Determination (21 page)

Pursing her lips, she turned his head from side to side and ran a finger over his lips. “It defies all logic but I don’t think I could ever stop loving you, even though you’ve hurt me deeply. I can’t bring myself to hate you. Instead, I’ll help you atone, help you free yourself from these chains. I want us to be together again, in another life, free of these memories, free of their burden. Just us, happy and in love.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

“No, you don’t,” she said with a small smile. “Now kiss me, stupid man.” Daio pressed his lips to hers and they hugged each other tight.

Ron shook his head and faced Roxie, his gaze severe. “All that aside, you are in need of help. I’m afraid all we can give you is knowledge but not the wisdom to go with it. That can be earned only by living life and gaining experience.”

Roxie nodded. She’d take all the help she could get, but at the same time she wondered how long Ron and the others had been stuck in the spirit realm. What were they holding on to? Their hate for Daio? The shock of their untimely deaths? Wrath? A need for revenge, to mete out their version of justice? They’d felt compelled to ignore Roxie the moment they noticed Daio. That said a lot right there.

“Now, forget about Daio and his punishment. I can feel your dissatisfaction with our actions.”

“How long have you been dead?”

Ron’s four eyes blinked and he lost the severity in his gaze. “Why do you ask?”

“Every soul goes on a journey in death, but they can get stuck for one reason or another. How long have you been dead?”

“Centuries, by my world’s reckoning. What does this have to do with our coming to help you?”

“Absolutely nothing.” She wanted their help but she felt a need to help them in return.

“Then worry not. We need to help you get out of here.”

“My mother has been stuck in her own personal hell my entire life. You’ve been stuck here for centuries. Why?”

Ron’s eyes began glowing red. “I was murdered for the sake of some evil plot, and I could do nothing but watch helplessly as he did the same to Aigis after Aigis. Could you rest in peace if you knew your murderer was on the loose?”

“He’s dead now. He can’t do any more harm. You can rest in peace.”

“No, I can’t. Nexus hasn’t been stopped yet.”

“That’s my problem; not yours.”

“I and the others refuse to let you carry that burden alone.” He gestured to the rest of the Aigis. “Let us pass on what useful knowledge we can so you may stand a better chance. We wish to preserve your life.”

“Only if you promise me one thing.” She rested a hand on the pommel of her sword.

“Name it.”

“Let go of what’s making your soul stuck.” She looked around and spoke louder. “All of you. How can you expect me to readily accept help from you when none of you seem to be able to help yourselves?”

“Why do you care about our plight?” Ron said.

“Why do you care so much about mine? You’re dead.”

“Because your actions affect all living things, mortal and divine. It is up to you to preserve the mortal realm from a selfish god. Worry not about us.”

“But you need help, too,” she said earnestly. “Dead or not, you deserve peace and rest. Think of it as a fair trade. Don’t you want peace for yourself?”

Ron took a deep breath and slowly exhaled through his wedge of a nose. He looked at the other Aigis again before turning back to Roxie. One corner of his mouth crooked into a smile. “Let us pass on our knowledge and we will talk.”

Chapter 14

Aid

“All of us have lived for hundreds or thousands of years,” Ron said. “Aigis are trained to fight and protect, along with help societies grow. You are part of this legacy and you must take on a foe no Aigis has faced in a long time. Always remember, your task is not impossible.”

“How did those who fought gods beat them?”

Ron had three-fingered hands shaped like a chameleon’s, along with a hook-shaped fourth digit near his wrist, serving more as a claw. He curled his hands into fists with the middle digits pointing towards Roxie. “There is one you should meet on your journey through the spirit realm. That Aigis is best suited for passing on such knowledge.”

Sekiro said, “We’re seeing him once we’re done here, Roxie.”

Should be interesting.
“Why didn’t he come with the others?”

“He doesn’t have a Numina. You’ll see when we get there.”

“Now hold still,” Ron said. “We’ll see how long this knowledge sticks. We’ll keep giving it to you until you’ve learned enough.”

Like Aerigo had done back on Phailon, Ron touched a finger to both her stomach and forehead. She felt static electricity coming from his fingertips, and her eyes began darting back and forth as if in REM sleep. Martial art skills poured into her. Forms, techniques, weapon skills, meditation rituals, and basic self defense moves. It was like someone was fast-forwarding through hundreds of years of practice and she was watching it all.

Eyes stilling and Ron’s face coming back into focus, Roxie took a deep breath and he pulled away. “And now for a few extended reality skills that should help you stay alive.” He closed his eyes, concentrating, and touched her forehead and stomach again. Knowledge of healing and defensive magic poured into her, some healing chants to repair injuries between fights, and defensive magic that used her blood, altering its composition to make parts of her body tough as iron for short periods of time. It was complicated stuff but both magics could be used with ease after much practice. Both things would come in handy, since Aigis were far from invincible.

Ron stepped back and another Aigis took his place, passing on sword fighting techniques. Longsword, short sword, saber, bastard sword, rapier, hook blade, and more odd-shaped ones meant to keep opponents guessing where the next blow would fall. When the second Aigis let go, Roxie grabbed the hilt of her sword, eager to test what she just learned, but she stayed put for the next person in line. She would get to exercise her new skills soon enough.

Every Aigis passed on magical and/or fighting skills. Roxie thought all this knowledge would make her brain feel like it was being overloaded; instead, her mind collected all the information without so much as a headache. She gratefully absorbed every last scrap of knowledge.

What felt like fifteen minutes later, the final Aigis finished passing on magic that further enhanced how fast she could move and joined the others back in their semicircle. Many of them watched Daio, holding themselves ready for a fight. Hopefully they’d control themselves until Roxie was gone. At least now she had so much fighting knowledge. She wondered if she temporarily knew more than Aerigo now. Sure he’d still be more skilled because he’d practiced all he knew, but she now had the potential to catch up in a hurry with lots of practice of her own. She understood that she had all this knowledge but not the wisdom on how to optimize its use. She had been shown how to do tons of things, and now she needed practice to get good at them.

Eager to try her new sword fighting skills, Roxie drew her sword and focused on a series of moves compiled into a form meant to be practiced both fast and slow. Bringing the flat of the blade to her forehead, she took the hilt in both hands and, inhaling, began.

Each swing and parry, all the footwork flowed into each other as she pretended to fight a series of invisible opponents coming at her with swords of their own. The form focused on deflection and conserving energy, letting her opponents tire themselves out with their own attacks. It felt like a dance, and like no one could touch her.

She had just a few moves left when she couldn’t remember what came next. She paused with her sword guarding the left side of her face and tried to backtrack through the sequence, but couldn’t remember much beyond starting with the sword touching her forehead.

“What’s wrong?” Ron said. “You look lost. You shouldn’t be. All that knowledge should stay fresh for twenty four hours before fading.”

“I don’t know. It’s like it’s fading already.” Roxie sheathed her sword, figuring she could come back to that later, and took in the vaulted space. It has to be at least a mile wide, and enough miles long to not be able to see one end or the other. Roxie cast the very last spell she’d learned, the one that enhanced her movement speed, and her feet felt like they were standing on a vibrating trampoline. The ground surrounding her feet shimmered like rippling water. Bending into a runner’s starting position, Roxie plotted a path across the space that avoided running Numina over. It didn’t matter that they were moving. She’d be running too fast for them to get in the way.

She sucked in a deep breath and sprinted, hearing a thunderous boom after just a few steps. The world around her came to a complete standstill as she darted among the Numina, oblivious to her movements, and she came to a halt before a stone gate on the other side. The energy sprites and Numina fell back into motion and the boom echoed. Had she just broken the sound barrier?
Wow.
All the Numina jumped and looked around. “That was me. Sorry.” Well, that bit of extended reality came to her just fine, so why had the sword form slipped from her memory so fast? She sprinted back, filling the chamber with another echoing boom, and stopped by Aerigo, Ron, and Sekiro. Hopefully she hadn’t terrified anyone too much.

Sekiro gaped at her, eyes wide. “That was crazy. One second you were standing there, ready to run. The next second you were gone. That boom made me jump!”

“Now that’s fast,” Daio said lightly. “Aigis can’t break the sound barrier without the help of extended reality.”

Roxie dismissed her speed enhancement with a wave, then held a hand over her shield arm and tried to recall the bit of extended reality Ron had taught her, but the knowledge wouldn’t come, beyond how to hold her hand.

“Now what’s wrong?” Ron said.

“I’m trying to practice the iron blood technique you taught me but I can’t remember it. The first stuff is fading already. I don’t get what’s going on.” She let her arms hang at her sides. “Was it too much information all at once?”

Sekiro said, “Hold on. I think I might know.” She touched Roxie’s forehead and closed her eyes.

“I’m puzzled,” Ron said. “Knowledge is knowledge. Our being dead should make no difference to the longevity of the information.”

Roxie’s heart pounded out beat after beat as she felt more knowledge slipping away like memory of a dream. She wanted to clamp her head, but not even reviewing the information over and over was committing it to memory.

Opening her eyes, Sekiro removed her hand and sucked in air through her teeth. “Roxie...” Her voice was full of shock. “You’ve... you’ve been here a year already.”

Roxie’s stomach dropped to her feet. “Oh god.” A year? How could that much time possibly slip by without her noticing? “What do I do now? I thought time had no meaning here.”

“It still doesn’t but I think your body is connected to Earth’s time flow. That would explain your needs to eat and rest. Your body is feeling time pass.”

“So what about Nexus and his war? If a year has gone by, then I’m way too late. The war has to be over already.”

Both Ron and Sekiro started talking at the same time. They looked at each other and Sekiro motioned for him to speak. He said, “Gods live outside the mortal strictures of time. The rules we live and die by don’t apply to them. I caught a glimpse through Aerigo that the war is taking place on a realm; not a world. That works in your favor, Roxie.”

“How?” She wanted to scream. How could have any time left to make a difference or save anyone? Her feeling like she was wasting precious seconds had been right all this time.

“Have you forgotten that you’re on another god’s realm at this very moment?”

Sekiro said, “Roxie, Thanatos is the keeper of time. Since he knows you’re here, he has to know what’s going on in the living side. Trust him to know what he’s doing with time flow.”

“But I’ve been feeling this need to hurry the whole time I’ve been here.” She’d first noticed it during their chat atop the lighthouse.

“That’s most likely because of your connection to Earth’s time flow. I don’t know how to explain this to you well. I’m sorry.”

“So then what about the part where you and my dad’s Numina agreed that seeing Thanatos is a gamble? What does he care about me and what I’m trying to do if killing me after we meet is an option?”

“The odds of that depend on you and your journey through the realm of the dead,” she said patiently. “All souls are judged by him. I am trying to help you get out of here alive. Please calm down.”

Roxie made herself take a deep breath. She felt anything but calm, but she had to admit she felt like only either days or hours had gone by for her in this place. She had no clue how long she’d slept each time.

“Trust your Numina,” Ron said in a soothing voice.

“I do,” she said, taking another deep breath. “I’m just scared of failing. I don’t want to show up too late to make a difference. People are dying while I’m stuck here.”

“You won’t,” he said with a shake of his head. “It would be best if you return before the war ends, but things can still be salvaged if you can’t. Taking down Nexus is key to setting things right.”

Sekiro said, “I bet Thanatos knows the consequences. Why would he bother setting you on your own journey through here if he didn’t?”

Memory of the moment where Roxie fought against Nexus and him willing her to die replayed in her head. She’d fought his will and ended up here. Had... “Sekiro, do you think it’s possible I ended up here because of Thanatos?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Nexus was willing me to die but I fought his will and ended up among the dead, still alive. Maybe Thanatos pulled me here to save me and help me prepare to face Nexus.”

“Maybe. You’re going to have to ask him for the truth.”

“I’m not sure I believe your theory,” Ron said. “Frava gives an Aigis all the power he or she needs, and you either win the battle of wills or you don’t. Aerigo had Nexus beat, until he lost track of his own dagger.” Ron shook his head. “By the sound of it, your battle of wills put you here, unless I’m mistaken.”

“But I felt something pull me down,” Roxie said. She remembered a giant, invisible hand grabbing her torso before everything went black.

“Then maybe you’re right. But whatever the truth, it’s clear we can’t bestow all the knowledge we have on you. You must rely purely on your own wit and strength of will against Nexus. I’m sorry. I and the others were hoping to be of more help.”

“It’s alright.” Well, it was and it wasn’t, but it was going to have to be. If Frava gave her the power to stand up to the will of a god, then hopefully Ron was right in believing that’s all she needed to win. “In the meantime, I’d like to take a moment to let my grandmother know I’m alive and to keep feeding me.”

*     *     *

Sekiro helped send Roxie’s soul back to the living side while her body remained in the realm of the dead. She manifested inside a sprawling office she didn’t recognize, with a noise machine humming in one corner. And once again, Sekiro was nowhere to be seen.

Luis was seated at a large desk, yawning, a medium cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee in hand. He rubbed his eyes and slurped his drink, then set it next to his iPhone. Roxie recognized New York City’s sky scrapers outside the window. So they were in his New York office.

Roxie cleared her throat, hoping it was a gentle enough announcement of her arrival.

Luis looked at her and let out a startled yelp as he jumped. “Jesus!” He rubbed his face and got up. “You scared the heck out of me, Roxie. It’s been ages. What are you doing here and how did you pop into my office like that?” He rounded his desk and wrapped her in a hug.

A warm hug, her first one in ages. She sagged with relief, until Luis flinched.

“Oh! You’re cold again. Are you still in the spirit realm?” He stepped back and put his hands on his hips, studying her.

“Yeah. How long has it been since the last time we talked?” She mostly believed what Sekiro had said, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to accept that so much time had really gone by.

Luis reached over and pressed a button on his phone. “It’s September sixteenth, so it’s been over a year. Do you need food again?”

Roxie shook her head as she tried to wrap her brain around so much time passing without her notice. Part of her insisted that it wasn’t true. No more than a few days had passed. She hadn’t been there to witness an entire year having gone by, so it couldn’t have happened. However, Luis had given her the same answer as Sekiro without knowing it. “How’s my grandmother doing?”

“She’s worried about you. Have a seat.” He gestured to a guest chair, sat at his desk, and took a sip of coffee.

Taking a seat in the maroon leather chair, Roxie noticed the aroma of French vanilla permeating the air and now she found herself wanting a cup of tea.