Mariwa: An Ivian Tale

Holly tapped impatiently at moss encrusted, fungus ridden trunk she sat on.

At the deft movement of Aleh's fingers, the great golden spherical bud was teased open, once again unveiling the white labyrinth of tendrils and complex patterns. Even in the light of that sunny. pleasantly fresh day, the perfect kind of day to receive a letter, it had an undeniable presence to itself, a color and texture that refused to be obscured by the elements.

She gave it an appreciative glance, then resumed her vigil of the sky.

"... It is thus said that Merurgy is the "basic energy" of the world. But what would move such an energy? What keeps it in place? The Merurgical Plane has no gravity of its own, no real anchor it can physically latch itself to. Well, its saving grace lies in its connections. First, our world, which it nourishes, and second, can you guess?"

"Ashas?" The jungle screamed around them, every single corner bursting with life and demanding attention she couldn't spare. A dark skinbird glided past their heads, in close chase of a crimson dragonfly as long around as her hand, and though she was eager to follow behind she remained strong. "Y-you're sure it's coming today, right?"

"Yes, and yes, the Ashic Plane! The other cliff lying beyond the abyss of Merurgy, the crushing depths of the Witches' Ocean! Some call it the Starlit Skeleton, the Starlit Commandment, the Starlit Matter."

"Cool!" Idly, she began to tear at the mushroom shelves under her legs, their tough hold on the bark useless against her prying nails. She broke them and crushed them with her fingers, enjoying the resistance before they crumbled through the gaps, "A-and you don't know when, right?"

"Right. There is a certain erroneous notion often spread among the masses that only by learning Ashic Arts one makes use of Asha, however as I'm sure you understand by now the same way all things have Merurgy all things contain Asha, it is a basic framework of the way reality works after all. Have you ever seen a living creature without bones?"

"Plants?" Holly said. "Do you know the direction though? Just so I know where to watch."

"I-I meant something closer to fauna."

"Riversquids?"

"A-aha, see?! Even riversquids have a modicum of an internal skeleton! But I will take the point and broaden my reach: all things have a shape, don't they? A structure that defines their growth, their physical capabilities, so on, so forth. Despite its many names, current theories propose that Asha, the matter of the Ashic Plane so to speak, is energetic rather than, well, solid for a lack of better word, pliable and brittle yet just strong enough to hold back all that dimensional weight."

"Neat. How do you make sure it goes where you want it to? Is there a way to keep track of it? or-"

With that, Aleh's hands clapped close, dissipating the labyrinth into a cloud of white smoke. Taking a deep breath and massaging his forehead, he gave her a look of through exhaustion.

"I swear on my names, in all my time with the S- Remnants, I have never seen a child, no matter how miscreant or apathetic, not crowd around the disciplinarians when they bring the witches for the World's Making. So how come you, who to my knowledge lived under literal rock, seems to hold not the slightest interest?"

"H-hey, I'm not a child, maybe!"

"Holly, you asked me to do this. And let me assure you, though I am not lifting weights or breaking sweat on my late commute from Lower to Upper Shalias, keeping the required precision to maintain the World's Making is very much an effort."

"I-I'm sorry, but it's not like I wasn't paying attention! I'm just, you know! it's coming!"

While the process of crossing Galehold hadn't taken too long, Bellfort was proving itself a much mightier foe. They had maybe traveled a tenth of what they use to before on the first day, Agare and Furfu spending every second in the back with her under Aleh's veil as the less unusual members of their group conducted business up front. At some point, a few men had actually entered the Oke, dull eyes scanning the interior as if trapped in a dream, prying hands at one point turning her chin left than right before loudly exclaiming that everything was in order.

Eventually, they were forced off road, though the path forward proved near impossible to navigate thanks to this new and exciting jungle they found themselves in, so now they had to plan a way back while Agare left her alone for the first time, claiming to have some tasks to attend to.

Under Furfu's watchful gaze, she was allowed time outside to get some air, so long as she stood close and within view. In truth, she had called the bored looking Aleh for company and asked him to continue his lesson, still a little guilty over what she had done.

Unfortunately, or fortunately for her, the day had come. The one thing keeping her sane, the hope that repulsed all ennui when she wasn't allowed to explore anymore, it was here.

"Frankly, you- Oh? Oh, see? All a matter of patience!"

Holly shot to her feet, searching all the cardinal directions for anything out of place, before simply following Aleh's gaze. At first, the spot seemed empty, nothing but clouds and branches swaying with the wind. Then, it appeared in mid air, a small object flying in curves towards them. Aleh, eyes closed and nose raised, extended an arm sideways, ready for its arrival.

That the diminute yet sharp and pointed figure landed on his forearm without causing damage, it did.

That it landed with such strength it nearly dislocated his shoulder and pulled him off his feet, it did.

"F-fucking-!" Aleh screamed, reeling back, arm windmilling for balance, not falling on his rear end by a miracle, "I thought I had fixed you! What's up with those fucking old habits again?!"

"It's here! It's here!" She jumped, excitement uncontainable. "Gimme! Gimme!"

She wasn't talking to Aleh.

One Two was a marvelous little creature. Taking the form of a headless bird, with a smooth torso of brass petering out to a broad spearhead tail, wings feathered with thin copper plates, and twig-like legs ending in tripodal feet, she could barely believe it had been crafted by Dashi hands, much less Aleh's.

As adorable as it was, the moment she raised a hand its way it jumped from his forearm to his shoulder, wings open and ready to flee. She had expected as much, but couldn't help be a little hurt by the adorable little fellow's reaction.

"H-hey, I'm not going to hurt you! Aleeeeeh!"

"I'm fine and healthy, gratitude for your concern by the way." He shook his head, fixing his garish yellow robes in place. "Also, I will repeat: One Two is not a living animal, Holly, no matter how complex its Merurgical core is, it can't learn if you are a threat or not."

"Ooooh, C'mon, can't you teach it?"

"Another time, perhaps. We have more urgent matters at hand, do we not?" he said with a smile, his hand finding One Two's puffed out chest and quickly swiping a pattern with his finger. One Two turned its back towards her, a slit now gaping open on the edge of its tail. Once a significant hole had been made, its upper half further bisected, folding back to reveal a fur padded interior, cradling a single roll of paper.

Aleh reached for it with such sadistic deliberation it was painful to wait. If she wasn't sure One Two would flee, she would pluck out that letter herself! Or, maybe if she was fast enough? Pinching fingers rose. One Two spread its wings wide, and Aleh was forced to put a protective hand in between them.

"O-oi, careful with those fingers, One Two is fragile!" he said.

"Then please, hurry up!"

Aleh did, pulling the rolled letter out and quickly handing it to her. She hesitated for a moment, seeing it on the palm of his hand, but couldn't hold back for long. She held it like a treasure, suddenly afraid of the damage her clumsy sausages could inflict.

Still, with trembling hands and all, she unrolled the letter.

"To my all my dears, my loves, and my hearts.

"How long has it been! I kept waiting for you all, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting so much I got restless! What are you, a bunch of rebellious teens fleeing town to join the army? Were Mommy's affections too grody for such strapping young lads?

"Well, while you were doing laps around the barracks, mommy kept an ear on the vine, and oh the things she heard! Military movements were spotted at the good ol' Bell, and rumors say Awin too. Galehold took long to respond, the Emperor doesn't seem too worried for whichever reason, but some people moved anyway. No full crackdown yet, though watch out for the borders!

"Unfortunately, nothing that really helps with the pickle you found yourselves in. Scary stuff! Don't worry about schedule, prioritize your safety. Avoid changing routes too much, but if you absolutely must pick somewhere closer to the coast then the mountains. Burn down a forest or two! We already have too many. Follow your guts, I trust you guys.

"And Holly, if you're reading this, if somebody else is reading this to you, hey! I hope you've been enjoying your time out there! How are you finding Ivias outside your backyard? Wherever you are, I can guarantee, you haven't seen half of it yet, there's just so much out there, out of our reach... hope I can see it all with you soon, but unfortunately that will be a while still.

And the others, have they been treating you well? Took me some effort picking the best people for the job, and I hope they are behaving (Aleh specially, don't take him too seriously). Don't be afraid to rely on them, or confiding on them, if you trust me you can trust them, so if you have something to get out of your chest, don't hesitate! If you hesitate, please do so for less than four days, specially if it's related to pertinent information. Pretty please?

"And before I forget. Cassia has been doing well! She's eating better, has started taking walks, and even speaks of you from time to time. I'm hearing such stories! Can't believe you did that to your dad's shoes! Not that I have the grounds to speak since I did something similar back whenever and it got me a walloping I never forgot, but oh wow the sheer gall!

"I'll keep trying to convince her to send a letter too. Might not arrive until you guys have something to tell me though(We don't have anything as convenient as the glorious One Two here anymore).

"That's all! Take care of yourselves, try not to crash the old junk since it cost me an eye and a leg, but otherwise have fun!

--Signed, your ever loving Marquise~♥"

She lowered the letter from her face, giggling to herself.

"Heheheh... She thought about me! Her handwriting is so good, and look at the little heart she drew!"

"Hmmm, and here I heard it sucked."

"D-don't say that, Aleh! That's mean!" Holly said, looking up-

Only to be met with Aleh's completely nonplussed, indignant expression and crossed arms. It took her a few moments to realize how unlike his hoarse, shrill vocalizations the voice had been.

As if she realized she had just wandered into the den of some slumbering beast, Holly slowly turned around. It wasn't long until she found Blades on the tips of her toes, reading the letter from the crook of her elbow before turning her wide emerald eyes to stare fixedly unto Holly.

"Hi."

"Yiiiiiih!"

Holly jumped away, not losing her precious to the dirty ground thanks to a split second movement. Blades simply watched with an amused smiled before gracefully lowering herself on the balls of her feet.

"D-don't do that!"

"Do what?"

"S-sneak up on me! M-my heart nearly jumped out of my chest!"

"Oh, that," Blades said. "I've been here a while, you just didn't notice."

Glaring all her animosity at Blades did nothing. Not like she could even see her, right?

"It's unusual to see you without your dear half, Blades, "Aleh said, stowing One Two away into his robes with one hand while plucking the letter out of Holly's with the other. "Something wrong?"

"Agare just returned. Says we should be safe for a while, but it's best to hurry up."

"Good to know. The other two came to a consensus on which route we take to Treil?"

"Little Boss broke the stalemate," Blades said.

Aleh opened the letter, but instead of reading normally he stole glances its way while using it as a fan and walking as if it was no effort. "Well, the sooner I'm out of this dreg, the happier I will be, no matter the way."

Blades glimpsed at her, for just the briefest instant as she turned, carrying such a cold scrutiny it pierced her to her core, rendering her naked and helpless. It was over as fast as it had began, yet her body remained frozen.

Aleh looked back at them, frowning with suspicion at Holly. As Blades passed him, the spell was broken, and Holly just quietly trailed behind.

The Floodlands.

"Aren't we in the Sacred Forest Region?" Holly had asked, watching the jungle roll by from her baton-manifested window.

"We are." Aleh answered, unfolding his red wrappings, already posed to meditate. "It is a subregion of the Sacred Forest, occupying much of Eastern and South Bellfort."

"B-but why is it called the Floodlands?"

"Because when the Rain Season comes it floods," Blades said, closer to Holly than she had been moments ago.

"A-ah. I-I see."

"Tch! What an ignorant answer! Holly, the Floodlands are a unique biome to Ivias, with no similar in the entire archipelago or the closest parts of the continent! It has a rich ecosystem with fauna and flora entirely endemic to-"

"Who cares." Blades said, and though Aleh clicked his tongue a second time, he returned his focus to the red wrappings rather than argue.

Well, Holly did care. Used to the dense forests of the Hollows, the Floodlands weren't entirely unfamiliar to her, but similarities ended in the details. She didn't have the right vocabulary to describe where both differed: how the aerial roots shooting from so high they formed arches the Oke could ride under were unlike the protective brachial embrace of the Hollow's ficus' root networks, which she used to hide frequently; how the curved thorns of the tripping weeds here looked almost like fangs, whereas the Hollow's were instruments of torture, needle like and brittle under the skin; how vibrant and plentiful life was here, unafraid and unashamed of being seen, heard.

The colors, however, were a quick and easy difference to spot. Parasitic flowers wider around then her splayed fingers in proud oranges and violets, exuberant in their tall perches! Noose Ivies heavy with yellow and white blooms, heavier with prey! Slimes and mushrooms of such lively blues they practically glowed under their mounds of decay! Swarms of jewel shelled wasps, metallic winged moths, mosquitos turning to sprites of light under scant sunbeams, great spiders like healthy bark and verdant leaf!

Agare had been right, she had seen nothing. This is where she would like to live! She tried to imagine what this place would look flooded, longing for a good dunk into some deep water. How long had it been the last time she had a proper bath? She missed her spring and basin.

Unfortunately, the intruding element wouldn't allow her to linger in her fantasies.

Aleh just starting his meditation, Furfu busy with her funk, Agare and Rosen and Lilly occupied up front, Blades practically had Holly all to herself, a privilege she was not patient to enjoy the way she scooted ever closer with each passing minute. Gone were the easy smiles, however, replaced with something piercing and cold she loathed to think too deeply about.

Eventually, as the hours passed and the baton lost its power, Holly lost her patience. Turning towards the approaching swordswoman, she bravely exclaimed: "S-sorry Blades, but did I do something wrong?"

"I don't know, did you?" Blades said with a shrug.

"H-how can I know if you don't tell me?! Y-you've been acting so weird!"

"I've been acting the same way I always do, you just don't know how that is."

"Is this because of what I did to Aleh that night? I-if it is, I swear I won't do it again, I don't even know what came over me that day..."

"You don't?" Blades said.

"I said I don't."

This time, Blades dragged herself across the long velvet seats until she almost close enough to rub on her. sitting on the floor between the entrance and her, Holly found herself stuck in place, her body already reacting with alarm. Aleh's head turned a smidge in their direction, and Holly was of half mind to beg for help, but he moved no further.

"You did." Blades said, her voice low and frigid.

"C-can you please just tell what I did wrong? I c-can't apologize for it if I don't know my mistake, can I?"

"You didn't make any mistakes."

"I-I didn't?"

Blades shook her head. "Tell me, aren't you curious?"

"About?"

"Our enemy. Our fear. What's been chasing you since the Gale."

She was. Of course she was, who wouldn't be? and yet. "N-nobody told me, so I assumed I wasn't supposed to know?"

Blades face twisted with an indiscernible feeling, and Holly knew she had given the wrong answer. Still, she waited for Blades to speak, dreading what any attempt to take it back might cause

"...You creep me out."

"W-what?!"

"Say, how old are you?"

"I-I'm not a child."

"Not what I asked." Blades slid closer. "How old are you? An estimate is fine."

"I don't know?"

"What do you know, then? Your name? Do you even remember your face?"

Holly grit her teeth, panic giving way to something uglier, "What is your point? What do you want from me?!"

"Tell me your dream then. What could someone as fake as you want for Marquise to sink her claws in?"

"W-what did you call me?!" Holly Seneschal said.

"Want me to go first? I had none. All I need to survive is water, food, and blades of course."

"Well, I didn't either! Marquise didn't 'sink her claws' on me! She is the reason I'm alive, the reason I have a purpose! Isn't being thankful for that enough to want to help her?!"

"No."

Holly was shocked mute.

"I had nothing to be thankful for, so I asked for swords, and swords she gave me. Decent stuff, too, good steel and well maintained. I joined her cause content, thinking it was going to be like work on any other Unit. It's how she whisked me by the mouth."

"I-I don't understand."

Blades stiffened on her seat. "I'm a rightful animal, Holly. Never needed to be anything else. It's how I was made to live and how I was told I would die, so why not enjoy? But I follow Lilly, and Lilly has dreams. Dreams she would die for."

"A-and the Marquise will fulfill them! I'm sure of-"

Blades whirled on her so fast she couldn't help but yelp. She had no time to retreat as a hand snuck right into the territory of her hood, finger wrapping around her thick hairs, which in turn entangled themselves up her wrist, the feeling distracting her long enough for Blades to make her approach, face closing until they were touching chin to chin, her hot breath ticking the corner of Holly's mouth-

"I know." Blades whispered.

"B-Blades..."

Her grip on the back of Holly's head grew firmer, and unconsciously so did hers on Blades' arm.

"The day I let that Headless prove herself will forever be the biggest regret of my life. Lilly will never escape her now, and there is nothing I can do."

"P-please, I-"

"I'm no good at this talking thing. Never had the talent. But I think I'm a damn good judge of character, and Lilly always trusted my intuition. One time she didn't, and now she can never afford to ever again. Do you know what that means?"

"N-no."

"Means that all I can do for her now is wield the sword while she is lead towards the abyss. It's misery."

She lessened her hold on Holly, drawing back a little, her hand caressing a trail all the way under her chin, a slim bridge of liquid connecting their cheeks. Light this late was dim inside the Oke, but the little that could penetrate painted a stark image of Blades, serious and adamant, yet tired like Holly had never seen another person.

"The Boss gave us a briefing on you. What we should expect, how you behaved."

"I-I know," Holly said. "I don't think you should talk about that."

"I like working with my own two hands though. Problem is, I can't read you, and I don't think you can read yourself well either."

"I know myself well enough."

"Better than we do. And how good is that?" Blades smiled again.

Holly tried, but couldn't answer her.

"I don't give a shit about Marquise's objective. She can burn or she can win. All I want is for Lilly to survive the process. Don't you?"

"O-of course I do!" This, Holly did not hesitate to answer, "B-but is something going to happen?"

"Something has been happening, hasn't it? You just don't want to know," Blades said.

Maybe this would be the right time to ask, to prove Blades wrong, that she knew herself entirely.

...But that had Blades mistake. The primordial problem was that she knew herself well enough, and so the moment she opened her mouth, a cold dread took hold of her. Something precious was at peril, and the only solution was to retreat, bury all that had rose back down.

She looked away, ashamed and guilty. Blades sighed, letting go of her face and sitting back, farther away.

"I can't rely on you."

"... Y-you can't."

"I have to rely on you. Everyone else is on the same boat as Lilly." Blades said.

"I-I'm on the same boat as you."

"Your sister, hm? I had forgotten until now. Are you going to tell on me?"

Holly looked around them. Aleh was glaring at them, his wrapping mostly undone, and Furfu certainly looked closer than she had been. "I-I think you already did. I just wanted to ask you though, why now? Because somebody is chasing me?"

She laid back, uncaring smile masking her face again. "Do you know what the ultimate purpose of us Faces is?"

"Marquise said-"

"Then you don't," Blades said "A Face is born and raised to serve and die for the Faceless. That was my life for five decades now."

"F-five de-!"

"I can count the number of Faces who got to my age on one hand, so I fought every battle knowing it would be my last. The bell kept tolling, I kept running, knowing I could only get so far.

"And eventually I ran so much I found something forbidden, and I don't like the idea of leaving her alone anymore. I guess I was grasping at straws there; wanted somebody who could take my place when something happens"

"...Lilly had said you were just coworkers."

"Lilly can say whatever she wants."

The Oke suddenly came to a halt, lurching them in place but too late. They shook, the entire world scrambling and blurring as they held on to dear life. Aleh rolled into a ball as he was thrown to ground, flipped in their direction.

Then, it ended. Blades and Furfu still stood in place, though the latter was spread against the wall like a spider, while the former merely frowned. Holly had gripped the edges of the closest seat so tight her nails had dug into the velvet, cutting through its filling. Aleh swore, but was the first of them to stand up.

"What the fuck was that?! Almalilly!" Aleh called.

"Sinkhole!" Lilly said, "We think! The road just crumbled under us!"

Blades, hand firmly placed on the pommel of her sword, stood second, quietly following behind Aleh as he went to investigate. Holly crawled behind, curious, terrified. She spared Furfu, who seemed just as shaken as her, a pitying look, hearing Rosen and Almalilly climb up to the roof through the cabin's hatch.

It wasn't the first time Holly had seen the cabin's bizarre display of luminescent organs, a mystifying array of controls and commands for their transport. However, her attention was caught by what laid beyond the cabin's transparent protective membrane.

Half immersed by darkness, the Oke stood slanted upwards inside a damp earthen hole, the tips of countless roots peeking out of the walls like reaching fingers. Underneath, the loose soil had formed a ramp of sorts in front of them, a convenient passage unfortunately blocked by the hefty trunk of a dead and rotten tree, thought thankfully not one of the larger giants Holly had spotted out in the forest during the trip.

"What a disgrace!" Aleh said, "Does this kingdom not care for its roads?!"

"No." Blades said.

"Indeed, if a governor up east left such an unsightly mess for anyone to stumble upon, they-"

"I'm saying this wasn't just neglect."

And then it happened, as if waiting for her cue.

A scream rang from outside. Holly realized she couldn't identify the source.

"Halt, Yanna!"

The effect was immediate. Aleh swore under his breath and took a step back, while Furfu whimpered loud enough the caller might as well have been a monster.

And Blades, for the first time Holly had seen, paled. Her sword screeched against its scabbard, its thin blade slowly revealed as she searched the woods.

"Holly, don't forget what I said."

"W-why? What's happening, Blades?!"

"What's happening? Simple. The nice part of the trip just ended."