348. Changing something, 8

(Rose)

I can't see much through the night. But I know enough to understand she's there, and close.

I'm only sitting there, and though what Bleue left with me is under my hands, I'm not reaching out for it.

Because I'm reaching for the invisible fire instead, again. I'll burn my hands again touching the fire.

I believe she's trying to reach out to me right now, and I want to welcome that initiative, not threaten it.

R - Hello Nightmare...

I'm not that afraid, for many reasons. She has learnt the hard way what could happen, and right now she has neither attacked nor thrown any threat. I don't sense a vapour of hostility from her like others could have. She's far closer to us... And she's looking for something different.

N - Why... are you still here?

Her voice was not phrasing it as a threat, but more in a worried manner.

R - We will be leaving the country. They'll return to me soon with all our luggage to carry. And then we will head north... I'm glad you didn't come to hunt me.

N - ...

R - You know... I was thinking about it. I think I like this land at least as much as you do. No wonder you decided to settle there, or not to leave. When I'll be gone, I will miss this part of the world.

N - ...

R - If you would like, in exchange for the city I've destroyed with your power and mine, you can have ours. It's that way, not that far from here. It's a really interesting place with lots of beautiful sights. It's yours from now on should you want it.

N - ... Why?

It was more of a general rhetorical question, than just a specific bounce over my offer. A general why, about me.

R - Because I love this land, this world, and you're part of it. I don't like everything, but I'll do my best to respect it, even if it comes to war at times.

N - War... You cannot avoid war...

R - I know. I also know that the winner of a battle doesn't always prevail in the end. I've learnt it the hard way with an ogre; and you have, with me.

Nightmare is realising it.

R - And because neither Bleue nor I tried to kill you yesterday, tonight you came to talk rather than to fight. Am I wrong?

N - You're... odd...

I laugh. I've heard that one before.

R - As Bleue said. We don't have to fight. You are free, and so are we. And I think tomorrow or the day after, I'll be happy I met you.

N - Others... Won't understand.

R - I guess so.

N - No. I mean that others will keep thinking we are at war, against the like of you. They will try to kill you.

R - Why?

N - When a god died, its mind fragmented. And there were two thoughts that rippled across the world in earthquakes. Sounds. Voice. Its last words.

I'm feeling uneasy as I have a fair guess of what they were.

N - Licht slayed me. And Rose Blume was the betraying daiûa poisoning me.

R - Ah... Darn... It was all Licht unfortunately for me. Again, here are the consequences of war. Licht won, and others will suffer from its consequences long after.

The line of consequences is endless. It's not really Licht's fault either if we go further back. But actions have consequences I'm incapable of foreseeing.

I only know it's to be expected.

N - I can try to send a peaceful signal to everyone on Earth, if you would like me to. That would be better than attempting to convince the most wrathful ones one by one as you did with me.

R - you were never wrathful, you talked right from the start. But... A solution that easily? What would be the price of that helpful hand?

She grins I can tell. Of course there's a price to pay. She's a daiûa. She wants at least a soul, or a sacrifice I expect.

But what she wants is the same as before.

N - I want your blood, Rose.

I shiver.

~

R - I'm not that keen. What for? I don't have much to spare at the moment. Also the weird power I had before in my blood is now gone. So it won't give you much...

N - I want to use it to create life... If not your blood, then I want your child the other one is carrying.

R - ... Even if I agreed, Bleue would never do that. Even if you promised to raise our child with all the love and care in the world, and not to enslave her until one of you died, Bleue would definitely refuse to take that chance. Why would you need a human child for?

N - ... I can't create life by myself. Not from nothing.

R - Ah. It's true. I've notice beings-like-you are good at recycling or repurposing bodies and organisms, or mimicking appearances and shapes. But you're less at ease reproducing yourselves, and even less creating full organisms ex-nihilo.

I'm catching my breath back.

R - All you wanted was the means to have an heir? Or to reproduce?

N - I want to play with life between my hands. Shape it the way I want. To make it grow, to make it shrink, and study how it changes... If you give me the materials I want, I can help you.

I could probably give it some of my ova, like Dragod helped itself with. But I'm not sure it would be a good idea.

There's nothing I could give this Nightmare that wouldn't potentially backfire into a terrifying threat in the future.

I can't find any easy way out, so I prefer to refuse the deal.

Though now that I think about it...

R - Why blood? Or rather, how would you use it as a raw material?

N - Give me some, and I'll show you.

I'm too intrigued to refuse.

I prickle myself and give her a few drops.

Nightmare uses her ways at magic. It's not like Blume.

A glowing and warm bubble appears between her translucent hands. Moisture of the air condensed itself inside, then scattered into a mist, in which the blood is spread finely. The particles are separated into a vapour.

And then, sparks run through, and neural pathways appear. A structure like foam appears. This foam fills the bubble.

Nightmare pushes the transparent orb into the ground.

A minute later, something grows.

A kind of big mushroom, white, with spots harbouring small petals. A weird hybrid...

I think I understand. She needs living cells and to control the moment when they lose contact with their organism and begin to decay. She takes control of the processes that occur after something dies, to create what she wishes for. Meaning she needs living cells to start with.

If Nightmare could keep it perfectly alive and use it as easily as a liquid, a chunk of skin or muscle would do just as well. She needs raw materials to play and craft life with. And the liquid ones are the best ones to manipulate obviously.

It can't create life ex-nihilo. Only try combinations and attempts to influence their transformations, until it gives what she wants. Rough biochemistry and engineering, quite like I did myself with the flying bacteria in a weird way.

R - What kind of life do you aim to release unto the world?

N - I haven't thought that far. I just want to play.

If I accept the deal, it may and will probably backfire dreadfully one future day.

If I don't, there's a fair chance that other beings-like-her will be more hostile than they would have been against me. Some always will try to kill me on sight, but those that were convinced by the dying god's spite against Licht, it would be good to appease them if we can.

A risky insurance that will never be absolute. It's a tough judgement's call. Neither option has clearly defined consequences and benefits. It's a choice, a real uncertain choice, of strategy.

Either risk walking the world where some beings-like-her believe we're at war; or risk giving one of them a power it could use in the worst ways imaginable. Neither option comes with any certainty. All could go well perhaps in either case also.

I will never know if I made the better choice because I will never have all the information about its consequences.

What happens next?

These words get stuck in my throat.

I made my choice. The risk of one over many, and trusting a little further this one I've just met against the unknown.

R - When Bleue comes, with her help, I will give you as much blood I can safely spare with you.

Nightmare suddenly vanished in what felt like a small explosion. I covered my face against a gust of wind. The ground shook for a few seconds.

She then reappeared as if nothing happened.

N - It's done. And so it's settled.

R - What just happened?

N - I sent a shockwave loud enough to carry the message across the world, at the speed of sound. All the gods like me over the world should be able to hear it.

R - That's... Kind of you to send it already, before payment. But what did you say exactly?

I fear the worst for a moment.

N - God was wrong. Rose Blume is not our enemy. She can be a friend.

I can be friendly hm.

Licht might be dead, but I still fear something wrong about her might remain.

As for Nightmare in front of me, something optimistic is bugging me about her.

~