The Undertow: Session Twenty-Six

Mikansia and Nomi have their weapons. The Lone Keep has been responsible for almost every last bit of misery in their lives. Armed with Mikansia's rainbow dream blade and Nomi's knowledge of The Lone Keep they hope to make a dent. Yngvar said surprises awaited them. What could that mean?

As Mikansia and Nomi stepped into the dreaded Lone Keep Yngvar wished them luck with a smile that made Mikansia feel more than a little suspicious. As they stepped into the Lone Keep Mikansia's magic blade, which usually glowed with all the colors of the rainbow, began to glow a soft but powerful blue. Mikansia and Nomi looked down at the sword, but it didn't change color, emitting a constant, calming blue. They looked up; they were in a long hall, lined with eldritch eggs, objects that could bring forth Nameless horrors, as well as resurrect the dead that you feared the most. They usually had The Music, the dissonant noise that the Nameless emitted, spewing forth from them. Given how many eldritch eggs there were Mikansia and Nomi should have been deafened.

There was total silence. The only sounds that could be heard was Mikansia and Nomi's breath. They shrugged after a moment.

Mikansia turned to close the portal from Dream, singing the Song of Mending. A female elf appeared next to one of the eldritch eggs as Mikansia sung. Nomi took one look and fled the opposite way, running between the eldritch eggs and vanishing down a flight of stairs. Mikansia couldn't run after her; the portal had to be closed. And besides, the female elf wasn't showing herself to be much of a threat.

The female elf was wearing a First Sword Sword Singer uniform. A lifetime ago Mikansia had considered herself a Sword Singer. Whatever she was now wasn't that, or so she had thought. Song complete, Mikansia found herself saluting with her magic sword, Jabez's sword, which involved presenting said sword for presentation.  The firstsword approached. Her eyes spoke of death, glory, heartbreak, a thousand thousand battles all rolled into one lifetime, honor, bloodshed, and a discipline that would have been cruel if it came from anyone else. Her ebony hands had a blue glow as she reached out her hand to inspect the glowing blue sword, as was customary. The intent was very clear: to inspect the sword which bathed the world in calm. But Mikansia caught herself. She pulled the blade back from the firstsword's outstretched hand.

And then charged the firstsword, blade against her neck. Confusion and anger spread acrost the firstsword's face. "Well the who the hell are you??" snapped Mikansia.

"What the hell?? Are you a swordsinger or not?? ATTEN...SHUN!!!!!" snapped the firstsword.

Mikansia was at attention her sword hanging by her side in a tightened grip.

Mikansia shook her head. This was too easy. Too natural. All this training was something she had forgotten. Right?

"I AM FIRSTSWORD OLIVIA THE THUNDERER!! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, GETTING BETWEEN ME AND MY DAUGHTER?? I WILL FUCK YOUR WORLD, SWORDSINGER!!!!!"

Mikansia's jaw dropped. Olivia the Thunderer was one of her childhood heroes! Olivia was the most fearsome swordsinger ever known. She had been the bravest (or perhaps most insane) swordsinger in elven history. Olivia had been known for her incredible charges the should not have worked, would never have worked if anyone but Olivia led them. All of them had been successful, except the last, depending on how you thought about it. Olivia's unit had been surrounded by six Nameless. Normally swordsinger units hunted one Nameless at a time. Olivia had personally charged all six Nameless, buying her unit time to get away. The accounts said that Olivia had cut down all the Nameless in one charge, moving in a blur that no elf eye could track. The six demons, once released from their Nameless vehicles, turned on her. No elf had ever defeated a demon. Fearless, Olivia had taken them all on, laughing the Song of the Sword in a way that was so menacing even the demons had paused. Before the angels came to wipe out the demons Olivia had been killed she died laughing in the face of a demon the size of a mountain as it crushed her in its hands, locking eyes with it and daring it to squish harder, because they were all doomed and knew it.

Not one of her soldiers had been lost that day.

And she was standing, right there, in the flesh.

"Wait, Nomi is your daughter? She never mentioned that."

"Yes, she is. But how do I know you're not one of them?" demanded the Thunderer. "My unit was betrayed, that's how we wound up where we got surrounded by six Nameless."

"The Lone Keep had corrupted the King of Kotae Mah a long time ago. Nomi and I are here, in the Lone Keep, to destroy it" replied Mikansia. "I suppose I can't give you more a reason to trust me than that. I'm with Nomi. She wants this place down. So do I."

"We're at the Lone Keep?" Mikansia nodded at Olivia. "AWESOME. Let's go get my scaredy-bitch daughter, see why she's scared."

Mikansia couldn't help herself. She laughed straight from the heart, the type of laugh that takes over your body and washes everything else away. She hadn't laughed like that for well over a year, would never have had reason to do so before this, and honestly didn't know why she was here, but she was, and that was enough. More than enough.

And off they went.

"So how long have I been gone?" asked Olivia.

"A bit more than a century, I think?"

"Oh, that long? How has Nomi been doing?"

"Well, I've only known her about a year, after she stopped being a dark elf."

"A. WHAT."

Mikansia paused  a second. "Um... a dark elf." Mistakes had been made. Mikansia could see that now.

"Tell me not for the Keep."

No one could withstand that glare. "Well..."

"Mother. FUCKER. No wonder she ran. Let's go get the scaredy-bitch before she really gets herself hurt. Moron."

They descended the staircase that Nomi had fled down. And bumped into a dozen dark elves. "Oh good, another former yetekaida!" shouted one of them, pointing at Mikansia. "We can replace the one we've got downstairs." They charged.

Mikansia found the spot in her heart where she had defeated all the orcs. She stayed there. Ducking under blades, cutting dark elves and blades in half with the sword Jabez had given her, and all with hardly the flick of a wrist. She was covered in everyone else's blood but her own. At this point it was like being covered in sweat.

"Daaaaaaaaamn that wasn't just the sword" Olivia sounded almost exactly like Nomi just then. Come to think of it they sounded a lot alike in general. But what mattered was that Mikansia had surpassed Krakeru permanently. Mikansia almost wanted him back so she could kill him again, even more fair and square.

Almost.

As they made their way down the long stairwell the whole Keep rocked, tilting to the side for about a minute before righting itself. Mikansia and Olivia were puzzled, but given the lack of living dark elves they shrugged and kept moving. A bit on they found more bodies on the stair. Kneeling down, Olivia whistled. "These weren't killed by Nomi. The cuts are too fine, too precise. Nomi is a hacker of a fighter if there ever was one." Mikansia looked at the cuts. They were fine, razor thin, almost imperceptible. She couldn't put her finger on it, but those cuts were familiar, somehow. Look at Olivia shook her head.

As they got up Mikansia could hear Tyce faintly singing. He was a human she had helped from what felt like an eternity ago. He had died alerting Nomi to come and help break the siege of Elfwatch. The last time they had been near eldritch eggs Mikansia thought Tyce had helped her, but hadn't seen him since, not even when she had crossed over into Dream and seen the souls of her other dead friends.

Tyce's song, the Song of Mourning, was louder.

And louder.

Olivia stopped. "Do you hear something?"

"That's not just me?"

"No, is someone singing the Song of Mourning?"

They were lying together, there in her bed. There was a look Tyce had given Mikansia. He'd just lost his friend to suicide and Mikansia was reeling from being raped by her father, Krakeru. She was not  in a place anyone could qualify as good.  And Tyce could see that. And he let her see where he was. And they were, together.

A hand was placed upon her shoulder. By reflex Mikansia reached to return the carress, but she stopped herself. Nobody could be there.

The grip on her shoulder tightened, gently. "You rang?'

There stood Tyce, smiling in the soft blue light of Mikansia's blade. Mikansia just stared. Tyce wrapped her in his arms for a tight hug. Mikansia couldn't move. She just couldn't. Olivia jumped, pulling out the sword she'd just lifted from a nearby dark elf. "Um... no. No! He's alright!" Mikansia stammered."

Olivia nodded. "Looks like you two need a minute. I'll keep looking." And she continued down the seemingly eternal stairs.

Mikansia and Tyce stared at each other. "How are you hear?" Mikansia's voice was barely a whisper. "You died getting the word out about the siege of Elfwatch."

"The eldritch eggs that line the walls of this castle? They're originally from Dream. The dead may walk in Dream as they wish."

"Oh, right, like how Olivia is doing. But you didn't come the last time I was around an eldritch egg, did you? You weren't standing here like this. With me."

"You didn't own the sword like you do now." Tyce reminded.

"Oh," she continued to stare blankly at him. There'd been so many times Mikansia would have gladly talked to Tyce again. And here he was. And she just kept staring.

Tyce chuckled, took her hand, and kissed it. "I missed you."

"I... I missed you too. Do you know where we are?"

"Yes, we're in the Keep."

Mikansia was surprised. "You've been watching me all this time?"

"Yes, we all have. You can call us all back. The same way you called me."

Mikansia nodded. And then shrank back. So many were dead! She'd failed so spectacularly! Just thinking about it... "I don't... I don't think I can. That would be too much. Can you help me do this?"

"That's why I'm here. You called me back to myself, and I can't thank you enough for it. My last moment, before the Nameless overwhelmed me, all I could feel was gratitude for what you had done for me. You've given so much, to so many people. You didn't give just me hope."

Mikansia nodded, tears brimming her eyes. She could feel that was true. It had hurt to hear, it had hurt to do those things, but it was true. And it was time to embrace it. "Sing with me." Mikansia held out her hand. Tyce took it. They sang the Song of Mourning, which Mikansia had used to revive Tyce to himself. It felt like forever ago. They sang of times past, times they missed, times that could not return.

Enzio, who had taken in Mikansia when she needed a place to be after killing Krakeru, joined in.

And then Dale, Ensio's son. He'd tried to withstand the Creature from Dream's assaults. And he'd accompanied Mikansia ever since.

Yngvar stood next to her. He'd been skeptical of her at first, but here he was, smiling at her and singing the lament with Mikansia.

Their voices rose into the fuligin reaches of the Keep's stairwell they stood in, beyond the glow of the pale blue light of Mikansia's sword.

A second later Jabez appeared, chuckling: "Well, I couldn't be boring like them, could I?"

Mikansia laughed and wrapped Jabez in a fierce hug. Everyone was laughing as they reunited. But Mikansia stopped a minute later. "Where... where is Akseli?" Akseli, who she had failed so many times over? Akseli, who had died because of her failure to believe in him? Did he not forgive her? She couldn't help but think he would be justified.

Yngvar grinned. "That's a surprise! Come on!" Down the stairs they went, passing dozens more slaughtered dark elves. Each time they did Yngvar and Dale chuckled. Mikansia knew better than to ask.

They finally reached the bottom of of the stairwell, which opened out to another hallway. Piles and piles of dark elf bodies abounded. Olvia was standing in front of a corner, trying to coax out the terrified Nomi. Olivia turned as the group came out of the stairwell and jumped. "That's a hell of a lot of friends! Can you please tell my daughter I'm not a specter of the tower sent to torment her??? She knows what the eldritch eggs are and what they should do... without that glowing blue sword of yours."

Nomi was in a fetal position, eyes shut and ears plugged. Mikansia pried her hands off and said "It's not just some specter. That's your mom."

Nomi didn't seem much comforted by that. She did stand up. "What's this I hear about you being a Lone Keep elf?"

"Um, well, after you died."

"But you stopped, right?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

Olivia turned to Mikansia. "Has she been helpful to you, since you two started traveling together?"

Mikansia smiled warmly at Nomi. "I'd never have gotten here without her. She's been crucial." Nomi couldn't have looked more grateful.

"Well then, what more is there to say?" Olivia hugged Nomi. For the next few minutes there were tears.

After a few minutes Mikansia tapped Olivia on the shoulder "Um-"

"YOU GOT A SIXSOME WITH YOUR BOY TOYS BACK OFF!!"

Mikansia laughed. And complied.

After a few more moments they made their way into a huge room, after passing scores more of dark elves. There was an eerie green light coming from the other end of the room. The Music could be heard dimly; Mikansia's blade was almost white-hot blue, almost humming as it struggled against The Music. There was a chimney of epic proportions, which was the origin of the green glow. Green and white-blue met and fused in the room.

A long shadow cut acrost the room. At its end stood Akseli. Mikansia almost knocked him off his feet.  Mikansia couldn't hold it in anymore. She sobbed and laughed and so did he and finally she said she finally said those words she'd wanting to say for that entire torturous year. "I'm so sorry! I failed you. I thought you weren't-"

Akseli laughed. "Oh Mikansia... you didn't fail me. If you think you need forgiveness I give it, but... you didn't fail me."

Mikansia gasped. "What??"

"Well, it would just be better to show you." Akseli moved out of the way of the fireplace. There was someone chained inside it; the weird green light came from her, feeding up into the flue. Mikansia had been told her mother, Makirta, had gone into the Void of the Heavens. And her whole life she had believed that Makirta had abandoned her. And while her views on Makirta had softened, the sting of being abandoned had never fully gone away. Mikansia had never anticipated how much she looked like her mother. But there was Makirta, alive. And Mikansia indeed looked very much like her."She never made it to the Havens" Akseli whispered.

"Of course she didn't" was what Mikansia found herself saying.

"They've got her locked to these eldritch eggs you can see throughout the whole keep. The eggs originated from Dream. So as I was dying I felt Makirta, calling out for me. She'd been looked in the worst moment of her life: when I rejected her for being a dark elf double agent. Of all the things in her life... " Akseli tried to suppress the guilt on his face but couldn't. "That was the worst of her. Me rejecting her. She's been calling out to me for over 70 years, constantly begging for me to come back. And, as I was dying... I... I... I'm sorry, but I couldn't stay with you. I had to go to her. Makirta's despair is what's keeping the place floating in orbit. The materials they somehow found float if you have despair going through them. I've still no idea how it works, but I know if I take her out of that chimney the whole Keep crashes. I'm only here because the eggs are here. If they're destroyed I stop being able to be here. So I couldn't take her out, not without making sure she had somewhere to go. So I just started killing everyone I could, for the last year."

"You've been here for a full year???" Mikansia was shocked, yet again, despite the day she'd had so far.

"Well, I couldn't just leave her here! Now that you're here we can get her out and to safety before this whole thing comes down."

Mikansia couldn't stop staring at her mother, horrified. "Why her?"

"I think it's because she's a former yetekaida. From what I could gather, after sneaking around, former yetekaidas are thrown into this chimney, locked into their memory, and then practically abandoned. She's held out about four times longer than anyone else they've ever put in there."

It was too soon. But Makirta had been in there too long already. The goodbyes to Ensio and Dale were short and bittersweet; they wanted to to have their love sent to their family, poor little three year old Simone especially. Yngvar winked and saluted, causing Mikansia to chuckle and return the salute.

When she got to Tyce Mikansia stopped. They smiled at each other. "Thank you for coming back for me" said Mikansia.

"You brought me back. What did you expect me to do?"

"Well, thank you anyway."

"It was my joy... although whenever you get to where I am I'd like a round two."

Mikansia laughed and punched Tyce in the arm. "Still not satisfied in Heaven??"

"I will see you again" Tyce told Mikansia.

"I know. I can't wait."

Jabez was last. He didn't mind. "That sword looks a bit different nowadays" he remarked at the glowing blue blade. He held out his hand and Mikansia placed the sword in it without hesitation.

"You think you can explain why the sword is acting like this? Cancelling the Music and going all blue?"

"There's a lot more sorrow in it now and the Creature enhanced it with the essence of Dream. Sorrow remembers. The Nameless changes all before them. But not sorrow. Sorrow doesn't change. And this sword has more power and sorrow behind than almost anything else."

"... thank you much for giving me this sword. It's meant so much to me."

"I'd figured it would do more good with you than me." Jabez had left home in anger, taking his ancestral sword with him. His father had told Jabez that he was unworthy of so venerable a sword. Jabez had told his father he would makes himself worthy. When Jabez had learned about Mikansia's quest to vanquish the dark elves, Krakeru in particular, he'd given her his family sword. Jabez's father, who had died for Mikansia's cause as well, also believed that Mikansia was worthy of the blade and had told her so. "I. Will. See you. Again." Jabez stated.

Mikansia nodded. "Yes, you will. Tomorrow." They both smiled.

Makirta was chained to the walls. Two swings of the sword and Makirta tumbled into Mikansia's arms. The green light vanished, as did The Music. She was lighter than Mikansia could have ever imagined. Her eyes winked open and stared stupidly at Mikansia. "Akseli... Ak...seli??" she croaked, voice barely audible.

"I'm here, my love! Right here!" Akseli cried, gently cradling Makirta's head

She gazed at him as one surprised. "You... you came back."

Water streamed down. "I did. I never should have left. I'm so sorry!"

Makirta smiled and closed her eyes.

The whole structure lurched and groaned. The floor began to tilt.

"Makirta?"

The blue light of Mikansia's sword made Krakeru's eyes practically torches. Mikansia gripped her sword hilt tightly, but the expression on Krakeru's face surprised her. It wasn't the constant sneer she'd seen while Krakeru was alive. It was pain. Shock. "You're... you're alive??"

Makirta opened her eyes. "Mikka. I never... I never died."

Krakeru's face twisted into a mask of pain and rage. "Don't call me that. I've not been Mikka for centuries. Mikka is gone."

"You... were always... Mikka... to me..." heaved Makirta.

Krakeru walked up closer to Makirta. He saw no one else. Akseli and Mikansia tensed, but Makirta looked more awake and stronger. And she was totally not threatened. "All this time. I'd no idea. I've not been in the Keep since-" Krakeru's eyes bulged. "They're going to pay for this."

"No, come with me!" Makirta summoned a strength Mikansia couldn't believe. The look on Akseli's face said he couldn't either. "Start over! All over! With me!" Makirta's skeletal frame, every bone in sharp relief, was erect. Her eyes had cleared. Her body began to shake in agony, but Makirta would not yield.

"They need to pay" Krakeru went over to one of the dark elf corpses and grabbed a sword. He ran down the hall, with a weakened call of "Mikka" ringing in his ears.
 

Mikansia kept the portal open until the crash. The ceiling fell right in front of the portal. But Mikansia did not close the portal. She had to know.

"Father!" cackled a familiar voice. "So... good to be home! I'm here to avenge my sister. It's been too long." There was the sound of a blade entering something soft.

And then a long, hacking, wet cough. And then a thud.

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