MEMORIES OF AN OVERLORD
by Victar (vctr113062 [at] aol [dot] com)
Victar's Archive: https://www.vicfanfic.com
"His funeral was open casket. He was dressed up in a black suit, and the morticians did an amazing job on him. Perfectly lifelike, looking good, not one strand of hair out of place.
"Something in me flipped out, seeing him like that. Totally crazy.
"The craziness never completely went away."
Chapter Sixteen
Memories of a Warrior: Tactics
Exhausted from their expenditure of magic to narrowly survive the Overlord's miasma flood, Cynthia, Anemos, and Cedric slept in the cabin of the summoning station where Cynthia had once called Savior Yusis, formerly Kreisia's greatest hope. Laminah volunteered to stay awake and brief the Holy Brand Aldea with information about Overlord Yusis, Kreisia's greatest threat.
Laminah explained what she knew to the Holy Brand, and held up Overlord Yusis' miasma-crafted book for perusal. Lights flickered up and down the length of the hovering sword, as she turned the book's pages.
*You should rest,* the Holy Brand soundlessly suggested, after it finished reading the book. *I will ward away monsters.*
"I am not exhausted yet, and I have questions for you here and now," she firmly replied.
Aldea's flickering lights momentarily froze in a checkered pattern.
*Very well, protector. You have earned the right to ask, within limits.*
"Is it true that you have destroyed miasma during your previous battles with the Overlord Orzand?"
*Yes, indirectly. When miasma transforms the Savior and his companions into the Greater Seal and the Lesser Seals, my pommel stones and I influence the process. The Seals are deliberately made different from other undead monsters. The Greater Seal generates a vortex to entrap Kreisia's miasma, and all Seals have a more subtle distinction; destroying any Seal also purifies the miasma that saturates it.*
"So, that method of destroying miasma requires willing sacrifice."
*It also takes such a heavy toll upon me that I cannot create more than three Lesser Seals and one Greater Seal every ten years. Eliminating the Seals drastically reduces the amount of miasma in Kreisia for a time, but when the Greater Seal is destroyed, enough miasma remains from its vortex that a new Greater Seal is required to prevent Kreisia's annihilation. New Lesser Seals are additionally required to imprison the Greater Seal, and divert dark magic away from it.*
"Overlord Yusis has subverted that diversion of dark magic. Why were you unaware of this?"
*Ten years ago, I had to focus wholly upon the spell to imprison the Overlord and the Lesser Seals. The Greater Seal is weak when newly created; although I suspected the Overlord would try to meddle with my spell, I did not believe he would have enough power to exert any significant influence. I did not pay attention to the Overlord's magic, and did not recognize it as Chronomancy. My pommel stones do not possess true consciousness, and cannot relay any information to me.*
Laminah set the miasma-book on the grass near the Holy Brand. "Cynthia, Anemos, and I have studied this tome. The Overlord's obelisks have distributed its contents throughout Kreisia. My king has commanded libraries to record transcripts, and he is personally carrying one such transcript. He will permit us to review it as needed."
*I do not have the fallible memory of a mortal. I never need to 'review' what I learn.*
"Then surely you agree that the threat of the miasma composing this tome outweighs the benefit of keeping it intact. Can you permanently destroy its miasma, instead of reverting the miasma to smoke that returns to the Overlord?"
Golden light flared upon the Holy Brand. It lowered its tip, and touched the jet-black cover of Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Miasma, But Were Afraid To Ask.
White radiance softly shined from the point of contact. The glow shimmered and slowly spread to envelop the book in a luminous mass. The beautiful, rippling pool of light gradually grew smaller, until the last glimmer burst into fading sparks. Not one whisper of poisonous fog appeared.
*Yes. Miasma shaped into a solid object is both more concentrated and more structured than vapors, liquid, or the malleable dark magic shell of a monster. I can purify solid miasma.*
"Is it possible to completely rid Kreisia of miasma by having Overlord Yusis shape it into objects for you to purify?"
*There are obstacles to such a plan. The first problem is that, without a wielder, I lack sufficient power. You saw how long it took to purify one small item.*
"Does your wielder have to be an off-world Savior?"
*If my wielder cannot become the next Greater Seal, then destroying the Overlord would condemn Kreisia.*
"I know that only an off-worlder can become the Greater Seal, but now your shrine has been destroyed. Is the cycle truly broken in Orzand's favor?"
*Perhaps. In the era when I created my shrine, Kreisia's holy power was far more abundant than it is now. Across the ebbs and flows of the cycle, dark magic has grown dramatically in overall influence. I am uncertain whether a new shrine capable of recharging my fire can be shaped from the holy power that remains.*
"Yet you are not convinced that creating a new shrine would be impossible."
*I am surprised that you are contemplating this.*
"I will never surrender the war against Orzand. Neither will I ignore reality. We must consider any possible path to total victory, even a path that requires additional turns of the cycle."
*Another problem with continuing the cycle is that priestesses capable of casting the summon spell have become extremely scarce.*
"This is true. Lunarl talent for magic has waned across the generations, and priestesses have always been among Orzand's foremost targets for assassination."
*In the previous cycle, I was deeply troubled not only by how long it took to summon the Savior, but also because no one summoned a better Savior. Even though the Savior's numerous flaws and crippling weakness were plainly apparent, and even though the journey to strengthen his soul lasted longer than most.*
"So, the cycle could be broken in Orzand's favor simply because there is no one left who is both willing and able to cast the summon spell."
*Before tonight, I had another reason to require an off-world Savior. A miasma flood could potentially destroy me. My holy grasslands used to be the one location in Kreisia that was always safe. Outside of those grasslands, only an off-worlder's presence can counter the Overlord's spell to send a miasma flood, and the Overlord is aware of my location at all times.*
"You did not always stay near Savior Yusis."
*Leaving the side of the Savior was a calculated risk. On the rare occasions in history when I have temporarily separated from the Savior, I maintained extreme vigilance. I stayed ready for a skyward escape at any moment, until I could be proximate to the Savior once more.*
"If an off-world Savior is not summoned before Overlord Yusis regains power, then only the remainder of his Savior mind can forestall another miasma flood."
*I believed that a miasma flood in my holy grasslands was impossible. I did not foresee the rise of a Chronomancer Overlord. He manipulated time itself to surpass the hard limit of how much dark magic the Greater Seal can unleash at once. Even the Overlord who grew in power for three and a half years could not do that.*
"While we await the next Savior, will you allow a native of Kreisia to wield you?"
*You are not asking about 'a native of Kreisia' in the general sense.*
"I would be your wielder."
*Your body has been afflicted with an echo of miasma's vulnerability. I cannot unleash my full potential through you. A fraction would vaporize you.*
"Can you not change that?"
*Not in your case. Dark magic altered you. I cannot undo the changes wrought in your physical form.*
"Savior Yusis could not wield you at first. You changed that."
*That was possible because the corruption of off-world Saviors is not from dark magic. Hatred of life is simply an intrinsic part of their being, which they must keep under control.*
"How can you truly be incapable, when your power is legendary...?"
*Holy power exists to protect life. When life is not at risk, holy power is far more limited. Holy power cannot even neutralize a nonlethal poison, remove scars caused by miasma, or clear the black mark in your hair.*
"I would rather you did not remind me of that."
*Warrior. Protector. Honorable soul. You must take what rest you can, while you can. Tomorrow, I must confer with 'a native of Kreisia' about the inherent risks of permitting 'a native of Kreisia' to wield me.*
Is this how he felt? she silently asked herself. When I announced that I had pledged myself to the Savior's service, was this what wracked him?
Laminah's memories flashed past battles she had fought, roads she had walked, and training lessons she had given. Her thoughts aligned upon the day when Kreisia's most unlikely Savior had "wielded" the Holy Brand Aldea for the first time.
%IF THE SAVIOR DOES NOT CONFRONT THE LESSER SEAL TONIGHT, MIASMA WILL FLOOD THE SEAL'S VILLAGE OF ORIGIN.%
The poisonous words came from the mouth of a gigantic, undead bear-monster that had been threatening one of Kreisia's remote hamlets. The bear-monster repeated the menacing phrase several times, as Savior Yusis and his companions wore it down in a pitched battle.
Yusis did seem to have one natural aptitude for combat. He could move fairly quickly, when he put his mind to it, and when his utterly underwhelming stamina didn't give out. His instincts, reactions, and running speed were surprisingly swift. In this regard, Laminah outclassed him only because of her years of conditioning and experience.
After the bear-monster dissolved into miasma vapors, its ominous message continued from a new source.
%IF THE SAVIOR DOES NOT CONFRONT THE LESSER SEAL TONIGHT, MIASMA WILL FLOOD THE SEAL'S VILLAGE OF ORIGIN.%
"Wait, what? Hey!" Yusis frantically swiped his steel sword at an owl-monster that swooped upon him. It repeated the malevolent warning as its long, hooked talons scrabbled against a holy barrier that Cynthia conjured. Fatigue weighed upon Yusis' movements, and his swing missed.
%IF THE SAVIOR DOES NOT CONFRONT THE LESSER SEAL TONIGHT, MIASMA WILL FLOOD THE SEAL'S VILLAGE OF ORIGIN.%
Anemos released a burst of bardic magic in the form of enhanced sound waves. The owl-monster screeched and tumbled in midair. Laminah battered it to the earth with the flat of her halberd. A small pyre of Cynthia's holy fire erupted where the owl-monster had fallen, reducing it to miasma plumes.
"What was that all about?" Yusis gasped, panting heavily. He slipped to one knee, drove the point of his sword into the earth, and leaned on it to keep from falling over.
Laminah transfixed him with a glare of ferocious disapproval. He noticed her, coughed, and quickly withdrew his sword from the ground.
I need to break you of that abominable habit. If only I had more than two hours a day to train you as a warrior! On far too many days, I have even less time!
The Holy Brand will not so much as let me mandate that you wear a warrior's armor! Perhaps that is somewhat understandable, given your lamentable lack of endurance.
Are the Holy Brand's restrictions truly for the best? It insists that strengthening your soul is infinitely more important than molding your physical body, or heightening your combat abilities.
Has the Holy Brand's goal been achieved? In spite of your relentless self-doubt, your resolve to protect our world has grown remarkably. Are you aware that the Holy Brand has been guiding us to help desperate villagers cull the most threatening local monsters, rather than to the shrines that hold its pommel stones?
Laminah stated, "We have been challenged to battle the third and final Lesser Seal, a powerful minion of the Overlord Orzand. She was once a Lunarl named Fortina. Her village of origin is Melusine."
"'Third and final' Lesser Seal?" Yusis repeated, unsteadily standing up. "What happened to the first two?"
"The military vanquished them, with aid from monster hunters, but at great cost. The protracted conflict to destroy the first Lesser Seal all but eradicated the monster hunting guild. Shortly before your summoning, the second Lesser Seal attacked the city of Vatoren with a legion of monsters. The campaign to defend Vatoren struck the Lesser Seal down, but the entire battalion and all civilians were lost in a great firestorm."
Yusis' face paled. "That's horrible."
My king refused to let me lead the campaign to defend Vatoren, even though I had kindred there. I presume that was because he knew I would pledge myself to your service, Savior. It could not have been out of any desire to protect me. That would have been mad.
Laminah stoically added, "The firestorm also destroyed all of the invading monsters."
Cynthia sadly trilled, "Cedric called on the Royal Mages to spread word of what happened, and declare a day of mourning."
I wish you would not speak my king's name so familiarly, whether he gave you permission or not. It cannot be helped; you are all my allies, not my subordinates.
Cynthia continued, "On the day of mourning, I went to the summoning station near my village and tried again, one more time, to call a Savior. The spell worked." The smallest of smiles touched her face, and the slightest glimmer of an unformed tear showed in her eye. "I'd tried so many times, and failed so many times. I'd failed and failed so much, but on the day all of Kreisia mourned Vatoren, the summon spell worked."
Yusis appeared extremely uncomfortable.
Anemos cleared his throat. "I seem to remember hearing something about Melusine's defenses. The village does have military protection, does it not?"
Anemos, did I think of you as an 'ally' scarcely a moment ago? Perhaps I am the one touched with madness.
Laminah replied, "Melusine has an assigned delegation of Royal Guards and Royal Mages. It is unusual that Fortina has not already returned to wreak havoc, especially since she was sighted in the region prior to the Savior's summoning."
Anemos remarked, "That is indeed atypical."
"The scout reported that she was hunting animals, and transforming them into monsters. Perhaps the Overlord has been keeping her in reserve, to use against the Savior. It is possible that she has been rebuilding the Overlord's decimated forces, in order to construct a trap."
Yusis nervously questioned, "What would happen if we didn't fight Fortina? I am absolutely not suggesting this for real. I'm asking because I want to know."
"Melusine would be condemned to death and worse." Laminah shook her head. "A miasma flood is one of the most vile atrocities the Overlord is capable of. A torrent of liquid dark magic drowns the flooded region, with very little advance warning. It is almost impossible to escape. Everyone engulfed by the miasma dies and arises as an undead monster."
"If the Overlord can do this anytime he wants, then why doesn't he?"
"Little is known about what, if anything, restricts the Overlord. It is believed that flooding an area with miasma drains an immense quantity of his power. Miasma floods in history have ranged in size from small deluges that destroyed hamlets, to calamities that drowned entire cities."
Anemos added, "Yusis, you are the one person in Kreisia who need not fear a miasma flood."
A quizzical look descended on Yusis' face.
Anemos made a small shrug. "No one knows why, but the Overlord has never unleashed a miasma flood on or near any Savior. Not once in all of history. Perhaps pure-blooded off-worlders innately repel the Overlord's dark magic? If so, then we Alteans regrettably do not have sufficient off-world heritage to do the same."
"For something that's not a video game, Kreisia sure has a lot of stuff to preserve game balance," Yusis muttered. "Anemos? You're wrong about one thing."
"Am I?"
"Yeah. I do need to fear a miasma flood. I'm terrified of what will happen to a lot of innocent people, if we don't get to Melusine as fast as we can."
"Perhaps this will help." Anemos produced a small, rainbow-colored bead from his vest.
Cynthia's eyes widened. "That's a-? Yusis! That's a teleportation bead! It's really valuable, and it can send us all to Melusine in thirty seconds!"
Laminah silently scrutinized the bard.
If you had not offered your teleportation bead so quickly, then I would have used one of the beads that the Royal Treasury entrusted to me. Is your desire to help truly genuine, Anemos? Or are you simply trying to worm your way further into the Savior's good graces?
Perhaps I should let you play your game, for now. Conserving the Royal Treasury's limited resources seems wise, and I would prefer not to reveal my beads to the Savior just yet.
Laminah focused on calming herself.
The Holy Brand is correct. I must rest while I can.
Moving silently to avoid waking the others, the warrior claimed a corner of the summoning station's cabin floor for herself. She removed her armor, and lay down on a humble blanket acquired from the cabin's limited furnishings. She used a military technique to hasten the onset of sleep, contemplating the muscles of her body one at time, and willing them to relax.
A shadow within her mind remained unsettled.
When Kreisia's most unlikely Savior arrived in Melusine, the village's inhabitants reacted in a variety of ways. Some cheered, or tossed flowers in jubilant greeting. Others eyed the Savior's thin frame, ill-at-ease composure, and admittedly deplorable haircut, then furtively retreated to their homes.
A few residents were neither exuberant nor recalcitrant. They warned the Savior that Fortina would attack at the stroke of midnight, and worriedly indicated the homes of her blood relatives and former friends. They stressed that Lesser Seals like Fortina almost always targeted family and close friends first.
"Yusis, you mustn't show your fear so much," Cynthia whispered, so quietly that Laminah made out the words by reading her lips. "The Savior is a symbol of hope."
"Uh, right." Yusis closed his eyes, put one hand on his chest, and breathed deeply. His jittery anxiety drifted away - or was it simply submerged within? When he opened his eyes and let his hand fall, he appeared notably more calm.
How amusing you are, Savior. I have told you repeatedly to control your fear, and witnessed your wavering attempts; she tells you once and you strive as hard as you can for her. The Priestess of Salvation has far more than a warrior's power over you.
The commander of Melusine's military delegation approached, and asked to discuss magical and battle strategy with the Savior. Yusis showed only a hint of discomfiture as he stressed that he completely trusted Cynthia's expertise in magic, and Laminah's expertise in tactics.
Cynthia volunteered to assist Melusine's assigned Royal Mages with the village's magical protections. Laminah requested that the commander provide an update on Melusine's defenses; he immediately complied. As Laminah spoke with the commander, she also overheard the Savior's interrogation of Anemos.
"Is it really safe to assume that Fortina won't attack until midnight?" the Savior pressed.
"Yes, because she is a Lesser Seal," the bard affirmed. "They always assault their former homes at midnight; no one knows why."
"Why isn't anyone getting out of here before then?"
"You are here. There will be no miasma flood."
"No, I mean - Fortina was once a Lunarl who was born here, before she became an undead monster, right? And Lesser Seals like her turn on their former friends and families. Why hasn't anyone tried to escape?"
"Attempting to flee from a Lesser Seal is folly. Attempting to hide from a Lesser Seal is impossible. If they had a bond with another in life, then they will follow that bond in undeath, and slay every person who crosses their path. It is far easier to organize defenses, and minimize casualties, if their targets stay in one place."
"Vatoren had an organized defense. Was that because...?"
"Yes. The second Lesser Seal was once a Varg born in Vatoren, and was driven to attack the city. Just as the first Lesser Seal was once a star prodigy of Kreisia's monster hunting guild, and was driven to slay his former guildmates. The battles to vanquish those Lesser Seals destroyed so many of the Overlord's monsters that I expect Melusine will not suffer as severe an onslaught. Fortina will most certainly bring monsters with her, though."
"If we can destroy Fortina quickly, will the monsters scatter? No, wait - that didn't happen in Vatoren."
"If she cannot command the monsters personally, then either the Overlord will command them remotely, or they will act without any coordination at all."
"If the Overlord commands them remotely..."
"The Overlord's fine control over remote monsters has limits. Only Master Tactician Overlords are known to transcend those limits, and the current incarnation of the Overlord is not a Master Tactician. Whether or not the Overlord takes command of Fortina's monsters, destroying Fortina would grant our forces a significant advantage."
"Then we need to get Fortina's attention and take her down as fast as we can. And since the Overlord is calling me out..."
Laminah paused her discussion with the delegation's commander when she noted that the Savior was no longer speaking to Anemos. The Savior's brown eyes had become unfocused, and he seemed unaware that no one else could hear the other half of his piecemeal conversation.
"-doesn't matter. I don't need a weapon, I need-"
"-know you can make pretty lights. That's what I need. Lots of shiny, pretty lights, the brighter the better-"
"-oh, I know you won't refuse. You're going to help me protect Melusine, because that's what you do."
"-don't even want to hear it! Not unless you've got a better way to save Melusine. Do you? Well, do you!? Then stuff it!"
"-yeah, that's me. Pure, grade-A, off-world corruption, accept no substitutes. Do you want me to wear gloves?"
When Laminah awoke, she was alone in the summoning station. A clean, soft, neatly folded undershirt had been placed next to her.
This is the Royal Treasury's most potent ward against Altean chants. I relinquished it before the battle to vanquish Overlord Clize. My king has returned it to me.
She could hear voices outside.
What is this feeling I have?
She recognized Anemos' smooth-talking cadence and Cynthia's lilting trill, but could not discern their words.
I do not want to go out there. I do not want to hear more, or see more.
She used the cabin's facilities to perform her morning ablutions, then dressed herself and put on the chant ward.
I want to... withdraw.
As she donned her battle armor, she heard the voice of her king. This time she could decipher the words, because she had heard them spoken aloud before. Words of ritual, duty, and sacrifice.
"-protect Kreisia with all my heart and soul."
This feeling I have...
"Even if it costs my life. Even if it costs more."
It is fear.
Far stronger than yesterday. Stronger than I can remember experiencing, for many years.
Is it stronger than what I felt on the day my weakness destroyed my father?
Yesterday, I had faith in my king's guidance. I knew he would see us to safety, even though we nearly drowned in the Overlord's miasma flood, but now...
Laminah opened the door of the cabin.
Now, I am afraid that I will lose my king's guidance, and that I will lose him. I am afraid that I will truly, completely lose him.
Outside, she saw her king standing with his back turned to her, holding the Holy Brand Aldea aloft in his right hand. Radiance from the legendary weapon covered his entire body with a golden glow.
The sight triggered another memory.
Fortina found the bait irresistible.
Savior Yusis stood outside the entrance to Melusine. His un-gloved right hand pointed the shining Holy Brand Aldea to the heavens. The blazing weapon generated a tremendous, flashing, firework display that transformed midnight darkness into near-daytime brilliance. Additional, sparkling columns of light surrounded Kreisia's most unlikely Savior in geometric patterns, and further lights spread from him in a vast, parabolic formation.
The Savior shielded his eyes with his free hand. His whole body shook, as the Holy Brand drew upon his strength to power the grand showcase.
Fortina had once been a fair-skinned Lunarl with light-gold fur and hair; now, zigzag streaks and stripes of jet-black disfigured her entire body. She leaned forward, extending her arms behind herself, and dashed toward the Savior with blinding speed, far outstripping the throng of monsters behind her. Dark magic dripped from her clawed fingers as she came close enough to hurl a swift burst of liquid miasma, like snapping a whip.
"Now!" Laminah commanded.
Illusions dissipated, revealing that some of the sparkling columns of light near the Savior had been concealing his companions. Laminah was next to the Savior; Cynthia and Anemos were much further away, yet close enough to cast battle magic.
Cynthia summoned a shining white barrier of holy energy to block Fortina's hissing, sizzling miasma blast.
Anemos called upon bardic magic to entangle Fortina's body, making her stagger.
Greatly empowered by a slew of temporary enhancements from Anemos' most expensive magic items, Laminah leaped and swung her halberd, cleanly severing Fortina's head. Fortina's hand flailed for her head.
Savior Yusis reached Laminah's side and swung the now-dull Holy Brand Aldea like a club into Fortina's knees, forcing her decapitated body to stumble.
Cynthia released a burst of holy energy, targeting Fortina's severed head,
Laminah hacked at Fortina's form again and again. Though the Savior remained nearby, he did not attempt any further attacks. On the periphery of her vision, Laminah saw the Savior reeling in place, drooping his head and holding his brow with his left hand. His right hand weakly clutched the Holy Brand's hilt, dangling the legendary sword so low its point touched the ground.
As the last remainders of Fortina's head and body dissolved, the first of the monsters she had brought entered the fray. A parabolic formation of the Royal Guards, no longer concealed by light-illusions from the Royal Mages, met the assault head-on.
Savior Yusis gasped and let go of the Holy Brand. He shivered, folded his arms over his abdomen, and crumpled in a heap. His eyes fluttered shut. The Holy Brand levitated next to him. Lights flickered up and down the length of the hovering sword.
*Warrior, you must keep the Savior conscious! Let the others support the soldiers.*
Though Laminah yearned to join the ongoing battle, she deferred to the Holy Brand's instructions. She returned her halberd to its carrier on her back, seized the Savior's arms, and hauled him upright with a swift jerk.
"Huh? What?" Yusis wheezed. He blinked twice, then his eyes closed again.
*Do not let him pass out.*
She slapped the Savior across the face. Though she did not mean to bruise him, she misjudged how fragile he was.
"What was that for!?" Yusis yelled, pulling away from her and swaying on his feet.
*Do not blame her. I told her to do it.*
"What is with you!?" Yusis exclaimed to the midair Holy Brand. "Our plan worked, didn't it? What's with your twisted attitude and your warped guidance, anyway!?"
Aldea's flickering lights momentarily froze in a checkered pattern.
*Talk to me, 'Savior'. Tell me what you think is 'twisted' and 'warped' about me.*
The Holy Brand truly thinks of you as the Savior, yet now it speaks your title with the scorn of an insult. Is it trying to enrage you? Is it using your own anger to keep you awake?
Yusis ranted, "Look, I get it, you think I'm 'corrupt' and 'weak', and you know what? You're right. We still have to work together to stop the Overlord! Why aren't you leading us to the hidden shrines with your pommel stones? Why are we just wandering around!?
"Killing monsters that threaten people is fine, but we both know the Overlord is the real source of everyone's suffering, and nothing will get better until we shut him down! We're barely treating the symptoms while the disease gets worse and worse!
"Why are you dragging everything out!? It can't be to toughen me up. I'm trying, but what I can or can't do in a fight isn't going to decide anything and we both know it!"
*Your soul has grown substantially stronger. Has it become strong enough? That is the question.*
"Aldea, the sooner we can take down the Overlord and bring ten years of peace, the sooner Cedric can work on a way to permanently get rid of him! Cedric told me that he had to suspend government research, because right now resources are stretched so thin! Why are you slow-walking us, Aldea!? Why-?"
Yusis shuddered, and raised his hands to his head.
*Priestess! Bard! Come to the Savior as soon as you finish administering emergency triage!*
Laminah noted that the last of the monsters accompanying Fortina had been destroyed.
Yusis groaned and slipped to his knees, while tightly gripping his head. His eyes squeezed shut.
*Do not let him pass out.*
Laminah was moving to act before the Holy Brand's directive rang in her mind. She grasped the Savior under his arms, hoisted him to his feet, and shook him.
"S-stop that! Personal space!" he stammered. "What's with - aaagh!"
*I have more than one reason for delaying, 'Savior'. The most immediate problem is that you need more 'holy resistance' to wield me.*
"Wh-what?" The Savior turned his face toward the hovering sword. Laminah kept a firm hold on him, ready to shake him more if his eyes closed again.
*That is what your mind would term it, so that is how I will describe it. You started with exceedingly low 'holy resistance', compared to previous Saviors. I know not whether this is because of your corruption or your world's corruption, and it does not matter.
*I have been improving your 'holy resistance' all this time, as rapidly as I am able. You have not noticed because you lack sensitivity to magic.*
Cynthia and Anemos arrived.
*Good, you are here. Both of you must tend to the Savior for the rest of the night. Do not let him fall unconscious until dawn.*
"I will use a chant to keep him awake," Anemos declared. He immediately invoked the power of the Altean race.
"You will remove any chants you have put on him once morning comes, of course," Laminah warily instructed, releasing the Savior. Anemos inclined his head in acknowledgment.
*Priestess, the Savior's life is no longer in danger, but he will likely feel pained or severely ill. Help him as best you can. He has a long night ahead.*
Cynthia nodded, somberly. She called a soft glow of healing magic to one hand, and reached for Yusis' face without quite touching it. The bruise from Laminah's slap faded.
"Why...?" Yusis asked, deliriously. He folded both arms over his stomach, and spasmed. Laminah caught him before he could topple over. Cynthia moved her hands, and the glow of her healing magic shifted to his midsection.
*Holy power is 'love of life'. Another side to 'love of life' is 'hatred of that which threatens life'. Love and hatred clash violently, and the presence of other corruption within worsens that destructive conflict. Currently, drawing upon my power even for something as simple as 'lots of shiny, pretty lights' endangers your well-being.
*Your body will endure without permanent damage. The greatest risk is to your mental faculties. You must remain conscious until the aftereffects wear off, so that nothing significant is deleted from your personality. I attempted to warn you, but your drive to protect Melusine was so strong that you would not hear me out.
*In spite of your numerous flaws and crippling weakness, I now accept that you truly do have the potential to be Kreisia's Savior. Tonight, I was willing to endure your corrupt touch. Tomorrow, we will embark on a direct route to the shrine housing my first pommel stone. By the time we gather all three pommel stones, your 'holy resistance' should be high enough to wield me without erasing your own mind.*
Laminah remained frozen in the doorway of the summoning station's cabin, watching her king hold the Holy Brand aloft.
When he spoke, it was not truly in her king's voice. The vocal chords of her king were nothing but a tool, and the words echoed with an artificial presence.
*The corruption of off-world Saviors has always strictly limited my power. I have never had a true avatar before. This allows for possibilities. Perhaps even the option to confront a Chronomancer Overlord on more even terms.*
He turned around, and while his body resembled that of her king, his eyes had become twin pools of white-gold fire.
Laminah sank to her knees, hid her face in her hands, and sobbed.
"Are you crying? I wasn't sure you could do that."
In the early afternoon following Melusine's defense, Kreisia's most unlikely Savior found Laminah paying her respects to a gravestone in the village cemetery.
Laminah touched the inner corner of her right eye, then drew away her fingertip. A single tear rested upon it.
"Uh, sorry," the Savior mumbled, wincing and rubbing his forehead. "That was a dumb thing to say. It's just, you're so strong..."
"How do you feel, Yusis?" Keeping her voice steady was harder than usual, but not unduly difficult.
"Better, I guess. Still a little - ugh. Headache is taking its sweet time to go away, but I'd like to hit the road before the sun goes down. Walk it off, and all that. Okay?"
Laminah nodded and regarded the Savior closely, drawing upon subtle enhancements in her armor that allowed her to sense Altean chants. The only chant she could detect was the Priestess of Salvation's 'Savior gift' that granted him skill with a sword. The 'Savior gift' resonated a little more strongly than the last time she had examined it; that was to be expected, given his own efforts to improve.
I did not truly believe that Anemos would let any chant of his remain on you after dawn. That one is too intelligent to make such a blatant mistake.
The Savior rambled, "Last night would have been beyond awful, if not for Cynthia. She wiped herself out casting healing magic to help me. I tried to thank her. She had to push herself so hard I feel like I should apologize, but I'm afraid that would annoy her. I've tried to make a major apology to her once before; the words spilled out like a total scrambled mess, and I think she decided to forgive me so I would shut up." He smiled ruefully, tilted his head, and closed his eyes.
Laminah used her armor's enhancements to examine the Savior for traces of magic. All she found were the usual wards that guarded him against miasma poisoning, made his clothing shield him like light armor, empowered his steel sword, and protected the talisman on a cord around his neck.
Bardic magic is known for inspiring courage, but not for controlling minds. Perhaps Anemos is manipulating you solely with music and charisma.
The Savior opened his eyes, straightened his head, and flicked aside a low-hanging trail of his disheveled, raggedly-cut hair. "Uh, Laminah, I don't look like anything's been 'erased' from my mind, do I?"
"I am considering how to answer that," she carefully replied.
"If something were 'deleted' from my personality, would I even know?" He let out a heavy sigh. "I thought it was so cool, actually coming up with an idea of my own, and then everyone else had more ways to turn it into the perfect trap. Aldea tried to warn me, and I didn't listen. I'm not sure I would have had the guts to risk it, if I'd known."
"You are wrongly doubting yourself again. If you had listened to the Holy Brand, then yes, you would have 'had the guts to risk it'. You simply would have been better prepared for the consequences."
"Uh-huh? Well, maybe. Thanks for helping me stay awake out there."
"There is no need to thank me, but I would clarify my considerations. Your mind does not appear damaged to me, because I have become familiar with your quirks." Including your hopelessly muddleheaded love for the Priestess of Salvation. "However, your hair is so unkempt that any person who does not know you could easily interpret it as evidence of dementia."
"That's a Kreisian thing. I'm from off-world," he immediately replied.
"Why do you refuse to comb it, or have it properly trimmed?"
His eyes darted to one side, and he remained silent for a long moment.
Then he looked back to her and quietly asked, "You really want to know?"
"If you are willing to say, then yes."
"Cynthia... she's also asked me why. If I tell you, will you tell her for me?"
"As you wish."
"It's because I'm not in an open casket."
"I do not know what that means."
"You don't-? Oh, right. Miasma. People here have to cremate their dead as quickly as possible. I guess only ashes are buried in cemeteries like this."
Yusis shook his head. "If I look in a mirror for too long, I get disgusted by what I see. I don't just see the useless screw-up who failed his two closest friends. I see a coward who desperately wants to believe his friends are better off dead. They're not better off, that's a total lie, right up there with 'I never had any idea they'd do that.' But, what if the lies were true?
"What if they really are better off dead? What if I really were too emotionless to pick up on any bad feelings from them? I'd be off the hook, wouldn't I? It wouldn't be so awful that I never tried to help them, when they needed help. It wouldn't hurt so much."
He shuddered, and gripped his tangled hair with both hands. "Sometimes I... hate... that any of us are alive, only to suffer and lose one another. Why does pain like that have to exist at all!?"
Yusis lowered his hands. "I've been making twisted excuses to Cynthia and you. Sure, hair care isn't as big a deal on my world as it is here, but it's still a thing. Right after my friends' funerals, I had to look 'presentable' for an internship, and...
"...and...
"...and the stress from that job, on top of everything else... it was too much. I couldn't stop thinking bad thoughts. I couldn't help feeling miserable, I couldn't escape my own guilt, I couldn't stop hating myself. The mess inside my head got worse and worse. It started to warp my awareness. I was supposed to learn about business, but I associated everything I saw and heard with death. When I had to hand out business cards, I felt like I was giving away pieces of my life and soul."
Yusis closed his eyes. "The pressure built to a breaking point. I went ranting-screaming crazy in the conference room, then tuned everything out and shut down for weeks."
He opened his eyes. "I eventually forced myself to act like a normal person again. I had to; the alternative would have been a lot worse. I'm still not sure how much of my 'normal' is real, and how much is an act."
Yusis flicked away another low-hanging trail of his jagged hair. "Sometimes the act is... hard. Certain things connect to the bad thoughts. Especially things that remind me of my internship. Certain things I was supposed to learn about, certain ways of talking...
"...looking 'presentable'...
"I try to avoid all those connections, as much as I can. Looking messed up on the outside helps me keep the mess on the inside under control.
"Cynthia stopped asking me to use a comb after the day I met you. She doesn't even hint that I should, not anymore. She's decided to accept how I look, I guess, even though I know she doesn't like it.
"I've thought about making myself look better, for her. I might have babbled something like that to her last night; I was so borderline scrambled that it's embarrassing to think about all the stuff I said.
"But I... I don't dare try to change how I look. I just don't. Not even for her. If I don't block out the bad thoughts, I could become as dead inside as a corpse that morticians preserved, down to the last strand of picture-perfect hair."
His gaze drifted to the headstone of the grave that Laminah had come to honor. "This is... Fortina's?"
"Yes," Laminah affirmed. "Yusis, I am grateful that you fought to destroy her, before she could slay those most dear to her. Her soul is surely thankful as well."
"It was a team effort from everyone, including the Royal Guards and the Royal Mages. Do you know, none of the defenders died? I asked. Two of them came close, but Cynthia healed one and Anemos used a super-expensive bead to cure the other of end-stage miasma poisoning."
"Fortina saved my king's life."
"Huh? I didn't know that."
"During the Overlord's reign of terror ten years ago, my king was not yet a king. He inhabited a village attacked by a Lesser Seal. The village's defenses proved inadequate. Fortina and her companions arrived too late to rescue more than a handful of survivors, but Fortina healed the survivor who would become one of Kreisia's greatest symbols of hope, along with the Savior and the Holy Brand."
Laminah raised her eyes to the blue sky. "My king still carries miasma scars from that day. He covers them by grooming his hair just so."
"Laminah! Laminah, calm yourself. I need your strength. All of Kreisia needs you."
Laminah was dimly aware of hands on her shoulders. She raised her head. Tears continued to stream down her face.
"My king..."
"Could you please call me Cedric?" sighed the golden-haired Lunarl. His eyes were thankfully their normal blue.
Laminah's head drooped.
"Yes, I am Aldea's avatar now. I am also myself," he reassured. "There are inherent risks to being a vessel for Aldea's holy power, but you must know that neither Aldea nor I will take those risks lightly. Aldea will raise my 'holy resistance' to protect my body and mind, as rapidly as it can.
"So, do not cry? This is a partnership worthy of celebration, not tears. Together, we will destroy Kreisia's miasma forever!"
Her king smiled, and flapped his long, furry ears several times. Holy static had left his hair in such disarray that black miasma scars were visible on the side of his head.
End of Chapter Sixteen: Tactics