Story:Alto/Chapter 11

A week ago, Alto burned. Many died, and many more suffered. But today was a new day. Ryo thought this to himself as he walked from place to place. With his newfound magic he could mend those who had been injured, though it was a tiring process. Thankfully those in dire need had already been cared for. But many more were hurt.

He walked through the burned forest. Walked alongside the old creek. Today he was planning to visit someone he hadn’t personally met, but knew a great deal about.

“Hello, Keviron.” Ryo announced as he walked up to the remains of Grigori’s old cabin.There lay the black wolf. His body was curled around the remains of his golden partner. Her body was already starting to fade away. It hadn’t begun decomposition, but her fur was no longer like the sands beyond Alto. Now it was brown like the earth. Whatever divine sheen was there had returned to the heavens.

“Go away.” Was all the wolf could muster. Not even a growl escaped his lips.

“She isn’t coming back, you know.” Ryo said as he walked up to the wolf. Those blue eyes had dulled. They refused to look at him. Ryo sat down, placing a hand on the wolf. A grunt of annoyance but no resistance.

“You’re dying too, aren’t you?” Ryo asked, feeling blood on his hand. It was invisible beneath the fur, but it was there. No doubt infected. “I could heal you. We could retain our guardian.”

“For what purpose?” Keviron said in sorrow, only his jaw moving as he spoke.

“So what,you wish to die?” Ryo needed no answer. He could feel it. Keviron was dying, and his partner was long dead. The question was just whether or not it would be merciful to kill him now.

“I want you to leave.” Keviron reaffirmed.

“You and Shivira will be rejoined, once both of you are gone. I’m sure of that.” Ryo got up, obeying the wishes of the great wolf. Someone he had only met once, but felt he had known for a lifetime. “Such is the way of heaven.”

“Go! Away!” Keviron finally barked and snapped. This did not hurry Ryo’s walk. They both knew the wolf would refuse to stand up. He had no fight left in him. Ryo could only hope for a peaceful passing.

He walked along what was once the old forest trails. He could no longer hear the birds. Oh did he miss them. If Ryo could go back in time he would love to hear them again. Perhaps within the tower Grigori was listening to them now.

He walked up to the Shrine of the Earth. Oh how foreign it looked. A forest shrine without a forest. A dilapidated building acting as the home for one of Alto’s most influential people. Worst of all was the priestess tending to the remains of a garden while most of her home has been burned to the ground.

“Hello, Dahlia.” Ryo announced as he walked up to the councilwoman.

“Hey.” Her voice was quiet. Focused. Barely more than a whisper. Out of the council, Ryo wondered if she had suffered the most. Like him, something else had taken her that night. Unlike him, it seemed to have taken her without consent. He had allowed the angel to help him. But with her, the spirits simply acted on their own.

“How’re you holding up?” Ryo asked, kneeling down next to her. He raised his hand, but only hovered it over her for a moment. She did not tense up, but she didn’t relax either. It was hard to tell if she even noticed. That was enough for him to withdraw his hand.

“Better.” She answered, not looking away from her garden. “You?”

“I’m just happy for everyone that’s alive.” Ryo smiled. But it did not reach her. “There’s going to be a town meeting soon. You’d best get ready.” His tone grew stern. She was not responding well to comfort, so instead he gave her a task. She nodded, getting up to go back inside the remains of her home.

Ryo frowned as he left. It was just as that angel said. No doubt she will continue to suffer.

He walked back into town. The people were unified more than ever. Despite Grigori’s betrayal, they had fought back the invaders. And now they banded together to rebuild and replant. What else were they to do? The time to grieve and mourn was over for them. Time would not stand still while Alto was still vulnerable.

As he walked past one of the communal halls a hearty whiff of meat and vegetables wandered into his nose. No doubt one of Rich’s cooking, he figured. Ryo walked in to see just that, as well as a few others sitting around the pot. Those stews always knew how to bring in a crowd.

“Hello, everyone.” Ryo announced as he sat among them.

“Hey Ryo.” Clyde’s words were pained. He was still bandaged, his arm in a sling and ribs broken. It was only because of Ryo and Dahlia’s healing that he was not in a worse shape.

“Oh, hey Ryo.” Rich poured a bowl of stew for the warrior priest, the group passing it around to him. Meat, vegetables, and egg, just as he had guessed “Help yourself.”

“Thank you.” Ryo gave a warm smile to the chef before taking a spoonful. If there was anything he missed while in the tower, it was Rich’s cooking. He could turn just about anything into a flavor packed and nutritious meal.

“Making the rounds?” Clyde did a poor job hiding how difficult it was for him to talk. It came and went, but the old rancher was feeling it.

“Of course.” Ryo took a wooden spoon and scooped up some of the meat and carrots as he spoke. “The people still need help.”

“Wish I could join you. Rich and the wife’s got me bedridden.” Clyde grumbled.

“As they well should!” Despite the inflection, Ryo’s voice did not rise. “You’re still badly hurt. Worse than all of us. It’s a miracle you’re still walking.”

“I’m just more stubborn than the other guy. That’s all.” Clyde wasn’t one to believe in miracles. “But thanks. I’m glad you popped out of that tower when you did.” Clyde nodded to his friend, and everyone in the room knew that this gesture meant more than the energy put into making it.

“Would you like to move the town meeting here?” Ryo asked, catching a glare in response. Clyde stood up on his own, giving his empty bowl to Rich, before walking off. Ryo figured that would happen, but it was better to ask.

He finished his own meal while listening to everyone else talk. Everyone was still worried, but they focused on repairs and construction. Though it was difficult with so little wood. Many things that were once made from lumber now had to be constructed with stone and metal, which their tools were not prepared for.With the magic he was shown having maybe Grigori could have made stone construction easier for them. Though now nobody would ever know.

“Thank you.” Ryo said, returning the bowl and spoon. As he walked to the center of town he saw others walking with him. Everyone was gathering for the weekly meeting. It was for the best, but Ryo wondered if it could have happened any other way.

Was this Grigori’s goal? Or was he simply treacherous and foolish?

“Hello. Where’s Kevor?” He asked, seeing only two seats filled.

“He couldn’t be pulled away from his project.” Dahlia answered. Electricity. How useful could it really be? Especially with things in such disrepair.

“Then let’s get started,” Ryo turned to Clyde. “How have repairs gone?”

“Poorly. We’ve gotten everything essential fixed, but we’re almost out of wood.” Clyde answered with a deep sigh. “Kevor’s doing his best to help with that, but we can only do so much.”

“And the trees… they won’t grow large enough in our lifetime.” Dahlia pointed out. She still spoke quietly, just as she did in the garden. Ryo could only hope she wasn’t upset by his worried gaze.

“What of Grigori?” Clyde asked, looking to Ryo. “You were in that tower. Is he going to spring back out in a few months like you did? Or should I charge in there?”

“Please, that won’t be a problem. And even if it was I wouldn’t let you go in your condition.” Ryo waved off the suggestion. It took him a moment to realize this wasn’t a satisfactory answer, however. “Oh, have I forgotten to explain what’s inside that tower?”

The people began to talk. Some angry at him for being dense, as he has said so little about his journey inside the tower during the weeks he had been back, others anxious to hear more. There was a flood of emotion between everyone. It was almost overwhelming for the counsel. But they managed to quiet everyone down.

Ryo walked to the entrance of the tower, turning around to face everybody. Dahlia and Clyde turned in their seats to face him, the rest standing in wait.

“Very well. I left you to see what was within this tower. To show my faith and bolster yours. It’s time I followed through.” A white glow, much fainter than during the battle, shown from him.

“Atop that tower stands a mighty angel. Our guardian. He watches over this town; he protects it. For his name is Paragon, and he encompasses that name. I now serve as both the guardian to this shrine, but also his emissary. As he protects us from above, I shall help us here on the ground.” Everyone looked to Ryo as he spoke, the glow slowly fading. “If he believes Grigori is redeemable, then we shall see him returned to us as someone looking to atone. If not, then we shall never hear from him again.”

“Ryo…” Dahlia spoke up, the loudest she had been all week. “Between this angel of yours, and those injuries you had, what… happened?” Ryo looked to Dahlia. It was time they knew the truth of what was actually in that tower. 

***

Lorica sat down where her husband once joined her. Staring out into endless sand. Almost two weeks have passed, and only just now has anyone received word of the journey to that forest.

She watched it burn from a distance, but nobody returned when it did. She cursed those backwards people, and then the gods above. She cursed the world and those incompitent fools that made up her army. She even cursed the dolls she had showed them how to make, and the crafters who clearly learned nothing she tried to teach them.

And then Garland returned to her. His armor looked brand new, shining in the unforgiving sun.

“My queen.” Garland took a knee as he reached the top of those long stairs. But she did not turn around.

“Report.”

“Our assault has failed. As predicted, Delta turned on us.” Garland’s words caused her head to turn. She didn’t get up from the shaded throne, but her eyes pierced through his helmet like the spear sitting at her side.

For the first time in weeks, maybe even months, she was calm. “Really? Barbarus is dead?”

“Yes, my queen.” Garland looked up to see cool flames dance in those piercing eyes.

“And Roland?”

“Also dead. Yours is the only seat of power left, my queen.” Garland’s words gave Lorica a wide smile. This was good news for her. Though her feelings for Barbarus had been true, it was a good thing he had left this world.

“Finally. That old fool was going to destroy this empire eventually if left alive.” She turned back to the endless sand. “Come, Garland. Sit beside me.”

Her knight rose up and walked up to the empty throne. He hesitated for a moment, waiting until she reaffirmed her approval, before sitting where Barbarus once ruled over the land.

“His goal was to conquer all that could be seen from the highest point in his land. Everything visible from these chairs.” Lorica took ahold of her spear, which always sat at her side, and held it out to scan the horizon. “Many times he was met with resistance. This was his last.”

“Why are you telling me this, my queen?” Garland asked. He had been here longer than her. This was not new information.

“Because, my knight, this means his legacy was that of a conqueror. And his death was by what the people saw as the weakest of his opponents.” Lorica explained. Her fire grew alongside a wicked grin. “This is where we come in.”

“Are you suggesting we avenge him?” Garland stood, looking to his queen.

“With great prejudice. Besides, it should be easy given your revival.” Lorica began to laugh. He was only this polished soon after death. “They will see a dead man walk into their nothing town, and we shall claim it as ours!” Lorica stood, tossing up the spear to flip her grip on it. “And then that tower will reveal all of its secrets to us!”

With that she threw the spear like a javelin, watching it soar into the desert. When that spear landed, her rule over Barbarus’ empire would begin.