Content Warnings

-Blood and gore

-violent descriptions

-violence

-Strong Language

-suicidal references

Chapter XVI

Forces of Nature Part IV

Ursa crashed into the water, fire on her cloth and bubbles bursting out her mouth. It was cold and heavy. The darkness was intense and familiar.

Tempestas went in after her. The water rapidly froze, clawing at her like a wild animal.

Red. She spun her cloth like a propeller, leaping from that cloud of water to the next.

The ice still followed from behind. She leapt again.

The ice was closing in. She turned, ready to black strike it.

A claw from above ripped her from the water. It SMASHED her into the newly formed iceberg and loaded her with LIGHTNING!

Green. She shattered the claw and broke herself free.

She leapt back, getting distance between herself and Tempestas. She took deep breaths as she heard its heavy footsteps.

“Nowhere left to run, Ursa…,” it sneered.

“I had no right to leave you there,” she stated, standing up. “And I have no right to apologise-,”

“Right? Right?! RIGHT!?” it laughed. “Of course you respect me now. I have what you lack,”

She turned to it, her eyes lamenting the view, “You can still turn back. As long as you haven’t reached level 3, you can rebuild-,”

“REBUILD!? You wish to stifle *my* growth! Destroy *my* power!” it exclaimed.

Its shadow loomed over her from within the mist. The only light coming off of it were its eyes.

“Tempestas Glacies. This is the path of the Aeternum and it will only destroy you,” She stated, squeezing her claws.

“Wise words from *you*. Yet its the Mondgreif and the Aeternum that rule this shitty world, not a bunch Awakened who didn’t have the *guts* to take power for themselves!” it roared, spreading its claws.

“Guts?! This is your life, your ‘self’! Are you willing to trade that for power?! Thirty hundred years have passed and the same Aeternum are fighting the same wars for nothing more than power! They’re neither fed nor satisfied! Do you want a bottomless stomach, JADEITE?!” she questioned, pointing a finger.

Her eyes widened.

It chuckled, “It's clear that this is the right path. Let’s end this game Ursa,”

“Under Umbrella won’t take you-,”

“I don’t fucking care!” It roared, charging her.

Its mist consumed her. Yellow.

She *barely* dodged beneath an attack from its claws. She *spun* and unleashed a gust of wind that pushed away.

She barely got a look at Tempestas before the mist covered it again. It turned, striking her with its claws and sending her flying back.

It charged a sphere of yellow in its mouth and BLASTED her with it. Green.

She dodged out of the way. Yellow, she unleashed another gust of wind. Once again, the mist quickly replaced itself.

It *clawed* down on her. She dodged.

She stumbled. Her cloth was already frozen solid.

It *grabbed* her with its canine teeth.  It bit hard, throwing her around and clawing at all sides until it SSSPIT her out, throwing her across the iceberg.

Her red dress had been destroyed, her face was covered in frostbite and a wound bled into her left shoulder. Tempestas spit out blood.

“You humans taste so disgusting,” it laughed. “Let’s finish…fuck!”

The mist stopped, revealing Tempestas standing bare. Ursa struggled to her feet, her cloth regenerating.

“You shouldn’t be so wasteful. Even Jadeite knew not to over exert so much,”

“You think this will stop me FROM TEARING YOU APART!?” IT ROARED, CHARGING HER!

She slid beneath its legs and palm struck its back. It back clawed her. She ducked down and palm struck its chin before kicking it.

Cracks formed and immediately vanished from its body

It bit down, trying to wrap its claws around her. She backflipped, dodging the strike and kicking it in the head.

It rapidly clawed at her and she weaved through each strike before palm striking it each time. They reached the edge of the iceberg. 

She prepared to weave around it. It sunk its claws into the ice and ripped it and her into the air.

It grabbed her by the foot and repeatedly SLAMMED her into the ground! She wrapped her arms around one of its legs and tripped it.

She wildly palm struck it. It SHOVED its arm into her claws, forcing them to break through the surface! 

Her arm was stuck.

It twisted its arm and thus her’s around. She felt her bones and guts being forcefully twisted around behind. She tried to break, but it grabbed her with its other claw and TWISTED her body the other way.

It RIPPED HER LEFT ARM OFF AND TOSSED HER ASIDE! Blood spilled out all over the iceberg as Ursa grit her teeth in pain!

“That’s a first, I thought you were immune to pain,” it laughed, looming over her.

Ursa stared at her reflection in the mirror. She saw 126 years. An infant taken from a burning hut, a temple where she and another played, a stage where she watched the stars, and 11 faded allies gathered in a grassy plain.

She smiled and spit out blood.

She struggled her feet, “Tempestas, I was never immune to pain. I just have something that you lack,”

It narrowed its eyes, “And what is that?”

She dropped all of her cloth and charged all her claws with black and regenerating her arm, “10 seconds,”

Eyes sharpened, it charged her. She easily sidestepped it, careful not to destroy her footing. 

She struck, destroying its entire right arm and a portion of its body.

9

Its body regenerated. It bit down on her. She smashed through its head and torso, sending it flying back.

It clawed along the ground as its body regenerated.

8

Ursa charged it, the ground cracking beneath her claws. It willingly fell into the water to dodge, but its head was still destroyed.

Ursa quickly looked around the water.

7

Ursa jabbed down on the iceberg, splitting it and causing the water around the EXPLODE UPWARDS in waves. Tempestas pounced upon her. She clawed it in half. It rolled over her, regenerating its lower half, albeit a smaller one.

6

It grabbed her. Her body would snap like a twig if she wasn’t so fast.

She clawed through its arm. She clawed again and again and again and again.

5

Its body was closer to its original size and shape. It emitted lightning from its hand. 

She paused.

4

It summoned its old hammer and SMASHED it quickly was as. She attempted to kick it, but it tackled her, only taking a weak knee strike.

The kick that missed still shattered its legs.

3

She politely threw it across the smaller iceberg. She sped in front of it and struck it back the other way. 

She slowly walked towards it.

2

Its body had been reduced to the thin old man look she saw in chapter X. It raised its hands.

“WAIT-!”

She reduced it to nothing in an instant.

1

She undid the black enhancements in her body, a tired look on her face. A sharp pain stung her spine.

She fell to her knees. It was like she were swarmed by wasps. Her body began to shake, het mind began to fade. She felt like she needed to vomit acid.

The ice below her rapidly cracked. She placed her claws on her Xiphoid Process, taking violent breaths. Her body was covered in red marks, signs of constant mending, and they BURNED like stitches without anesthetic.

She fell forward as the ice broke. She lost consciousness, falling out of the Colour and into the Reflect Realm.

She sank into the waters.

Several days latte.

A chicken ran down the streets of a small island with buildings held together by rope. A familiar woman in a funeral kimono chased after it.

“GET BACK HERE YOU COCK!” Moma exclaimed.

“I GOT IT! I GOT IT!” a Daqunese woman in a brown hanfu called out.

She held up a net, spinning it in the air and tossing it at the chicken. The chicken squeezed its head and body through the net and rushed off.

“The fuck!?” she exclaimed, eyes bulging from her head.

They chased after the chicken, running around the entire island and kicking up dust. People were out and about, repairing what homes they have, trying to farm or raise animals in little squares. It was a very lowkey place.

There were a few people who stared out at the sea, a sadness in their eyes.

In a small alley, a familiar plague doctor in black sat, squeezed between the buildings. She had a cane with a red jewel, red eyes, and outlined in white on the back of her hand was the symbol of Under Umbrella. She took notice of two women chasing the chicken. Her cane partially fazed into the ground as a shadow.

The chicken froze. The two women leapt upon it

………

The chicken was placed in a cage. It clucked and clamored but the gaps in the cage were too small for it. Moma carried it down the street beside the other woman.

“Thank you for the help, my name is Himeko Nina,” Moma greeted, shaking the woman’s hand.

“Your welcome, my name is Dan Qiao,” she responded.

She had brown hair and olive eyes. Her hanfu was less torn and more like it was cheaply stitched. She looked at Moma with suspicious curiosity.

“So what’s a Daimyese doing on a Daqunese island?”

Moma sighed, “The Aeternum took a lot from me. I don’t feel like I can stay in the land of the owls for a while,”

Qiao looked down, “I understand….,”

“I’m sorry,”

“That won't rewrite what's happened,” she shrugged.

“I know…,” She lamented, shaking her head before. “Oh, we’re here,”

A Father and son approached them. The father was using twigs as crutches and the son had a straw hat. They lived in a hut near the edge of the island.

“IT'S JIU, SHE FOUND JIU!” The Son exclaimed.

“Thank you for this,” the Father bowed.

“Figures it was a pet, this chicken was too smart to be food,” Moma chuckled, handing the child the chicken. “Keep an eye on it next time. Don’t want it getting caught it in the waves,”

“Did you help as well Qiao?” the Father exclaimed. “You didn’t really need to-,”

“No no Jo, it's fine,” she insisted, raising a hand. “Didn’t realise you lot had a pet though,”

“Jiu lays eggs for us. Heng just kind of got attached to it,” he laughed in an embarrassed tone, hand on his head as best as it could be.

“RAID!” a voice called out.

“(Oh no),” they all exclaimed.

“RAID!!!”

“INTO THE TAVERN! HIDE ANYONE AND EVERYONE! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!” The bartender called out.

“RAID!!!!!”

In the distance, three Daimyese ships approached the island. Green and yellow explosions fired off near the island. An entire building was wiped out in an instant, reducing multiple civilians to dust and ash. 

People ran to hide in buildings, while warriors got ready for battle. Moma and Qiao helped Jo, Heng, and Jiu get into the tavern. They reached the inside.

“I need to go,” Qiao stated, heading out.

“GOOD LUCK!” Moma called out, her voice confused, but trying to understand.

Magister stood up within the alleyway, her back to the battle. Guards leapt out of the airships using ropes. Around 60 of them all pointed their rifles and blades.

The warriors of the island lined up, using plates of blue wreckage as makeshift cover. Qiao walked out from the group, guan dao in hand.

“What brings you here?!” she asked.

A captain stepped up, “This land is now under the rule of the Twelve Owls! Under Owl rule you will no longer live in poverty and will be fed! All we ask is that you pay your taxes, whether it be money, food, or people! Moreover, all soldiers and weapons must be removed from the island as punishment for your rebellion!”

“LEAVE!” Qiao ordered. “WE TAKE NOT THE DROPPINGS OF BIRDS!”

“VERY WELL!” the Captain exclaimed. “KILL THEM ALL-!”

All of the Guards shot themselves in the head or slit their own throats. The battle was over. 

The Northern warriors were shocked.

“...raid the ships!” Qiao ordered, raising her guan dao.

The warriors rushed to the ships, grabbing onto the ropes and climbed. The dead guards were stripped of their weapons and armour. Shortly after, Corrupted Beasts dragged them into the ocean.

Magister left the alleyway, and entered the tavern. Everyone looked at her, some with dread, others with excitement. The masked bartender prepared a drink.

“You may return to your homes,” she stated.

“Thank you Magister!”

“Thank you Magister!”

“Thank you Magister!”

Many of them repeated, leaving the tavern and giving her a bow. She paid them no mind.

“Please leave Setsune alone. She’s a sweet girl,” Moma urged, her face shocked by the sight.

Magister glanced upon her and just kept on.

Moma narrowed her eyes and left. It was just the Bartender and Magister now. She handed her a drink.

“It might be a good idea to stay around for a few weeks. I’m sure another gang leader will take over eventually, but-,”

“Is she alive?” Magister asked.

“Whose to say?” she shrugged.

“You are,”

“Do I look like Omnes Videntum Deum to you?” she chuckled. “Most Signa Mortis are not all-seeing. Maybe Fabula or Custos, but certainly not I,”

“Is she alive?” she repeated.

“Your such dullard you know. She might be alive, or a new Shadow Velvet has been picked and is in hiding or Eversor is lying in wait to kill us all. Or in the least case scenario, Eversor has decided to pass on with her,” Taipan commented, tossing a die on the counter.

“Ursa has been Possessed for too long. If Eversor breaks free she could destroy our rebellion before it has a chance,” she stated, eyes sharpened.

“And whose fault is that? You lot have had thirty hundred years to end the Aeternum Empire and you haven’t even gotten close,” Taipan criticised, sitting on the counter, her legs crossed.

“Your supposed to be our ally, but you’ve only built capital. Your more of a liability than Eversor,”

“The dealer is often a liability to the gambler,” Taipan chuckled, tossing the die again. “Live a little and let some chaos into this game. Gamblers don’t play predictable games after all,”

“Where. Is. She?” she insisted, her patience so very tested.

“Luck is not on your side, Magister,” Taipan stated, shaking her head. “You’ll have to wait and see,”

“Keep me posted,”

“We’ll see how it goes. I have someone on the job,” Taipan explained, getting on her feet and walking out from the counter.

“Lyn A. El-Amin?” Magister questioned, glancing back at her.

“Good guess. Fun story, we were playing-,”

“I don’t care,” she stated, leaving the tavern.

Taipan watched as she left. She rolled the die.

“Such a dullard,”

[“It's a tie,”

“You can’t prove that that’s what happened?”

“My child, kill yourself,”

“What’s the job,”

“I need you to go to Adlernest, bring Setsune back into the walls, and then you’ll be free,”

“Alive free, right?”

“Glad you picked up on contract technicalities. Now time for you to get cleaned up,”].

……….

A wandered grassy fields. She was wearing a grey jacket, pants, and shoes. She had black gloves with their middle and pointer fingers open. Around her neck was a white scarf so big she had to pull it down to smoke.

She snapped her fingers, “This Glassflower better be worth the trouble or I actually might kill myself,”

To Be Continued………