confused, scared. He sighed and wiped his face of emotion.

“What’s wrong?” Iirkolav asked him, crossing his arms.

“Is that even a question?”

“I meant specifically right now, what’s bugging you? And don’t say everything.”

“Norazdomu and kids being cryptic and Tarsen being the only hope this world has.” Vechs mimicked Iirkolav’s pose. “He’s probably terrified under that shell he has, though. He’s changed a lot in the past two hundred years, and I think anything would be terrified being pulled into another world-changing event like that.”

“We’ve been in three,” Iirkolav mumbled, “and I still haven’t gotten used to it.”

“You never do,” Skera told them as she came into the room, swirling a potion around in a vial. The liquid glowed a bright, intense blue, an unnatural shade that made Vechs uncomfortable.

“What is that?”

“This?” Skera held up the vial. “I’m not sure, really. Dear Oros wanted me to make it.”

Vechs and Iirkolav exchanged glances. “Did he say why?” Iirkolav asked.

“No. Just that it would be important.” Skera shrugged. “Aren’t you used to his cryptic ways by now?”

“If that were the case, I’d be used to Norazdomu’s bullshit,” Iirkolav muttered. Vechs nodded assent.

Before any of the Davions could say anything else, Paul burst into the room. He stood next to Skera, breathing heavily and holding an eerily familiar glass orb in his hand.

“You need to see this.”

~~~

A few minutes before...

Paul sighed and dumped out the contents of the first drawer of his bedside table. He hadn’t gone through this thing since before the whole descendant mess, and it was really overdue. He sifted through his items for awhile, sorting them into piles, before pausing at the sound of a voice. He listened carefully and frowned. Was that...Ujhin? He looked around and frowned. He wasn’t anywhere near the meeting room, where the orb was set up, and he couldn’t hear Vengeance.

Upon listening closer, the quiet sound led him to the second drawer of the table. He carefully opened it and dug through his items until he pulled out a familiar glass orb, eyes widening.

The orbs had gone dark the moment that Specterveil had been killed. Over the years, the orbs had continued to shatter and dissolve into dust when their corresponding descendant had died. Paul must have thrown his orb into the drawer and forgotten about it, but it wasn’t broken.

It was fully functioning. Paul wiped off the dusty surface and peered into its depths, raising an eyebrow as all he saw was Ujhin talking to a Skullbl-

Wait.

The hat, the memory loss, the spear, the instant friendship with Tarsen, Mira finding them familiar...

It clicked in Paul's head and he wondered how he'd been too stupid to see it before. Previous chore forgotten, he surged to his feet and raced out of the room, orb in hand, shouting for Vechs to come and look.