"-than! Nathan! Nathan!"
I start to slowly rouse from my pleasant sleep. One so comfortable I couldn't recall having one akin to it before. Then it hit me; A smell hit me that induced a fight-or-flight response, my body immediately shooting up from the bed.
Mary stands near the bed holding a vial and an annoyed expression. I rub my eyes and look at her.
"I can't believe that I needed to get out the smelling salts. Well, good morning; it's almost 3pm now. You have 10 minutes to get ready for the tea party."
Faint sunshine, diminished by smog, filters through the curtains, allowing me to spot the motes of dust gliding serenely through the air, living in a world distant from problems. Slowly I rise from the bed, holding one hand against my forehead.
Through the rest, my mind was able to sort itself, revealing holes where once only blurred memories were; the effect Lethe had on me was reaching its full bloom now. Everything feels unfamiliar. Most things should be, but others I should recognize. I still possess a sort of deja vu for certain familiar things. I don't know whether this room should be familiar to me or not. I believe I wasn't here before, but what if I was?
The clothes of yesterday lay folded on the desk. They're new clothes made of finer material. Nothing in this room that I didn't bring here belongs to me, so maybe I should see it as a sign. Maybe I should replace my forgotten old memories with new memories–better memories. To let go of prior suffering and live a more successful life.
After looking at my own unfamiliar face in the mirror, I head downstairs. Samuel and Revenant have arrived early, with Mary serving tea.
I sit down silently and wait for the rest of the people to enter. Elizabeth enters soon after me, also slightly early. Perfectly on time, Aiden enters, and seconds after, Calypso just appears in the room, holding up Emily by her collar.
"She wanted to handle things with me outside of the meeting," says Calypso.
The expression on Emily's face told the same story. Hiding from something that she doesn't want to encounter. Calypso continues to talk as he and Emily sit down.
"First off, here is everyone's payment."
Samuel, Emily, and Mary are given 15 Phalite; I am given 25 Phalite; Aiden is given 30 Phalite; and both Revenant and Elizabeth gain 40 Phalite.
"Are we not waiting for Don Fuego?" Mary asks.
"He got injured badly; I already gave him his share."
A total of 210 Phalite, which is just a ludicrous sum.
"Ah, Nathan, I asked you for something. Are you still able to… provide it?"
"I believe so."
I give him everything I wrote down in my notes on Ferrous Sovereign. Revenant fills in the combat information, then I continue again.
"Even after my encounter with Lethe, I was still able to hear a certain voice in my head from the corpse of Ferrous Sovereign."
Upon mention of my 'gift,' Aiden moves his head to look at me, now paying more attention to me.
"They were a person that specialized in duels for fighting. He fought with honor, never fighting should his group outnumber the foe, and asking for one-on-one duels. However, this is not how the world works. Allies became frustrated, stabbing him in the back, and opponents didn't heed his demands, fighting dirty and outnumbering him when possible. Once he died, his sense of honor became one of distorted justice. He tried to force people to respect duels."
"Is that all?"
"Yes. It doesn't clear up its motivations regarding where he attacked or why he fought like he did or why he was so intelligent. I can speculate that the goal of Ferrous Sovereign was the creation of these eggs due to what occurs should they hatch, but then again, why would it seek that outcome?"
"Well, either way, I got what I wanted. Thank you, Nathan. I will be heading out with Emily now."
He then picks up Emily just to disappear with her. Afterwards Aiden is first to stand up and leave, followed by Samuel, who actually says goodbye. Elizabeth then looks at me.
"If you need anything, I can help you. You know the cost by now. Well then, goodbye."
Elizabeth turns to look over towards Mary with a complicated expression, then leaves as well.
The door clicks shut in the distance, leaving only this group of three. Revenant speaks up after some silence has passed.
"Well, Nathan, time stops for no one. Let's get going and sell off these Eidolon. We have 'Sovereign's trusted steel,' and Mirror of a better World.'"
My legs already are plotting to kill me. Please, lord above, save me from walking for hours. And Mary spoke:
"Do you want me to take you by car? I need to take Nathan with me as well, since he has to be registered as living here with me. You'd get things done faster and have to pay less for the toll."
"What about gas prices?"
"I have to go over to work anyways."
"Fine, as long as I don't have to wait long on you to get ready."
I go upstairs into my room once more, just to grab my black long coat from the rack, then head back down. Mary is adjusting her scarf after having already put on her shoes and beige overcoat. Revenant had already gone outside. I put on my shoes, then head out with Mary. Revenant pushes himself off of the wall he was leaning against and follows us as we are brought to a nearby parking house. Mary clicks a button on her car keys, and a classic black SUV lights up.
All of us get inside; Revenant is behind the passenger seat, and I am behind Mary. The streets are pretty busy, given we're on the main roads the entire time. Her house is on the corner of the Citrus District, which is why we quickly pass through it and then the corner of the Rose District. On our way to the office, we also pass through the Trombone and Tulip District, ending up in the Calcium District.
Mary and I walk inside of a residency administration office, which is responsible for everything real estate related. In the delta and epsilon echelon zones there is no equivalent to it, because nobody cares, so in the eyes of the government I might as well be homeless. Well, I guess they do care about it, but only to tax the poor. Some people actually pay for the toll and go all the way to one of these offices to register, because otherwise the government has to do a giant loop to find out who to tax for certain properties. It should be the government's problem, and it is, but they're making the residents who moved pay exorbitant 'processing fees' for their extra work.
The office is pretty dull, and Mary, being a landlady, already knows the procedures, as such getting me registered properly. I am now officially a resident of the gamma echelon zone, which is an achievement. Unless Calypso were to throw even more money out of the window, I won't be making it to the beta echelon zone anytime soon. Actually, odds are, I will never even step foot in that zone. There also is a pretty sizable gap until Link 4. I have to figure out, and overcome, the Miasma somehow.
Back in the car, we now head back into the Tulip District for Gate 3-08, our next stop. The pop music on the radio sounds pretty bad. I haven't heard all too much music, to be fair, but I can practically hear the producer exploitation at the hand of corporate greed behind these notes.
Arriving at the gate, we inform the person at the gate that Mary is heading to work after chauffeuring us around. My reason is shopping for Eidolon at a sketchy pawn shop, which is allowed. Revenant doesn't pay here, as it is technically his return trip, but he would have to pay again when he would return to the gamma echelon zone.
Mary parks at the side of the road. Revenant and I then get out to diverge into a set of alleyways. Revenant was the one carrying an entire mirror and an extra sword. Shortly after, we were surrounded by goons, including a guy in a black bodysuit, who, after some time, signaled to the others that we shouldn't get beat up right now. There are about a dozen gang members here, each of them only Link 1 or 2. That one guy then whistles in a certain rhythm, after which another person shows up.
She is a muscular and imposing woman with many tattoos and piercings as well as heterochromia. On her back rests a cast iron anchor. This is probably Sylphara Cobas.
"You've come to sell some shit, I assume. Then get on with it."
Revenant places both Eidolon down.
"Both of them are known Eidolon, so you can look them up."
Sylphara Cobas takes a step in front of the mirror, looking at her image inside of it. She then takes a glance at the sword next to it but doesn't have much interest in it.
"10 Phalite for the mirror. Pretty good considering it's Rank 1."
"It's better than what we would get otherwise for it. Go ahead."
Considering my gauntlet would have been sold for a measly 3 Phalite, and it is a pretty good Rank 2 Eidolon, I also believe this to be the right call. The pawn shop seems to kind of just be a scam. Then again, it is the only place that would openly advertise it is selling and buying Eidolon. No need for connections or meeting demands. And no issue with the seller having only as many Eidolon as you could count on one hand.
"Oh yeah, I also wanted to say that I stumbled upon something regarding your boss. I think he was taken by the Rose District."
"Any person with a head on their shoulders could've told me that. I'm looking for specifics here."
"I mean, going in there for 10 Phalite doesn't seem worth it. I'd end up spending more on the Sin Equipment, allies, and medical fees than it's worth. Besides, it's essentially suicide."
"As I said already: you don't have to do it. You are some random nobody anyhow."
"Well, I've finally gotten the chance to be tested as a Link 3, plus I played a role in defeating the Rank 4 Ferrous Sovereign. I also looked through the register to theory-craft what Eidolon could even be responsible for this. For example, it could have been the mirror you are buying right now."
"Are you really that desperate for those 10 Phalite? See, you think you're smart, but I too have already looked into the register. I've been at this far longer than you have, and I have a gang at my beck and call. But… you are crazy for taking on a Rank 5."
"All I need is some insurance should I venture into the Rose District."
Revenant looked at me warily after that sentence but remained quiet.
"Sure, why the hell not. If you come back here alive after venturing into the Rose District but didn't end up finding anything about my boss, I'll give you 5 Phalite. Actually… I have a better idea. I want you to hunt down a certain Eidolon that has taken four of my Link three's. Do that, and I'll give you 20, no, 30 more Phalite… plus a favor. Sound good?"
"Depends on what that Eidolon is."
"Even if you take me up on it, you don't have to follow through. If you chicken out, you get nothing. The reason I asked was in case you were charging me more for it."
"Actually, I do have something I would want to add."
"Go ahead."
"I want the secret behind resisting the Miasma."
"A hard bargain, but as long as I get my men back and a nuisance removed, I'm fine with it. Oh yeah, I also don't have a single clue on that Eidolon, except its general area and that there are a large number of unconscious people near it."
"Then it's a deal. Wait, what do you mean by not having a clue?"
"I don't have any physical description, nor any knowledge of its abilities, or even what Rank it is. It doesn't exist in the register; I can tell you that much. I suspect it to be around Link 4-6, but it is really hard to estimate."
This is very odd, but on par with what I know about the Rose District. It would be no wonder that new Eidolon were born in there after it was abandoned. If those Eidolon remained inside of that District, they would likely never be classified.
Once Revenant split the 10 Phalite between us, we headed out, with Revenant being pretty unhappy with my words and decisions in there. I'm sure he doesn't like the idea of me going towards the Rose District, but he is the kind of person to keep out of my fur.
We once again hop into Mary's car, her noticing that we are one Eidolon lighter. She looks at me through the rearview mirror.
"Did you get a decent sum?"
"It's pretty good, I'd say."
"That's good. Are you sure you want to then still head to the pawn instead of holding onto it?"
"Well, we might get a decent sum for it, given it is Rank 4."
Revenant scoffs at my thought.
"You alright, Revenant?" asked Mary.
"I'm good. I just hope Nathan will be more careful in the future, so my efforts for him will not be in vain."
Mary looked between the both of us, not really wanting to get involved, as she doesn't have the full picture. She then cranks up the radio and drives. We continue, reaching the Sin Equipment store after only a moment.
The shopkeeper, currently moving around some boxes, looks between us for a moment before returning to his work. I decide to walk up to him and ask for certain things as opposed to looking for them:
"Hey, so, I'm capable of taking sloth and greed equipment and am looking for something that can help me prevent death again, uh, and also something better for my armor."
"I don't have another death ward in stock, but I've got a decent bunch of armor. Actually, I have a good one right there. A greed armor that prevents you from being affected by the same thing twice in a minute. It's… a bit weird, but you can survive some things with it you otherwise couldn't. I guess that is the point of armor, but you get what I mean."
"Do you have something for getting around the place?"
"Something for general movement or just a way to get home quicker?"
"Let me take a look at both."
"We have blood chalk here. Inscribe a set of runes with it around a circle to 'set' a location, then write the set of runes on your arm, or somewhere else on your body, to be brought to the location. Otherwise I have sloth boots that are kind of like inline skates, but without needing skill."
"How much for the three of them?"
"I'll give you a little discount, but even then it'll still run you 3 Phalite."
"Works for me."
Revenant then walks up to them.
"I'd like to pick up my shamshir I told you to enhance, as well as my other request."
"You already paid half up front; the other half would be 35 Phalite."
"It just so happens that I have that with me today. I didn't even have to walk over to the bank."
35 Phalite for two Sin Equipment is a lot. I don't believe there would be a weapon taking up more than 20 Phalite in total, so most of that is for that other item.
"Actually, do you still have some of those magnetic balloons?"
"I've still got some. Two dozen for a Phalite?"
"Sure, those will last me some time."
We walk over to the counter, where we get our stuff rung up. Revenant asks his other shamshir to also get the same treatment, paying another 3 Phalite on top. (I knew that the sword wasn't the expensive part.)
I am handed polished black leather boots with some mechanism on their soles, allowing wheels to be extended or retracted. Into where it is retracted to remains a mystery. Then there is blood-red chalk and a gold-plated chain shirt. Meanwhile, Revenant is handed a bundle of balloons with a sort of chrome finish, a shamshir with a rayskin handle and a sky-blue tinted blade, and a weird mass with the appearance of a nebula.
After putting on the armor and boots, I put the chain armor I found and the long coat I had before on the desk to sell them. He doesn't seem to like the idea of Sin Equipment being sold to him, but due to our patronage, he takes both of them off of my hand for 1 Phalite, even though they are both used and not identified.
Together we head back into Mary's car, who notices my new outfit.
"Let's hope you don't die on us again, Nathan."
I chuckle in a self-deprecating manner to respond.
The car continues to move past various buildings and eventually stops at the pawn shop for Eidolon. Looking around, it seems he got a new addition to his shop. Acedia-03-3-288, otherwise known as 'Thassular Relic'.
Revenant puts our Eidolon on the desk, and I add the Thassular Relic.
"That sword… Honestly, I am pretty impressed, given it has only been two days. I'll give you 80 Phalite for it. The Thassular Relic is 30 Phalite."
"Revenant, isn't 80 Phalite pretty good? We won't really find anyone that even carries around more than that all the time."
"Yes, I think it will be best if we sell it here. Hey, how long do you still plan to remain open for?"
"I'm not scared, so I'll be here for at least a month more. So, we have a deal?"
"Yeah, I'm fine with paying 30 Phalite, so just take that from the item."
He handed over 50 Phalite, out of which 10 ended up with me, and the rest with Revenant.
The Thassular Relic looks like an ancient bronze statuette representing an abyssal being, covered in barnacles and moss. Deep navy blue ink droplets oscillate in place surrounding the object.
Its powers are related to thalassophobia, the fear of deep waters. With its powers I can embrace myself inside of it, which could either heighten my focus and senses, or it could end up paralyzing me in fear. I don't have a fear of deep waters, and I do have sloth, so I should be fine using it.
Mary waited for us even though she didn't have to, so we went to at least say goodbye, but once I got close, Mary got out and handed me a notebook.
"Wait, what is this?"
"Don't show it to anyone. It contains all the information I managed to scrape together about my school's highest arts. In layman's terms, these incantations are the most powerful my school has to offer and are usually not to be shared with ordinary folk like you."
"And… you just gave it to me?"
"Yes. Well, if you start spreading around this information, my school will absolutely have your head. As for its contents, the only detailed one is the first incantation; the next two only exist in fragments since only very few have been able to learn it, those being people of at least Link 5, so you won't get it for quite some time. The remaining half of the book is where it gets particularly interesting."
"For what reason?"
"Something called a greater call. Only the original founder of my school had been able to use it, and that guy was Link 7, which, at that point in time, was very rare, more so than it is nowadays."
"I was about to say. Link 7s are rare, period."
"Well, you have fun with it. Someone like Revenant or Calypso would wish they had it. Oh yeah, as a heads-up in case you do reach Link 6 or 7 somehow: there are more than just this greater call out there, but it beats me who would have them and what they are capable of."
"It feels like some sort of story made up by some people. Like, 'if you collect all of the greater calls, that is when you reach Link 8.' or something like that."
"Yeah, yeah, now let me drive to work, okay?"
"Sure, bye."
Revenant waves as Mary starts to drive off. I stash away the notebook containing these notes, then look at Revenant expectantly.
"If you're expecting me to tell you what to do next, then you're mistaken. You can go and hunt for another bite. I'll be busy unless you manage to find something that isn't going to get you, and potentially everyone around you, killed. Besides, I have places to be and things to test."
He then pulls out one of the balloons he bought and inflates it, letting it fly up for a few minutes. I just stand there confused for a moment, but once the balloon has sufficiently floated up, he then pulls out the nebula mass and his stiletto, shaping the mass to look similar to the stiletto in shape, and then he throws up the stiletto at his full strength, it managing to connect with the balloon due to some magnetic properties.
Due to this, he then disappears in front of me, falling from the spot where the balloon used to be. I can't see it clearly, but he seems to throw something from up there far into the distance, and he disappears from the air shortly after.
As for me, I decide to wander around for a while, eventually ending up at a park, where I sit down.
I rub my eyes for a moment and sigh. How am I supposed to keep up with this? I just forgot everything and am expected to just… what? Walk it off? I have to rely on others just to be able to remember how fucking old I am or what my name is. Whatever was written in my own diary or told to me is supposed to be what I believe in, but how can I believe what they say? If I were to trust my diary, then most of the people I've met have manipulated me in the past, so why would they stop now?
What do I do now anyways? I don't really have much of a goal. Recovering my memories is not possible, and trying to find some way to do it anyways, like with time travel or whatever, just doesn't seem very worth it. Because, here in Iphte-houp, what life would be worth remembering? There aren't any major historical figures that did something good. Due to the geopolitical situation with this town, there also aren't many people coming or going. This place is a kind of gilded cage where nobody leaves. Everyone wants to leave, but deep down everyone knows this place is probably the best there still is. At least civilization and government can still exist in a semi-stable fashion.
There isn't anything I could say about the global perspective, but on this continent there are just a load of Eidolon unable to die. Only with the safety measures in this town can attacks from outside Eidolon be somewhat prevented.
Ah, I just don't know. Should I strive for Link 7 maybe? I could also just try to get a comfortable life in Gamma or Beta. Well, either way, I think I already stepped past the point of no return for this line of business. Without my memories there isn't any reason to go back to a 'normal' life, right?
Just sitting here thinking about it all so far is just making me sad. I don't like it.
Let me just get up and get things done. I wanted to check out the Rose District, so I might as well. Whilst I move about to Gate 3-09, I might as well read the notebook. I press down a button on my boots, and a set of wheels comes out. I start to move around, and my legs move without issue. Even when I have my head stuffed into the book, my feet automatically move towards my destination, avoiding anyone or anything that stands in my way.
The book is about three different Tengu calls, with the last one being the great call: Daitengu. Well, there aren't any daiyokai in myth, but for a greater call, I feel that adding 'dai' makes sense. The first call, which is the only call I should be able to learn, is about swordsmanship. A temporary increase in swordsmanship allowing a beginner to know of and apply the basics whilst also being able to effectively wield any sword they come across. The greater the skill of the user, the more helpful this call ends up being.
Now that I think about it, I don't know how to use this falchion. Given that I own one, I imagine that I should have used it in the past, but how? Actually, the blade is chipped and damaged, even though it otherwise looks almost brand new. Could it be that I just fought with a weapon without the prerequisite experience? The same actually applies to the revolver. What was I doing before this? I think I want to regain my past memories less now.
Eventually I pass through the gate without issue and then get on a bus for 3 Gael, heading towards the Rose District on the major roads. On the way I pass by Mary's house but quickly continue onward through the Rose District. I could easily get to the east side from her house, but I actually wanted to head to the west side for both the Eidolon Sylphara told me about and the one mentioned in the initial reports I read.
I get off the bus and am greeted with the sight of a border between light and dark. Behind me lay the ever-vibrant city; in front of me lies a district abandoned and dark. A place that wasn't brought to ruin, with many pristine buildings due to the greater wealth of the people living here, but it is just very empty and quiet. Police tape flutters about haphazardly due to wind, warning people of the dangers that lurk inside.
Even so, I enter, not bothered by it in the slightest. As I do, I decide to activate my newest Eidolon. As I take out this relic with both hands and focus on it, my vision blurs for just a moment. The drops of ink, usually undisturbed, suddenly crash into my arms, disappearing into them without a trace. Below my feet the ground turns black, then starts to become more blue, ending up the same navy color as the ink.
My feet sink into the pit instantly, the rest of my body following after. It feels as if I was dragged down a deep trench with anchors tied to my ankles. I close my eyes and mouth out of instinct as I keep sinking, but my body and mind relax, making my eyes and mouth open.
Neither of my eyes are irritated by what should be salt water, nor are my lungs filled to drown me out. My descent slows, and eventually my feet make contact with the floor. If I were to look down, I would just barely see my stomach before my vision was engulfed by darkness. Around me I hear nothing and see nothing. My breathing calms further.
Eventually I make out vague shapes of blue, which feel oddly distinct to me. It is as if seeing this blob of blue in my vision reveals more information about what is in front of me than I usually could using my eyes. In the same way my other senses feel relieved. It is said that a blind person can hear better because the part of the brain responsible for seeing is repurposed to aid the other senses more. It feels like that but for every single one of my senses instead.
Then I hear a drowned-out melody. An ominous melody played by an underwater piano assisted by strings. It calls in one direction. I can tell exactly where it comes from, but I don't know where that is. It would be somewhere on the north border between the beta and alpha echelon zones. Unavailable to me as of now.
I focus on my objective again. Carefully I move about this dark space. It is just a distortion of reality. Every building and street, down to each individual pebble, is the same as it would be in reality.
The experience itself is surreal, because all I actually see is just vague blobs of blue, but my mind just… knows what the environment is like and what color different things are. With these senses I can actually feel confident about my future decisions. Whatever I will encounter here is likely to kill me if I am not careful, but I can keep calm and safe using this.
The location I wanted to pursue first came into view. An old, run-down manor. The Phalion estate. The gate still somehow remains standing, even after everything it had to weather. Its blackened bars are bent and broken, with an array of almost orange lamps dying slowly in the cacophony of bad weather and repeated attacks; this structure grew to fight back.
Rain always falls upon this estate, heralded by the powers locked inside. The grass and flowers glow, shedding an orange glow to show any spectators the remains of this remaining bastion. As I approach the gate, it swings open on its own, inviting me inside to witness the countless horrors that had transpired here in the past. Eerie sounds emanate from the manor, and I am shaken from my trance.
My focus breaks.
The sound of rain pattering onto the lawn and pavement begins to enter my ears. My footsteps on the shallow puddles are something I can feel again, instead of just acknowledging that it occurs. Shortly after vines on the walls of the building start to glow, a broken sound system comes to life. And as I reach the front door, I decide to knock.