Tales of Undeath: The Von Virtus Chronicles

LXXXV. Zephyr

Claiming some of the vehicle's turrets for herself, Rotavitea was gearing up for the walk that awaited them, deep into the nearby woods. Virno, on the other hand, had taken it upon himself to collect several small pieces of scrap -- some small enough to fit inside his pockets. Strangely, he opted to carry no weapon...

Rota: Aren't you going to take anything...?

Although he heard her question, he did not reply. Despite his eyes being blindfolded, his head scanned the battlefield around him, attempting to locate something. At last, he finds it.

Rota: It's still gripping it...

Rotavitea accompanies him, noticing what Virno seeked. He crouches down next to his severed arm, still clutching onto the necklace Sadducee had once given him. Though no longer a part of his body, the hand mysteriously held onto the necklace with extraordinary strength -- a much more powerful grip than Virno could ever muster, were it still attached to him. Mercilessly, he pries it open, breaking several of its fingers in the process. Once released, the necklace dissolves, re-materializing around his neck once more.

Virno: Filthy artifacts...

Grabbing the necklace with his left hand, alien runes etch themselves onto its skin. This time, however, no damage to his body was incurred. Instead, their destructive power was channeled into the necklace itself. As more and more energy flowed through it, it began vibrating and glowing violently... Yet not for long. It could not withstand the force that came over it, and as a result broke into countless small shards. As they drop to the floor, they resembled any ordinary metal, now devoid of any magic.

Rota: Why did you break it?! That was your sword!

With metallic dust still falling through his fingertips, Virno dusts off hands, as he begins heading towards the woods.

Virno: My sword lies in wait... And it has been waiting for much too long.

Ever more suspicious of Virno's attitude, Rotavitea keeps to the task entrusted to her by Ballo,  following Virno yet ever cautiously. As hours pass by, it wouldn't be long until the sun began to rise... An exhausting reminder of how long it had been since she had a good night's rest. While her body was showing clear signs of weariness, Virno's strided confidently through the silent woods.

Rota: Hey! Can we stop to rest? I'm dragging my feet over here...

He did not reply.

Rota: HEY!

Upon hearing her shout, Virno stops.

Rota: Can you act like a normal person?!

He turns around, walking in her direction.

Rota: Keep your distance. KEEP YOUR DISTANCE!

Aiming her weapons at him to defend herself, Rota readied to fire at any moment. With each interaction, she trusted the figure before her less and less.

Virno: Your courage is admirable... Yet it can easily be mistaken for insolence.

Biting down on her lip, she fought the urge to pull the trigger. At arm's length, Virno stopped right in front of her guns' barrels, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Virno: Do not fool yourself... I am not the one in need of protection. You are.

Invoking his powers once more, his sigils channel energy into Rota's body, causing her arms and legs to give in as she drops to the floor, letting go of her weapons. An unstoppable force came over her, crushing her spirit and rendering her body useless.