Genometrics Concert Hall ~Mrgrgr!!!~

“Anything, Luna?”

“No, my sensors aren’t picking up anything. Even expanding the radius doesn’t bring up anything.”

“Alright, give it a rest.”

“If you say so. Abeat!”

Ever since we made that pactio back at Shangri La, it has come in handy. It gave Luna some useful abilities such as the ability to physically move objects at will, unlike before where she could only “touch” electrical devices. Using this she can also gain a physical body so long as I supply her with the magical power required to do so. She can do so even without summoning her artifact. By doing this she was able to eat for the first time in decades, although where the food goes is a mystery to me. She also feels no hunger, thirst, or fatigue so I guess even with a physical body she’s still a ghost with no real physical needs.

Then there is the artifact itself. A very helpful device given the situations we sometimes get into. The artifact, called Heaven’s Eye, allows Luna to know the position of anything within range for as far as 10 miles in all directions. If it’s not behind some powerful cloaking magic, she’ll be able to figure out where it is. The device looks kinda silly, though. All it is is a beret with a small revolving grid antenna on top of it. The artifact seems to come in two parts. Her beret-antenna, and a pair of regular looking sun glasses. They look deceptively like normal sun glasses, but once you put them on you see a great deal more. With them on, you can see in which direction Luna has detected something. It shows up in your eyes as a marked target along with a distance meter to show how far the target is. In a way, it reminds me of a Heads Up Display used in military vehicles back in Mundus Vetus. Quite handy. I’ve given it the name HUD Visor. She can create more than one, but at a cost to the range her artifact has.

“Straha, are you okay in this weather? You don’t have to act though just because I am around. The desert can be an relentless place even for the strongest of people. Especially since we’ve been traveling on foot for a couple of days…”

“I’m fine. I am somewhat tired since I’ve gotten used to traveling by ship, but the heat doesn’t bother me. I actually use most of it to replenish my magic. I don’t have much so the bright sun it really helping me more than hurting me. Light is my main magic preference after all. Followed by Fire magic. What does worry me is the fact that we can’t find this place we’re looking for. What if we passed it already and didn’t notice?”

“Well, we’re going in the right direction as far as I can tell. What we don’t know is how far it is. What did the old man at the tavern say again?”

“’Head west into the desert and follow the sun. Watch where it sets and head in its direction. By the third sunset, you should be there’”

“And you’re sure it was a good idea to trust him? It could just be leading us to our death. Or Your death since I’m already dead.”

“Heh, what’s with you, Luna? You don’t usually act this suspicious.”

“I’ve learned it from you. You’ve always said that it is best to be cautious of people. If someone offers something that is too good to be true, it probably is.”

“Luna, you don’t have to be so cautious. That’s my job. If you’re too suspicious of people you’ll become cynical and maybe even paranoid.”

“I just want to be of use to you…”
She always has been like this, hasn’t she? Ever since we met.

“Luna, you are useful. You’re my companion. We’ll probably be together until death do us part.” I probably should used some other words. There is a blush to Luna’s face “My faithful companion. Just like a dog” Now the blush is gone and she looks at me with an angry pout.

“I’m no dog!”
She tries punching me in her physical form, but it really doesn’t hurt much. I just laugh it off.

Some hours later, the sun is beginning to set.
“This is the third sunset, Straha, and we still haven’t found the place we’re looking for.”

“Hmm, we could end up wondering the desert for a while if we aren’t even going in the right direction. Or maybe you were right and the old man was just tricking us. Why would he, though? And how did he know so much about me and my grandfather? This isn’t even my reality…”

Some more minutes go by as I stare into the setting sun. I wonder about how I ended up in this reality. Will I be able to go back? Do I even want to? There was nothing waiting for me back in my world. Everyone was out to get me and even friends turned on me when they believed me to be to dangerous to be around.

The sun is almost completely gone now. Being swallowed up by the desert dunes. It’s kinda pretty actually. The sky is a fiery red as the last bit of sun goes under. Wait, what’s that?

“Straha, do you see that? What is it?”

“Looks like…the silhouette of a house? Hmm…It is the third sunset. There doesn’t seem to be any other buildings around so I’m assuming that’s what we were looking for. I thought it would be bigger.”

“Adeat!. It’s only a couple of miles ahead of us, but I can’t see it on my sensors. Cloaking magic?”


“Must be. Must only shield it from magic scanning, though, since it’s plainly visible to the naked eye. Well, we’ve come this far. Might as well knock on the front door, right?”

Upon arriving, the first thing I notice is a sign hanging from the store’s roof.

“Treasure Chest: A place found only by the most dedicated..” Luna reads.

“A store? We can all this way for a store?” I wasn’t really mad. I was more tired than mad. I really had grown used to riding on a ship and three days of walking had tired my legs out.

“Might as well knock” Luna went ahead and knocked on the door. Ever since she gained the ability to gain a physical form she’s been using it without hesitation. I wondered if she missed being alive. As soon as she knocked, a voice came from within. It sounded strangely familiar.

“Come on in. I’ve been expecting you.” The mysterious voice said. Upon walking in, I realized why it sounded familiar.

“It’s the old man from the city!” Luna exclaimed.

“Hey, I’m not that old! Despite my appearances, I am only 60 years old.” He said, with a grin to his face.

I wasn’t really mad, but I was somewhat annoyed.

“You made us walk through the desert to talk to you when you could have just answered my questions in the city? Do you know how tired I am after that long walk here?” I said.

Still grinning, the man answered.

“Well, frankly, I don’t get a lot of customers here so I take any I can get.”

“So you made us come here to buy something”

“That’s the plan” He laughed heartedly.

Sigh, so it was just a trick to get us here. In any case…

“In any case, how did you know so much about my past? That is the reason I came here, I’m sure I’m not of this world, so how do you know?”

“I’ll be glad to tell you, but please buy something”

“Buy something?”

“Like I said, I don’t get many customers here.”

Sigh “Fine. You know, you would probably get more customers if you store weren’t in the middle of a desert”

“Well, only those who are in search of something usually find it. Think of it as a store for only the most determined."

An odd place this is. Still, there do seem to be some interesting things here. Rare items, some ancient looking, line the walls of the store. Strange things floating in jars that I can only assume what they would be used for. Tools of all shapes and sizes. Weapons are here too. Of in a corner near the window are differently shaped plants in pots, presumably to be used as ingredients for something.

As I think of what would probably be the cheapest thing to buy, I spot Luna looking at a necklace.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“It’s pretty.” She says as she looks at the necklace. And it certainly is. The string is simple enough, but the jewel is a very nice shade of red. It’s very pure, with no imperfections within it that I can see.

“Ah, good eye, missy.” Says the old man. “That there is the Blood Garnet. It is the first a collection of 12 necklaces. On its own, it is just a simple necklace, but if all 12 necklaces are brought together, it is said that they can grant any wish. At least that’s how the story goes. I’ve never actually seen any of the other necklaces and I doubt they actually exist.”

“Well, while there are plenty of interesting things in this shop, there isn’t anything that catches my attention, but I guess I’ll take it if Luna likes it.”

“Straha, are you sure about that? You don’t have to buy it for me if you don’t want too…”

“Well, I have to buy something. Might as well be something that one of us wants.”

“Heh he, it is a pleasure doing business with you, stranger.” The man laughs as he takes my Drachma and puts it away in a rather old looking cash register. It makes a cheery †˜Bing!’ as it opens.

Luna puts on the necklace. It looks rather striking against the paleness of her skin. Wait, how is she even wearing it? She’s not holding a physical form at the moment…Well, I guess it’s fine as long as it all works out. She seems rather happy to have it. Now to get down to business.

“Ok, I bought something. Now give me answers. How did you know about my past and what do you know about my ancestors?”

“Well, stranger, the answer to that is very simple. I have this ability, you see. I can see into people’s pasts. That is how I knew who you are. A very interesting past you have. I also saw that you were a decedent of the Lumen Pacem clan. At least the one from your plane of origin. They are a lot different from the ones in this one”

“You mean there are members in this reality?”

“Indeed there are. I have dealt with them in the past. Sometimes they will send someone here to pick up an item of interest.”

“Where could I find them? Would you happen to know?”

“I do, but I don’t know if they would welcome you. They would probably be able to sense their blood in you, but they keep close tabs on who is who within the Clan. Knowing so much about the clan, they would probably be wary about a stranger even if he shares blood relations with them.”

“I’d still like to try to make contact with them. In my reality, no pure blooded clan members remain. Not after the Monochrome War, where most of the bloodlines were whipped out by the Dark Evangel.”

“The Monochrome War? What is that? I can tell what you past is, but I don’t see any info about such a war.”

I don’t know if I like him snooping into my past as deeply as he is doing. In any case, I explain the events of the war, assuming that it did not happen in this reality.

“The Monochrome War did not happen in my lifetime. It happened around 300 years ago, when the Dark Evangel attempted to take control of Mundus Magicus. What compelled her to do it is still a mystery to this day, but it is known that revenge was a leading cause. During her years living in Mundus Magicus, she had gained somewhat of a cult following. Her legendary powers came from something called Magia Erebea and many sought to become like her. Eventually she decided to use this to her advantage to create an extremely powerful army with which she planned to control all of Mundus Magicus, and eventually Mundus Vetus. Out of her hundreds of followers, only a couple of dozen survived the test to gain Magia Erebea, but this was enough to give her extreme power. The Evangeline Empire, as she called it, had managed to take control of most of Mundus Magicus before the Lumen Pacem clan, at the time residing in the Megalomesembria Confederation, decided that enough was enough and that they would aid in the war against the Dark Evangel.”
Luna listened carefully and the old man seemed to be intrigued.

“Very interesting. What happened next?”

“During the many battles that came about, something interesting was found out. For all the power that Magia Erebea gave its user, it seemed to also give them a weakness to the type of light magic used by the Lumen Pacem clan. It was then where it was decided that Lumen Pacem members would be used only when a Magia Erebea user was. Still, even with Lumen Pacem’s advantages, they still took heavy losses. Battles were bloody and long, but after many months, the Megalomesembrian army as well as deserter armies from Hellas, managed to push their way to the Evangeline Empire capital. There the Dark Evangel along with her most loyal followers waited to wage a final battle. By then she only had five Magia Erebea users and we only had twelve surviving Lumen Pacem clan members, along with many regular soldiers on each side. Ten out of the twelve clan members died taking down her remaining Magia Erebea users, leaving two to fight her head on. It was expected to be a short battle, in favor of the Dark Evangel, yet to everyone’s surprise she surrendered. Her reason for doing so was “I’ve had enough fun”. Now, I say she surrendered, but all she really did was temporary immobilize everyone in the area while she made her escape. She hasn’t been seen since, although it is speculated that she resides somewhere in Mundus Vetus, controlling things from a high place as a leader of a secret society.”

Or so my grandfather told me anyway. I feel like I might have mixed up a few things, but the gist of the story should be correct.

“I see. And I assume you are descended from one of the two surviving Lumen Pacem members?”

“Yes, but after 300 years, the bloodline has been worn thin. I can use magic, which is rare among non-pure bloods, but I can’t seem to use it at its full potential.”

“And you think that the clan members from this world can help you with that?”

“Well, that’s what I’m hoping for.”

“Very well then. I’ll tell you where they are, but it won’t be easy getting there.”

“It’s not like we have anything else to do. We’re going to be in this continent for a while.”

“If you’re sure.” With that, he went to the back part of the shop and started looking though some papers.

“Staha, are you sure you want to meet your clan in this world? What if they aren’t as friendly to you as you think they will be?”

“I’m not expecting them to be friendly, but I’m not expecting them to be hostile, either. Just careful. And yes, I want to meet them. I want to be able to use my strength to its full potential. It will make jobs a lot easier if I can take down the enemy quickly. I guess if there is anyone in this world who can help me do that is people who use the same magic as I.”

Although I wonder if they would really help me. Not harm in trying.
After a few minutes, the old man returned with what seemed to be a rolled up map.
He unrolled it and scribbled a few things on it.

“You will find the Lumen Pacem clan residing in a mountain fortress in this mountain range.” He circled a series of ridges on the map.

“Where are we in the map?”

“In this yellow deserty part”

“Yeah, well, that’s pretty obvious. But where exactly?”

“I actually don’t really know.”

Sigh, “Alright, just point us in the right direction and we’ll find our own way.”

“It’s already night time. You can stay here if you want and leave in the morning. For a price, of course. Dinner included”

“What is this, an inn, now? But fine. The desert can be a cold place to sleep in.”

I give him a few Drachma

“Alright, I have a spare room that you can use. Only one bed, though. Will that be a problem?”

“No, she doesn’t need a bed.”

“Actually, heh heh, I was wondering if I could try sleeping in a bed. I haven’t done that in a long time and now that I have a physical form, I want to try lying down in one again.”

Sigh

“Alright, I’ll take the floor.”

“Ah, but you [size=10] don’t[/h] [size=9]have[/h] [size=8]to…[/h]” Luna said before trailing off. Maybe I should…nah.

“I’ll take the floor. Thanks for the hospitality, old man, err, Sir. We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”

“Ok then, but first, let’s have dinner. I’d like to hear some of the stories from your travels. Aside from visiting the city, I don’t travel much.

“Alright, Sir. Hopefully the journey tomorrow won’t be too tiring. For now, let’s eat and I’ll tell you about when I first came to this word.”.

My back feels a bit stiff. I haven’t slept on the floor in a while so I wasn’t prepared. Sand is softer than the floor, and maybe by tomorrow it will go away. For now, the sun is setting again. This morning we said our goodbyes to the old man and left to cross the desert once again, this time going south. According to the old man, I should reach an oasis town sometime tomorrow in the afternoon. From there I am to go to a local fisherman and tell him to give me a ride to Mount Penglai. Although, aren’t oasis land locked? But I won’t question it. Many things are possible in this world, as I have found out.

“Desert sunsets are pretty”

“Yeah, but the night that follows it will be cold. The prettier the sunset, the colder the night. At least that’s what I’ve noticed in my days of desert combat back in Vetus.”

“Are the night skies any different?”

“The night sky? Hmmm” Here in the desert away from city lights, one can see thousands of stars if not more. Everything looks exactly the same as it did back in Vetus except for one thing.

“The moon is missing”

“The moon?”

“Yeah. Vetus has a large moon and it is easily the largest thing in the night sky. Mundus Magicus doesn’t have one.”

“Ah, that’s the thing you named me after, right?”

“Yup.”

The sun has completely set in the horizon.

“I think we should stop now. We’ll continue our walk tomorrow.”

Setting up for the night is a simple thing to do. Pick a spot, pull out my sleeping bag, and sleep in it. I can also start up a camp fire by pulling out some logs and lighting fire to them with some simple fire magic if I want to cook something up or want some extra warmth. I decide to do that and get a fire going.

“Are you cold, Straha?”

“Very. Desert nights are already cold to begin with. Add to that the fact that this continent lies at the southern end of this world and you easily have yourself below freezing temperatures. Yet when the sun rises it can be hot enough out here to cook an egg on a rock.”

“Well it doesn’t bother me. As long as I stay in my ghost form, temperature doesn’t affect me.” She said with a smile.

“Good for you. Meanwhile, I’ll just fight off hypothermia.” I took in a deep breath and had a sudden urge to yawn. When I did, I could clearly see my breath in the air. “Actually I’m feeling tired now. I think I’ll hit the sack. Will you stay awake, Luna?”

“Yeah, I think I’ll be up for a while longer. I like looking at the stars. Here in the desert it looks pretty clear too.”

“Well, alright then. I’ll scoot my sleeping bag closer to the fire to stay warm and go to sleep. Good night, Luna”

“Night, Straha”

I don’t really need to sleep as often as others do. Being a ghost, I have very few physical needs. I don’t feel hunger and I don’t feel tired. Unless I take on physical form, I don’t really feel temperatures, much less the weather. I don’t usually feel sleepy unless I don’t sleep in many months, so sometimes I like to stay up all night and just look at the stars. This is one of those nights. Straha went to sleep a few hours ago and all I’ve been doing is looking at the sky and listening to the animals of the night.

In my many restless nights before Straha came along, I would spend hours upon hours just gazing at the stars. I watched the night sky so much that I had many of the star positions memorized and could see subtle changes when they happened.

Whenever I did feel tired I would sleep, sometimes for years on end. Then I’d wake up and look at the night sky to see if anything had changed. Most things remained the same, but sometimes I’d notice that a few stars were gone while a few new ones had appeared.

Looking at the night sky used to be one of my favorite things to do to pass the lonely days. Since I met Straha, though, that has changed. Straha has taken me with him everywhere he has gone and in the few months that we’ve known each other he has showed me more things than I ever saw on those nights by myself. I’ve met new people, seen new sights, and have enjoyed myself. Even with the stars that I saw, all they were to me was entertainment to pass the days. With Straha, the passing of days doesn’t seem to matter anymore. I’ll forever be grateful to him.

Oh? The fire is starting to go out. I doubt Straha would die but he would certainly get very cold.

“Straha, Straha, can you hear me? The fire is going out.” I try nudging him a little, but he won’t wake up. Sleeping like a rock.

A crazy thought comes into my head.

“No, I can’t do that…can I?”

The fire is completely out now. Only embers remain.

“Well, I guess this counts as an emergency so it’s ok, right?”

I take on my physical form. Ah! The air is freezing. Shivering, I slowly unzip Straha’s sleeping bag. It’s roomy inside, but obviously not built for two people. Still, I slip in wondering if I’ll wake him up doing so.

He doesn’t. It’s a tight in here and our bodies can’t help but to make contact. That was the plan anyway. Share body heat to keep warm. I zip the bag back up to keep the heat from escaping. Now it it’s just the two of us, closed away from the outside.

Straha feels so warm and I can feel and hear him breathing. Then he does something that takes me by surprise: he moves his arm and puts it around me, still sleeping. It’s probably just an involuntary movement, something he would do with a pillow, but that doesn’t stop my mind from racing into different thoughts. I place my own arm around him tightly and try to go to sleep.

“Good night, Straha” I whisper.

I might be a ghost with few physical needs to meet, but right now I can think of one that I’d like met.