Anima, Ch.61: Memento Mori

--01-- [scene: Rabbie Dungeon] <BGM: A Twitch Amidst Silence>
I had to walk to Rabbie, as the moongates were destroyed.
The statue of Morrighan had been either replaced or repaired.
It still looks down upon me sternly, silently judging me.


--02-- <BGM: A Twitch Amidst Silence>
I placed Lynnira's black gem upon the altar, and the familiar sense of dislocation swept over me
as I was...relocated somewhere into the depths.
I entered...to seek her out.


--03-- <BGM: A Twitch Amidst Silence>
Maybe it's my imagination, but the skeletons here seem to be a lot more resilient
compared to the last time I was here...
I was only a few rooms in before I came to a large door.


--04-- <BGM: A Twitch Amidst Silence> {SFX: slam}
It opened as if it had been expecting me.
And there, in the center, was a woman in a gauzy black dress, with long white hair.
Lynnira had not changed in the years since I'd met her.


--05-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
"It's you," she said. "At long last! My rosebud returns...and my, how you have blossomed...!
Let me behold your splendor."
She walked up to me, looking me over...


--06-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
"Simply exquisite," she whispered, stroking one of my wings. "Incredible...to think that
you would become this... It surpasses all of my dreams..."
"Glad you approve," I said.


--07-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
"I've spent the last seven years a prisoner in exile because of what I've become," I continued,
"but here I am, and...I'm here to settle my debt, since I won't be here in this world for much longer."



--08-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
"Why did you have me wait? What do you expect me to do now, that I couldn't do back then when we met?
You're...not just going to try and eat my soul now, are you?"

She put her hands to her chest.
--09-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
"You wound me still, my beloved red rose. Had I wanted to consume you, I would have taken you
that very first night you came to me, and not waited these long years. I...had a need of you."



--10-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
"But what I needed, you could not yet deliver. ...That has changed."
"So why am I back here now?"
"To grant my heart's desire."
"And what is your heart's desire?"

--11-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
She gazed into my eyes, her own crimson eyes a bottomless well of sadness and longing.

"I desire death. Release. Oblivion..."


--12-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
"What?! You wanted to *die*?" I took a step backward.
She stepped forward to match.



--13-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
"I am a prisoner here. A black rose in a black pit, never to know the light.
This is my pain, my sorrow!
We are kindred, you and I.
We share in lives of sorrow, as daughters of Lilith."

--14-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
"But you are not bound to a dark chamber as I am.
You walk free, though on a path of scorn and shame.
I...have no escape, except into the maws of death, and time will never bring me there."


--15-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
"That night, I saw in you the faint promise of oblivion, but not yet the power to deliver it.
You had to grow, my red rose, to eclipse me, or I would have extinguished you instead."



--16-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
She clapsed her hands, pleading. "You are...one of us, are you not? I felt it then,
but...mixed with something else...something greater, that would give you great strength..."



--17-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
I nodded. "...I'm...something like that, yes... You knew it before I did..."
"Then...you are ready. Grant me this last request...
Let me drink of death upon your lips, my precious red rose..."


--18-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
"Deliver me into darkness everlasting, and set me free. You will be released from our bond as well."
I stood dumbfounded.
"I...well... I...I don't know... What do you want me to do...?"


--19-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
"You need do nothing more. Just don't move." Lynnira gave me a rapturous smile.
She closed the distance between us, put her hands on my shoulders, and placed her lips on mine...



--20-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
The feeling of her life force being drained, at once revolting and intoxicating, swept over me.
Her eyes turned glassy, taking on a blank stare.
Gods, what have I done...and she wanted this?!


--21-- <BGM: Love and Cruel Fate>
"Thank you...my...rose," she whispered with her dying breath, collapsing in a heap before me.

I...didn't want this...
I don't want any more people to die because of me...
Not even if they seek it.
--22-- <BGM: A Safe Zone>
The door at the far end of the chamber opened, as Lynnira's pale skin began to turn as black
as her dress, rotting supernaturally fast as a consequence of...what she'd done to herself...



--23-- <BGM: A Safe Zone>
Our pact was fulfilled.
With a heavy heart, I crossed the chamber, touched the Goddess' statue
in the next room, and left the dungeon.
There's no reason to stay here any longer...

--24-- [Scene: Dunbarton] <BGM: Tale Untold>
I hate this.
I hate this power.
I...can never love someone intimately like this... Not when a kiss ends their life.

I walked back to the abandoned Dunbarton, not even bothering to shapeshift.
--25-- <BGM: Tale Untold>
I stood in the empty city square, as silent as a tomb, staring up at the sky.
Time to resume the search.
It's not like the answers are going to fall out of the sky and into my lap.


--26--
...suddenly, there was a rumbling. The air vibrated.
...What's happening?
A flash of light filled the town, obscuring my vision for a few seconds...
I heard a loud thump.
When I could see again...
--27-- <BGM: Divine Storm>
A blue humanoid figure in silver armor, about seven feet tall, holding a strange looking staff,
was standing in the road, looking in my direction.
A mask covered its inhumanly-shaped face.


--28-- <BGM: Divine Storm> {SFX: pow}
...I don't know what I dislike more: being right, or being wrong.
With surprising speed, the figure charged towards me with murderous intent,
knocking a lamppost out of its way with frigtening ease.


--29-- <BGM: Divine Storm> {SFX: pow}
I recovered from astonishment just in time to tumble away as the creature swung its huge staff at me.
I focused electrical energy in my gauntlet, aiming at the advancing creature....



--30-- <BGM: Divine Storm> {SFX: thunder}
As soon as it was close enough, I let loose with a Lightning Rod spell at full power.
The creature barely flinched, not making the slightest sound, and kept on coming!.
Oh, dear.


--31-- <BGM: Divine Storm> {SFX: pow}
It swung its massive staff at me again in a slow, powerful sweeping motion.
I managed to leap back quick enough to avoid taking a cripping hit, but...
This day just keeps going from bad to worse.


--32-- <BGM: Divine Storm> {SFX: explosion}
I snap-casted a full strength Firebolt and lobbed it at the creature.
It connected with a firey explosion, but the creature barely staggered for a moment and kept on coming.


--33-- <BGM: Divine Storm>
This isn't going to be fun.
I ran up the stairs past the abandoned grocery store, charging a Thunder as I ran.
Casting while moving is exhausting. I can't do this for long...


--34-- <BGM: Divine Storm> {SFX: thunder}
I flung the spell back at the creature.
It didn't even slow down, barely flinching at being repeatedly struck by lightning,
continuing its pursuit with silent determination.
What do I do?

--35-- <BGM: Divine Storm> {SFX: pow}
It swung again as it reached the base of the stairs, smashing apart the handrail in an attempt to hit me.
I evaded it again, but... I can't keep this up!
I'm not sure if I can even get away.


--36-- <BGM: Divine Storm> {SFX: plop}
I ran behind the town hall, casting Ice Spear spells as I went, the creature still in pursuit.
It had to sidestep through the alley, slowing a bit, and I widened the gap.



--37-- <BGM: Divine Storm>
I ran out the north gate.
Might as well not let it tear up the town, and...I don't want to cause collateral damage with my strongest magic.
The creature followed, in hot pursuit.


--38-- <BGM: Divine Storm> {SFX: plop}
I fired another Ice Spear at it, not expecting results after what my other spells
had accomplished...or rather, what they hadn't.
A coating of ice formed on it, then fell away. It didn't slow a bit.


--39-- <BGM: Divine Storm>
I led the beast up the road a few hundred feet.
If I'm going to break out the big spells, I don't want to blow up parts of Dunbarton doing it.
People might come back someday...


--40-- <BGM: Divine Storm>
"All right, you big blue goon. Now that we're out in the open...let's get serious."




[end of chapter]